TEX'S BACK-ISSUE QUEST Episode #40 (Night Nurse)

Hello, brothers and sisters!

   I am back again with the comic-book knowledge that you can't get in college!! I hope that you had a great week and that you have an even BETTER WEEKEND!! 

   IT'S FRIDAY!!! YAY!!

   I have plans with Mrs. TEX, and Li'l Miss TEX, so let's get this engine hot and smoking! Time for some TLC with...NIGHT NURSE!!

It's "Night Nurse" #1, published by Marvel Comics in 1972, featuring the return of Linda Carter, and the first appearances of Christine Palmer and Georgia Jenkins. 

"Night Nurse" #2!

"Night Nurse" #3!

    Above is my full collection of the 70s "Night Nurse" series from Marvel, I only need one more, and it will be complete.

     "Night Nurse," along with "The Claws of The Cat" and "Shanna The She-Devil" were comics that Marvel put out to attract more young, female readers in the 1970s. "Shanna The She-Devil" was able to limp along to five issues, while the other two ended with a run of only four issues. What made "Night Nurse" special was that it was not about any super-powered individuals; it showcased the love lives, struggles and heroism of three roommates, all nurses, who worked at the fictional Metropolitan General Hosptial in Manhattan, NYC. In issue #1, Linda Carter is trying to decide whether to give up the career she loves to marry a successful businessman; Georgia Jenkins, an African-American woman from the slums, strives to be the best nurse she can be but worries for her missing brother (who we see later in the issue causing big problems for Georgia and the hospital); and Christina Palmer tries to make her own way as a nurse, even though her affluent father begs her to give it up and come back home to an exclusive Midwestern suburb. These three women come from different backgrounds, shoulder different struggles, and are different one from another as they could possibly be. At first, this causes problems, but soon the intrigue, stress and sometimes, the danger of being a nurse at night in the big city helps them form an unbreakable bond. 

   "Night Nurse" was filled with wonderful characters, and great, socially relevant stories. These stories were penned by Jean Thomas, wife of comics legend, Roy Thomas, and penciled by another comics legend, Winslow "Win" Mortimer. Unfortunately, the comics sold REALLY poorly, and the series was canceled after just four issues. "Night Nurse" was all but forgotten until Brain Michael Bendis revived Linda Carter in Daredevil Vol 2, #58 (2004), in which she helped Daredevil recover from his injuries received from a fight with the Yakuza. Since then, Night Nurse has helped several super-heroes recover from possibly deadly wounds and ailments - these include Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Nomad, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange who became romantically linked with Night Nurse for some time. On to the fun facts!

FUN FACT 1 - "Linda Carter, Student Nurse" #1, published by Atlas in 1961, was the first appearance of Linda Carter (they are believed to be the same character, even though their appearances are a bit different).

FUN FACT 2 - Night Nurse's phone number is 917-616-6XXX, which is funny because she is in the Marvel 616, and the "XXX" reminds me of how Doctor Strange disliked the name "Night Nurse," because he thought it "sounded like the title of an adult film" (Doctor Strange: The Oath #2). 

FUN FACT 3 - The "Night Nurse" is a bit challenging to come by in high grades, thus the high going prices for issue #1. 

FUN FACT 4 - The Netflix series, "Marvel's Daredevil" and "Marvel's Luke Cage," both feature a character named Claire Temple who seems to be a hybrid creation merging both Dr. Claire Temple (from "Luke Cage, Hero For Hire" vol 1) and Linda Carter. On the Netflix shows, Claire Temple is portrayed by the beautiful Rosario Dawson. 

FUN FACT 5 - During Civil War I, Linda Carter joined Captain America and his anti-Registration Act Secret Avengers.

FUN FACT 6 - Linda Carter is now a fully trained physician and probably one of the most brilliant in the 616. Despite this, she still uses the alias, "Night Nurse." 

FUN FACT 7- Linda Carter, Night Nurse, has no affiliation with the eternally GORGEOUS Lynda Carter who portrayed Wonder Woman in the 70s TV series.

FUN FACT 8 - Of the three nurses, Georgia Jenkins was the only one never seen again in Marvel comics. 

    Well, that's it for tonight folks!! I hope you enjoy reading these articles as much as I enjoy writing them. Please hit the +1 button at the foot of the article if you enjoyed it, and please share with your friends! Thanks for reading!!

   Happy Trails.