Shanna the She-Devil
Encyclopedia
Shanna the She-Devil is a fictional
jungle adventuress in comic books published by Marvel Comics
. Created by writer Carole Seuling and penciler George Tuska
, she made her first appearance
in Shanna the She-Devil #1 (Dec. 1972).
and Claws of the Cat
. Marvel writer-editor Roy Thomas
recalled in 2007 that editor-in-chief Stan Lee
Seuling in 2010 recalled,"My instructions were to make [Shanna] someone who would fit in with the times and also was prone to a little more violence than Sheena
or the other jungle queens of the past." With veteran penciler George Tuska
, she created the lead character and her two leopard companions, as well as game warden
and potential romantic interest Patrick McShane, loosely based on after actor Patrick McGoohan
's game-warden character in the film Nor the Moon by Night
.
The writer Steve Gerber
, in his first assignment for Marvel Comics, supplied additional dialogue for that first issue, as well as the next. Seuling explained,
This initial series ran five issues (Dec. 1972 - Aug. 1973), with Jim Steranko
drawing the covers of #1-2, John Buscema
and Joe Sinnott
of issue #3, and John Romita Sr. of the final two issues.
The character went on to a series of guest appearances, first in the jungle lord comic Ka-Zar
#1 (Jan. 1974); then in a storyline running through the superhero
comics Daredevil
#109-111 (May–July 1974) and Marvel Two-in-One
#3 (May 1974), which supplied additional details about Shanna's past and family, and notes McShane's murder by the supervillainess Nekra
in the interim; in Daredevil #117 (Jan. 1975); and in a Ka-Zar story in the black-and-white, mature-audience comics magazine Savage Tales
#8 (Jan. 1975).
Shanna then starred in two solo stories in Savage Tales #9-10 (March & May 1975) by writer Carla Conway (assisted by then-husband Gerry Conway
on the former), with pencil art by, respectively, Tony DeZuniga
and Ross Andru. In the first of these two stories, Shanna's leopards Ina and Biri are killed. Gerry Conway recalled in 2010 that this "was part of the strategy to make her a stronger, fiercer character in the Savage Tales mode. It also raised the stakes for her personally, and by eliminating these 'rivals' for her affections opened her up to a relationship with Ka-Zar", whom she would eventually marry, in Ka-Zar the Savage #29 (Dec. 1983).
In the meantime, Shanna starred in a backup story in The Rampaging Hulk #9 (June 1978), by writer Gerber and artist DeZuniga. She then starred in several eight-page solo stories in the omnibus title Marvel Fanfare
, beginning with a tale by writer-artist Bruce Jones
in issue #13 (Late Feb. 1989), followed by the 10-part "The Bush of Ghosts", by writer Gerard Jones
and penciler Paul Gulacy
in issues #68-77 (Jan.-Late May 1991).
Dovetailing with the end of that run came four full-length stories begun in 1978, completing plot threads from Shanna's solo story in in The Rampaging Hulk #9. Written by Gerber and penciled by Carmine Infantino
, Bret Blevins
(two stories, the first credited as "A. Novice") and DeZuniga, these non-chronological, essentially flashback stories ran in Marvel Fanfare
#56-59 (April-Oct. 1991). The title's editor, Al Milgrom
, unearthed the unpublished stories because
Marvel has also published alternate-universe
versions of Shanna, unrelated except for the name.
Shanna O'Hara Plunder is the daughter of a diamond miner named Gerald O'Hara. Born in Africa
, she spent the majority of her childhood growing up in the jungle
s of Zaire
. At the age of six, her father went to kill a rogue leopard
that belonged to her mother, Patricia O'Hara. While hunting for the leopard, Shanna's father accidentally killed her mother. This traumatic incident led to Shanna's lifelong crusade against the use of firearms. After the incident, Shanna moved back to the United States
to live with relatives. Shanna grows up to become an accomplished Olympic athlete, specializing in competitive swimming and track and field
. She then became a licensed veterinarian
.
After completing college, Shanna began to work for the Central Park Municipal Zoo
in New York City
as a zoologist
. While working at the zoo
, Shanna raised many animal
s, including a female leopard named Julani. During this period another shock to her system came when Julani was shot and killed by a zoo guard. The following day, the zoo director proposes Shanna take Julani's cubs, Ina and Biri — Yoruba
names meaning "bright" and "black", respectively — to the Dahomey
Reserve in Africa.
While in Africa, Shanna becomes more attuned to nature, patrolling the jungle and living freely in the wild lands. She begins to wear Julani's fur pelt as a sight-and-sense cue to help with the raising of the cubs. In the jungle, Shanna becomes more and more at home with herself and her new native element, all the while protecting the reserve
from poachers
as Shanna the She-Devil.
During her stay in Africa, her father is kidnapped
by the Mandrill
. Shanna searches for him until the wizard Malgato kidnaps
her to Antarctica's Savage Land
, a prehistoric jungle. She escapes with the help of Lord Kevin Plunder, a.k.a. the jungle lord Ka-Zar
. Shanna returns to Africa to look for her father, and learns he was killed by the Mandrill. Seeking revenge, she goes to America to aid Daredevil
and Black Widow in stopping the Mandrill and Nekra
's plan to overthrow the American government
.
After this, Shanna travels between San Francisco
and the Savage Land, finally returning to Africa. Only to find Ina and Biri have been killed by a religious cult leader, Raga-Shah. After a short grieving period in America, Shanna tracks and kills Raga-Shah. Around this time, she begins therapy with psychologist
Dr. Dorothy Betz.
Later she moves to the Savage Land, where she and Ka-Zar fall in love, marry, and have a son, Matthew. Shanna and her husband fight to protect the quality of life of all natural habitats
from the encroachments of the modern world.
, with the capability of being close to wild animals. Shanna is adept at hunting and gathering
, healing and tracking
. She is an experienced fighter, familiar with knives, spears, bows and arrows and other primitive forms of weapons. She has Olympic athlete-level strength: naturally excelling at swimming, diving, climbing, leaping, and running with great speed and determination.
version of the character starred in the seven-issue miniseries
Shanna, the She-Devil vol. 2 (April-Oct. 2005), written and drawn by Frank Cho
. This Shanna is the result of a genetic experiment
and she also has superhuman
strength and agility. One member of a scientific expedition that encountered her named her Shanna after the "comic book character".
The series was originally scheduled for release under Marvel's "mature readers" MAX
imprint, but was reworked, with Cho eliminating the nudity
before publication. It ran with a "PSR+" rating through issue #4, and a "Parental Advisory" rating afterward.
A four-issue sequel miniseries, Shanna The She-Devil: Survival of the Fittest (Oct. 2007 - Jan. 2008) by writers Justin Gray
and James Palmiotti and penciler Khari Evans, featured this same alternate version of Shanna. In Secret Invasion
, Earth-616 Shanna was rendered by Leinil Francis Yu very similar to Marvel MAX counterpart.
Ultimate Marvel
imprint
on the final page of Ultimates 3
#3. Flashbacks reveal she, Ka-Zar and Zabu have been friends since childhood.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
jungle adventuress in comic books published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. Created by writer Carole Seuling and penciler George Tuska
George Tuska
George Tuska , who early in his career used a variety of pen names including Carl Larson, was an American comic book and newspaper comic strip artist best known for his 1940s work on various Captain Marvel titles and the crime fiction series Crime Does Not Pay, for and his 1960s work illustrating...
, she made her first appearance
First appearance
In comic books and other stories with a long history, first appearance refers to the first occurrence to feature a fictional character.-Monetary value of first appearance issues:...
in Shanna the She-Devil #1 (Dec. 1972).
Publication history
Shanna the She-Devil was introduced in one of a trio of Marvel Comics aimed at a female audience, alongside Night NurseNight Nurse (comics)
Night Nurse is the name of a Marvel Comics comic-book series published in the early 1970s, as well the nom de guerre of a fictional character, Linda Carter, known for her willingness to help injured superheroes...
and Claws of the Cat
Tigra
Tigra is a fictional American comic book superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. Introduced as the non-superpowered crime fighter The Cat in Claws of the Cat #1 , she was co-created by writer-editor Roy Thomas, writer Linda Fite, and penciller Marie Severin...
. Marvel writer-editor Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
recalled in 2007 that editor-in-chief Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
Seuling in 2010 recalled,"My instructions were to make [Shanna] someone who would fit in with the times and also was prone to a little more violence than Sheena
Sheena
Sheena is an anglicisation of Sine, the Scottish Gaelic form of the name Jane, in turn the feminine form of John.Of Hebrew origin, it means "God is gracious".The name Sheena can refer to:...
or the other jungle queens of the past." With veteran penciler George Tuska
George Tuska
George Tuska , who early in his career used a variety of pen names including Carl Larson, was an American comic book and newspaper comic strip artist best known for his 1940s work on various Captain Marvel titles and the crime fiction series Crime Does Not Pay, for and his 1960s work illustrating...
, she created the lead character and her two leopard companions, as well as game warden
Game warden
A game warden is an employee who has the role of protecting wildlife. Game wardens may also be referred to as conservation officers or wildlife officers...
and potential romantic interest Patrick McShane, loosely based on after actor Patrick McGoohan
Patrick McGoohan
Patrick Joseph McGoohan was an American-born actor, raised in Ireland and England, with an extensive stage and film career, most notably in the 1960s television series Danger Man , and The Prisoner, which he co-created...
's game-warden character in the film Nor the Moon by Night
Nor the Moon by Night
Nor the Moon by Night is a 1958 British drama film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Joan Brickhill, Michael Craig, and Anna Gaylor....
.
The writer Steve Gerber
Steve Gerber
Stephen Ross "Steve" Gerber was an American comic book writer best known as co-creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck....
, in his first assignment for Marvel Comics, supplied additional dialogue for that first issue, as well as the next. Seuling explained,
This initial series ran five issues (Dec. 1972 - Aug. 1973), with Jim Steranko
Jim Steranko
James F. Steranko is an American graphic artist, comic book writer-artist-historian, magician, publisher and film production illustrator....
drawing the covers of #1-2, John Buscema
John Buscema
John Buscema, born Giovanni Natale Buscema , was an American comic-book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate...
and Joe Sinnott
Joe Sinnott
Joe Sinnott is an American comic book artist. Working primarily as an inker, Sinnott is best-known for his long stint on Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four, from 1965 to 1981 , initially over the pencils of industry legend Jack Kirby...
of issue #3, and John Romita Sr. of the final two issues.
The character went on to a series of guest appearances, first in the jungle lord comic Ka-Zar
Ka-Zar
Ka-Zar is the name of two jungle-dwelling comics fictional characters published in the United States. The first appeared in pulp magazines of the 1930s, and was adapted for his second iteration, as a comic book character for Timely Comics, the 1930s and 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics...
#1 (Jan. 1974); then in a storyline running through the superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
comics Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
#109-111 (May–July 1974) and Marvel Two-in-One
Marvel Two-in-One
Marvel Two-In-One was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics that featured the Fantastic Four member, the Thing, in a different team-up each issue with a different character. The series continued from the team-up stories starring the Thing in the final two issues of Marvel...
#3 (May 1974), which supplied additional details about Shanna's past and family, and notes McShane's murder by the supervillainess Nekra
Nekra
Nekra is a fictional mutant supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:Nekra first appeared in Shanna the She-Devil #5 , and was created by Steve Gerber and Ross Andru....
in the interim; in Daredevil #117 (Jan. 1975); and in a Ka-Zar story in the black-and-white, mature-audience comics magazine Savage Tales
Savage Tales
Savage Tales is the title of three American comics series. Two were black-and-white comics-magazine anthologies published by Marvel Comics , and the other a color comic book anthology published by Dynamite Entertainment.-Marvel/Curtis:The first of the two volumes of Savage Tales ran 11 issues, with...
#8 (Jan. 1975).
Shanna then starred in two solo stories in Savage Tales #9-10 (March & May 1975) by writer Carla Conway (assisted by then-husband Gerry Conway
Gerry Conway
Gerard F. "Gerry" Conway is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man...
on the former), with pencil art by, respectively, Tony DeZuniga
Tony DeZuniga
Tony DeZuniga is a Filipino comic-book artist best known for his work for DC Comics, where he co-created the characters Jonah Hex and Black Orchid.-Early life and career:...
and Ross Andru. In the first of these two stories, Shanna's leopards Ina and Biri are killed. Gerry Conway recalled in 2010 that this "was part of the strategy to make her a stronger, fiercer character in the Savage Tales mode. It also raised the stakes for her personally, and by eliminating these 'rivals' for her affections opened her up to a relationship with Ka-Zar", whom she would eventually marry, in Ka-Zar the Savage #29 (Dec. 1983).
In the meantime, Shanna starred in a backup story in The Rampaging Hulk #9 (June 1978), by writer Gerber and artist DeZuniga. She then starred in several eight-page solo stories in the omnibus title Marvel Fanfare
Marvel Fanfare
Marvel Fanfare is the title of two comic book series published by Marvel Comics. Both versions of Marvel Fanfare were anthology, showcase titles featuring a variety of characters from the Marvel universe.-Volume One:...
, beginning with a tale by writer-artist Bruce Jones
Bruce Jones
Ian Roy Jones is an English actor, best known for his role as cab driver Les Battersby-Brown in Coronation Street. He left the role in 2007. His real name is Ian Roy Jones, but he took the name of his father for professional purposes.-Early life:Jones was born to Bruce and Irene Jones in...
in issue #13 (Late Feb. 1989), followed by the 10-part "The Bush of Ghosts", by writer Gerard Jones
Gerard Jones
For the entrepreneur see Gérard Jones.Gerard Jones is an award-winning American author and comic book writer.-Biography:Jones was born in Cut Bank, Montana, and raised in Los Gatos and Gilroy, California...
and penciler Paul Gulacy
Paul Gulacy
Paul Gulacy is an American comic book illustrator best known for his work for DC Comics and Marvel Comics, and for drawing one of the first graphic novels, Eclipse Enterprises' 1978 Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species, with writer Don McGregor.-Early life and career:Paul Gulacy began...
in issues #68-77 (Jan.-Late May 1991).
Dovetailing with the end of that run came four full-length stories begun in 1978, completing plot threads from Shanna's solo story in in The Rampaging Hulk #9. Written by Gerber and penciled by Carmine Infantino
Carmine Infantino
Carmine Infantino Carmine Infantino Carmine Infantino (born May 24, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York is an American comic book artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age of Comic Books...
, Bret Blevins
Bret Blevins
Bret Blevins is an American comic book artist, animation storyboard artist, and painter. He is perhaps best known for his stint as the regular penciler of New Mutants.-Career:...
(two stories, the first credited as "A. Novice") and DeZuniga, these non-chronological, essentially flashback stories ran in Marvel Fanfare
Marvel Fanfare
Marvel Fanfare is the title of two comic book series published by Marvel Comics. Both versions of Marvel Fanfare were anthology, showcase titles featuring a variety of characters from the Marvel universe.-Volume One:...
#56-59 (April-Oct. 1991). The title's editor, Al Milgrom
Al Milgrom
Allen "Al" Milgrom is an American comic book writer, penciller, inker and editor, primarily for Marvel Comics. He is known for his 10-year run as editor of Marvel Fanfare; his long involvement as writer, penciler, and inker on Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man; his four-year tenure as West...
, unearthed the unpublished stories because
Marvel has also published alternate-universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
versions of Shanna, unrelated except for the name.
Fictional character biography
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, she spent the majority of her childhood growing up in the jungle
Jungle
A Jungle is an area of land in the tropics overgrown with dense vegetation.The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which referred to uncultivated land. Although the Sanskrit word refers to "dry land", it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its...
s of Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
. At the age of six, her father went to kill a rogue leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
that belonged to her mother, Patricia O'Hara. While hunting for the leopard, Shanna's father accidentally killed her mother. This traumatic incident led to Shanna's lifelong crusade against the use of firearms. After the incident, Shanna moved back to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to live with relatives. Shanna grows up to become an accomplished Olympic athlete, specializing in competitive swimming and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. She then became a licensed veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
.
After completing college, Shanna began to work for the Central Park Municipal Zoo
Central Park Zoo
The Central Park Zoo is a small zoo located in Central Park in New York City. It is part of an integrated system of four zoos and the New York Aquarium managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society , and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums .The zoo began in the 1860s as a...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as a zoologist
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
. While working at the zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
, Shanna raised many animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s, including a female leopard named Julani. During this period another shock to her system came when Julani was shot and killed by a zoo guard. The following day, the zoo director proposes Shanna take Julani's cubs, Ina and Biri — Yoruba
Yoruba language
Yorùbá is a Niger–Congo language spoken in West Africa by approximately 20 million speakers. The native tongue of the Yoruba people, it is spoken, among other languages, in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo and in communities in other parts of Africa, Europe and the Americas...
names meaning "bright" and "black", respectively — to the Dahomey
Dahomey
Dahomey was a country in west Africa in what is now the Republic of Benin. The Kingdom of Dahomey was a powerful west African state that was founded in the seventeenth century and survived until 1894. From 1894 until 1960 Dahomey was a part of French West Africa. The independent Republic of Dahomey...
Reserve in Africa.
While in Africa, Shanna becomes more attuned to nature, patrolling the jungle and living freely in the wild lands. She begins to wear Julani's fur pelt as a sight-and-sense cue to help with the raising of the cubs. In the jungle, Shanna becomes more and more at home with herself and her new native element, all the while protecting the reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
from poachers
Poaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
as Shanna the She-Devil.
During her stay in Africa, her father is kidnapped
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
by the Mandrill
Mandrill (comics)
Mandrill is a fictional character, a mutant supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. His first appearance was in Shanna the She-Devil #4. He was created by writer Carole Seuling and artist Ross Andru...
. Shanna searches for him until the wizard Malgato kidnaps
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
her to Antarctica's Savage Land
Savage Land
The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10...
, a prehistoric jungle. She escapes with the help of Lord Kevin Plunder, a.k.a. the jungle lord Ka-Zar
Ka-Zar
Ka-Zar is the name of two jungle-dwelling comics fictional characters published in the United States. The first appeared in pulp magazines of the 1930s, and was adapted for his second iteration, as a comic book character for Timely Comics, the 1930s and 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics...
. Shanna returns to Africa to look for her father, and learns he was killed by the Mandrill. Seeking revenge, she goes to America to aid Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
and Black Widow in stopping the Mandrill and Nekra
Nekra
Nekra is a fictional mutant supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:Nekra first appeared in Shanna the She-Devil #5 , and was created by Steve Gerber and Ross Andru....
's plan to overthrow the American government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
.
After this, Shanna travels between San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
and the Savage Land, finally returning to Africa. Only to find Ina and Biri have been killed by a religious cult leader, Raga-Shah. After a short grieving period in America, Shanna tracks and kills Raga-Shah. Around this time, she begins therapy with psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
Dr. Dorothy Betz.
Later she moves to the Savage Land, where she and Ka-Zar fall in love, marry, and have a son, Matthew. Shanna and her husband fight to protect the quality of life of all natural habitats
Habitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
from the encroachments of the modern world.
Powers and abilities
Shanna is gifted with Olympic-class athleticism along with extraordinary agility. She is a well-trained veterinarianVeterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
, with the capability of being close to wild animals. Shanna is adept at hunting and gathering
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
, healing and tracking
Tracking (hunting)
Tracking in hunting and ecology is the science and art of observing animal tracks and other signs, with the goal of gaining understanding of the landscape and the animal being tracked...
. She is an experienced fighter, familiar with knives, spears, bows and arrows and other primitive forms of weapons. She has Olympic athlete-level strength: naturally excelling at swimming, diving, climbing, leaping, and running with great speed and determination.
Other versions
A blond, alternate-universeParallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
version of the character starred in the seven-issue miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Shanna, the She-Devil vol. 2 (April-Oct. 2005), written and drawn by Frank Cho
Frank Cho
Frank Cho, born Duk Hyun Cho, is a Korean-American comic strip and comic book writer and illustrator, known for his series Liberty Meadows, as well as for books such as Shanna the She-Devil, Mighty Avengers and Hulk for Marvel Comics, and Jungle Girl for Dynamite Entertainment...
. This Shanna is the result of a genetic experiment
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
and she also has superhuman
Superhuman
Superhuman can mean an improved human, for example, by genetic modification, cybernetic implants, or as what humans might evolve into, in the near or distant future...
strength and agility. One member of a scientific expedition that encountered her named her Shanna after the "comic book character".
The series was originally scheduled for release under Marvel's "mature readers" MAX
MAX (comics)
MAX is an imprint of Marvel Comics aimed at a niche 'adults only' audience, launched in 2001 after Marvel broke with the Comics Code Authority and established its own rating system...
imprint, but was reworked, with Cho eliminating the nudity
Nudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
before publication. It ran with a "PSR+" rating through issue #4, and a "Parental Advisory" rating afterward.
A four-issue sequel miniseries, Shanna The She-Devil: Survival of the Fittest (Oct. 2007 - Jan. 2008) by writers Justin Gray
Justin Gray
Justin Gray is an American comic book writer published by DC Comics.-Biography:Gray has often collaborated with fellow writer Jimmy Palmiotti on series such as Hawkman, Jonah Hex, Power Girl, 21 Down, Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters and The Resistance...
and James Palmiotti and penciler Khari Evans, featured this same alternate version of Shanna. In Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
, Earth-616 Shanna was rendered by Leinil Francis Yu very similar to Marvel MAX counterpart.
Ultimate Shanna
Shanna and Ka-Zar first appear in the alternate-universeParallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
on the final page of Ultimates 3
Ultimates
The Ultimates is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch, and first appeared in The Ultimates #1 , as part of the company's Ultimate Marvel imprint...
#3. Flashbacks reveal she, Ka-Zar and Zabu have been friends since childhood.
Television
- Shanna the She-Devil appeared in the Spider-Man and His Amazing FriendsSpider-Man and His Amazing FriendsSpider-Man and His Amazing Friends is an animated series produced by Marvel Productions starring established Marvel Comics characters Spider-Man and Iceman and an original character, Firestar...
episode "7 Little Superheroes", voiced by Janet WaldoJanet WaldoJanet Waldo is an American actress and voice artist with a career encompassing radio, television, animation and live-action films. She is best known in animation for voicing Judy Jetson, Penelope Pitstop and Josie McCoy in Josie and the Pussycats...
. She alongside Spider-Man, Iceman, Firestar, Captain America, Namor, and Doctor Strange are invited to Wolf Island where Chameleon ends up hunting them.
- Shanna the She-Devil appears in the X-MenX-Men (TV series)X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
TV series, voiced by Tracey MooreTracey MooreTracey Ann Moore in Calgary, Alberta) is a Canadian animated voice actress. She was the voice of Princess Toadstool in the two North American cartoon television series, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World...
. She is seen as Ka-Zar's wife and was first seen being chased by and later hypnotized by SauronSauron (comics)Sauron is a comic book character, a supervillain in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. An enemy of the X-Men, the character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Neal Adams. He first fully appeared as Sauron in X-Men #60 ....
. She later on as one of the prisoners of Mister SinisterMister SinisterMister Sinister is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #221 and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Marc Silvestri....
. Shanna is present as Ka-Zar welcomes Karl Lykos into his tribe following Garokk's defeat.
Video games
- Shanna the She-Devil appeared in X-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypseX-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypseX-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse is an action role-playing game released in 2005 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, N-Gage, PlayStation Portable, and GameCube video game consoles as well as the PC...
voiced by Masasa MoyoMasasa MoyoMasasa Moyo is a Canadian actress and voice actress mostly known for her voice over roles.-Biography:Masasa was born in Canada to a Zimbabwean Father and an American Irish/German Mother. Even though she aspired to become an actress since childhood, she only began acting in college doing local...
. She and Ka-Zar are seen in Magneto's base in Avalon during the X-Men and Brotherhood of Mutants' mission in the Savage Land. - In Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two WorldsMarvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worldsis a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom. It features Capcom's own characters and characters from American comic book company Marvel Comics. It is the fifth installment of the Marvel vs...
, Shanna (along with Ka-ZarKa-ZarKa-Zar is the name of two jungle-dwelling comics fictional characters published in the United States. The first appeared in pulp magazines of the 1930s, and was adapted for his second iteration, as a comic book character for Timely Comics, the 1930s and 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics...
and ZabuZabuZabu is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe, a superhero who is connected primarily to the Savage Land, and the X-Men, and most recently the Avengers . He first appeared in X-Men #10 . He is the last known living Smilodon and is a companion and ally of Ka-Zar.-Fictional character...
), make a cameo in AmaterasuAmaterasu, or is apart of the Japanese myth cycle and also a major deity of the Shinto religion. She is the goddess of the sun, but also of the universe. the name Amaterasu derived from Amateru meaning "shining in heaven." The meaning of her whole name, Amaterasu-ōmikami, is "the great August kami who...
's ending. In it, Amaterasu and her Celestial Envoy Issun find themselves in the Savage LandSavage LandThe Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10...
, and team up with the trio to fend off a wild Tyrannosaurus.
External links
- Shanna the She-Devil at Marvel.com