Madam Fatal

Madame Fatal
Madame Fatal in Crack Comics #22.
Publication information
Publisher	Quality Comics DC Comics
First appearance	Crack Comics #1 (May 1940)
Created by	Art Pinajian
In-story information
Alter ego	Richard Stanton
Abilities	Skilled hand to hand combatant Expert cane fighter Peak physical condition High-level intellect and intuition Superior investigative skills Professional acting, disguise and theatric skills

Madame Fatal (sometimes referred to as Madam Fatal) is a fictional character and a comic book superhero active during the Golden Age of Comic Books. Madame Fatal was created and originally illustrated by artist/writer Art Pinajian and the debut of the character was in the Crack Comics #1 (May 1940), a crime/detective anthology series published by Quality Comics. Madame Fatal continued as a feature in that title but when the character was not well received, Madame Fatal made a last appearance in #22 (March 1942).

The character later appeared in some publications by DC Comics when DC Comics bought the rights to the character in 1956, along with a bulk buy of all Quality Comic's characters, although Madame Fatal not been seen much since except a few brief appearances and passing mentions by other comic book characters.

Madame Fatal is notable for being a male superhero who dressed up as an elderly woman and as such is the first cross-dressing hero. The original incarnation of the more famous cross-dressing character, Red Tornado, later that year, would become the first cross-dressing heroine.

"She" was actually Richard Stanton, a handsome, pipe-smoking, dapper, middle-aged blonde Caucasian man who is exceptionally intelligent and intuitive, as well as being at the peak of his physical abilities. He had made a vast fortune successfully playing the Wall Street of the late 1920s, a time of economic unrest, which incurred the jealousy of many of those close to him. In his private life, Stanton was also a widower and a single father, being the parent of a two-year-old (unnamed) girl. As well as being a successful financial investor, Stanton is also a lover of theatrics and a world-famous stage, theatre, radio and film actor living in Manhattan, until his wealthy and prominent celebrity status brought unwanted attention from costumed villains. Stanton's daughter was kidnapped by them and the police were unable to uncover their identities, but Stanton was, on his wits and superior investigative skills. As such, Stanton decided to take matters into his own hands after he deduced that the leader of the gang was John Carver, a crime kingpin who had been running extortion rackets in various cities.