Madam Fatal

Richard Stanton was an accomplished stage actor and female impersonator who retired in 1930 when John Carver kidnapped his daughter. Carver had been in love with Stanton’s wife, and committed the crime out of jealousy. When police could not recover the girl, Stanton’s wife died of grief, and he took drastic measures. He would get revenge on Carver by donning his last stage costume—that of a little old lady—to become the world’s first cross-dressing hero. No one ever suspected that the harmless old woman was actually a costumed mystery man—until it was too late. Eight years later, he caught up to Carver, who accidentally shot himself. But before he died, Carver revealed that Stanton’s daughter was still alive! (Crack Comics #1)

Though Stanton never found his daughter, he once aided a friend, Fielding Garr, in finding his son. When Stanton arrived at Garr’s house, he was struck by a chemical lightning and Garr’s son Tom was kidnapped. As Madam Fatal, he rescued Tom from the crooks’ “House of Terror.” (#7) His first costumed opponent was the Tiger Woman, who led gang of savages in retaliation for stolen treasures from her home country. She went over a high wall after a struggle with the Madam. (#9) Another was the Black Witch of Haiti, who wanted to kill another friend’s wife. (#18) 

Madam Fatal also briefly had allies in the field: Tubby White and Scrappy Nelson, who formed the “Sure Fire Detective Agency.” (#20) In their second case, Fatal was shot. After a successful surgery, the doctor was careful not to reveal Stanton’s secret to his sidekicks. (#21)

Madam Fatal’s series ended abruptly even though Crack #22 had assured “more of Madam Fatal” in the next issue. Normally, those “next issue” blurbs were accurate. In her last appearance, the splash page featured her ugly mug drawn alongside those of her new sidekicks. Perhaps Pinajian hoped these additions might liven up the feature. Art Pinajian is known to have served in the military so perhaps his enlistment signalled its end. 

DC

Madam Fatal was still active in 1944, when Stanton became an agent of the anti-hero (and sometime villain), the Shade. The Shade employed Madam Fatal to protect his own descendant, Darnell Caldecott. Stanton posed as Caldecott's assistant, Miss Sharp. Sharp escorted Caldecott to safety, and when his life was endangered by Nazis, revealed herself as Madam Fatal. The Shade arrived soon thereafter to relieve Madam Fatal, and presented Stanton with his payment—the information he'd sought for so long... the whereabouts of his kidnapped daughter. It seemed that she eleven years earlier by Dr. Prowl. (The Shade v.2 #4)

Richard Stanton passed away of presumably natural causes. He was buried in Valhalla Cemetery. The only mourners at his funeral were the touring company of “La Cage aux Folles.” (JSA #1)