Vixen (comics)
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Vixen is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Comics universe. She was nearly the first female Black DC superhero to star in her own series, but the first issue of her series was cancelled in the DC Implosion in 1978, never to be released. (It was subsequently printed in Cancelled Comics Cavalcade.) Her first appearance distributed to the public was in Action Comics #521 (1981).
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[edit] History
In ancient Africa, there was a legend that the warrior Tantu asked Anansi the Spider to create a totem that would give the wearer all of the powers of the animal kingdom, if they would use the power to protect the innocent. As shown in the pages of Animal Man, it is possible that the "Anansi" who Tantu met, may have been a member of the alien race who gave Buddy Baker the ability to tap the Morphogenetic field. According to the Animal Man series Mari's Tantu totem may tap into that same field. 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.
[edit] Fictional character biography
Growing up in a small African village, Mari Jiwe McCabe heard the legend of the "Tantu Totem" from her parents. She was the daughter of Reverend Richard Jiwe, the village priest, who was her sole caretaker, as poachers killed her mother years ago. Reverend Jiwe himself was killed by his half-brother (Mari's uncle) General Maksai. Makasai wanted the Tantu Totem, which had been in Reverend Jiwe's possession.
Orphaned, Mari fled to America. She set up an identity for herself as Mari McCabe and used her beauty to become a well-known fashion model in New York City. She used her newfound wealth to travel the world. On a trip back to Africa, she came across her uncle, and stole back the Tantu Totem, using its power to become the Vixen.
She was a member of the Justice League during the Justice League Detroit era (along with other Birds of Prey agent Gypsy). She has had memberships with Suicide Squad, Checkmate, and Ultramarine Corps. While a member of the Suicide Squad she fell in love with and had a failed relationship with the Bronze Tiger. She also led a team of heroines against Circe and her army of super-villainesses during one of Circe's battles against Wonder Woman. In JLA/JSA: Vice and Virtue, she was seen as a bodyguard protecting President Lex Luthor from an attack by Doctor Bedlam.
Vixen was contacted by Oracle to join her Birds of Prey and went undercover to investigate a strange "superhero" cult, where the leader was able to mind-control her. Huntress tried to help her and was nearly killed by Vixen, but Vixen regained her senses and used the stubbornness of a mule to hold back the mind-control of the cult leader. She and Huntress rescued the other brainwashed heroes.
[edit] Identity Crisis
- See also: Identity Crisis (comics)
During the Identity Crisis mini-series she was at the side of Firestorm while battling the Shadow Thief,.
[edit] One Year Later
- See also: One Year Later
At the end of Infinite Crisis #7, as a prelude to the One Year Later event, Vixen wears a costume similar to the one worn by her television counterpart on Justice League Unlimited.
Vixen is also featured in the new Justice League of America title as a charter member of the newly revamped JLA.
[edit] Powers and abilities
- Vixen wears a mystic artifact object called the Tantu Totem, a fox-head shaped talisman given to her ancestors by the African trickster god Anansi. Vixen can make direct contact with Earth's Morphogenetic field, sometimes known as the Red. This allows her to mimic the abilities of any animal she can think of, by simply focusing on a specific animal's abilities and then drawing it directly from the field. She has demonstrated the ability to hold onto the Morphogenetic traits of an entire forest of animals.[1] According to Justice League of America #5 February 2007, the Tantu Totem is not the source of her powers, it merely prevents her link to the Morphogenetic field from overwhelming her mind. Currently, she seems to have to call out the the name of the animal she wishes to draw power from in order to use that power (such as saying "cat" before she could use the agility of a cat)
- So far Vixen has been able to use: the telepathic and physical abilities of Gorilla Grodd,[2] the flight of a hawk, the swimming ability of a dolphin, the speed of a cheetah, the wall-crawling of a spider, the jumps of a cricket, the constriction of an anaconda, the strength of a bull elephant, the senses of a wolf, the agility of a monkey, the debilitating shock of an electric eel, the regenerative abilities of earthworms,[3] and the ability to spit venom like a spitting cobra. She has even been shown to be able to channel the powers of extinct animals, such as the saber-toothed tiger, and domestic animals like the Doberman pinscher.
- Vixen's claws are particularly sharp and tough, enabling her to rend through a variety of substances, such as fabric, wood, even soft metals and cinder block with ease. Her claws are magically enhanced and have drawn blood from individuals who are considered highly durable like Geo-Force and Pre-Crisis Superman.[4]
- Occasionally, she has been known to physically transform into animals - for example, she has shapeshifted into a wolf, a great horned owl, and a cougar. Whether the creators of that story intended to give her this ability, or they just were not familiar with her abilities has not been established. The totem also allows her to heal bruises and wounds within seconds by simply touching it.[5]
- It is unknown what would happen if Vixen tried to use her magical abilities on an alien animal, or if she would gain access to the Morphogenetic field of another planet.
- While the full extent of Vixen’s control over the Morphogenetic field is unknown, she has on occasions drawn pure energy from it and displayed this energy as a force field and energy claws.[6] While in cooperation with Animal Man and the woman known as Tristess, she helped to create an entire universe.[7]
- One apparent drawback of Vixen's powers is that she is not always able to control the inputs from the Morphogenetic field. Sometimes, she has absorbed unwanted animal behavior, such as instinctive rage. Meaning the longer she stays in contact with the Morphogenetic field, the less human and more animal she seems to become.[8]
[edit] Trivia
- In the unpublished Vixen #1 (which was printed in Cancelled Comics Calvacade), she was referred to as Marilyn Macabe.
[edit] Other media
In "Faster Than A Speeding Vixen," an episode of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Vixen is an android with super strength and super speed that was created by Lex Luthor's son as part of the first of a plot to break up Lois Lane and Clark Kent. Vixen was played by actress Lori Fetrick. She is portrayed as a corrupt vigilante, and bears very little resemblance to her comic book counterpart.
[edit] Justice League Unlimited
- Vixen has made numerous appearances on Cartoon Network's Justice League Unlimited animated series. Voiced by Gina Torres, Vixen first appeared on the episode "Wake the Dead". Her first scene was on the catwalk and she was later revealed to be Green Lantern's girlfriend, to the jealousy of his former lover Shayera Hol, who still harboured strong and perhaps requited feelings for him.
- Though not a regular on the show, Vixen was later featured in "Hunter's Moon", where she, along with Vigilante, came to terms with Shayera Hol's actions in the Thanagarian invasion of Earth. They even established a friendship of sorts. In another episode, she and Shayera are teamed up with Black Canary and Huntress in a forced (and unsuccessful) battle royale against the powerhouse Wonder Woman. As the series ended, John Stewart and Vixen were a couple, though the durability of their relationship is called into question by the creators' post-show comments and the existence of a future son, Warhawk between Shayera Hol and John Stewart.
- On Justice League Unlimited, Vixen is apparently unable to shapeshift or fly, but can adjust her mass to that of larger animals (like an elephant), and land on an opponent with the weight of several tons, while retaining her normal shape.
[edit] External links
- The Unofficial Vixen Biography
- Unpublished Vixen #1 from Cancelled Comics Cavalcad
- Vixen - Cosmic Team Profile
- Vixen - JLA Watchtower Profile
- Vixen - Blacksuperhero.com Profile
- Vixen - JLU Profile (World's Finest)
- Vixen - JLU Profile (Burning Knight's)
