Susie Zonn was the daughter of the criminal "Odds" Zonn and his unnamed wife. After Odds Zonn killed his wife, he abandoned Susie, who was taken in by B.O. Plenty and his family. Sparkle Plenty noticed that Susie's hairstyle resembled angel wings, and she nicknamed the younger girl "Little Wings", or "Wingy". After the death of her father, Wingy was officially adopted by the Plenty family and her name became Wingy Plenty.
Bait for Dick Tracy[]
As a toddler, Wingy was used by her father, the ambitious criminal Odds Zonn, as part of a trap for Dick Tracy. Zonn left his daughter and her dog by the side of the road in a rural area during a snowstorm, at a time when he anticipated that Tracy would be passing. When the detective stopped to help the young girl, Zonn's men assaulted him and left him in the culvert death-trap. Wingy left with her father.
Taken In by the Plentys[]
Wingy accompanied Zonn during his attempted theft of some slightly radioactive material. When the robbery was thwarted, Zonn abandoned his daughter at the nursery school that she attended with her friend Sparkle Plenty. Zonn then killed his wife and made his escape. Wingy was placed in the custody of B.O. Plenty and his wife Gravel Gertie. Sparkle provided the dark-haired girl with her new name (March 21st, 1953). The girls slept on a pallet on the floor and were bathed in a tin washtub.
It was soon discovered that Wingy had begun to glow in the dark. She also complained of pains and other ailments. Wingy was taken to a hospital, where she was diagnosed with a radiation sickness. There was little that the local doctors could do, so Dick Tracy appealed to the reclusive radiation expert Dr. Von Nucleus to help the child. Von Nucleus originally refused, but later agreed to treat Wingy. He was successful and Wingy recovered.
Shortly thereafter, Wingy's father (who was also suffering from radiation sickness) arrived at the hospital seeking treatment. He was killed in a shootout with Dick Tracy. Around this time, the body of Wingy's mother was found, and Wingy was officially declared an orphan. Wingy was taken in by the Plentys, who raised her as their own.
Childhood at Sunny Dell Acres[]
Later, Wingy was present when Sunny Dell Acres was visited by B.O.'s brother Canhead, who promised to build the family a modern indoor bathroom. Wingy and Sparkle were targeted by the extortionists 3-D Magee and Pony, who subjected the girls to poison ants. The girls became comatose, during which time Wingy briefly suffered a relapse of her previous radiation symptom and began to glow in the dark. Both girls were treated and eventually recovered.
Wingy Plenty, right of her adoptive mother. (Art by Rick Fletcher)
During a flood that washed through Sunny Dell Acres, Wingy and Sparkle were stranded in their inflatable wading pool and swept away on the flood waters. They were rescued by the blind woman Rainbow Reiley. Wingy also became involved in the case of Rughead.
Some years later, while Little Wingy was still a child, it was learned that she had an aunt living in Australia. This aunt took custody of her niece, and brought her to Australia to live with her. This would suggest that the Plentys did not actually adopt her, but had possibly been appointed foster parents until surviving relatives (if any) could be located.
Adulthood[]
Wingy, as drawn by Dick Locher
Upon reaching adulthood, Wingy returned to the United States. She was present at the marriage of Sparkle to Dick Tracy, Jr.
Wingy later attended the local community college, where she was one of the few people who attempted to befriend Normal Jones, aka "The Cipher". Wingy was unaware that Normal was a socially-maladjusted young man who was obsessed with Dick Tracy, as well as Tracy's friends and extended family. When Normal sought refuge at Wingy's apartment (after indirectly causing the death of Groovy Grove and accosting Tracy at his home), Wingy urged him to surrender peacefully to the police.
Later, Wingy was seen working at the private airfield and charter service operated by Hotshot Charlie. Tracy contacted Wingy during his first encounter with Blackjack.
Notes[]
Wingy, as drawn by Joe Staton.
- Whatever the actual legal status of the Plentys was in terms of Wingy's parentage, Wingy clearly regarded B.O. and Gertie as her father and mother, and referred to them as such. Moreover, she used "Plenty" as her surname, and it may be inferred that if she was not actually adopted by the Plentys, Wingy took it upon herself to legally adopt "Plenty" as her family name.
- Wingy was depicted in several panels at the wedding of Junior and Sparkle. This seems to be the only time that she was drawn by artist Rick Fletcher.
- As an adult, Wingy addressed Dick Tracy as "Uncle Dick".
- Wingy was shown to have an aunt (her father's sister) living in Dick Tracy's city. It was not made clear why she didn't assume custody of Wingy.