Who WAS Nubia? Nubia in the Bronze Age and...On TV???

After her three-issue premiere in DC's Wonder Woman 204-206 (1973)...

...which we covered HERE, HERE, and HERE, Nubia appeared only twice more in the Bronze Age...DC's Supergirl #9 (1973-74)...

...where she served as a plot device to show Supergirl as worthy to become an Amazon!

Here's her final appearance in DC's Super Friends #25 (1979)...

...where she fought a mind-controlled Wonder Woman to a stalemate until the Amazon was released from mental manipulation!

Note: though not part of pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity, Super Friends did follow the continuity established in the TV series, potentially-setting Nubia up for an animated appearance (which never happened)!

So, why was Nubia introduced...then ignored?

After the Wonder Woman TV series debuted, Mego launched a line of 12" action figures...

...including Nubia, in her costume from Wonder Woman #204-206!

Note the text on the box:

"It's Wonder Woman's Super-Foe!

That heartless arch-mistress of evil...NUBIA!

Direct from her reign of TV terror!

Were they going to incorporate Nubia into the TV series...which never touched upon how Diana was "born"...as an ongoing enemy?

There are rumors that singer/actress Jayne Kennedy, who had experience in genre/action roles...

...had been offered the role.

But the network (unknown if it was ABC, which handled the first, WWII-era season, or CBS, which ran the updated-to-present day later seasons) balked at having an ongoing Black villainess!

Though Nubia never appeared, Kennedy did play Carolyn Hamilton, an ex-policewoman and former associate of Steve Trevor Jr, in the second season episode "Knockout"!

Whether she was brainwashed or willingly-joined (it's never made clear), Carolyn is sent by a terrorist organization to perform an assassination, which Wonder Woman prevents!

The character was never seen again...until the recent DC Wonder Woman '77 comic, which continues plotlines and continuity from the TV series!

In DC/Dynamite's Wonder Woman '77 Meets the Bionic Woman mini-series, Diana brings Jamie Sommers to Paradise Island, where she meets...

....the now-reformed Carolyn has adopted the name of "Nubia", along with the doll's comic book-based armor and white streak in her hair!

Note: apparently living on Paradise Island stops the aging process, since WWII villainess Fausta (from the first season episode "Fausta: the Nazi Wonder Woman") hasn't aged since arriving!
There are several different incarnations of Nubia presently published by DC, none of which have any relation to either the pre-Crisis or 1970s Lynda Carter TV series versions we've shown you.

If there's reader interest, we'll cover those women in future posts!

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Nubia:

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Graphic novel featuring one of the current versions of the character

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Who WAS Nubia? "War of the Wonder Women" Conclusion

When Last We Left Our Heroines...

Note: Nubia does not wear the outfit shown on this kool Nick Cardy-illustrated cover in the actual story!

...the secret origin of Nubia (aka Wonder Woman of the Floating Island) is revealed...she's Princess Diana's sister, created from clay at the same time as Diana!

Now, the long-term plan of Mars, God of War against the Amazons, utilizing Nubia as his pawn, has been implemented, so...

LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!

You'd think after making Nubia the lynchpin of Wonder Woman's return to being a super-powered heroine (with a lot of attendant publicity) she would've become an integral part of the DC Universe, right!

Instead...well, just be here next week for the conclusion of the Bronze Age Saga of Nubia!

Here's what you'll see...

(Yes, that's REAL!)

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Graphic novel featuring one of the current versions of the character

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Who WAS Nubia? "War of the Wonder Women" Part 1

We met Nubia HERE and learned a little about her HERE...

...but now, previously-unrevealed secrets come to light!

It all begins after Wonder Woman breaks up a protest involving women vs. men...

(Hey, it was the early '70s, the heyday of Women's Lib!)

Note: for a brief time, Diana Prince worked as a translator at the UN, rooming with two other translators...whose names were never revealed to readers!

Here's where a major retcon (alteration of past history) occurs...

So what did the God of War want with Hippolyte's other daughter?

Like most villains, he loves to review his plans...

(although you really have to ask "why didn't he wait until Nubia had also been given all the "Gifts of the Gods?")

Now...

LET SLIP THE DOGS OF WAR!

Well, dear reader, you already know, but Princess Diana will have to wait until

NEXT WEDNESDAY

to find out!

But we can tell you this...

DC had major plans for Nubia!

When this book...

...Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes, was published in 1976, this story was included!

The book ran both the first-published "origin" story of each character, but also a later (usually expanded) version!
For Wonder Woman, they included her origin from DC's Wonder Woman #1 (1942) and this story from DC's Wonder Woman #206 (1973)!
Considering they had just retold Diana's "classic" origin two issues earlier in #204, why not run that instead of this story, which really features Nubia's origin, if they didn't intend to "play up" the character?
We'll explore this further next week!

One hint...ACTION FIGURES!

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80 Years of the Amazon Warrior

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Who WAS Nubia? "Mystery of Nubia!"

We Have Already Seen...

...when Amazon Princess Diana returned to Paradise Island after a long period operating in "Man's World" without her powers and abilities, she encountered a contender for the title of "Wonder Woman", Nubia!

Their competition to decide who deserved the name ended in a draw and the powerful woman warriors respectfully-agreed to a rematch in the near future.

Note: In pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity, under Aphrodite's Law, men could never be allowed to step foot on Paradise Island!

Nubia's aides are standing on a pier/dock, not on the island itself!

Written by Robert Kanigher, penciled by Don Heck and inked by Dick Giordano, this backup story from DC's Wonder Woman #205 (1973), is a teaser to the book-length story in the next issue which  explains a things like the reference to the "Mars' Law of Conquest" and exactly what the "Floating Island" is...and why it had never been previously-mentioned!

You'll see that tale...

NEXT WEDNESDAY!

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Through the Years

(The only place this Nubia story has ever been reprinted!)
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