Religion: not determined yet
Name: Miss Zunbar
Other Names: Julia Adams; Julie Adams; Kay Lawrence
Classification:
villain
based on a real person
Publisher(s): 
First Appearance: Sub-Mariner (vol. 0) #35 (Aug. 1954): "Vengeance!!!"
Creators: Paul S. Newman, Bill Everett
Number of Appearances: 1
Enemy of: The Sub-Mariner
Occupation: assistant
Worked for: Professor Zunbar
Gender: female
An unnamed female assistant was featured prominently in the story titled "Vengeance," published in Sub-Mariner Comics #35 (Aug. 1954). The story also features a monster whose appearance was clearly based on the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the titular monster from the film released in the same year this comic book story was published. The unnamed female assistant appears to be on the lead female character in the film, "Kay Lawrence," played by actress Julia Adams. (Ms. Adams was born Betty May Adams, was known as "Julie Adams" throughout most of her acting career, but appeared in many films (including The Creature from the Black Lagoon) billed as "Julia Adams.")
In Jeff Christiansen's write-up of this story (on the "Appendix to the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe" website), he refers to this unnamed character as "Julia Adams," taking her name from the name of the actress she is based on.
A page in the "Master List" ("Brief Entries") section of the same website identifies the character as "Miss Zunbar." This name also involves guesswork, but seems like a decent-enough choice. The unnamed assistant is clearly the assistant to the crazy scientist Professor Zunbar. Are they related? To call her "Miss Zunbar" would suggest that the assistant is the man's niece or daughter or something. To look at this pretty young assistant and the ugly, far older Professor Zunbar it is logical to conclude that they are not husband and wife. Why is such a pretty girl - who does not appear to be particularly interested in science - hanging around such a crazy old professor? Familiar loyalty is a good explanation.
Although "Miss Zunbar" (as we have elected to call her) can be classified as a foe of the Sub-Mariner because she was Professor Zunbar's assistant, she never seemed evil in any way. There appeared to be no enmity between Namor and the young woman, but she did indeed help the man who captured him and she didn't try to help Namor escape. Presumably when Zunbar was turned over to authorities, his pretty assistant was arrested as well.
Some of the action in this story stemmed from the fact that Professor Zunbar's mindless monstrous creation "Elmer" seemed attracted to Miss Zunbar, much like what happened between the monster and the damsel in distress in the film The Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Sub-Mariner (vol. 0) #35 (Aug. 1954): "Vengeance!!!"
Suggested links for further research about this character:
- http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/profzunbarsub.htm#julia
- http://www.marvunapp.com/master/zomzz.htm
- http://www.marvunapp.com/master/el.htm
- https://www.comics.org/issue/11499/
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0011105/
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046876/