Cheetah
Cheetah is a comic book character that first appeared in Wonder Woman Vol. 1 #6
The current Cheetah is British anthropologist Dr. Barbara Ann Minerva. There have been two previous female Cheetahs and one male usurper who Minerva had to kill in order to regain her title.
The first Cheetah used a cheetah costume and pulled off robberies.
The second Cheetah used only a costume, like the first one.
The third Cheetah, through a ritual in Africa is an avatar of Urzkartaga.
The fourth Cheetah, was a man, but was killed by Cheetah III when she came after him to reclaim her powers.
Barbara Ann Minerva
Characteristics
Height: 5'9
Weight: 120 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black (turned Red when in Cheetah form)
Barbara Ann Minerva, an archaeologist, was searching an Urzkartaga temple in Africa with her expedition. They searched for two months before finding it. A witch doctor was leading them, but little did they know they weren't lead to the city, but to a trap. Minerva managed to escape with one of her team members. Together they sneaked into the city, and saw how the captured team members were sacrificed. Minerva felt nothing for them, she was only interested in relics. The tribe was trying to reawaken the Cheetah, but the chosen one was shot by group of men, who wanted to destroy the cult of vine. When Chuma was facing an imminent death, Minerva saved his life, but they were trapped inside the Urzkartaga temple. She was told the story of the Cheetah and the plant god Urzkartaga. Hearing it she wanted the long life being the bride of Urzkartaga offered. The one who managed to escape with Minerva first time was still alive, he used explosives to help Barbara out of the temple. She took the opportunity to slay him thus making him a needed sacrifice to the plant god, Chuma prepared the ritual. And she was transformed to Cheetah, she killed all the temple attackers, and ate their flesh. Back in England she started to get weaker, it turned out that the pride of Urzkartaga needed to be a virgin, Barbara was not. Now she was weak when human, and strong only when Cheetah, and only thing that could sustain her was flesh. She needed to turn into a Cheetah on every full moon by putting on the cheetah skin and drinking the potion and was in pain between the moons.
Minerva had read that Wonder Woman possesses a Girdle, and she wanted it for herself. She sent her a note, that she might have the second girdle. When Diana handed her the golden lasso, she was forced to speak the truth, and Diana left. She then prepared the potion and became the Cheetah again. She went to Wonder Woman’s loft, with an intention to steal the lasso. Cheetah fought valiantly with Wonder Woman and just when she was about to win, she was shot by Julia Kapatelis. Cheetah fell into water, where she used the opportunity to escape.
Minerva returned back to her previous jobs, she stole an ancient vase from Egypt, then she was after Mayan artifacts in Mexico. By killing one man she angers Balum, the jaguar god, Wonder Woman saves her from death.
Second time Barbara tried to steal the lasso she succeeded. She used hired help to break two Khunds out of armored convoy. She then sent the Khunds to fight Wonder Woman, one of them got tied up with the lasso, and that was part of the plan. Another Khund threw Diana’s friend off the cliff, and then Barbara game and flew away with Khunds. Knowing that lasso could be removed only when the bound one is dead, she killed the Khunds. Then she strapped bombs to them and threw them out of helicopter. Wanting to leave no traces she invited the hired help to her back yard. There she hunted and killed them as a Cheetah. When Wonder woman came to Barbara’s house, Chuma tried to poison her but failed, and she found out that Minerva went to Egypt. There Minerva traveled as a Cheetah in the desert; she had found an ancient hidden city, where amazons dwelled. The lasso lead her to altar, where she found a pyx. But something had happened she couldn’t hold the blood anymore, and the plant god was wilting. It seemed that Urzkartaga saw her obsession with the girdle as love for another god. So she needed to renew her bond with plant god. When the desert amazons raid the city in search for their stolen treasure, Wonder Woman and Cheetah fought. Chuma tries to help Cheetah but is killed. The battle between two women is long and brutal; finally the amazon gains an upper hand and severely beats Cheetah. Cheetah is imprisoned in the desert amazons city. Wonder Woman asks Hermes to help Minerva get rid of the addiction to Urzkartaga, he however is unable to do that. When the amazon city disappears, Minerva along with Hermes and Wonder Woman survive. She then is sent to England to recover, and after that she is locked up in Arkham Asylum.
In Arkham, she was visited by Mikos, a Circe’s assistant. He fed her a potion that fused the Cheetah and Minerva into one being, so there was no need for the blood rituals to Urzkartaga anymore. Cheetah wanted to help Wonder Woman to defeat Circe, to be rid of serving her, for Circe made her a slave to the drug that awakened her. Circe ordered Minerva to gather artifacts for her hellfire spell. Cheetah sneaked around to learn of Circe’s plan, she saw how Hippolyta was turned to new Shim’tar. Some amazons tried to interfere; she killed them, and took the goblet that changed Hippolyte. She later told the story to Inspector Indelicato, and then ran off.
Nothing is heard of Cheetah for a while, until she surfaces in Muldavia when she is captured by Drax's men. Drax wants Cheetah to be a host for his bride, but she reverts back to her human form and she is no good to them. Meanwhile Wonder Woman had learned that Cheetah is held captive, and what fate waits for her, she goes for her rescue. Diana lets herself to be captured to gain faster access to Minerva. She then casts an illusion to fool the Drax’s mate. A fight ensures and blood is spilt. Weakened Minerva licks the blood of the floor and transforms to Cheetah again. Seeking adventure she jumps through the gateway to another dimension and it closes after her.
Neron gathers villains to empower them on the cost of their souls, Cheetah seems to be back to her more human form, somehow rid of the Demonic appearance. Barbara Minerva however did not want power; she wanted her friend Chuma back from the dead. She hoped that Chuma could help her control the Cheetah side more, but without human soul the animal in her started to take over. Chuma sought help for Minerva in LexCorp, not able to get it he looked up Wonder Woman to help Minerva. Wonder Woman and Cheetah battle in an old zoo, Chuma distracts Minerva for a moment and Diana uses the chance to subdue her. Chuma then prepares a ritual to restore Barbara’s soul. Wonder Woman and Mike Schorr, who was kidnapped by Cheetah earlier, arrive into soul realm, where Diana manages to turn Minerva back to her human form.
Sebastian Ballesteros stole Minerva's Cheetah powers by offering Urzkartaga more potent fighter, himself. Minerva however wanted to get her Cheetah powers back. She hired Angle Man to steal an artifact that can control the power of Furies, she used it to empower herself and went on a hunt for Ballesteros. After the great battle and interventions by Wonder Woman, the battle is ended by a collapsing building. Later Minerva is revealed to have killed Ballesteros, gaining back her Cheetah powers. After Ballesteros revived the blood ritual, Minerva has continued that tradition, first of the sacrifices was Ballesteros himself.
When Wonder Woman lets herself be arrested for killing Maxwell Lord, Cheetah sneaks to her quarters, killing a few guards to reach there. She reveals that she hates Wonder Woman for her purity and innocence, she attacks her with an intent to kill and devour, but is quickly and brutally beaten down.
Cheetah having recovered the last encounter with Wonder Woman, she tries to set herself up in the East End, but is captured by Batman. She is bound to a lamp post by him and when the police arrives she fights them, finally she is submitted and taken away. After the worldwide prison break she goes to live in the forest and feeds on animals, until she gets the offer to join Secret Society of Super Villains. She helps them capture Catman and his gang and during the Infinity Crisis she helps take down Uncle Sam’s team.
After the villains fall, she teams up with Felix Faust and Talia. Faustus shields Cheetah with magic and she looks like human. They try to get Black Alice to join their side, but that doesn’t go that well. Birds Of Prey intervene and Alice turns on them, and sends them all away.
Some time later Circe has somehow reverted Cheetah back to her human form, she now can switch between human and cheetah on will and is shown to communicate with real cheetahs. She is seen with Giganta and Dr. Psycho while they are after Wonder Woman. They manage to kidnap Donna Troy and Wonder Girl. Wonder Woman follows them to Circe’s island. Cheetah with others battle Diana until her friends arrive and spoil their victory.
Next group she involves herself is Injustice League, she was one of three founding members, along with Lex Luthor and Joker. On one of their recruiting trip for Killer Frost, they beat up Firestorm, cheetah is about to kill him, but is stopped by Lex. Cheetah, along with Dr. Light and Killer Frost ambush Wonder Woman in the hospital; where Firestorm was held. Next on the hit list is Superman, Black Lightning however interferes on his capture and they must leave with consolation prices: Vixen and Black Canary. Later, Superman crashes their hideout, and Firestorm releases the prisoners, Injustice League is defeated and delivered into Suicide Squad hands. Then they are sent to alien planet. There she meets Catwoman, they seem to have some unfinished business. Lex Luthor sends Cheetah and Catwoman down into mysterious shaft to look for a way home, they find a machine and Cheetah turns it on, hoping to be teleported home, but it’s Catwoman who disappears. Cheetah then goes with Lex and joins other villains in the camp. When things turn worse and two sides are formed: one by Luthor, one by Joker. Cheetah chooses the third variant and goes on a search for safe zone under the leadership of Vandal Savage. Phobia, Nocturna and Lady Flash are other women who join them. She visits the Luthor's camp for a while and again clashes with Catwoman, and then returns back to safe zone just as Parademons attack. Lex Luthor teleports his machine to safe zone along with all the villains, and activates it. Cheetah returns to earth that day. Back on earth she is already arrested once, when villains paraded marching on the street, but doing nothing criminal, it was a protest march against vigilante brutality.
Cheetah visited Snapper Carr in JLA headquarters, their meeting was interrupted by an alarm. JLA was under attack by Epoch, a timemaster, who then scattered the JLA across the time. Snapper Carr freaked out, but Cheetah managed to calm him down, by saying that JLA always manages to come out of sticky situations. Then Time Commander Arrived and offered to help Snapper Carr to get JLA back. Snapper wants Cheetah's help, and she agrees after a small argument. Cheetah doesn't get a chance to do much though before the JLA are back. But Cheetah sensed that Time Commander was lying, and soon they discover that he was only after his hourglass.
PREVIOUS CHEETAHS
Priscilla Rich
Deborah Domaine
A wealthy young woman who felt guilty about her wealth and attempted to make amends by joining ecological extremist groups such as the Organization for Ecological Sanity, Debbi Domaine found herself summoned to the deathbed of her egocentric and reclusive aunt, Priscilla Rich. But before the dying old woman could reveal her deepest secret to Debbi, Priscilla Rich breathed her last. Recoiling from the sight of the dead woman, Debbi staggered back against a closet and was knocked unconscious by a mannequin that fell from within, a mannequin clad in a bizarre cat-like costume. In the last instants before darkness overcame her, Debbi saw a weird figure in a reptilian costume enter the room.
Debbi awakened to find herself prisoner in a hidden headquarters of the would be world conqueror known as Kobra, hanging spread eagled from the ceiling of a room filled only with sophisticated projectors. Kobra had originally come for Priscilla, who had secretly been the super villainess called the Cheetah, wanting to employ her in his plans, but now she was dead, he would need a substitute. Despite Debbi's protests, Kobra filled the room with holographic images, hundreds of scenes, each worse than the one before; factories polluting air and water, tankers spilling oil, hunters killing helpless seals. These images were calculated to fill Debbi with fury, and combined with a series of electrical shocks they drove her insane. Released from her constraints and given a costume similar to that of her aunt, Debbi was told by Kobra that she was now the avenger of wronged nature - the Cheetah. At Kobra's command, the new Cheetah battled Wonder Woman, but the amazon princess finally overcame her and Kobra.
When the world rearranged during Time Crisis: Deborah Domaine never donned Cheetah costume, and Priscilla Rich continued living until Minerva killed her.
Sebastian Ballesteros
Sebastian Ballesteros learned of the cat god whose power became manifested in the form of a woman, The Cheetah. Ever the scheming businessman, Ballesteros bargained with the god, offering a deal he couldn’t refuse…Ballesteros provided a host for Urzkartaga’s godly energies. No longer would a useless female be the conduit for his ancient powers. Now Urzkartaga would have a male host for his power…a host that would allow him to hunt, and to feed.
Minerva had a chance to kill Ballesteros and took it. His blood was Minerva's first sacrifice to Urzkartaga.
Alternate Versions
Trinity
Cheetah (Barbara Minerva) was recruited to Dark Arcana and she represented The Star. When Prometheus was revealed to be a spy for heroes by Brainiac, Cheetah tried to stop him, but he still escaped. Then after Morgaine Le Fey and Enigma shared the plan how to conquer the world, they set out to do that. Cheetah took part in conquering Tel Aviv, Perth in Australia and Washington DC. The last battle took place in Metropolis, both Dark Arcana and Light Arcana were there. In the fight Joker and Cheetah spotted Lex Luthor on the side of the heroes and goaded him for being on the wrong side. Meanwhile Cheetah's powers have been upgraded: she could fly, control and transform people and teleport. When Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman returned to Earth, Morgaine siphoned power from Dark Arcana to fight them. It was fruitless however; the returned three realized they could gain power also when they summoned it from earth heroes. Morgaine, enigma and Konvikt escaped leaving rest of Dark Arcana behind. Cheetah and Joker still had their godlike power and teleported away. Cheetah returned to Washington, that she conquered all by herself earlier. She didn't have long though; Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman had followed her and they stripped her powers, she was once again plain Barbara Minerva.
Alex Ross' Justice
Cheetah (Barbara Minerva) is one of many villains who have recurrent dreams of nuclear apocalypse and heroes can do nothing to stop it. She alliances herself with Brainiac and Lex Luthor: to prevent that future from happening. They plan to eliminate the heroes and save as many of people possible. Unknown to Cheetah, Brainiac has other plans. Wonder Woman is selected as her target, she won't go unprepared though, she again asks dark gods to grant her power of the cheetah by sacrificing two cheetahs and donning a garb from their skin. She asks Persephone to give her the very poison that once killed Hercules - the centaur's blood. Cheetah attacks Wonder Woman on a conference she holds. She successfully scratches Wonder Woman with the poison on her claws, she is however beaten by Amazon. Having lost the battle but won the war, she returns to alliance of villains. Time comes to raise the new cities, Cheetah is chosen as a governor of the jungle city. Eventually heroes come to ruin their plans; Cheetah manages to escape the first confrontation, teleporting back to her city. Wonder Woman and few other heroes follow her, others go to save the civilians while Cheetah faces Wonder Woman, the battle is won by the Amazon princess.
CHEETAHS IN OTHER MEDIA
Television
Justice League Unlimited (Animated TV series)
Her origin story was changed in JLU. Dr. Minerva was a scientist who ran out of money, so to continue the research she used herself as a test subject. It turned her into half-cat. She wanted to undo what she had done to herself, but again the money was the issue, so she turned to crime.
She answered Lex Luthor's add. He wanted the croup of villains to destroy Justice League. The money offered was worth it and Cheetah accepted to join the group. They staged a hostage situation where Cheetah was playing the part of the hostage. Although the plan was well thought out, villains still lost the first confrontation. Next they had an opportunity to capture Batman, which they did. When Cheetah was left alone to watch Batman, she told him her origin, and how she sees herself as a freak. Batman told her that he sees a determined woman who's willing to lose everything for a cause she believes in; they then share a kiss. Using Batman's codes they planted a bomb on JLA's space station, Cheetah didn't fell right about that. When the bomb, explodes outside the station, Lex learns that they have a traitor in their midst. Viewing a tape of the holding cell, villains see how Cheetah and Batman kissed. Lex orders Solomon Grundy to take care of her and he dragged her out of the room. Grundy and Cheetah however are arrested before he could hurt her.
Later Cheetah has joined Gorilla Grodd's Secret Society of Super Villains. She didn't have big parts in the super-villain team though, she was there mainly for the protection they offered from heroes. She survived the resurrection of Darkseid and then helped heroes to hold of his invasion of Earth.
Episodes where Cheetah is seen:
1x18 - Injustice For All, Part 1
1x19 - Injustice For All, Part 2
3x03 - Kid Stuff
5x01 - I Am Legion
5x06 - Dead Reckoning
5x08 - The Great Brain Robbery
5x13 - Destroyer
Challenge of the Super Friends (1978)
Cheetah - Priscilla Rich was a member of Legion of Doom and fought Super Friends.
Wonder Woman 2009 (Full animated movie)
Cheetah (Barbara Minerva) has only a small cameo where she robs a museum, Wonder Woman happens to be in the area and stops her.
Superman / Batman: Public Enemies (Full animated movie)
Cheetah was one of the villains who attacked Batman and Superman when Lex Luthor, the president put a bounty on Superman. She escaped when government sanctioned heroes arrived.
Games
Justice League Task Force (SNES; Sega Genesis)
Cheetah appeared as a playable character in her first game and was one of only three villains. She was portrayed as her latest incarnations: Barbara Minerva.
| Super Name: | Cheetah |
| Real Name: | Barbara Ann Minerva |
| Aliases: |
Barbara Ann Minerva Deborah Domaine Priscilla Rich Sebastian Ballesteros Bride of Urzkartaga |
| Publisher: | DC Comics |
| Gender: | Female |
| Character Type: | Mutant |
| 1st Appearance: | Wonder Woman Vol. 1 #6 |
| Appears in: | 148 issues |
| Birthday: | |
| Died: |
|
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
President Lex Luthor uses an oncoming Kryptonite meteor to declare Superman and his partner in crime, Batman as public enemies. He places a $1 billion ...
|
|
Wonder Woman
The first full length wonder Woman movie. Partially based off of the Gods and Mortals story by George Perez
|
a list of 38 items by Sipsi
a list of 310 items by KillerZ
a list of 46 items by KillerZ
