Introduced in Hawkman #4 back in 1964 and carrying through multiple titles in the later Silver Age, Zatanna Zatara grew from a second feature character to a popular member of the Justice League and one of the premier magic users in the DC Universe.
Zatanna bucked the Silver Age trend of creating a scientific re-imagining of mystical or magic based Golden Age hero who first had the name, her father Giovanni “John” Zatara who was a Golden Age war time magician. Here are 10 things you may not know about one of DC comics' most powerful magicians.
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Zatanna performs logomancy, or casting her spells by speaking them backwards. For example, to get someone to stop, Zatanna will say “Pots!." She does this for several reasons. She uses this mnemonic style of incantation to focus her powers as it is the most complicated style of spell casting.
Zatanna also does it to honor her father, the Golden Age magician Giovanni Zatara. Zatara used this method of backwards spell casting. Both Zatanna and her father are members of the Homo Magi, an off-shoot of humanity that are especially adept at manipulating magical forces.
9 She’s More Powerful Than People Think
While Zatanna’s exact power level is unknown, she is among the top magic users on Earth and Green Arrow considers her the most powerful member of the Justice League. Zatanna keeps a couple of hundred spells prepared at all times and is adept at magical improvisation. She is the go-to person for magical advice by the Justice League.
RELATED: 10 Most Powerful Things Zatanna Has Ever Done in the DC Universe
Her fellow mages respect her skills. Jason Blood realized that Zatanna was the magician they needed to defeat the Gamename. He sacrificed himself to free her so that she might travel with Nightwing and Firestorm to Ancient Atlantis, free Aquaman and allow him to sink the city in both the present and the past with his water based powers.
8 Zee and the Four Elements
After the death of her mother, Zatanna threw herself into hero work. She worked with Superman to help him understand his particular vulnerability to magic. Zatanna was also instrumental in defeating the Secret Society of Super-Villains’ attempt to swap their identities with the Justice League.
Zatanna powers began to wane and she can only effect the four elements: earth, wind, fire and water. She limited her League activities and concentrate more on her career as a stage magician. However, when Aquaman reorganized the League to only full time members and placed its headquarters in Detroit, Zatanna was one of the veterans that signed up.
7 She’s Related to Leonardo da Vinci
Zatanna and her father are direct descendants of the legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci. At age fifteen, Zatara’s uncle gave him the diaries of the artist. At first unable to read them, Zatara realized that they were written backwards. Once Zatara deciphered the diaries, it activated his ability to perform pure magic. Zatanna uses the backwards speaking fashion of spell casting to honor her father and ancestor.
The Zatara family tree has other interesting leaves on it other than da Vinci. They are also related to the noted seer Nostradamus, occultist Alessandro Cagliostro, alchemists Nicholas Flamel and Evan Fulcaneli and Lord Arion of Atlantis.
6 Her Hero’s Quest
Zatanna began as a successful stage illusionist before she discovered the ability to perform true magic. This led her to search for her missing father, Giovanni Zatara. She first turned to Hawkman and Hawkgirl then battled Batman and Robin under the disguised as “the Witch”. She also teamed with the Atom, Green Lantern and the Elongated Man. Meeting these heroes was instrumental in finding Zatara.
Zatanna found her father in the world of Kharma. Zatara fled there after being cursed by an evil sorceress called Allura. The curse was that Zatanna and Zatara would die if they saw each other again. Accompanied by magical duplicates of the heroes she had met, Zatanna was able to travel to Kharma, break the curse and be reunited with her father.
5 Her Father’s Complicated Past
Giovanni “John” Zatara cut quite the dashing figure as the tuxedo and top hat wearing member of the All-Star Squadron and the Justice Society of America. This mnemonic device of saying his spells backwards was learned from the diaries of his ancestor Leonardo da Vinci and unlocked his potential for true magic.
Zatara was friends with Thomas Wayne and his travels with Wayne led Wayne to meet his future wife, Martha. Zatara’s inability to prevent the orphaning of young Bruce devastated the magician. Zatara left Gotham. While wandering Europe, he met and wed Sindella who gives birth to Zatanna. Zatara believed that Sindella died soon after and this drove him to alcoholism. He only recovers when a grown-up Bruce Wayne asked Zatara to teach him escape artistry and illusion.
4 Her Father’s Death
Zatanna had to endure the death of her father in front of her eyes. It came when her former lover, John Constantine, requested Zatanna attend a seance but Zatara didn’t trust the young street mage. Also in attendance were Dr. Occult, Sargon the Sorcerer, Mento and Baron Winters, in whose house they were meeting.
They were gathered to fight the Great Evil Beast, that threatened Heaven itself. The assembled joined hands and turned their considerable magics toward the Beast. Its first glance set fire to Sargon, who screamed for help. Disgusted, Zatara told him to “Die like a sorcerer!” before he exploded, leaving his Ruby of Life. Next, Zatanna felt her body start to heat up. Zatara drew the fire into himself, warning Constantine that he had better take care of Zatanna or he would haunted him throughout eternity. With that, he exploded and his top hat landing on the table. Zatanna never forgave Constantine.
3 Repercussion of the Mind Wiping Incident
The revelation that Zatanna mind wiped the Secret Society of Super-Villains and that she “fixed” the sadistic rapist Dr. Light sent shock waves throughout the hero and villain communities. It also caused significant problems for Zatanna herself. It destroyed her relationship with Batman. They had been childhood friends but when he realized that she made him forget what the League was doing to Dr. Light, he cut ties with her for some time.
Zatanna to lost all confidence in herself. She carries the blame for the mind wipes, despite nine League members voting. When a mystical expedition she was leading were incinerated, it finally robbed her of her powers. With the help of her apprentice Molly, she was able to find her father’s lost books, regain access to her powers and retroactively position the Seven Soldiers of Victory in position to defeat their foe, the Sheeda.
2 Justice League Dark
Zatanna wanted nothing to do with Wonder Woman’s proposed team of heroes that specialize in magic. Magic was “broken” and Zatanna was combing through her father’s books to reignite her own powers. Zatanna found the Swamp Thing contemplating under the Colu Tree of Wonder. Zatara appeared in her head to warn her about the coming threat of the Upside Down Man.
Wonder Woman was depressed that her meeting with Zatanna hadn’t had the desired positive outcome but the arrival of Detective Chimp and the Man-Bat provided Diana some answers. Reluctantly, with Swamp Thing accompanying her, Zatanna arrived to tell Diana of the warning she received.
1 Shadowcrest
Zatanna’s ancestral home, Shadowcrest has vast mystical properties and rarely stays in the same location. Lately, it is in the Bristol township of Gotham County, just outside Gotham City. It appears to be a multistory mansion but the actual layout is far larger due to an internal inter-dimensional paradox. To put it simply, it’s bigger on the inside.
The mansion is filled with magical artifacts, an extensive magical research library and areas to practice magic and combat. It is staffed by faux magical servants. The mansion has wards and incantations to prevent it from being visible to non-magic users. A complex “magic word” spell is needed to even get into the front foyer, and the mansion will not put up with rude guests.