Black Orchid
Black Orchid illustrated by Dave McKean. David Tench McKean (born 29 December 1963 in Maidenhead, Berkshire) is an English Illustrator, Photographer,
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics/Vertigo
First appearance	(Linden-Thorne) Adventure Comics #428 (July-August 1973) (Black) Black Orchid Vol. DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company Vertigo is an Imprint of the American Comic-book publisher DC Comics. In Comic books and other stories with a long history first appearance refers to the first occurrence to feature a Fictional character. Adventure Comics is a Comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 US publications -->==Events and publications== Year overall February March 1 #1 (1988) (Suzy) Black Orchid Vol. Events January February March April May June The Evolutionary War crossover event in 1 #2 (1989)
Created by	(Linden-Thorne) Sheldon Mayer & Tony DeZuniga (Black, Suzy) Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean
In story information
Alter ego	- Susan Linden-Thorne - Flora Black - Suzy
Team affiliations	(Linden-Thorne) Suicide Squad (Black, Suzy) Parliament of Trees
Abilities	- Human plant hybrid with superhuman strength, speed, agility and durability - Ability to fly - Capable of reincarnation by mental transference to host bodies growing in stasis - A master of disguise capable of altering her appearance and voice - Mystical connection to the plant world through the force of nature called the Green

Black Orchid is the name of three fictional superheroines published by DC Comics. Events January Invasion! crossover event in DC Comics February March April May June Sheldon Mayer ( April 1, 1917 - December 21, 1991) was an American Comic book writer artist and editor Tony DeZuniga (b 1941) is a Filipino Comic-book Artist best known for his work for DC Comics, where he co-created the characters Neil Richard Gaiman (ˈgeɪmən (born November 10, 1960) is an English author of Science fiction and Fantasy short stories and David Tench McKean (born 29 December 1963 in Maidenhead, Berkshire) is an English Illustrator, Photographer, The Suicide Squad is a name for two fictional organizations in DC Comics Universe. The Parliament of Trees is a fictional group of Plant Elementals in the form of trees first appearing in Swamp Thing Vol The Parliament of Trees is a fictional group of Plant Elementals in the form of trees first appearing in Swamp Thing Vol Fiction is the telling of stories which are not real More specifically fiction is an imaginative form of Narrative, one of the four basic Rhetorical modes. A superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a Fictional character "of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company The original version of the character first appeared in Adventure Comics #428 (July 1973). Adventure Comics is a Comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 US publications -->==Events and publications== Year overall February March

Susan Linden-Thorne

Black Orchid's debut: Adventure Comics #428 (Aug. Adventure Comics is a Comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 1973). Cover art by Bob Oksner. Bob Oksner ( October 14 1916, Paterson New Jersey - February 18 2007) was an American Comics artist known

Although she has a number of superpowers (including flight, super-strength, and invulnerability to bullets) her main ability is a mastery of disguise. She often spends an entire investigation impersonating an insignificant background female, such as a maid, a secretary, someone's girlfriend, et cetera, and the other characters only discover her involvement at the end of the story upon finding the bound and gagged woman she impersonated, and an abandoned disguise with her calling card, a black orchid.

After appearing in Adventure Comics #'s 428–430, the character next appeared as a backup feature in The Phantom Stranger #'s 31, 32, 35, 36, and 38–41 (1974–1976), after which the character appeared only sporadically, such as an occasional cameo in comic books as diverse as three panels in the Crisis on Infinite Earths 12-issue limited series and Blue Devil Annual #1 (both 1985), as well as Deadshot vol. The Phantom Stranger is a Fictional character of unspecified Paranormal origins who battles mysterious and Occult forces in various titles published Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A comic book (often shortened to simply comic and sometimes called a comic paper or comic magazine) is a Magazine or Book of narrative Crisis on Infinite Earths is a twelve-issue American comic book Limited series (identified as a "12-part maxi-series" and crossover Blue Devil is a Superhero featured in material published by DC Comics. An annual publication, more often called simply an annual, is a book or a Magazine, Comic book or Comic strip published yearly Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Deadshot (real name Floyd Lawton) is a Fictional character, a Supervillain in the DC Universe and an enemy of Batman. 1 #1 and Invasion! #2. Invasion! was a three issue Comic book Limited series and crossover event published in late 1988 -early 1989 by She also appeared in Suicide Squad as a member of the team in issues #4, 7, 11, 12, 19, and 22 (1987–1988). The Suicide Squad is a name for two fictional organizations in DC Comics Universe. She also had an appearance in the non-continuity Super Friends #31. Super Friends is an American Animated television series about a team of Superheroes which ran from 1973 to 1986 on ABC as part

Adventure Comics #428 proclaimed on its cover that it was an "origin issue," although almost no background on the character is given, not even her name. Until Neil Gaiman explained her origin, the character was, in fact, most famous for her lack of an origin.

Flora Black

In 1988, the character was relaunched in a three-part prestige format mini-series called Black Orchid which was written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean. Events January February March April May June The Evolutionary War crossover event in Prestige format is a term coined by DC Comics but now in wider use to refer to a Square-bound Comic book with Cardstock covers A limited series is a term originated by Marvel Comics referring to a Comic book series with a set number of issues Neil Richard Gaiman (ˈgeɪmən (born November 10, 1960) is an English author of Science fiction and Fantasy short stories and David Tench McKean (born 29 December 1963 in Maidenhead, Berkshire) is an English Illustrator, Photographer, The miniseries fleshed out the character considerably, providing an origin story which explained how and why she became known as Black Orchid. It also gave the character a civilian name in her origin sequence, Susan Linden-Thorne. Instead of being a normal super-powered human (or meta in the DC Universe), her background was changed to be that of a human-plant hybrid with ties to the Green. The Parliament of Trees is a fictional group of Plant Elementals in the form of trees first appearing in Swamp Thing Vol In this way she became related with other such human-plant hybrids as the Swamp Thing, Floronic Man, and Poison Ivy. The Swamp Thing is a Fictional character created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson for DC Comics and featured in a long-running horror-fantasy The Floronic Man ( Jason Woodrue) also known as the Plant Master and Floro, is a Fictional character in the DC Comics universe Poison Ivy ( Pamela Lillian Isley) is a Fictional character, a DC Comics Supervillainess who is primarily an enemy of Batman.

The original Black Orchid is killed in this miniseries, and a new one which is a "sister" of sorts to the original is introduced. She goes under the alias of Flora Black to meet with Sherilyn Sommers, her closest friend.

An on-going Black Orchid series, published under the Vertigo imprint, featuring the new Black Orchid, ran for 22 issues from 1993 to 1995. Vertigo is an Imprint of the American Comic-book publisher DC Comics. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Written by Dick Foreman, it saw the second version of the character use pheromone manipulation as mind control to become a femme fatale, breaking and marrying millionaire Elliot Weems to claim his fortune and company business as her own. Mind control is a broad range of psychological tactics able to subvert an individual's control of his own thinking, behavior emotions or decisions A femme fatale (plural femmes fatales) is an alluring and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire often leading them into She then became the series' major villain in the closing story arc, before perishing in the final issue. Her companion, a child version of Black Orchid heretofore nicknamed "Suzy", had matured over the course of the series, taking up the mantle of the Black Orchid as a young adult. Suzy features prominently in The Black Orchid Annual #1, part 2 of Vertigo's Children's Crusade crossover. The Children's Crusade is the over-arcing title of a seven-issue Comic book crossover and Limited series, and specifically the two bookends thereof The Annual was published between issues #4 and #5 of the on-going series. ^[1]

Suzy

The grown-up Suzy is identical to her "sister" and carries on the tradition in both the DC Universe and related Vertigo titles. The DC Universe ( DCU) is the fictional Shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place She has appeared in four event titles: 1999's Totems one-shot, 2001's Justice Leagues miniseries, 2004's JLA: Another Nail, 2005's Day of Vengeance miniseries, and 2006's Infinite Crisis miniseries. In the American Comic book industry the term one-shot is used to denote a pilot comic or a stand-alone story created to last as one issue Justice Leagues was a six-issue crossover event published by DC Comics in 2001, which introduced a revamped Justice League of America. JLA Another Nail is a continuation of events seen in the original three-part mini-series. Day of Vengeance is a six-issue Comic book Limited series written by Bill Willingham, with art by Justiniano and Walden Wong Infinite Crisis is a seven-issue Limited series of Comic books written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George She is at present an ally of the Shadowpact. The Shadowpact is a group of magic-based heroes who fought against the Spectre in the 2005 Limited series Day of Vengeance, published

Powers and abilities

The first Black Orchid had superstrength, invulnerability, flight, and was a master of disguise. The second and third Black Orchids had superstrength, flight, and can absorb nutrients from the air. The second version could generate seductive pheromones.

Film

Actress Rachel McAdams has expressed interest in playing the character in an adaptation of Neil Gaiman's story. Rachel Anne McAdams (born November 17 1978, often reported as October 7 1976) is a multiple Teen Choice Award and MTV Movie Award

Awards

The 1988 limited series was nominated for the Squiddy Award for Favorite Limited Series in 1989, and for the Squiddy Award for Favorite Limited Series of the 1980s. The 1993 ongoing series was nominated for the Squiddy Award for Favorite New Continuing Series in 1993, the Squiddy Award for Most Improved Series in 1993 and 1994. Issue #8 of the series was nominated for the Squiddy Award for Favorite Single Issue Story in a Series in 1993. The trade paperback collection of the mini-series was nominated for the Squiddy Award for Favorite Reprint Volume in 1991.

Notes

References

• Comic Book Awards Almanac

External links

• Toonopedia Entry on Black Orchid I
• Toonopedia Entry on Black Orchid II