B'wana Beast

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B'wana Beast
Bwanabeastdcu0.jpg
B'wana Beast's debut appearance in Showcase #66 (January 1967).
Art by Mike Sekowsky and Joe Giella.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance As B'wana Beast:
Showcase #66 (January 1967)
As Shining Man:
Animal Man #47 (May 1992)
Created by
In-story information
Alter egoMichael Payson Maxwell
Team affiliations Justice League
Notable aliases
  • Jungle Master
  • White God
  • Shining Man
Abilities
  • Telepathic control over animals
  • Able to fuse two animals into a chimera
  • Superhuman strength, speed, endurance, and agility
  • Heightened senses
  • Experienced wrestler

B'wana Beast (Michael Payson "Mike" Maxwell) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is an African-themed hero who can communicate with and fuse animals.

Contents

B'wana Beast has also appeared in various media outside comics. Kevin Michael Richardson and Peter Onorati voice the character in Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Justice League Unlimited respectively.

Publication history

Created by Bob Haney and Mike Sekowsky, B'wana Beast made his first appearance in Showcase #66 (January 1967). [1] The character was an attempt to capitalize on Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan, borrowing the African jungle setting and "Tarzan yell" which was created in the Johnny Weissmuller incarnation of Tarzan. [2]

Fictional character biography

Michael Maxwell is a ranger in Zambezi's nature preserves who crashes on Mount Kilimanjaro after his plane is struck by lightning. He and his companions take refuge in the cavern home of Djuba, a mutant red gorilla. After drinking the cavern's mineral-rich water, Maxwell gains superhuman strength and defeats Djuba.

Acknowledging Maxwell as its master, Djuba gives him a mystical helmet that enables him to communicate with and fuse animals. [3] Later, S.T.A.R. Labs scientists infect B'wana Beast and Djuba with anthrax. [4] Djuba dies, but Animal Man cures B'wana Beast by enhancing his immune system. [5] In Animal Man #13 (July 1989), Maxwell retires and gives his helmet and elixir to South African activist Dominic Mndawe, who becomes Freedom Beast. [6]

Mike Maxwell returns in Animal Man #47 (May 1992), where the Antagon entity possesses him and transforms him into Shining Man. He wreaks havoc on Earth before being killed in a fight with Metaman. [7]

In The New 52 continuity reboot, B'wana Beast is a rejected Justice League International applicant whose abilities are derived from the Red, a mystical force connecting animal life. [8]

Powers and abilities

B'wana Beast drinks an elixir that gives him superhuman strength, speed, hunting and tracking abilities. He also wears an ancient helmet that allows him to communicate with animals and merge them to form Chimeras. [1] [9] [10]

In other media

Television

Film

B'wana Beast makes a cameo appearance in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies .

Video games

B'wana Beast appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure . [15]

Miscellaneous

B'wana Beast appears in Justice League Unlimited #29. [16]

Merchandise

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References

  1. 1 2 Showcase #66
  2. ↑ Eury, Michael (2017). Hero-a-go-go! : campy comic books, crimefighters & culture of the swinging sixties. Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrrows. p. 67. ISBN   978-1-60549-073-1.
  3. ↑ Morris, Jon (2015). The League of Regrettable Superheroes: Half Baked Heroes from Comic Book History. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Quirk Books. pp. 134–135. ISBN   978-1-59474-763-2.
  4. ↑ Animal Man (vol. 1) #3 (November 1988)
  5. ↑ Animal Man (vol. 1) #4 (December 1988)
  6. ↑ Animal Man (vol. 1) #13 (July 1989)
  7. ↑ Animal Man (vol. 1) #47-50 (May - August 1992)
  8. ↑ Justice League International (vol. 3) #1 (November 2011)
  9. ↑ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019). DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle. DK Publishing. p. 123. ISBN   978-1-4654-8578-6.
  10. ↑ Showcase #67 (March 1967)
  11. ↑ McNeil, Darren (July 2004). "The 1968 DC Filmation Pilots". Back Issue! (5). TwoMorrows Publishing. Archived from the original on January 30, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  12. ↑ The Aquaman Shrine: Aquaman Meets The Blackhawks?
  13. 1 2 3 "B'wana Beast Voices (DC Universe)". Behind The Voice Actors. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  14. ↑ Anderson, Jenna (July 23, 2017). "First Look at B'wana Beast on Legends of Tomorrow". Comic Book. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  15. ↑ Eisen, Andrew (October 4, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Justice League Unlimited #29 - Untamed (Issue)". Comic Vine. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
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