Zatanna
Encyclopedia
Zatanna Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Comics
universe
. Created by writer Gardner Fox
and artist Murphy Anderson
, Zatanna first appeared in Hawkman
vol. 1 #4 (October–November 1964). The character, both a stage magician and a real magician
like her father Giovanni "John" Zatara
, is known for her involvement with the Justice League
, her retcon
ned childhood association with Batman
, and her crossing of the Vertigo line with characters such as romantic partner John Constantine
and protegé Timothy Hunter
.
Giovanni Zatara
(who appeared in Golden Age
comic books) and Sindella, a member of the mystical “Homo magi
” race. Her younger cousin, the teenager Zachary Zatara
, is also a magician in the DCU.
The Vertigo series Madame Xanadu
also has Zatanna's father as homo magi, and a descendant of Leonardo da Vinci
. Zatara notes he met the Phantom Stranger
as a child, and the Stranger gave him da Vinci's notebooks, written backwards. In time Zatara used this to focus his powers.
Zatanna makes her living as a stage illusionist prior to discovering her magical abilities while investigating the disappearance of her father. Zatanna's search for her father was the subject of a storyline which was featured in several titles edited by Julius Schwartz
and in it, Zatanna interacts with Batman
and Robin
(in disguise as a witch and under the control of the villain The Outsider), Hawkman
and Hawkwoman
(Hawkman Vol. 1, #4, Nov. 1964), the Atom
(The Atom#19, May 1965), Green Lantern
(Green LanternVol. 2, #42, Jan. 1966) and Elongated Man
(Detective Comics #355, Sept. 1966). The series culminated in Justice League of America
#51 (Feb. 1967). This Justice League adventure took place during the Batman television craze where Batman was featured prominently on the cover. The premise that the witch in Detective #336 was Zatanna was perceived by many fans at the time as an attempt to get Batman participating in this issue of Justice League of America no matter how vague the connection to Zatanna's quest was.
Zatanna assists the Justice League of America on a number of cases before being elected to membership in Justice League of America #161 (Dec. 1978). During her tenure with the group, her power level diminishes, so that she can only control the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water; this limitation is reversed in World's Finest Comics
#277 (Mar. 1982).
In the 1993 limited series
Zatanna: Come Together, Zatanna worries about her lack of focus in using magic. She decides that her father's style of magic is wrong for her, and explores her mother's mystical heritage. This has since been ignored by most writers.
In the 2004 limited series Identity Crisis, Zatanna is a member of the Justice League at the time the villain Dr. Light
brutally attacks and rape
s the Elongated Man
's wife, Sue Dibny
. When apprehended, he threatens the JLA members' families. Although Zatanna is prepared to erase Light's memories of the incident (as she had done to other villains with dangerous knowledge to the League), tampering with Light's mind sparks a debate among the League members: should the villain's personality be transformed in order to prevent him from repeating his crime? Zatanna, Hawkman, and The Atom (Ray Palmer) vote for such action, while Green Arrow
, Black Canary
, and Green Lantern (Hal Jordan
) vote against. The Flash (Barry Allen) breaks the tie. Zatanna mind-wipes Light, and the process results in his intellectual abilities being lowered. In the midst of the process, Batman appears and tries to stop it. Zatanna freezes him, and the members vote unanimously to erase Batman's memories of the incident as well.
Her working relationship to Batman sours after he discovers the alteration to his memory. When Zatanna helps Batman with reconnaissance at one of Ra's al Ghul
's Lazarus Pit
s, she asks him why he came to her. "I needed someone I could trust," Batman says. "But I had to settle for you." However, after Infinite Crisis
, their relationship appears to have warmed; in Detective Comics #824 he calls her for information on a card-counter involved in scamming the Penguin
. He makes no mention of their conflict, and casually calls her by her nickname, "Zee". After departing from the League, Zatanna continues to appear on stage and to defend against mystical threats, joining the Sentinels of Magic
.
Catwoman
discovers that Zatanna's mind-wipe of Dr. Light in Identity Crisis is not an isolated occurrence; Catwoman's journey from villain to hero and her resulting efforts to lead a moral life are retcon
ned as being the result of Zatanna's mental intervention. Catwoman comes to distrust her memories, motives, and the choices she has made since that incident. In retaliation, Catwoman covers Zatanna's mouth with a piece of duct tape
and shoves her out a window.
A 2005 four-issue Zatanna limited series was published as part of Grant Morrison
's Seven Soldiers of Victory
event. In it, at a support group
for superhero
es, she recounts a failed magical ritual to search for her father's tomes, during which one of her past spells summons a shapeshifter
named Gwydion, who kills her companions. This trauma
, combined with her guilt from her former mind-wipes, robs her of her powers. With the help of her new apprentice, Misty Kilgore, she captures Gwydion to use as her own. She eventually regains her confidence and powers, and uses them to defeat Zor, a rogue Time Tailor who released the Sheeda as a plague to infect and degrade the entire universe
. As a reward, the other Time Tailors allow her one last meeting with her father, who reveals that his books were written in her, his "greatest spell and gift to the world." In the final battle against the Sheeda, Zatanna casts a spell to move time and space, retroactively positioning the Seven Soldiers to overthrow the Sheeda.
In Detective Comics #833 (August 2007), it is stated that Zatanna's father was a friend of Thomas Wayne
. Zatara trained Bruce Wayne in the art of escape; and Bruce and Zatanna were childhood friends (although Batman believes that he has never met in her Justice League of America #51, and her only memory of meeting him is while she was disguised). Bruce helps Zatanna investigate the death of one of her former assistants; all clues point to a performer named Ivar Loxias. However, Loxias is revealed to be the Joker
in disguise; he shoots Zatanna in the throat and incapacitates Batman. Zatanna is able to heal herself by writing a curing spell in her own blood, and she is instrumental in foiling the Joker's scheme. Bruce puts Zatanna's betrayal behind him, allowing the two to renew their friendship.
Zatanna, along with Phantom Stranger
helps Superman
defeat creatures of darkness sent by Arion
, the magician.
Zatanna helps Catwoman
, to whom she owes a favor, mind-wiping Angle Man
and Film Freak
, who had been subdued by Selina after the two discovered her secret identity and threatened her child.
Following the flooding of Earth-26
, the Zoo Crew and other humanoid animal refugees escape, transformed into their animal counterparts and unable to speak, even though they retain their human-level intelligence. Zatanna encounters the group and takes Captain Carrot
as a pet for use in her magic act, unaware of his true identity (Captain Carrot and the Final Ark #3, February 2008). The Crew has their anthropomorphic forms and powers restored in Final Crisis
#7 by Nix Uotan.
On the "Roll Call" of Justice League of America #22, Zatanna is listed as a part of the team. Called upon to help with Red Tornado's restoration in his android form, she aids the League when they are attacked by a new, powerful iteration of Amazo
. During the battle, Zatanna has her mouth magically removed, and once again uses her blood to write out spells and restore it. However, she is silenced again after Amazo uses his power ring to create a gag for her mouth, rendering her useless for much of the fight. After Wonder Woman throws off Amazo's concentration and causes the gag to vanish, Zatanna defeats Amazo once and for all by using Red Tornado's soul. Following this battle, Zatanna rejoins the team.
Shortly before the mysterious disappearance of Batman
and the Final Crisis
events Zatanna is stalked and targeted by Hush
, wanting to get his vengeance over Bruce Wayne using the people he loves most: Zatanna herself and Selina Kyle. Zatanna escapes Hush's wrath, and is able to provide help and relief to the wounded Catwoman.
In the Reign in Hell
storyline, Blue Devil
comes to her to seek assistance in reaching Hell. Both convene in recruiting Sargon the Sorcerer
; Zatanna's motives to venture into the realm include helping the soul of her father, locked in the Gull, Hell's commercial province as a spy for the resistance. However, Lobo kills the soul of Zatara, making his retrieval impossible. Rather than allow himself to be rendered for the bricks and mortar of Hell, Zatara begs her to send him to the Abyss (soul death), the worst fate aside from rendering. Seeking revenge from Lobo for being forced to kill her father, she goes over her head and ultimately Sargon sacrifices himself to Lobo's mercy to allow all other heroes and anti-heroes to escape Hell altogether; Zatanna is left badly shaken from the whole ordeal.
Zatanna later accompanies Firestorm, Black Lightning
, and Batman to Metropolis after they come to believe Kimiyo Hoshi has been kidnapped by agents of the covert metahuman team known as the Shadow Cabinet
. After a brief conflict, Zatanna and the others are informed by teenaged superheroine Rocket
that Kimiyo's perceived abduction was actually a misunderstanding caused by the Shadow Cabinet's mission to seek out her help in dealing with the cosmic vampire known as Starbreaker. With assistance from Hardware
and Icon
, Zatanna and her comrades are able to defeat Starbreaker in a massive battle in the Himalayas
.
In Gotham City Sirens Zatanna is visited and violently restrained by Poison Ivy, who interacts via a tree and asks her if her encounter with Catwoman
changed Selina in any way.
Zatanna takes a leave of absence from the JLA, only to reappear during a battle with Despero
. Once Despero is defeated, Zatanna informs the League of the apocalyptic events of the Blackest Night taking place across the globe. After taking the team to the Hall of Justice
to find Firestorm, she is forced to fight the undead form of her father, continually pitting the black magic he wields against her own; it is implied she was successful in banishing the Black Lantern, but was left psychologically crushed from having to kill her father again (in a fashion). In the aftermath of Blackest Night, Kimiyo mentions that Zatanna is one of the members who has left the team.
In May 2010 Zatanna began starring in her own solo series, written by Paul Dini
and with art from Stephane Roux
(Dini has noted the uncanny resemblance of his own wife Misty Lee
, a top-hatted magician and improvisationalist, to Zatanna). Now no longer an active member of the JLA, Zatanna is asked by officer Dale Colton to help her solve a murder case at a restaurant frequented by mobsters. Zatanna informs Dale that the murderer was a powerful sorcerer known as Brother Night, who rules the supernatural crime scene in San Francisco. After Zatanna shows up at Night's demonic nightclub and threatens him, he responds by calling upon a powerful demon for help in taking her down. Aside from Brother Night, Zatanna also faces other threats, such as Oscar Hample, a man who tried to murder her when she was a child and was turned into a puppet by her father. She is also kidnapped by a new villain named Siphon, who tries to steal her abilities. Using Zatanna's cellphone, Power Girl
finds her and removes the duct tape form Zatanna's mouth, and together the two heroines defeat Siphon. Zatanna's series ended with issue #16, where she faced the Spectre
.
, Zatanna was made into one of the main characters in Peter Milligan
's Justice League Dark
series. She also sports a new costume, though she still wears her classic magician's outfit during shows. In the first issue, she learns that Superman, Wonder Woman and Cyborg
have been defeated by the Enchantress
and volunteers her services to the League. Batman offers to help her fight Enchantress, but Zatanna uses her powers to tie him up, reasoning that Batman is too valuable to the world to die in battle.
(with whom she practiced tantra
) and Doctor Thirteen
. Zatanna also has a kindly semi-parental friendship with Timothy Hunter
and also had a brief flirtational relationship with her fellow Justice Leaguer the Flash (Barry Allen)
shortly after the death of his wife Iris.
She also (currently) has a strong friendship with Batman due to their shared (retconned) pasts. In Detective Comics #843 and #844, Zatanna and Bruce briefly discuss the possibility of having a more meaningful relationship. Both later concede that Bruce is too devoted to his cause as Batman to give her the relationship she wishes for, but the pair reaffirm their bond as close friends.
Catwoman, however, appears to consider Zatanna a more dangerous contender for Bruce's attentions than Jezebel Jet (his fiancée at the time). A pep talk between the two women confirms how Zatanna really meant, during the fateful discussion with Bruce, to explore the possibility of a true romance, but turned out quietly resigned to the role of best friend and confidante. Claiming to act on Bruce's best interest, she pushes Selina into confessing her feelings to Bruce, thus stealing him from Jezebel Jet before it's too late. When Zatanna and her comrades attempt to track down Starbreaker in the headquarters of the Shadow Cabinet (a short time after Bruce's death), the trickster god Anansi
sends Paladin, the western inspired-Batman he created in his multiverse world, to aid them. Upon seeing the alternate Bruce, Zatanna immediately bursts into tears of joy and embraces him in her arms before realizing he is not the Bruce she knew.
Zatanna has also a strong bond to Rose Psychic
and Doctor Occult
, who apparently acted as surrogate parents to her after Sindella's disappearance, with Rose distinctly remembering about how she used to bounce [Zatanna] on her knee.
tic. As a tribute to her father and as a focal point, she usually casts spells by speaking verbal commands backwards. She has also proven capable on many occasions of casting spells by speaking normally, and, in rarer occasions, the ability to use magic for simple tasks without speaking. Like Black Canary
, Zatanna's reliance on her voice often led to her being bound and gagged by villains in Silver Age stories, thus rendering her 'powerless'. On very rare occasions, Zatanna has cast spells by writing them in her own blood rather than speaking them aloud. As stated by herself and Batman, blood magic is far more powerful than spoken incantations. It's used as a last resort, only to heal from severe physical damage preventing her to speak, like having her larynx
mangled by a bullet, or her mouth magically erased by her own powers. The only magic command issued in both cases, Heal me, had to be spelled backwards, as she were speaking (laeH em).
Overuse of her magical powers can deplete them to the point that further use of them starts to put a considerable strain on her physical well-being: as with other magical users, the only way to restore her waning powers is an extended period of rest.
Even if not as precisely as Madame Xanadu
, Zatanna has proven herself able to call upon tarot
reading for insight or divination. Apparently, such a task does not require verbal incantations, spoken or written, at all, nor is it tied to a specific tarot deck.
The limits of her powers have never been clearly established. She is often depicted working alongside the most powerful magic-users on Earth, including Doctor Fate
, Madame Xanadu
, and Captain Marvel
. She has used her powers to command elemental forces, heal, transmute and transmogrify objects, manipulate minds, and attack her opponents with energy blasts. She has resurrected the city of Metropolis
from ruin, merged Aquaman
's spirit with the entire ocean in the finale of the "Obsidian Age" story arc, and manipulated time and space. During a portion of her initial tenure with the Justice League, her powers were more limited, consisting in the manipulation of fire, air, water, and earth. Furthermore, her powers seems tied to her self-confidence, as the long series of blunders described in Seven Soldiers left her both emotionally and psychologically shattered, powerless, until she was able to restore her lost confidence.
Zatanna may be harmed by magic, even if her training makes her able to defend herself from most magic users. Along with Etrigan and the Phantom Stranger
she was able to hold her own against a host-less Spectre, and was later able to single-handedly banish the god-empowered Mary Marvel
from her home, but the current iteration of Amazo
was able to employ her own powers to take away her voice, acting fast enough to leave her off guard and unable to defend herself. Powerful enchantments against beings of magic, like gods, are able to restrict her as well, preventing her from accessing enchanted places or dispel the adverse charm.
Zatanna is a skilled illusionist, showgirl and stage magician even without resorting to her innate magical powers. In fact she considers part of her "training" exercising sleight of hand
tricks, and she claims to have invented a variation of the three card shuffle game
called the Zatara shuffle, in which she's so fast and precise that, even without resorting to cheating, only skilled gamblers like Selina Kyle are able to follow the movements of her hands.
Zatanna owns a mansion called Shadowcrest, in which she keeps a vast library of magical knowledge, as well as an arsenal of powerful relics, enough to do "just about anything you'd want to do." Shadowcrest seems to exist in a completely different dimension, although it is initially located outside of Gotham.
. In the series, Zatanna fights for a coalition of humans and faerie
s against the dictator
ial class of faerie-ruling elites.
universe, Zatanna is merged with Scarlet Witch
of the Avengers
to form a character known as Wanda Zatara, the White Witch.
, which shows her teamed-up with Hawkwoman in Midway City
. They appear to be close friends. Zatanna seems to have Eurasian features.
event, Zatanna is a member of the Secret Seven
and also is a member of a motorcycle gang
, her father Zatara was transformed into a motorcycle bike when Zatanna is riding on him.
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
. Created by writer Gardner Fox
Gardner Fox
Gardner Francis Cooper Fox was an American writer best known for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. Comic-book historians estimate that he wrote over 4,000 comics stories....
and artist Murphy Anderson
Murphy Anderson
Murphy Anderson is an American comic book artist, known as one of the premier inkers of his era, who has worked for companies such as DC Comics for over fifty years, starting in the 1930s-'40s Golden Age of Comic Books...
, Zatanna first appeared in Hawkman
Hawkman
Hawkman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published by All-American Publications in 1940....
vol. 1 #4 (October–November 1964). The character, both a stage magician and a real magician
Magician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
like her father Giovanni "John" Zatara
Zatara
Giovanni "John" Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Universe. He first appeared in Action Comics #1 , and was created by writer and artist Fred Guardineer. He is a stage magician who also practices actual magic...
, is known for her involvement with the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
, her retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
ned childhood association with Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, and her crossing of the Vertigo line with characters such as romantic partner John Constantine
John Constantine
John Constantine is a fictional character, an occult detective anti-hero in comic books published by DC Comics, mostly under the Vertigo imprint. The character first appeared in Swamp Thing #37 , and was created by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, John Totleben and Rick Veitch...
and protegé Timothy Hunter
Timothy Hunter
Timothy Hunter, is a fictional character, a comic book sorcerer published by DC Comics. He first appeared in The Books of Magic vol. 1 #1 , and was created by Neil Gaiman and John Bolton.-Publication history:...
.
Fictional character biography
Zatanna is the daughter of magicianMagic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
Giovanni Zatara
Zatara
Giovanni "John" Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Universe. He first appeared in Action Comics #1 , and was created by writer and artist Fred Guardineer. He is a stage magician who also practices actual magic...
(who appeared in Golden Age
Golden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
comic books) and Sindella, a member of the mystical “Homo magi
Homo Magi
Homo magi is a fictional sub-race of magic-using humans in the . The Homo magi first appeared in Justice League of America #164 , and were created by Gerry Conway and Dick Dillin.-Publication history:...
” race. Her younger cousin, the teenager Zachary Zatara
Zachary Zatara
Zachary Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Universe. Zachary is a descendant of the Homo Magi just like his cousin Zatanna and uncle John Zatara. He first appeared in Teen Titans Zachary Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Universe. Zachary is a descendant of the Homo Magi just like...
, is also a magician in the DCU.
The Vertigo series Madame Xanadu
Madame Xanadu
Madame Xanadu is a fictional character, a comic book mystic published by DC Comics. The character is identified with Nimue, the sorceress from Arthurian mythology made popular by Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur.-Publication history:...
also has Zatanna's father as homo magi, and a descendant of Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
. Zatara notes he met the Phantom Stranger
Phantom Stranger
The Phantom Stranger is a fictional character of unspecified paranormal origins who battles mysterious and occult forces in various titles published by DC Comics, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint.-Publication history:...
as a child, and the Stranger gave him da Vinci's notebooks, written backwards. In time Zatara used this to focus his powers.
Zatanna makes her living as a stage illusionist prior to discovering her magical abilities while investigating the disappearance of her father. Zatanna's search for her father was the subject of a storyline which was featured in several titles edited by Julius Schwartz
Julius Schwartz
Julius "Julie" Schwartz was a comic book and pulp magazine editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in the Bronx, New York...
and in it, Zatanna interacts with Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
and Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
(in disguise as a witch and under the control of the villain The Outsider), Hawkman
Hawkman
Hawkman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published by All-American Publications in 1940....
and Hawkwoman
Hawkwoman
Hawkwoman is the name of several fictional superheroines all owned by DC Comics and existing in that company's DC Universe. They are partners, and sometimes spouses or lovers, of the various versions of Hawkman, and share many features with the character Hawkgirl.-Shayera Hol:The Silver Age...
(Hawkman Vol. 1, #4, Nov. 1964), the Atom
Atom (comics)
The Atom is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe.There have been five characters who have shared the Atom codename. The original Golden Age Atom, Al Pratt, was created by Ben Flinton and Bill O'Connor and first appeared in All-American Publications'...
(The Atom#19, May 1965), Green Lantern
Hal Jordan
Harold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...
(Green LanternVol. 2, #42, Jan. 1966) and Elongated Man
Elongated Man
The Elongated Man is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC universe. He is a reserve member of the Justice League. His first appearance was in The Flash vol. 1, #112...
(Detective Comics #355, Sept. 1966). The series culminated in Justice League of America
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
#51 (Feb. 1967). This Justice League adventure took place during the Batman television craze where Batman was featured prominently on the cover. The premise that the witch in Detective #336 was Zatanna was perceived by many fans at the time as an attempt to get Batman participating in this issue of Justice League of America no matter how vague the connection to Zatanna's quest was.
Zatanna assists the Justice League of America on a number of cases before being elected to membership in Justice League of America #161 (Dec. 1978). During her tenure with the group, her power level diminishes, so that she can only control the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water; this limitation is reversed in World's Finest Comics
World's Finest Comics
World's Finest Comics was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled World's Best Comics for its first issue; issue #2 switched to the more familiar name...
#277 (Mar. 1982).
In the 1993 limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
Zatanna: Come Together, Zatanna worries about her lack of focus in using magic. She decides that her father's style of magic is wrong for her, and explores her mother's mystical heritage. This has since been ignored by most writers.
Doctor Light (Arthur Light)
Doctor Arthur Light is a fictional supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the third individual to have adopted the persona of Doctor Light, after a Golden Age foe of Doctor Mid-Nite and Arthur's associate Jacob Finlay...
brutally attacks and rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
s the Elongated Man
Elongated Man
The Elongated Man is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC universe. He is a reserve member of the Justice League. His first appearance was in The Flash vol. 1, #112...
's wife, Sue Dibny
Sue Dibny
Susan "Sue" Dearbon Dibny is a fictional character from DC Comics associated with the Elongated Man. Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, the character first appeared in Flash vol. 1 #119...
. When apprehended, he threatens the JLA members' families. Although Zatanna is prepared to erase Light's memories of the incident (as she had done to other villains with dangerous knowledge to the League), tampering with Light's mind sparks a debate among the League members: should the villain's personality be transformed in order to prevent him from repeating his crime? Zatanna, Hawkman, and The Atom (Ray Palmer) vote for such action, while Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
, Black Canary
Black Canary
Black Canary is the name of two fictional characters, DC Comics superheroines created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino. The first Black Canary debuted appeared in Flash Comics #86 . The first Black Canary was the alter-ego of Dinah Drake, who took part in Golden Age adventures...
, and Green Lantern (Hal Jordan
Hal Jordan
Harold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...
) vote against. The Flash (Barry Allen) breaks the tie. Zatanna mind-wipes Light, and the process results in his intellectual abilities being lowered. In the midst of the process, Batman appears and tries to stop it. Zatanna freezes him, and the members vote unanimously to erase Batman's memories of the incident as well.
Her working relationship to Batman sours after he discovers the alteration to his memory. When Zatanna helps Batman with reconnaissance at one of Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
's Lazarus Pit
Lazarus Pit
A Lazarus Pit is a fictional natural phenomenon in the . They are primarily found in the Batman titles and are commonly used by Ra's al Ghul for their restorative powers.-Fictional history:...
s, she asks him why he came to her. "I needed someone I could trust," Batman says. "But I had to settle for you." However, after Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
, their relationship appears to have warmed; in Detective Comics #824 he calls her for information on a card-counter involved in scamming the Penguin
Penguin (comics)
Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot III is a DC Comics supervillain and one of Batman's oldest, most persistent enemies. The Penguin was introduced by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, making his debut in Detective Comics #58 .The Penguin is a short, rotund man known for his love of birds and his...
. He makes no mention of their conflict, and casually calls her by her nickname, "Zee". After departing from the League, Zatanna continues to appear on stage and to defend against mystical threats, joining the Sentinels of Magic
Sentinels of Magic
The Sentinels of Magic is a fictional group of magically powered heroes that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Day of Judgment #1 , and were created by Geoff Johns and Matthew Dow Smith.-History:...
.
Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
discovers that Zatanna's mind-wipe of Dr. Light in Identity Crisis is not an isolated occurrence; Catwoman's journey from villain to hero and her resulting efforts to lead a moral life are retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
ned as being the result of Zatanna's mental intervention. Catwoman comes to distrust her memories, motives, and the choices she has made since that incident. In retaliation, Catwoman covers Zatanna's mouth with a piece of duct tape
Duct tape
Duct tape, or duck tape, is cloth- or scrim-backed pressure sensitive tape often sealed with polyethylene. It is very similar to gaffer tape but differs in that gaffer tape was designed to be cleanly removed, while duct tape was not. It has a standard width of and is generally silver or black...
and shoves her out a window.
A 2005 four-issue Zatanna limited series was published as part of Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
's Seven Soldiers of Victory
Seven Soldiers of Victory
The Seven Soldiers of Victory is a fictional team of comic book superheroes in the DC Comics universe...
event. In it, at a support group
Support group
In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic...
for superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es, she recounts a failed magical ritual to search for her father's tomes, during which one of her past spells summons a shapeshifter
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
named Gwydion, who kills her companions. This trauma
Psychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
, combined with her guilt from her former mind-wipes, robs her of her powers. With the help of her new apprentice, Misty Kilgore, she captures Gwydion to use as her own. She eventually regains her confidence and powers, and uses them to defeat Zor, a rogue Time Tailor who released the Sheeda as a plague to infect and degrade the entire universe
Universe
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
. As a reward, the other Time Tailors allow her one last meeting with her father, who reveals that his books were written in her, his "greatest spell and gift to the world." In the final battle against the Sheeda, Zatanna casts a spell to move time and space, retroactively positioning the Seven Soldiers to overthrow the Sheeda.
In Detective Comics #833 (August 2007), it is stated that Zatanna's father was a friend of Thomas Wayne
Thomas Wayne
Thomas Wayne is a fictional character in the Batman series of comic books. Dr. Thomas Wayne was the father of Bruce Wayne, and husband of Martha Wayne, as well as a gifted surgeon and philanthropist...
. Zatara trained Bruce Wayne in the art of escape; and Bruce and Zatanna were childhood friends (although Batman believes that he has never met in her Justice League of America #51, and her only memory of meeting him is while she was disguised). Bruce helps Zatanna investigate the death of one of her former assistants; all clues point to a performer named Ivar Loxias. However, Loxias is revealed to be the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
in disguise; he shoots Zatanna in the throat and incapacitates Batman. Zatanna is able to heal herself by writing a curing spell in her own blood, and she is instrumental in foiling the Joker's scheme. Bruce puts Zatanna's betrayal behind him, allowing the two to renew their friendship.
Zatanna, along with Phantom Stranger
Phantom Stranger
The Phantom Stranger is a fictional character of unspecified paranormal origins who battles mysterious and occult forces in various titles published by DC Comics, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint.-Publication history:...
helps Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
defeat creatures of darkness sent by Arion
Arion (comics)
Arion is a fictional sword and sorcery hero published by DC Comics. He debuted in Warlord #55 , and was created by Paul Kupperberg and Jan Duursema.-Publication history:...
, the magician.
Zatanna helps Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
, to whom she owes a favor, mind-wiping Angle Man
Angle Man
Angle Man is a fictional DC Comics supervillain.-Publishing history:The Angle Man was created as a recurring foil for Wonder Woman during the period in which Robert Kanigher took over as writer of the comic book....
and Film Freak
Film Freak
Film Freak is the name of two DC Comics villains and enemy of Batman and Catwoman. They are of the myriad "gimmick" villains in Gotham City, their trademark being their obsession with motion pictures.-Burt Weston:...
, who had been subdued by Selina after the two discovered her secret identity and threatened her child.
Following the flooding of Earth-26
Multiverse (DC Comics)
The DC Multiverse is a fictional continuity construct that exists in stories published by comic book company DC Comics. The DC Multiverse consists of numerous worlds, most of them outside DC's main continuity, allowing writers the creative freedom to explore alternative versions of characters and...
, the Zoo Crew and other humanoid animal refugees escape, transformed into their animal counterparts and unable to speak, even though they retain their human-level intelligence. Zatanna encounters the group and takes Captain Carrot
Captain Carrot
Captain Carrot is a fictional anthropomorphic superhero published by DC Comics. His first appearance was in a special insert in The New Teen Titans #16...
as a pet for use in her magic act, unaware of his true identity (Captain Carrot and the Final Ark #3, February 2008). The Crew has their anthropomorphic forms and powers restored in Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
#7 by Nix Uotan.
On the "Roll Call" of Justice League of America #22, Zatanna is listed as a part of the team. Called upon to help with Red Tornado's restoration in his android form, she aids the League when they are attacked by a new, powerful iteration of Amazo
Amazo
Amazo is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in The Brave and the Bold #30 and was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson. An android, Amazo's special ability is to replicate the special abilities of various superheroes and...
. During the battle, Zatanna has her mouth magically removed, and once again uses her blood to write out spells and restore it. However, she is silenced again after Amazo uses his power ring to create a gag for her mouth, rendering her useless for much of the fight. After Wonder Woman throws off Amazo's concentration and causes the gag to vanish, Zatanna defeats Amazo once and for all by using Red Tornado's soul. Following this battle, Zatanna rejoins the team.
Shortly before the mysterious disappearance of Batman
Batman R.I.P.
Batman R.I.P. is a comic book story arc published in Batman #676-681 by DC Comics. Written by Grant Morrison, penciled by Tony Daniel, and with covers by Alex Ross, the story pits the superhero Batman against the Black Glove organization as they attempt to destroy everything for which he stands...
and the Final Crisis
Final Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
events Zatanna is stalked and targeted by Hush
Hush (comics)
Hush is a fictional comic book supervillain appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually as an enemy of Batman. Created by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared in Batman #609 , as part of the 12-issue storyline, Batman: Hush...
, wanting to get his vengeance over Bruce Wayne using the people he loves most: Zatanna herself and Selina Kyle. Zatanna escapes Hush's wrath, and is able to provide help and relief to the wounded Catwoman.
In the Reign in Hell
Reign in Hell
Reign in Hell is a 2008-2009 comic book limited series written by Keith Giffen, pencilled by Thomas Derenick and published by DC Comics. The title is a reference to a line spoken by Lucifer in John Milton's Paradise Lost: "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven."-Plot:During the events of...
storyline, Blue Devil
Blue Devil
Blue Devil is a superhero featured in material published by DC Comics. He first appeared in a special insert published in Fury of Firestorm #24 . That story led directly into Blue Devil #1, also cover dated June 1984...
comes to her to seek assistance in reaching Hell. Both convene in recruiting Sargon the Sorcerer
Sargon the Sorcerer
Sargon the Sorcerer is a fictional character, a second string mystic, superhero and sorcerer appearing in DC Comics during the Golden Age. The original Sargon first appeared in All-American Comics # 26, , and was created by John B. Wentworth and Howard Purcell...
; Zatanna's motives to venture into the realm include helping the soul of her father, locked in the Gull, Hell's commercial province as a spy for the resistance. However, Lobo kills the soul of Zatara, making his retrieval impossible. Rather than allow himself to be rendered for the bricks and mortar of Hell, Zatara begs her to send him to the Abyss (soul death), the worst fate aside from rendering. Seeking revenge from Lobo for being forced to kill her father, she goes over her head and ultimately Sargon sacrifices himself to Lobo's mercy to allow all other heroes and anti-heroes to escape Hell altogether; Zatanna is left badly shaken from the whole ordeal.
Zatanna later accompanies Firestorm, Black Lightning
Black Lightning
Black Lightning was one of the first major African American superheroes to appear in DC Comics. He debuted in Black Lightning #1 , and was created by Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden.- Publication history :...
, and Batman to Metropolis after they come to believe Kimiyo Hoshi has been kidnapped by agents of the covert metahuman team known as the Shadow Cabinet
Shadow Cabinet (comics)
The Shadow Cabinet is a team of fictional superheroes created by Milestone Comics and published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Shadow Cabinet #0 , and were created by Dwayne McDuffie, Robert L. Washington III and John Paul Leon...
. After a brief conflict, Zatanna and the others are informed by teenaged superheroine Rocket
Rocket (comics)
Rocket is a fictional character a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. An original character from DC's Milestone Comics imprint, she first appeared in Icon #1 , and was created by Dwayne McDuffie and Mark Bright.-Publication history:...
that Kimiyo's perceived abduction was actually a misunderstanding caused by the Shadow Cabinet's mission to seek out her help in dealing with the cosmic vampire known as Starbreaker. With assistance from Hardware
Hardware (comics)
Hardware is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. An original character from DC's Milestone Comics imprint, he first appeared in Hardware #1 , and was created by Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan...
and Icon
Icon (comics)
Icon is a fictional superhero, a comic book character published by DC Comics. An original character from DC's Milestone Comics imprint, he first appeared in Icon #1 , and was created by Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan...
, Zatanna and her comrades are able to defeat Starbreaker in a massive battle in the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
.
In Gotham City Sirens Zatanna is visited and violently restrained by Poison Ivy, who interacts via a tree and asks her if her encounter with Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
changed Selina in any way.
Zatanna takes a leave of absence from the JLA, only to reappear during a battle with Despero
Despero
Despero is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Justice League of America #1 Despero is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Justice League of America #1 Despero...
. Once Despero is defeated, Zatanna informs the League of the apocalyptic events of the Blackest Night taking place across the globe. After taking the team to the Hall of Justice
Hall of Justice
A Hall of Justice is an occasional term for a city's police headquarters, and exists in cities across the United States. In some cases, the facility may also house courts as well as jails...
to find Firestorm, she is forced to fight the undead form of her father, continually pitting the black magic he wields against her own; it is implied she was successful in banishing the Black Lantern, but was left psychologically crushed from having to kill her father again (in a fashion). In the aftermath of Blackest Night, Kimiyo mentions that Zatanna is one of the members who has left the team.
In May 2010 Zatanna began starring in her own solo series, written by Paul Dini
Paul Dini
Paul Dini is an American writer and producer who works in the television and comic book industries. He is best known as a producer and writer for several Warner Bros./DC Comics animated series, including Star Wars: Ewoks, Tiny Toon Adventures, Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated...
and with art from Stephane Roux
Stephane Roux
Stephane Roux is a French comic book artist who is known mostly for his cover work for Marvel, DC and Semic comics. He has worked on such titles as Witchblade: Blood Oath, scripted by Jean-Marc Lofficier, as well as Sibilla and Strangers in the Semic pocket publications...
(Dini has noted the uncanny resemblance of his own wife Misty Lee
Misty Lee
Misty Lee is an American professional magician. She has also worked as an improv comedian and a voice actress for several animated cartoons.Before becoming a magician Lee trained in dentistry...
, a top-hatted magician and improvisationalist, to Zatanna). Now no longer an active member of the JLA, Zatanna is asked by officer Dale Colton to help her solve a murder case at a restaurant frequented by mobsters. Zatanna informs Dale that the murderer was a powerful sorcerer known as Brother Night, who rules the supernatural crime scene in San Francisco. After Zatanna shows up at Night's demonic nightclub and threatens him, he responds by calling upon a powerful demon for help in taking her down. Aside from Brother Night, Zatanna also faces other threats, such as Oscar Hample, a man who tried to murder her when she was a child and was turned into a puppet by her father. She is also kidnapped by a new villain named Siphon, who tries to steal her abilities. Using Zatanna's cellphone, Power Girl
Power Girl
Power Girl is a DC Comics superheroine, making her first appearance in All Star Comics #58 ....
finds her and removes the duct tape form Zatanna's mouth, and together the two heroines defeat Siphon. Zatanna's series ended with issue #16, where she faced the Spectre
Crispus Allen
Crispus Allen is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. Greg Rucka and Shawn Martinbrough created the character in Detective Comics #742 . Allen later went on to be one of the main characters in Gotham Central...
.
The New 52
Following the events of FlashpointFlashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
, Zatanna was made into one of the main characters in Peter Milligan
Peter Milligan
Peter Milligan born in London, a British writer, best known for his comic book, film and television work.-Early career:Milligan started his comic career with short stories for 2000 AD in the early 1980s. By 1986, Milligan had his first ongoing strip in 2000AD called Bad Company, with artists Brett...
's Justice League Dark
Justice League Dark
Justice League Dark is an ongoing DC Comics series, announced as part of the universe wide overhaul, announced on May 31, 2011. The title will follow the adventures of a more supernatural team than traditional Justice League titles, and is written by Peter Milligan, with art by Mikel Janin...
series. She also sports a new costume, though she still wears her classic magician's outfit during shows. In the first issue, she learns that Superman, Wonder Woman and Cyborg
Cyborg (comics)
Cyborg is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez, and first appears in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26...
have been defeated by the Enchantress
Enchantress (DC Comics)
The Enchantress is a DC Comics character who has been both a superheroine and supervillainess. She first appeared in National Comics flagship science fiction anthology title Strange Adventures #187 , and was created by writer Bob Haney and artist Howard Purcell.More recently she is usually called...
and volunteers her services to the League. Batman offers to help her fight Enchantress, but Zatanna uses her powers to tie him up, reasoning that Batman is too valuable to the world to die in battle.
Relationships
Zatanna has had various romantic relationships with fellow DC characters, including John ConstantineJohn Constantine
John Constantine is a fictional character, an occult detective anti-hero in comic books published by DC Comics, mostly under the Vertigo imprint. The character first appeared in Swamp Thing #37 , and was created by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, John Totleben and Rick Veitch...
(with whom she practiced tantra
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
) and Doctor Thirteen
Doctor Thirteen
Dr. Terrence Thirteen, known simply as Doctor Thirteen or Dr. 13, is a fictional character in comic books set in the DC Universe. The character's first published appearance is in Star Spangled Comics #122, ....
. Zatanna also has a kindly semi-parental friendship with Timothy Hunter
Timothy Hunter
Timothy Hunter, is a fictional character, a comic book sorcerer published by DC Comics. He first appeared in The Books of Magic vol. 1 #1 , and was created by Neil Gaiman and John Bolton.-Publication history:...
and also had a brief flirtational relationship with her fellow Justice Leaguer the Flash (Barry Allen)
Barry Allen
The Flash is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Comics universe. He is the second character known as the Flash. The character first appeared in Showcase #4 , created by writers Robert Kanigher and John Broome and penciler Carmine Infantino. His name combines talk show hosts Barry Gray...
shortly after the death of his wife Iris.
She also (currently) has a strong friendship with Batman due to their shared (retconned) pasts. In Detective Comics #843 and #844, Zatanna and Bruce briefly discuss the possibility of having a more meaningful relationship. Both later concede that Bruce is too devoted to his cause as Batman to give her the relationship she wishes for, but the pair reaffirm their bond as close friends.
Catwoman, however, appears to consider Zatanna a more dangerous contender for Bruce's attentions than Jezebel Jet (his fiancée at the time). A pep talk between the two women confirms how Zatanna really meant, during the fateful discussion with Bruce, to explore the possibility of a true romance, but turned out quietly resigned to the role of best friend and confidante. Claiming to act on Bruce's best interest, she pushes Selina into confessing her feelings to Bruce, thus stealing him from Jezebel Jet before it's too late. When Zatanna and her comrades attempt to track down Starbreaker in the headquarters of the Shadow Cabinet (a short time after Bruce's death), the trickster god Anansi
Anansi
Anansi the trickster is a spider, and is one of the most important characters of West African and Caribbean folklore.He is also known as Ananse, Kwaku Ananse, and Anancy; and in the Southern United States he has evolved into Aunt Nancy. He is a spider, but often acts and appears as a man...
sends Paladin, the western inspired-Batman he created in his multiverse world, to aid them. Upon seeing the alternate Bruce, Zatanna immediately bursts into tears of joy and embraces him in her arms before realizing he is not the Bruce she knew.
Zatanna has also a strong bond to Rose Psychic
Rose Psychic
Rose Psychic is a DC Comics heroine affiliated with the company's first superhero, Doctor Occult. They were created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of Superman. She first appeared in More Fun Comics #6 . She appeared in Dr. Occult's first story, and then disappears from the story...
and Doctor Occult
Doctor Occult
Doctor Occult is a fictional character, a magic user in the . Created by Superman's creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Doctor Occult is the earliest character created by DC Comics still currently in use in its shared universe fiction....
, who apparently acted as surrogate parents to her after Sindella's disappearance, with Rose distinctly remembering about how she used to bounce [Zatanna] on her knee.
Powers and abilities
Zatanna is a powerful sorceress whose abilities are apparently geneGene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
tic. As a tribute to her father and as a focal point, she usually casts spells by speaking verbal commands backwards. She has also proven capable on many occasions of casting spells by speaking normally, and, in rarer occasions, the ability to use magic for simple tasks without speaking. Like Black Canary
Black Canary
Black Canary is the name of two fictional characters, DC Comics superheroines created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino. The first Black Canary debuted appeared in Flash Comics #86 . The first Black Canary was the alter-ego of Dinah Drake, who took part in Golden Age adventures...
, Zatanna's reliance on her voice often led to her being bound and gagged by villains in Silver Age stories, thus rendering her 'powerless'. On very rare occasions, Zatanna has cast spells by writing them in her own blood rather than speaking them aloud. As stated by herself and Batman, blood magic is far more powerful than spoken incantations. It's used as a last resort, only to heal from severe physical damage preventing her to speak, like having her larynx
Larynx
The larynx , commonly called the voice box, is an organ in the neck of amphibians, reptiles and mammals involved in breathing, sound production, and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. It manipulates pitch and volume...
mangled by a bullet, or her mouth magically erased by her own powers. The only magic command issued in both cases, Heal me, had to be spelled backwards, as she were speaking (laeH em).
Overuse of her magical powers can deplete them to the point that further use of them starts to put a considerable strain on her physical well-being: as with other magical users, the only way to restore her waning powers is an extended period of rest.
Even if not as precisely as Madame Xanadu
Madame Xanadu
Madame Xanadu is a fictional character, a comic book mystic published by DC Comics. The character is identified with Nimue, the sorceress from Arthurian mythology made popular by Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur.-Publication history:...
, Zatanna has proven herself able to call upon tarot
Tarot
The tarot |trionfi]] and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of cards , used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot...
reading for insight or divination. Apparently, such a task does not require verbal incantations, spoken or written, at all, nor is it tied to a specific tarot deck.
The limits of her powers have never been clearly established. She is often depicted working alongside the most powerful magic-users on Earth, including Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
, Madame Xanadu
Madame Xanadu
Madame Xanadu is a fictional character, a comic book mystic published by DC Comics. The character is identified with Nimue, the sorceress from Arthurian mythology made popular by Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur.-Publication history:...
, and Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel (DC Comics)
Captain Marvel is a fictional comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2...
. She has used her powers to command elemental forces, heal, transmute and transmogrify objects, manipulate minds, and attack her opponents with energy blasts. She has resurrected the city of Metropolis
Metropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
from ruin, merged Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
's spirit with the entire ocean in the finale of the "Obsidian Age" story arc, and manipulated time and space. During a portion of her initial tenure with the Justice League, her powers were more limited, consisting in the manipulation of fire, air, water, and earth. Furthermore, her powers seems tied to her self-confidence, as the long series of blunders described in Seven Soldiers left her both emotionally and psychologically shattered, powerless, until she was able to restore her lost confidence.
Zatanna may be harmed by magic, even if her training makes her able to defend herself from most magic users. Along with Etrigan and the Phantom Stranger
Phantom Stranger
The Phantom Stranger is a fictional character of unspecified paranormal origins who battles mysterious and occult forces in various titles published by DC Comics, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint.-Publication history:...
she was able to hold her own against a host-less Spectre, and was later able to single-handedly banish the god-empowered Mary Marvel
Mary Marvel
Mary Marvel is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine, originally published by Fawcett Comics and now owned by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze, she first appeared in Captain Marvel Adventures #18 in...
from her home, but the current iteration of Amazo
Amazo
Amazo is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in The Brave and the Bold #30 and was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson. An android, Amazo's special ability is to replicate the special abilities of various superheroes and...
was able to employ her own powers to take away her voice, acting fast enough to leave her off guard and unable to defend herself. Powerful enchantments against beings of magic, like gods, are able to restrict her as well, preventing her from accessing enchanted places or dispel the adverse charm.
Zatanna is a skilled illusionist, showgirl and stage magician even without resorting to her innate magical powers. In fact she considers part of her "training" exercising sleight of hand
Sleight of hand
Sleight of hand, also known as prestidigitation or legerdemain, is the set of techniques used by a magician to manipulate objects such as cards and coins secretly....
tricks, and she claims to have invented a variation of the three card shuffle game
Three-card Monte
Three-card Monte, also known as the Three-card marney, Three-card trick, Three-Way, Three-card shuffle, Menage-a-card, Triplets, Follow the lady, Les Trois Perdants , le Bonneteau, Find the lady, or Follow the Bee is a confidence game in which the victim, or mark, is tricked into betting a...
called the Zatara shuffle, in which she's so fast and precise that, even without resorting to cheating, only skilled gamblers like Selina Kyle are able to follow the movements of her hands.
Zatanna owns a mansion called Shadowcrest, in which she keeps a vast library of magical knowledge, as well as an arsenal of powerful relics, enough to do "just about anything you'd want to do." Shadowcrest seems to exist in a completely different dimension, although it is initially located outside of Gotham.
DC Super Dictionary
The 1978 DC Super Dictionary invented a character, Conjura, who had the same magic ability as Zatanna, in addition to possessing a time-traveling amulet.Books of Magick: Life During Wartime
An alternate version of Zatanna with blond hair is seen in the 2005 series Books of Magick: Life During WartimeBooks of Magick: Life During Wartime
Books of Magick: Life During Wartime is a fantasy comic book series published by DC Comics under their Vertigo imprint in 2004 and 2005 that was discontinued after fifteen issues....
. In the series, Zatanna fights for a coalition of humans and faerie
Fairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
s against the dictator
Dictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
ial class of faerie-ruling elites.
Earth-3
- Annataz Arataz, Zatanna's evil Earth-3Earth-ThreeEarth-Three is a fictional alternate universe set in the . It is the Earth of an alternate reality in the DC Multiverse. It first appeared in Justice League of America #29 .-Pre-Crisis:Its history is a mirror image to the Earth we know...
counterpart, assists Superman-Prime to detain and torment Mr. MxyzptlkMister MxyzptlkMr. Mxyzptlk , sometimes called Mxy, is a fictional impish supervillain who appears in DC Comics' Superman comic books.He was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and first appeared in Superman #30 . He is usually presented as a trickster, in the classical mythological sense, in that he enjoys...
in Countdown to Final CrisisCountdown to Final CrisisCountdown, known as Countdown to Final Crisis for its last 24 issues based on the cover, was a comic book limited series published by DC Comics. It debuted on May 9, 2007, directly following the conclusion of the last issue of 52...
#23. The imp refuses to provide Prime with information, and Annataz restores his powers. Reflecting upon her own prior cruel actions, she allows herself to be killed by the enraged villain. Her spells are recited "upside-down", rather than backwards. - Zatanna's evil Antimatter Earth counterpart, who unlike the Earth-3 counterpart is called Zatanna, is briefly mentioned in TrinityTrinity (comic book)Trinity is the title of an American weekly comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted during the first week of June, 2008. It ran for 52 issues.-Conception and production:...
#35, as one of the few survivors of a purge on magic users.
Amalgam Comics
In the Amalgam ComicsAmalgam Comics
Amalgam Comics was a publishing imprint shared by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, in which the two comic book publishers merged their characters into new ones . These characters first appeared in a series of twelve comic books which were published in 1996, between issues 3 and 4 of the Marvel vs...
universe, Zatanna is merged with Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
of the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
to form a character known as Wanda Zatara, the White Witch.
JLA: Another Nail
She appears in JLA: Another NailJLA: Another Nail
JLA: Another Nail is a comic book mini-series published in the United States by DC Comics, a continuation of events seen in the original three-part mini-series JLA: The Nail. As with its predecessor, Another Nail occurs outside of the official DC Universe continuity, belonging to the Elseworlds...
, which shows her teamed-up with Hawkwoman in Midway City
Midway City
Midway City is a fictional city in the DC Universe, the shared universe of comic book titles published by DC Comics. Midway is always shown to be a midwestern city based loosely on the real world city of Chicago, Illinois...
. They appear to be close friends. Zatanna seems to have Eurasian features.
Flashpoint
In the alternate timeline of the FlashpointFlashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
event, Zatanna is a member of the Secret Seven
Secret Six (comics)
The Secret Six is the name of three different fictional comic book teams in the , plus an alternate universe's fourth team. Each team has had six members, led by a mysterious figure named Mockingbird, whom the characters assume to be one of the other five members.-Original Secret Six:The Secret Six...
and also is a member of a motorcycle gang
Outlaw motorcycle club
An outlaw motorcycle club is a type of motorcycle club that is part of a subculture with roots in the post-World War II USA, centered on cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals celebrating freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, and loyalty to the...
, her father Zatara was transformed into a motorcycle bike when Zatanna is riding on him.
Collected editions
- JLA: Zatanna's Search (Collects The Atom #19, Hawkman #4, Green Lantern #42, Detective Comics #335 and 355 and Justice League of America #51)
- Zatanna: Everyday Magic (Original graphic novel)
- Zatanna: Mistress of Magic (Collects #1-6)
- Zatanna: Shades of the Past (Collects #7-16)
Television
- Zatanna first appears in a Batman: The Animated SeriesBatman: The Animated SeriesBatman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated...
episode "Zatanna" voiced by Julie BrownJulie BrownJulie Ann Brown is an American actress, comedienne, screen/television writer, singer-songwriter, television director. Brown is perhaps best known for her work in the 1980s, where she often played a quintessential valley girl character...
. She appears as an illusionist with no apparent magic powers. She developed a close relationship with Bruce Wayne (who was using the alias "John Smith") during the years in which Bruce was traveling the globe learning skills that later serve him as Batman. Zatanna later comes to Gotham CityGotham CityGotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
with her magic show, but finds herself being framed by a criminal magic debunker named Montague Kane. Her efforts to restore her name and stop the villain put her side-by-side with the Batman. During the course of the episode, Batman reveals his identity as "John Smith" to Zatanna.
- Zatanna makes two appearances in the Gotham GirlsGotham GirlsGotham Girls is an American Flash animation series about the females of Gotham City, created and produced jointly by Warner Brothers and Noodle Soup Productions in 2002...
flash animation episodes, voiced by Stacie Randall. In "A Little Night Magic", Zatanna walks home on her own after doing a magic show and has some adventures on the way: She turns a robber's gun into a snake, splits a truck in half when it almost runs her over, and turns some street thugs into toads after they take her hat. In "Hold the Tiger", Zatanna stops Catwoman from stealing the Cat's Eye Opals from a jewelry store. Zatanna does not arrest Catwoman but instead asks Catwoman for help in finding her white tigerWhite tigerThe white tiger is a recessive mutant of the Bengal tiger, which was reported in the wild from time to time in Assam, Bengal, Bihar and especially from the former State of Rewa.-Color comparison:...
.
- Zatanna made a short appearance in Batman BeyondBatman BeyondBatman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
episode "Out of the Past" (season three, episode five) in a collection of pictures that Bruce is looking at on his computer of past loves, alongside Lois Lane, Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Barbara Gordon.
- Zatanna appears in Justice League UnlimitedJustice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
episode "This Little Piggy" voiced by Jennifer HaleJennifer HaleJennifer Hale is a Canadian-born American actress and singer best known for her voice over work in video games like Grandia II, the Mass Effect trilogy, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Tales of Symphonia, the Metroid Prime trilogy, the Metal Gear Solid games, Brütal Legend, and Disney's...
. She helps Batman search for the villainess CirceCirce (comics)Circe is a fictional character, a villainous sorceress and a major adversary of Wonder Woman appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Based upon the Greek mythological character of the same name who imprisoned Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey, the comic book incarnation of Circe first...
(who has turned Wonder WomanWonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
into a pig). Zatanna is apparently aware of Batman's true identity since her last appearance ("Bruce! I haven't seen you for so long...") and knows him well enough to perceive his romantic relationship with Wonder Woman. She seems to be very good friends with Batman, as they often banter ("Don't get snippy with me!"). In her JLU depictions, her spells are often cast backwards, but almost equally often cast without words, and on one occasion, speaking normally. She also appeared in the episode "The Balance" (voiced by an uncredited Juliet LandauJuliet LandauJuliet Rose Landau is an American actress best known for her role as Drusilla on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff show Angel, the latter appearance earning her a Saturn Award nomination. She is also known for co-starring as Loretta King Hadler in Tim Burton's Ed Wood.She has appeared in a...
) amongst the magic-based superheroes affected by the disturbance in the magical balance. In "Destroyer", Zatanna appears as one of many Justice League Members called to help fight the invading ApokoliptanApokolipsIn the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....
forces. She transforms an entire flock of ParademonParademonParademons are a fictional group of aliens in the . They are monstrous shock troops of Apokolips used by Darkseid to maintain order of the planet. The original Parademons were created by Jack Kirby in The New Gods #1 .-Fictional history:...
s into doves, then transmutes them into explosive energy, and destroys several Apokoliptan battleships with them. DCAU writer Paul DiniPaul DiniPaul Dini is an American writer and producer who works in the television and comic book industries. He is best known as a producer and writer for several Warner Bros./DC Comics animated series, including Star Wars: Ewoks, Tiny Toon Adventures, Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated...
wrote both of Zatanna's former and latter appearances described above, and apparently likes the character quite a lot. In 1998, Alan BurnettAlan BurnettAlan Burnett is a television writer-producer particularly associated with DC Comics and Walt Disney television animation. He has had a hand in virtually every DC animated project since the waning years of the Super Friends, and continues to do so...
told Wizard MagazineWizard (magazine)Wizard or Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture was a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by Wizard Entertainment from July 1991 to January 2011...
"Paul Dini wanted to use Zatanna because he’s secretly in love with her. It’s something we try not to talk about too much." Dini later married magician Misty LeeMisty LeeMisty Lee is an American professional magician. She has also worked as an improv comedian and a voice actress for several animated cartoons.Before becoming a magician Lee trained in dentistry...
.
- Two episodes of a Cartoon Monsoon contest entry feature Zatanna as a teenage hero who is a cross between Sabrina, the Teenage WitchSabrina, the Teenage WitchSabrina the Teenage Witch is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a teenage fictional character named Sabrina Spellman. The character was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo. The comic's characters have also appeared in various other media...
and Buffy the Vampire SlayerBuffy SummersBuffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
. This saw her match wits with Klarion the Witch BoyKlarion the Witch BoyKlarion the Witch Boy is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe character first seen in the pages of The Demon in 1973.-Kirby's Klarion:...
, and also featured her father (referred to only as "Zatara") as well as the new character of Zatanna's older, non-magic-wielding brother (named "Damon" in the second episode).
- Zatanna is a recurring character in the final three seasons of Smallville, portrayed by actress Serinda SwanSerinda SwanSerinda Swan is a Canadian actress and model. She stars in the new series Breakout Kings as Erica Reed.-Life and career:Swan was born in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada....
. The character first appeared late in season eightSmallville (season 8)Season eight of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on September 18, 2008. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman...
, in the episode "Hex". She is described as the daughter of the deceased John Zatara, "the world's greatest magician." Zatanna is introduced at the Ace of Clubs, the scene of Chloe SullivanChloe SullivanChloe Sullivan is a fictional character from the television series Smallville. Series regular Allison Mack has portrayed the character since the pilot episode; two other actresses performed the role of Chloe Sullivan as a child. The character was created exclusively for Smallville, by series...
(Allison MackAllison MackNot to be confused with Alison MacAllison Mack is an American actress. She is best known for her role of Chloe Sullivan on the Superman-inspired television series Smallville.-Early life:...
)'s birthday party. To enliven things, Zatanna uses magic to make characters' inner desires come true — Chloe is physically transformed to resemble her cousin, Lois LaneLois LaneLois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
(Erica DuranceErica DuranceErica Durance is a Canadian actress. She has also been credited as Erica Parker. She is best known for her role as Lois Lane in the Superman-inspired television series Smallville.- Early life :...
), for example, and ClarkClark Kent (Smallville)Clark Kent is a fictional character on the television series Smallville. The character of Clark Kent, first created for comic books by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938 as the alternate identity of Superman, was adapted to television in 2001 by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar—this is the fourth...
(Tom WellingTom WellingThomas John Patrick "Tom" Welling is an American actor, director, producer, and former model, best known for his portrayal of Clark Kent in the WB/CW series Smallville....
) becomes "normal". Zatanna later approaches Oliver QueenGreen ArrowGreen Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
(Justin HartleyJustin HartleyJustin Scott Hartley is an American actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles of Fox Crane on the NBC daytime soap opera Passions, and as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow on the WB/CW Superman-inspired series Smallville....
) and offers him a deal: she will grant him a wish if he returns her father's magical book to her. Once she acquires the Book of Zatara from Green Arrow, whom she recognizes as Oliver, she reveals her aim is to use it to resurrect her father. Because Clark is vulnerable to magic, and Oliver lacks the power to stop her, Zatanna has to realize for herself that her father sacrificed himself so she could live. She later goes to Oliver to explain herself, and decides to help him if he encounters any supernatural foes along the way by leaving him her phone number. Swan reprises the role in the ninth seasonSmallville (season 9)Season nine of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on September 25, 2009. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman...
of Smallville in the episode titled "Warrior". In season tenSmallville (season 10)Season ten of Smallville, an American television series, premiered on September 24, 2010 and consisted of 22 episodes. It was the tenth and final season to air, and the fifth one to air on The CW television network...
episodes which feature the government attempting to hunt down the Justice LeagueJustice League (Smallville)The Justice League is a fictional group of superheroes on the television series, Smallville, who were adapted for television by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The Justice League originally included Oliver Queen, Bart Allen, Victor Stone, and Arthur Curry; Clark Kent did not accept a role until...
, Zatanna's picture is shown among their targets. Although not portrayed by Swan, an actor in costume represents Zatanna in the episode "Icarus". In the episode "Fortune", Zatanna is used as a plot device; the episode establishes her as having sent an enchanted bottle of wine to Clark and Lois on the night of their engagement party, which sets the events of that episode in motion.
- Zatanna appears in Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
in the teaser of "Chill of the Night!". Jennifer Hale reprises her role of Zatanna from Justice League Unlimited. She and Batman stop Abra KadabraAbra Kadabra (comics)Abra Kadabra is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe and an enemy of the Flash. He first appeared in Flash #128 and was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino.-Fictional character biography:...
from robbing a museum exhibit displaying the history of magicians. While Batman holds back the mind control slaves, Zatanna battles Kadabra, and traps him in her hat. She later pulls out a tiny bird cage with Kadabra in it, winning the magic battle. Though she relies primarily on vocal spells, she is also shown to be able to effectively wield Kadabra's magic wand after he binds her mouth closed. This version of Zatanna wears a slightly modified version of her original outfit, with her trademark fishnets replaced by purple tightsTightsTights are a kind of cloth leg garment, most often sheathing the body from about the waist to the feet with a more or less tight fit, hence the name....
.
- Zatanna appears in the Young JusticeYoung Justice (TV series)Young Justice is an American animated television series created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti for Cartoon Network. Despite its title, it is not an adaptation of Todd Dezago and Todd Nauck's Young Justice comic series, but rather an adaptation of the entire DC Universe with a focus on young...
episode "Humanity", voiced by Lacey ChabertLacey ChabertLacey Nicole Chabert is an American actress and voice actress, known for her roles as Claudia Salinger in the television drama Party of Five and as Gretchen Wieners in the movie Mean Girls...
. In this incarnation, she is around the same age as the team, making her somewhere between the ages of 13 to 15. Zatara initially brings Zatanna to Mount Justice in Happy HarborHappy HarborHappy Harbor is a fictional United States location in Rhode Island, referenced in DC Comics as the location of the first headquarters, "Justice Mountain" or the "Secret Sanctuary", of the Justice League of America, first appearing in The Brave and the Bold #28.-History:As the home of the Justice...
to meet the team, and asks the kids give Zatanna a tour of Mount Justice. They pretend to go along with that request, quickly use Miss MartianMiss MartianMiss Martian is a superhero in the . Miss Martian was created by Geoff Johns and Tony Daniel and first appeared in Teen Titans #37 . Miss Martian is named "Megan Morse" after Marvel Comics associate editor Ben Morse's wife, Megan...
's ship to leave the cave and track down Red TornadoRed TornadoRed Tornado is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Justice League of America #64 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Dick Dillin.-Publication history:...
. When heading to Yellowstone National Park, Zatanna mentions that her magic is not at the same level as her father. Upon arrival, AqualadAqualad (Jackson Hyde)Jackson Hyde is one of two fictional characters codenamed Aqualad. He is a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. Jackson Hyde, created by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis, debuted in comic books in Brightest Day #4 and is based on the Aqualad character originally created for the Young Justice...
tells Zatanna to stay behind, but ultimately allows her to join them anyway. When fighting Red Tornado, Zatanna tries to use her magic on him only to be knocked out by Red Tornado alongside the team. When Red Volcano activates the volcano, Zatanna uses her magic to give the illusion of Kid Flash multiplies. Zatara was displeased that his daughter went on a mission with the team. It can also be noted that Robin seems to have an interest in her. She briefly appears alongside Red Arrow, RocketRocket (comics)Rocket is a fictional character a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. An original character from DC's Milestone Comics imprint, she first appeared in Icon #1 , and was created by Dwayne McDuffie and Mark Bright.-Publication history:...
, GarthGarth (comics)Garth is a fictional character, a superhero in publications from DC Comics, originally known as Aqualad, and later known by the codename Tempest. As Aqualad, he is the teen sidekick and protege to his guardian, the super-hero known as Aquaman, bearing the same super-abilities as his mentor that...
and TulaAquagirlAquagirl is the name of several fictional characters featured as superheroines in the comic books and other media produced by DC Comics.- Lisa Morel :...
in "Failsafe" as part of a training simulation. She returns in the episode "Secrets", where she and Artemis head to ManhattanManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
on Halloween night. They are ambushed and eventually kidnapped by HarmHarm (comics)Harm is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Young Justice #4 .-Fictional character biography:...
, a psychotic teenager wielding the mystical sword of BeowulfBeowulfBeowulf , but modern scholars agree in naming it after the hero whose life is its subject." of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.It survives in a single...
. While Harm interrogates Artemis, the ghost of his murdered sister, SecretSecret (comics)Secret is a fictional character, a superheroine in the DC Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Secret first appeared in a one-shot comic, part of the Girlfrenzy fifth week event, by Todd Dezago and Todd Nauck called Young Justice: The Secret, in which Robin, Impulse, and Superboy helped...
, removes the tape from Zatanna's mouth and allows her to rescue Artemis. Together, the three girls defeat Harm and allow Secret's spirit to move on to the afterlife. Afterwards, Zatanna promises to erect a proper grave for Secret, who had previously been buried in Harm's backyard.
Film
- In 2005 screenwriter Hadley Davis (Ice PrincessIce PrincessIce Princess is a 2005 American figure-skating film directed by Tim Fywell, Starring Michelle Trachtenberg, Joan Cusack, Kim Cattrall, Hayden Panettiere, Trevor Blumas, and Kirsten Olson...
) announced that she had written an action-comedy featuring a teenaged version of Zatanna. Nothing further was ever heard about this project, and it is presumed to have been abandoned.
- An alternate version of Zatanna makes a brief cameo appearance in Justice League: Crisis on Two EarthsJustice League: Crisis on Two EarthsJustice League: Crisis on Two Earths is a 2010 original direct-to-video animated film released on February 23, 2010. It is based on the abandoned direct-to-video feature, Justice League: Worlds Collide, which was intended as a bridge between the then-concluding Justice League animated television...
as a member of the Crime Syndicate of AmericaCrime Syndicate of AmericaFor the concept of crime syndicates in general, see Organized crime.The Crime Syndicate are teams of fictional supervillains, from one of DC Comics' parallel universes, who are the evil counterparts of the Justice League of America. The original team was specifically known as Crime Syndicate of...
.
Video games
- Zatanna is a playable character in the console videogame Justice League HeroesJustice League HeroesJustice League Heroes is a console video game for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable systems. It is based on DC Comics' premiere superhero team, the Justice League of America. It was developed by Snowblind Studios and published and distributed by Warner Bros...
voiced by Kari WahlgrenKari WahlgrenKari K. Wahlgren is an American voice actress who has provided English language voices for dozens of anime titles and video games. Her debut role was as one of the main characters of FLCL, Haruko Haruhara. She had a live-action role as Tinker Bell in the 2003 Damion Dietz film Neverland...
.
- Zatanna appears as a non-playable character in DC Universe OnlineDC Universe OnlineDC Universe Online or DCUO is an MMORPG by Sony Online Entertainment – Austin. Jim Lee serves as the game's Executive Creative Director, along with Carlos D'Anda, JJ Kirby, Oliver Nome, Eddie Nuñez, Livio Ramondelli, and Michael Lopez...
, voiced by Claire HamiltonClaire HamiltonClaire Hamilton is a voice actress who has done a few voiceovers. She did the voice of Anna Williams in the anime movie Tekken: The Motion Picture, including another anime, Final Fantasy: Unlimited.-Roles:* Iczelion as Nami...
.
External links
- Zatanna's secret origin on DC Comics.com
- Zatanna at the DC Database Project
- Index to Zee's Earth-1 adventures
- Seven Soldiers: Zatanna annotations at BarbelithBarbelithBarbelith is an online forum, named after an element in the comic book series The Invisibles by Grant Morrison, initially conceived of as a space for the discussion of Morrison's works.-The Invisibles:...