Cheetah (comics)
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The Cheetah is a fictional character in the Wonder Woman stories published by DC Comics, and is also the archenemy of Wonder Woman. Several people have assumed the Cheetah mantle, with the woman Barbara Minerva currently being the active one.
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[edit] Pre-Crisis
There have been two Pre-Crisis Cheetahs; Priscilla Rich and her niece Deborah Domaine. While the later Cheetahs were given more mystical origins, the original Cheetahs were simply women who wore cheetah pelt-patterned catsuits.
[edit] Priscilla Rich
The first woman to become the Cheetah, in Wonder Woman #6 (October 1943), was Priscilla Rich, a 1940s-era Washington, D.C. blonde debutante who suffered from a split personality. After being eclipsed by Wonder Woman at a charity event, Priscilla retreated to her room and collapsed before her makeup mirror. There she saw an image of a woman dressed like a cheetah. "Horrors!" she cried, as she gazed at her evil inner self for the first time. "Don't you know me?" replied the reflection. "I am the REAL you — the Cheetah — a treacherous, relentless huntress!" The image commanded her to fashion a Cheetah costume. "From now on, intoned the reflection, "when I command you, you shall go forth dressed like your TRUE self and do as I command you..."
Priscilla was a member of Villainy Inc., a criminal association between several of Wonder Woman's female foes.
Priscilla had several run-ins with Wonder Woman before retiring to her North Shore Maryland mansion. In Wonder Woman #274 (Dec. 1980), the villain Kobra attempted to recruit the villainess for his organization. His operative found the reclusive Priscilla an invalid. Priscilla's niece Deborah Domaine had come at her bidding and the operative stayed to observe. Before Priscilla could unburden her alter ego as the Cheetah, she died.
[edit] Post-Crisis status and appearances
The original Cheetah, Priscilla Rich, was established as still existing post-Crisis when Queen Hippolyta became the Golden Age Wonder Woman. In the present, she was seen as an elderly woman when she was murdered by Barbara Minerva (the Modern Age Cheetah; see below). It was also established that she had never become an invalid Post-Crisis, as Minerva mentioned how Priscilla had written books condemning her when she became the Cheetah. However, with Infinite Crisis re-establishing Diana as being the original Wonder Woman (and not Hippolyta), whether or not she has still existed remains unknown.
In the first two issues of the non-continuity Super Friends comic book series, Priscilla teamed with a group of other villains (Penguin, Toyman, Poison Ivy, and Human Flying Fish) to mentor junior criminals. Priscilla's partner was a teenage girl going by the name Kitten.
Recently in the pages of DC Comics' Justice series, Priscilla Rich once again battles Wonder Woman in her guise as The Cheetah. This series, however, doesn't reflect what is happening in modern DC continuity. The conflict between the Cheetah and Wonder Woman, though updated, harkens back to the Golden Age in its presentation.
[edit] Deborah Domaine
After Priscilla Rich died, Kobra's operative returned Deborah and the Cheetah costume to Kobra's headquarters, where he questioned her "You didn't know about your aunt's secret life, did you? Well, you'll learn — Since we couldn't have the original, we decided to make do with a recreation. You shall be that recreation, Ms. Domaine."
Kobra brainwashed Debbi and provided her with an updated version of the Cheetah costume. The original suit included a cat-eared cowl and clawed, flat-soled boots. Debbi's version had an V-neck, slit to the sternum, a headband with cat-ears (concealed for the most part beneath her long, brown hair), and four-inch heeled boots. Both costumes included razor-sharp chrome steel nails, painted bright red. "You are my servant, and I, your master. You are the Cheetah!" he cried, "And you will fill the world with terror!" Debbi also had several conflicts with Wonder Woman and also served as a member of the Secret Society of Super Villains in a conflict with both the Justice League of America and the Justice Society of America, before her role as the Cheetah was retconned out of existence due to the history-altering after effects of the Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985–1986). Debbie herself still exists post-Crisis, as referenced by a photo in Priscilla Rich's mansion inscribed to "Aunt Priscilla, Love Debbie."
[edit] Post-Crisis
There have been two post-Crisis Cheetahs; Barbara Minerva and Sebastian Ballesteros, Minerva being the more prominent of the two. While the Pre-Crisis Cheetahs were simply women in costumes, the Post-Crisis Cheetahs have taken on a more mystical note; actually morphing into powerfully ferocious cat-human hybrids with their own pelts, tail, pointed ears, and fang-like canines which have made them challenging opponents to Wonder Woman in battle.
[edit] Barbara Ann Minerva
The third Cheetah is British anthropologist Dr. Barbara Ann Minerva. She had searched out a tribe in Africa who utilized a female guardian with the powers of a cheetah. A band of marauders killed the guardian and most of what remained of her original expedition party, then Barbara, with the aid of the priest, Chuma, the caretaker of Urtzkartaga, took her place after being told that she would gain immortality. Her powers were conferred to her by ingesting a combination of human blood and the berries or leaves of the ancient plant god, Urzkartaga. Unfortunately, as the host for the Cheetah persona was to be a virgin, which Minerva was not, her transformations were part curse and part blessing as she experienced severe pain while in her human form and blood-thirsty euphoria while in her cat form.
This version of The Cheetah came into Wonder Woman's world when Barbara discovered that Diana possessed the Lasso of Truth. As an anthropologist Barbara came to covet the lasso in the hopes to add it to her collection of historical items. She first attempted to do so through trickery claiming that there was a matching ancient girdle of the same kind from which the lasso was fashioned. Unfortunately, although the scheme proceeded far enough for Minerva to hold the lasso, its magical power to make people to tell the truth forced her to confess her true intentions. Diana, profoundly distraught that a fellow woman would be so treacherous, took back the lasso and returned home in tears. With the subtle approach having failed, Minerva later restored to attacking the Amazon as the Cheetah to rob her of the lasso and their initial battle ensued.
Over the years Barbara's interest in the lasso waned and she became more interested in besting Diana in battle due to her bruised ego. The two's rivalry has fluccuated at times though. Saving The Cheetah's life during an adventure in the country of Muldavia, Barbara aided Wonder Woman when she became caught in the mob war between Paulie Longo and Julianna Sazia in Boston. Seeing her debt paid, The Cheetah has continued in her quest to defeat Wonder Woman at all costs which included her soul to the demon Neron as explained during the John Byrne era of the comic.
For a brief period of time, Minerva lost her powers to the businessman Sebastian Ballesteros (see below), who had convinced Urtzkartaga that he could be a more effective Cheetah than she was. Minerva later killed Ballesteros and regained her powers.
With help from Zoom, Minerva attained a level of super-speed that she previously had not possessed after murdering Priscilla Rich. They later joined the latest Secret Society of Super Villains, and they seemed to be engaged in a sexual relationship, even though Zoom considers himself to still be married to his former wife.
One Year Later, Minerva has had a spell put on her that allows her to look human, even though she still remains in her Cheetah form. She possessed control of three actual Cheetahs and still posessed her super-speed, which was shown in her being able to steal the golden lasso away from Donna Troy several times in battle.
[edit] Sebastian Ballesteros
Argentine business tycoon Sebastian Ballesteros became the fourth Cheetah, as well as the first male Cheetah. He was an agent of the Amazon's enemy, Circe, as well as her lover. He sought the plant god Urzkartaga to become a new version of The Cheetah, a supernatural cat-creature like Barbara Ann Minerva. Appealing to the plant god's ego, Sebastian made the case that the previous Cheetahs had failed in their actions and that a male Cheetah could be superior. Once Urzkartaga was convinced, Barbara Minerva's access to The Cheetah was cut off and Sebastian was given the power in her place. Later, Sebastian also proved responsible for turning Wonder Woman's old friend Vanessa Kapatelis into the second Silver Swan. Angered at the loss of her powers, Barbara Minerva eventually battled Bellesteros for control of the power of The Cheetah by becoming the temporary host of Tisiphone, one of the Eumenides or Furies. Much like herself, Minerva accessed this new power by stealing it from the Furies former host, Helena Kosmatos, the Golden Age Fury. This did not assist her in regaining the right to be The Cheetah, however, though Minerva was later able to kill Sebastian in his human form, regaining her Cheetah form as a result. She was later seen giving his blood to the Urzkartaga plant as a sacrifice.
The appearance of a male Cheetah brought about some skepticism from fans of the series. Many submitted to the point that the Post-Crisis Cheetah mythos specifically stated that the were-Cheetah was to be the goddess bride of the plant god Urzkartaga. As Sebastian was male, he would not be able to fill the role as bride. However, several native cultures allow for same gender marriages, so this could have played a plot in Sebastian's new role as Urzkartaga's 'bride'.
[edit] Other media
- The Priscilla Rich version of Cheetah appears in Super Friends and was voiced by Marlene Aragon.
- The third comic book version of Cheetah (Barbara Ann Minerva) also appears in the Justice League Task Force video game as a playable character for the SNES and Sega Genesis.
- In the "Krazy Kripples" episode of the TV show South Park, the Legion of Doom is spoofed. The Legion has a member that looks like Cheetah (Priscilla Rich).
- Cartoon Network periodically spoofs the Super Friends cartoon series in a variety of commercials using the original voice actors. The Priscilla Rich Cheetah can often be seen as a background character.
- In 1982 the Wonder Woman audio book story "Cheetah on the Prowl" was released with actress Sonia Manzano providing the voice of the Deborah Domaine Cheetah.
[edit] Justice League and Justice League Unlimited
In the Cartoon Network's Justice League, there is a new Cheetah voiced by Sheryl Lee Ralph. The producers have said she is Dr. Minerva, but she has a different form and origin. This Dr. Minerva was once a biologist who was doing valuable genetics research; but her funding was running out, and was unable to perform proper experiments. In a last ditch effort to prove the value of her research, she tested her theories on herself. The result was a mutation into a half-human-half-cat hybrid. She was shunned by the scientific community for her recklessness and ostracized by humanity as a freak. With no alternatives, she turned to crime to fund further research to undo the change.
Her first appearance was in the episode "Injustice for All" as a member of the Injustice Gang, and it was supposed to be her last; as producer Bruce Timm intended for Cheetah to die a tragic death. She joins Lex Luthor's Injustice Gang for the same reason she became a criminal in the first place: money; but unlike the others, she has the least criminal intent, and she merely wants to be normal again. When the Injustice Gang succeeds in capturing Batman, he realizes that Cheetah isn't like the others, and offers her a way out, in exchange for helping him topple Lex Luthor. However, Cheetah hesitates to take up Batman's offer. Instead, another disgruntled member betrays them. When Luthor realizes they have a traitor in their midst, he fingers Cheetah, thanks to an embarrassing clip from a security camera. She is subdued by Joker, and then Solomon Grundy takes her away, where he supposedly kills her by petting her to death—a reference to Lennie in Of Mice and Men. [1]
Because she was killed in a typical comic book death—namely being dragged off screen to be executed—some assumed that Cheetah was not really dead and might come back. The series producers argued the point; James Tucker wanted to bring the sympathetic character back, while Bruce Timm insisted that she was an "ex-Cheetah". Cheetah was saved by the most unusual of saviors: an animation error. At the end of the episode, she appears alive and well in the back of the paddy wagon with the other members; once the producers saw the error, they decided it was easier to say she wasn't killed, but still haven't said how she got away from Grundy. Cheetah has made only minor appearances in the series after this, and spoke in only one other episode.
Cheetah joins Gorilla Grodd's Legion of Doom in the 2005–06 season of Justice League Unlimited, though she remains a minor character. Despite the original intent of the producers to have her killed in her first appearance, Cheetah is one of the few Legion members to survive the resurrection of Darkseid in the series finale.
