La Guêpe

Stepping onto the page in 1973 courtesy of Gary Friedrich and Mike Ploog, La Guêpe is a Bronze Age figure whose debut in Le Monstre de Frankenstein #1 from Editions Lug marks the beginning of a surprisingly enduring presence spanning more than five decades of comics history. The rarefied company this character keeps — sharing adventures with the likes of Janet Van Dyne, Thor, Captain America, and Captain Marvel — speaks to a place within some genuinely storied corners of the medium. Spread across titles as varied as Ombrax-Saga, Deadpool / Batman, and Le Monstre de Frankenstein, La Guêpe's 16 catalog appearances paint the portrait of a character woven quietly but persistently into the fabric of a rich publishing legacy. For collectors with a taste for the distinctive flavor of Editions Lug and the treasures the Bronze Age produced, La Guêpe is exactly the kind of discovery that makes digging through back issues so rewarding.