| Vixen | |
|---|---|
.png) Vixen as depicted inJustice League of America: Vixen #1 (January 2017). Art byIvan Reis. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Action Comics #521 (July1981) |
| Created by | Gerry Conway Bob Oksner |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Mari Jiwe(birth name) Mari Jiwe McCabe(legal name) |
| Species | Metahuman |
| Place of origin | Zambesi,Africa |
| Team affiliations |
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| Partnerships |
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| Abilities |
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Vixen is asuperheroine appearing in American comics books published byDC Comics. Created byGerry Conway andBob Oksner, she first appeared inAction Comics #521 (July,1981).[1] An African superhero, she is considered one of the earliest created black superheroes in comics who was intended to have a solo title but was cancelled.[2][3]
Hailing from the fictional African nation Zambesi,Mari Jiwe (laterMari Jiwe McCabe when she travelled to America) is ametahuman who inherited the Tantu Totem, an artifact that allows the bearer to channel (or enhance the power to channel) the characteristics of animals. The character's background has varied, being a descendant of Tantu, the warrior gifted the totem by Anansi, and later the aforementioned African god.[4][5] While also simultaneously a fashion model and businesswoman, the character is also the superhero "Vixen" affiliated with numerous superhero teams, including the Justice League (and derivates like Justice League Detroit, Justice League International, etc.) and the Suicide Squad.
The character has been adapted in various DC Comics' related media, including theDCAUJustice League Unlimited andInjustice 2 as a alternate "skin" ofCheetah with her own lines while sharing a move-set. Two versions of the character appeared inThe CW'sArrowverse. The Mari McCabe version debuted in theCW Seed animated seriesVixen, voiced byMegalyn Echikunwoke, who also reprised her role in an episode of the live-action parent series,Arrow.Legends of Tomorrow introduced a World War II–era Vixen and Mari's grandmother,Amaya Jiwe, portrayed byMaisie Richardson-Sellers.
In an interview, Conway discussed his reasoning for the character's creation:
...what I was trying to address was what I perceived to be a lack of strong female leads in DC's comics at the time. Or, let me put it this way: there was an opportunity, as DC was looking for additional books. Surveying the titles that they have, it seemed to me there were some obvious openings for characters that had been underrepresented. One of them had been lead female super-heroes. They hadWonder Woman. To a lesser degree they hadSupergirl,Power Girl (who I also created), andWonder Girl. There were a lot of girls, but not a lot of full-formed adult female super-heroes operating at DC, so I wanted to create one I also wanted to create a character who was a minority, and the idea of a female Black super-heroine hadn't been played up to any great extent at that point. I thinkStorm (of the X-Men) was around, but I don't think there were very many other representations of that type of character in the field... She was kind of based on what we called supermodels at the time. It was a very strange social phenomenon that was starting to occur back then. You had these women who were obviously objects of the male gaze, but they were also extremely empowered. They took charge of their own image, their own business, and identity. I wanted to show that. This was the 70s, so I hope female readers today will give us a bit of a pass on this. There were not that many active role models regarding careers for women at that time where you could reasonably say: this woman would have the resources to maintain a career as a super-heroine. What were the jobs available to women in the mid- to late-70s? Clerical work. Teaching jobs. There were very few potential jobs that would provide the potential resources and money that a character like Vixen would need to carry on a super-hero career. That's a horribly sexist reality we were dealing with. Plus, she's a minority, and that adds another whole layer of disadvantage that she has to overcome. So, it was a bit of wish fulfillment (for that character, not necessarily for me as the writer), and a bit of practicality to reflect something that was real in our society, i.e. the advent of these take-charge, supermodel/businesswomen.[3]
Vixen was intended to be the first African female DC superhero to star in her own series, but the first issue of her series was cancelled in theDC Implosion in 1978, never to be released. The story was subsequently printed inCancelled Comic Cavalcade.
Since her debut inAction Comics, she has primarily appeared in team books, most notably various incarnations of theJustice League andSuicide Squad.
In October 2008,G. Willow Wilson began a five-issuelimited series,Vixen: Return of the Lion.[6][7]
In ancientGhana, the warrior Tantu askedAnansi the Spider to create a totem that would give the wearer all of the powers of the animal kingdom, only if they would use the power to protect the innocent. Tantu used the totem to become Africa's first legendary hero. The totem was later passed down to Tantu's descendants until it reached the McCabes.
Growing up in a small village in the fictional nation of Zambesi, M'Changa province, Mari Jiwe McCabe heard the legend of the "Tantu Totem" from her mother. Sometime later, Mari's mother was killed by poachers and she was raised by her father Reverend Richard Jiwe, the village priest. Reverend Jiwe himself was killed by his half-brother (Mari's uncle) General Maksai. Maksai wanted the Tantu Totem, which Jiwe had possessed.
Mari ultimately moved to America, where she established an identity as Mari McCabe and worked as a model inNew York City. She used her newfound wealth to travel the world. On a trip back to Africa, she came across her uncle and took back the Tantu Totem, using its power to become the costumed superhero Vixen.
Vixen made only two appearances as a solo crime fighter: once fighting poachers inIndia[8] and once fighting against the techno-psycho criminal Admiral Cerebrus.[9] She was a reluctant hero until theJustice League of America was reorganized byAquaman. She applied for full-time League membership and was accepted.[10] During her time with the JLA, the totem was taken from her by General Maksai, who still sought its power.[11] The totem would only grant its full power to those who would use it to protect the innocent, and it caused Maksai to be transformed into a raging beast. Maksai died in battle with Vixen.[12] When the team faced the killer androidAmazo, Vixen and several of her teammates were beaten into unconsciousness and then left bound and gagged in a walled-off pit. Vixen saved the lives of herself and her fellow Leaguers by using her powers to shatter her bonds and dig to freedom.[13] Vixen continued with that particular incarnation of the JLA until her teammates,Steel andVibe, were killed, leading toMartian Manhunter disbanding the team.[14]
Around this time, Vixen teamed up withAnimal Man. She traveled to his suburban house with knowledge of a mysterious, murderous force that was affecting Animal Man's powers. He found himself unable to access his powers correctly.[15]
Vixen returned to modeling, but a Caribbean photo session turned violent; Mari's colleagues were killed by drug smugglers. She appealed to the government, who turned the matter over to the Suicide Squad. She went undercover to capture the drug kingpin Cujo, whose appearance had been revealed by footage from the photo shoot. Along withCaptain Boomerang andBlack Orchid, she destroyed the operation, but not before she lost control and killed the criminal kingpin. Revolted by what she had become, she agreed to work with the Squad until her animal instincts could be curbed.[16] She worked with the Squad for some time, again seeing more teammates and friends killed. When it was disbanded for a year,[17] Mari returned to modeling and even launched a successful line of clothing. Her failed romance with Ben Turner (theBronze Tiger) made Vixen decline an offer to rejoin the Squad. She realized that Turner needed mental support, and she reluctantly returned.[18] She ultimately gave up on a future with the Tiger, sensing that he would never admit to needing help, and left the team.[19]
After the Suicide Squad's heyday, Mari continued to do undercover work. She was drafted for at least one mission forCheckmate (the Squad's brother organization).[20] At some point, she assistedOracle and theBirds of Prey. She went undercover to investigate a strange "superhero" cult, where the leader was using mind control and wound up brainwashed by him herself.The Huntress tried to help her and was nearly killed. Vixen regained her senses by channeling the stubbornness of a mule to hold back the mind control of the cult leader. She and Huntress then rescued the other brainwashed heroes.[21]
Vixen may still have had trouble controlling her animal side while using the totem, as witnessed when she worked alongside theFlash to stopGorilla Grodd.[22] She also served on one mission with theJustice League Task Force,[23] helpedWonder Woman during a battle withCirce,[24] and helped her former JLA comrades protectLex Luthor.[25] She then joined the loose-knitUltramarine Corps.[26] While part of the Corps, Mari was brainwashed by Gorilla Grodd who sent her and other heroes to battle the JLA. Ultimately, Vixen and the others were freed.
AfterSue Dibny is killed in theIdentity Crisis miniseries, Vixen rejoined her Justice League colleagues. She was present when the originalFirestorm died during a battle with theShadow Thief. Vixen adopted a new uniform inInfinite Crisis #7, resembling herJustice League Unlimited counterpart.
Vixen was tricked into battle in Hub City bySolomon Grundy, who had gained increased intelligence following his resurrection.[27][28][29] Using her totem, Grundy planned to merge his spirit withAmazo's body and thus gain further power. Without her totem, Vixen found that her innate connection to the "Red", the 'essence' of animal life', was falling apart.[30] She managed to 'lock onto' the totem, but her mind became lost in a flock of migrating birds. After mimicking the abilities of a young boy, Vixen managed to regain her mind and quickly flew to New York to retrieve her totem.[31] Vixen literally dropped into the JLA battle against Amazo.[32] After the villains were subdued, Vixen became a charter member of the newly revampedJustice League of America.[33]
Vixen's main story arc in the early issues ofJustice League of America Vol. 2, revolved around a change in her powers; Vixen changed from no longer drawing on animal characteristics, but to drawing on the powers of those around her. She matched others' skill levels and, as she suspected, drained powers from them.Superman was first to catch on to this and she subsequently revealed it toRed Arrow.[34]
Vixen sought out her formerSuicide Squad teammateBronze Tiger to discuss her situation, and subsequently admitted everything to the League.[35] ChairpersonBlack Canary instructed her to hand in her credentials and removed her from the team. Afterward, Dinah discussed with Mari the possibility of fixing the properties of the totem with the assistance ofZatanna.
When Zatanna attempted to find the source of the problem, she saw a mystic image of Vixen and Animal Man as puppets. When she tried to break the spell, she was repelled by an unknown force. When Vixen attempted to defeat the newly restored Amazo by absorbing all his stolen powers, she became mysteriously weak.[36] She then fell unconscious, with Amazo bearing down on her.[37]
When Zatanna andRed Tornado finally resolved the crisis, Vixen went to seekAnimal Man, since he had been affected by similar power fluctuations, and was left unable to tap into the powers of Earth-borne animals. There, they were both sucked into the Tantu Totem, where, like in Zatanna's vision, they were trapped inAnansi's net. Anansi revealed his powers and how being the god of stories, he changed Buddy and Mari's personal histories and sources of powers to test them.[38]
In an attempt to keep them contained, Anansi restored their connection to the Red, but altered the personal histories of the Leaguers, to prevent them from ever founding the JLA. However, Vixen escaped and sought the new Leaguers to fight Anansi at their side. Although she succeeded in gathering allies, they were still no match for Anansi's power. Vixen held a gun to her totem, even though she knew that if the totem was destroyed, they would all be destroyed. This forced Anansi to return things to normal. Anansi then revealed to Mari that the whole thing was actually a test. He explained that reality had been changed on a fundamental level, and he needed someone to act as his agent against an individual who could take advantage of the situation. He restored Mari's powers, returned her and the JLA to their homes, and said that he would one day call upon her.[39]
Vixen: Return of the Lion is a limited series detailing Vixen's return to her home village for the first time. In that series, Vixen found that a local warlord named Aku Kwesi and his men had taken over several Zambesi villages. It turned out that this was the same man who killed Vixen's mother years ago. When Vixen confronted him, she found that he had powers that rivaled, and possibly surpassed, hers. These powers were based on advanced technology and chemicals that were given to him byIntergang lieutenantWhisper A'Daire. The rest of the Justice League of America went to Africa to render assistance, only to have several members get doused with Kwesi'sVodun zombie potion. This allowed A'Daire to take control of Superman and Black Canary and pit them against the rest of the League.
During theFinal Crisis crossover event, Vixen attends Martian Manhunter's funeral, and was later at theHall of Justice whenEmpress,Sparx, andMás y Menos come there seeking help after being attacked byMirror Master andDoctor Light. She later participates in a massive battle withDarkseid's forces after he nearly conquers Earth with theAnti-Life Equation.
In the aftermath ofFinal Crisis, the JLA was in tatters, with many of its members having to leave. Mari and the remaining team members enlisted the aid ofHardware afterKimiyo Hoshi went missing in her search forShadow Thief andStarbreaker.[40][41] With help from Superman's friendIcon, the team emerged victorious in the battle with Starbreaker, with Mari having bright hopes for the future of the team.[42]
A short while later, Vixen broke her leg in a battle between the JLA and the dangerous villainPrometheus withHawkman's mace.[43] While she and the rest of the team tried to recover, they were ambushed byDespero, who sought to destroy the weakened League. The JLA eventually defeated Despero, only to be informed byZatanna of the events ofBlackest Night taking effect across the globe.[44] After theBlack Lanterns attacked,[45][46] Vixen told Kimiyo that she was leaving the team to recover from her injuries.[47]
According to writerJames Robinson, Vixen was initially intended to have a significantly different exit from the team. According to him, issue #41 ofJustice League of America was supposed to have Mari returning to Africa to help defend the continent in the wake ofFreedom Beast's murder inCry for Justice, eventually establishing a team of African superheroes known as the Justice League of Africa.[48]
Despite no longer working with the League, Vixen was one of the heroes hunting downMaxwell Lord at the start ofJustice League: Generation Lost, and was presumably mind-wiped by him along with most of the Earth's population. She and Black Canary later traveled to San Francisco to help Zatanna capture a group of humans who had been transformed intoWere-Hyenas.[49]
Sometime after her resignation from the JLA, Vixen traveled to the rundown neighborhood of Liberty Hill to recruitTattooed Man for a new team of heroes she is putting together. However, Vixen discovered that a group of gang bangers who had formerly worked under Tattooed Man had taken control of the community and made a fortune for themselves through crime. Mistakenly believing that Tattooed Man was responsible for the acts of violence committed by his former thugs, Vixen rescinded her offer and attacked him.[50] After a brutal fight, Vixen willingly surrendered and agreed to leave and let Tattooed Man take care of his neighborhood in his own way.[51]
InThe New 52 (a 2011 reboot of the DC Comics universe), Vixen was recruited as part of the newJustice League International.[52] Her tenure with the team proved short, since she was injured in an explosion and rendered comatose.[53] Her old friend David Zavimbe later joined the team in her honor asBatwing.[54]
After the JLI disbanded, Vixen was seen as one ofCyborg's new recruits for the main Justice League roster.[55]
Vixen is recruited by Batman to join his new Justice League of America. Vixen is later seen working on behalf of the League, investigating a lead on a mysterious technology threatening America.[56]
Vixen's powers are focused from theTantu Totem,[57] a artifact created by Anansi that grants her a connection with Earth'smorphogenetic field (also called the Red), allowing her to adopt the various abilities of animals she is familiar with,[4][58] able to be done one at a time.[59] While she retains these abilities without her totem and her abilities were revealed to be due to her "godkin" bloodline as a descendant of Anansi,[57][5] they are at a reduced level.[5] She once lost her animal-related abilities, instead temporarily gaining the ability to mimicmetahuman abilities.[60]
In addition to her powers, Vixen is an accomplished hand-to-hand combatant,[4] trained by the Justice League despite a preference for stealth and her powers and has knowledge of techniques used byBronze Tiger.[59][61] She is also a successful businesswoman whose intelligence allows her international success, supporting her outside crime-fighting.[59]
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Characters inspired by Vixen appear in series set in theArrowverse.
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