Wikia

Zatanna Zatara


Family	John Zatara (father, deceased)
Occupation	Stage Magician, member of the Justice League
Powers and Abilities	Magic
Played By	Serinda Swan
Status	Alive

"Make a wish." — Zatanna, Hex

Zatanna Zatara is the daughter of the world's greatest magician, John Zatara. She searched for her father's spell book for years after it was bought by Lex Luthor; after recovering the book, she mentioned she would start researching spells to become a better magician.

She is currently a member of the Justice League.

Physical AppearanceEdit

Zatanna is an attractive young woman with long, straight black hair and blue/gray eyes. When she uses her magic or casts a spell, her eyes glow a bright blue color.^{[picture needed]}

Zatanna's civilian clothing usually consists of a black leather jacket with either a dark red or black shirt underneath and dark colored pants or a miniskirt.^{[picture needed]} When she's on the job as a magician, she usually wears a top hat; a black tuxedo jacket with a white top underneath and a white bow-tie around her neck; black fishnet tights; and black, knee-high high-heeled boots.

In Icarus, Zatanna was briefly seen wearing something similar to her magician outfit, except she was wearing a black leather jacket and no hat.

Powers and AbilitiesEdit

"I give people what they want." — Zatanna, to Clark Kent, Hex

Magic: Zatanna possesses the ability to control magic. At first, her abilities were limited to granting a person's wishes of whatever that person most desired at the moment. However, her ability to grant wishes only works on others; it does not work on herself. After finding her father's spell book, Zatanna's powers were increased and she learned that, by speaking words backwards, she could conjure spells. By speaking "Leets yb dnuob!" ("Bound by steel!"), she was able to imprison Oliver Queen with chains that suddenly appeared. With the book, Zatanna has access to a wealth of magical spells, including one that can resurrect a person from the dead, provided that another life is sacrificed in exchange for theirs. Currently, she possesses the ability to create powerful magic without the help of the Book of Zatara. In Warrior, she was able to conjure up a spell the was capable of defeating Alec Abrams, who was transformed into Devilicus.
Teleportation: During her first appearance, Zatanna was able to appear and disappear by thought.
Telekinesis: When Oliver was going to burn the Book of Zatara, Zatanna stretched out her hand and the book came to her.

Early lifeEdit

Zatanna was the daughter of John Zatara, the world's greatest magician. She is an accomplished magician and performer, independent of her magical abilities. Her family has an estate called Shadowcrest, which she inherited after her father's death. According to Zatanna, her father gave his life to save her, something she still felt guilty about.

Her father left her a book that has been passed from generation to generation with her heritage inside, but at some point after his death, his book of spells was sold at an auction and acquired by Lex Luthor. Zatanna was driven to reclaim the book, not just because it was a link to her magical heritage, but because within it was a spell that could resurrect her father, though this meant Zatanna would have to exchange her own life for her father's. Zatanna contacted Yuri, an antique dealer who had some knowledge about the location of the book. In exchange for his information, she granted Yuri the gift of deeper understanding of dead languages.

Season EightEdit

"I wonder what your little wish would be?" — Zatanna, to Clark, Hex

At Chloe Sullivan's birthday party in the Ace of Clubs, Zatanna was there managing a peddler show of magic tricks called "Zatanna, Mistress of Magics" and wanted to draw the attention of Oliver Queen, but ended up interacting with Chloe and gave her a wish as a birthday gift. Chloe woke up the next morning looking exactly like her cousin Lois Lane. Zatanna enlisted Oliver's help to retrieve her father's book of spells in return for granting one wish for him.

When Clark Kent and Chloe confronted Zatanna because of the problems caused by her powers, Zatanna wondered what Clark might wish for; immediately, Clark's desire to be normal was granted. Oliver stole the Book of Zatara as Green Arrow, and then went to give it to Zatanna and discovered the real reason why she wanted the book: She was trying to return her father to life at the expense of her own life. Oliver tried to burn the book, but Zatanna snatched the book and chained Oliver to a post.

On the Daily Planet rooftop, Zatanna started the ritual to resurrect her father, but Clark stopped her by telling her to leave the past behind. Chloe then got trapped in the mystical vortex that appeared and Zatanna, realizing that her father sacrificed himself so she could live, closed the portal.

Zatanna later went to Oliver's office to apologize, and then decided to help Oliver if he ever encountered any supernatural foes along the way, giving him her phone number. Finally, she magically disappeared.

Season NineEdit

"Without a dash of fantasy, life's just life. And where's the magic in that?" — Zatanna, to Clark and Lois, Warrior

In 2010, Zatanna found out that her father went on a hexing spree in his youth and decided to clean up his mess. She went to the Metropolis Wonder Con to find a special comic book that her father hexed to get back at the publisher, but it was never read until a young boy named Alec Abrams opened it and became Stephen Swift.

Zatanna needed Clark's help which made Lois jealous. She decided to give him a moment of true fantasy and magically summoned candles, then enchanted him into kissing her. However, Clark regained his self-control and Zatanna said that it was a shame, as she thought they found "a mouth more magical than her." As much as she wanted Clark to fall in love with her, his only love for Lois is stronger.

Clark and Zatanna found the book, but realized that Alec/Stephen would become the villain Devilicus if he ever felt betrayed, so Zatanna prepared a counter-curse while Clark tracked down Alec/Stephen, who was on a rooftop with Chloe. Zatanna performed the counter-curse, reversing the spell. Later, at the Daily Planet, after Alec reunited with his aunt, Zatanna ensured that Alec wasn't charged with the crime he committed and suggested that she and Clark stay together, but Clark figured he could find his fantasy somewhere else. Zatanna told him to make sure Lois knew how lucky she was before leaving.

Season TenEdit

Months later, when the Vigilante Registration Act was passed, Zatanna was listed as one of many unregistered vigilantes that General Slade Wilson was targeting.

Zatanna attended Hawkman's funeral with the other Justice League members in Egypt. After a strange occurrence, all members of the League, including Zatanna, were knocked unconscious.

Zatanna, along with the rest of the League, was placed in a virtual reality by the Vigilante Registration Agency, but was rescued through the efforts of Chloe and the Suicide Squad.

The following year, Zatanna sent Lois and Clark a magically-spiked bottle of champagne for their bachelor and bachelorette parties that sent Clark, Lois, Chloe, Dr. Emil Hamilton, Oliver and Tess Mercer drunk and wild, sending them around the city doing mischievous deeds until the magic wore off from most of them in the next morning.

AppearancesEdit

In the ComicsEdit

Zatanna is a powerful sorceress whose abilities are apparently genetic. She is the daughter of magician Giovanni "John" Zatara and Sindella, a member of the mystical Homo magi race. Zatanna is a direct descendant of the alchemist Jack Craig Hudgins as well as Nostradamus. She makes her living as a stage illusionist prior to discovering her magical abilities while investigating the disappearance of her father. Many Silver Age DC Comic books told the tale of Zatanna looking for her father.

As a tribute to her father and as a focal point, Zatanna usually casts spells by speaking verbal commands backwards. She has also proven capable on many occasions of casting spells by speaking normally and, in rarer occasions, the ability to use magic for simple tasks without speaking. She also owns a mansion called Shadowcrest, in which she keeps a vast library of magical knowledge as well as an arsenal of relics powerful enough to do "just about anything you'd want to do." Shadowcrest seems to exist in a completely different dimension, although it is initially located outside of Gotham City.

Zatanna also has a strong relationship with Batman/Bruce Wayne. In Detective Comics #833 (August 2007), it is stated that Zatanna's father was a friend of Bruce's father Thomas Wayne. Later, Zatara trained Bruce in becoming one of the greatest escape artists, and Bruce and Zatanna were childhood friends (a retcon of their former first meeting as adults). Zatanna and Bruce have a working friendship in the comics, with Bruce calling her for assistance from time to time and having worked together with the Justice League of America for many years. Their relationship, however, was strained for a period after Zatanna, along with a handful of other JLA members, used her powers to mind-wipe the villain Doctor Light after he attacked the wife of another member. Feeling this was an abuse of power, Batman attempted to stop his teammates, but was instead mind-wiped of the events as well. Zatanna carried this guilt for many years, and when Batman remembered what was done to him, their relationship became severely damaged. Over time, however, Zatanna's standing with Batman became very positive once again, and Zatanna even proposed that they start a relationship before Bruce told her he cared too much about her to bring her into his world.

Zatanna had to overcome the difficulty of facing her father, who returned as an undead Black Lantern in Blackest Night. She defeated the Black Lantern Zatara, but her fellow JLA members said it must have felt like watching him die all over again. Zatanna still remained a member of the Justice League's reserve members.

As of 2010, Zatanna has been starring in her own comic book series.

Following the 2011 reboot of the DC Universe, Zatanna has been recruited by Madame Xanadu into the roster of the new Justice League Dark. Their first mission was to stop the rampage of the insane Enchantress. Zatanna has thus far been reunited with John Constantine, a former consort from when she appeared in the Vertigo line.

NotesEdit

Zatanna makes a few references to her comic book history. One is her estate Shadowcrest, an ancestral home of her family that is mystical itself. The other is her heritage of magical powers; in the comics, she is a descendant of the Homo magi, a race of magic-using humans, hinting they may exist in the Smallville universe.
It is interesting to note that Clark's wish is not to reunite with Lana Lang, despite her leaving just a few episodes before Hex and his heartful plea for her to stay.
Zatanna is the 10th person from the comics introduced in Season Eight.
Zatanna's father John Zatara made his debut alongside Superman in Action Comics #1; the two technically share status as the first superhero.
Zatanna made her first television debut in Batman: The Animated Series, where she was portrayed as a powerless stage magician and old friend of Bruce Wayne (who went under the guise of "John Smith" the time he met Zatanna). Her father John Zatara was responsible for teaching Bruce to be an escape artist. She would later appear in the spin-off series Justice League Unlimited, where she was portrayed as having real magical powers.
Zatanna recently teamed up with Batman in Batman: The Brave and the Bold teaser of "Chill Of The Night" to apprehend the evil sorcerer Abra Kadabra. Paul Dini wrote the episode and Jennifer Hale reprises her role as the Mistress Of Magic from Justice League Unlimited.
Zatanna was first presented as "Cassie."
Although Zatanna appears at the end of Icarus, her face is never shown, nor is Serinda Swan credited in the episode, indicating a stand-in was used for the scene.
Zatanna has a crush on Clark. (Warrior)
In the comics, Zatanna has a cousin named Zachary Zatara who, for a short period, was a member of the Teen Titans. Like Zatanna, Zachary is a famous stage magican who also has real magical abilities. He can cast assorted spells by speaking backwards, but unlike his cousin, Zachary's powers are limited to inanimate objects only.
She is the least recurring member of the Justice League.
Zatanna has appeared in two episodes that were written by Bryan Q. Miller: Hex and Warrior. Icarus is the only episode that Zatanna has appeared in that wasn't written by Miller. Ironically enough, Zatanna didn't appear in Luthor or Masquerade, both written by Miller, in Season Ten.
Zatanna has met Chloe, Oliver, Clark and Lois. Tess is the only main character that Zatanna didn't meet. Ironically enough, Tess didn't appear in the two episodes featuring Zatanna.

QuotesEdit

Zatanna: Zatanna. We weren't properly introduced.

Oliver: "Zatanna." Lose a bet with that name?

Zatanna: It's a family thing.

Oliver: Okay. So, uh, Zatanna...is it? You mind telling me what drives a lovely young woman such as yourself to track down an unsuspecting CEO at a nightclub and then again at his office?

Zatanna: I need your help.

Oliver: You don't scream "charity case."

Zatanna: My father left me an estate in Shadowcrest, so money isn't an object.

Oliver: Shadowcrest... John Zatara, the Maestro of Magic... He was your father? Well, I'm sorry. I know what it's like to lose family.

Zatanna: Yeah. I lost more than my father.

Season Eight, Hex

External linksEdit

Zatanna - DC Comics
Zatanna on Wikipedia
Zatanna on DC database
Zatanna on Wikia DC Animated Universe
Zatanna on Batman Wiki
Zatanna on Young Justice Wiki
Zatanna on Batman:Brave and the Bold Wiki