Louise Simonson: The Unsung Creator of Superheroes and Villains

Comics creator Louise Simonson on Day 3 of the 2012 New York Comic Con, Saturday October 13, 2012 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.© Luigi Novi / Wikimedia CommonsIn the comic book industry, you might not expect to find many women, but Louise Simonson says otherwise. As a veteran comic book writer and editor Simonson claims that women have always been working behind the scenes in the production of comic books. Louise Simonson is one of them. She’s known in her career as the editor for Marvel, working on notable comics such as Conan the Barbarian and Uncanny X-Men. Although women were present and unseen in the industry, Simonson lives on as a female comic book writer who was in the forefront of many popular comic series alongside Stan Lee, another legendary comic writer. 

Simonson was initially hired as an editor for Marvel in the 1980’s but took on the role of writing when the number of editors became more than enough. She was called to work on the X-Men spin-off titled X-Factor after the previous writer Bob Layton had retired from the series. This was Simonson’s big break as a writer. By taking on X-Factor, she had the opportunity to change the progression of the storyline that was being developed. With this opportunity, she pitched the idea for a villain she named Apocalypse. Little did she know that this villain would become one of the most well-known characters in the Marvel Universe. Along with creating new characters, Simonson also developed a new comic series titled, Power Pack. This Eagle award winning series lasted for 62 issues, telling the tales of a superhero team made up of four young superheroes. 

Logo of Marvel ComicsThe Walt Disney Company - Rian HughesIn addition to working for Marvel Comics, Simonson also worked for DC Comics, the notable publishing company home to superheroes such as Superman and Wonder Woman. Her work is found across two of the most reputable comic book publishers in America, with characters that are recognized worldwide. For many who don’t know Simonson, it may come as a surprise that she’s created and worked on numerous comic book series in the superhero realm. As a woman in a male dominated industry, she was able to rise to the top and make a name for herself. For many years she’s written so many stories about superheroes but through all of her work, she can easily be recognized as a hero in the comic book world as well.