| Manitou Dawn | |
|---|---|
Manitou Dawn. Art by Doug Mahnke, Tom Nguyen, and David Baron.
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | JLA #75 (January 2003) |
| Created by | Joe Kelly (writer), Darryl Banks, Wayne Faucher, Yvel Guichet, Doug Mahnke, Tom Nguyen, Mark Propst (artists) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Dawn |
| Team affiliations | Justice League Justice League Elite Sisterhood of the Sleight Hand |
| Partnerships | Manitou Raven (husband; spiritual guide) |
| Notable aliases | The Manitou Manitou Dawn The Goat |
| Abilities |
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Manitou Dawn, known as simple DawnorThe Manitou, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She would first debut in JLA #75 (January, 2003). The character is a recurring Native American superhero within the DC Universe and the wife of Manitou Raven. Similar to Raven, she hails from the tribe that serves as the ancestor to the Apache Tribe. Despite their initial encounter being marked by turbulence, the two characters developed a deep affection for one another and eventually married. Following her husband's departure from the League of Ancients to join the Justice League and Justice League Elite, she would accompany him and provide assistance during ritualistic endeavors. After Raven's death, she is selected by his spirit to become the next Manitou, carrying on the legacy with her husband as her mentor and spiritual guide. Following DC Rebirth, the character is also revealed to have become a caretaker and is a member of the Sisterhood of the Sleight Hand, a mystic society dedicated to helping female practitioners practice magic under guidance and safety.
Dawn originated from the Obsidian Age of Atlantis circa 1000BC and was born in North America to a tribe in which were ancestors of the Apache Tribe. As a member of her tribe, she became notorious for being more free-spirited, fierce, and clever than other women in the tribe and was incline to challenge both men and women in the tribe aggressively. Nicknamed "The Goat", she was considered unwanted by other men in her tribe until she was thirteen, when her body began maturing. She was eventually noticed and taken in by the war chief, who intended to take her as his wife and have sex with her. Not wanting his advances, she fought back against the chief, resulting within her being ostracized by her tribe.[1][2]
She would later eventually come across Raven, and would perform a myriad of strange acts against him, including having burning down his home, biting his dog, and selling his horses. Despite this, Raven fell in love with the woman and married her. He would recount he fell in love with her the day she burned down his home.[1]
After Manitou Raven separated himself from the League of Ancients to aid the Justice League in thwarting Gamemnae's world and Atlantis domination scheme, both he and Dawn embarked on a journey to the future to start a new life. Subsequently, Dawn resided in the Watchtower for a period and joined the Justice League, occasionally assisting her husband in performing rituals when he assumed the role of their primary mystic consultant following Jason Blood's resignation. With the assistance of her friend Firestorm and Kyle Rayner, she swiftly acquired proficiency in English. While enjoying their newfound existence, she noticed that Raven's involvement with the Justice League caused them to grow apart as he immersed himself in their collective responsibilities.
Raven was recruited into the Justice League Elite by Vera Black, who presented a proposal to form a black ops team known as the Justice League Elite. This team was created to combat supernatural threats before they posed a danger to the public. The group relocated to a covert base called The Factory in New Jersey, and Dawn naturally accompanied her husband. As Raven became increasingly absorbed in their work, Dawn grew dissatisfied with their diminishing bond, feeling overshadowed by the presence of others. This led to a brief affair with Green Arrow, whom she initially befriended. Unbeknownst to Dawn, Raven discovered the affair through his magical abilities. Eventually, Dawn confessed to Raven, unaware that he already knew. Dawn was devastated when he perished on a mission before they could fully reconcile, having sacrificed himself to save Green Arrow's life despite the knowledge of the affair. Later on, Dawn unintentionally summoned Raven's spirit while grieving, and he bestowed upon her the title and position of Manitou, marking her ascension with a distinctive marking on her face. As the new Manitou, she assisted the Elite in concluding their final case and played a crucial role in uncovering the team's traitor, Menagerie.[3][2]
Dawn would has since taken a semi-active role in the Justice League. She was present for Aquaman's ceremony that disbanded the JLA. There she also met Black Canary, who sensed Dawn's former affair with Green Arrow.[4] During the Infinite Crisis, Dawn was a key player in stopping The Key, who had developed new, super-powerful telepathy.[4][5] Raven would also remain close to Dawn, in a spiritual form, acting as an unpredictable advisor. During the aftermath of the Reign of Doomsday event, Batman mentions that Manitou Dawn and Zatanna are working together to track down Supergirl after her kidnapping at the hands of Doomsday.[6]
Years after the New 52 reboot, the character was reintroduced with an updated backstory as part of the DC Rebirth initiative. In this revised history, the character's origins remain tied to a tribe that served as an ancestor to the Apache nation during the Obsidian Age of Atlantis. She maintained her role as a superhero within the Justice League and her title as "Manitou". Subsequently, she relocated to New Mexico and assumed the position of a caretaker, offering assistance to local communities through grants and resources provided by Wayne Industries and Queen Industries respectively. However, unlike her previous history, she no longer has any prior association with the Justice League Elite or romantic history Green Arrow, as the latter team did not exist in the current continuity. It is revealed that the character was among the numerous women who were marked with the witch-mark by the goddess Hecate during different eras of history. This branding bestowed upon her an exceptionally potent source of primordial magic, which allowed Hecate to later collected and conceal herself from other formidable magic users such as the ascended Lords of Order.[7]
Manitou Dawn eventually becomes affected by the witch-mark, triggering the restoration of her previously erased memories of the branding and placing her under its control. Under this influence, she is compelled to launch an attack on Nanda Parbat and the goddess Rama Kushna, with the intention of their destruction. As Hecate's plan unfolds, aimed at reclaiming magic, Zatanna and Constantine successfully intervene by exorcising the witch-mark and freeing Dawn from Hecate's control. Once she regains her autonomy, Dawn expresses concern about the fate of the power she possesses, recognizing that as the witch-mark is exorcised from others, the power will be transferred to another individual. Her suspicions are validated when it is revealed that Circe intends to eliminate all other witch-marked women and Hecate herself to seize the entirety of Hecate's power, thereby elevating her own status to a higher and more formidable level.[7]
In the DC Universe, Manitou Dawn is categorized as a "Sorcerer/Sorceress", a specific class of magic practitioners who utilize enchanted objects to amplify their magical abilities and safeguard themselves from the inherent risks associated with magic. These enchanted objects serve a dual purpose, enhancing their magical powers while also providing protective measures.[8] As a proficient shaman, Dawn possesses a set of supernatural powers and possesses in-depth knowledge of Native American shamanism.[2] Upon assuming the role of Manitou, her powers expanded, and she also inherited her husband's magical abilities. Her repertoire of powers includes the ability to perform rituals to discern potential threats and glimpse into the future, establish spiritual connections, empathic abilities that enable her to sense emotions, and manipulation of fiery mystic energies.[9]
As a sorceress, Dawn employs various artifacts in which she inherited from her husband following his death:
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