Summary
A DC Black Label series throwsWonder Womanand Cheetah into a post-apocalyptic clash that highlights their status as DC’s top rivals, bringing a level of emotional depth rarely seen in other hero-villain dynamics. This depth isn’t confined to the series alone; it reverberates through mainstream continuity as well. It is this consistent emotional resonance across different titles that truly distinguishes the Wonder Woman and Cheetah rivalry.
Wonder Woman and Cheetah’s relationship is defined as much by their rivalry as by their friendship.
Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer’sWonder Woman: Dead Earth#1 opens with Diana awakening from a centuries-long sleep to find her friends gone and Earth reduced to a wasteland. With her most recent memories missing, she joins a group of human survivors, determined to uncover the mystery behind Earth’s destruction and protect those she can.
However, upon returning to the humans' base, she is betrayed, imprisoned, and forced to fight in an arena for their entertainment.Her opponent is a familiar yet dramatically altered foe—a mutated Cheetah.
Cheetah Debuts Her Mutated Form in Post-Apocalyptic Battle Against Wonder Woman
It’s important to remember that hundreds of years have passed since Diana and Barbara last saw each other. In that time, Barbara has been mutated by nuclear fallout, captured, tortured, and forced to fight by humans.When Cheetah is first set loose, she attacks Wonder Woman without realizing who she’s attacking.Not wanting to harm her former friend, Diana fights defensively, trying to reach Barbara and make her recognize who she is. Eventually, Cheetah does recognize Wonder Woman, and it’s clear that despite their antagonistic history, she doesn’t want to fight the Amazon.
Barbara, despite her deep reluctance to fight Diana, reveals that she has no choice; if she doesn’t comply, the humans will punish her brutally. With a trembling, heartfelt“I’m sorry,”she resumes her attack on Wonder Woman.This heartbreaking moment highlights the profound trauma and relentless cruelty Barbara has endured during her captivity.The emotional weight of the scene is further intensified by the grotesque physical transformation she’s undergone due to the nuclear fallout, which has twisted her once sleek and agile feline form into a hulking, monstrous figure with terrifying animalistic mutations.
My Stomach Seriously Went Sour When I Saw Wonder Woman’s Mother’s Horrifying Villain Transformation
Wonder Woman’s mother undergoes a villainous transformation so shockingly grotesque and graphic that I’m surprised it was approved for publication.
Wonder Woman & Cheetah Are DC’s Best Rivals Because of Their Emotional Connection
Diana’s Genuine Love For Barbara Makes Their Rivalry Exceptionally Unique in the DCU
Wonder Woman and Cheetah’s battleis abruptly halted by a horde of attacking mutants, forcing Diana to shift her focus to saving the humans while Barbara seizes the opportunity to turn on her captor. Diana manages to fend off the mutants and prevent Cheetah from mauling her captor, leading to a deeply emotional moment between the two women.As Diana restrains a livid and traumatized Barbara, Cheetah pleads with her, screaming,“You don’t know what he did to me!”Despite Barbara’s anguish, Wonder Woman responds with sympathy but remains resolute in showing their captors“grace,”which leads to Barbara breaking down in tears in Diana’s arms.
Despite being rivals, this moment between the two women lets their previous canon friendship shine through. Both women stay true to their core values—Diana upholding her ideals and Barbara demanding retribution for the wrongs she’s endured. Yet, they manage to set aside their differences and antagonistic history, finding comfort in each other’s arms. This profound emotional connection adds a unique depth to their rivalry. Tragically, despite this connection, it’s never enough for them to fully reconcile,leaving them trapped in an endless cycle of Wonder Woman offering an olive branch and Cheetah feeling compelled to reject it.
Barbara Minerva Has Proven She Wil Save Diana Prince Time and Time Again
Wonder Woman and Cheetah’s relationship is defined as much by their rivalry as by their friendship, with the latter arguably having an even greater impact. While Wonder Woman often takes the lead in trying to mend the rift between them, there have been numerous occasions in their long history whereCheetah has come to Diana’s aid when she needed it most.A prime example is inWonder Woman: Dead Earth#2, when Diana is on the brink of being slaughtered by her mutated, monstrous mother and Amazon sisters, only forCheetah to swoop in on Pegasusand save her from her fate.
Cheetah’s act of saving Wonder Woman extends beyond justWonder Woman: Dead Earth; it also appears in recent mainstream continuity, as seen in Tom King’sWonder Woman#10. In this issue, a villain attempts to use Cheetah to break Wonder Woman, but the story takes a dramatic turn whenBarbara not only spares Diana but also offers her comfort during a moment of vulnerability.As Diana allows herself to cry after trying to be strong for so long, Cheetah is there to support her. Thus, despite their numerous battles, Barbara consistently shows up for Diana in her greatest moments of need.
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“…If There Is a Wonder Woman, There Must Also Be a Cheetah.” - The Sovereign inWonder Woman#10
In addition to revitalizing Diana and Barbara’s friendship, King’sWonder Woman#10 introduces a thought-provoking twist by having the Sovereign declare that,“…if there is a Wonder Woman, there must also be a Cheetah.”This assertion is strikingly profound, suggesting a cosmic bond between Diana and Barbara, implying that their existences are intertwined and mutually dependent. This idea is inadvertently supported byWonder Woman: Dead Earth, where, despite the passage of centuries and the loss of all of Diana’s friends and family, Barbara endures. This persistent presence underscores the notion thatWonder Woman and Cheetah are eternally linked, their fates forever entwined.
With the combination of King’s run andDead Earth, it’s evident that Cheetah and Wonder Woman are destined to be intertwined. This cosmic connection adds remarkable complexity to their relationship, infusing their dynamic and rivalry with profound depth. While some argue that Joker and Batman are fated for their perpetual clash, the distinction with Diana and Barbara is that their rivalry is rooted in genuine love for one another. This deep-seated affection is what makesWonder WomanandCheetah’srivalry truly exceptional, positioning them as DC’s ultimate adversaries.
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.
