| 1 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 2 | |
| 3 | !!Title Character |
| 4 | |
| 5 | [[folder:Zatanna Zatara]] |
| 6 | !!ComicBook/{{Zatanna}} |
| 7 | %% |
| 8 | %%Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16729010800.95991200 |
| 9 | %%Please don't change or remove without starting a new thread. |
| 10 | %% |
| 11 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zatanna_by_john_keaveney_4.jpeg]] |
| 12 | !!!'''Alter Ego:''' Zatanna Zatara |
| 13 | !!!'''Abilities:''' [[FunctionalMagic Magic]], [[EscapeArtist Escapology]] |
| 14 | !!!'''First Appearance:''' ''ComicBook/{{Hawkman}}'' #4 (November 1964) |
| 15 | |
| 16 | -> ''"Easy, no. But possible. Because this is my territory. Spells, Hocus Pocus, demons. It's meat and drink to me."'' |
| 17 | -->-- '''Zatanna Zatara''' |
| 18 | |
| 19 | Zatanna Zatara, Mistress of Magic, is a StageMagician with [[MagiciansAreWizards actual magical powers]] who also works as a {{superhero}} and is a frequent member of the Franchise/{{Justice League|of America}}. |
| 20 | ---- |
| 21 | * ActionGirl: She is a proactive hero who seeks out and combats metaphysical criminals, demons, and the normal supervillains of the DCU, using her mystical abilities to combat foes at every turn, and she has the hand-to-hand capability to protect herself when the need arises. |
| 22 | * AdaptationalModesty: Zatanna, in the ComicBook/New52, briefly ditched her trademark fishnets for a pair of leather pants. This new design was quickly ditched for one closer to her classic look, fishnets and all. |
| 23 | * AdaptationalMundanity: In her first ''Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse'' appearance (the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "Zatanna"), she is depicted (with the [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane possible exception]] of her final StealthHiBye) as a mundane StageMagician. Later, in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'', she shows her usual range of magical abilities. |
| 24 | * AddictiveMagic: Zatanna has a great degree of addiction towards using and abusing her magic to try to solve her personal problems or petty issues. While this often just manifests via MundaneUtility, it sometimes can have disastrous results. She even admitted to being a self-proclaimed "spellaholic" after going to a support group for magic abusers. In the "Secret Files" storyline, it's shown Zatanna can't go one night without using her powers to selfishly inconvenience other people who happen to annoy her. |
| 25 | * AffectionateNickname: She's called "Zee" by her closest friends, such as Dinah, Barbara, Bruce and Diana. |
| 26 | * AgeLift: Originally, Zatanna was a teenager starting out after Bruce Wayne had been Batman for a while. Starting with ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' and going through most later incarnations, including getting RetCanon to the comics, Zee was presented as around Bruce's age, even becoming his ChildhoodFriend. In fact, the only incarnations to keep the original age gap are ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' and ''WesternAnimation/DCSuperHeroGirls2019''. |
| 27 | * AlliterativeName: '''Z'''atanna '''Z'''atara. |
| 28 | * AmicableExes: ZigZagged in her relationship with Constantine. How much she likes him or is willing to [[WorkingWithTheEx work with him]] is often a case DependingOnTheWriter, as their relationship can vary between BelligerentSexualTension to TheMasochismTango. |
| 29 | * AstralProjection: She is able to create a magical projection of herself with her magic powers. |
| 30 | * AllGirlsWantBadBoys: She's not attracted to bad men and malcontents per se, but it's been shown and lampshaded that Zatanna's favorite type of lover/{{love interest}} is the [[TroubledButCute troubled loners]]. Notable since her past interests include the most troubled of loner figures like John Constantine and Batman of all people. |
| 31 | * AloofBigSister An Aloof Older Cousin version. Zatanna and her cousin Zachary were always close as children, but Zachary now is struggling to make it big as a StageMagician performer. This becomes a plot point in ''ComicBook/Zatanna2010'' when it's revealed that Zatanna has yet to see even one of his shows. This leads to resentment when it appears that Zatanna has skipped one appearance, what might have been his big break, not because of any sort of of global catastrophe or emergency with the [[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica JLA]], but because she had a ''date''. Of course, [[{{Brainwashed}} not everything is as it seems.]] Zatanna finally gets to his show in the end and they patch up, of course. |
| 32 | * TheArchmage: [[DependingOnTheWriter Depending on the portrayal]], but Zatanna's magical prowess often makes her one of the most powerful members of the Justice League, being able to flip the laws of physics and reality on their head and back with a [[SdrawkcabSpeech few backwards phrases]]. As a result, she's the League's go-to-gal for magical mayhem next to Franchise/WonderWoman and ComicBook/{{Shazam}}, who specializes in the mythological aspect. As of the ''ComicBook/DCRebirth'' continuity, Zatanna is considered [[AlternateCompanyEquivalent DC's]] equivalent to [[ComicBook/DoctorStrange Sorceress Supreme]]. |
| 33 | * AstralProjection: Via her mystic powers, she can project an astral version of herself while meditating, which she does to contact magical beings in different planes of existence, such as the NightmareWeaver Fuseli. |
| 34 | * AuthorAppeal: Creator/PaulDini has a penchant for using Zatanna. When Dini's writing her, she tends to be a BathingBeauty who [[BathtubScene takes a lot of bubble baths]], and boasts an ImpossiblyLowNeckline. Also, in RealLife he's married to [[http://imgur.com/wc50z.jpg a dark-haired stage magician with a tendency to wear top hats and fishnets]] and first hooked up with his (heretofore non-comics fan) wife because she was given a copy of a Zatanna comic he'd written and she contacted him about her resemblance to the character. He even wrote her [[ComicBook/Zatanna2010 2010 solo series]] for a time. |
| 35 | * BadassCape: The superhero costume she wore in her early JLA days features a traditional superhero cape. |
| 36 | * BadassInANiceSuit: Her stage outfit is essentially a modified tuxedo with a top hat, which is also her default uniform when engaging in hero work. The biggest changes that have been made are the replacement of pants with black panties and fishnet stockings and the presence of an ImpossiblyLowNeckline (sometimes). |
| 37 | * BathingBeauty: Zatanna is shown to enjoy or talk about baths a lot and has had a number of {{Bathtub|Scene}} or {{Shower Scene}}s. It's something of a RunningGag that [[InterruptedBath she keeps getting interrupted during them]], though given she can [[InstantCostumeChange dry and clothe herself in an instant with her magic]], it's much less of a bother to her than to most people. |
| 38 | * BattleCouple: With [[ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}} John Constantine]], especially when they're both part of Justice League Dark. Though both are worlds (or versions) apart, both makeup for a Badass Magical Couple. [[spoiler:Then John Constantine is put back into the DC Universe and the two get back on their relationship.]] |
| 39 | * BewareTheNiceOnes: She might be a NiceGirl with a ThouShallNotKill rule, but getting on her bad side can have you end up with a [[CoolAndUnusualPunishment creative punishment]]. |
| 40 | * BewareTheSuperman: ComicBook/IdentityCrisis2004 involving Zatanna's using [[LaserGuidedAmnesia memory erasing]] and {{brainwashing}} magic on super-powered criminals, following Doctor Light's rape of Sue Dibny. When Batman discovered this, he vehemently opposed it, but Zatanna and the other Leaguers decided to erase ''his'' memories of the event, which he naturally found out later. This caused her to be a BrokenPedestal to many of her colleagues for a while. |
| 41 | * BewitchedAmphibians: Zatanna is a magic-user who loves punishing people with {{forced transformation}}s, once casually and (half-) jokingly threatening to turn ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} into a toad once she didn't go on girls night out with her. |
| 42 | * BiggerOnTheInside: Her HomeBase Shadowcrest (the Zatara family's mansion she inherited from her father) already looks big on the outside, but as ComicBook/MaryMarvel notes is even larger on the inside due to the many spells woven into the place. The mansion is physically located on the outskirts of Gotham, but the interior of the mansion seems to exist in an entirely separate magical dimension. |
| 43 | * BlackMage: While she also knows a lot of utilitarian and defensive spells, most of the time she uses her magic it's offensive in nature, such as her mastery of ElementalPowers and [[MindOverMatter telekinesis]]. |
| 44 | * BloodMagic: She can resort to if needed especially when her SdrawkcabSpeech gets impeded in some manner, one of the easiest ways to still activate her magic is by ''writing'' backward, and in a bind her blood is always available. In one ''ComicBook/DetectiveComics'' storyline, Zatanna had been shot in the throat and nearly drowned in a death trap courtesy of [[spoiler:the Joker]]. She avoided bleeding to death by using her blood to write out a healing incantation, made extra-strong by its medium. |
| 45 | * BlueCollarWarlock: She's a StageMagician superheroine who lives in contemporary times, using her magic to fight off supernatural threats, and often having to rely on quick thinking to deal with threats when her magic inevitably fails her. |
| 46 | * {{Bifauxnen}}: No other superheroine can rock a tuxedo, bowtie, and tophat like her. |
| 47 | * BoundAndGagged: Zatanna's reliance on her voice to use her magic leads to getting her bound and gagged as one of the most effective measures to rendering her powerless (although DependingOnTheWriter she can use her magic without speaking, thought she's still much weaker). To counter this, Zatanna trained herself to be a skilled EscapeArtist, having basic hand-to-hand combat skills, and has developed other ways to channel her magic such as fingerspell, blood writing, or enchanted items and weapons to aid her in battle. |
| 48 | * {{Brainwashed}}: The second arc of her comic features Zatanna herself brainwashed into marrying a man so that he can substitute her soul for his when the demon Mammon comes to claim him. This is not the first time he has done this, either, as the previous women he plunged into hell serve as the bridesmaids at the wedding. |
| 49 | * BraidsOfAction: Some of her ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueDark'' designs have her hair in a braided ponytail. |
| 50 | * BrokenPedestal: Her role in ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis2004'' as the one who tampered with villains' and heroes' memories for the benefit of the Justice League via LaserGuidedAmnesia caused her to be unpopular with some of her colleagues, especially Batman, who started to regard her as untrustworthy. She later managed to rebuild her relationship with him during a ''ComicBook/DetectiveComics'' storyline where they both team up to defeat The Joker. |
| 51 | * BroughtDownToBadass: While her magic is always her most powerful tool, she specifically trained so as not to be [[SquishyWizard rendered useless]] if her magic is disabled somehow, having some [[KungFuWizard martial arts skills]] as well as being a GuileHeroine who relies on or her wits and agility to trick her opponents. In the first arc of the second ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueDark'' series, she can't use her backwards magic because of how - thanks to the Otherkind - it's going badly wrong. She's still a capable fighter, very knowledgeable, and finds ways around her limitations, such as [[spoiler:stealing the power of the Demons Three.]] |
| 52 | * BuxomBeautyStandard: [[MostCommonSuperpower Like most major comic book superheroines]], she has a very impressive bust, which is appreciated by other characters InUniverse. |
| 53 | * ByThePowerOfGrayskull: Zatanna and her father Zatara speak their spells [[SdrawkcabSpeech backwards]]. (Remember: words backwards, sentences forwards!) However, Zatanna has sometimes explained away the need to do this as being merely a focus exercise. |
| 54 | * CareBearStare: |
| 55 | ** Zatanna once used this in order to ''MindRape'' someone in the ComicBook/IdentityCrisis2004 storyline. She "reprogrammed" Doctor Light, a vicious rapist, trying to pull out a good side that wasn't really there. What she succeeded in doing was creating an inept villain, but the idea was there. (This is the RetCon to ''try'' to make Doctor Light a threat: he ''used'' to actually be one, and the IneffectualSympatheticVillain we know and love is the result of attempted HeelFaceBrainwashing.) |
| 56 | ** Depending on your interpretation she either had slightly more success or ''much'' greater failure when she attempted the same thing on the pages of ComicBook/TheFlash. Barry Allen asked her to try to make The Top, a recurring villain of his, an actual ''hero''. It worked, at first. But Top now had a conscience and couldn't deal with the horrible things he had done. He went nuts and started trying to do the same to other Flash villains. It didn't end well. |
| 57 | * CelebritySuperhero: She's a world-famous StageMagician outside of being an [[MagiciansAreWizards actual magician superhero]]. She notably doesn't even have a superhero {{Codename}} and just goes by her first name. |
| 58 | * ChildhoodFriends: |
| 59 | ** She meet Bruce Wayne when they were both children, as he sought out her father in order to learn about being a master EscapeArtist, making her one of the few heroes who actually is aware of Bruce's SecretIdentity as Batman. This is actually a case of RetCanon, as the connection didn't originally exist in the comics, but it was used when Zatanna was introduced in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' and eventually was incorporated into the comics. |
| 60 | ** ''Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell'' reveals that Zatanna has been friends with Black Canary since they were teens due to a chance meeting in the Everest mountains when they both were training there. |
| 61 | * CodeName: Notably {{Averted|Trope}}. She's one of the few Justice Leaguers and overall DC superheroes who does not have one, she is addressed publicly and privately only as "Zatanna," her legal proper first name. |
| 62 | * CombatStilettos: Almost always fights in heels, not that it's a problem for her. |
| 63 | * CommutingOnABus: The month after her [[ComicBook/Zatanna2010 2010 solo series]] was cancelled, Zatanna was made into one of the lead characters in the high profile ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueDark'' book. |
| 64 | * CompellingVoice: In addition to casting spells with her SdrawkcabSpeech, Zatanna can also use it to compel people to obey single commands. [[spoiler:She uses it in her solo series to compel Brother Night to renounce his contract with Hell, freeing the souls of those he sacrificed to gain his power]]. |
| 65 | * CrossThrough: One of the earliest examples is ''Franchise/TheDCU'' as her origin storyline collected in the '' Zatanna's Search'' trade paperback, told through ''ComicBook/{{Hawkman}}'' (Vol 1) #4, ''ComicBook/TheAtom'' (Vol 1) #19, ''Franchise/GreenLantern'' (Vol 2) #42 and ''ComicBook/DetectiveComics'' (Vol 1) #355. |
| 66 | * CunningLinguist: She has some linguistic skills thanks to her SdrawkcabSpeech gimmick, being fluent in multiple languages, including some related to the occult. |
| 67 | * DaddysGirl: Since her mother was gone when she was young, she was raised solely by her father for most of her life, and grew to be incredibly close to him, even choosing to follow in his footsteps and taking up his mantle as a StageMagician ''and'' a magical super-hero, becoming his LegacyCharacter. His death weighs heavily on her, though she still contacts him to be her SpiritAdvisor from time to time. |
| 68 | * DeadpanSnarker: She's prone to sarcastic and witty one-liners. |
| 69 | * DisappearedDad: Shortly after her eighteenth birthday, her father Zatara disappeared from her life without explanation, prompting her to search for him, which led to her origin story where she meets several heroes, as well as the Justice League. She eventually found out he was under a {{curse}} by the evil sorceress Allura that left him unable to contact any of his kin, or else it would result in their death, but she manages to defeat Allura, break the curse and retrieve her father. (Though he ended up dying some years later while fighting the Great Darkness). |
| 70 | * DependingOnTheArtist: The color of her StageMagician outfit varies between different shades of blue to being completely black. |
| 71 | * DependingOnTheWriter: Zatanna [[SdrawkcabSpeech speaking backwards]] to cast her spells. Sometimes she ''has'' to do it, to the point that she's effectively powerless if rendered mute. Other times, it's merely a focusing technique and she can very much cast magic without speaking backwards, or in some cases, speaking at all. |
| 72 | * DramaPreservingHandicap: |
| 73 | ** She is a powerful magician whose spells work only if she [[SdrawkcabSpeech speaks backwards]], stating [[ByThePowerOfGrayskull whatever she wants her spells to do]]. Because of this, her enemies naturally try to find ways to stop her from speaking. Even though Zatanna's been defeated many times by someone shutting her mouth, although DependingOnTheWriter, the backwards speaking isn't her actual superpower rather than just a tool she uses to focus her magic. This was {{Averted|Trope}} at one point when ComicBook/TheJoker thought this about her so he gagged her and shot her in the throat for good measure, thinking that would neutralize the threat she posed. She managed to avoid death by scrawling "Heal Me" backwards ''[[CouldntFindAPen in her own blood]].'' |
| 74 | ** There was a period in TheEighties where her powers were seriously weakened after she overexerted herself one time too many, which meant she now merely had control over the elements of fire, air, water, and earth. |
| 75 | ** It's also been established that there are nebulous limits on her power. During ''ComicBook/FinalNight'', a civilian asked why she couldn't just turn the sun back on with her magic. She demonstrated that it was ''way'' outside her ability. |
| 76 | ** In Creator/DwayneMcDuffie's ''Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' run, it was shown that her spells take a physical toll on her body, and that particularly powerful ones eat away at her stamina and can render her physically exhausted. |
| 77 | * TheDreaded: To the magical community who think of her as an all-powerful magical icon and sorceress supreme. As one of the most powerful magic users around, she often polices the malevolent elements of the magical world and earned herself a form of dangerous sheriff reputation because of it. |
| 78 | * ElementalPowers: With her magic she's able to control or manifest several elements, such as [[PlayingWithFire fire]], [[DishingOutDirt earth]], [[BlowYouAway wind]], [[MakingASplash water]], [[ShockAndAwe lightning]], [[AnIcePerson ice]], and more. |
| 79 | * EscapeArtist: One of the DCU's greatest, which is no surprise considering her profession as a StageMagician and her lineage as the daughter of the great wizard Zatara, a skilled escape artist himself. She ''can'' use her magical powers to escape, but can also easily do so without them as she trained hard under her father, having learned how to get out of a straightjacket underwater in Kindergarten and between her magic show acts. Her dad even taught another superhero the trade: ''Franchise/{{Batman}}''. Zatanna also had a relationship with John Constantine the ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'' and John is also a escape artist second to none. Apparently, John has taught Zatanna some spells from time to time. |
| 80 | * EvenTheGirlsWantHer: Since the ComicBook/DCRebirth, it's become a RunningGag for at least one woman to be in love with Zatanna in each comic she appears in. Both Kate Kane and Cassandra Cain entertain the idea of marrying her in ''ComicBook/DetectiveComicsRebirth'', and Stephanie Brown proclaims out loud [[HeadTurningBeauty how hot she is]] upon seeing her in ''ComicBook/YoungJustice2019''. |
| 81 | * FamousAncestor: She's not only a [[LegacyCharacter legacy hero]] who took up the mantle from her father who was a famous Golden Age hero and member of the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica, but their entire family are also famous [[MageSpecies Homo Magi]] that are direct descendants of Creator/LeonardoDaVinci (who [[BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy is a Homo Magi himself in the DC Universe]]. The Zatara family is also related to Nostradamus, Alessandro Cagliostro, the noted alchemists Nicholas Flamel and Evan Fulcanelli, and Arion of Atlantis. |
| 82 | * TheFashionista: She enjoys her tuxedos, fancy suits, and costumes and has a massive room as a wardrobe. |
| 83 | * FatalAttractor: She's remarkably unlucky in her romances. John Constantine is her most regular {{love interest}}, but they have a tumultuous relationship at best, if not downright bad enough to be considered a DestructiveRomance. Most of her solo books has her getting a TemporaryLoveInterest (Joshua, Hal, Dale Colton) that is gone by the end of said book, implying they didn't work out. She has also been {{Ship Tease}}d with other characters like Bruce Wayne, Barry Allen and Dale Gunn, but nothing came out of it. As she admits in ''ComicBook/SevenSoldiers'', she has a fatal flaw in falling for "losers" and "totally incompatible guys" and often struggles with loneliness and sexual frustration. |
| 84 | * FeministFantasy: She is a gifted magician who solves occult problems either on her own or with a team. She is noted to be brave, mature, and likable. |
| 85 | * FlashyTeleportation: When she uses magic to [[{{Teleportation}} teleport]], it's usually accompanied by a puff of smoke, as a nod to her StageMagician theme. |
| 86 | * {{Flight}}: Using her magic, she can grant the ability to levitate to herself or others. It usually isn't very fast, so she still uses vehicles or other methods when she needs to travel long distances. |
| 87 | * ForcedTransformation: One of Zatanna's favorite ways of dealing with her opponents is to transform them into some animal or another. She's rivaled only by Circe in how often she does it. Best not to cross her when she considers this as an option. Some examples include: |
| 88 | ** Threatening to turn a man into a toad if he doesn't back down from an argument. He does just that, knowing she can and will do it. |
| 89 | ** She turned an entire audience into bats to attack ComicBook/TheJoker. |
| 90 | ** Turning a scary ogre-man into a fluffy bunny. |
| 91 | ** Turning three girls into doves for annoying her, mentioning she's good with frogs as well. |
| 92 | ** The Vertigo novel ''Zatanna: Everyday Magic'' highlights this. She mentions turning hecklers into warthogs, telling kids that if they sell her autograph it'll turn them to pumpkins, and when facing off against a witch who turns her one-night stands into toads (including Constantine), she retorts by saying that Zatanna has filled ponds with her ex-boyfriends, which doesn't sound that far-fetched. Then Zatanna turns her into a sloth to achieve victory. |
| 93 | ** When ComicBook/HarleyQuinn was annoying her, she stated that it only takes a simple spell to turn her into a worm and feed her to a seagull. Harley backed out from there. |
| 94 | ** On a girls night out, she tells Batgirl that she's going with her and Wonder Woman whether she likes it or not. Batgirl asks if she will turn her into a toad if she refuses, and Zatanna says she's keeping her options open. |
| 95 | * FriendToAllChildren: It's more implied, but Zatanna definitely has a soft spot for children (barring evil ones like Teddy). She agreed to perform on Sesame Street despite not liking film or television in general, and only stopped due to her crippling phobia of puppets. She was also led into a near-assassination attempt by agreeing to do shows supporting children's charities. |
| 96 | * FunctionalMagic: The exact specifics on how her magic works [[DependingOnTheWriter can vary from writer to writer]], but the most common rule she abides by is having to cast her spells by [[LanguageOfMagic pronouncing (or writing)]] them via SdrawkcabSpeech. |
| 97 | * FunnyAnimal: Two instances here: |
| 98 | ** "Zap-Panda," a FunnyAnimal panda counterpart of Zatanna who lives on the parallel world [[Franchise/TheDCU Earth-C-Minus]], which mirrors the mainstream DCU. Zap-Panda is a member of her world's "JLA" (the "[[Comicbook/CaptainCarrotAndHisAmazingZooCrew Just'a Lotta Animals]]"). |
| 99 | ** Zatanna met Captain Carrot at the end of the late 2000s Zoo Crew miniseries, albeit with Cap having been stranded on the mainstream DC Earth and [[PutOnABusToHell transformed into a non-talking realistic rabbit]]. Fortunately, he got better. |
| 100 | * GenderFlip: She is a gender-flipped version of her father Zatara, who like her was a StageMagician superhero in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks. She ended up becoming much more popular than him, to the point he's now considered a supporting character in ''her'' stories. |
| 101 | * TheGimmick: The fact she's a magical StageMagician superhero that cast spells via SdrawkcabSpeech. |
| 102 | * GoodIsNotDumb: When Oscar Hampel claims that he was turned into a puppet because of a tragic series of events almost out of his control, and that his actions were an isolated event, Zatanna accepts that her father, for all his wisdom and power, [[HumansAreFlawed was only human]]. She gives Oscar the benefit of the doubt and agrees to help him become human again...after she runs him through a magic LieDetector, that is. After all, just because her father was not perfect does not mean he was wrong this time, and she is going to make sure before she takes any actions. |
| 103 | * HasAType: Mikey notes that she's into [[ComicBook/JohnConstantine troubled]] [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} loners]], which is how she knows Zatanna likes Detective Colton. |
| 104 | * HatOfPower: Her StageMagician top hat is often more than just a SignatureHeadgear, being also magically enhanced to have a {{Hammerspace}}, allowing her to magically store or pull out things she wants from inside of it whenever she pleases, just like a PullARabbitOutOfMyHat gag. On some rare occasions, she has even used it to trap some of her enemies inside it, such as the demon Fuseli. |
| 105 | * TheHeart: In the first ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueDark'' series. Being the most well-adjusted member of the group, Zatanna tends to act as a buffer between John and the rest, and the others trust her most. She trades off the Leader role with Constantine and Xanadu. |
| 106 | * HeroicBuild: She's typically drawn about as athletic as more physically-oriented superheroines, despite not usually being associated with physical strength. |
| 107 | * HeroismWontPayTheBills: Zatanna works as a StageMagician in between superheroing. Though since she doesn't maintain a SecretIdentity she uses real magic in her acts. She also makes her own merchandising. |
| 108 | * HistoryRepeats: When John Constantine held a séance in Wintersgate Manor to combat the Great Darkness, this resulted in Sargon's death and would have killed Zatanna too, if Zatara didn't sacrifice himself for her. Zatanna conducts a similar séance in the same manor to look for her father's books. This time, ''everyone'' except for her dies. |
| 109 | * HomeBase: She uses her family mansion Shadowcrest as her personal sanctuary and base of operations, similar to Batman's Bat-Cave or Superman's Fortress of Solitude. The mansion is enormous, being supernaturally BiggerOnTheInside, and is used to store an arsenal of magical and occult relics as well as a huge library. Zatanna herself claims the mansion is alive somehow, though she doesn't understand it fully herself. The place is also filled with protective wards to keep intruders out. |
| 110 | * HotWitch: She is a very beautiful and powerful female magician, though she's usually dressed as a StageMagician, which is the "modern" witch look. |
| 111 | * {{Hypocrite}}: |
| 112 | ** She turned the Titans against Raven moments before Trigon's first arrival, based on the grounds that Raven through her powers, manipulated Kid Flash's emotions to make him join the team. That would have been a fair assessment had Zatanna not only used her powers to wipe Doctor Light's mind, but also Batman's for trying to intervene as stated in Comicbook/{{Identity Crisis|2004}}. It should be noted, though, that this is a {{Retcon}} twenty years after the fact; Trigon's first appearance was in the 80's, and "Identity Crisis" came out in the mid 2000's. |
| 113 | ** She chided her cousin Zachary for using magic to show off and said it should only be used defensively and for restoring cosmic balance, but he mentioned he and nearly the whole city they were in witnessed Zatanna actively attacking criminals the night before on live TV. She justifies this by saying crooks causing innocents undue grief are fair game, but she also turned a group of annoying girls into doves for pissing her off right before telling Zachary he shouldn't use his powers for personal gain. Zach calls her out on it and says she just makes up her rules as she goes along. |
| 114 | * IconicOutfit: Her most iconic outfit is her StageMagician look with a [[BadassInANiceSuit tuxedo and bustier]] combined with a [[SignatureHeadgear top hat]], [[StockingFiller fishnets]] and thigh-high boots. |
| 115 | * IJustWantToBeNormal: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. While she very much enjoys her magic powers, she hates that it renders her unable to have a normal relationship. |
| 116 | * ImpossibleHourglassFigure: Zatanna wears a tight-fitting tuxedo jacket with tails and a white bustier that highlights her impressive hourglass figure as well as her very voluptuous yet toned body and buxom breasts. |
| 117 | * ImpossiblyAwesomeMagicTrick: She's a master StageMagician even ''without'' resorting to her magical skills, and often leaves her audience wondering whether or not she actually used magic or not when performing some of her most impressive show tricks. |
| 118 | * ImpossiblyLowNeckline: Not always, but often her costume (Which is a variance on her standard outfit when performing on stage) is cut low to reveal a large amount of her cleavage. |
| 119 | * ImprovisedWeapon: Zatanna is a logomancer. That is, despite having been shown in the past using simple spell without employing her trademark ''[[SdrawkcabSpeech Backwards speech]]'' she needs to have a clear voice to focus her powers with. As previously stated, this forces her rogues to silence her in few occasions. Also, even when she has still her charmcasting abilities intact, some villains may exploit some loopholes to protect themselves from her magic. Zatanna in both cases mostly improvises. |
| 120 | ** In a story taken from her childhood a temporarily muted Zatanna (due to really uncomfortable dental braces) choose to use a ''Speak'n Spell'' toy as an artificial voice box of some sort. She also turned her braces into a cage, trapping her foe. |
| 121 | ** Unable to harm directly an iteration of Amazo based on her own magic, she mystically recalled ComicBook/RedTornado's soul, rich in mystical might, to use it as a weapon. |
| 122 | ** In few instances where her opponent decided for something more permanent and less fetishistic than a gag (as landing a crippling injury to Zatanna's throat) Zee has been shown to use ''Blood Magic''. Incantations written in blood are somewhat stronger, more dangerous and more powerful even than her average logomancy. |
| 123 | ** One opponent had the ability to cause Zatanna to move backwards through time for a few seconds, causing her '[[SdrawkcabSpeech backwards]]' spells to come out of her mouth as non-backwards words, and thus useless. She got around that by casting ''palindromes'', such as "Nurses run!" or "Ogre flog a golfer, go!" |
| 124 | * InTheHood: Her outfit in ''ComicBook/DCFutureState'' switches her top hat for a hooded outfit. |
| 125 | * InstantCostumeChange: She's able to do this easily thanks to her powers, to herself ''and'' to others. She similarly can also [[GorgeousGarmentGeneration create clothes out of nothing]] or [[TheNudifier take them off]], though sometimes she's been shown to use [[MindOverMatter telekinesis magic]] to do it, rather than doing it instantly. |
| 126 | * KungFuWizard: She's a powerful magician who trained in some hand-to-hand combat to defend herself in case her magic fails to do the trick. Her magic is still by far her most useful ability as she's not strong enough to take out more than a {{Mook}}. |
| 127 | * LadyOfBlackMagic: Zatanna has the magical power to defy the laws of physics and reality with a few [[SdrawkcabSpeech backwards]] {{Magical Incantation}}s, and is often depicted as composed, mature and graceful. |
| 128 | * LanguageOfMagic: She's a logomancer, meaning she focuses to cast her spells by [[SdrawkcabSpeech speaking them backwards]]. More specifically, the individual words are spoken backwards, but the sentence structure is still spoken forward. |
| 129 | * LaserGuidedAmnesia: |
| 130 | ** In the miniseries ''ComicBook/{{Identity Crisis|2004}}'', it is revealed that one of the reasons the JLA has been able to keep their [[SecretIdentity identities secret]] over the years is by having Zatanna strategically erase the knowledge from the minds of any villains who find out. The story was set into motion years before when they attempted to forcibly reform Dr. Light via this method, and it went horribly wrong. |
| 131 | ** It is revealed in her 2010 solo series that, when she was a child and saw her father transform a man into a puppet when he tried to kill her, John Zatara wiped Zatanna's memories of the incident to calm her down. Zatanna herself is shocked when she discovers this as an adult, but Fuseli remarks that such actions [[InTheBlood must run in her family]]. |
| 132 | * TheLeader: She [[YouAreInCommandNow gets promoted to the leadership]] of the SupernaturalTeam ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueDark'' in the 2021 version, following Wonder Woman's disappearance in the ''ComicBook/DarkNightsDeathMetal''. |
| 133 | * LegacyCharacter: Become one for her father, becoming a StageMagician superheroine. Funny enough, she doesn't inherit his heroic codename, but rather his lack of one, as they both simply go by their first names and have no SecretIdentity. |
| 134 | * LegFocus: Her legs are frequently the part of her that gets the most attention whenever she's played as a MsFanservice, such as the fishnet stockings she customarily wears that accentuate them or the {{Fanservice Cover}}s she gets that put a clear MaleGaze emphasis on her legs. Even InUniverse characters tend to comment or [[EatingTheEyeCandy ogle]] her legs. |
| 135 | * LeotardOfPower: Her classic costume is a shirt and jacket over the top half of a leotard. That's because it's a classic StageMagician look, it's her shtick. |
| 136 | * LogicalWeakness: Since she's a Logomancer (a magic user who specializes in {{Magical Incantation}}s that have to verbalized), preventing her to speak is the easiest way to neutralize her (or at least weaken her severely, since DependingOnTheWriter she can still use magic without talking). |
| 137 | * MageSpecies: She is a Homo Magi, a HumanSubspecies of naturally magic-wielding humans in Franchise/TheDCU, which is part of the reason why she's one of the most powerful magicians in the world. |
| 138 | * MagicalGirlWarrior: Her powers are often at the forefront of cosmic conflicts for the fate of the universe. |
| 139 | * MagicalIncantation: Most of her magic is used by speaking her spells in a SdrawkcabSpeech. (Remember: words backwards, sentences forwards!) However, Zatanna has sometimes explained away the need to do this as being merely a focus exercise. |
| 140 | * MagicalRomani: She is of both Italian and Romani descent, being a [[MageSpecies Homo Magi]] from the same lineage as Leonardo da Vinci. |
| 141 | * MagicFeather: [[DependingOnTheWriter Some writers]] have stated that Zatanna's [[SdrawkcabSpeech speaking spells backwards]] routine is just a focusing technique and that she can cast spells without using it (she uses this justification when she takes down the supervillain Magenta while gagged in an issue of ''Franchise/WonderWoman'', for instance). However, current canon says the backwards words ''are'' necessary, but they need not be spoken (writing them will work, for instance). |
| 142 | * MagicianDetective: She uses her magical skills and master of normal sleight-of-hand to deal with demons, goblins, ghosts and also traditional human riff-raff. |
| 143 | * MagiciansAreWizards: She is a famous and wealthy stage magician with a successful show in UsefulNotes/LasVegas, but she is also a powerful master of the mystic arts that often serves as our worlds best defense against intrusions from beyond. She has admitted to using ''both'' real and stage magic to give her act flair yet also give it PlausibleDeniability to her ImpossiblyAwesomeMagicTrick. She even implies that she actually finds stage magic ''more'' difficult since it requires actual practice. |
| 144 | * MagicIsFeminine: The most iconic magician superheroine in the DC Universe, who just so happens to be female. |
| 145 | * MagicWand: Carries a traditional black-with-white-ends wand as part of her superhero arsenal, which she usually used to aim her spells. It's unclear if they actually help her with spellcasting in any way or if it is merely a normal stage prop, and she can use magic without them just fine. |
| 146 | * MasterOfIllusion: While she can cast some illusion spells, her true skill with illusionism comes from practical effects in her StageMagician shows. |
| 147 | * TheMentor: Takes Misty under her wing, and does a pretty good job at it, despite earlier reservations. |
| 148 | * MissingMom: Sindella, Zatanna's mother, was presumed dead since Zatanna was a child so Zatara raised her on his own. Turns out she was enslaved by her own people, the Hidden Ones, [[HiddenElfVillage a race of natural magic-users]]. She dies shortly after Zatanna meets her. |
| 149 | * MoralityPet: Is often portrayed as one to John Constantine, being one of the few people he truly cares about and who can bring out his kinder side. Although at times, she's shown to resent him for always expecting her to act in this manner for him. |
| 150 | * MostCommonSuperpower: Has the BuxomBeautyStandard figure expected of superheroines. |
| 151 | * MsFanservice: She is a very beautiful, long dark-haired woman who has a very voluptuous yet toned body with [[MostCommonSuperpower buxom breasts]] an [[ImpossibleHourglassFigure impressive hourglass figure]], and long toned legs and wears an outfit comprised of a tight-fitting tuxedo jacket that has tails, a white busier, black panties, fishnet stockings, and a top hat. Nobody has ever found reason to complain over [[AuthorAppeal Paul Dini's appreciation of the character]]. |
| 152 | * MundaneUtility: Uses her magic constantly for mundane day-to-day tasks, like moving objects, changing her clothes, cleaning things, etc. |
| 153 | * MyGreatestFailure: She considers her [[LaserGuidedAmnesia memory tampering incidents]] in the ''ComicBook/{{Identity Crisis|2004}}'' storyline to be one of her lowest points, and something that has soured her relationship with several of her friends and allies, such as Batman and Catwoman, to the point she quit the Justice League out of guilt and she had to go to a support group because of it. |
| 154 | * NiceGirl: Often depicted as being approachable, friendly, and considerate. She cares a lot about her friends, although she loves to poke fun at and flirt with them. Constantine is often the only person she tends to be curt with, due to their messed up relationship. |
| 155 | * NumberTwo: Is often in the role of second-in-command in ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueDark'', either to Constantine, Xanadu or Wonder Woman. On rare occasions, she does actually become TheLeader. |
| 156 | * OccultDetective: As a person with legitimate supernatural powers and no SecretIdentity, she is one of the few characters in ''Franchise/TheDCU'' that can be casually approached to deal with issues beyond the ken of mortal authorities. The ''ComicBook/Zatanna2010'' series starts in San Francisco with a local detective hopping backstage after a show to ask for her input on a batch of grisly other-worldly murders. |
| 157 | * OfCorsetsSexy: DependingOnTheArtist, she is depicted as wearing one, usually done to enhance her sex appeal. This is the route Creator/GrantMorrison went with in ''ComicBook/SevenSoldiers''. |
| 158 | * ParentalAbandonment: She was abandoned by both of her parents, by her mother when she was six and by her father when she was eighteenth, though [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou both of them still loved her and only left her to protect her from their enemies]]. Both also ended up dead shortly after she managed to track them down. |
| 159 | * PersonalitySwap: In ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueDark'', when everyone's natures are reversed on Epoch, Zatanna appears to be unchanged... until she nearly kills someone, and the only remorse she shows is at Timothy's distress. She also mentions that she doesn't trust people claiming Timothy is their "Chosen One", because that would be the first thing she'd say to manipulate a lonely child. Basically, she and John switch personalities. |
| 160 | * PluckyGirl: She's had a hard life and tends to be the first one whose powers stop working, but remains a compassionate and well-humored person. |
| 161 | * PowerAtAPrice: Zatanna acknowledged that using magic in selfish or careless ways has a nasty habit of striking back at the user eventually and as such decides to use magic defensively and for stage tricks for her shows. Unfortunately, she still tends to use magic selfishly at times and suffers for it in various ways, even attributing her doomed-to-failure love life to this. |
| 162 | * PowerPerversionPotential: According to Constantine, she knows a thing or two about tantric magic and its many uses. |
| 163 | * ProudBeauty: She's very aware of her good looks and enjoys dressing up in fancy and luxurious clothing. As she admits in ''ComicBook/SevenSoldiers'', she "likes to look good". |
| 164 | * PsychosomaticSuperpowerOutage: Her magical powers are tied to her emotions and can be rendered powerless if she's emotionally or psychologically impaired, such as in her ''ComicBook/SevenSoldiers'' story arc, where she was powerless due to SurvivorGuilt and low self-confidence after a incident caused by her led to several of her friends dying. |
| 165 | * PutOnABus: When the House of Mystery is stolen in the Horror City arc of the first ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueDark'' series, John does not call Zatanna in. |
| 166 | * QuirkyGirlQuirkyTux: She wears the variant that calls for fishnets and heels as a take on the stage magician dressed in evening wear. Since she's a magician, she naturally needs a top hat to pull a rabbit out of as well. |
| 167 | * RavenHairIvorySkin: Her raven black hair contrasting with her pale white skin is one of her most distinguishable features (although how pale she is can be a case of DependingOnTheArtist). The fact she also frequently wears black and white clothing only makes the contrast more striking. |
| 168 | * ReallyGetsAround: Admitted in her ''ComicBook/SevenSoldiers'' solo series, Zatanna has quite a history of casual one-night stands, and unsuccessful or casual couplings with "totally incompatible guys" while on the road as a StageMagician. She's not really proud of it, and longs to have an actually stable relationship with someone. |
| 169 | * ReallyMovesAround: She and her father tended to travel a lot due to their StageMagician moving from town to town. |
| 170 | * TheReliableOne: While she shares the role of magical expert in the superhero community with Constantine, most people usually prefer getting her help, since she's far more reliable and professional than he is. This also applied to the ComicBook/JusticeLeagueDark SupernaturalTeam that she's often part of. While most of the team [[TeethClenchedTeamwork disliked or distrusted each other]] they all got along or had some degree of trust and respect for Zatanna thanks to her reputation as a reliable NiceGirl. |
| 171 | * RepetitiveName: Her first name and surname are almost identical, down to the AddedAlliterativeAppeal. It's a family quirk of the Zatara family. |
| 172 | * RetCanon: Like many DC characters, her adaptation in the ''Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse'' made several retroactive changes to her character in the comics: |
| 173 | ** Zatanna never had a connection to ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'', but got an AdaptationOriginConnection as Bruce Wayne's ChildhoodFriend when she was introduced in the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''. This proved to be popular and was later incorporated into the mainstream comics, making her a close ally to Bruce and the Bat-family. |
| 174 | ** Originally, in the comics, Zatanna was a [[KidHero teenager heroine that was starting out]]. But since her ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' backstory gave her an AgeLift to become a ChildhoodFriend to Bruce Wayne, her comic self also started to become depicted more as an adult heroine. |
| 175 | * RetroactiveLegacy: Zatanna's very first appearance was in ''ComicBook/{{Hawkman}}'' #4, but a retcon in ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' #51 established that an unnamed witch ComicBook/{{Batman}} and ComicBook/{{Robin}} had fought in ''ComicBook/DetectiveComics'' #336 had actually been Zatanna in disguise. |
| 176 | * RoguesGallery: As one of the most recognizable magic-using heroes in the DCU, ComicBook/{{Zatanna}} tends to fight enemies who either have a supernatural background or are otherwise mystically empowered, including in her own limited series. Her recurring foes include the likes of [[SealedEvilInACan Allura]], [[EvilSorcerer Brother Night]], [[DreamWeaver Fuseli]], [[DemonicDummy Oscar Hampel]], [[RealityWarper Zor]], [[PlayingWithFire Ember]], [[ChildMage Uriah]], [[ManipulativeBastard The Tempter]], [[MalevolentMaskedMen Romalthi the Shaper]], and [[ClaimedByTheSupernatural Nimue Ravensong]]. |
| 177 | * SecretIdentity: She does not have one, and is publicly recognized as a practicing magician and former member of the Justice League. She doesn't even have a {{Codename}}. |
| 178 | * SdrawkcabSpeech: Her spells work by her saying, or writing them backwards. Occasionally she can use her magic without speaking especially for simple magic. She also uses enchanted magician wands, smoke bombs and daggers to supplement her backwards speech. |
| 179 | * SignatureHeadgear: The top hat in her StageMagician-inspired "work clothes". It's almost always part of her hero outfits and she can even pull one out of thin air to complete her look when she's not. |
| 180 | * SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Zatanna wants to find someone to be with, but most men she gravitates toward end up hurting her. |
| 181 | * SleightOfHandiness: As a StageMagician and showgirl by profession, Zatanna is very skilled at sleight-of-hand tricks, even without any assistance of her magical abilities. She even invented a variation of the three-card monte called the "[[ImpossiblyAwesomeMagicTrick Zatara shuffle]]", which is so fast and precise that is almost impossible to follow the movements of her hands. |
| 182 | * SpoiledSweet: She's a wealthy celebrity that enjoys a lavish lifestyle, but is still a genuinely NiceGirl that enjoys working as both a StageMagician and as a superhero to both bring entertainment to the world and make it a safer place. |
| 183 | * SquishyWizard: DependingOnTheWriter her magic can be extremely powerful but she's normally just as vulnerable to attacks as a normal human being, and she generally has to be able to speak her incantations to cast them. She has trained in hand-to-hand combat to avoid this, but in a universe filled with BadassNormal characters, she's not good enough to take out anyone stronger than a {{Mook}}. |
| 184 | * StageMagician: Zatanna and her deceased father, Zatara. Both are [[MagiciansAreWizards real sorcerers pretending to be stage magicians.]] Zatanna in particular has considerable skill in standard sleight of hand in addition to her authentic mystical abilities, and she has quite a bit of fame and fortune stemming from her traditional performances in theaters and stadiums around the world. |
| 185 | * StatusQuoIsGod: |
| 186 | ** The 1993 miniseries gave her a new costume, a new LoveInterest, and had her learn more about the magic she'd inherited from her ''mother'', with the editorial column saying that they intended to get rid of the [[SdrawkcabSpeech backward speech]] forever. The boyfriend never appears again, and her new outfit and abilities make one appearance in a ''Spectre'' storyline (with Etrigan complaining about them) before a major role in ''Adventures of Superman'' #522 shows her back in the fishnets and using backwards spells, and that was the end of that. |
| 187 | -->'''Etrigan''': No [[SdrawkcabSpeech backwards spells]]? No [[StockingFiller fishnet hose]]? I hate it when a tradition goes! |
| 188 | ** Her ''ComicBook/New52'' incarnation in ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueDark'' was given a much more conservative outfit. The fans complained so DC gave her a new costume that was more in line with her original, iconic StageMagician look. |
| 189 | * StepfordSmiler: In the first issue of ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueDark'', Batman tells Zatanna that she is not stable, and most later references imply that she still hasn't gotten over watching her father burn to death because of John's actions. It haunts her right through the second series, especially after finding out that he's trapped in the Other-Place - she spends a good chunk of the next series obsessed with trying to save him. |
| 190 | * StickyFingers: As a master EscapeArtist, she's learned to be quick and dexterous with her hands, as such she is able to steal a small MacGuffin from a villain with ease, even without resorting to her magic, if the situation requires it. |
| 191 | * StockingFiller: Her StageMagician costume usually includes fishnet stockings. |
| 192 | * StoryBreakerPower: Zatanna is one of the most powerful sorcerers in the DC Universe, with the sheer utility of her magic can make it difficult for writers to put her or her team in a dangerous situation that she can't easily solve and thus generally falls victim to some sort of DramaPreservingHandicap or DeusExitMachina at least once per story. She notoriously has a WeaksauceWeakness that leaves her powerless if she is BoundAndGagged, which is usually exploited in team-ups just so that she can't solve the problem before the rest of the [[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica JLA]] get out of bed. |
| 193 | * StrawVegetarian: {{Averted|Trope}}. Zatanna mentions once that she is a vegetarian. While she spoils the bunny she works with on stage, it's more because she's nice. It doesn't really fuel her character beyond that. |
| 194 | * SuperHeroOrigin: Her origin story came to be when her father suddenly disappeared, and she took up his mantle as a superhero and travel the world in search of him. The story has been collected in the "JLA: Zatanna's Search" book. |
| 195 | * SuperheroSobriquets: Often referred to as "The Mistress of Magic". |
| 196 | * SurvivorGuilt: In ''ComicBook/SwampThing'', her father Zatara [[TakeMeInstead sacrificed his life to save her]]. She struggled with the guilt of it ever since. |
| 197 | * {{Teleportation}}: She can use her magic to teleport herself and sometimes others to another place. The exact way it works and if it has any limitations is a case of DependingOnTheWriter. |
| 198 | * TookALevelInJerkass: During the second ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueDark'' series, she progressively becomes more of a jerk after getting sick of being led around by the nose by her father's plan from beyond the grave, and Constantine's involvement in it - which she takes out on him, despite the fact that Zatara exploited a post-Newcastle Constantine in a way befitting Constantine himself. She gets better later on. |
| 199 | * TokenWhite: For a few issues of ''ComicBook/JusticeLeague'' around 2009, the team consisted of Comicbook/{{Vixen}}, Comicbook/{{Firestorm|DCComics}} (Jason Rusch), Comicbook/GreenLantern (John Stewart), Doctor Light (Kimiyo Hoshi), and Zatanna, thus making her the Token White. |
| 200 | * TokenWizard: Zatanna often serves as this for the ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica, being the most consistent spellcaster and magic expert on the team. While Franchise/WonderWoman and ComicBook/{{Aquaman}} have some understanding of magic due to their origins and powers, neither of them actually specializes in sorcery like Zatanna. |
| 201 | * UnderwearOfPower: A rare case of actual underwear instead of something similar like trunks or shorts. Her [[StockingFiller fishnets]] often leave her black panties fully exposed. |
| 202 | * UnlimitedWardrobe: Not unlimited, but certainly VERY large. Uriah stumbles into a massive room filled with nothing but clothes, and it shows. |
| 203 | * UnusualPetsForUnusualPeople: ''Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell'' reveals that, in addition to the rabbits and doves she uses in her act as a magician, she also owns a white Bengal tiger named Sasha. |
| 204 | * VanityIsFeminine: One of the girliest superheroines in the Justice League, and one of the most appearance-conscious as well. |
| 205 | * WhatTheHellHero: Her mind-wiping Batman for protesting against mind-wiping Doctor Light got her this reaction from many of her colleagues and it's occasionally brought up whenever she gets into a conflict with other heroes. |
| 206 | * WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Zatanna, it turns out, has a serious and crippling phobia with regards to puppets. Not voodoo dolls or wax effigies, those she can handle with no problems, but with actual ''puppets'' with their hanging strings and painted-on eyes. Her fears extend back to her childhood and a traumatic incident she experienced with her father. When she tried to guest-star on an episode of ''Series/SesameStreet'', reasoning that helping educate and entertain children was worth any sort of personal discomfort, she did not even make it through her scene before she vomited into an on-set trash can. She even went to therapy to help her deal with this issue, {{avert|edTrope}}ing ThereAreNoTherapists. |
| 207 | * WideEyedIdealist: Why she became a stage magician and chooses to help protect people with the Justice League and other superheroes. In her own words, she views the world as a scary place and because of that she wants to show people a friendlier aspect of magic to benefit everyone, mystic and mortal alike. |
| 208 | * WomanOfWealthAndTaste: She is a rich woman who enjoys basking in the comforts and luxury her wealth can provide her when she has the time to do it. She's also fond of being well-dressed and is TheFashionista. |
| 209 | * WordsCanBreakMyBones: Zatanna can do just about anything by reciting words and sentences backwards. Her cousin Zachary can also do this although he can't directly affect living things. |
| 210 | * WorfHadTheFlu: There's always a reason she can't solve the entire problem with a single sentence. |
| 211 | * WorkingWithTheEx: She often has to work with her ex John Constantine when they're both in ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueDark''. |
| 212 | * YouCantFightFate: She has some precognition abilities, but they're not much use to her since any attempt at changing the future will only make things worse. A ''ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold'' reveals that Zatanne knew something bad is going to happen to Barbara (the events of ComicBook/TheKillingJoke which left her paralyzed). Knowing she couldn't do anything drastic to prevent it, Zatanna simply insisted on having a GirlsNightOutEpisode to give Barbara some happy memories before tragedy struck. |
| 213 | [[/folder]] |
| 214 | |
| 215 | !Allies |
| 216 | |
| 217 | [[folder:John Constantine]] |
| 218 | [[quoteright:259:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/john_constantine.png]] |
| 219 | |
| 220 | Constantine is one of Zatanna's friend and occasional LoveInterests and they occasionally team up against the mystical forces of the world. |
| 221 | ---- |
| 222 | See the [[ComicBook/JohnConstantine John Constantine]] character page for more info. |
| 223 | [[/folder]] |
| 224 | |
| 225 | [[folder:Bruce Wayne]] |
| 226 | [[quoteright:240:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bruce_wayne_0.jpg]] |
| 227 | |
| 228 | The Dark Knight himself, Bruce is Zatanna's ChildhoodFriend, sometimes romantic interest and fellow superhero. |
| 229 | ---- |
| 230 | See the [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} Batman]] character page for more info. |
| 231 | [[/folder]] |
| 232 | |
| 233 | [[folder:John Zatara]] |
| 234 | [[quoteright:268:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/john_zatara_004.jpg]] |
| 235 | |
| 236 | Giovanni "John" Zatara is Zatanna's father and mentor. He was killed during a cosmic battle against a primordial force of evil while fighting alongside his daughter and ComicBook/JohnConstantine. |
| 237 | ---- |
| 238 | * BrainwashingForTheGreaterGood: Erased Zatanna's memories of her encounter with Hampel so she wouldn't be traumatized. It backfired years later. |
| 239 | * CameBackWrong: Came back from being DeaderThanDead as an evil ghost by Brother Night no less. Zatanna frees him from his thrall. |
| 240 | * CaptainErsatz: Zatara started out as [[FountainOfExpies one of the many]] [[MagiciansAreWizards formalwear-clad magician heroes]] who debuted when ComicStrip/MandrakeTheMagician was at the height of his popularity, but he's had more staying power than most of the others. The most obvious difference is that Zatara has a wide variety of magical powers, while Mandrake is usually portrayed as strictly an illusion-caster and telepath. |
| 241 | * EscapeArtist: Was particularly skilled at this. |
| 242 | * HeroicSacrifice: In the battle with the creature known as "The Dark" (depicted in ''ComicBook/SwampThing'' vol. 2, #50), Zatanna is almost burned to death by an energy surge. Zatara quickly casts a spell commanding the Dark to kill him in her stead. |
| 243 | * MagiciansAreWizards: The original one in the DC universe. |
| 244 | * PapaWolf: Is furious when he finds Hempel threating his daughter with a knife, giving him AFateWorseThanDeath by turning him into a puppet. |
| 245 | * ParentsAsPeople: The situation with Hempel and realizing her dad erased her memories makes Zatanna realize he was this. However, when Hempel tries to use this to convince Zatanna to turn him back into a human she puts him through a lie detecting test first. As she puts it, her dad was capable of making mistakes but that doesn't mean he made a mistake ''this'' time. |
| 246 | * SdrawkcabSpeech: Just like his daughter. |
| 247 | [[/folder]] |
| 248 | |
| 249 | [[folder:Zachary Zatara]] |
| 250 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zachary_zatara.png]] |
| 251 | |
| 252 | Zatanna's younger cousin, with magical powers similar to hers. Was briefly a member of the ComicBook/TeenTitans. |
| 253 | ---- |
| 254 | * AlwaysSecondBest: Feels that way about Zatanna, both as a hero and as a stage magician. |
| 255 | * BigDamnHeroes: Arrives just in time to save Zatanna from her UnholyMatrimony. |
| 256 | * {{Expy}}: He's somewhat based off Zatara II from ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' who, rather than being Zatanna's cousin was in fact her son (with John Constantine the father). |
| 257 | * GreenEyedMonster: Is jealous of how much more sucessful Zatanna is at being a stage magician than him. |
| 258 | * MagiciansAreWizards: Runs in the family. |
| 259 | * OddFriendship: With Kid Devil. |
| 260 | * TookALevelInKindness: It's much nicer in Zatanna's Solo series than he was in Teen Titans. |
| 261 | * SdrawkcabSpeech: Just like Zatanna. |
| 262 | * SmugSuper: Mostly during his days at the Teen Titans. When he's with Zatanna, he's very much aware how inferior he is compared to her. |
| 263 | [[/folder]] |
| 264 | |
| 265 | [[folder:Det. Dale Colton]] |
| 266 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dale_colton_new_earth.jpg]] |
| 267 | |
| 268 | A detective with the San Francisco Police Department. First meets Zatanna when he asks for her help investigating the deaths of gangsters. |
| 269 | ---- |
| 270 | * EnfantTerrible: His mother feared he would be one of these. |
| 271 | * FriendOnTheForce: To Zatanna |
| 272 | * LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler:He's Brother Night's son.]] |
| 273 | * ScarsAreForever: The crosses carved into his skin as a baby are still there. |
| 274 | * UnfazedEveryman: Issue 1 is his first experience with magic. He takes it pretty well. |
| 275 | [[/folder]] |
| 276 | |
| 277 | [[folder:Mikey Dowling]] |
| 278 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mikey_dowling_01.jpg]] |
| 279 | |
| 280 | Zatanna's friend and stage manager. |
| 281 | ---- |
| 282 | * AntiMagic: Becomes immune to magic thanks to whatever turned her into a woman. |
| 283 | * ElCidPloy: After Zatanna frees her and the rest of her crew from Brother Night, Zatanna has to remain and deal with him for good. However, she explains that somebody needs to perform at their scheduled show and she dresses Mikey in her outfit and and sends her as a replacement. |
| 284 | * GenderBender: Used to be a man but was turned into a woman at some point in the past. [[NoodleIncident The details are unclear]] but all that's known is that Zatanna didn't do it and can't change her back. We briefly see her as a man in one of Zatanna's dreams. Mikey herself seems to have no issue with it for the most part; although she isn't much of a fan of being made up, Zatanna does note that she seems to be down with "girly bonding" when the opportunity arises. |
| 285 | * GuileHero: When Zatanna is [[spoiler:captured and turned into a puppet]], she manages to find her. |
| 286 | * HoneyTrap: Does this to Hempel in order to rescue Puppet!Zatanna. |
| 287 | * MuggleBestFriend: To Zatanna. |
| 288 | * TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Not really much of a debate that she's the Tomboy to Zatanna's Girly Girl. Despite living as a woman for what is implied to be a long stretch of time, Mikey still thinks of herself as a man and it shows often; aside from her speech patterns being very much boyish, her default attire most of the time is not remotely feminine in the slightest. The times she does end up having to adopt a more girly look - whether it's forcibly made to look like Zatanna, having her cap and suit being changed to a gown and make-up or dressing up like a seductive make-up artist, she can be heard audibly complaining. |
| 289 | [[/folder]] |
| 290 | |
| 291 | [[folder:Arnie]] |
| 292 | [[quoteright:269:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arniezatanna.JPG]] |
| 293 | |
| 294 | Zatanna's friend and manager of her show |
| 295 | ---- |
| 296 | * DistressedDude: Is kidnapped along with the rest of Zatanna's crew by Brother Night. |
| 297 | * UndyingLoyalty: To Zatanna. |
| 298 | * StraightGay: Along with his boyfriend Andre. |
| 299 | * ThoseTwoGuys: Is normally seen together with Andre, his boyfriend and coworker in Zatanna's show. |
| 300 | [[/folder]] |
| 301 | |
| 302 | [[folder:Misty Kilgore]] |
| 303 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/misty_kilgore_3.jpg]] |
| 304 | |
| 305 | A troubled, young mage who Zatanna takes on as her apprentice. |
| 306 | ---- |
| 307 | * AffectionateNickname: She and Zatanna call each other "babe." |
| 308 | * BlackMagicianGirl: Comes with the territory of being Zatanna's apprenctice. |
| 309 | * FairyTaleMotifs: Her story involves her WickedStepmother hiring a huntsman to kill her, only for him to be unable to do so, begging her to flee instead. She's very much a goth snow white. |
| 310 | * KidSidekick: A teenager, she helps Zatanna with her errands, including defeating the Tempter. |
| 311 | [[/folder]] |
| 312 | |
| 313 | !Enemies |
| 314 | |
| 315 | !!Brother Night's Organization |
| 316 | |
| 317 | [[folder:Brother Night]] |
| 318 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brother_night.jpg]] |
| 319 | |
| 320 | Formerly known as Eldon Peck. A charlatan cult-leader who started dabbling in real magic and eventually came to control San Francisco's magical underworld. |
| 321 | ---- |
| 322 | * ArchEnemy: The cover of Issue 2 lists him as Zatanna's "Arch Foe." |
| 323 | * BadGuyBar: Zatanna first confronts him in a bar full of magical supervillains. |
| 324 | * BondageIsBad: BDSM is openly practiced in his bar. |
| 325 | * DealWithTheDevil: Sacrificed thirteen kids as offerings to the lords of Hell in return for his evil necromantic power. [[spoiler:Zatanna forces him to renounce his power and his contract, freeing the souls of the kids he sacrificed and depowering him so that he can be arrested and incarcerated by the regular authorities, but also dooming him to Hell when he dies]]. |
| 326 | * TheDon: To a magical criminal organization. |
| 327 | * EvilSorcerer: A SerialKiller turned necromancer who controls San Francisco's underworld. |
| 328 | * LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler:He's Detective Colton's father.]] |
| 329 | * NewAgeRetroHippie: He was one before becoming Brother Night. |
| 330 | * NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Before becoming Brother Night, he was a hippy who was also a serial killer and cult leader. Sounds a lot like UsefulNotes/CharlesManson. |
| 331 | * SlasherSmile: Constantly sports one of these. |
| 332 | [[/folder]] |
| 333 | |
| 334 | [[folder:Romalthi the Shaper]] |
| 335 | [[quoteright:259:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/romalthi_the_shaper_new_earth_0001.jpg]] |
| 336 | |
| 337 | His touch turns his victims into whatever his mask depicts. |
| 338 | ---- |
| 339 | * BlackCloak: His outfit |
| 340 | * ForcedTransformation: He turns his victims into whatever his mask depicts. |
| 341 | * TheMagicTouch: Needs to touch his victims for his power to work. Zatanna defeats him by trapping him in a glass case. |
| 342 | * WhiteMaskOfDoom: His mask turns into an image of whatever he will turn his victim into. |
| 343 | [[/folder]] |
| 344 | |
| 345 | [[folder:Ember]] |
| 346 | %% |
| 347 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16729010800.95991200 |
| 348 | %% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread. |
| 349 | %% |
| 350 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zatanna_ember.jpg]] |
| 351 | %% |
| 352 | An unborn dragon gestating in the form of a human girl |
| 353 | |
| 354 | ---- |
| 355 | * BreathWeapon: Breathes fire. |
| 356 | * KissOfDeath: Kisses a drug dealer, causing him to spontaneously combust. |
| 357 | * WeaksauceWeakness: Water and ice easily take her down. |
| 358 | [[/folder]] |
| 359 | |
| 360 | [[folder:Teddy]] |
| 361 | [[quoteright:193:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/teddy_8.jpg]] |
| 362 | |
| 363 | Appears to be a young boy who attacks people with a magic box of flesh-eating bugs. |
| 364 | ---- |
| 365 | * EnfantTerrible: Looks like a young boy but it's not clear exactly what he is. |
| 366 | * HoistByHisOwnPetard: Zatanna beats him by shrinking him and letting his bugs attack him. |
| 367 | * PreMortemOneLiner: Says "Wanna see a bug?" before opening his box. |
| 368 | [[/folder]] |
| 369 | |
| 370 | !!Other Villains |
| 371 | |
| 372 | [[folder:Nimue Ravensong]] |
| 373 | [[quoteright:203:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nimue_ravensong.jpg]] |
| 374 | |
| 375 | The main villainess of the ''Zatanna: Everyday Magic'' oneshot, a petty novice magician that marks Contantine for sacrifice to a demon. Has a one sided rivalry with Zatanna. |
| 376 | |
| 377 | ---- |
| 378 | * TheCameo: Briefly fights Zatanna in the first issue of her Solo series. |
| 379 | * EnergyAbsorption: Stabs Zatanna with a needle that absorbs her magical power. |
| 380 | * EvilRedhead: She has short red hair and is very much evil. |
| 381 | * EvilSorcerer: A low-level magician and an annoying thorn in Zatanna's side. Cannot cast spells without making a sacrifice. |
| 382 | * ForcedTransformation: Enjoys transforming the men she sleeps with. Zatanna does it to her in return, turning her into a sloth. |
| 383 | * HotWitch: An attractive young magic user. Unlike Zatanna, she isn’t a [[MageSpecies Homo Magi]], and has to resort to rituals for magic power. |
| 384 | * HumanSacrifice: Tries doing this to Constantine. |
| 385 | * HumiliationConga: |
| 386 | ** Gets turned into a sloth by Zatanna and when she's turned back she's naked and is chased off her apartment by all the victims Zatanna restored. |
| 387 | ** In Zatanna's Solo series, she gets her ass kicked by Zatanna without magic and then falls victim to a spell meant to turn Zatanna into a slug. |
| 388 | * IKnowYourTrueName: Subverted when it applies to herself. She goes by Nimue Ravensong, but her ''real'' name is Mary Ann Hoyt. |
| 389 | * ImmodestOrgasm: When she absorbs Zatanna's magical energy, who is so powerful that the feeling overwhelms her with pleasure. |
| 390 | * MsFanservice: Wears very skimpy outfits and is rendered naked by Zatanna near the end of her storyline. |
| 391 | * NakedPeopleAreFunny: As part of her HumiliationConga she's chased off of her apartment naked by her previous victims. |
| 392 | * ReallyGetsAround: According to Zatanna. We get proof when we see her frog collection, since she turns all the men she seduces into one. |
| 393 | * TheRival: Considers herself one for Zatanna. |
| 394 | [[/folder]] |
| 395 | |
| 396 | [[folder:Fuseli]] |
| 397 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fuseli.jpg]] |
| 398 | |
| 399 | An imp that enters people's dreams and turns them into nightmares. |
| 400 | ---- |
| 401 | * AintTooProudToBeg: When he's defeated by Zatanna. |
| 402 | * TheImp: A green imp. |
| 403 | * NightmareWeaver: He travels from dream to dream, turning them into nightmares. |
| 404 | * SealedEvilInACan: Zatanna imprisons him inside her [[HatOfPower hat]] and releases him after he helps [[spoiler:free her father's spirit from Brother Night's control.]] |
| 405 | * SmallNameBigEgo: Forseti likes to think of himself as the lord of all nightmares but To Brother Night he's just a goon, and as soon as Zatanna get's the upper hand on their fight he begs for his life. |
| 406 | [[/folder]] |
| 407 | |
| 408 | [[folder:Benjamin Raymond]] |
| 409 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/benjamin_raymond.jpg]] |
| 410 | |
| 411 | A casino owner who hires Zatanna. |
| 412 | ---- |
| 413 | * TheBluebeard: Marries women and sacrifices their souls to Mammon in the same ritual. |
| 414 | * DeaderThanDead: [[spoiler:Asks Zatanna to completely destroy his soul when Mammon comes to collect it as nonexistence would be preferable to being Mammon's prisoner]]. |
| 415 | * DealWithTheDevil: Made one with Mammon for wealth and eternal life. Sacrifices the souls of his wives to postpone his own damnation. |
| 416 | * EntitledBastard: After a failed attempt to sacrifice Zatanna leaves his own soul forfeit, he has the gall to plead for her help. |
| 417 | * KarmicTransformation: [[spoiler:Zatanna turns him into a lump of gold so that his soul cannot be taken.]] |
| 418 | * MercyKill: [[spoiler:On the receiving end.]] |
| 419 | * MyGrandsonMyself: Posing as his own son. |
| 420 | * UnholyMatrimony: Attempts to do this to Zatanna who's under the effect of a LovePotion. |
| 421 | * VillainsWantMercy: Asks this to Zachary and Zatanna to save him suffering a FateWorseThanDeath thorugh Mammon. |
| 422 | [[/folder]] |
| 423 | |
| 424 | [[folder:Mammon]] |
| 425 | [[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mammon_dc.jpg]] |
| 426 | |
| 427 | The wealthiest demon in Hell. |
| 428 | ---- |
| 429 | * FatBastard: He's quite fat and, well, a ''demon''. |
| 430 | * {{Greed}}: The self proclaimed demon lord of avarice. |
| 431 | * YouHaveFailedMe: Does this to his minions even if he expected them to fail. |
| 432 | [[/folder]] |
| 433 | |
| 434 | [[folder:Oscar Hampel]] |
| 435 | [[quoteright:274:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/oscar_hampel.jpg]] |
| 436 | |
| 437 | A children's entertainer turned into a puppet by Zatanna's father. |
| 438 | ---- |
| 439 | * AndIMustScream: While he was a puppet. He "awakened" when he came into contact with Zatanna. |
| 440 | * EvilPuppeteer: Hampel was a murderous puppeteer transformed into a lifeless dummy that resembled Hampel's most famous marionette Stringleshanks by Zatanna's father John Zatara. However, the spell bound Hampel's wooden existence to Zatara's bloodline. Hampel would later be awakened by Zatanna's presence and come back to plague her as a PerversePuppet. |
| 441 | * FalseInnocenceTrick: Pretends to be innocent victim that Zatanna's father mistakenly turned into a puppet. Zatanna gives him the beneft of the doubt, but when she put's him on a TruthSerum he shows his true colors. |
| 442 | * ForcedTransformation: Zatanna's dad turned him into a marionette. He later manages to reverse the spell and does this to Zatanna. |
| 443 | * PerversePuppet: What he was turned into. |
| 444 | * SealedEvilInACan: Zatanna traps him in a barrel. |
| 445 | * WhiteDwarfStarlet: When his puppet shows started going out of style. |
| 446 | [[/folder]] |
| 447 | |
| 448 | [[folder:Backslash]] |
| 449 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/backslash.jpg]] |
| 450 | |
| 451 | An evil man who trapped a fairy, giving him powers to briefly rewind time. |
| 452 | |
| 453 | ---- |
| 454 | * AstonishinglyAppropriateAppearance: His time rewinding sword looks like a pair of clock hands. |
| 455 | * CapturedSuperEntity: His sword is empowered by a fairy chained to the hilt. |
| 456 | * EvilBrit: Of the uncommon lower class variety. |
| 457 | * ForTheEvulz: He's a petty man that uses his powers for horrible acts to entertain himself. |
| 458 | * FunWithPalindromes: Zatanna resorts to using this to bypass his time rewinds messing up with her SdrawkcabSpeech spells. |
| 459 | * InflatingBodyGag: Zatanna finishes him off with a [[FunWithPalindromes "Puff up!"]] spell that immobilizes him as his body inflates. She deflates him with his own sword before giving him over to the police. |
| 460 | * LowerClassLout: He gives the impression of being a chav. |
| 461 | * PissTakeRap: Engages in this, much to Zatanna's annoyance. |
| 462 | * SuperWeaponAverageJoe: An unremarkably loutish man that somehow acquired a sword enchanted by a bound fairy. |
| 463 | * TimeRewindMechanic: His sword allows him to do this, which is a problem to Zatanna, since her spells only work when spoken backwards. |
| 464 | * YouMonster: The fairy that's bound to his sword calls him a monster for his wanton murders. |
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