Godiva (comics)

Godiva is the name of three DC Comics characters. One is a superhero, the others are supervillains.

Superherobox|

caption = Dorcas Leigh as Godiva drawn by John Byrne in Superman volume 2 #13.
comic_color = background:#8080ff
character_name = Godiva
real_name = Dorcas Leigh
publisher = DC Comics
debut = "Super Friends" #7 (1977)
creators = E.Nelson Bridwell
alliance_color = background:#ffc0c0
alliances =
previous_alliances = Global Guardians
aliases =
powers = Prehensile hair

Dorcas Leigh

Dorcas Leigh is a beautiful English socialite with the power to control her hair's movement (similar to Marvel Comics' Madame Medusa). Her first mission was to assist the Elongated Man in dismantling a bomb near London. Later on, she helped Wonder Woman find the Queen Bee. She later helps Jack O'Lantern in the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" and assists Superman in a confrontation with Toyman.

Around this time she is part of a team of Guardians protecting Paris, France from an attacking force of Apellaxians. A nearby reporter states it is one of the largest alien groups spotted so far in the invasion.

Much later, along with other Global Guardians, she was brainwashed by the Bialyan dictactor Queen Bee, who fools the team into thinking she was going to sponsor them as heroes. While brainwashed, she and her team help the Justice League Europe battle a giant alien robot. This, unknown to the heroes, was part of a plan to increase the Guardian's standing in the eyes of the public. The robot manages to tangle up Godiva's hair with an extending arm. Metamorpho shape-shifts into scissors and cuts the arm. Godiva stresses her hair is her life and to not approach her with scissors again. Later, she and the Olympian, a future romantic interest, use her hair to help stop the now-damaged robot from falling on nearby people, who were too enthralled with the Guardians to notice the battle.

Sumaan Harvajarti, the brother of the man Queen Bee deposed, makes a move to take control of Bialya. Several fired members of the League had infiltrated the country and were confronting the Guardians. An accident has slain Little Mermaid, which the League is blamed for. Other League members arrive to quell an international incident. Sumaan destroys the Queen's brainwashing facillities, killing many innocent citizens. Ice manages to save most of the Guardians, the League and some innocent civillains. The brainwashed members regain their right minds. Jack O'Lantern seemingly dies but he was an unknown impostor to the group. The form of Doctor Mist was ravaged but he was a robot duplicate. Godiva herself suffers lacerations but is mobile right after the blast.

The Queen herself is shot to death by Sumaan, who takes control of the country.

Post-Bialya

After the events of Bialya, the Guardians drift apart. Fain Y'onia attacks her and the Olympian in London, England. This particular battle ends in his retreat, but not before he wounds her, apparently with the end cause of the loss of her powers.

The struggle against and defeat of Fain takes the lives of Godiva's friends Bushmaster and Thunderlord, with Wild Hunstman missing in action.

Post Infinite Crisis it was revealed (in JSA Classified #19-20, Jan-Feb. 2007) that even after the events with Fain Y'onia, Godiva still had her "super hair". It was also revealed that she had become a victim of metahuman organ stealing. Her hair had been surgically removed from her scalp leaving her bald, powerless, and under the care of Doctor Klyburn and her medical staff at S.T.A.R. Laboratories. The hair had been removed under the directive of a mentally disturbed Delores Winters at her exclusive spa/clinic, and had been transplanted into the scalp of a young pop starlet wanting to be something "special".

Teen Titans

Godiva is a mysterious foe of the Titans: A vain beauty who claims to be the offspring of a Chinese prince and an African princess, Godiva is a mercenary who works on espionage, assassination and theft missions for whomever can pay her fee. Her base of operations is in the Swiss Alps.

The New Teen Titans first encountered Godiva in France after she kidnapped John and Cherie Chase, Danny Chase's parents. The Chases had information on a spy satellite that Godiva planned to steal and sell to the highest bidder. Danny eventually saved the Titans, but Godiva escaped. As a result of Danny's actions and his powers, he was allowed to stay with the Titans. It can be said that Godiva was responsible for bringing Danny and the Titans together.

Godiva clashed with the Titans a second time, assassinating a British spy who was taking refuge at a secret agent retirement home. Godiva got away yet again by distracting the Titans with an explosion that appeared to kill Nightwing and by dropping the British agent to his death.

uperman/Batman

Another Godiva appeared in "Superman/Batman" #20, as a member of an alternate universe team of villains called the Axis of Evil. She willingly chooses to go into battle unclothed. This Godiva had the ability to fascinate anybody and hold them to her will, even females. As with the other super-beings of this universe, she was a parody of a Marvel Comics character, Enchantress Fact|date=May 2008.