Will O' The Wisp

Real Name: Gale Leary
First Appearance: Key Comics #1 (January, 1944)
Original Publisher: Consolidated Magazines
Created by: Chu Hing

New Suit

Origin:

Gale Leary's father, Gregory, was a district attorney in New York. In 1925, when Gale was only an infant, her mother, Martha, was murdered and her father was permanently crippled when they were attacked by Bob Evans and Red Brandois, in revenge for getting Evans convicted. When Gale began to cry, hearing her father's screams, Evans gave her a willow branch in order to quiet her down. Gale kept the branch until she was an adult, and over the years, she began to realize that it made her feel invincible. In fact, the branch did give her supernatural powers, enabling her to avenge the crimes comitted against her parents. Gale adopted the name Will O' The Wisp and used her powers to fight for justice. She later became friends with a man named Jack Snave.

Among other things, the willow branch enabled Gale to glow with a strange light, much like the Will O' The Wisp. It protected her from bullets and seemed to give Gale the ability to repel attackers (possibly through limited telekenesis). It is unclear, but there is some implication that the branch caused the deaths of Evans and Brandois.

Golden Age Appearances: 

Key Comics #1-5