Artemis of Bana-Mighdall
Artemis is a female comic character who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
Artemis was a female Amazon of the tribe of the Bana who splintered off from Themyscira long ago. Settling in Bana-Mighdall, they came to make their home there where they maintained a more war-like culture than their sisters on their homeland. (Wonder Woman v2 #90) Over the centuries the Bana-Mighdallian weapons and services became above par and were in much demand. This way of living continued until the late 20th century, it was into this period that Artemis was born. As a child, Artemis was raised in poverty among her tribe, running naked through barren hills and often hungry. (Artemis: Requiem v1 #1) By the time she was 10 years old, she was trained to carry 50 lbs. packs silently across night battlefields. (Artemis: Requiem v1 #2) When she was 14 years old, she participated in the 'purge' perpetrated by Ra's al Ghul where under his orders she came to fight Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. After Ra's al Ghul's defeat, she ran away, and a couple of months later went back to her homeland. (Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity v1 #1)
Eventually, Wonder Woman found their city while searching for the villain the Cheetah, who had stolen her golden Lasso of Truth. (Wonder Woman v2 #29) The Bana-Mighdallian's original Themyscirian language had changed over time to incorporate Middle Eastern dialects which initially meant that Diana had difficulty communicating with the newly found Amazons. Eventually a battle took place between her and the Bana-Mighdallian's chief warrior or Shim'Tar. Soon an enraged Olympian god Hermes, who was in love with Diana, took vengeance on the desert Amazons for attacking his beloved, and the city of Bana-Mighdall was destroyed. (Wonder Woman v2 #35) Homeless, the remaining Amazons eventually took up with the witch Circe who was a nemesis of Wonder Woman. (Wonder Woman v2 #56) It was agreed that in exchange for their servitude during the events of the War of the Gods Circe would grant them immortality and a new home to call their own. (Wonder Woman v2 #90) It was decided that since the Themyscirian princess was the initial cause of their city being destroyed, they would take over her Amazon city instead. Though only fourteen years of age at this time, Artemis spoke before the Queen and Council to protest the planned attack as she felt that Amazons must not war against each other. (Wonder Woman v2 #0)
Later on, Circe approached them and offered them an alliance where together they would attack Themyscira. Artemis was among the numbers that took part in the assault where they were aware of some rituals that allowed them to breach the mystical barrier on the island. This allowed them to launch a sneak attack on their Amazon sisters but in the midst of the fighting Circe betrayed her allies and sent all of them into a dimension of monsters. Forced to work side by side to survive, the two tribes of Amazons worked together to fight back the daemons assaulting them allowing them to keep the island from being overrun. For their valor, Hippolyta decided to forgive the Bana for their attack and even awarded them a section of Themyscira to be their home with Artemis coming to reside there. Despite this, Artemis came to resent the Amazon Queen's rule as she believed the Bana were given the most desolate quarter of the island and that by right the entirety of the island belonged to them. By this point, Wonder Woman had returned to Themyscira after having defeated the sorceress Circe allowing her to return to her people. Whilst on the island, she met Artemis and the Bana where the red-headed warrior was hostile to Diana. It was then that Mala brought word that a new contest had been started by Hippolyta to select a new Wonder Woman. (Wonder Woman v2 #90) The Amazon Queen had decided that Themyscira needed a new champion to journey into Patriarch's World with this being judged by the contest. Diana came to invite the Bana to participate in the trials against her mother's wishes and Artemis came to take part in them. She along with several of her fellow Bana came to pass through the initial trials but they stood separate from their Themysciran sisters as they still resented them for years of humiliation. In the next stage of the contest, Artemis and the Bana then looked to claim a talisman from their compatriots with them arranging a trap for Diana to claim the prize from her. (Wonder Woman v2 #91)
Wonder Woman
Due to being in the demon dimension, Queen Hippolyta began to see visions of the future. One of those visions included Wonder Woman dying. Keeping this to herself, she called for a new Contest for the title of Wonder Woman, claiming that she felt that Diana had proven inadequate in the role despite Diana's insistence that the world outside was more complicated than they had imagined. Initially excluding the new Amazons, Queen Hippolyta submitted to a vote on the whole to include them at Diana's behest. Through some mystical managing on Hippolyta's part, Artemis eventually won the Contest and became the new Wonder Woman. (Wonder Woman v2 #92)
Superman once commented to Diana that Batman refused to allow Artemis to sit in Diana's chair during Justice League meetings. (Wonder Woman v2 #226) Diana's twin sister Donna Troy even showed resentment toward Artemis carrying the Wonder Woman title, which caused their first meeting to escalate into a heated argument. (Guy Gardner: Warrior v1 #29)
Continuing on her mission, she came to confront the White Magician in his demonic form where she was overwhelmed by her foe. It was then that Diana arrived on the scene where she sought to aid her Amazon sister only for the White Magician to call demonically corrupted allies in the form of Cheetah and Cassandra Arnold. Arnold was sent to fight Artemis who struggled to fight her demonically-empowered strength but she managed to find an opening and shot arrows at the White Magician. He though easily managed to knock the arrows back at her leaving her badly wounded as a result. The White Magician then viciously pulled the arrows out to wound her even more and even threw the Lasso of Truth on her in order to smash her onto the walls. This left her grievously wounded with the dying Artemis gifting the Gauntlet of Atlas to Diana for use against the White Magician where she came to vanquish the demon. Diana was then by Artemis's side where she asked her Themysciran sister to take back the mantle of Wonder Woman and perished from her wounds but not before asking her Amazon sister to forgive her. (Wonder Woman v2 #100)
Requiem
Her soul was later consigned to Hell where she was forced into servitude by demons who in turn served Neron. (Underworld Unleashed v1 #3)
Afterwards, she was one of several heroes that were invited to the Justice League Watchtower on the Moon when the Justice League was looking to recruit new members into their ranks. Ultimately, Tomorrow Woman came to join the superhero team after demonstrating her skills to the League. (JLA v1 #5)
She was the called by Nathaniel of the Hellenders for the task of hunting down the demon Etrigan. (Wonder Woman v2 #121)
Artemis came to be charged with the responsibility of training the young Cassandra Sandsmark in the use of her abilities and in becoming a warrior. (Wonder Woman: Secret Files v1 #1)
Part of this involved going to Death Valley, California where she had herself and Cassie run across it on foot. (Wonder Woman v2 #144)
She was among the people that went alongside Wonder Woman to capture Kara Zor-El with Artemis battling Batman until she was rendered unconscious. (Superman/Batman v1 #9) Afterwards, Kara was taken to Paradise Island to train in the use of her powers with Artemis responsible for her training regimen. (Superman/Batman v1 #10)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of history was created with a different series of events. Artemis
Like most modern Bana-Mighdall, Artemis was not born an Amazon. She was born in America, the daughter of two soldiers, who instilled in her the importance of a life of serving and protecting others. After they shipped out, Artemis lived with her grandmother. They eventually died in the line of duty, and after her grandmother's death, Artemis found her way to the Bana-Mighdall, becoming a member of the Amazonian splinter nation. (Artemis: Wanted v1 #1)
At the age of sixteen, she sought to be gifted with a powerful weapon and intended to be gifted with the Bow of Ra. However, the goddess Nephthys denied her and told Artemis that she was not yet ready for the weapon. (Red Hood and the Outlaws v2 #2)
At some point, she operated in the world and served as a mercenary who sold her services for money. During this time, she came to be employed by Lex Luthor who delighted in having an Amazon under his payroll. (Red Hood and the Outlaws v2 #22)
She was present in Gotham City when she was confronted by the Red Hood Jason Todd who was discovered in Black Mask's criminal organization. (Red Hood and the Outlaws v2 #1)
Artemis was at a bar in California when she was approached by Diana and a new Aztek with the Amazon Princess wanting to recruit the Bana's help. At first, Artemis refused but then found out that the two were looking to rescue the Amazon Atalanta from the Aztec god Tezcatlipoca where the shadow god had taken over the Thirteen Heavens. The three then made their way to Mihoacan in Mexico where Aztek's helmet allowed them to perceive the entrance into the Thirteen Heavens and did battle with his hounds the Nagual. They then came upon Atalanta who revealed that the terror armies of Tezcatlipoca were gathering for an invasion of the world with only the four of them in the way to stop them. (Wonder Woman v5 #52)
With Atalanta with her, she returned alongside Wonder Woman to Bana-Mighdall as she intended for her tribe to be joyous at their founders return. Instead, they found the city preparing for war as Queen Faruka II received word from the outcast criminal Rustam that the Quraci government was preparing to invade Bana-Mighdall. (Wonder Woman v5 #54)
Afterwards, she was among her tribe when a prophecy came to pass that spoke of a new Amazon warrior who was whispered as a child of prophecy that would bring salvation or destruction to the Bana. Queen Faruka had dispatched assassins to deal with the possible threat though Artemis herself decided to investigate the matter herself. This saw her travelling across Brazil in search of her quarry when she spied on Cassie Sandsmark in similar locations. This led to Artemis believing Wonder Girl was following her and she attacked Cassie unaware that Sandsmark was on a similar quest for the new Amazon. A brief fight erupted between the pair when they were confronted by a pair of Amazon assassins who were looking to eliminate Yara Flor. (Wonder Girl v3 #2) After defeating the Amazons, who were sent by Queen Nubia, she agrees to team up with Cassie, as Cassie knows where Yara went. Artemis later saves Cassie from an Amazon of the Amazon. (Wonder Girl v3 #3) After tracking Yara down, Artemis berated Yara for her recklessness. But out of respect for Cassie, she would allow Yara to make her decision of whether or not to become Hera's champion. (Wonder Girl v3 #4)
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Artemis was a tall statuesque muscular Amazon woman with long red hair that she tied into a pony-tail. (Wonder Woman v2 #90)
She was shown to had greatly respected her tribe's founder Atalanta and considered her to be her hero. (Wonder Woman v5 #54)
Artemis initially had nothing for disdain for the original Amazons on Themyscira and their queen Hippolyta. This was because she saw the Bana having been forced off the island and denied their birthright that was immortality. It was these traits that made her hate Diana of Themyscira and at first she despised the Princess of the Amazons. (Wonder Woman v2 #90)
Despite this, she came to see that Diana was the true Wonder Woman and Artemis felt her own ambition as well as arrogance that nearly got them killed. (Wonder Woman v2 #100) She even came to say that Diana was the true winner of their contest in becoming Wonder Woman. (Wonder Woman: Secret Files v1 #1)
Powers and abilities
Pre-Flashpoint : By the time she was 10 years old she was trained to carry 50 lbs. packs silently across night battlefields. (Artemis: Requiem v1 #2) She was shown as being skilled in the use of a bow. (Wonder Woman v2 #90)
She possessed eternal youth which was provided by the witch Circe to her and the rest of her Bana-Mighdall sisterhood. (Wonder Woman v2 #90)
Using the phrase Punji Baal T'Alemi Dar Baharin, she could change into another person/creature and then saying the spell backward to return to her true form. The use of this spell required the expenditure of her life force energy. (Wonder Woman Annual v2 #6)
Post-Flashpoint : She was incapable of flight with this power eluding her. However, she was able to cover distances with great strides and her strong legs allowed her to reach great heights with a single jump. (Red Hood and the Outlaws v2 #2)
Artemis can use her magic to lift curses. (Artemis: Wanted v1 #1)
A weapon with her arsenal was a giant battle axe named Mistress. Artemis was skilled in using it in combat where she could use it as a brute force axe or utilise it to deflect weapon fire. The axe was enchanted with Artemis being able to summon it allowing her to call Mistress to her hands whenever she needed the weapon. (Red Hood and the Outlaws v2 #2) However, the axe was linked to her to the point that if it was damaged then she experienced its pain that were the result of metaphysical injuries. (Red Hood and the Outlaws v2 #5)
She also came to wield the Bow of Ra that was a powerful artifact once belonging to Ra and his designated Bana champion. (Red Hood and the Outlaws v2 #11) With it in hand, Artemis could discharge either regular shots or hyper-destructive solar energy arrows potent enough to shatter stars and planets. (Wonder Woman v5 #55)
From Wonder Woman, she came to receive the Earth-3 Superwoman's Lasso of Submission and given the task of redeeming the weapon. The lasso was capable of forcing people to obey the wielder's commands. (Wonder Woman v5 #55)
Notes
- Artemis was created by William Messner-Loebs and Mike Deodato where she made her first appearance in Wonder Woman v2 #90 (September, 1994).
- In an interview on Bam! Smack! Pow!, writer Steve Orlando commented, "Artemis is the ultimate outlaw, proud warrior of the Bana-Mighdall with a chip on her shoulder the size of a planet. But she’s not cruel, she’s bombastic. She’s confident, always sure she has the best way, and she’s passionate in her rejection of Themyscira. The wounds that split Bana-Mighdall and Themyscira are ever fresh for her…but perhaps it’s time to view things in more than black and white? Diana’s found her complexity, perhaps Artemis has some to uncover as well."
Alternate Versions
In other media
Films
- In Wonder Woman, Artremis appeared in the 2009 animated movie where she was voiced by actress Rosario Dawson. She was depicted as being a Themyscirian Amazon who fought beside Queen Hippolyta in ancient Greece against Ares and his army. According to Hippolyta, she was the fiercest of the Amazons of the time and believed that even those such as Alexa should die like a warrior if they could not fight like one. Ultimately, Hippolyta managed to best Ares and Zeus intervened where he allowed his son to live as a prisoner of the Amazons. Hera made the Amazons live as immortals on Paradise Island where they were mystically shrouded from the outside world. Artemis's warrior skills would become surpassed by Hippolyta's magically created daughter Diana who regularly sparred with the red headed warrior. During these sparring sessions, Diana as an adult managed to constantly defeat Artemis during the lessons. Artemis later led the hunting party that pursued crashed American pilot Steve Trevor who was captured and brought before Queen Hippolyta. She voiced the opinion of killing the man but he was allowed to return back to Man's World. Queen Hippolyta later announced the Contest that would decide which Amazon would take Captain Trevor back to America with Artemis assigned to coordinate the event. A champion emerged that turned out to be Diana in disguise who was gifted the magical relics of the Amazons and allowed to depart with Trevor onboard an invisible jet.
- In Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, Artemis made an appearance in the animated film where she was voiced by actress Rachel Quaintance in an uncredited role. She was shown to be involved in the training of Kara Zor-El who had been brought to Paradise Isle when Supergirl was brought there to better control her powers through hand-to-hand fighting skills. Artemis managed to get the upper hand in the fight when Superman interrupted it where she later warned Kal-El not to lay a hand on her again. She was shown to lead the Amazons in battle against numerous monsters from Apokolips made in the form of Doomsday. Artemis later showed her appreciation towards Superman who saved her. Afterwards, Artemis was in the Amazon's battle arena showing attention to Supergirl as she made began wearing her costume.
Video games
- In Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, Artemis made a cameo appearance as a non-playable character in the setting of the 2008 fighting video game.
- In DC: Unchained, Artemis appeared as a playable character in the setting of the mobile video game. Her backstory references her as being the niece of Hippolyta and an Amazon ally of Wonder Woman.
Appearances
- Wonder Woman v2: (1994)
- Wonder Woman Annual v2:
- Artemis: Requiem v1:
- Wonder Woman: Secret Files v1: (1998)
- Underworld Unleashed v1: (1995)
- JLA v1:
- Secret Six v2:
- Red Hood and the Outlaws v2:
- Wonder Woman v5:
- Wonder Girl v3: (2021)
External Links
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