Queen of Fables

Last updated
Queen of Fables
Queen of Fables.png
The Queen of Fables by artist Bernard Chang.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance JLA #47 (November 2000)
Created by Gail Simone (writer)
Bryan Hitch (artist)
Mark Waid (writer)
In-story information
Alter egoTsaritsa
SpeciesHomo magi
Abilities

Queen of Fables is a supervillain who has battled the Justice League, Wonder Woman and Superman. Based on the character of the Evil Queen from "Snow White", the Queen of Fables is the living embodiment of all evil in folklore. She first appeared in JLA #47 (November 2000), and was created by Gail Simone, Mark Waid and Bryan Hitch. [1]

Contents

Fictional character biography

The Queen of Fables was originally a sorceress from another dimension until she was exiled to Earth. [2] She reigned until princess Snow White defied her and she was trapped in the Book of Fables. Snow White used the book to turn fact into fiction and undo all the Queen's terrible acts.

Countless generations later the Queen was unwittingly released from her prison. She transformed Manhattan into an enchanted forest full of fantastic creatures extracted from folk tales. Just after being released she attempted to locate Snow White, mistaking a television for a magic mirror, and ordered it to show her -"The Fairest In The Land". Coincidentally, the TV was currently showing the news, reporting the Justice League's latest battle, and at that moment showing Wonder Woman. Believing the Amazon Princess to be her daughter, she confronts her, forcing her into a deep sleep in an enchanted forest. Aquaman awakens Wonder Woman with his kiss (as he was once a Prince, and is now the King of Atlantis, it counts as a kiss from a Prince), and Batman discovers the book that the Queen had been trapped in. Eventually, the Justice League managed to stop her, by making her realize that she was no longer immortal and eternally beautiful in the real world, and lock her up once more (by trapping her within a book on the United States Tax Code, where she could find nothing imaginative to use as a weapon), undoing her spell again. [3]

Eventually the Queen of Fables awakens and is none too happy. Since being defeated by the Justice League, who placed her in the U.S. Tax Code manual, she has somehow escaped and now has her sights set on her own Prince Charming, Superman. After transporting Superman to a Kryptonian glass forest, he is able to win his freedom and defeat the Queen (although the effort leaves him weak). [4] She is last seen standing over a young sleeping girl, saying "Sleep well, dear one. Keep me alive. Dream of me. Dream of me". [5]

She returns again after assuming the identity of Laney Kirswel, the film executive in charge of an unauthorized Wonder Woman biography, made mostly of unapproved and slandering materials. She is again able to act in the human world, where she puts Wonder Woman through hellish scenarios, taken from the movie, meant to represent distorted happenings in her life. Diana coaxes her into taking the form of a huge dragon, who she notes is reminiscent of Maleficent, and blinds her with two battle axes, forcing her to flee. [6]

Powers and abilities

The Queen of Fables is an extremely powerful sorceress and was able to transform Manhattan into an enchanted forest. She can perform virtually any feat and usually has fairy tale creatures such as dragons, ogres and goblins at her command. The Queen of Fables has the ability to conjure various fictional monsters from other stories to use against the Justice League. She is immortal and cannot be killed while she resides within her storybook.

In other media

Television

The Queen of Fables appears in Harley Quinn , voiced by Wanda Sykes. This version's powers are derived from a magical storybook, the Book of Fables, from which she can conjure storybook characters to do her bidding. Introduced in the episode "So, You Need a Crew?", she attempted to break the glass ceiling for female supervillains in the 1980s by turning Gotham into an enchanted forest kingdom with an army of storybook characters. However, she was defeated by the Justice League and transformed into a talking U.S. Master Tax Guide Book by Zatanna, leaving the Queen annoyed about not being thrown in Arkham Asylum "like any male villain". Following this, she gained a job as a tax consultant. In "The Line", she is freed from the tax code by a court order that deemed it to be a cruel and unusual punishment, though she is ironically sentenced to serve the rest of her term at Arkham. Harley Quinn breaks her out in transit and the Queen temporarily joins her crew before her extreme and violent methods lead to her being ousted and vowing revenge. In "Devil's Snare", the Queen forms an alliance with the Joker, traps the Justice League in her storybook, and attempts to kill Harley and her crew, only to be killed by Harley. As of "A Fight Worth Fighting For", the Book of Fables fell into the possession of a nurse named Bethany after Joker was rendered sane and gave it to her. Once a restored Joker retrieves it for Harley, Batman has Zatanna free the Justice League from it.

The Queen of Fables will appear in the spinoff Kite Man: Hell Yeah!, now voiced by Janelle James. [7]

Video games

The Queen of Fables appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure .

Miscellaneous

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poison Ivy (character)</span> Comic book character

Poison Ivy is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino, she debuted in Batman #181, and has become one of the superhero Batman's most enduring enemies belonging to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justice League</span> Group of fictional characters of DC Comics

The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #28. The team was conceived by writer Gardner Fox as a revival of the Justice Society of America, a similar team from DC Comics from the 1940s which had been pulled out of print due to a decline in sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legion of Doom</span> Group of super villains in the DC universe

The Legion of Doom is a group of supervillains who originated in Challenge of the Superfriends, an animated series from Hanna-Barbera based on DC Comics' Justice League. The Legion of Doom has since been incorporated into the main DC Universe, appearing in comics, as well as further animated and live-action adaptations, and also video games.

<i>Super Friends</i> American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1986

Super Friends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its Saturday-morning cartoon lineup. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and was based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harley Quinn</span> Character in the DC Universe

Harley Quinn is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for Batman: The Animated Series as a henchwoman for the Joker, and debuted in its 22nd episode, "Joker's Favor", on September 11, 1992. While intended to appear in one episode, Quinn became a recurring character within the DC Animated Universe (DCAU) as the Joker's sidekick and love interest, and was adapted into DC Comics' canon seven years later, beginning with the one-shot Batman: Harley Quinn #1. Quinn's origin story features her as a former psychologist at Gotham City's Arkham Asylum who was manipulated by and fell in love with the Joker, her patient, eventually becoming his accomplice and lover. The character's alias is a play on the stock character Harlequin from the 16th-century Italian theater commedia dell'arte.

Power Girl, also known as Kara Zor-L, and Karen Starr, is a superheroine appearing in American comic books by DC Comics, making her first appearance in All Star Comics #58. Power Girl is the cousin of the superhero Superman, but from an alternate universe in the fictional multiverse in which DC Comics stories are set. Originally hailing from the world of Earth-Two, first envisioned as the home of DC's wartime heroes as published in 1940s comic books, Power Girl becomes stranded in the main universe where DC stories are set, and becomes acquainted with that world's Superman and her own counterpart, Supergirl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheetah (character)</span> DC Comics supervillain

The Cheetah is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics publications and related media, commonly as a major recurring adversary of the superhero Wonder Woman. Like her nemesis, she was created by William Moulton Marston & H. G. Peter, debuting in the autumn of 1943 in Wonder Woman #6. With her distinctive sleek, spotted appearance, she is recognized as "one of Wonder Woman's most iconic enemies" and has been a persistent foe throughout every era of the hero's comic book adventures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Female Furies</span> Group of fictional women from DC Comics

The Female Furies are a group of women warriors and supervillains appearing in comics published by DC Comics. All of them are New Gods who serve Darkseid. They operate directly under Granny Goodness, who trains all of Darkseid's soldiers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Flush Gang</span> DC Comics supervillains

The Royal Flush Gang is a group of supervillains appearing in DC Comics. The group, which debuted in Justice League of America #43, use a playing card theme. Their code names are based on the cards needed to form a royal flush in poker: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten. Joker occasionally affiliates himself with the gang, but is not a consistent member. The group returned to battle the Justice League of America many times, and also appeared in other comics, including Wonder Woman, Formerly Known as the Justice League and Superman. The group has been described as "some of the most original villains of their time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lasso of Truth</span> Fictional lasso used by Wonder Woman

The Lasso of Truth is a weapon wielded by DC Comics superhero Wonder Woman, Princess Diana of Themyscira. It is also known as the Lariat of Truth, the Magic Lasso, the Lasso of Hestia or the Golden Perfect. It was created by William Moulton Marston, inventor of the lie detector, as an allegory for feminine charm, but it later became more popular as a device to extract truth from people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Powers Collection</span> 1980s Kenner Products action figure line based on DC Comics characters

The Super Powers Collection was a line of action figures based on DC Comics superheroes and supervillains that was created by Kenner Products in the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justice League in other media</span> Fictional superhero team

The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Since their first appearance in The Brave and the Bold #28, various incarnations of the team have appeared in film, television, and video game adaptations.

The Bizarro League, also known as the Bizarro Justice League, are the Bizarro version of the Justice League.

Super Juniors are a group of fictional DC Comics characters based on members of the Justice League of America, designed as baby versions in order to appeal to younger audiences and introduce them to the publisher's most popular properties. At Kenner's request, first appeared in José Luis García-López's 1982 DC Comics Style Guide and had their first and only adventure in Super Jrs. Holiday Special: The Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #58 in a story written by Tom DeFalco and drawn by Vince Squeglia. There was a considerable amount of merchandise based on them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wonder Woman in other media</span>

Since her debut in All Star Comics #8, Diana Prince/Wonder Woman has appeared in a number of formats besides comic books. Genres include animated television shows, direct-to-DVD animated films, video games, the 1970s live action television series, Wonder Woman, The Lego Movie and The Lego Batman Movie, and the live-action DCEU films Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Wonder Woman (2017), Justice League (2017), Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021), Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), and The Flash (2023).

<i>Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Gotham City Breakout</i> 2016 American film

Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Gotham City Breakout is a 2016 American animated superhero comedy film based on the Lego and DC Comics brands, which was released on June 21, 2016 in Digital HD and on July 12, 2016 on Blu-ray and DVD. It is the sixth Lego DC Comics film following Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite, Lego DC Comics: Batman Be-Leaguered, Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League, Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Attack of the Legion of Doom and Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Cosmic Clash. Some actors from various DC properties reprise their respective roles, including Nolan North as Superman, Grey DeLisle as Wonder Woman and Troy Baker as Batman. The film received positive reviews, with praise for the action, although the consumerism was criticized.

<i>Injustice: Gods Among Us</i> (comics) 2013–16 DC Comics video game tie-in series

Injustice: Gods Among Us is an American comic book series that serves as the prequel to the fighting video game of the same name. The series takes place in an alternate reality, where Superman descends into villainy following his family's death at the Joker's hands. The Justice League is split by those who put their trust in Superman, establishing the totalitarian One Earth Regime, while Batman forms an insurgency out of the other half of the League to fight back against the Regime.

<i>DCeased</i> 2019 comic book miniseries by DC Comics

DCeased is a six-issue comic book miniseries published by DC Comics from May to October 2019. It was created by writer Tom Taylor and the artistic team including penciler Trevor Hairsine and inker Stefano Guadiano. The story takes place in an alternate Earth, where a corrupted version of the Anti-Life Equation has infected most of Earth's inhabitants with a zombie-like virus. Lois Lane acts as the series' narrator, detailing how the events took place over the course of a few weeks.

<i>Flashpoint Beyond</i> Limited comic book series published by DC Comics

Flashpoint Beyond is an American comic book published by DC Comics. The seven-issue limited series—written by Geoff Johns, Jeremy Adams and Tim Sheridan and illustrated by Eduardo Risso, Xermánico and Mikel Janín—began its monthly publication on April 12, 2022, and concluded on October 18, 2022. It is the sequel to the limited series Flashpoint (2011) by Johns and Andy Kubert. The series was received with critical acclaim from critics, with critics praising Geoff Johns' writing, art, action, and characters. The series would later go on to set up the events of The New Golden Age.

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. 240. ISBN   978-1-4654-5357-0.
  2. ↑ Greenberger, Robert; Pasko, Martin (2010). The Essential Superman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. p. 327. ISBN   978-0-345-50108-0.
  3. ↑ JLA #47-49. DC Comics.
  4. ↑ Action Comics #835. DC Comics.
  5. ↑ Action Comics #833-834. DC Comics.
  6. ↑ Wonder Woman (vol. 3) #24-25 (2008). DC Comics.
  7. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (September 14, 2023). "'Harley Quinn' Spin-Off 'Kite Man: Hell Yeah!' Ready to Soar with New Teaser". www.animationmagazine.net. Retrieved September 15, 2023.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.