Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Get Your Comic On
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    • Hot Topics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Marvel
      • Power Rangers
      • Star Trek Universe
      • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
      • Titan Comics
      • Transformers
      • Universal Pictures
    • Features

      Six Crime Films to Watch After ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE

      September 29, 2025

      Five Dark Knight Animated Projects to Watch This BATMAN DAY

      September 16, 2025

      Who Could Superman and Lex Team-up to Defeat in 2027’s MAN OF TOMORROW

      September 15, 2025

      The 10 Most Memorable Deaths In The ALIEN Series, Ranked

      August 15, 2025

      Are the FINAL DESTINATION Films All Linked to the Events of 1968?

      May 17, 2025
    • Comics

      SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN: A Monster Hunter Walks into a Bar (2025)

      October 9, 2025

      STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS (2024-) #12 Review

      October 8, 2025

      ABSOLUTE BATMAN (2024-) #13 Review

      October 8, 2025

      IDW Shares First Look at Blockbuster TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES x GODZILLA Crossover Event

      October 7, 2025

      Comixology x Kindle Unveil New York Comic-Con 2025 Plans

      October 6, 2025
    • Film

      Preorder The Ultimate DISNEY Collection Box Set Now

      October 8, 2025

      JUJUTSU KAISEN: EXECUTION Coming To Cinemas This November

      October 8, 2025

      V/H/S HALLOWEEN (2025) Review

      October 7, 2025

      Studiocanal Breathing New Life in to Two HAMMER FILMS Classics in November 2025

      October 7, 2025

      Meet the Real People Behind-the-Story of Paramount’s ROOFMAN

      October 4, 2025
    • TV

      Chris is Behind Bars as A.R.G.U.S. Explores the Multiverse in new PEACEMAKER Stills

      October 7, 2025

      AMC Shares Official Trailer for FEARFEST Featuring 2025’s “Halloqueen” and Host Janelle Monáe

      October 3, 2025

      Paramount+ Renews Mega Hit Series LIONESS for a Third Season

      October 2, 2025

      Earth-X Continues to Cause Trouble for the Gang in Latest PEACEMAKER Episode Stills

      October 1, 2025

      Shudder Releases Spectacular – and Fractious – Trailer for THE BOULET BROTHERS’ DRAGULA: TITANS Season 2

      September 30, 2025
    • Culture
      • Anime
      • Collectibles
      • Conventions
      • Gaming
    • Podcast
    • Interviews

      Anson Mount Breaks Down the STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS Season 3 Finale (EXCLUSIVE)

      September 12, 2025

      Richa Moorjani Breaks Down ALIEN: EARTH Episode 5 (EXCLUSIVE)

      September 3, 2025

      PEACEMAKER Stars Jennifer Holland & Frank Grillo Discuss Working Together on Season 2 (EXCLUSIVE)

      August 25, 2025

      Sol Rodriguez & Steve Agee Talk Dance Routines and Sharing Scenes in PEACEMAKER Season 2 (EXCLUSIVE)

      August 25, 2025

      Danielle Brooks & Freddie Stroma Talk Shooting Emotional PEACEMAKER Season 2 Scenes (EXCLUSIVE)

      August 25, 2025
    • Directory
    Get Your Comic On
    Home»Film»Film News»Who Is WONDER WOMAN 1984’s Barbara Minerva?
    Film News

    Who Is WONDER WOMAN 1984’s Barbara Minerva?

    Neil VaggBy Neil VaggDecember 14, 2020No Comments5 Mins Read
    Wonder Woman 1984 (Warner Bros.)
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

    Wednesday marks the release of Warner Bros. Wonder Woman 1984 here in the UK. Ahead of the film’s release we’re taking a look at two key new characters joining the DC Universe on film.

    Today it’s the turn of one of Diana’s more fiercest villains: Barbara Minerva aka Cheetah. Get to know her origins and find some of the characters biggest moments from the comics to help you swat up ready for Kristen Wiig’s performance in the film.


    Cheetah

    Alias: Barbara Minerva.

    First appearance: Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #7 (August 1987).

    Bio: Barbara Minerva is the third character to take on the name Cheetah in DC Comics. In the comics Minerva is a British archaeologist, born as the heiress to a vast fortune in her ancient family seat in Nottinghamshire. Ambitious, selfish, and severely neurotic, Barbara develops a passion for archaeology that eventually led her to search out a tribe in Africa which has a female guardian with the powers of a cheetah. A band of marauders kill the guardian and most of what remained of her original expedition party. Barbara, with the aid of the priest, Chuma, the caretaker of the ancient plant god Urzkartaga, takes her place after being told that she would gain immortality.

    Her powers are conferred to her by ingesting a combination of human blood and the berries or leaves of Urzkartaga, which gives her orange skin with black spots, a tail and claws, as well as superhuman senses and reflexes. Unfortunately for Minerva, the host of the Cheetah persona is intended to be a virgin. Minerva is not, so her transformations were part curse and part blessing, as she experiences severe pain and physical disability while in her human form and bloodthirsty euphoria while in her cat form.

    Minerva’s origin was altered when the DC line was relaunched in the New 52 era. The character was re-made to be a corrupt image and antecedent to Wonder Woman. Barbara Ann Minerva (having used several aliases that happen to be the names of the various incarnations of the character) is reintroduced as the Cheetah. As part of her new backstory, Minerva is referred to as an accomplice to Wonder Woman and an expert in dangerous relics, and having previously grown up in an all-woman commune called “Amazonia”.

    In the possession of a dagger once belonging to a lost tribe of Amazons, she cut herself on it. She was possessed by the Goddess of the Hunt, transforming her into a human-cheetah hybrid. Her claws can also turn Superman into a cheetah-like being.

    The origin of the Cheetah is dated back to the San Tribe, who for centuries had hunted alongside the cheetahs. Every generation, one of their members is chosen to become the host of the Goddess of the Hunt, until one day a hunter killed the current host; the knife used to kill her was cursed until it fell in the hands of Minerva. The Cheetah is subdued by the Justice League and placed in Belle Reve. However, once there, she makes contact with someone telling him she is where he requested, implying her capture was staged as a part of a bigger plan.

    Her origin was once again altered for the DC Rebirth era in the comics. This time around, Barbara Ann Cavendish enjoyed mythology and showed an affinity for language. Her father disparaged her interest in myth, deriding it as childish. In defiance of her father, her passion for myth and legend remained and as an adult, she took her late mother’s maiden name of Minerva. By age 26, she had mastered seven languages and earned two Ph.D.s in archaeology.

    On a dig in Ukraine, she discovered proof of the existence of the Amazons, but the dig site collapsed. Minerva was able to take photos before the collapse and followed her findings to the Black Sea, only to find what she believed was an empty island. After Princess Diana of the Amazons returned U.S. Navy SEAL Steve Trevor to the United States, the Navy called Dr. Minerva to translate Diana’s language. Minerva became close friends with Diana and Lt. Etta Candy and taught Diana English, as well as other languages.

    After Ares attacks the naval base and several of the Olympian Gods (in the forms of animals) assist Diana in Ares’ defeat, Minerva became even more obsessed with the divine. Seeking out proof of other deities, Minerva learns of Urzkartaga and obtains funding for an expedition to the fictional African nation of Bwunda from Veronica Cale.

    Unbeknownst to Minerva, Cale was acting on behalf of the sons of Ares, Deimos and Phobos, who believed that by turning Minerva into a demigod, she would be able to locate Themyscira for them. In case of emergency, Diana provided Barbara Ann with a Wayne Enterprises GPS signaling device, which Doctor Cyber remotely disabled. As a result, Wonder Woman was unable to prevent Minerva from being wed to Urzkartaga and becoming the Cheetah.

    Blaming Diana for her forced transformation and the cannibalistic urges that came with it, the Cheetah joined Cale’s Godwatch group.

    Key reading:

    • Final Crisis (2009)
    • Flashpoint (2011)
    • Forever Evil (2013)
    • Wonder Woman (2016-) Rebirth

    Key watching:

    • Justice League: Unlimited
    • Batman: The Brave and the Bold
    • Wonder Woman (2009)
    • Justice League: Doom (2012)

    Gal Gadot returns in the role of Diana Prince/Wonder Woman in Wonder Woman 1984. The film also stars Kristen Wiig in the role of the Super-Villain The Cheetah, as well as Pedro Pascal. And Chris Pine returns as Steve Trevor. The film is directed by Patty Jenkins.


    Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @GetYourComicOn, or on Instagram at GetYourComicOn. If you have a story suggestion email feedback@getyourcomicon.co.uk.

    DC Comics DC Films patty jenkins Warner Bros Wonder Woman 1984 (2020 Movie)
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Neil Vagg
    • Website
    • X (Twitter)

    Neil is the Editor-in-Chief at GYCO. He has a BA in Film & TV and an MA in Scriptwriting; he currently works 9-5 in an office and 5-9 as a reviewer. He has been reading comics for as long as he can remember and is never far away from any book which has the word Bat in the title.

    Related Posts

    ABSOLUTE BATMAN (2024-) #13 Review

    October 8, 2025

    DC and Marvel Double-Down on Crossover Comic Books including SUPERMAN vs. SPIDER-MAN Anniversary Release

    October 4, 2025

    BATGIRL (2024-) #12 Review

    October 1, 2025

    POISON IVY (2022-) #37 Review

    October 1, 2025

    Varèse Sarabande and Craft Recordings Celebrate 50 years of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST

    September 30, 2025

    TIM BURTON’S CORPSE BRIDE 4K Collector’s Edition Review

    September 30, 2025
    Latest

    SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN: A Monster Hunter Walks into a Bar (2025)

    October 9, 2025

    STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS (2024-) #12 Review

    October 8, 2025

    ABSOLUTE BATMAN (2024-) #13 Review

    October 8, 2025

    Preorder The Ultimate DISNEY Collection Box Set Now

    October 8, 2025

    JUJUTSU KAISEN: EXECUTION Coming To Cinemas This November

    October 8, 2025
    Latest Podcasts
    News

    Join us to Visit the Warner Bros. Prop Archive for BATMAN DAY 2025 Celebrations

    By Neil VaggSeptember 20, 2025
    News

    ALIEN: EARTH and the Return of PEACEMAKER

    By Neil VaggAugust 20, 2025
    News

    Superman ’25 & the Future of the DCU

    By Neil VaggAugust 6, 2025
    News

    The Best of 2025… So Far

    By Neil VaggJuly 23, 2025
    News

    Reviewing FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES and Apple TV+ Series MURDERBOT

    By Neil VaggMay 21, 2025
    X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook LinkedIn
    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Community Guidelines
    • Directory
    • Pitch to Us
    • Advertise
    GetYourComicOn.co.uk is a property of Get Your Comic On Ltd. © 2025 All Rights Reserved. Images used on this website are registered trademarks of their respective companies/owners.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.