1980s

The 1980s brought Kitty Pryde, arguably the most popular Jewish superhero in the history of comics. Although little is mentioned of her Jewish identity in the stories, she is almost always shown wearing her Magen David necklace. The necklace even saved her life when she was attacked by Dracula. 

"Night Screams"The Uncanny X-Men #159 (July 1982), p. 12. Story by Chris Claremont. Art by Bill Sienkiewicz & Bob Wiacek. © Marvel Comics


The futuristic series Hex had a story with a Batman whose mother was Miriam Cohen, an American rabbi who advocated for gun control. 

"Night of the Bat" Hex #11 (July 1986), p. 13.  Story by Michael Fleisher. Art by Mark Texeira, Carlos Garzon, & Pablo Marcos. © DC Comics


One of the minor subplots of a Spider-Man story involved African-American Randy Robertson’s marriage to Amanda Batavides – a white Jew who eventually divorced him. 

"Dinner Hour" The Spectacular Spider-Man #117 (Aug. 1986), p. 19-20. Story by Peter David. Art by Rich Buckler, Dwayne Turner, Bob McLeod, Del Barras, Brett Breeding, & Joe Rubinstein. © Marvel Comics


In Captain America, the Red Skull told his life story to his enemies. When he was a youth during the Nazi era, he’d fallen in love with a Jewish girl who spurned him & whom he later killed. 

"Sturm Und Drang: The Life and Times of the Red Skull" Captain America #298 (Oct. 1984). Story by J.M. DeMatteis. Art by Paul Neary & Roy Richardson.  © Marvel Comics


Aline Kominsky-Crumb mined her past again, showing how she had low self-esteem and self-image, yet still tried to be protective of her sensitive brother. 

"Growing Up Arnie's Girl" Weirdo #26 (Fall 1989), 8th story, p. 5.  Story & art by Aline Kominsky-Crumb. © Last Gasp Eco-Funnies


The money-obsessed JAP stereotype was used in Marnin Rosenberg’s dating rant in National Lampoon, 

"Marnin Rosenbrg in 'Bad Luck with Women' " National Lampoon (June 1987), p. 2. Story by Josh Alan Friedman. Art by Drew Friedman. © Drew Friedman


while the graphic novel Greenberg the Vampire presented an example of the guilt-inducing Jewish mother. Greenberg also showed Oscar’s mother as a heroic figure, trying to rescue him from the clutches of evil Jewish female Lilith, mother of all vampires. 

"Greenberg the Vampire" Marvel Graphic Novel #20 (1986), p. 47. Story  by J.M. DeMatteis. Art by Mark Badger. © Marvel Comics


In Will Eisner’s A Life Force, there is a rare Jewish scene of a Jewish wife preparing for Shabbos, 

A Life Force (1988), p. 13. Story and Art by Will Eisner. © Kitchen Sink


as well as the reappearance of a character’s old flame who needs his help immigrating as a refugee. Though she still harbored feelings for him, her life had moved on & she wanted his to, as well. 


One of the evangelical Chick tracts published in the 80s – Miss Universe – adapted the story of Queen Esther. 

Miss Universe (1987). Adaptation by Jack Chick. Art by Fred Carter.  © Chick Publications


British publisher Knockabout published an anthology of short Biblically-based stories titled Outrageous Tales from the Old Testament. As the title suggests, these stories – which featured Yael, Yeftah’s daughter, the Levite’s unnamed concubine & proverbs from The Wisdom of Ben Sirah – emphasized the sensational sexual & violent parts of the tales. 

"Jephthah And His Daughter" Outrageous Tales from the Old Testament (1987), 7th story, p. 31. Adapted by Neil Gaiman. Art by Pete Rigg © Knockabout 


Several 80s comic stories took place during the Holocaust or had Holocaust flashback scenes. All-Star Squadron had a woman explain the death camp to a just-captured POW. 

"Ring of Fire... Ring of Fear!" All-Star Squadron #9 (May 1982), p. 9. Story by Roy Thomas & Gerry Conway. Art by Adrian Gonzales & Jerry Ordway. © DC Comics


Uncanny X-Men used surreal imagery to represent a survivor’s traumatic memories of what she experienced in a camp. 

"Gold Rush!" The Uncanny X-Men #161 (Sep. 1982), p. 8. Story by Chris Claremont. Art by Dave Cockrum & Bob Wiacek. © Marvel Comics


Supergirl’s landlady – a survivor – shared her story & learned that her daughter also survived, but became a super-powered anti-Semite. 

"Echoes of Times Gone By" Supergirl #13 (Nov. 1983), p. 6. Story by Paul Kupperberg. Art by Carmine Infantino & Bob Oksner. © DC Comics


Captain America’s landlady was given a chance to take her revenge on a Nazi war criminal. In the end, he was killed by another woman – the daughter of a prominent Nazi hunter. 

"The Calypso Connection!" Captain America #245, p. 30. Story by Roger McKenzie. Art by Carmine Infantino & Joe Rubinstein.  © Marvel Comics 


Art Spiegelman’s award-winning memoir Maus told the story of what happened to both of his parents. However the narrative was biased in that it was drawn by Art & based only on the oral testimony of his father Vladek. His mother, Anja, committed suicide before Art began work on the book & her journals were destroyed by Vladek. 

Maus : A Survivor's Tales (1986), p. Story & Art by Art Spiegelman. © Pantheon


An Uncanny X-Men story showed Kitty at a survivors’ gathering in Washington, trying to learn the fate of her great aunt Chava who disappeared during the Holocaust. 

"The Spiral Path" The Uncanny X-Men #199 (Nov. 1985). Story by Chris Claremont. Art by John Romita, Jr. and Dan Green. © Marvel Comics


In an Outsiders story, a Hitler clone learned about the man he was cloned from, realized that his servant was a Jew, and committed suicide.

"Sympathy for the Fuhrer" The Adventures of the Outsiders #35 (July 1986). Story by Mike W. Barr. Art by Alan David & Paul Neary. © DC Comics

1990s

In the 1990s there was another adaptation of Ivanhoe – this time in beautiful watercolors. 

"Ivanhoe" Classics Illustrated #25 (May 1991), p. 37. Story by Walter Scott. Adapted by Mark Wayne Harris. Art by Ray Lago. © First Publishing & Berkeley Publishing Group


There were also 2 Chick tracts – one adapting the story of Ruth, 

The Outsider (1991). Adapted by Jack Chick. Art by Fred Carter.  © Chick Publications
the other the story of King David’s affair with Bat-Sheva. 

The Royal Affair (1990). Adapted by Jack Chick. Art by Fred Carter.  © Chick Publications


The Devil’s Workshop had a scene where Houdini’s mother tells Houdini that she’s disappointed about his changing his name. 

Batman / Houdini : The Devil's Workshop (1993), p. 35. Story by Howard Chaykin & John Francis Moore.  Art by Mark Chiarello. © DC Comics

The semi-autobiographical Brooklyn Dreams had 5 Jewish women in it : the confrontational sister, the obsessed-with-worrying mother who constantly scratched her arms, the anger-filled aunts, & Annie Stein whom he described as “cheerleader, straight A student, all-American Jewish princess & … first true love”.

"Dog Days" Brooklyn Dreams #1 (1994), p. 70-71. Story by J.M. DeMatteis. Art by Glenn Barr. 


The 2^nd Angloman book introduced the first and only Canadian-Jewish superheroine Matzoh Girl, 

"Crisis at the Cavendish Mall" Angloman 2 : Money, Ethnics, Superheroes (Dec. 1996), 2nd story, p. 4. Story by Mark Shaniblum. Art by Gabriel Morrissette. © Nuage Editions.


while an issue of Jaguar revealed that the title character was descended from Marrano Jews. 

"Confessions" The Jaguar #4 (Nov. 1991). Story by William Messner-Loebs. Art by David Williams & Jose Marzan, Jr. © DC Comics


In the DC Universe Holiday Bash, Green Lantern met a female rabbi who delivered a stirring Hanukkah sermon about faith after her synagogue was vandalized. 

"The Vessel" DC Universe Holiday Bash #1 (1997), 5th story, p. 10. 


In the Marvel Holiday Special, Kitty taught a black girl about acceptance & overcoming prejudice, using herself as an example of a dual minority – mutant and Jew. 

"Unto Others" Marvel Holiday Special (1996), 2nd story, p. 5. Story by Evan Skolnick. Art by Josh Hood & Derek Fisher. © Marvel Comics


Jewish-black relations were also looked at in 3 other works of the decade. In Dropsie Avenue, Rosie’s mother insisted that Rosie’s black friend (Rubie Brown) eat at the same table as them, something Rubie wasn’t used to. Later, when Rubie’s father (Jim) loses his job, Rosie’s mom indirectly gets him hired as the custodian for her synagogue. 

Dropsie Avenue : The Neighborhood (1995). Story & Art by Will Eisner. © Kitchen Sink


In the Static series, Virgil Hawkins had a disagreement with his friend Frieda Goren over wealth in the Jewish-American and African-American communities and whether Jews bear responsibility for problems in the black community. 

"Louder than a Bomb, Chapter One: Megablast" Static #5 (Oct. 1993). Story by Robert L. Washington III. Art by John Paul Leon & Steve LoudMitchell. © Milestone


In the White Like She miniseries, the brain of black janitor Luther Joyce was transplanted into the body of Louella Schwartz by a controversial surgeon. 

"Caucasian Hypothesis" White Like She #3 (July 1994), p. 5. Story & art by Bob Fingerman. © Dark Horse


An issue of Captain America once again showed a flashback of the Red Skull’s backstory, this time depicting all of the Jews as faceless. 

 "The Red Skull in: Turnabout" Captain America #14 (Feb. 1999), p. 13. Story by Mark Waid & Ralph Macchio. Art by Andy Kubert & Jesse Delperdang. © Marvel Comics


In one Superman story, a girl in the Warsaw Ghetto risked her life to hide an unknown Superman, despite her mother’s objections, 

"Time and Time Again Phase Three: The Warsaw Ghetto" Superman #54 (Apr. 1991 ), p. 7. Story by Jerry Ordway. Art by Jerry Ordway & Dennis Janke. © DC Comics


while in another story, Superman reunited 2 Holocaust survivor sisters who were separated at Auschwitz. 

"Metropolis Mailbag" Superman #64 (Feb. 1992), p. 5. Story by Dan Jurgens, Art by Jackson Guice. © DC Comics


An issue of X-Factor had a backup story in which Holocaust survivor Mrs. Scully shared her story of love & loss – most of her family killed, her life spared by a Nazi who lusted after her, rejection by her aunt for marrying a Gentile. 

"Tribute the First" X-Factor Annual #5 (1990), p. 7-8. Story by Peter David. Art by Dave Ross & Geof Isherwood. © Marvel Comics


In the Shadow Strikes series, a Jewish Einstein-like genius was smuggled out of the U.S. to both escape Nazi persecution & to assist the Allies. He was shocked when he noticed that an American waitress was proudly wearing a magen David necklace, unafraid to let others see that she was Jewish. 

"The Star and the Twisted Cross" The Shadow Strikes #20 (June 1991), p. 20. Story by Elliot S! Maggin. Art by RodWhigham & Gerry Fernandez. © DC Comics


It was during this decade that Corinne Pearlman published her first autobiographical short piece “The Non-Jewish Jewess”, which eventually led to her “Playing the Jewish Card” pieces which have appeared in The Jewish Quarterly. 

"The Non-Jewish Jewsess" The Jewish Quarterly (Autumn 1992), reprinted in Fanny #3 (1992). Story & Art by Corinne Pearlman. © The Jewish Quarterly 


Will Eisner’s Invisible People contained the short story “Mortal Combat” – a tragic Jewish librarian romance, in which Herman is torn between fellow librarian Hilda (with whom he has fallen in love) and his guilt-inducing over-possessive mother who literally sticks her head in the oven in a desperate attempt to break them up.

"Mortal Combat" Invisible People (1993), 3rd story, p.  10. Story & Art by Will Eisner. © Kitchen Sink