Zatanna Zatara

"*Make a wish.*"
—Zatanna Zatara[src]

**Zatanna Zatara** is a character on The CW's *Smallville*. She first appears in the seventeenth episode of the eighth season. She is portrayed by guest star Serinda Swan.

## History

### Early Life

Zatanna was the daughter of John Zatara, the world's greatest magician. She is an accomplished magician and performer, independent of her magical abilities. Her family has an estate called Shadowcrest, which she inherited after her father's death. According to Zatanna, her father gave his life to save her, something she still felt guilty about. Her father left her a book that has been passed from generation to generation with her heritage inside, but at some point after his death, his book of spells was sold at an auction and acquired by Lex Luthor. Zatanna was driven to reclaim the book, not just because it was a link to her magical heritage, but because within it was a spell that could resurrect her father, though this meant Zatanna would have to exchange her own life for her father's. Zatanna contacted Yuri, an antique dealer who had some knowledge about the location of the book. In exchange for his information, she granted Yuri the gift of deeper understanding of dead languages.

### Magic

At Chloe Sullivan's birthday party in the Ace of Clubs, Zatanna was there managing a peddler show of magic tricks called "Zatanna, Mistress of Magics" and wanted to draw the attention of Oliver Queen, but ended up interacting with Chloe and gave her a wish as a birthday gift. Chloe woke up the next morning looking exactly like her cousin Lois Lane. Zatanna enlisted Oliver's help to retrieve her father's book of spells in return for granting one wish for him. When Clark Kent and Chloe confronted Zatanna because of the problems caused by her powers, Zatanna wondered what Clark might wish for: immediately, Clark's desire to be normal was granted. Oliver stole the Book of Zatara as Green Arrow and then went to give it to Zatanna and discovered the real reason why she wanted the book: She was trying to return her father to life at the expense of her own life. Oliver tried to burn the book, but Zatanna snatched the book and chained Oliver to a post. On the Daily Planet rooftop, Zatanna started the ritual to resurrect her father, but Clark stopped her by telling her to leave the past behind. Chloe then got trapped in the mystical vortex that appeared and Zatanna, realizing that her father sacrificed himself so she could live, closed the portal. Zatanna later went to Oliver's office to apologize and then decided to help Oliver if he ever encountered any supernatural foes along the way, giving him her phone number. Finally, she magically disappeared.

In 2010, Zatanna found out that her father went on a hexing spree in his youth and decided to clean up his mess. She went to the Metropolis Wonder Con to find a special comic book that her father hexed to get back at the publisher, but it was never read until a young boy named Alec Abrams opened it and became Stephen Swift. Zatanna needed Clark's help which made Lois jealous. She decided to give him a moment of true fantasy and magically summoned candles, then enchanted him into kissing her. However, Clark regained his self-control and Zatanna said that it was a shame, as she thought they found "a mouth more magical than her." As much as she wanted Clark to fall in love with her, his only love for Lois is stronger. Clark and Zatanna found the book, but realized that Alec/Stephen would become the villain Devilicus if he ever felt betrayed, so Zatanna prepared a counter-curse while Clark tracked down Alec/Stephen, who was on a rooftop with Chloe. Zatanna performed the counter-curse, reversing the spell. Later, at the Daily Planet, after Alec reunited with his aunt, Zatanna ensured that Alec wasn't charged with the crime he committed and suggested that she and Clark stay together, but Clark figured he could find his fantasy somewhere else. Zatanna told him to make sure Lois knew how lucky she was before leaving.

Months later, when the Vigilante Registration Act was passed, Zatanna was listed as one of many unregistered vigilantes that General Slade Wilson was targeting.

After the unexpected death of Hawkman, Zatanna attended his funeral with the other Justice League members in Egypt. After a strange occurrence, all members of the League, including Zatanna, were knocked unconscious. Zatanna, along with the rest of the League, was placed in a virtual reality by the Vigilante Registration Agency, but was rescued through the efforts of Chloe and the Suicide Squad.

The following year, Zatanna sent Lois and Clark a magically-spiked bottle of champagne for their bachelor and bachelorette parties that sent Clark, Lois, Chloe, Dr. Emil Hamilton, Oliver and Tess Mercer drunk and wild, sending them around the city doing mischievous deeds until the magic wore off from most of them in the next morning.

## Powers

* **Magic:** Zatanna possesses the ability to control magic. At first, her abilities were limited to granting a person's wishes of whatever that person most desired at the moment. However, her ability to grant wishes only works on others: it does not work on herself. After finding her father's spell book, Zatanna's powers were increased and she learned that, by speaking words backwards, she could conjure spells. By speaking "Leets yb dnuob!" ("Bound by steel!"), she was able to imprison Oliver Queen with chains that suddenly appeared. With the book, Zatanna has access to a wealth of magical spells, including one that can resurrect a person from the dead, provided that another life is sacrificed in exchange for theirs. Currently, she possesses the ability to create powerful magic without the help of the Book of Zatara. She was able to conjure up a spell the was capable of defeating Alec Abrams, who was transformed into Devilicus.
	+ **Teleportation:** During her first appearance, Zatanna was able to appear and disappear by thought.
	+ **Telekinesis:** When Oliver was going to burn the Book of Zatara, Zatanna stretched out her hand and the book came to her.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Hex"
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Icarus"
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Warrior"
4. ↑ "Patriot"
5. ↑ "Collateral"
6. ↑ "Fortune"