B'wana Beast
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B'wana Beast is the name of a comic book superhero in the DC Universe. He first appeared in Showcase #66 (January 1967), and was created by Bob Haney and Mike Sekowsky.
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[edit] Character history
In his most well-known incarnation, his given name is Mike Maxwell. Maxwell possesses a helmet and elixir which confer on him his powers. These powers are mind control and the ability to fuse together two living animals to make one powerful entity under B'wana Beast's control.
With the help of his gorilla companion, Djuba, in a secret hideout at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, ranger Mike Maxwell drinks the aforementioned elixir and dons the helmet to become B'wana Beast. In the origin issue, he fights Hamid Ali, "He Who Never Dies."
In Animal Man #13 (July 1989), written by Grant Morrison, Maxwell performs a ceremony to find a successor, and passes the helmet and elixir on to a South African named Dominic Mndawe, who assumes the more politically correct name Freedom Beast.
Mike Maxwell returns in Animal Man #47 (May 1992), corrupted and possessed by the destructive force called the Antagon and transformed into the evil Shining Man. In the ensuing battle, Maxwell is killed.
[edit] Other media
B'wana Beast was featured in the Justice League Unlimited episode "This Little Piggy" (voiced by Peter Onorati). He was recruited by Batman for his superior tracking skills in the search for Wonder Woman, who had been mystically transformed into a pig by Circe. In this incarnation, B'wana Beast was given a thick New York accent and blue collar personality to match, and his abilities were presented as animalistic feats of agility and the ability to communicate with animals.
[edit] Brief bibliography
B'wana Beast would appear in Showcase #66-67. He would not appear again until Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985. Around the same time, he and Djuba appeared in an issue of DC Challenge, in which they teamed up with Congo Bill. He then showed up in Swamp Thing Annual #3 in 1987. After that, he appeared in Animal Man #'s 1, 3, 4, & 13 in 1988.
He also makes an appearance in the Justice League Unlimited #29.
