Creation

The Bride of Frankenstein originates from Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, where Victor Frankenstein begins creating a female companion for his monster at the creature’s request. Fearing the consequences of a potential race of monsters, Victor destroys the unfinished being before bringing her to life. The monster witnesses this and vows revenge.

The character became iconic through Universal’s 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein, where she is brought to life but instantly rejects the monster. Though unnamed and on screen for only a few minutes, her distinctive appearance—especially Elsa Lanchester’s conical hair with white streaks—cemented her image in pop culture.

While Universal shaped the character's visual identity, the underlying concept is in the public domain, just like the figure of "Igor", created in the play Presumption; or, The Fate of Frankenstein (1823), where he appeared as Fritz, a name maintained in the Universal version in 1931 before being transformed into Ygor/Igor. Only specific elements of the studio’s interpretation (such as costume and makeup) are protected, allowing the core idea of the Bride to be freely used in new works.

Major Story Arcs

Prize Comics

In Prize Comics #26 , Dr. Ullrich discovers Victor Frankenstein’s original journals and attempts to create a companion for the Monster, hoping to encourage him to serve humanity instead of terrorizing it. However, before this goal can be realized, an angry mob burns down the laboratory, killing both Ullrich and the would-be Bride.

In Frankenstein #28, a scientist revives a woman executed for murder to serve as a companion for the Monster. Despite a protective bond forming between them, the companion kidnaps a baby, prompting the scientist to destroy her with a bomb hidden in a doll. The explosion kills her, leaving the Monster alone once again.

Skywald Publications

In The Saga of Frankenstein featured in the 1974 Psycho Yearbook, Victor successfully creates a bride for the Monster, who promises to teach her how to walk and talk. While the Monster tends to his new partner, Victor, drunk and unstable, returns to the lab and kills her. The grief-stricken Monster then murders Victor’s wife, Elizabeth, in a furious act of revenge.

DC Comics

DC reimagined the Bride as “Lady Frankenstein,” a member of S.H.A.D.E.’s elite Creature Commandos. She is portrayed as strong-willed, physically powerful, and a skilled combatant, even equipped with extra prosthetic arms. In one story, she kills her own monstrous son, who had previously survived a failed mission, showcasing her moral complexity. In the Rebirth storyline, she appears in Super Monster, where she rejects Frankenstein’s attempt at reconciliation, asserting her independence and emotional detachment.

Marvel Comics

In Marvel’s adaptation inspired by Mary Shelley’s novel, Victor reluctantly agrees to create a mate for the Monster, who seeks companionship and promises to retreat from human society. However, after bringing the Bride to life, Victor becomes horrified and violently destroys her. Enraged, the Monster murders Victor’s friend Henry Clerval and later his wife Elizabeth on their wedding night.