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DC’sSmallvilleran for 10 great seasons, and the graphic novel series,Smallville Season 11, continues the tradition. It continues the story of not only Clark Kent becoming Superman, but also of many other characters fans will remember from the show. There are also some new super-friends Clark meets that he didn’t get a chance to meet in the television series, such as Batman. But one of the more powerful and intriguing characters that deserved more presence onscreen was Zatanna Zatara.
Zatanna made a big introduction that would ultimately be short-lived inSmallville. While she wasn’t the first magic-user on the show, Zatanna was the first magician from the comics to appear in the series. Magic-users inDCComics often come from a specific line of species. These practitioners deal with a very different kind of supernatural. So for Zatanna to cross paths with Clark onSmallvilleis a significant moment that could have taken the series down a demon-filled path if she had stayed.
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Who Is Zatanna Zatara?
Half-magi and half-human, Zatanna Zatara is a powerful magician. DC Comics' homo magi are a distinct species of magic-users, as opposed to metahumans. Her father, John Zatara, was also a great magician. But he sacrificed himself so his young daughter could live. In an attempt to resurrect him,Zatanna arrives inSmallvillein search of her deceased father’s book of spells in season 8. Clark, however, stops her from performing the ritual which would have taken her life to complete.
Zatanna’s word magic and seductive nature has always made her a charmingly troublesome heroine. Although Clark Kent was once able to resist Zatanna’s mind control after a brief kiss. Rendering her speechless is the most effective way to dealing with her most formidable magic abilities. However, there are some spells she can perform by writing the words, as well as some magic she can use without incantations, such as teleportation. Since her attempt to resurrect her father, Zatanna has chosen to right her father’s wrongs after finding out about his series of hexes.
Zatanna has made a couple more appearances in the last few seasons of the series in some form. For instance, in season 10,theSmallvillesorceress sent Clark and Loisa magically spiked bottle of champagne to celebrate their engagement. Zatanna was an accomplished, touring illusionist with her own supernatural cases to solve. So her absence inSmallvilleis understandable yet sorely missed. Luckily, theSmallville Season 11graphic novel series picks up Zatanna’s story six months after the series finale.
What Happened To Zatanna In Smallville Season 11?
Smallville’sZatanna meets John Constantine in London after he saves her from a minor scuttle with another magic user. She’s again in search of another spell-book that Constantine happens to also be trying to find. Though, he intends to turn a profit from it. Zatanna desires to destroy the book to undo her father’s last remaining hex. But since the book is in the possession of the Church of Blood, they decide to team up to defeat them.
Once they catch up with the cult amid their final ritual to sacrifice a girl to conjure the demon, Trigon, Zatanna saves the girl and Constantine nabs the book of magic, which he runs off with. He left Zatanna to fight off the Church of Blood and a horde of demons alone. Then, out of good conscience,John Constantine makes his returnto exorcise the sacrificial cult leader and send the demons back to Hell. The girl is revealed to be none other than Rachel Roth, as Zatanna sends her back with the Teen Titans.
This isn’t the end of Zatanna’s saga inSmallville Season 11. She joins the Department of Extranormal Operations, a secret government agency including Wonder Woman and Green Arrow as agents. Zatanna’s absence in the last few seasons after a successful debut is being made up for in the graphic novel. Fans of the magician will find her to be as charming and powerful as before. Zatanna Zatara is on of the few female superheroes who also stands among the most powerful. It’s unfortunate her character has not been featured more onscreen in live-action film projects.
TheZatannamovie andJustice League Darkprojects are still in development, but their fate may end up like theBatgirlfilm. DC’s world of magic and demons has yet to fully find its way into theDCU. Uniting with John Constantine in the Keanu Reeve’s sequel film would be a great opportunity for the sorceress to make her new live-action DCU debut. She may not be a mainstream hero but, if anyone can enchant their way to success, Zatanna Zatara is DC’s best bet.
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