DC Sets Up the Most Tragic Version of an Iconic Villain

Absolute Wonder Woman has been one of the most successful and critically acclaimed comics DC has released in recent years, offering an ingenious new take on the Princess of the Amazons in which she has become a heroic witch from Hell. Wonder Woman’s supporting cast and rogues’ gallery have also all undergone significant reinventions that play into the bleakness of the Absolute Universe. Not only does Wonder Woman have to face the likes of Veronica Cale and the Suicide Squad, but the male Greek Gods themselves are positioned as her adversaries. However, since Absolute Wonder Woman #3, DC Comics has been setting up the origin of the greatest and most tragic incarnation of Wonder Woman’s archnemesis: the Cheetah.

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The Absolute Universe has developed many drastic reimaginings of classic villains, with some even being repositioned as good guys. One of the clearest examples is how the witch Circe becomes Wonder Woman’s adoptive mother rather than her mystical foe. Barbara Ann Minerva, aka Cheetah, seemed to have been in a similar role when she was introduced in Absolute Wonder Woman #3 as an ally to the Last Amazon. However, through subtle hints sprinkled throughout the latest story arc and the release of Absolute Wonder Woman #20, her road to villainy becomes clear, and it’s absolutely heartbreaking.

The Absolute Universe Explores Barbara Before She Became the Cheetah

Wonder Woman and Barbara’s status as former friends isn’t a new concept. It’s been featured several times in the main DC Universe. However, the Absolute Universe is the first instance where the writers take the time to really delve into Barbara’s life before becoming Cheetah, as well as her prior, more friendly relationship with Wonder Woman. By taking this slower approach to Barbara’s inevitable transformation into Cheetah, it makes her descent much more tragic.

The Absolute Universe takes great care to emphasize that Barbara was one of Wonder Woman’s closest friends when the heroine came to Man’s World. In this world, Barbara is a shy archeologist who studied the legends of the Amazons. After Barbara literally bumped into Wonder Woman, the pair developed an immediate bond. Barbara told Wonder Woman about the myths and history surrounding the Amazons and Themyscira that the heroine had never known. Barbara even helped Wonder Woman become a more public figure by having a museum set up an exhibit on Themyscira, where the Amazon made an appearance. Barbara was one of the main catalysts for Wonder Woman to learn about her past while connecting to the modern world.

The most significant part of DC’s reimagining of Barbara is her feelings for Wonder Woman. Since they first met, there’s been underlying romantic tension. From this version of Wonder Woman being hinted at as being bisexual to the way Barbara looks at her, it’s very clear that the archeologist has a crush on her friend. Whether Wonder Woman reciprocates these feelings is ambiguous. Barbara’s unspoken crush also ties to Wonder Women’s passive ability, thanks to Aphrodite, to unconsciously make people love her. Such a power can be both a blessing and a curse, since it means that it’s impossible to know how much of Barbara’s feelings are genuine or are the product of Wonder Woman’s power. Even worse, love can quickly turn into hate given the right circumstances.

A Cheetah Fueled by Betrayal

In DC Comics, Cheetah’s motivation as a villain has always been one that’s tragic and a bit muddled. Oftentimes, Barbara is forced to become the Cheetah and will fight Wonder Woman because of her inability to control her bloodlust and resentment toward the hero for being unable to cure her. In contrast, the origin of the definitive Absolute Cheetah is much more layered, direct, and heartbreaking. Throughout Absolute Wonder Woman’s latest storyline, “Season of the Witch,” subtle and not-so-subtle hints have been given as to the trajectory of Barbara’s character. These hints paint a very clear picture: the love Barbara once had for Wonder Woman will twist into feelings of hate and betrayal, fueled by abandonment.

“Season of the Witch” started with Veronica Cale’s Suicide Squad attacking Wonder Woman at the museum, with one of the team’s members being the original Cheetah, Pricilla Rich. However, she’s soon killed by her fellow teammate Zatara, who uses her blood to cast a spell that causes Wonder Woman to feel like she’s on fire. As Wonder Woman retreats to heal, Barbara appears shocked and heartbroken that her friend has left her behind. Even when Wonder Woman comes back for round two, she’s unable to prevent Giganta from kidnapping Barbara under Cale’s orders. Absolute Wonder Woman #20 makes Cale’s plans for Barbara abundantly clear, and it’s all to turn the Amazon’s closest friend against her.

Wonder Woman was captured and taken to Cale’s base Area 41.X. She knows that Barbara is in the building, but before she can escape to save her, Hades uses his magic to “rescue” the Amazon by transporting her to the underworld, where she’ll be bound for a month. With Wonder Woman gone, Cale mocks Barbara for thinking that the Amazon would come and save her. And with Pricilla Rich’s corpse in the room with the pair, it’s obvious that the next time we see Barbara, she will be the new Cheetah. The Absolute Universe Cheetah won’t be a villain driven by bloodlust from a curse, but instead by unimaginable heartbreak that the person she loves had supposedly left her to die.

What started as a genuine friendship with a one-sided crush has been twisted into a feud cultivated by outside forces. Every time the gods try to help Wonder Woman, whether it be Aphrodite’s “gift” or Hades’ “rescue,” it creates a deeper chasm that leaves Barbara emotionally vulnerable to Cale’s manipulation. Wonder Woman sees Barbara as one of her closest friends, so to be trapped in the underworld, unable to help her, would be soul-crushing for the heroine. By the time Wonder Woman does get back to the land of the living, it will be far too late. The next time Wonder Woman sees Barbara, she’ll likely have undergone the procedure to become the feral, hate-filled Cheetah she was always destined to be.

Absolute Cheetah will be by far the most tragic version of the villain DC has ever conceived, because we were with her every step of the way as her unrequited love for Wonder Woman eroded into resentment and a feeling of abandonment. Wonder Woman has been set up as the most moral and just hero in the entire Absolute Universe, but sadly, the one person she couldn’t save and whom she cared for the most will become her greatest enemy.

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