Cheetah has long reigned asWonder Woman’smost iconic villain, a status I initially and solely attributed to Barbara Minerva’s long-standing role as a foe in comics. However, the reveal of Cheetah’s terrifying post-apocalyptic form has made me realize what truly defines their rivalry. They embody the classic god vs. monster trope, capturing the essence of their dynamic in a way that makes them perfect rivals.
Wonder Woman: Dead Earth#1by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer opens with Diana awakening from a centuries-long sleep, only to discover that her friends are long gone and Earth has become a wasteland. With her recent memories missing, Wonder Woman joins a group of human survivors, determined to uncover the mystery behind Earth’s destruction and protect the rapidly dwindling human population.
However, the humans she teams up with soon betray and imprison her, forcing her to fight for their entertainment in an arena.Diana’s opponent turns out to be a familiar yet dramatically transformed figure—a mutated Barbara “Cheetah” Minerva.
Cheetah’s Post-Apocalyptic Mutations Reveal Her Ultimate Form as She Battles Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman: Dead Earth#1 replacesBarbara’s once lithe feline form with a hulking, mutated body.Notably, her right hand has become a fully functional and deadly Cheetah head. Towering over Wonder Woman, this version of Cheetah also has a horrifying mutation on the right side of her face—a gaping orifice filled with teeth and fangs. This drastic physical change is implied to result from the nuclear fallout from the bombs humans dropped in their failedattempt to eradicate the Amazons.
In addition to the shock factor of Cheetah’s mutated form, it also made me realize thatDiana and Barbara embody the classic Greek god vs. monster dynamic. Wonder Woman represents the heroic warrior archetype, while Cheetah is the monstrous beast. Although this dynamic has always existed between them, Cheetah’sDead Earthdesign exaggerates her monstrous qualities to such a degree that it crystalizes their rivalry. Their stark contrast as polar opposites on this trope shows why they work so well as rivals. Moreover, their complex and emotional bond, rooted in their past friendship, further deepens this god vs. monster dynamic.
Panels Come FromWonder Woman#10 (2024) by Tom King
Adding to their god vs. monster dynamic and the complexity of their relationship, Wonder Woman and Cheetah are exceptionally well-suited for each other due to a concept introduced in Tom King’s ongoingWonder Womanrun:“…if there is a Wonder Woman,there must also be a Cheetah.”This idea suggests a cosmic bond between the two women, a profound and powerful notion that is subtly supported by the narrative ofDead Earth. As noted earlier, while all of Diana’s friends and family have perished during her centuries-long slumber, Barbara is the one who remains. This reinforces the notion that if there is aWonder Woman, there must also be aCheetah.
Wonder Woman: Dead Earth #1is available now from DC Comics!
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is the superhero identity of Diana, Princess of the Amazons. Created on the island of Themyscira, Wonder Woman is a super-powered demi-goddess with extreme physical strength who utilizes magical gifts (like her famous Lasso of Truth) to defeat her foes. As mighty as her fellow heroes Superman and the Justice League, Wonder Woman is unmatched in her compassion and virtue.
