Selina the Moon Maiden chronicles the adventures of young Claire Delune, a ten-year-old girl granted superhuman powers by the ancient goddess Eurynome. Assuming the name Selina the Moon Girl, Claire battles an array of robots and alien menaces while attempting to keep her identity secret from her friends and family.
Fictitious Publishing History
Originally published during the 1960s, storylines often reflected the cold-war anxieties of the period. Selina's adversaries were often militaristic, totalitarian species bent on the complete subjugation of the United States. Selina, on the other hand, represented the innocence and idealism of the Great American Dream, fighting for truth, justice and liberty against (seemingly) overwhelming odds.
According to most sources, Selina was first published by Goldman Periodicals in 1964, making her official debut in Journey into Adventure no. 23. Devised by industry veteran Ray Haddingsly, Selina was originally intended to capture a young female audience by combining science fiction with teen-romance.
The debut story featured most of the primary cast (Claire, Selina, Janey and Miranda); the following issue introduced teenaged love interest Chip Sanders. Early stories employed stock science-fantasy elements of the period; giant robots, marauding aliens and lumbering monstrosities similar to Marvel's output of the same period. As the decade wore on, however, the stories took on a progressively darker tone, influenced by more supernatural characters like Doctor Strange or DC's The Spectre.
Journey into Adventure was renamed Selina the Moon Maiden with issue 30, suggesting the strip enjoyed some measure of success during its initial run. Unfortunately, interest in girl-friendly comics began to decline towards the end of the decade. Selina ran for four years until February 1968, when falling sales across the board led to a cancellation of many of Goldman's girl-oriented titles.
Supporting cast
Janey Ross: Claire's closest friend, an inveterate tomboy whose impulsive nature invariably leads her into trouble with parents, teachers and practically everyone else she encounters.
Miranda Hobbs: The strip's resident pretty girl; somewhat ditzy at first glance but often proves much smarter than anyone suspects.
Johnny Sanders: Fifteen year-old "Chip" Sanders is Janey's older cousin and the strip's main 'love interest.' Views all three girls as kid sisters, often comes to their aid in times of crisis.
Sven Carlson: Claire's homeroom teacher; a tough-talking but good natured Swedish-American who serves as a father figure to the three girls.
Notes
- Selina the Moon Maiden is an open source character, released into the public domain by the author. The character and associated images may be used for any purpose; attribution is not required.
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