Bill Black will always be my hero for founding and maintaining AC comics these past 40 years. It hasn't been easy to be an independent publisher when DC and Marvel dominate the markets and the distribution centers . . . but Bill has held on, fought back, and continues to give us such great DID comics as FemForce, Blue Bulleteer, Black Phantom, Tara, and many more. In this issue of Dragonfly, ,published 25 years ago (notice the price: $1.75) the shapely blue superheroine meets up with Mantis Man (real life name: Dr. Manning, insect scientist and biologist). Mantis Man is stronger than the beauteous crimefighter, and he has a grudge against her earlier prototype predecessor -- the first Dragonfly who was a male (he is somehow presumed dead now, hence the need for the new female version to come on the scene). Mantis Man lures Dragonfly into a trap, and attacks her believing her to be his old arch enemy. She is not the same of course, but he beats her up anyway. After being beaten nearly to a pulp, she decides to change to her alter ego, thus causing the customary explosion to occur which startles Mantis Man into releasing her. She immediately tries to change back to Dragonfly but somehow cannot. Suddenly another Dragonfly appears, looking like her long lost predecessor . . . however he is not the real Dragonfly but a pretender who shows up to rescue the damsel in distress. Using a smoke bomb he blinds Mantis Man, and carries the girl to safety. Once she recovers from the beating, she becomes Dragonfly again, and returns to whip the tar out of Mantis Man -- see last frames. Rik Levins, the artist never shows her unconscious or arm carried, or even tied up . . . what a shame . . . but she surely is shown in dire distress . . . and she always looks great. Enjoy,
Source: I once owned this book