Cheetah ruled as long Wonder Woman Most iconic villain, a status I initially and solely attributed to Barbara Minerva’s long-standing role as an enemy in comics. However, discovering Cheetah’s terrifying post-apocalyptic form made me realize what truly defines their rivalry. They embody the classic God Vs. monster trope, capturing the essence of their dynamic in a way that makes them perfect rivals.
Wonder Woman: Dead Earth #1 by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer opens with Diana awakening from a centuries-long slumber, only to discover that her friends are long gone and Earth has become a wasteland. With her last memories missing, Wonder Woman joins a group of human survivors, determined to uncover the mystery behind the destruction of Earth and protect the rapidly dwindling human population.
However, the humans she teams up with soon betray and imprison her, forcing her to fight for their entertainment in an arena. Diana’s opponent turns out to be a familiar but dramatically transformed figure – a mutated Barbara “Cheetah” Minerva.
Cheetah’s post-apocalyptic mutations reveal her final form as she battles Wonder Woman
Panels come from Wonder Woman: Dead Earth #1 (2019) by Daniel Warren Johnson
Wonder Woman: Dead Earth #1 replaces Barbara’s formerly lithe feline form with a hulking, mutated body. Notably, her right hand has become a fully functional and deadly cheetah head. Towering over Wonder Woman, this version of Cheetah also has a horrifying mutation on the right side of her face – a gaping orifice filled with teeth and fangs. The drastic physical change is implied to result from the nuclear fallout from the bombs that humans dropped in their failed attempt to eradicate the Amazons.
In addition to the shock factor of Cheetah’s mutated form, it also made me realize that Diana and Barbara embody the classic Greek god vs. monster dynamic. Wonder Woman represents the heroic warrior archetype, while Cheetah is the monstrous beast. Although the dynamic has always been between them, Cheetah Dead Earth Design exaggerates her monstrous qualities to such a degree that it crystallizes their rivalry. Their stark contrast as polar opposites on this trope shows why they work so well as rivals. Furthermore, their complex and emotional bond, rooted in their past friendship, further deepens the god vs. monster dynamic.
Wonder Woman and Cheetah are cosmically destined to be each other’s rivals (& Dead Earth prove it)
Panels come from Wonder Woman #10 (2024) by Tom King
Adding to their god vs. Monster dynamic and the complexity of their relationship, Wonder Woman and Cheetah are exceptionally well suited for each other due to a concept introduced in Tom King’s ongoing. Wonder Woman flow: “…if there’s a Wonder Woman, there must also be a Cheetah.” This idea suggests a cosmic bond between the two women, a deep and powerful idea that is subtly supported by the narrative of Dead Earth. As previously noted, while all of Diana’s friends and family perished during her centuries-long slumber, Barbara is the one who remains. This reinforces the idea that if there is a Wonder WomanThere must also be a Cheetah.
Wonder Woman: Dead Earth #1 is now available from DC Comics!