Lisa Lyon was an early pioneer of female bodybuilding and model who inspired Frank Miller’s creation of the assassin Elektra, a sometimes lover, sometimes antagonist of Daredevil in Marvel Comics.
- Died: September 8, 2023 (Who else died on September 8?)
- Details of death: Died in the San Fernando Valley, California, of stomach cancer at the age of 70.
- We invite you to share condolences for Lisa Lyon in our Guest Book.
Lisa Lyon’s legacy
When Lyons began studying kendo, the Japanese art of fencing, she realized she needed to develop more upper body strength. This led her to weight training, which in turn led her to bodybuilding. By her 20s, she was setting new standards in female bodybuilding. She won the first International Federation of BodyBuilders Women’s World Pro Bodybuilding Championship, which launched her into stardom.
Lyon penned the book, “Lisa Lyon’s Body Magic” in 1981, appeared in Playboy in 1980, and did modeling for photographers such as Robert Mapplethorpe, whose released the 1983 photo collection “Lady: Lisa Lyon.” She was featured in fitness magazines, fine art books, and more. Around this time, Lyon caught the attention of comic artist Frank Miller, who modeled his new character, the assassin Elektra, after her. Elektra has since become a mainstay in Marvel Comics as a sometimes lover, sometimes adversary to the superhero Daredevil, and has been featured on film, television, and in video games.
Lyon befriended Arnold Schwarzenegger while he was focused on bodybuilding, and she had a short acting career in the 1980s. She was inducted into the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federal Hall of Fame in 2000, and she is widely credited as helping to bring the art of bodybuilding to new demographics and inspiring women to lift weights.
Tributes to Lisa Lyon
Full obituary: New York Post
