Firehair rallies the Dakotas. Artist: Gus Schrotter.

FIREHAIR

Medium: Comic books
Published by: Fiction House Magazines
First Appeared: 1945
Creators: “John Starr”, writer, and Lee Elias, artist
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Perhaps the first significant comic book character from Fiction House Magazines was Sheena, Queen of the Jungle (depending on how one defines "significant character") who pioneered a whole genre of female versions of Tarzan. Fiction House also has a credible …

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… claim of having published the first female superhero (depending on how one defines "superhero"), Fantomah. In fact, over the years, Fiction House was an industry leader in the female aspects of heroism — not because of any precocious 1940s devotion to the cause of feminism, but simply to attract more of the adolescent male readers who made up such a large portion of their customer base. Firehair, a woman who adopted the culture of the Dakota Indians, was their most popular western hero.

At first, "Firehair" was the only real name the character had. She was introduced in Fiction House's Rangers Comics #21 (February, 1945), where she replaced Commando Ranger, a hero of the war that was just then winding down. There, she was depicted as the daughter of a wealthy Boston businessman traveling through the town of Plainsville (Texas?) under the assumed name "J.B. Smith". He addressed the woman later known as "Firehair" only by the pet name "Princess" (no relation). Readers never found out why he was trying to build a new life in a new land. Later in that issue, he was killed by criminals posing as Indians, who left the daughter for dead. But she was alive, tho she'd lost all memory. She was found and nursed back to health by Little Ax, son of Tehama, the local chief.

Over the next couple of issues, she adjusted to her new life, learning the skills she needed to be a productive — in fact, exemplary part of the tribe, outdoing many male members who had been there since birth. In the second story, she acquired her horse, Devil-Eye. In #24 (August, 1945) she recovered her memory — her name was Lynn Cabot, a fact that was mentioned now and then in the series. She traveled to Boston to claim her inheritance, but returned to the tribe and her heroic career as soon as the errand was accomplished.

These early stories were written by "John Starr", apparently a house name, and drawn by Lee Elias (Black Canary, Adam Strange). Among those who later worked on Firehair, probably the most proment was artist Bob Lubbers (Long Sam).

Firehair was first cover-featured in Rangers Comics #40 (April, 1948). She kept that position until #65 (June, 1952), but when she was dropped from the cover, she was dropped from the inside as well. Only four more issues were published, with The Commando Rangers (whose name may have been reminiscent of the feature Firehair herself replaced, but were unrelated) replacing her in both positions. The demise of her own title, which had begun as reprints in 1948, came at the same time, Spring, 1952.

In 1958, Firehair suffered the same fate as that of Kaanga, Wambi and other Fiction House heroes. She was reprinted by IW Enterprises (Dollman, Yankee Girl) as Firehair, White Daughter of the Sioux. IW Comics was run by Israel Waldman, who, irrespective of legal rights, would reprint anything he could get his hands on.

But that was the end of her. She was completely unrelated to a later DC Comics character with the same name.

— DDM

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Text ©2007-10 Donald D. Markstein. Art © Fiction House Magazines.