Shim'Tar
Encyclopedia
Shim'Tar is a fictional character
owned by DC Comics
and was created by writer George Pérez
. According to the Wonder Woman
comic book, the name Shim'Tar can also be a title given to the chief warrior of the fictional Bana-Mighdall tribe of Amazons
.
. This is similar to how the title of Wonder Woman
is classified as the chief warrior of the Themyscirian
tribe of Amazons. The title of Shim'Tar is presently chosen through the Tournament of the Crown, a rite of combat.
was stolen by her enemy The Cheetah
. The chase led them both to Egypt
. There, Diana found a lost tribe of Amazons in the city of Bana-Mighdall. These Amazons, she discovered, were apparently descendants to her aunt Antiope. A dissident of that tribe named Faruka plotted to become that tribe's queen. She chose a powerful unnamed Amazon to act as her enforcer. Calling herself Shim'Tar, this warrior had cybernetic implants that not only greatly enhanced her strength, but also provided her with laser capabilities and durability. After killing the desert Amazon tribe's regent queen, Shim'Tar battled Diana at Faruka's request. Diana barely managed to defeat her after being severely battered. She discovered that the Shim'Tar warrior gained the majority of her enormous power by wearing the Golden Girdle of Gaea
. This Shim'Tar seemingly died when the Amazon city was attacked by the Egyptian military and Olympian god Hermes
, causing a massive explosion. This first Shim'Tar's true identity remains a mystery to this day.
The writer who conceived the Shim'Tar character (George Pérez
) seems to have created the character as a Post-Crisis
version, or alternate reality
version, of an already existing Wonder Woman villain named Doctor Cyber
. This is verified by her position in a poster he created called the Wonder Woman Through the Ages Poster. Shim'Tar is placed right above the Pre-Crisis version of Doctor Cyber, maintaining a variant character pattern that is visible between other Wonder Woman villains.
Additionally, Shim'tar's upbringing and heritage as a champion within a city protected by a mystical barrier (a tornadic magical sandstorm), her mysterious connection to Hipoltya and Wonder Woman, due to her curly hair, skin colour (until then, Shim'tar was the only Bana mighdalian possessing white skin which resembles a reversal of Nu'bia's background that made her the black sister of Wonder Woman and the only Pre-Crisis amazon with black skin ) and masked appearance, seem to be references to another character of Pre-Crisis continuity, Nu'Bia
, that also made her debut using an armour with a concealing helm similar to Cyber's later visual in the Eighties.
In Pre-Crisis continuity, Nu'Bia was kidnapped by Mars, taken to an island concealed within a mystical fog and brainwashed through the use of a magical ring given by the War God, a fact that is mirrored by the possession of Post Crisis Hipolyta by the magical metallic patina.
storyline, the witch Circe
put a spell on Queen Hippolyta and dressed her in the armor of the first Shim'Tar. The Shim'Tar armour was magically placed as a nanotech metallic patina in a goblet. When Queen Hippolyta drank from it, the armour possessed her. Under Circe's spell, Hippolyta and her daughter Diana fought. Not knowing that her own mother was hidden under the armour's mask, Diana fought back, each trying to kill one another. The spell eventually wore off allowing Hippolyta to come to her senses. It was because of this event that Hippolyta developed an initial hatred for the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall as they aided Circe in her plans.
in Man's World in order to further her education. During her schooling she had become an engineer and so, she redesigned her armor using a combination of technology and magic. When the gorilla Queen Abu-Gita and her hordes tried to invade Paradise Island, Akila helped Diana and Artemis
defeat their attack.
Due to civil unrest between the two tribes residing on Themyscira, the Themyscirian Amazons and Amazons of Bana-Mighdall declared war upon each other. During this battle the still young Akila was unable to defend either tribe due to her inexperience and blatant uninterest in becoming a warrior. She was hurt during battle and agreed to hand over the title and armor of "Shim'Tar" to Artemis. Artemis acted as her tribe's Shim'Tar until Queen Hippolyta abolished the Amazon's Monarchy rule, after which Artemis set her position as Shim'Tar aside to become the Amazon nation's co-ruler beside the Amazon General Philippus
.
To date, the title of Shim'Tar remains empty.
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...
owned by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
and was created by writer George Pérez
George Pérez
George Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...
. According to the Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
comic book, the name Shim'Tar can also be a title given to the chief warrior of the fictional Bana-Mighdall tribe of Amazons
Amazons
The Amazons are a nation of all-female warriors in Greek mythology and Classical antiquity. Herodotus placed them in a region bordering Scythia in Sarmatia...
.
Fictional character biography
Rather than a single person, Shim'Tar is an interchangeable title for the chief warrior of the Bana-Mighdall AmazonsAmazons
The Amazons are a nation of all-female warriors in Greek mythology and Classical antiquity. Herodotus placed them in a region bordering Scythia in Sarmatia...
. This is similar to how the title of Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
is classified as the chief warrior of the Themyscirian
Themyscira
Themyscira is a fictional island nation in the DC Comics universe that is the place of origin of Wonder Woman and her sister Amazons. Known as Paradise Island since Wonder Woman and the island's first appearance in All Star Comics #8 , it was renamed "Themyscira" with the character's February...
tribe of Amazons. The title of Shim'Tar is presently chosen through the Tournament of the Crown, a rite of combat.
Original Shim'Tar
Wonder Woman's initial contact with the first Shim'tar occurred when her Lasso of TruthLasso of Truth
The Lasso of Truth is a fictional weapon wielded by DC Comics superheroine Wonder Woman, Princess Diana of Themyscira. It is usually referred to as the Magic Lasso or Golden Lasso and forces anyone it captures to obey and tell the truth....
was stolen by her enemy The Cheetah
Cheetah (comics)
The Cheetah is a fictional character, a super-villainess appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Popularly regarded as the archenemy of Wonder Woman, the Cheetah first appeared in 1943 in Wonder Woman #6 , written by Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston...
. The chase led them both to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. There, Diana found a lost tribe of Amazons in the city of Bana-Mighdall. These Amazons, she discovered, were apparently descendants to her aunt Antiope. A dissident of that tribe named Faruka plotted to become that tribe's queen. She chose a powerful unnamed Amazon to act as her enforcer. Calling herself Shim'Tar, this warrior had cybernetic implants that not only greatly enhanced her strength, but also provided her with laser capabilities and durability. After killing the desert Amazon tribe's regent queen, Shim'Tar battled Diana at Faruka's request. Diana barely managed to defeat her after being severely battered. She discovered that the Shim'Tar warrior gained the majority of her enormous power by wearing the Golden Girdle of Gaea
Golden Girdle of Gaea
The Golden Girdle of Gaea is a fictional object depicted in the DC Comics book Wonder Woman. It is based on the mythological girdle stolen by Heracles as part of his Twelve Labors.-Comic book history:...
. This Shim'Tar seemingly died when the Amazon city was attacked by the Egyptian military and Olympian god Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
, causing a massive explosion. This first Shim'Tar's true identity remains a mystery to this day.
The writer who conceived the Shim'Tar character (George Pérez
George Pérez
George Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...
) seems to have created the character as a Post-Crisis
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
version, or alternate reality
Alternative universe (fan fiction)
An alternative universe , commonly abbreviated as AU, is a type or form of in which canonical facts of setting or characterization in the universe being explored or written about are deliberately changed.Stories that fall into this definition are usually what-ifs, where possibilities arising from...
version, of an already existing Wonder Woman villain named Doctor Cyber
Doctor Cyber
Doctor Cyber is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. The character is a supervillain who fought Wonder Woman several times in stories taking place before the Crisis on Infinite Earths...
. This is verified by her position in a poster he created called the Wonder Woman Through the Ages Poster. Shim'Tar is placed right above the Pre-Crisis version of Doctor Cyber, maintaining a variant character pattern that is visible between other Wonder Woman villains.
Additionally, Shim'tar's upbringing and heritage as a champion within a city protected by a mystical barrier (a tornadic magical sandstorm), her mysterious connection to Hipoltya and Wonder Woman, due to her curly hair, skin colour (until then, Shim'tar was the only Bana mighdalian possessing white skin which resembles a reversal of Nu'bia's background that made her the black sister of Wonder Woman and the only Pre-Crisis amazon with black skin ) and masked appearance, seem to be references to another character of Pre-Crisis continuity, Nu'Bia
Nu'Bia
Nubia is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. The original Nubia was created by Robert Kanigher and Don Heck, she debuted in Wonder Woman #204, . The modern character named Nu'Bia was created by Doselle Young and Brian Denham, she debuted in Wonder Woman Annual...
, that also made her debut using an armour with a concealing helm similar to Cyber's later visual in the Eighties.
In Pre-Crisis continuity, Nu'Bia was kidnapped by Mars, taken to an island concealed within a mystical fog and brainwashed through the use of a magical ring given by the War God, a fact that is mirrored by the possession of Post Crisis Hipolyta by the magical metallic patina.
Queen Hippolyta
During the War of the GodsWar of the Gods (comics)
War of the Gods was an American four-issue comic book mini-series published by DC Comics in 1991.Primarily centered on the character Wonder Woman, this storyline was intended to celebrate the character's 50th anniversary. It was written and drawn by George Pérez, who would leave the Wonder Woman...
storyline, the witch Circe
Circe (comics)
Circe is a fictional character, a villainous sorceress and a major adversary of Wonder Woman appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Based upon the Greek mythological character of the same name who imprisoned Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey, the comic book incarnation of Circe first...
put a spell on Queen Hippolyta and dressed her in the armor of the first Shim'Tar. The Shim'Tar armour was magically placed as a nanotech metallic patina in a goblet. When Queen Hippolyta drank from it, the armour possessed her. Under Circe's spell, Hippolyta and her daughter Diana fought. Not knowing that her own mother was hidden under the armour's mask, Diana fought back, each trying to kill one another. The spell eventually wore off allowing Hippolyta to come to her senses. It was because of this event that Hippolyta developed an initial hatred for the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall as they aided Circe in her plans.
Akila and Artemis
Eventually a young amazon named Akila assumed the role of the new Shim'Tar. As opposed to the previous Shim'Tars, the title had become adopted by the Bana-Mighdallian Amazons as the station of "protector" within their tribe. Akila proved to be an asset to both the Bana tribe as well as to Wonder Woman and her tribe of Amazons. Akila was specially chosen by Queen Hippolyta to act as the Bana tribe's representative. Hippolyta provided Akila the means to attend the University of OxfordUniversity of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
in Man's World in order to further her education. During her schooling she had become an engineer and so, she redesigned her armor using a combination of technology and magic. When the gorilla Queen Abu-Gita and her hordes tried to invade Paradise Island, Akila helped Diana and Artemis
Artemis of Bana-Mighdall
Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is a fictional Amazon superheroine, a comic book character published by DC Comics. She debuted in Wonder Woman Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is a fictional Amazon superheroine, a comic book character published by DC Comics. She debuted in Wonder Woman Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is...
defeat their attack.
Due to civil unrest between the two tribes residing on Themyscira, the Themyscirian Amazons and Amazons of Bana-Mighdall declared war upon each other. During this battle the still young Akila was unable to defend either tribe due to her inexperience and blatant uninterest in becoming a warrior. She was hurt during battle and agreed to hand over the title and armor of "Shim'Tar" to Artemis. Artemis acted as her tribe's Shim'Tar until Queen Hippolyta abolished the Amazon's Monarchy rule, after which Artemis set her position as Shim'Tar aside to become the Amazon nation's co-ruler beside the Amazon General Philippus
Philippus
Philippus is a fictional character owned by DC Comics. She made her first appearance in February 1987 as an Amazon character in the Wonder Woman comic book...
.
To date, the title of Shim'Tar remains empty.