Superhero Origins: Vixen
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VOICE OVER: Dan Paradis
Script written by Craig Butler
This beautiful crime fighter takes animal magnetism to a new level. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we explore the comic book origin of Vixen. As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginations and different versions to a character's past. We have chosen primarily to follow the storyline which unfolded in 1984's Justice League of America #234 and 1985's Justice League of America #239 and was expanded upon in 1989's Animal Man #12 and 2008's Vixen: Return of the Lion #1 and 2009's Vixen: Return of the Lion #5.
Special thanks to our users Godslayer79, HazzaBozza, Mockery, Ton Gomez, Jacob Koopmann, Mojodojo18, mac121mr0, aldqbigsquare for submitting this idea on our Interactive Suggestion Tool at http://www.WatchMojo.comsuggest
This beautiful crime fighter takes animal magnetism to a new level. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we explore the comic book origin of Vixen. As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginations and different versions to a character's past. We have chosen primarily to follow the storyline which unfolded in 1984's Justice League of America #234 and 1985's Justice League of America #239 and was expanded upon in 1989's Animal Man #12 and 2008's Vixen: Return of the Lion #1 and 2009's Vixen: Return of the Lion #5.
Special thanks to our users Godslayer79, HazzaBozza, Mockery, Ton Gomez, Jacob Koopmann, Mojodojo18, mac121mr0, aldqbigsquare for submitting this idea on our Interactive Suggestion Tool at http://www.WatchMojo.comsuggest
Superhero Origins: Vixen
This beautiful crime fighter takes animal magnetism to a new level. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we will explore the comic book origin of Vixen.
As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginations and different versions to a character’s past. We have chosen primarily to follow the storyline which unfolded in 1984’s Justice League of America #234 and 1985’2 Justice League of America #239 and was expanded upon in 1989’s Animal Man #12 and 2008’s Vixen: Return of the Lion #1 and 2009’s Vixen: Return of the Lion #5.
Vixen is one of a number of DC heroes with the ability to take on the powers and attributes of a variety of animals. For Vixen, the secret to her power is the Tantu Totem, an ancient relic created by the spider god Anansi. Only individuals of a particular bloodline who wish to use the powers for good may benefit from this relic.
Vixen was already a member of the Justice League of America before her origin story was revealed in 1984. While stopping a group of terrorists, she was surprised to learn that they were associated with African warlord Mustapha Maksai. She avoided questions from her Justice League colleagues about how she knew Maksai, whose name is Swahili for Ox.
Meanwhile, Maksai viewed a videotape of Vixen’s encounter. Seeing the Tantu Totem on her costume, Maksai ordered her to be brought to him.
Back at JLA headquarters, Martian Manhunter had been investigating the connection between Vixen and Maksai. The League knew her secret identity to be Mari McCabe, a high fashion model. However, she was originally Mari Jiwe, the niece of Maksai. Mari’s father had been a respected priest in her African homeland who was to be the new president of their country. Maksai staged a bloody coup and slaughtered him. Mari disappeared, taking the Tantu Totem with her and eventually coming to America.
Now that Maksai knew where the Tantu Totem was, he kidnapped Mother Windom, an old woman who lived in the League’s neighborhood. He threatened to kill her if Vixen did not come to see him. Vixen, of course, took him up on his challenge.
Maksai wanted the Totem because, as one of the chosen bloodline, he could gain the mighty powers it bestows. In order to save Mother Windom, Vixen handed over the relic – knowing that things would not work out as Maksai wished. Because his intentions were not pure and he had much innocent blood on his hands, wearing the Tantu Totem turned Maksai into a raging beast, half man, half ox. Vixen managed to retrieve the Totem and, using her powers, fought the creature to its death. She had at last avenged her father’s murder.
Over the years, Vixen’s origin has been revisited a few times. In 1989, in a very strange Animal Man storyline, it was revealed that Anansi had in fact been an alien and had invented the Tantu Totem as part of a long range plan involving humans with animal powers.
In the 2008 storyline, Vixen: Return of the Lion, readers learned that Mari’s mother had been killed some time before her father’s assassination. This was not the work of Maksai but of another warlord named Kwesi. Vixen returned to her homeland of Zambesi to seek revenge. Reconnecting with her native land and with a wise shaman, she learned that she no longer needed the Tantu Totem in order to access her powers. The Totem helped to focus her energies and efforts, but she had the ability to take on animal powers all on her own. Newly energized, she attacked Kwesi and brought him to justice.
With her ability to use what is called the morphogenetic field to access the powers of any animal, current or extinct, Vixen has an enormous range of powers at her disposal. In addition, since the Tantu Totem is a magic-based, her powers can be effective against even individuals that might not normally be vulnerable to a particular animal. And her high fashion model looks have a power of their own.
Are you a fan of the vivacious Vixen? For more comic book origins, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
This beautiful crime fighter takes animal magnetism to a new level. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we will explore the comic book origin of Vixen.
As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginations and different versions to a character’s past. We have chosen primarily to follow the storyline which unfolded in 1984’s Justice League of America #234 and 1985’2 Justice League of America #239 and was expanded upon in 1989’s Animal Man #12 and 2008’s Vixen: Return of the Lion #1 and 2009’s Vixen: Return of the Lion #5.
Vixen is one of a number of DC heroes with the ability to take on the powers and attributes of a variety of animals. For Vixen, the secret to her power is the Tantu Totem, an ancient relic created by the spider god Anansi. Only individuals of a particular bloodline who wish to use the powers for good may benefit from this relic.
Vixen was already a member of the Justice League of America before her origin story was revealed in 1984. While stopping a group of terrorists, she was surprised to learn that they were associated with African warlord Mustapha Maksai. She avoided questions from her Justice League colleagues about how she knew Maksai, whose name is Swahili for Ox.
Meanwhile, Maksai viewed a videotape of Vixen’s encounter. Seeing the Tantu Totem on her costume, Maksai ordered her to be brought to him.
Back at JLA headquarters, Martian Manhunter had been investigating the connection between Vixen and Maksai. The League knew her secret identity to be Mari McCabe, a high fashion model. However, she was originally Mari Jiwe, the niece of Maksai. Mari’s father had been a respected priest in her African homeland who was to be the new president of their country. Maksai staged a bloody coup and slaughtered him. Mari disappeared, taking the Tantu Totem with her and eventually coming to America.
Now that Maksai knew where the Tantu Totem was, he kidnapped Mother Windom, an old woman who lived in the League’s neighborhood. He threatened to kill her if Vixen did not come to see him. Vixen, of course, took him up on his challenge.
Maksai wanted the Totem because, as one of the chosen bloodline, he could gain the mighty powers it bestows. In order to save Mother Windom, Vixen handed over the relic – knowing that things would not work out as Maksai wished. Because his intentions were not pure and he had much innocent blood on his hands, wearing the Tantu Totem turned Maksai into a raging beast, half man, half ox. Vixen managed to retrieve the Totem and, using her powers, fought the creature to its death. She had at last avenged her father’s murder.
Over the years, Vixen’s origin has been revisited a few times. In 1989, in a very strange Animal Man storyline, it was revealed that Anansi had in fact been an alien and had invented the Tantu Totem as part of a long range plan involving humans with animal powers.
In the 2008 storyline, Vixen: Return of the Lion, readers learned that Mari’s mother had been killed some time before her father’s assassination. This was not the work of Maksai but of another warlord named Kwesi. Vixen returned to her homeland of Zambesi to seek revenge. Reconnecting with her native land and with a wise shaman, she learned that she no longer needed the Tantu Totem in order to access her powers. The Totem helped to focus her energies and efforts, but she had the ability to take on animal powers all on her own. Newly energized, she attacked Kwesi and brought him to justice.
With her ability to use what is called the morphogenetic field to access the powers of any animal, current or extinct, Vixen has an enormous range of powers at her disposal. In addition, since the Tantu Totem is a magic-based, her powers can be effective against even individuals that might not normally be vulnerable to a particular animal. And her high fashion model looks have a power of their own.
Are you a fan of the vivacious Vixen? For more comic book origins, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
