SHANNA THE SHE-DEVIL #1-5 (1972-1973): 1st Nekra, Mandrill


Shanna #1 was written by a woman, Carole Seuling, wife of comic convention organizaer Phil Seuling, and subsequent issues represent early work by a real legend of the 1970s: Steve Gerber.

Shanna is an animal rights activist who protects animals on a wildlife reserve. But she wears cheetah-skin. She’s a walking contradiction.

The series was the debut of Nekra, a mutant vampire who can make people feel hatred.

And also the first appearance of Mandrill.   He’s a mutant monkey man who tries to take over the world later in his Marvel career.  

Both Mandrill and Nekra were created when radiation leaked at an experimental facility and affected their pregnant mother so that they were born mutants. So, they’re brother and sister–and their dad was white and mom African American. That will be important later for these characters.

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