I think I have a book about this in a box somewhere.

Thank you for the citations! I am not surprised to hear that the term originates in the nineteenth century or earlier; it feels like a very Romantic concept to me. Absolutely agreed on the antiquity of the idea and that it is a way of characterizing women as malign forces than people (which I suspect is another reason it reminds me of the concept of the Mary Sue). I will try to track down the entry of the term into film criticism. It seems to have become a default way of looking at women in noir and it is so hopelessly generalizing that it's useless.