Pantha is a
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life perso ...
appearing in
American comic books published by
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
.
Publication history
Pantha first appeared in ''
New Titans'' #73 (February 1991) and was created by
Marv Wolfman
Marvin Arthur Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is an American comic book and novelization writer. He worked on Marvel Comics's '' The Tomb of Dracula'', for which he and artist Gene Colan created the vampire-slayer Blade, and DC Comics's ''The New Te ...
and
Tom Grummett
Thomas Grummett (born 1959) is a Canadian Cartoonist#Comic books, comic book artist and penciller. He is best known for his work as penciller on titles such as ''Teen Titans, The New Titans'', ''Superman (comic book)#1986 revamp, The Adventures o ...
.
Fictional character biography
Pantha was a cat-like member of one of the incarnations of the
Teen Titans
The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
. During her time with the Titans, she had no knowledge as to her origins, whether she was a woman or a female
panther
Panther may refer to:
Large cats
*Pantherinae, the cat subfamily that contains the genera ''Panthera'' and ''Neofelis''
**'' Panthera'', the cat genus that contains tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards.
*** Jaguar (''Panthera onca''), found in So ...
before the
Wildebeest Society mutated her. But tragically, her ultimately fruitless search led her to many dead-ends. The significance of her designation as "X-24" was also never revealed.
While many of the other Titans were close friends, Pantha went out of her way to alienate herself from the team. Pantha was overtly hostile towards her teammates, often ridiculing and berating them. Despite her attitude, her feral abilities made her a valuable asset to the team.
To her initial frustration, Pantha was "adopted" as a surrogate mother by
Baby Wildebeest. She did not like this at first, often making references to grisly ways the child could perish. She does work with him when need be, such as when the Titans helped in a counter-attack on murderous aliens in the
Bloodlines crossover.
[''Bloodbath'' #1-2 (December 1993). DC Comics.] She eventually takes responsibility for his care when she left the Titans with
Red Star, forming a family.
Pantha and her teammates were almost stars of a children's cartoon series but the deal fell apart. She is part of a multi-hero effort to investigate and destroy alien parasites murdering people all across the planet.
Later, she teams up with her old allies when
Cyborg
A cyborg ()—a portmanteau of ''cybernetic'' and ''organism''—is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline. , now with an entirely new level of power, threatens the entire Earth. The Justice League of America showed up also and a series of mistakes led to the entire team fighting. Pantha took on
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she is ...
but neither side won as they were interrupted by blasts from
Orion. Baby Wildebeest himself was subdued by
Superman.
During the "
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, ...
" storyline, she joins with another team of Titans, along with a new
Doom Patrol
Doom Patrol is a superhero team from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in ''My Greatest Adventure'' #80 (June 1963), and was created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney, along with artist Bruno Premiani. Doom Patrol has appe ...
and
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America (JSA, or Justice Society (JS)) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Boo ...
. Their mission is to stop the deranged
Superboy-Prime who has attacked this reality's version of
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
. The battle originates at the town of
Smallville,
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
and moves to the outskirts of
Keystone City
This page list the locations in the DC Universe, the shared universe setting of DC Comics.
Sites
* the Arrowcave – The former base of operations of the Green Arrow and Speedy.
* Avernus Cemetery – A burial ground located in Central City for ...
. There, Pantha is killed with a backhand blow by Superboy-Prime that is so powerful that it knocks
Ambush Bug
Ambush Bug is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. His real name is supposedly Irwin Schwab, but he has mental problems that prevent him from truly understanding reality around him, so even his true identity migh ...
unconscious. Superboy-Prime instantly claims he didn't mean to do it, but in the next few moments, he kills Baby Wildebeest and attacks Red Star with freezing breath. Red Star survives his injuries.
In ''
Blackest Night
"Blackest Night" is a 2009–10 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous central miniseries, written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, along with a number of tie-in issues. ''Blackest Ni ...
: Titans'' crossover, Pantha was reanimated as a member of the
Black Lanterns, ready to attack the Titans. However, her body is soon destroyed by a burst of white light emanating from
Dawn Granger
Hawk and Dove are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Steve Ditko and Steve Skeates, they appeared in ''Showcase'' #75 (June 1968) during the Silver Age of Comic Books. The duo has existed in mu ...
.
Powers and abilities
Pantha's human/
panther
Panther may refer to:
Large cats
*Pantherinae, the cat subfamily that contains the genera ''Panthera'' and ''Neofelis''
**'' Panthera'', the cat genus that contains tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards.
*** Jaguar (''Panthera onca''), found in So ...
physiology gave her superhuman strength, speed, and agility, as well as heightened senses (such as hearing, smelling, and night-vision), enhanced reflexes, and retractable claws on her hands and feet.
Other versions
Maxwell Lord's Domination
In an alternate timeline created by
Booster Gold
Booster Gold (Michael Jon Carter) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Dan Jurgens, the character first appeared in '' Booster Gold'' #1 (February 1986) and has been a member of the Justice League. ...
when he saved
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional superheroes who appear in a number of American comic books published by a variety of companies since 1939. The most recent of the companies to own rights to Blue Beetle is DC Comics, which bought the ri ...
from
Maxwell Lord
Maxwell Lord IV is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in '' Justice League'' #1 (May 1987) and was created by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire. Maxwell Lord was ...
, Pantha, who is still alive in this timeline, is a member of
Green Arrow and
Hawkman's Freedom Fighters. In this timeline, Lord had used his resources to conquer most of Earth. While Superboy-Prime does eventually visit, Pantha is not there to face him and thus die. It was revealed that Pantha was a vet student at
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
named Rosabelle Mendez who was captured by Maxwell Lord and made into Pantha, then sold to the
Wildebeest Society. This timeline is neutralized when Blue Beetle willingly returns to the past to face his fate.
[''Booster Gold'' vol. 2 #7-9 (2008). DC Comics.]
In other media
* Pantha appears in ''
Teen Titans
The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
'', voiced by
Diane Delano
Diane Delano (born January 29, 1957) is an American character actress. She is known for her numerous roles in films and television, such as Sergeant Barbara Semanski on the CBS television series ''Northern Exposure'' and Roberta "Bobbi" Glass ...
. This version is a professional wrestler,
luchador
Lucha libre (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term used in Latin America for professional wrestling. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form ...
, and associate of
Wildebeest
Wildebeest ( , , ), also called gnu ( or ), are antelopes of the genus ''Connochaetes'' and native to Eastern and Southern Africa. They belong to the family Bovidae, which includes true antelopes, cattle, goats, sheep, and other even-to ...
who possesses superhuman strength and can execute a
clawhold she calls the "Pantha's Claw". In the episode "Calling All Titans",
Cyborg
A cyborg ()—a portmanteau of ''cybernetic'' and ''organism''—is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline. makes her an honorary member of the
Teen Titans
The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
, but is later attacked by
Brotherhood of Evil
The Brotherhood of Evil is a group of DC Comics supervillains, archenemies of the original Doom Patrol and the Teen Titans and enemies of the Justice League.
The Brotherhood of Evil appears in the third season of the HBO Max series ''Doom Patrol ...
members Adonis and Atlas. After defeating them off-screen by the episode "Titans Together", Pantha locates a Titans safehouse and joins forces with
Beast Boy
Garfield Mark Logan, better known as Beast Boy, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He has also gone under the alias Changeling. Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Bob Brown, he is a shapeshifter who po ...
,
Más
Mas, Más or MAS may refer to:
Film and TV
* Más y Menos, fictional superhero characters, from the Teen Titans animated television series
* "Más" (''Breaking Bad''), a season three episode of ''Breaking Bad''
Songs
* ''Más'' (album), by Span ...
,
Herald
A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms.
Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen to ...
, and
Jericho to infiltrate the Brotherhood's headquarters and rescue the captive Titans before defeating the Brotherhood.
* Pantha appears in issue #32 of ''
Teen Titans Go!
''Teen Titans Go!'' is an American animated television series developed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic for Cartoon Network. It premiered on April 23, 2013 and is based on the DC Comics fictional superhero team. The series was announce ...
''.
References
External links
Panthaat DC Wiki
Panthaat Comic Vine
DCU Guide: Pantha
{{Teen Titans
Characters created by Marv Wolfman
Comics characters introduced in 1991
DC Comics female superheroes
DC Comics metahumans
Fictional characters with superhuman senses
DC Comics characters with superhuman strength
Fictional werecats
Fictional wrestlers