With Wonder Woman 1984 getting a theatrical as well as a streaming release after numerous delays, it means that a lot more people have access to watch the movie than they would have before. Comic book and movie fans alike are getting a taste of DC villains Maxwell Lord and Barbara Minerva as they interact with the titular hero for the first time on the big screen.
Barbara Minerva, also known as Cheetah in the comics, might but Kristen Wiig certainly does the role justice. The character isn't exactly the same on the screen as she is on the page, but the movie certainly borrowed plenty from the comics to aid in Wiig's performance.
Is Barbara Minerva The First Cheetah?
Barbara might be the best-known Cheetah these days, but she's not the first. Cheetah is a legacy character in DC Comics. Three villains have used the name other than Barbara.
The first is Priscilla Rich. Priscilla debuted in the original Wonder Woman comic and was a socialite who hated the superhero. She saw Wonder Woman as a challenger to her fame and fortune, and every time her ego was bruised, she set out with a new plan to get rid of the other woman.
When Did Cheetah Make Her First Appearance?
Priscilla's first appearance comes early in the Wonder Woman comic. She debuts in only the sixth issue, created by William Moulton Marston and Harry G. Peter. That was in 1943 as Priscilla uses a Cheetah suit to hide her identity during criminal activity.
When Priscilla tries to frame Wonder Woman for the theft of funds from one of the committees she belongs to, Wonder Woman takes the blame, but only comes out more respected. Priscilla descends further into her Cheetah personality as a result. Priscilla's niece eventually takes up the mantle of Cheetah as well.
When Did The Original Cheetah Vanish?
Though Arrowverse fans will know Crisis On Infinite Earths as a major TV crossover event, comic book fans saw the original story play out on the page in 1985. Because the colliding worlds eliminated some timelines (and universes) altogether, it changed the landscape of DC Comics.
It's during that event series that the original Cheetah disappears completely from the timeline, effectively only existing on an alternate Earth.
When Did Barbara Minerva Make Her First Appearance?
Originally, Barbara is known by her full name in comics - Barbara Ann Minerva - before eventually dropping her middle name altogether. Though her predecessor as Cheetah ends their time on the page in 1985, Barbara doesn't make her first comic appearance in 1987.
Her first issue comes in the second volume of Wonder Woman, issue seven, and she only makes a brief appearance. As Wonder Woman gets a lot of publicity, archaeologist Barbara becomes fascinated with her lasso of truth. Created by Len Wein and George Perez, Cheetah wouldn't actually make her appearance for two more issues.
How Does Barbara Become Cheetah?
Just how Barbara transforms depends on the continuity. While Wonder Woman 1984 sees her transformation as a result of wish fulfillment, that's not the case in the comics. In the 1987 continuity or the New Earth version of Barbara, her transformation is the result of her and her team of archaeologists interrupting a ritual sacrifice to a cheetah god that grants the recipient immense power.
Barbara, trapped in a cave with the man performing the ritual, demands that she be the recipient of the power. In the more modern take on her character, the Prime Earth version of Barbara, the plant god Urzkartaga made her his wife and transformed her while Wonder Woman couldn't save her.
How Many Languages Does She Speak?
Though the movie throws in a lot of nods to the comics and plenty of Easter eggs, it doesn't entirely show the audience Barbara's gift for languages. Wonder Woman 1984 does demonstrate that Barbara is incredibly smart, but she's also got a knack for picking up and teaching herself new languages.
In the current comic book continuity, Barbara is fluent in at least eight languages - including English and Greek, which probably makes conversing with Wonder Woman pretty interesting. She's also got conversational skills in at least seven more languages, though they aren't all named in the comics.
What Subjects Are Her Specialty?
Though Cheetah is known primarily for her antagonistic relationship with Wonder Woman, there's a lot of intelligence under her animal instincts. In addition to a gift for languages, Barbara is a renowned scholar in a lot of areas.
The original Barbara Ann Minerva is an archaeologist. That's also true of the modern-day Barbara, who is especially fascinated by the legend of the Amazons and Greek history in particular. The movie gives a nod to her being a history buff, but it also sees her specialize in geology and gemology.
Is Cheetah The Fastest Woman In DC Comics?
It's not often that there's an official ranking of the speedsters in DC Comics, but DC Nation attempted to get one in 2018. Surprisingly, of all the super-fast characters that the comic book company has in play, Cheetah did make it onto the list.
DC Nation asked comic book writer Josh Williamson to rank a list of the fastest characters in DC Comics. If racing, who would come out on top? While plenty of Flash-related characters make the list, Cheetah ranks surprisingly high. At number six on the list, she's the highest-ranked female character - and just above Wonder Woman.
How Long Did Kristen Wiig Train To Become Cheetah?
Barbara's transformation in Wonder Woman 1984 isn't instantaneous. She gradually becomes stronger, faster, and more animal-like as the movie continues. That process mirrors Kristen Wiig's real-life process for her performance in the role.
In an interview with USA Today, Wiig revealed that she started her physical training two months before the movie actually began filming. She also maintained her training during the entire eight-month shoot, actually getting stronger while filming the movie. She explains, "I was feeling different as Barbara was feeling different, which was kind of a cool thing that I wasn't expecting."
Has Cheetah Appeared In Live-Action Before?
Most of Cheetah's appearances outside of the comics have occurred in animation. In fact, the Priscilla Rich version of Cheetah appears in the '70s era animated series Super Friends as Cheetah's first time on screen.
The Arrowverse came close to giving Cheetah her first live action appearance, but she only made it to the screen in a nod with her name assigned to a cell for Task Force X at ARGUS in an episode of The Flash. That makes Wiig's version of Cheetah the first in live-action.
