LYDIA PARKER

Real Name: Lydia Parker

Identity/Class: Normal human (late 1940s era)

Occupation: Book seller

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Henry Fleming;
   formerly Paul (last name unrevealed)

Enemies: Paul

Known Relatives: Father (name unrevealed)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unrevealed (likely a town/city in the USA)

First Appearance: Love Romances I#21/1 (September, 1949)

Powers/Abilities: Lydia Parker has skills in running a small bookstore and recognizing noteworthy vintage books.

Height: 5'5"
Weight: 135 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond

History:

(Love Romances I#21/1 (fb) - BTS) - Lydia Parker helped in her father's small second-hand book store, alongside young Paul, who was quietly drawn to her.

(Love Romances I#21/1 (fb)) - One day, the unemployed but vintage book specialist Henry Fleming chanced upon the store. Lydia and Henry were instantly attracted to each other. Their casual book banter caught the attention of Lydia's father, who offered Henry a job and he readily accepted. Lydia noted that Henry settled in quickly. She declined Paul's evening invitation to a concert in favor of cataloging with Henry, unaware this only stoked Paul's jealousy. That evening, Lydia and Henry revealed their mutual feelings for each other; Henry even proposed marriage, but Lydia wished to wait. Soon after, an old book from Henry's section went missing; Lydia asked Henry about it and he angrily misinterpreted it as an accusation, resulting in Lydia crying. The pair soon made up, but a few days later another rare book went missing (again secretly taken by Paul to frame Henry). Lydia lied to her father to cover for the loss but quietly began to doubt Henry's honesty. That night, Lydia returned to the shop and discovered Paul stealing another book. Paul confessed everything, declaring that if he couldn't have her, then no one could and menaced her with a letter opener. She broke free and Paul clumsily fell on the weapon, dying quickly. She called police and in a daze, picked up the bloody weapon. The police barged in and arrested her.

(Love Romances I#21/1) - At her trial, apparently represented by a bespectacled ginger-haired lawyer, she rose to hear the jury's verdict. but the stress caused he to faint and the events again unfurled in her mind. She quickly recovered in the courtroom and heard the "not guilty" verdict. Elated, Lydia and Henry embraced, and resolved to marry immediately at the registry across the hall.

Comments:

This story was later reprinted in  Love Tales#60 (February, 1955).

These romance stories often had the flavor of the time in which they were written, and nothing else to tie them into Marvel's sliding timescale. As such, it's likely that the stories took place at the time of publication rather than being part of the sliding timescale.

There's a few Marvel Parkers, surely some must be related...?

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Lydia Parker has no known connections to:

• PARKER, BECKAH (a.k.a. GIN GENIE) -  X-Force/X-Statix, killed in assault on kidnappers, could create earth tremors--X-Force I#116
  
• PARKER, CECILLE - college student, bitten and enslaved by Dracula--Tomb of Dracula I#13
• PARKER, Dr. CHARLES - scientist who injected himself with immortality serum, body kept deteriorating but stayed alive--Suspense#14/1
• PARKER, JOE - escaped convict, assaulted Chondu the Mystic but was sent to limbo--Tales of Suspense I#9
  
• PARKER, JUDY - vain young woman, derogatory toward other women, resulting her left dateless at romance lodge--Teen-Age Romance#85/1
  
• PARKER, Major LUCAS - US Air National Guard, plane destroyed in struggle against the Hulk, fell into chasm caused by the Hulk, possibly died--Hulk Smash#1
• PARKER, PETER (aka SPIDER-MAN) - New York superhero or any of his considerable extended family (including extradimensional)--Amazing Fantasy I#15
• PARKER, PHIL - WWII era Army intelligence officer, Howling Commandos ally--Sgt. Fury & His Howling Commandos I#10
  
• PARKER, RUSS of Earth-200111 - NYPD, investigated framing of the Punisher and the Bulat's slave prostitute ring--Punisher VII (MAX) #25
  
• PARKER, TONY - confirmed existence and location of King Crocodile to reporter friend Betty Dean--Sub-Mariner Comics#33/4
  
• or any other "Lydia" or "Parker" characters

Henry Fleming

Henry Fleming had spent time around books, but during a period of unemployment, he chanced upon the Parkers' second-hand book store and wandered in, but only to browse. Store assistant Lydia Parker's and Henry's eyes met and they were instantly attracted to each other. Casual book talk caught the attention of Lydia's father, the store owner, who offered Fleming a job and he accepted immediately. Henry settled in quickly but caught the jealousy of young fellow worker Paul. Henry made romantic advances to Lydia, which she embraced, and he even proposed marriage, but she wished to wait. Paul stole several books from Henry's specialist part of the store, causing suspicion and unrest for Henry, until Lydia chanced upon the real culprit. Jealous he would lose her, Paul tried to murder her but clumsily fell on his weapon and died. Lydia was arrested and tried for murder; Henry watched helpless at her trial but she was acquitted and the pair embraced, deciding to marry at the registry across the hall.

--Love Romances I#21/1

images: (without ads)
Love Romances I#21/1, p6, pan1 (main image)
   p5, pan5 (headshot)
   p8, pan3 (recovering in courtroom with, hey, who's that ginger-haired lawyer with specs??)
   p2, pan2 (Fleming)

Appearances:
Love Romances I#21/1 (September, 1949) - uncredited writer, Bob Brown (pencils), uncredited inks, Stan Lee (editor)

First posted: 02/14/2024 - Happy Valentine's Day!

Last updated: 02/14/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
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