Arrow Hero of the Week: Who Is Vixen?

Normally the caped crusaders of The CW's Arrow have to contend with a new and sometimes obscure comic book villain each and every week. On tonight's episode, they'll be getting a helping hand thanks to fellow costumed crimefighter, Vixen. As played by Megalyn Echikunwoke, the character of Mari McCabe, who moonlights as the totem-powered superhero Vixen, will fight alongside Team Arrow in their season-long pursuit of bringing down Damien Darhk. (Be sure to find out how Vixen will fit into the Team, in Echikunwoke's own words!)

While villains can show up each and every week without much explanation or backstory, it'd be a little strange if Green Arrow's crew just partnered up with a new arrival simply because she had a snazzy costume. In a clever turn, Green Arrow is already familiar with Vixen (so's The Flash, for good measure) thanks to CW Seed's animated series, Vixen, which also featured Echikunwoke's voice work for the title character. The series' first season introduced Vixen's origin story over a course of six episodes, prepping the superheroine for tonight's battle on Arrow. In case you're not caught up on all things Vixen, read on to find out more!

Vixen

Created by Gerry Conway and Bob Oksner, the DC Comics character originally appeared in "Action Comics" #521 in 1981. Intended to be DC's first African female superhero to star in her own series, Vixen's debut was cancelled before the first issue ever hit shelves thanks to the company's "implosion" of 1978. When she eventually made her way into the comic book stores, readers were introduced to Mari Jiwe McCabe, a young girl living in a small African village in the fictional nation of Zambesi, M'Changa province. Her mother was killed by poachers and her father Reverend Richard Jiwe was murdered by Mari's uncle, General Maksai, who wanted to steal the powerful Tandu Totem for his own devious uses. Though Mari eventually moved to America and became a rich and famous model, a trip back to Africa soon brought her into contact with her dangerous uncle and the totem once more.

Here's where I'll remind you to check out the CW Seed animated series Vixen, which does a great job at exploring the hero's origin story. Mari eventually manages to reclaim the totem as its rightful and worthy heir and then uses it to wield the powers of the animal kingdom in an effort to protect the innocent as Vixen. Though briefly seen in solo adventures taking down poachers and other criminals, most of Vixen's comic book stories occur in team-ups, notably with the Justice League, Suicide Squad, and Birds of Prey. Her addition to Team Arrow, brief though it may be, is a big power boost to their current state since Vixen is able to tap into an energy field that allows her to take on the abilities of any animal that ever lived on the planet, sometimes even mystical ones. This means that Team Arrow just gained the entire arsenal of the animal kingdom in one very powerful fighter. Watch out, Damien Darhk!

See Vixen in action in a newly released clip from tonight's hour:

And here's the trailer for tonight's episode of Arrow, "Taken", featuring Vixen: