Zatanna Zatara is a fictional superheroine created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson. The character first appeared in the comic series Hawkman issue #4 published under DC Comics in November 1964.
Zatanna has several powers similar to her witch mother, Sindella Zatara, whose powers are usually regulated by speaking magical incantations. Zatanna is also known for her role related to the Justice League, as a childhood friend of Batman and as a romantic partner of John Constantine. In addition, during the last three seasons of Smallville, Zatanna made her first live-action appearance portrayed by Serinda Swan.
Zatanna Zatara Comic Series Journey
In the year 1964, Zatanna debuted as the titular character of a story called ‘The Girl Who Split in Two’ in Hawkman volume 1, issue #4. During the series, Zatanna was looking for her lost father, Giovanni Zatara, the famous magician. Zatanna also had guest appearances in other comic series as heroes like Batman and Robin, the Green Lantern, the Atom, and the Elongated Man took part in her search. Eventually, in the 1967 Justice League of America, Volume 1, issue #51, Zatanna reunited with her father. Subsequently, Zatanna continued to regularly appear with JLA afterward, although she was not an actual member of the League until more than ten years later. In favor of black tights, a long ponytail, and a red cape, Zatanna left her magician’s coattails, hat, and fishnets. Her new look was not that very popular with fans. However, this was Zatanna’s costume when she was eventually chosen to be an official JLA member in the series ‘Justice League of America’ Volume 1, issue #161 released in 1978.
Her appearance in the JLA comic series served as Zatanna’s re-introduction after having only one story arc among the one hundred and ten JLA comic released. Along with her re-appearance, Zatanna was featured more prominently and more often after becoming a member of the JLA. During the series, the answer regarding her mother’s disappearance was soon announced. Zatanna also learned that her mother was a member of the Homo Magic race in Northern Turkey. However, in the subsequent series, Zatanna’s power level soon declined, to the point that her magic gave her limited control over four elements of the earth. As well as that, she also changed her costume into a black and blue outfit and white cape. In World’s Finest Comics issue #277 released in 1982, Zatanna finally restored his full magical power. At that time, she also became the chairperson of the Justice League of America.
In the New 52 reboot in September 2011, Zatanna has been one of the main characters in the series of Justice League Dark created by Peter Milligan. In this series, Zatanna sports a new costume but also wears her traditional magician outfit during her magic shows. Also, in the first series, the Justice League’s defeat against the Enchantress prompted her to join the League. In 2012, a graphic novel ‘Bloodspell’ by Paul Dini and illustrated by Joe Quinones, was supposed to be released, but it was delayed and was published in May 2014 instead. This graphic novel features the sixteen-year-old superheroine, Black Canary’s first meeting with Zatanna.
Zatanna Zatara’s Comic Biography
Zatanna is the daughter of a magician John Zatara and Sindella, a member of a sorcerer’s tribe called the Homo Magi (Hidden Ones). Being born to both magicians and witch, Zatanna had inherited her parent’s abilities related to magic. Upon Sindella’s fake death, she left Zatanna in John’s care to return to the Hidden Ones’ sanctum in Turkey. Since then, John Zatara, together with her daughter, traveled the world, while he also taught her how to control her magical abilities. However, Zatanna was subsequently brought up by strangers after the evil witch, Allura, cursed her and stopped her from seeing her father.
After a fruitless search for her parents, Zatanna finally found her father’s diary and subsequently made her own stage persona. During her search for her father, she met John Constantine, an anti-hero, and had a short affair with him. Eventually, Zatanna lifted Allura’s curse with the help of The Justice League of America and finally met her father and her mother. Unfortunately, both her parents died in an attempt to rescue her from the Hidden Ones and the Great Evil Beast.
As a JLA leader for several years, Zatanna had battled countless villains as well as supernatural attacks. After her father’s death, She retired from active adventure and continues to keep her family home of the Shadowcrest. Now, she lives in San Francisco, looking for a normal life. At the same time, she also strives to preserve the balance of the light and dark mystical communities of the earth, as one of the Sentinels of Magic.
Superpowers and Abilities
Zatanna can cast numerous incredible spells, which she usually does by speaking her spells backward, although it’s not always necessary to speak backward to cast spells. Zatanna also has excellent control over her magic ability, which leads to her control over fire, air, ice, water, earth, plants, and temperatures. Her magic also grants her a wide variety of other powers such as flight, healing power, illusion casting, reality-warping, telepathy, teleportation, dimensional travel, size change, probability manipulation, and memory manipulation.