Hey, pay attention to me! I'm fascinating. 
- — Zatanna Zatara src
History
Origin
Zatanna Zatara is the daughter of magician Giovanni “John” Zatara and Sindella, a member of the mystical Homo Magi race. Zatanna is a direct descendant of the artist and magician Leonardo da Vinci, and is related to Nostradamus; Alessandro Cagliostro; the noted alchemists Nicholas Flamel and Evan Fulcanelli; and Lord Arion of Atlantis. Her cousin, Zachary Zatara, is also a magician.
Zatanna was raised by her father after her mother seemingly died after her birth. In truth, her mother, Sindella, faked her death to return to her people. She became a successful stage illusionist before she discovered her true magical powers while investigating the disappearance of her father. With the help of Batman, the Atom, Elongated Man and others, she was successfully reunited with him. [2] She also later reunited with her mother. Her time with both parents was short, however, and, unfortunately, both of her parents were killed on separate occasions while saving her life.
Zatanna assisted the Justice League of America on a number of cases before being elected to full membership. During her tenure with the group her power levels diminished briefly, so that she could only control the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. It should be noted that this limitation was only temporary and that her magical ability was fully restored. Later Zatanna was worried about her lack of focus while using magic. She decided that her father's style of magic was wrong for her, and explored her mother's mystical heritage.
While Zatanna was a member of the Justice League, the villain Dr. Light stole aboard the Watch Tower and raped the Elongated Man's wife Sue Dibny. When Zatanna and several others Leaguers returned, they saw what Dr. Light had done. A fight broke out and when they finally managed to subdue him, he began to threaten them and their families. Zatanna was prepared to erase Light's memories of the incident, but his terrible brutality and his promises to do it again sparked a debate among the present League members on whether or not to tamper with his personality and prevent him from repeating his crime. Zatanna, Hawkman, and The Atom voted for such action, while Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Green Lantern voted against. The Flash broke the tie and voted to tamper with Light's mind. Zatanna used her magic to do so, but the difficulty of the process resulted in her accidentally lowering his intellect. In the midst of her spell, Batman appeared and tried to stop them. Zatanna froze him, and they voted to have her erase his memories of the incident as well.
Zatanna's mind-wipe of Dr. Light was not an isolated occurrence. Catwoman discovered that her journey from villain to hero and her resulting efforts to lead a moral life were caused by Zatanna's mental intervention. Selina came to distrust her memories, motives, and choices she had made since that incident. In a fit of rage, Catwoman ties Zatanna up and pushes her through a window. Despite this, Zatanna helps Catwoman and, at Selina's behest, mind-wipes petty villains Film Freak and Angle Man, because they had deduced Catwoman's secret identity.
Zatanna and Batman’s friendship degraded once Batman discovered what she had done. He began to distrust her and his other friends in the super hero community. When Zatanna helped Batman with reconnaissance at a Lazarus Pit, she asks him why he came to her. "I needed someone I can trust," Batman said, "but I had to settle for you." This must have been especially hard for her to hear, seeing that she and Bruce Wayne had been close friends since childhood.
Recently, however, their relationship appears to have warmed; sometime later he called her for information on a card-counter involved in scamming the Penguin. He makes no mention of their conflict, and casually calls her by her nickname, "Zee".
They also investigated the murder of one of Zatanna's former employees, who died while performing in one of Loxias's shows. When they find Loxias, he reveals that he is not, in fact, who they think he is. He is the Joker. The Joker shoots Zatanna and locks her in a tank of water. He manages to get the upper hand on Zatanna and Bruce at first, but Bruce breaks the stage chair he was tied to in order to free Zatanna from the tank Joker put her in. Afterwards, Bruce stays along side of her while she rested through the night. This suggests he still has feelings for her. When Zatanna asks why they did not start a deeper relationship, Batman states while he does want to open everything to her, he does not want to bring her into his dark world. They both depart in a friendly state.
Shortly after, Zatanna met Catwoman while performing on Gotham City and after a quick talk and a cards reading session, Zatanna learned that Catwoman was having troubles with Bruce and she prompted Selina to talk to him before it was too late.[3] Later that night, Selina was attacked by Hush, who removed her heart from her body. After Batman retrieved her heart and Selina was recovering on a hospital room, Zatanna talked to Catwoman's subconscious mind and apologized for not telling her about the incoming danger while reading the cards. Before leaving, Zatanna gave Selina a bottle of a magical ointment that would heal Selina's scar faster.[4]
After departing from the League, Zatanna continues her stage career and her vocation as a defender against mystical threats, becoming a member of the Sentinels of Magic. She is also the author of the hugely successful Hex Appeal: The Modern Girl's Guide to Magic.
At a superhero support group run by Etta Candy, she recounted how during a failed magical ritual to search for her father's tomes, one of her past ill-cast spells summoned a shapeshifter named Gwydion, who kills her companions. The trauma of this, combined with her guilt from her mind-wipes, caused her to lose confidence in herself and she lost her powers. With the help of her new apprentice Misty Kilgore, she was able to capture Gwydion to use as her own. She eventually regained her confidence and powers, and used them to defeat Zor, a rogue Time Tailor who released the Sheeda as a plague to infect and degrade the entire universe. As a reward, the other Time Tailors allowed her one last meeting with her father, who reveals that his books were written in her, his greatest spell and gift to the world. In the final battle against the Sheeda, Zatanna cast a spell to move time and space, retroactively positioning the Seven Soldiers to overthrow the Sheeda.
Zatanna acts as a reserve member of the Justice League, aiding them from time to time when her magical expertise is needed. She declined an offer for full membership, stating her need to take a break from heroics. She is still a regular guardian against mystical threats.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Magic: Zatanna is a homo magi, a human born with the affinity to manipulate magic. Her unique genetic structure allows her to use the magic she was born with as well as learned magic. As a tribute to her father, and as a focus for her spells, she casts spells by speaking backwards or "Logomancy". For example, saying "pots" would cause the target of the spell to stop in their tracks.
- Elemental Control: Zatanna can manipulate magical elements such as:
- Pyrokinesis: Generate heat and manipulate magical fire.
- Cryokinesis: Generate cold and manipulate magical ice crystals.
- Electrokinesis: Generate electricity and manipulate magical lightning.
- Hydrokinesis: Generate and manipulate magical water.
- Geokinesis: Generate and manipulate magical rocks.
- Aerokinesis: Generate and manipulate magical wind.
- Photokinesis: Generate and manipulate magic lights.
- Umbrakinesis: Generate and manipulate magic shadows.
- Telekinesis: Zatanna can move/obtain objects at a distance with her spells.[5][6][7]
- Telepathy: Zatanna can also read minds, view and erase memories of others with or without the person's consent.[6][8]
- Teleportation: She can send herself and/or anyone to anyplace she/they wish to visit without any space/time restrictions.[6][9][10][7][11][12]
- Dimensional Travel: Zatanna can travels through dimensions through portals she opened with magic.
- Reality Alteration: She can manipulate reality at will to inflicts confusions and mental trauma on her target.
- Antipathy: Zatanna can reverse physical trauma so all damage that comes to her will hit her target instead.
- Deflection: Zatanna can return energy projections sent to her back to their source without loss of momentum or power.[9]
- Chronokinesis: Zatanna can move time forwards or backwards or even stops time in demand.
- Weather Manipulation: Zatanna can control and affects the weather in a certain area.
- Eldritch Blast: Zatanna can blast enemies with mystical energy.[9][10][7][11]
- Energy Construct Creation: Zatanna can use her magical energies to create inanimate objects such as traps or devices to suit her needs.[9][13][10][14]
- Energy Transference: Zatanna once forced a "nightmare" demon into the dreams of hundreds of people to split him apart then locked him away in her hat.[15][9][16]
- Flight: Zatanna can fly or levitate however she says that this requires a lot of energy and concentration and therefore she chooses not to fly if possible.[13][11]
- Force Field: Zatanna can create magical shields to withstand bullets, blasts, blows and explosions. The greater the size or density of the shield the more effort it takes Zatanna to hold.[9][10]
- Healing: Zatanna can heal herself or whoever she choses from most injuries.[9]
- Phasing: Zatanna can make herself into her "phantom form" and become intangible.
- Size Alteration: Zatanna can increase or decrease her size or the size of others to any conceivable size.[9]
- Transformation: Zatanna can turn anything into anything else, essentially. For instance, she has turned bullets into paper airplanes[14] as well changing her clothes instantly.[6][8] Most often she changes violent objects into harmless things.[9][13][10][7][17]
- Elemental Control: Zatanna can manipulate magical elements such as:
Abilities
- Prestidigitation: Zatanna is a greatly skilled magician and an expert illusionist, therefore performing extraordinary (real)tricks and incredible illusions on stage is super simple to her.
- Hypnosis: Zatanna can hypnotize anyone and command them to do anything she pleases.
- Meditation: Through meditation, Zatanna can astral project.[8]
- Astral Projection: Zatanna's consciousness can leave her physical body and travel to other planes of existence.[8]
- Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced): Zatanna has received extensive training from her time with the Justice League and from her father who always told her to rely on her wits as well as her fists should her magic fail.[6][13][7][14]
- Occultism: As a chronicler of magic she possesses an extensive understanding of occult lore due to her mystic background.[18]
- Multilingualism: Able to speak English and many other languages and her signature "Backwards Speech".[11] She also speaks some Spanish.[6]
Weaknesses
- Mnemonic Incantation: Zatanna casts her spells by saying the words of her incantations backwards. Mnemonic incantation is the most complicated of the mystic arts. On one occasion, the assassin Deathstroke delivered a direct blow to her liver, initiating a regurgitation reaction. On a separate occasion, The Joker (disguised as the stage magician Loxias) shot Zatanna in the neck, rendering her magic useless. She must be able to speak or read backwards in order for her to focus her spells.
- Vulnerability to Magic: Powerful enchantments against beings of magic, like gods, are able to restrict her as well, preventing her from accessing enchanted places or dispel the adverse charm.[18] Harmful magical realms such as Hell can also hinder how often she can speak her spells and can cause her great physical damage.[19]
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Magic Wand: Usually, she is often seen with a magic wand, although whether it is a stage prop or an actual focus for her power remains unknown. She does not need it though, considering her recent appearances without one and being able to cast spells effectively.
- Magician's hat: She can project energies/things out from her hat or even take out any equipment she needs. The hat can also be used as a portal or a dungeon to capture and trap her target in it for as long as she wants. It is also unknown if its just a stage prop or a focus for her power. And just like her wand, she does not need it in order to use her magical powers.
Notes
- Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-One era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and should be considered apocryphal.
- In 1964 the character of Zatanna is introduced. Her childhood is subject to several contradictions. The story of her introduction revolves around her search for her father, Giovanni “John” Zatara. The issues surrounding her search have an internal contradiction. In Hawkman #4, her first appearance, she states that her father disappeared “several years ago,” but in her sixth appearance Justice League of America #51, published in 1967, she states that she has not seen her father “in twenty long years.” Later, in Secret Origins 27 it is stated that her father disappeared soon after her eighteenth birthday. As of the publication of Justice League of America #51, the identity of her mother had yet to be revealed. Sindella first appeared in Justice League of America Vol 1 163, published in 1979. Sindella is said to have left immediately after Zatanna’s birth, faking her death to return to her people. If the twenty year separation and the departure of her mother are both accepted as true, Zatanna would have been orphaned. Many other stories refer to her being raised by her father, so it is best to assume that Allura cursed her father around her eighteenth birthday, not soon after her birth. Her father left her sometime immediately thereafter, and they were separated for only “several years."
Trivia
- Zatanna's nicknames include the Mistress of Magic, Princess of Prestidigitation, Zee, Z, Zanna, Zanny, and Magic Maid.
- Zatanna owns a mansion called Shadowcrest, in which she keeps a vast library of magical knowledge, as well as an arsenal of powerful relics, enough to do "just about anything you'd want to do." Shadowcrest seems to exist in a completely different dimension, although it is initially located outside of Gotham.
- Zatanna is a vegetarian.[6]
- Zatanna Zatara (New Earth) appears as Zatanna (Prime) a playable character in the Infinite Crisis video game.
Related
- 523 Appearances of Zatanna Zatara (New Earth)
- 195 Images featuring Zatanna Zatara (New Earth)
- 22 Quotations by or about Zatanna Zatara (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Zatanna Zatara (New Earth)
External Links
- Zatanna Recommended Reading
- JLA: Zatanna's Search
- Justice League of America (Volume 1)
- Adventure Comics (Volume 1)
- Supergirl (Volume 1)
- Zatanna Special #1
- Zatanna (Volume 1)
- Day of Judgment (Volume 1)
- Reign in Hell (Volume 1)
- Zatanna: Everyday Magic
- Seven Soldiers: Zatanna (Volume 1)
- Zatanna (Volume 2)
- Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell
- Mystik U (Volume 1)
Footnotes
- ↑ Seven Soldiers: Zatanna 4
- ↑ JLA: Zatanna's Search
- ↑ Detective Comics #847
- ↑ Detective Comics #850
- ↑ Identity Crisis #1
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Zatanna (Volume 2) #1
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Zatanna (Volume 2) #9
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Zatanna (Volume 2) #8
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 Zatanna (Volume 2) #3
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Zatanna (Volume 2) #7
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Zatanna (Volume 2) #12
- ↑ Reign in Hell #3
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Zatanna (Volume 2) #4
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Zatanna (Volume 2) #15
- ↑ Zatanna (Volume 2) #2
- ↑ Zatanna (Volume 2) #14
- ↑ Zatanna (Volume 2) #11
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Zatanna (Volume 2) #10
- ↑ Reign in Hell Vol 1 3
  This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats. |
 This character is or was a member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory, or the Seven Soldiers in any of its various incarnations, created during World War II and later, it returned to battle time-traveling, dimension-spanning mysteries and monsters. |
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