Wilma Deering
| Wilma Deering | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Amazing Stories |
| First appearance | August 1928 |
| Created by | Philip Francis Nowlan |
| In-story information | |
| Supporting character of | Buck Rogers |
Wilma Deering is a fictional character featured in the various iterations of Buck Rogers which have spanned many media over the years.
Through all the versions of Buck Rogers, Wilma Deering has maintained some clear characteristics. She is a sometimes romantic interest for Buck, always a loyal defender of Earth, and an attractive and smart woman. She is generally depicted as having a spunky attitude and a penchant for getting herself into trouble. As with other science fiction heroines from the pulp sf genre and others, she has sometimes been depicted as a damsel in distress but mostly as an assertive adventurer in her own right. In this way, her character resembles that of Dale Arden of the Flash Gordon comic books and movie serials, and also the character of Lois Lane from Superman.
Wilma Deering appears in the very first Buck Rogers story, Armageddon 2419 A.D., and the basic elements are present. She is depicted as adventurous, heroic and beautiful, and of course a romantic interest for the hero.
Wilma features in the Buck Rogers comic strip from its inception, as she the first person of Earth to meet Buck when he awakens in the 25th century. Depicted from the start as a love interest, Wilma is initially almost a stock character heroine just as Dr. Huer is a stock "brainy scientist". Her character does develop over time, however, into the more familiar spunky adventurer.
The character of Wilma Deering was featured in the 1939 Buck Rogers movie serial which starred Buster Crabbe. The role of Wilma was portrayed by Constance Moore, in what would come to be her first highly recognized film role. In the serial, Buck Rogers and Buddy Wade awaken in the 25th century to find out that the world has been taken over by the outlaw army of Killer Kane. Along with Wilma Deering, who is a Lieutenant in this incarnation, Buck and Buddy join in the fight to overthrow Kane with the help of Prince Tallen of Saturn and his forces. In this serial, Wilma is essentially the faithful sidekick, and her relationship with Dr. Huer is akin to that of a daughter.
...
Wikipedia