Zatanna (DC Animated Film Universe)

Explosion inducement

Disappearing

Spell breaking

Prestidigitation

Hand-to-hand combatant

Shield generation

Master escape artist

Portal creation

Illusion manipulation

**Zatanna Zatara** is one of the main protagonists of the 2017 animated film *Justice League Dark*. She's the Mistress of Magic and the close acquaintance of John Constantine.

She was voiced by Camilla Luddington.

## Biography

### Early Life

Zatanna at a young age was trained in magic by her father (they're both Homo Magis). At some point in her past, she met and began dating John Constantine but for unknown reasons, their relationship was fractured resulting in them ending it, however Zatanna continued to harbor feelings for him. She also shares a history with Bruce Wayne who trusted Zatanna enough to know his secret identity as Batman.

### *Justice League Dark*:

After a show she was performing, she met by Batman on the whereabouts of John Constantine when he’s temporarily possessed by Deadman who tells her the situation. After this, she decides to take them to the House of Mystery where Constantine may be.

Soon, they’re attacked by a magical whirlwind summoned by an unknown sorcerer. The trio narrowly manage to get inside John's house in time where they’re joined by Black Orchid, the spiritual embodiment of the House. The group gathers to share information, and after a quick discussion and some argument between John and Zatanna, form a team to investigate the cause and reason for these supernatural occurrences.

The heroes visits a friend of Constantine and Zatanna's named Ritchie Simpson, but outside the house they find shroud spirits of Death waiting to collect Ritchie's soul upon his upcoming demise. The team is granted entry by Simpson, who’s suffering from a magical cancer and resentful of Constantine for abandoning him to his fate, but loans them the Keshanti Key. Constantine and Zatanna look through one of the unwitting rampager's memories for the cause of his frenzy, and discover that he was possessed by an unknown entity wearing a strange ring. At the hospital, Batman, Deadman, Constantine, and Zatanna narrowly manage to escape from a living feces beast conjured to consume the man, and Zatanna proceeds to destroy the monster.

Returning to Ritchie's home to identify the ring from the man's memory, the team finds him about to die, with Blood nearby. Batman revives Ritchie with an adrenaline shot to the chest, but he quickly falls into a coma. After being brought to the House of Mystery for interrogation, Blood tells the team that he didn’t attempt to hurt Ritchie, but was looking for a way into the House of Mystery to find the Dreamstone. He reveals that in his old time, the era of King Arthur, the stone was created by a sinister magician naming himself Destiny, who sought to conquer the land. Blood fought Destiny and managed to cleave the stone in two, banishing the sorcerer, but was himself mortally wounded. Merlin, anticipating that Destiny was only temporarily defeated, fused Blood with his demonic servant Etrigan to battle the evil magician once the Dreamstone would resurface. Ritchie awakens and names Felix Faust as his assailant before falling back asleep.

The group locate Faust's observatory with help from Swamp Thing. When they infiltrate Faust's lair, the wizard battles the team, but is ultimately defeated by Zatanna; however, Faust is found to have no involvement in hurting Ritchie. Ritchie awakens and is revealed to have the other piece of the Dreamstone, which he has been using it to keep his cancer in remission; he apparently destroys Black Orchid, but then is seemingly killed when the Dreamstone brings Destiny back to life. Destiny declares himself a god, destroys the House and departs to sink the United States into chaos; Zatanna saves the group, but passes out from the exertion. The recovered Zatanna disables the possessed League.

After the battle with Destiny, Zatanna agrees to join the Justice League, and offers Constantine a position as well. Constantine initially declines claiming Batman wouldn't approve of him, but Zatanna claims it was his idea. The two return to the now-rebuilt House of Mystery, taking a first tentative step to restoring their fractured relationship by having a pitcher of beer each.

### Justice League Dark: Apokolips War

Zatanna is revealed to be in a relationship with John Constantine; the both of them being new members of the Justice League. Zatanna, along with Constantine, attends the Justice League's briefing on their planned attack on Darkseid and Apokolips. She accompanies the Justice League on their invasion of Apokolips while the Teen Titans remain on Earth as a "home-guard". Upon arriving, they’re immediately attacked by Paradooms, genetic hybrids of Parademons and Doomsday. Despite the League's valiant efforts, they’re utterly decimated by the Paradooms, and they’re either killed or incapacitated. Zatanna is hoarded by a number of Paradooms that proceed to eat her alive. She calls out to a horrified Constantine, who flees through a portal haunted by her screams.

Two years later, after Constantine's death at the hands of a Trigon-possessed Superman, Zatanna appears to meet Constantine in Heaven. Zatanna reveals that she used a compulsion spell to force Constantine to flee during the invasion, as a backup plan set by Batman in case things went wrong. She apologizes to Constantine, who forgives her and is set on spending all eternity with her in Heaven. However, she says that Constantine's business is not finished and the League still needs him, using her powers to revive him. Zatanna then remains in Heaven (literally rather than religiously), eager to reunite with Constantine when he dies for good.

## Powers

* **Magic:** Zatanna is one of the most powerful magic users within the film's universe. This is evidenced by the extra precautions that Felix Faust prepared in case she attempts to invade his home, stating that she is the only real threat among her team. Zatanna casts her spells by saying her intent backwards. For instance, if she wants to *levitate*, she would say "Etativel" and her intentions will come to life. The mechanics of her powers grant her immense capabilities, as she needs only to say something backwards to make something happen.
	+ **Energy Projection:** Zatanna has the ability to project streams of immensely powerful magical energy that explode upon contact with its targets.
	+ **Disappearing:** Zatanna has displayed the ability to make three full-grown elephants disappear.
	+ **Explosion Inducement:** Zatanna has displayed this ability twice. She caused an uprooted tree that was headed the Batmobile's way to explode as well as a monster made of human excrement.
	+ **Illusion Manipulation:** She's able to temporarily nullify the illusions that kept Felix Faust's castle hidden from wandering eyes.
	+ **Spell Breaking:** Zatanna is able to dispel the moving platform that Constantine conjured.
	+ **Conjuration:** At full power, Zatanna was able to conjure a massive greatsword out of thin air and flung it in Felix Faust's direction. From deconstructing this sword, she was able to conjure multitudes of smaller blades.
	+ **Shield Generation:** Zatanna is able to conjure shields that were able to withstand both Felix Faust's and Destiny's magic, though she was exhausted from the latter attempt.
	+ **Portal Creation:** Zatanna was able to conjure a portal that transported her right when Batman was about to be overwhelmed by the enthralled Justice League members.
	+ **Enchantment:** Zatanna has the power to command the Lasso of Truth to ensnare Wonder Woman while also stopping Superman mid-flight before he could get to Batman.

## Abilities

* **Prestidigitation**: Zatanna is an accomplished stage magician.
* **Occult Arts:** Zatanna's knowledge of magic is not simply confined to the stage, as she is well-versed in the art of sorcery, though she chooses not to use it as she feels that it would be too much power for her to handle.
* **Hand-to-Hand Combat:** Zatanna was able to land a kick to Felix Faust while he was caught off guard.

## Equipment

* **Wand:** Zatanna owns an intricately designed black wand that she uses to channel magic she has stored if in case she loses the ability to speak. However, the stored magic is considerably limited.

## Weaknesses

* **Gagging**: If Zatanna was rendered unable to speak, Zatanna is rendered powerless.
* **Over-exhaustion:** When Zatanna performs immense feats of magic, it takes a lot of energy on her part. She will need to rest in order to restore her energy reserves after using a lot of magic.

## Trivia

* Zatanna is nicknamed "Z" by her Deadman and Constantine.
* According to Zatanna herself, she has a small garden, which gives her piece of mind.
* If severly provoked, Zatanna will lose self-control and attempt violent retaliation.