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Nubia (Prime Earth)

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As a result of the New 52 in 2011, the entire line of DC characters was relaunched, incorporating properties belonging to the company's imprints: Wildstorm, Milestone, and Vertigo. As such, elements of this character's history have been altered in some way from the previous incarnation. For a complete list of all versions of this character, see our disambiguation page.

Nubia is an honorable Amazon warrior and formerly the guardian of Doom's Doorway. After Hippolyta abdicated, Nubia was appointed the new queen of Themyscira and, later, the queen of all Amazons.

Origin

Before becoming an Amazon, Nubia was Zahavah, princess of an ancient kingdom on the African island of Madagascar. She served as a general to her people, and led them in a war against the Kingdom of Aridai. During battle, she was betrayed by her compatriot, Lieutenent Azariah, after she faltered and refused to kill the prince of Aridai, still a baby boy. Afterwards, Azariah slew her mother and father, and took the throne for himself.

In DC Rebirth Continuity, Nubia was a woman subjected to a violent man, her captor who kept her in chains and constantly beat and raped her.[3] However, during the Infinite Frontier era, her backstory was revised.

Zahavah was then reborn, sprung from the Well of Souls. She was born around the same time as Princess Diana, and as such the pair are often considered sisters.[4] The Well of Souls fell still after Nubia's rebirth, and she would be the last Amazon to be born from it for many years.

Guardian of Doom's Doorway

For many long years, Nubia was the solitary guardian of Doom's Doorway in the underground caves of Themyscira.[5] At least once, a monster escaped her watch and the island, fleeing into the world of men; she pursued it into Man's World, eventually catching up with it in Chicago, USA. During a school visit to a city museum, Nubia saved Ms. Knight and many schoolchildren from the Manticore's attack, and later saved Ms. Knight from the harassment of an unknown man on the street. They quickly found themselves attracted to each other, and started a relationship that, unfortunately, was doomed to end too soon.[6]

Return Of The Amazons

When the mythical Olympian world collapsed and Grail usurped the throne of Queen Hippolyta, Nubia pretended to betray the Queen and support Darkseid's daughter until the Amazons could once again rally and fight for Themyscira's recovery.[7]

Infinite Frontier

With Diana's departure at the end of the great battle that redefined the Multiverse,[8] some Amazons fought each other for the title of Wonder Woman. Queen Hippolyta wisely imposed a test of courage, saying that the next Wonder Woman would be the one who dared to look at the head of the Gorgon Medusa inside a bin, and only the one whose heart is just and whose mind is not clouded by ambition would survive the petrifying gaze of the monster.

Only Nubia, without hesitation, agreed to undergo the test, but inside the bin instead of Medusa's head she found a golden crown. Hippolyta made her the new Queen of the Amazons while she herself would go to the World of Men instead of any other. The other Amazons were pleased by Hippolyta's choice, who also passed the royal scepter to the new queen.[9]

Nubia and the Amazons

Early into her reign Nubia was faced with several strange developments to Themyscira, for the first time in decades five new Amazons sprung up from the Well of Souls, the seer Penelope received a grave vision of Themyscira's destruction, and Doom's Doorway was no longer watched by a dedicated Guardian.[4] The later would result in the spirit of Medusa escaping the Doorway and possess several Amazons as she searched for her severed head. The turbulent situation would lead to a few Amazons to question Nubia's position as Queen but she still received firm support from Philippus, Hippolyta's chief advisor.[10]

Eventually Nubia tracked down Medusa to Doom's Doorway and offered her head in exchange for the safety of the Amazon Medusa had possessed. With her head returned to her body Medusa was restored to her full strength and battled Nubia but was eventually defeated by the Staff of Understanding, a magical weapon newly forged for Nubia by her lover Io. With the use of the Staff Nubia was able to reconcile with Medusa, lifting her curse that turned her into a Gorgon, and accepted her as a new Amazon.[11]

Trial of the Amazons

While Nubia was able to quell the initial crisis on Themyscira, her victory was short lived. Hippolyta returned to the island with the news that Princess Diana had returned to the world of the living but she was shortly followed by some Amazons of Bana-Mighdall and a seperate group of the Esquecida who had each recently been attacked by monsters that had escaped from Doom's Doorway. Despite the past animosity between the two groups, Nubia allowed the Bana-Mighdall to enter Themyscira.[12] Diana, Donna Troy, and Cassie Sandsmark also joined the convergence on Themyscira.

In light of the monsters' attacks, Nubia hosted a tournament amongst all three tribes of Amazons to decide who would succeed her as guardian to Doom's Doorway. The stakes of the tournament would be further heightened when Queen Faruka of the Bana-Mighdall demanded that the winner would not just be named guardian of Doom's Doorway but that the ruler of their tribe would also be given the authority to rule all Amazons, a condition which Nubia accepted.[13] Nubia shortly named Philippus as the champion for Themyscira while Faruka and the Esquecida selected Donna Troy and Yara Flor respectively while Diana entered the Trail independently.[14]

The already tense political situation was worsened when Nubia discovred that Hippolyta had been poisoned that evening. Not wanting to risk more danger Nubia decided to go ahead with the Trail and tasked Cassie Sandsmark to find Hippolyta's killer.[15] Nubia was also able to persuade Diana to surrender the Lasso of Truth in order to maintain her trust with the Bana-Mighdall and Esquecida, even if it meant delaying finding Hippolyta's killer.

Despite Nubia's best efforts the start of the Trail was met with calamity as the primal God of Chaos escaped from Doom's Doorway to destroy Themyscira. Right before the attack Nubia gathered the Amazon leaders to the throne room where Cassie Sandsmark revealed that Artemis of Bana-Mighdall committed Hippolyta's murder, who Nubia swiftly sent to Reform Island.[16] As more monsters flooded out of Doom's Doorway Nubia mustered the three tribes of Amazons in an attempt to hold of Chaos. Eventually the enemy was defeated but only at the cost of Hippolyta's sisters, Atalanta and Antiope, who sacrificed themselves in order to close Doom's Doorway.[17]

Queen of the Amazons

Ironically, Chaos' attack intended to destroy the Amazons had the opposite effect and finally reunited the three tribes. At a feast following the battle Queen Faruka recognised Nubia as queen of all Amazons, not just those on Themyscira.[18] Shortly afterwards, Nubia held her coronation at the Themysciran Embassy so that the dignitaries of the Patriarch's World were also able to attended the ceremony, which was conducted by Diana.[19] Afterwards Nubia left Philippus in charge of Themyscira while she went on a diplomatic tour of the Patriarch's World, first stopping at the Hall of Justice where Hawkgirl joined her entourage. Nubia attended a rally against illegal logging in the Amazon but was ambushed by a paramilitary group during her speech.[20]

Powers

Abilities

Equipment

Transportation

  • Azuri the Cheetah (Deceased)[1]
  • Nia, her mare[21]

Weapons


  • Nubia is currently in a relationship with another Amazon,[4] the blacksmith Io.[21] She also had a brief relationship with Ms. Knight in Man's World, who was reborn as the Amazon Andromeda.[6] In her human life as Princess Zahavah, she had an unrequited love for Lieutenent Azariah.[23]

Related

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Nubia: Coronation Special #1
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 DC Power: A Celebration #1
  3. ↑ Wonder Woman #750
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Nubia and the Amazons #1
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Nubia and the Amazons #4
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Wonder Woman (Volume 5) #75
  8. ↑ Dark Nights: Death Metal #7
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Infinite Frontier #0
  10. ↑ Nubia and the Amazons #3
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Nubia and the Amazons #5
  12. ↑ Trial of the Amazons #1
  13. ↑ Trial of the Amazons #1
  14. ↑ Wonder Woman #785
  15. ↑ Nubia and the Amazons #6
  16. ↑ Trial of the Amazons: Wonder Girl #2
  17. ↑ Trial of the Amazons #2
  18. ↑ Trial of the Amazons #2
  19. ↑ Nubia: Coronation Special #1
  20. ↑ Nubia: Queen of the Amazons #1
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Nubia and the Amazons #2
  22. ↑ Nubia: Queen of the Amazons #2
  23. ↑ Nubia: Queen of the Amazons #3


Wonder Woman Supporting Cast

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