DC Just Gave an Iconic Wonder Woman Enemy Her Most Nuanced Version Ever

Wonder Woman, despite being one of the biggest and most important heroes in DC, has a villain problem. Her contemporaries, Superman and Batman, are touted as having some of the strongest villain line-ups in the industry. Everyone off the street can probably name half a dozen Batman villains, and at least one or two Superman bad guys. Yet, ask even experienced comic book fans for Wonder Woman villains, and they’re likely to start struggling when they run out of Greek Gods. There are exceptions, of course. Without a doubt, Wonder Woman’s best-known villain is her archenemy, Cheetah. Now, DC has introduced a new version of her that is sure to blow the others out of the water.

Barbara Minerva is typically a cynical, greedy woman whose lust for knowledge and power drove her to seek out an ancient god that should have stayed buried. The cursed, cannibalistic cat blames Wonder Woman for her transformation, or simply hates her because she’s perfect, depending on the version. She’s far from one-note, though. There’s always been the edges of a tragic, beautiful story poking through her rough exterior, and her newest incarnation is set to dive right into it. As of Absolute Wonder Woman #22, the Absolute Universe’s Cheetah is here, and her story is bound to be the most tragic of all.

The Illusion of Choice that Promised Freedom

In the finale of the “Season of the Witch” arc, Barbara was kidnapped and taken to Area 41, where Veronica Cale locked her in a room with the recently deceased Cheetah, Priscilla Rich. Barbara knew the legends and tried some of her blood, putting her into contact with the god Urzkartaga. He offered her power as his avatar, but Barbara refused. Initially. Over the next several days, as Wonder Woman still didn’t come to save her, Urzkartaga convinced Barbara that this wasn’t a curse, but a blessing. Barbara had always thought she deserved more, especially from Diana.

In the end, Barbara agrees to become the new Cheetah, but it’s not just out of greed. Yes, Barbara is a greedy woman. She fully believes she cannot be happy with her life as it is, and imagines herself as something much more. Her obsession with divine history is half because she wants to be like the myths she’s studied more than anyone alive. Urzkartaga made Barbara think she had a right to such power, but it’s also to stand beside Wonder Woman. She thinks that Diana could never love her as just a mortal, so she became more to capture her affection, and this mix of love and greed makes the perfect origin for Diana’s deadliest villain.

Love, Jealousy, and Everything In Between

Barbara Minerva is a woman of multitudes. She loves Wonder Woman and history, but she also longs to be powerful and respected far beyond what she is. She’s the perfect star for a Greek tragedy, where her own hubris winds up poisoning her good ambitions and causing her doom. This version combines those aspects into the perfect origin because, and this is the most important part, I don’t think that Cheetah will become a villain straight away. As of right now, she has no reason to hate Wonder Woman beyond a sense of abandonment, but once she learns that Diana literally could not save her, those feelings could easily subside.

What I see happening is Cheetah using her new abilities to stand alongside Wonder Woman, thinking that she can finally love her as an equal, instead of from a distance. Of course, as the curse strengthens, she’ll see that Wonder Woman doesn’t approve of her new form, and could easily take that as jealousy, with Cheetah’s own fear and lingering sense of betrayal to blossom into full-blown hatred. Cheetah will see how steep a price she paid for her demigodhood, and instead of blaming herself, she’ll blame Wonder Woman. Diana, of course, will blame herself just as much. This is the ultimate recipe for betrayal and heartbreak on every side, and pains Barbara as a misguided, lonely woman whose greed and love mapped out her demise in equal measure.

Absolute Wonder Woman #22 is on sale now!

What do you think about the Absolute Cheetah? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!

5 Powers Even DC Forgot Wonder Woman Had (& Telepathy Isn’t Even The Weirdest)