Neal Adams
Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a Creator ownership, creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and re ...
and
Michael Netzer
Michael Netzer (; born 9 October 1955) is an American-Israeli artist best known for his comic book work for DC Comics and Marvel Comics in the 1970s, as well as for his online presence.
Early life
Michael Nasser (later Netzer) was born in Detro ...
. The character's first full appearance was in ''Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers'' #3 (March 1982), published by
Pacific Comics
Pacific Comics was a comic book Distribution (marketing), distributor and Comic book publisher, publisher active from 1971 to 1984. The company began as a San Diego, California, comic book shop owned by brothers Bill Schanes, Bill and Steve Schan ...
. After Pacific published two issues, the character was published by Adams' own company
Continuity Comics
Continuity Publishing, also known as Continuity Comics, was an American independent comic book company formed by Neal Adams in 1984, publishing comics until 1994.
History
After years as a freelancer and comics art packager (with his company Co ...
, for a total of nine issues between 1982 and 1994.
Fictional character biography
Ms. Mystic is a genuine
witch
Witchcraft is the use of magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meaning. According to ''Enc ...
who was burned at the stake during the
Salem witch trials
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in Province of Massachusetts Bay, colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 200 people were accused. Not everyone wh ...
(1692–1695). Her soul transferred to another plane, and returned to Earth in the modern world. She is strongly concerned with environmental issues. Mystic has long white hair down to her ankles, wears a set of golden spirals in her hair which resemble the insect-antenna of
faeries
A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...
, and her costume is basically a black
spandex
Spandex, Lycra, or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is a polyether- polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont.
Name
The name ''spandex'', which is an anagram of t ...
catsuit
A catsuit is a one-piece form-fitting garment that covers the torso and the legs, and frequently the arms. They are usually made from stretchable material, such as lycra, Chiffon (fabric), chiffon, spandex (after 1959), latex, or velour, but may u ...
Ms. Mystic is a magician; her ability to wield magic also gives her the power of flight, the ability to summon a sword of light, and undefined "Elemental powers".
She can also call upon
Mother Nature
Mother Nature (sometimes known as Mother Earth or the Earth Mother) is a personification of nature that focuses on the life-giving and nurturing aspects of nature by embodying it, in the form of a mother or mother goddess.
European concept tr ...
for assistance. Ms. Mystic once called upon Mother Nature for help, and she responded by creating the superhero team Urth 4. Urth 4 are strongly influenced by the
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
, a group of four superheroes based on the four classical Greek elements.
Controversy over co-creation
In 1993 comics artist
Michael Netzer
Michael Netzer (; born 9 October 1955) is an American-Israeli artist best known for his comic book work for DC Comics and Marvel Comics in the 1970s, as well as for his online presence.
Early life
Michael Nasser (later Netzer) was born in Detro ...
sued Neal Adams for credit and misappropriation of a jointly created property, claiming that he initially conceived the character of Ms. Mystic at the behest of
DC Comics
DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
' art director
Vince Colletta
Vincente Colletta (October 15, 1923 – June 3, 1991)Vincent Colletta in 1977, and went on to co-create the character with Adams. The suit was subsequently dismissed in the
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a federal trial court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses eight counties of the State of New York. Two of these are in New York Ci ...
on grounds of the
Statute of Limitations
A statute of limitations, known in civil law systems as a prescriptive period, is a law passed by a legislative body to set the maximum time after an event within which legal proceedings may be initiated. ("Time for commencing proceedings") In ...
. Netzer later publicly apologized for the grief caused to Adams by the litigation and acknowledged Adams' sole ownership of the character, while maintaining his claim to initial co-authorship. In 2018 Netzer posted a long attack on Adams on his Facebook page, in response to an interview Adams gave to the magazine ''Back Issue''.Netzer, Michael "WE ALL KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE, NEAL" Facebook (May 14, 2018).
References
{{reflist
External links
at
Don Markstein's Toonopedia
Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...