Any heist story worth its salt will have at least one big twist at the end. Such is the case with Cheetah and Cheshire Rob the Justice League, by Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott. However, the biggest twist in the story did not involve the heist itself, but how it transformed one of the Justice League enemies responsible for the theft.
The plot of the miniseries found Cheetah and Cheshire assembling a crew for a heist. Their apparent goal was to steal the Power Bank; a device which could theoretically give anyone any superpower. The penultimate chapter of the miniseries found the gang escaping the Justice League Watchtower with their prize. However, they were immediately ambushed by a team of villains led by Black Adam, who had his own designs for the Power Bank.
Thankfully, this was all part of the plan. The heisters knew the Justice League would be hot on their heels, and escaped to leave Adam’s team to face them. This revealed that the theft of the Power Bank was a distraction. The real goal was the riches and artifacts in the Justice League trophy room, including one with a personal connection to Cheetah.
How Cheetah changes after Justice League heist
In the current DC Comics timeline, archeologist Barbara Ann Minerva was forced to become a bride of the nature god Urzkartaga. This transformed her into a half-cheetah, half-woman. However, because she was not a virgin, Urzkartaga also cursed Minerva with an insatiable urge to eat human flesh.
Wonder Woman tried several times to reverse the ritual that corrupted her friend. However, Minerva enjoyed the power she had as Cheetah, and sought to keep her new form while breaking the curse of Urzkartaga. To that end, she sought the idol that contained Urzkartaga’s essence, which was guarded by the Justice League.
With the assistance of Klarion the Witch Boy, Cheetah was able to bind the nature god on Earth. From there, it was a simple matter to slay Urzkartaga and claim his power, as the helpless deity begged for his life. When the fight was over, Cheetah had lost her tail and feline face. Indeed, apart from some faint spots on her skin, she appeared to be Barbara Ann Minerva again.
It remains to be seen if Cheetah’s victory has resulted in more than cosmetic changes to her appearance. It’s possible that it merely removed the cannibalism curse and gave her control over her transformations. In any case, Cheetah could prove more formidable than ever without a constant bloodlust dominating her mind. Indeed, a preview of an upcoming Justice League Unlimited issue suggests she is one of the villains seeking to reform and join the team.
Cheetah and Cheshire Rob the Justice League #6 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
