Some characters seem destined to languish in mediocrity, but somehow still manage to carve out a niche for themselves. Such is the case of Madame Xanadu, a DC Comics mystic who has been on the sidelines for 40 years, but still manages to stay relevant within the DC universe. And no, she has nothing to do with that hit Olivia Newton-John song from the 1980s.
Xanadu was created in 1978 by cover artist Michael William Kaluta for Doorway To Nightmare #1, which had an original story by David Michelinie (writer) and Val Mayerik (artist). The series may have only lasted five issues, but it opened the doors to DC and arguably one of comics’ most thought-provoking imprints: Vertigo.