Just how powerful is she?

#1 Posted by EpitomeofCool (2779 posts) - 2 years, 10 months ago - Show Bio

Based on her magic and combat abilities.

I know her combat isn't that great. She was trained by the Justice League, and knows enough to get by. But what about her magic? What would you say she's like on a regular basis, at her worst and at her best? Zatanna was said to be the most powrful member of the Justice League. Do you think she's reached her potential?

#2 Posted by Cosmic Sentinel (3743 posts) - 2 years, 10 months ago - Show Bio

I don't know if I'd say she was the most powerful person to ever join the Justice League, however, she's certainly high on the list. She is one of the DCU's most powerful magicians. Unfortunately, like the Martian Manhunter, writers sometimes have to hand her the idiot ball to keep her from solving things with a single spell. She's certainly capable of taking on big magical threats solo.

#3 Posted by mighty dude (405 posts) - 2 years, 10 months ago - Show Bio

I don't know to much about Zatanna, but doesn't she have like almost every power . From what I have seen, she can do anything jus by speaking it. Wha are her lmitations?

#4 Posted by Charmix (11957 posts) - 2 years, 10 months ago - Show Bio

@mighty dude said:

" I don't know to much about Zatanna, but doesn't she have like almost every power . From what I have seen, she can do anything jus by speaking it. Wha are her lmitations? "

her limitations are those of major god-like magics, gagging her restricts her from casting spells as its a normal forte and focal point for her, but she has cast spells without speaking. I guess her only limitation is that she has to be aware of a situation to take advantage of it, if not then she's out.

#5 Posted by Sexy Merc (41965 posts) - 2 years, 10 months ago - Show Bio

Her magic is on a pretty high level but she loses against a lot of opponents in the battle forums because of her speed. She will most likely get blitzed by many characters before she can think of a spell or open her mouth.

#6 Posted by Video_Martian (5631 posts) - 2 years, 10 months ago - Show Bio

not that powerful, I bet Abra Kadabra is more powerful than her.

ABRA.....KADABRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#7 Posted by Jetshade (404 posts) - 2 years, 10 months ago - Show Bio

@mr.obvious:
In the DC Animated Universe, Zatanna has already beaten Abra Kadabra in single combat, pretty convincingly. I don't think it would be any different in the comics.

Zatanna can be the most powerful member of the Justice League or the weakest, and it all depends on the writer. She has the same problem as Doctor Strange: the capabilities of magic are seldom well-defined in comics, and what it can do is often decided upon entirely by the needs of the current plot. Therefore a magic-user's power level is open to far more interpretation than conventional superheroes whose abilities are much more cut and dried (super strength: can lift X-number of tons, super speed: can run/fly at X-mph, etc.). If the plot requires it, Dr. Strange has been used as a deux ex machina device, where he literally comes up with any magic for any situation in order to save the day. Or, someone can break his hands and render him powerless since he needs to gesture to cast spells. Same goes for Zatanna. She can come up with spells that can do literally anything the plot requires (except raise the dead). Or a relatively weak adversary can gag her and render her powerless, because if she got off a spell the whole storyline would be resolved too quickly.

As a character, Zatanna sometimes suffers from confidence issues, which keeps her from being as powerful as she could be and I think causes people to disrespect her power level. So no, I don't think she's reached her full potential yet. But I still consider her DC's "Sorceress Supreme" and she deserves a lot more respect than she usually gets.

#8 Posted by ChadwickDavis (439 posts) - 2 years, 10 months ago - Show Bio

@EpitomeofCool:
In regards to her combat skills she has stated that she has a red belt in martian kung fu which if this comparison is to be attributed to certain martial arts she is capable of being a fairly dangerous combatant. this is combat potential is intensified by the fact that few people have ever seen martian kung fu in practice, which gives her a trememdous edge.
In regards to her magical powers I don't believe that she is at her fullest potential...yet. Though in all honesty I dont believe that she wants to be either. Zatanna has stated on numerous occasions that she uses her backwards speach as an aid to concentration not so much out of necessity, so her magical ineptness when gagged could be a personal crutch (a security blanket of sorts) that is used against her. i dont care who you are getting your throat sliced is going to inhibit anything you do in terms of performance.
In terms of top end power, I would place her potential on equal terms with Circe. Though Circe has far more experience and a ruthlessness in the application of her magic that Zatanna lacks; both of them have similar stylized "fetishes" (for lack of a better term) in terms of their power application. This possibile realization could be more than enough to keep Zatanna from tapping into her full potential. Seroulsly can you think of any female sorceress in Zatanna's league that is not a supervillainess except madame Xanadu (and she had her darker side a few centuries back.)

#9 Posted by EpitomeofCool (2779 posts) - 2 years, 9 months ago - Show Bio

@Jetshade: @ChadwickDavis: Thanks for your answers guys! I appreciate it. :) What do you think her greatest feat has been?

#10 Posted by Renee (10289 posts) - 2 years, 9 months ago - Show Bio

@Sexy Merc said:

" Her magic is on a pretty high level but she loses against a lot of opponents in the battle forums because of her speed. She will most likely get blitzed by many characters before she can think of a spell or open her mouth. "

Yeah, I've noticed that too. But I also think that in battle forums people think she's like really slow or something because she has to speak. Even though she can stop bullets, and has blocked beams coming at her that were able to hit Superman and Batman. I'm not saying she can't be blitzed or anything, it's just that she's faster than most people think.

#11 Edited by nightwing91 (3911 posts) - 2 years, 9 months ago - Show Bio

@EpitomeofCool: Rebuilding metropolis or merging aquamans soul with the ocean.

#12 Posted by ChadwickDavis (439 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

She also manipulated time and space, helping them return to the present day.

#13 Posted by Crom-Cruach (7707 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

She's DC's third or fourth most powerful sorceress who only resides on the earthly plane.

Unfortunately she suffers from: "The writing of Comic Book sorcerer's paradox," all... the... time

http://www.comicvine.com/forums/gen-discussion/1/the-writing-of-comic-book-sorcerers-paradox/571756/

#14 Posted by darkrein (353 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

She's a top tier character, with her biggest weakness being speed. (The writers definitely need to giver her auto shields like classic DS had.)

#15 Posted by Pokeysteve (3088 posts) - 2 years, 4 months ago - Show Bio

I don't think she needs to speak to cast spells. I don't mean energy (fire, water, and the like) either. I swear I read somewhere if she can't speak she can write them backwards in her blood. That's either true and I can't remember where I read it or I made it up. Someone should check on that.

#16 Posted by entropy_aegis (12319 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago - Show Bio

@Jetshade said:

" @mr.obvious: In the DC Animated Universe, Zatanna has already beaten Abra Kadabra in single combat, pretty convincingly. I don't think it would be any different in the comics. Zatanna can be the most powerful member of the Justice League or the weakest, and it all depends on the writer. She has the same problem as Doctor Strange: the capabilities of magic are seldom well-defined in comics, and what it can do is often decided upon entirely by the needs of the current plot. Therefore a magic-user's power level is open to far more interpretation than conventional superheroes whose abilities are much more cut and dried (super strength: can lift X-number of tons, super speed: can run/fly at X-mph, etc.). If the plot requires it, Dr. Strange has been used as a deux ex machina device, where he literally comes up with any magic for any situation in order to save the day. Or, someone can break his hands and render him powerless since he needs to gesture to cast spells. Same goes for Zatanna. She can come up with spells that can do literally anything the plot requires (except raise the dead). Or a relatively weak adversary can gag her and render her powerless, because if she got off a spell the whole storyline would be resolved too quickly. As a character, Zatanna sometimes suffers from confidence issues, which keeps her from being as powerful as she could be and I think causes people to disrespect her power level. So no, I don't think she's reached her full potential yet. But I still consider her DC's "Sorceress Supreme" and she deserves a lot more respect than she usually gets. "

I'm sorry but when did she beat abra kadabra?unless you're referring to the idiot who set her up during her maiden appearence in BTAS,who did not display any ability at all.
Comic abra kadabra would slaughter her,zatanna got wrecked by talia of all people.

Zatanna

The daughter of John Zatara, Zatanna is a powerful magician who casts spells by speaking backwards and works as both a stage performer and a member of the Justice League of America (presently Justice League Dark).

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