Catspaw (comics)
| Catspaw | |
|---|---|
|
Catspaw | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 4 #33 |
| Created by |
Tom Bierbaum Mary Bierbaum Chris Sprouse |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | April Dumaka |
| Species | Metahuman |
| Place of origin | Earth (31st century) |
| Team affiliations | Legion of Super-Heroes |
| Abilities | Cat-like speed and agility, enhanced senses, and retractable claws. |
April Dumaka, alias Catspaw is a fictional character owned by DC Comics. She was shown in the comic book Legion of Super-Heroes. The story she was depicted in is a now-discarded alternate reality known as the Glorithverse.
Fictional character biography
The Glorithverse came about when a classic Legion foe, the time-manipulating Time Trapper, was replaced for a period before a storyline called Zero Hour by the previously-minor Legion of Super-Heroes villainess named Glorith. The "real-world" reason for this change was the demand of a Superman comic book creative team to make all references to the Superboy character prior to a DC Comics storyline called Crisis on Infinite Earths be removed from Legion story continuity. During this period, the Batch SW6 Legion appeared: these were duplicates of the Silver Age Legionnaires. After some time, this team having gained new costumes and for many members, new codenames, got their own comic titled Legionnaires.
Dumaka, who got her powers (cat-like speed and agility) from the genetic manipulation of the Dominators (an alien race who were trying to conquer the earth), was not an original member of the SW6 Legion, but she was held in the same underground chambers where the SW6 Legion emerged.
She was only a Legionnaire for a very short time as, with Legionnaires #17, Zero Hour happened, beginning a new continuity in which she did not appear. Her postboot counterpart did make a very brief cameo appearance as a potential member of the LSH's rival team the Workforce.
Powers and abilities
A hybrid of human and feline, Catspaw has the agility, speed, and heightened senses (smelling, hearing, and balance) of a cat, as well as retractable claws on her fingertips and toes. She has excellent night-vision and animal-like instincts.