Cheetah (character)

Cheetah is the codename for several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Among the most prominent of Wonder Woman's adversaries, the first version of the character debuted in Wonder Woman #6 (1943), created by William Moulton Marston and H. G. Peter while the most popular incarnation first debuted in Wonder Woman #7 (vol. 2) (August, 1987) following Crisis on Infinite Earths.

The original Cheetah is Priscilla Rich, a socialite with mental complications who gained a strong disdain for Wonder Woman. Within the Golden and Silver Age, she battle Diana and eventually is sentenced to Arkham Asylum. Following Crisis on Infinite Earths, her history is instead attributed to Hipployta's tenure as Wonder Woman until being murdered by successor Minerva, whom she had previously condemned.

The most well-known version is Dr. Barbara Ann Minerva, famed archaeologist whose interests in Greek mythology and reputation for gathering artifacts regardless of the risks leads to a encounter with Urzkartaga, a plant god who transforms her by imbuing her with the spirit of the Cheetah, making her a demigod, the plant god's bride, and the third woman to take the Cheetah codename. Once an ally and close friend of Wonder Woman when she first left Themyscira, the pair's adversarial relationship originates from Minerva's fierce blame for Diana's inability to save her while the latter seeks to save her from Urzkartaga's cruse.

The Cheetah character has been adapted in various forms of media outside of comics, including animated series, films, and video games. Kristen Wiig portrayed the Barbara Minerva version of the character in the 2020 DC Extended Universe film Wonder Woman 1984, marking the character's live-action debut.

The first Cheetah is Priscilla Rich, a debutante who has an inferiority complex and suffers from a split personality. After being eclipsed by Wonder Woman at a charity event and failing to kill her during an escapology act, Priscilla retreats to her room and collapses before her makeup mirror. There, she sees an image of a woman dressed like a cheetah who commands her to fashion a costume from a cheetah-skin rug.

The Cheetah frames Wonder Woman for a robbery by hiding the money in her apartment and tipping off the police, then sets fire to a warehouse Wonder Woman is in, although the heroine escapes. She is presumed dead, but survives thanks to her fireproof costume. The Cheetah kidnaps a young psychic girl named Gail and uses her powers to learn U.S. military secrets, which she gives to the Japanese. Wonder Woman thwarts the plot and rescues Gail, although the Cheetah warns Wonder Woman to stay out of her affairs.

Cheetah returns when an American military official organizes an athletic competition between female athletes from America and a group of women trained on Paradise Island. Priscilla ties up and gags an Olympic high hurdler named Kay Carlton, and impersonates her by donning her clothes. Priscilla infiltrates the contest, kidnaps Queen Hippolyta, and steals her magical girdle. With Hippolyta as her hostage and her abilities boosted by the girdle, the Cheetah battles Wonder Woman for control of Paradise Island. She is defeated when the Amazon manages to pull the girdle off her. Temporarily freed from the Cheetah's influence, Priscilla asks to remain on Paradise Island for treatment.

Priscilla's attempt at reformation apparently failed, as she is later seen as a member of Villainy Inc., a criminal association between several of Wonder Woman's female foes.