Pantha

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Pantha
Panthadcu1.jpg
Pantha as depicted in Who's Who in the DC Universe #14 (November 1991); art by Tom Grummett.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance New Titans #73
(February 1991)
Created by Marv Wolfman (writer)
Tom Grummett (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoRosabelle Mendez
Species Metahuman
Team affiliations Teen Titans
Black Lantern Corps
Notable aliasesX-24
Abilities
  • Enhanced strength, agility, and vision
  • Powerful claws

Pantha (Rosabelle Mendez) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She is a member of the Teen Titans who gained cat-like abilities from experimentation by the Wildebeest Society. Pantha was killed by Superboy-Prime during the Infinite Crisis event in 2006 and made limited appearances afterwards before being resurrected following The New 52 and DC Rebirth relaunches.

Contents

Diane Delano voices Pantha in the animated series Teen Titans , where she is depicted as a human wrestler and honorary member of the Titans.

Publication history

Pantha first appeared in New Titans #73 (February 1991) and was created by Marv Wolfman and Tom Grummett. [1] [2] [3]

Pantha was conceived as an "anti-member" of the Titans, being morally ambiguous and bitter. According to editor Jonathan Peterson, Pantha was intended to have once been a human before being altered by the Wildebeest Society. Peterson had plans for a story where she was returned to her original form, only to become Pantha again by the story's end. [4]

Pantha's death in Infinite Crisis underwent several revisions. Initially, writer Geoff Johns intended Argent to die, but editor Eddie Berganza objected to the idea, as he was fond of the character and had plans for her. Terra and Red Star were also considered to die before Baby Wildebeest, Pantha, and Bushido were chosen in their place. [4]

Fictional character biography

Pantha is a member of the Teen Titans who possesses a cat-like appearance and abilities. [5] During her time with the Titans, she has no knowledge as to her origins and does not know whether she was a human or a panther before the Wildebeest Society mutated her. She attempts to seek answers, but never learns the truth of her origins. [6] [2] [7]

Pantha unwillingly adopts Baby Wildebeest, a fellow creation of the Wildebeest Society who considers her his mother. While initially hostile towards the child, Pantha grows to care for him. [8] She later takes custody of Baby Wildebeest and moves to Russia with him and Red Star. [9]

During the 2005 event "Infinite Crisis", Pantha joins the Teen Titans, the Doom Patrol, and the Justice Society of America in battling Superboy-Prime outside Keystone City. Superboy-Prime attacks and kills Pantha and Baby Wildebeest, with Red Star surviving the battle and being left to mourn his family. [10] [11] [3] [7]

In the 2009 event Blackest Night , Pantha is resurrected as a member of the Black Lantern Corps and attacks the Teen Titans. However, Dawn Granger destroys her body with a burst of light. [12] [7]

Pantha returns in the 2023 series Tales of the Titans, where she is depicted as a former member of the Teen Titans who left for a maternity leave. [13] [14] [15]

Powers and abilities

Pantha possesses retractable claws and superhuman physical abilities derived from her cat-like physiology, including enhanced strength, speed, agility, and senses.

Other versions

In an alternate timeline created by Booster Gold when he saved Ted Kord from being killed by Maxwell Lord, Pantha is a member of Green Arrow and Hawkman's Freedom Fighters. It is later revealed that Pantha was a vet student at New York University named Rosabelle Mendez who was captured by Lord, transformed into Pantha, and sold to the Wildebeest Society. This timeline is erased when Kord willingly returns to the past to face his fate. [16]

In other media

References

  1. ↑ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 226. ISBN   978-1-4654-5357-0.
  2. 1 2 Jalali, Jessica (January 16, 2023). "10 Worst DC Comics Characters That Debuted In The '90s". Screen Rant . Retrieved October 2, 2025. First appearing in New Titans #73 in 1991, Pantha was what could best be described as an annoying character. While she did have a sad backstory of being mutated by the Wildebeest Society with no recollection of her life before the mutation, Pantha was a difficult character. She often had a temper and was not afraid to lash out at her peers.
  3. 1 2 Faraci, Derek (June 30, 2021). "DC: 10 Times A Hero's Death Had Zero Long-Term Consequences". CBR . Retrieved October 2, 2025. [Pantha] first appeared in 1991's New Titans #73 only to be murdered by Superboy-Prime some fifteen years later in Infinite Crisis. Pantha is the first hero Superboy-Prime kills, and it sets off a huge battle between the boy hero turned villain and every current and former member of the Teen Titans, including Conner Kent.
  4. 1 2 "Baby Wildebeest". Titans Tower. Archived from the original on July 1, 2016.
  5. ↑ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2010). DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle. DK Publishing. p. 248. ISBN   978-0-7566-6742-9.
  6. 1 2 Stalberg, Allison (May 30, 2018). "10 Teen Titans Who Looked Way Better On-Screen (And 10 Who Look Way Worse)". TheGamer. Retrieved October 2, 2025. The Pantha known from DC comics looks nothing like her Teen Titans cartoon version. Her comic self was far more cat-like. Her whole background centered on the fact that she could not remember who she was before she was mutated...Pantha from the Teen Titans cartoon has only one cat-like feature: a mask.
  7. 1 2 3 Faraci, Derek (April 25, 2020). "DC: 10 Characters We've Yet To See Make A Return In Rebirth". CBR . Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. A character of mystery, no one knows if Pantha was a woman who was given panther-like powers by the Wildebeest Society, or if she was a panther who was mutated to be more human in appearance by them...A member of the Teen Titans, Pantha was brutally murdered by Superboy-Prime during Infinite Crisis but was resurrected in Blackest Night in 2009.
  8. ↑ Raspler, Dan  ( w ),Wojtkiewicz, Chuck; Willingham, Bill  ( p ),Gemdijan, Agop; Wilson, Keith ( i ),Chaifetz, Stuart ( col )."Bloodbath"Bloodbath,vol. 1,no. 1(December 1993).DC Comics.
  9. ↑ Wolfman, Marv  ( w ),Mays, Rick ( p ), Story, Karl ; Martin, Jason; Champagne, Keith  ( i ),Going, Gina ( col )."24 Hours" New Titans ,vol. 1,no. 114(September 1994).DC Comics.
  10. ↑ Johns, Geoff  ( w ), Jimenez, Phil ; Pérez, George ; Reis, Ivan  ( p ), Lanning, Andy ; Stucker, Lary; Pérez, George; Campos, Marc; Albert, Oclair; Palmiotti, Jimmy ; Geraci, Drew ( i ), Cox, Jeromy ; Major, Guy ( col )."Homecoming" Infinite Crisis ,vol. 1,no. 4(March 2006).DC Comics.
  11. ↑ Miller, Leon (March 5, 2018). "12 Superheroes Who Died And Stayed Dead (And 8 Who Won't Stop Coming Back)". Screen Rant . Retrieved October 2, 2025. [Pantha] faced off against Superboy-Prime, an unhinged alternate version of the Man of Steel. As you'd expect, an out of control Superman is an insanely dangerous opponent, and the Titans' showdown with Prime – whose powers outmatch those of his core universe counterpart – quickly devolved into a bloodbath.
  12. ↑ Krul, J.T.  ( w ), Benes, Ed  ( p ),Benes, Ed ( i ),Hi-Fi Design ( col )."When Doves Cry" Blackest Night: Titans,vol. 1,no. 3(December 2009).DC Comics.
  13. ↑ "DC Preview: Tales of The Titans #2". AIPT Comics. August 11, 2023. Archived from the original on August 11, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  14. ↑ Goldfield, Ray (August 15, 2023). "Review - Tales of the Titans Starring Raven #2: Brotherly Hate". GeekDad . Retrieved October 2, 2025. Tini Howard takes these issues on first-hand with a story that focuses rather heavily on Raven's anxiety about growing up—and her fears that she'll never be truly free of her father. The plot device for this is Pantha's baby shower, which brings the Titans together.
  15. ↑ Howard, Tini  ( w ),Carlini, Eleonora ( p ),Carlini, Eleonora ( i ), Loughridge, Lee  ( col )."Mother Blood"Tales of the Titans,vol. 1,no. 2(October 2023).DC Comics.
  16. ↑ Johns, Geoff ; Katz, Jeff ( w ), Jurgens, Dan  ( p ),Rapmund, Norman ( i ),Hi-Fi Design ( col )."Blue & Gold, Chapter 3: Freedom Fighters" Booster Gold ,vol. 2,no. 8(June 2008).DC Comics.
  17. ↑ "Pantha Voice - Teen Titans (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024. 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.
  18. ↑ "Teen Titans Go! #32 - Arena (Issue)". Comic Vine . Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  19. ↑ Eisen, Andrew (October 2, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN . Archived from the original on October 11, 2013. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
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