Dora Milaje
The Dora Milaje are a group that feature in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
History
The Dora Milaje were a cadre of elite female warriors in the nation of Wakanda who served as protectors of the ruling Black Panther.
During Benhazin's reign, the Dora Milaje initiations were opened to all women of all tribes, which caused their numbers to triple, as tribes felt it was the opportunity to have one of their one become the queen. (Black Panther: Protectors of Wakanda v1 #1)
Eventually, it was settled that every five years, every tribe would send their most worthy women between the age of 15 and 20 so they could be selected to become Dora Milaje. (Black Panther: Protectors of Wakanda v1 #1)
Once, King T'Chaka decided to tour the Borderlands and brought his son T'Challa with him as part of his training. Also accompanying were, as usual, the Dora Milaje. When T'Challa wandered off and got lost, the king sent the Dora after him, but after hours of looking, they were unable to find him, so the king disbanded the team. (Black Panther: Protectors of Wakanda v1 #1)
When King Regent S'Yan reinstated the Doras, the former Captain, Zola, wasn't allowed back, since she was the one in charge when the prince was lost. Instead, she was tasked with creating a training facility that would give the Doras a more formal training. (Black Panther: Protectors of Wakanda v1 #1)
The presence of the Dora Milaje in the Black Panther's family was to serve as potential wives that kept the peace between the city dwellers and the tribal factions of the kingdom. (Black Panther v3 #2)
T'Challa saw the role of the group to become more of a ceremonial post. During this time, the Black Panther travelled to the U.S. where he was accompanied by Dora Milaje bodyguards Okoye and Nakia. In this time, T'Challa had to contend with Mephisto where he was under the influence of illusion causing him to passionately kiss Nakia. This came to fuel the girls obsessions as she was madly in love with T'Challa. (Black Panther v3 #3) Later on, Monica Lynne came to re-enter T'Challa's life which caused Nakia to react with jealously that led to her ejecting Lynne from a fighter plane during a war. As a result of her actions, she came to be expelled from the ranks of the Dora Milaje. (Black Panther v3 #12)
Okoye was later joined by a new recruit in the Dora Milaje: Chanté Giovanni Brown, of Chicago. Princess of the outlawed Jabari Tribe, worshipers of the White Gorilla, Chante had been exiled to the United States of America during the tribal warfare that killed her parents. She only learned of her Wakandan heritage when T'Challa approached her and inducted her into the Dora Milaje; however, it was still several months before T'Challa explained the circumstances of her parents' death. (Black Panther v3 #35)
Over time, the order of the Dora Milaje expanded considerably, with more than a dozen active participants from the various tribes. Their service continued even after T'Challa's marriage to Ororo. (Black Panther v4 #18)
During his recovery, T'Challa secretly had the Dora Milaje begin training for a new fighting sub-style to combat robots and improve their efficiency to allow them to more effectively dodged force bolts. (Black Panther v5 #8) In order to combat Dr Doom, fighting mistress Aneka devised a new form of combat that combined science and sorcery with the most vicious fighting secrets. She would later lead five hundred warriors into battle against seventy thousand Wakandan troops. (Doomwar v1 #3)
After Thanos's invasion of Wakanda, the Dora Milaje publically broke ties with T'Challa for his lies and secret meetings with Namor despite the Sub-Mariners actions in the past that harmed the Golden City. They revealed their knowledge of these rendezvous when Queen Shuri met with her brother to discuss why he was hiding at the Necropolis. (New Avengers v3 #12)
A crisis in Wakanda emerged when Aneka of the Dora Milaje killed a corrupt chieftain who had been abusing young girls. This caused her to be arrested and tried for being a murderer though a petition was made to the Queen-Mother Ramonda to free her. However, Ramonda refused and instead upheld the sentence. At Fort Hahn, she was rescued by her fellow Dora Milaje Ayo who was her lover as well and the two escaped which made the pair wanted criminals in Wakanda. The pair had taken the prototype Midnight Angel armor and felt that the Black Panther had turned his back on them. (Black Panther v6 #1)
Members of the Dora Milaje later went to America in order to apprehend the renegade Nakia who had acquired a Mimic-27 weapon. (Amazing Spider-Man: Wakanda Forever v1 #1)
During the War of the Realms, the forces of the Dark Council came to invade the Earth in order to claim it for their own. In this time, the Dora Milaje worked with heroes in repelling the attackers where they defended Wakanda from the Angels of Heven who looked to claim the entirety of Africa as New Heven. (War of the Realms v1 #5)
Overview
They were a cult of warrior women that were dedicated in their protection to the royal family. (Doomwar v1 #3) The group were held as being upholders of Wakanda's laws with these women being exemplars of their nation. (Black Panther: World of Wakanda v1 #5) They were considered a smart, loyal and powerful force that served the ruler of Wakanda. (X-Men: Wakanda Forever v1 #1) The term Dora Milaje translated into English to mean "Adored Ones" who served as the king's concomitants. (Black Panther v3 #2) They were considered a tribal aspect of Wakandan culture where they served as wives-in-training. (Black Panther v3 #1) All tended to be teenagers with Amazonian styled bodies and trained in some form of martial arts. They only spoke to the ruler of Wakanda and did so exclusively in Hausa. (Black Panther v3 #2) The king often referred to them as "beloved". (Black Panther v3 #3) They were held as champions of their nation who were celebrated in fables and songs. (Black Panther v6 #1)
Service required sacrifice that took more from them than they think they could give and even more beyond imagining. Its recruits were taught to serve, fight, to be fierce and fearless with excellence being the expectation for new recruits. After the completion of their training, they went through an initiation ceremony that formally inducted them into the ranks of the Dora Milaje with the ruling monarch observing the event. Part of this event saw markings put on the warriors so that all could know the honor these women had by serving in the group. (Black Panther: World of Wakanda v1 #1)
As they were wives-in-training, any act of intercourse or passionate kiss on the lips by the king would be a declaration of intent and thus the girl was unable to marry anyone except the leader of Wakanda. (Black Panther v3 #3) Wakandan culture held this mere act to be the equivalent of a proposal. (Black Panther v3 #4)
An elite unit of Dora Milaje known as the Midnight Angels operated as a special wetworks team. (Doomrwar v1 #5)
They did not remember the weak nor could they pause for tears and regret. (Black Panther v5 #11)
Each Dora Milaje was a daughter of one of the eighteen tribes of Wakanda. (Doomwar v1 #2) Recruits went through numerous initiation trials where one included going into a cave made of Vibranium and seeing a future version of themselves in the echo chamber whilst trying to solve equations. (X-Men: Wakanda Forever v1 #1)
Their headquarters in Wakanda was situated at Upanga. (Black Panther: World of Wakanda v1 #1)
A special weapon in their arsenal was a Mimic-27 that was a shapeshifting symbiotic supersoldier mass that responded to sound from a special drum and left a Vibranium footprint in its movements. The amoeboid mass could generate arms and alter its shape as commanded by its controller allowing it to perform a range of actions such as generating a number of tentacles to attack its enemies. (Amazing Spider-Man: Wakanda Forever v1 #1)
Membership
- Aneka :
- Nakia : served as T'Challa's personal aide. (Black Panther v3 #1)
- Okoye : served as T'Challa's chauffeur. (Black Panther v3 #1)
- Queen Divine Justice :
- Teela : team leader of the Midnight Angel's. (Doomrwar v1 #6)
- Zola :
- Ayo :
- Folami :
- Nareema :
- M'yra :
- Asira :
- Zobae : a former member of the Dora Milaje who for unknown reasons left their ranks and Wakanda where she settled in America in California. Whilst there, she married and had two children named Johnny Watts and Ramone Watts but died when they were teenagers. (West Coast Avengers v3 #9)
Notes
- The Dora Milaje were created by Christopher Priest and Mark Texeira where they make their first appearance in Black Panther v3 #1 (November, 1998)
- In an interview with Christopher Priest, he commented on the Dora Milaje where he stated "The “brides in training,” his bodyguards the Dora Milaje, grew out of Don McGregor’s brilliant concepts of tribal castes within Wakanda, which made perfect sense."
- It was noted that the Dora Milaje had many similarities to the Dahomey Amazons that were an all-female army that pledged a similar loyalty to the throne and were praised for their bravery and strength.
Alternate Versions
- In Marvel's Black Panther Prelude v2 (2017), the Dora Milaje appeared in the tie-in comic to the Marvel Cinematic Universe film.
- In Spider-Man Noir v2 #2 (2020), an alternate version of the Dora Milaje appeared in the Marvel Noir reality that was designated as Earth-90214 in the Multiverse. The Wakandan Dora Milaje were sworm to guard and protect the M'kraan Crystal hidden inside the Temple of Inanna in Uruk, Babylon. Shortly before World War II, to interfere with the ongoing Sixth Excavation of Uruk by the Nazi Party, the Wakandans joined with the other Allied powers in order to keep the M'kraan Crystal out of the Nazi hands. Two Wakandans undercover as diplomats from Brazil arranged for "Harry Charles" to pilot Peter Parker and Dr. Huma Bergmann to Berlin. In Berlin they made contact with American agent Byron Ironsides, who directed them to Istanbul. "Harry" flew the pair to the Turkish capital, where they were joined by another agent codenamed Checkpoint Red.
In other media
Television
- In Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the Dora Milaje appeared in the setting of the animated television series. They were shown as the female bodyguards for the King of Wakanda. Previously, they served T'Chaka until he was murdered by Man-Ape in ritual combat and per Wakandan tradition they were forced to serve the usurper king. T'Challa travelled back to Wakanda with the Avengers after enlisting their aid against the Man-Ape. However, as Man-Ape killed T'Challa's father, the Dora Milaje served him and were told to kill Black Panther when he invoked ritual combat. The presence of Captain America led to the Dora Milaje fighting them whilst T'Challa fought against Man-Ape and after his defeat they resumed their service to the Panther tribe.
- In Iron Man: Armored Adventures, the Dora Milaje appeared in the setting of the animated television series in the the episode "Line of Fire". T'Challa was shown to order his aide W'Kabi to have the Dora Milaje to get a stolen shipment of Vibranium back to Wakanda whilst the Black Panther went to America to complete his mission of stopping Hammer Multinational's plans to acquire more of the substance for Project Titanium.
- In Avengers Assemble, the Dora Milaje appeared in the animated series in the episode "Panther's Rage" with Aneka being shown. They were referred to as the bodyguards of the King of Wakanda.
Films
- In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Dora Milaje made multiple appearances in the shared continuity setting.
- In Captain America: Civil War, Ayo appeared in the live-action film though was not named as being a member of the Dora Milaje.
- In Black Panther, the Dora Milaje featured heavily in the setting of the live-action film. They were shown as being a red-garbed all-female bodyguard detail that defended the king of Wakanda. Several accompanied King T'Chaka during his secret visit to America to check on the activities of his brother. They later went on to serve his son T'Challa after he became king and attended the ceremonial challenge whereby contenders could fight for the throne of the kingdom. Due to tradition, they were bound to serve Erik Killmonger after he seemingly killed T'Challa during a challenge. However, when T'Challa re-emerged they decided to side with him as the challenge required that either a party yield or died thus making Killmonger's claim into question. Thus, they fought against the forces that had sided with Killmonger in the battle.
- In Avengers: Infinity War, the Dora Milaje appeared in the setting of the live-action film. They participated in the Battle of Wakanda as they fought the army of Thanos to prevent him from claiming the Infinity Stone that resided in the Vision.
Video games
- In Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, the Dora Milaje appeared in the setting of the video game. They were shown as one of the defenders of Wakanda during the Fold invasion of the country.
- In Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, the Dora Milaje appeared in the setting of the Wii video game. They were female Wakandan warrior that were guardians of the nation and its leader the Black Panther. They assisted their ruler in defending Wakanda from an A.I.M. attack but their souls were stripped of them by M.O.D.O.K. using the Soul Stone allowing him to control their bodies thus turning them against their allies. After M.O.D.O.K.s. defeat, they were restored to normal whereupon the country was freed from A.I.M.s tyranny.
- In Marvel's Avengers, the Dora Milaje appeared in the setting of the 2020 video game in the War for Wakanda DLC.
- In Marvel Realm of Champions, the Dora Milaje appeared in the setting of the mobile video game. Since the first Black Panther, the mantle has been passed down from singular monarch to singular monarch. The Black Panther was the ruler of Wakanda, protected by their elite guard; The Dora Milaje. Since the tragic fall of King T'Challa at the hands of The Maestro, and the banishing of Wakanda's lands, the new Queen Shuri has done away with such anachronistic practices. The mantle of Black Panther is no longer the privilege of royalty; it is the right of any Wakandan. The Dora Milaje have now become the Black Panthers – elite huntresses empowered by the Heart-Shaped Herb and a wide array of traditional and futuristic suits, all powered by the Vibranium on which Wakanda sits.
Appearances
- Black Panther v3: (1998)
- Doomwar v1 #1-6:
- Black Panther v4:
- Black Panther v5:
- Black Panther: World of Wakanda:
- X-Men: Wakanda Forever v1:
- War of the Realms v1:
- Taskmaster v3:
External Link
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