The 2004, Catwoman movie starring Halle Berry was not very popular. It’s always ridiculed but I liked it. I knew that it wasn’t Catwoman’s story but Vixen’s. Vixen is a great character. Not only is Vixen a kick-ass superhero she’s a kick-ass supermodel. And I love my supermodels. For the movie the writers changed the binding that held the story together and the movie lost its integrity. I never understood why books turned to movies always get changed so much.

Binds Them Together

“I don’t think of tokens and symbols… I think of the earth beneath me and the sky above me and the fiber that binds them together.” - Vixen*

Legend has it that the great African warrior Tantu asked the spider Anasi to create a totem that would grant the wearer the ability to mimic any animals’ ability. Through the years the totem has passed down through generation. Growing up in the African country of Zambesi, Mari Jiwe McCabe heard these legends and trusted them. When Mari grew up she became a “supermodel”, traveling the world and amassing great wealth. Her parents were killed by General Maksai, who was seeking the totem. Returning home she was able to achieve the totem and become the superhero – Vixen.

Forget the idols, the golden statues and all those ideals that cloud our thinking. If we sit peacefully and quietly looking out the window we see the world. If we watch long enough we will see the sunrise and the sunset; the moonrise and the moonset. Watching longer we will see the seasons change, we will see storms and clouds and the sun shining, we will see leaves and flowers bloom then wither and go to sleep. Our world is based on cycles – things change. We are connected to those cycles. We follow these cycles as well. For just one moment forget all the teaching and practice. Choose a word – Love, Peace, Hope, Joy, Steadfast, Strength, Compassion, Generosity, Humility, Serenity. This one word is the binding. The word becomes the connection to the sky, the earth, the plants and animals. This word, binds the Sun Moon and Stars. The binding becomes the practice.

Vixen
First Appearance: Action Comics, #521 (July 1981)

Creators: Gerry Conway (writer) Bob Oksner (art)

* “Vixen: Return of the Lion”, 2009, originally published “Vixen: Return of the Lion” #1-5, 2008, DC Comics