Wonder Woman 1984: 10 Things You Need To Know About Cheetah (original) (raw)

Wonder Woman: 1984 is sure to be a thrilling success. With the return of Patty Jenkins as director, along with both Gal Gadot and Chris Pine reprising their roles as Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor, this film is set up for absolute success.

Although the main villain is reported to be Maxwell Lord, it has been revealed that Kristin Wigg will also be playing one of Wonder Woman's greatest enemies, Cheetah. Cheetah has a long and storied history in DC Comics. Any fan excited for the sequel should definitely take some time to catch up on her history. Here are the top ten things you need to know about Cheetah.

There Have Been Many

While Kristen Wiig is set to portray the Barbara Ann Minerva Cheetah, there have been many other individuals in the comics who have taken up the Cheetah mantle. Among these are Priscilla Rich, Deborah Domaine, and Sebastian Ballesteros.

Although Barbara Ann Minerva is now considered to be the main/ most popular Cheetah, the woman known as Priscilla Rich was actually the first to don the supervillain identity. Over time this identity has been passed back and forth between several main characters, but because of how strong the character is, the mantle always seems to return to Minerva.

Full Moon

In the character's inception, her powers worked slightly differently. At that time, Barbara Ann Minerva could only change form during a full moon. This limited her powers greatly.

It was only later on in Barbara Ann Minerva's career that she was able to overcome this limitation. Thanks to some help from the sorceress Circe, Barbara later gained the ability to change back and forth between her human and Cheetah forms at will.

Archaeologist

Every good supervillain needs a good alter ego. Cheetah's origin is unique and interesting. An archeologist and heiress to a vast fortune, Minerva was searching the archeological remains of an ancient African tribe. Their guardian had the powers of a Cheetah.

When the ancient god of that tribe told Minerva that she could have unbelievable powers, she accepted his request. So the god transformed her. As it turns out, the guardian is supposed to be a virgin when granted his/her powers. Since Barbara was not, she was changed into a monstrous form.

Circe

One of Cheetah's closest allies in villainy is Circe. Based on the mythological character of the same name, DC's Circe is a powerful sorceress who often finds her self in opposition to Wonder Woman herself. One of Wonder Woman's oldest and most powerful enemies, it would not be surprising if Circe made an appearance in the upcoming movie.

Circe not only helped Barbara Ann Minerva enhance her own powers, but she also created a whole new Cheetah. Bestowing the powers of Cheetah into Sebastian Ballesteros, Circe helped him become the fourth Cheetah, and in doing so gained a powerful new ally.

A Former Ally

In the New 52, Cheetah actually started out as an ally of Wonder Woman. Eventually getting a job in Washington D.C. as an expert in ancient artifacts, Barbara was able to meet Wonder Woman. Raised to honor Amazonian culture, Minerva was obsessed with her new friend.

When that obsession turned to hatred, Barbar sought out the mythical God-Killer Knife. After stabbing herself with it Minerva was transformed into Cheetah, instantly becoming one of Diana's most powerful foes.

Incredible Feline Abilities

In terms of power level, Cheetah is no pushover. While some versions of her are more powerful than others, more often than not she is described to be at least as powerful as the Amazonian Wonder Woman.

Among her many abilities are enhanced strength and speed, heightened senses, and incredible balance and reflexes. In addition to that, she has incredibly powerful claws and teeth.

Her Bite

One of Cheetah's most destructive abilities is her extremely powerful bite. They are easily able to hurt Wonder Woman if given the chance. The impressiveness of these fangs does not stop at their ability to hurt Wonder Woman however, they actually have much, much more incredible potential.

On one occasion, in the New 52 continuity, Cheetah found herself in a fight with Superman. Most comic book fans would agree that the ferocious feline didn't stand a chance. That wasn't exactly the case. Cheetah actually bit Superman, and to many fans' surprise, she actually was able to pierce his invulnerable skin. This is most likely due to the fact that Barbara's powers are magical in origin.

The San Tribe

The origins of Cheetah's powers date back many centuries. Long ago, a people known as the San Tribe used to hunt alongside cheetahs. This tribe had a special and unique connection to the Goddess of the Hunt.

Each generation, the people of the San Tribe would choose one champion. This champion would become the host of the Goddess of the Hunt. Minerva was able to tap into this tradition in order to become the new host, now known as Cheetah.

Urzkartaga

Urzkartaga was working behind the scenes to help Cheetah gain her powers. An ancient plant-god, Urzkartaga was known for drawing women in and using them as worshipers and caretakers.

At times Urzkartaga has seemed to be the master of Cheetah. On one occasion, however, during a fight with Wonder Woman, Cheetah was convinced by the Amazonian warrior to abandon Urzkartaga and aid in his defeat.

Goddess of the Hunt

It's important to note that Cheetah isn't merely a failed experiment or a natural-born metahuman. Cheetah is the vessel of an ancient god. As such, she is not on the same level as your average supervillain. She is much, much more powerful.

With the upcoming release of Wonder Woman: 1984, it's likely that Cheetah will quickly be catapulted from B/C-list villain straight into the mainstream. With her rich comic history and great character arcs, its about time.

NEXT: Wonder Woman 1984: 10 Fan Theories That Could Explain Steve Trevor's Return