In the Wonder Woman comics Themyscira and its population have gone through a lot of changes in the decades since her debut. Originally called Paradise Island, the home - and which Amazons inhabit it - have changed as new continuities emerge. Sometimes, there is even a Wonder Woman that isn't Diana Prince. One of the characters who has held the title of Wonder Woman, but often gets overlooked, is Nubia.
In some versions of her story, Nubia is Diana's sister. In others, she's a fellow Amazon who stands up to injustice in the same way Diana does. DC's comics have gone for years at a time without mentioning the character, only for her to reappear in brief storylines. Fans can still learn a lot about her.
10 When Did Nubia First Appear In Comics?
When Nubia appears in modern comic book storylines, there is the inevitable confusion that a DC writer has created a new character. That's not the case. Nubia actually made her comic book debut in the 1970s.
Specifically, she appears in Wonder Woman #204 in 1973, created by Robert Kanigher and Don Heck. Heck had only recently made the move from Marvel to DC comics at the time, but Kanigher would spend two decades working on Wonder Woman stories. Nubia appears in the issue as a rival for the title of Wonder Woman, battling Diana in an arena, but is eventually revealed in a later issue as under the influence of one of Diana's best known villains - Ares.
9 Why Did She Call Herself Nubia Of The Floating Island?
During Nubia's debut, Themyscira was still called Paradise Island. All of the Amazons lived on an island that the average human couldn't find. Nubia lived on another island, so she gave herself the full title of Nubia Of The Floating Island.
Comic book fans might recognize it by the name Ares used: Slaughter Island. Unlike Themyscira, the island is populated entirely by men, leaving Nubia as the only female inhabitant. She's held there by Ares' control thanks to a piece of jewelry he has her wear. Until Diana removes it, Nubia has no idea that she was kidnapped as an infant and used by a villain to be a weapon against the rest of the Amazons.
8 When Did Her Origin Story First Change?
Though there are plenty of alternate universes and timelines, DC Comics is divided into two major time periods: Pre Crisis and Post Crisis. The Crisis On Infinite Earths event occurred in 1985, marking a sharp divide as everything changed with the resetting timeline.
Nubia, however, was absent for years in comics right after that, allowing fans to believe her character was simply eliminated. In 1999, a new version of the character, Nu'bia, appeared in the Wonder Woman Annual, created by Doselle Young and Brian Denham. This version was an Amazonian warrior tasked with guarding an entrance to the underworld who had seemingly disappeared. She and Diana crossed paths while on different missions, but teamed up.
7 What Gods Does Nubia Have A Connection To?
Ares, or Mars as he's referenced by his Roman name in early comic book appearances, isn't the only god that Nubia has a connection to. The 1999 (New Earth) version of Nubia that spends her missing time in the underworld has a connection to another god.
Wonder Woman's comics don't just feature the Greek and Roman gods, but also those from other ancient (and in many cases, still practicing) religions. Nubia meets the Zoroastrian god of light named Ahura Mazda during her time away from the Amazons and they begin a relationship. When Ahura Mazda is murdered, Nubia ventures into the world to get justice for him.
6 Does Nubia Have The Same Powers As Diana?
As part of their gifts from a group of Greek goddesses, all of the Amazons have the same abilities that the average human would consider to be super powers. Increased agility, strength, and durability, as well as immortality if they remain on Themyscira, are traits shared by all Amazons. Diana exhibits other enhanced abilities as a result of the storyline that makes her a literal goddess.
Like Diana, Nubia also knows how to use advanced weaponry and the Lasso of Truth. The New Earth version of Nubia, likely because of the armor she wears while living in the underworld, is able to withstand even greater damage and open gateways to the underworld and the real world. She also has another interesting power that Diana doesn't have.
5 What Unique Ability Does Nubia Have?
While comic book readers don't get to see a lot of Nubia's adventures, she does get to talk about them in her appearances, and one of those is what leads to her having a pretty unique power. It's one of the abilities that she doesn't share with Diana or the other Amazons.
The Nubia in the New Earth continuity makes a pact with the Gorgons in the underworld. Mythology fans might remember that Medusa, the woman often incorrectly seen as a villain who turns people to stone with a simple look, is a Gorgon. The Gorgons grant Nubia the same gift, called Cold Sight, which allows her to turn enemies to stone as well.
4 How Many Alternate Universe Nubias Are There?
The DC multiverse would indicate that there are an infinite number of different universes, and that every universe features new versions of the same characters. In the case of Nubia, not every universe introduced in the multiverse has shown readers a version of her character.
So far, there are only a few Nubias in addition to the original and the New Earth version. There is the current version of the character (the Prime Earth continuity), the Earth-1 version who serves as advisor to Hippolyta, the Earth-23 version who serves her world as Wonder Woman, and the Injustice version who replaces Diana as Wonder Woman. There are also two more versions of the character who only appear in special crossovers. One is in a Scooby-Doo crossover while another is in the Wonder Woman crossover with the Bionic Woman. That's eight in total, though there are a few more on the way.
3 Is Nubia Getting An Update For 2021?
2021 sees a lot of new books coming to the slate of DC comics and graphic novels. There are several characters who are not only getting new comics, but stories in new timelines. Nubia is one of the characters to see some new books coming her way.
One of those books is actually a young adult graphic novels titled Nubia: Real One. The book sees a teenage Nubia navigating the world outside of Themyscira as a young woman with the same power and strength as Wonder Woman, but not as someone the rest of the world is ready to see as a hero. Written by L.L. McKinney and with art by Robin Smith, the graphic novel is set to land on shelves in February.
2 Is She A Part Of DC's Future State?
Before Nubia: Real One hits comic book stores, DC has another big event for fans to look forward to. Their Future State event will peer into the future of the current timeline in DC comics.
Fans will be able to see the fates of some of their favorite heroes, and just how others change over time. Two different Wonder Woman titles will be a part of the Future State lineup. One of them centers on Brazilian Wonder Woman Yara Flor. The other will divide its time between Diana and Nubia, showcasing the future for both characters.
1 Is Nubia DC's First Black Female Superhero?
Though Nubia made her debut on the comic book page in 1973, another female character who debuted three years later is often credited as DC's first black female superhero. That character is Bumblebee.
Bumblebee, real name Karen Beecher, was a member of the Teen Titans. Because she developed a secret identity, wore a costume, and was a member of a team of heroes, she fits into the more traditional idea of a superhero. Nubia, though she has superhuman abilities, didn't become a part of a costumed team of heroes, or appear for many heroic rescues. She is still technically the first black female superhero to debut.