Nelvana of the Northern Lights

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Nelvana of the Northern Lights is a Canadian comic book character and the first Canadian national superhero, debuting in Hillborough Studio's Triumph-Adventure Comics #1 (Aug. 1941). She is also one of the first female superheroes, debuting before Wonder Woman but after Fantomah, the Golden Age Black Widow, Invisible Scarlet O'Neil and others introduced in 1940.

The character was created, written and illustrated by Adrian Dingle, who was inspired by tales brought back from the Arctic by Group of Seven painter Franz Johnston. He converted tribal legends to a story of a superhero living among the Inuit peoples. Nelvana's superpowers included traveling at the speed of light along a ray of the Northern Lights and turning invisible. She fought against the Axis Powers during World War II. Her final appearance was in a May 1947 comic book.

On October 5, 1995, Canada Post issued a stamp depicting her, as part of the "Comic Book Superheroes" series that also included Superman, Johnny Canuck, Captain Canuck and Fleur de Lys.

The Canadian animation studio Nelvana is named after her.

[edit] References

• Grand Comics Database: Triumph-Adventure Comics
• Nelvana of the Northern Lights
• Guardians of The North Superheroes Profile for Nelvana of the Northern Lights
• Nelvana of the Northern Lights (Library and Archives of Canada)
• Nelvana of the Northern Lights postage stamp