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-set season, or CBS, which ran the updated later seasons) balked at having a Black ongoing 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 Wonder Woman '77 comic, which continues plotlines and continuity from the TV series!

In Wonder Woman '77 Meets the Bionic Woman, Diana brings Jamie Sommers to Paradise Island...

....where the now-reformed Carolyn has adopted the name of "Nubia", along with the doll's 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 later posts!

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Nubia:

Real One

Graphic novel featuring one of the current versions of the character
(There are several)

ACTION COMICS "Deadly Rampage of the Lady Fox" Conclusion

We Have Already Seen..

Superman encounters a super-powered woman who steals and dumps a truckload of expensive furs, then manages to elude him.

Informed by the government that the furs may be part of an illegally-imported shipment, the Man of Steel (as reporter Clark Kent) is, coincidentally, assigned by WGBS with Lana Lang to travel to New Delhi to investigate what may be the source of the poached furs.

Also on the hunt in India is fashionista Mari MaCabe, whom the Last Son of Krypton had met back in Metropolis...when she hijacked the fur-laden truck in her guise as Vixen!

Seeing the costumed woman pursuing someone, Clark intends to follow...

Written by Vixen's co-creator (along with artist Bob Oksner) Gerry Conway, penciled by iconic Superman artist Curt Swan, and inked by Frank Chiaramonte, this never-reprinted premiere appearance in DC's Action Comics #521 (1981) gives us only the smallest hints of who Mari is and why she's doing what she does

We'd have to wait another three years, when she would team-up again with Superman in DC Presents #68 (1984), (which has also never been reprinted) to learn any more details about her.

But, if you continue reading this blog, you won't have to wait that long...

ACTION COMICS "Deadly Rampage of the Lady Fox" Part 1

Vixen makes her live-action debut tonite on Arrow...

...embodied by the actress who's been doing her voice on the animated series, Megalyn Echikunwoke.

To celebrate, here's part 1 of her never-reprinted debut from DC's Action Comics #521 (1981).

Note: we already presented her never-published origin HERE!

Tomorrow:

Mild-Mannered Reporter Meets Firey Fashion Model...

Written by Vixen's co-creator (along with artist Bob Oksner) Gerry Conway, penciled by iconic Superman artist Curt Swan, and inked by Frank Chiaramonte, this premiere appearance gives us only the smallest hints of who Mari is and why she's doing what she does.