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B'wana Beast

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B'wana Beast
B'wana Beast as seen on the cover ofShowcase#66 (January 1967).
Art by Mike Sekowsky and Joe Giella.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceAs B'wana Beast:
Showcase#66 (January 1967)
As Shining Man:
Animal Man#47 (May 1992)
Created by
In-story information
Alter egoMichael Payson Maxwell
Team affiliationsJustice League
Notable aliases
  • Jungle Master
  • White God
  • Shining Man
Abilities
  • Telepathic control over animals
  • Able to fuse two animals into achimera
  • Superhuman strength, speed, endurance, and agility
  • Heightened senses
  • Experienced wrestler

B'wana Beast(Michael Payson "Mike" Maxwell) is asuperheroappearing inAmerican comic bookspublished byDC Comics.

Publication history

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Created byBob HaneyandMike Sekowsky,B'wana Beast made his first appearance inShowcase#66 (January 1967).[1] The character was an attempt to capitalize onEdgar Rice Burroughs'Tarzan,borrowing the African jungle setting and "Tarzan yell"which was created in theJohnny Weissmullerincarnation of Tarzan.[2]

Fictional character biography

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After graduating from college with highest honors, Michael Payson "Mike" Maxwell declined his millionaire father's offer to join the family business and instead decided to join his college roommate, Rupert Kenboya, in Africa and become arangerinZambezi's new animal preserves.

When the private aircraft carrying Maxwell and Kenboya to Zambezi was struck by lightning and crashed at the top ofMount Kilimanjaro,the two injured men took refuge in the cavern home of Djuba, a mutant red gorilla. After drinking from the cavern's mineral-rich water, Maxwell became stronger and was able easily subdue Djuba.

Acknowledging Maxwell as its master, the red gorilla retrieved an ancientCorinthian-styled helmet from the depths of the cave and placed it on Maxwell's head. Through the helmet, Maxwell was able to read the red gorilla's mind and discovered its name wasDjuba.He also discovered that the helmet enabled him to control the actions of all other animals. Agreeing that these new powers must be used for the good of all Africa, Maxwell created the identity of "B'wana Beast" and became the Dark Continent's super troubleshooter.[3]

Animal Man

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In the initial story arc ofAnimal Man,written byGrant Morrison,B'wana Beast journeys to America to rescue Djuba, who has been captured byS.T.A.R. Labsscientists led by Dr. Myers and infected with an experimental form ofanthrax.He fails to save Djuba and is himself infected with the disease,[4]but he is cured byAnimal Man,who mimics B'wana Beast's powers to merge his white blood cells into forms capable of fighting off the disease.[5]InAnimal Man#13 (July 1989), also written by Morrison, Maxwell decides to retire and performs a ceremony to find a successor. He passes the helmet and elixir on to a South African activist named Dominic Mndawe, who assumes the nameFreedom Beast.[6]

Mike Maxwell returns inAnimal Man#47 (May 1992) written byTom Veitch,after a long period of absence, in which after hearing the call of the destructive force called the Antagon, he is corrupted and possessed, and transformed into the evilShining Man.With his new identity, Maxwell wreaked havoc on Earth until he was killed in a fight with Metaman.[7]

The New 52

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In 2011, "The New 52"rebooted the DC universe. B'wana Beast was considered as a possible new member for theJustice League Internationalby United Nations head of intelligence Andre Briggs. They decide he is not right as a candidate for the team at that time, and he is not invited to join.[8]

Infinite Frontier

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Powers and abilities

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B'wana Beast drinks an elixir that gives him great strength, speed, hunting andtrackingabilities. He also wears an ancient helmet that allows him to communicate with animals,[1]and to merge up to four animals together to form aChimera.[9]For the most part, once these animals are merged, B'wana is able to acquire their aid in situations of need. It is unknown whether this is due to his ability to communicate with them or an instinct on their part.[10]

In other media

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Television

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  • B'wana Beast appears inFilmation'sThe Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure.Additionally, the studio considered making a standalone B'wana Beast series, but it did not come to fruition.[11][12]
  • B'wana Beast appears inJustice League Unlimited,voiced byPeter Onorati.[13]This version is a member of theJustice Leaguewho has a thick New York accent and blue collar personality. Additionally, according to the DVD commentary for the episode "This Little Piggy", a seductive growl that B'wana Beast directs atZatannawas provided by producer/character designer James Tucker as Onorati was unable to do so.
  • B'wana Beast appears inBatman: The Brave and the Bold,voiced byKevin Michael Richardson.[13]This version is the love interest ofVixenand was originally a wrestler who gained his abilities from exposure to contaminated radioactive water and obtained his mask and title after defeating the masked gorilla Djuba in Africa. In the two-part episode "The Siege of Starro!", theFaceless Huntercaptures B'wana Beast and harnesses his power to fuseStarro's parasites into one giant monster. While Batman defeats the Faceless Hunter, B'wana Beast sacrifices himself to destroy Starro. In the series finale "Mitefall!", B'wana Beast returns to attend the series' wrap party.
    • Additionally, an unnamed alternate universe incarnation of B'wana Beast makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in a flashback in the episode "Deep Cover for Batman!" as a member of theInjustice Syndicate.
  • B'wana Beast makes non-speaking appearances inTeen Titans Go!.
  • B'wana Beast appears in theLegends of Tomorrowepisode "Freakshow", portrayed by Jason William Day.[14]This version is an unnamedstrongmanworking forP. T. Barnum's traveling circus.

Film

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B'wana Beast makes a cameo appearance inTeen Titans Go! To the Movies.

Video games

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B'wana Beast appears as a character summon inScribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.[15]

Miscellaneous

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B'wana Beast appears inJustice League Unlimited#29.[16]

Merchandise

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References

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  1. ^abShowcase#66
  2. ^Eury, Michael (2017).Hero-a-go-go!: campy comic books, crimefighters & culture of the swinging sixties.Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrrows. p. 67.ISBN978-1-60549-073-1.
  3. ^Morris, Jon (2015).The League of Regrettable Superheroes: Half Baked Heroes from Comic Book History.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Quirk Books. pp. 134–135.ISBN978-1-59474-763-2.
  4. ^Animal Man#3. DC Comics.
  5. ^Animal Man#4. DC Comics.
  6. ^Animal Man#13. DC Comics.
  7. ^Animal Man#47-50. DC Comics.
  8. ^Justice League Internationalvol. 3 #1. DC Comics.
  9. ^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019).DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle.DK Publishing. p. 123.ISBN978-1-4654-8578-6.
  10. ^Showcase#67
  11. ^McNeil, Darren (July 2004)."The 1968 DC Filmation Pilots".Back Issue!(5).TwoMorrows Publishing.Archived fromthe originalon January 30, 2014.RetrievedMay 1,2019.
  12. ^The Aquaman Shrine: Aquaman Meets The Blackhawks?
  13. ^ab"B'wana Beast Voices (DC Universe)".Behind The Voice Actors. 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 opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  14. ^Anderson, Jenna (July 23, 2017)."First Look at B'wana Beast on Legends of Tomorrow".Comic Book.RetrievedJuly 28,2017.
  15. ^Eisen, Andrew (October 4, 2013)."DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide".IGN.RetrievedMay 30,2024.
  16. ^"Justice League Unlimited #29 - Untamed (Issue)".Comic Vine.RetrievedMay 30,2024.
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