| Nubia | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Wonder Woman #204 (January 1973) |
| Created by | Robert Kanigher (writer), Don Heck (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Amazon |
| Team affiliations | Justice League |
| Abilities |
|
Nubia is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics publications and related media, commonly as an ally of Wonder Woman. Historically, she is DC Comics' first black female superhero. Originally introduced in 1973 as Diana's long-lost black fraternal twin sister, today the character is depicted as one of Wonder Woman's oldest and closest friends. Created by Robert Kanigher and Don Heck, Nubia debuted in 1973's Wonder Woman #204 and appeared intermittently throughout Wonder Woman's Bronze Age adventures.[1]
In modern comic stories, Nubia is depicted as an Amazon contemporary of Wonder Woman and the successor to Wonder Woman's mother Hippolyta as queen of the Amazon nation of Themyscira. Raised alongside each other, she and Diana regard each other as "sisters". In stories from 1973–79, she was depicted as Wonder Woman's long-lost twin sister and rival, under the influence of Ares. After long absence from comic books during which time DC rebooted its continuity, she was reimagined as "Nu'Bia" in 1999 by Doselle Young and Brian Denham in Wonder Woman (vol. 2) Annual #8; in this telling, she was the Amazons' champion immediately prior to Diana, assigned to protect the Themyscira by watching over "Doom's Doorway". In the 2000s, several alternative universe versions of Nubia were also prominently featured as Wonder Woman on other parallel worlds, most notably on Earth-23.
In the 2020s, Nubia has developed an expanded profile and greater visibility in DC Comics' post-Rebirth continuity, beginning with a story showing her as a future Wonder Woman following Diana in Future State (2021). She was then heavily featured across DC's Infinite Frontier Wonder Woman publications, including the limited series Nubia & the Amazons (2021), Trial of the Amazons (2022) and Nubia: Queen of the Amazons (2022). The publisher also commissioned young adult graphic novels featuring Nubia as the central character, including Nubia: Real One (2021) and Diana & Nubia: Princesses of the Amazons (2022).
The distinction of DC's first black woman superhero is also sometimes accorded to the Teen Titan Bumblebee, who debuted in 1976, three years after Nubia's first appearance.[2]