Tala (comics)

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caption=Tala on the cover of Phantom Stranger, issue 4
comic_color=background:#8080ff
character_name=Tala
real_name=Tala
publisher=DC Comics
debut="Phantom Stranger" v2 #4 (November-December 1969)
creators=
alliance_color=background:#c0c0ff
alliances=
aliases=
powers=Vast undefined magical powers

Tala is a fictional supervillainess in the DC Comics universe. She first appeared as an adversary of the Phantom Stranger, but she is also known for her appearances on "Justice League Unlimited".

Tala is the mistress of her own part of Hell. Usually manipulating mortals into doing evil, she has also tried to unleash evil forces upon our world. Occasionally, she has allied herself with the Lords of Chaos or the evil sorcerer Tannarak, whom she has also been romantically involved with. Tala is an enemy of the Phantom Stranger, whom she has variously tried to destroy and seduce. She seems to have a gentler side, as witnessed in Tannarak's Nightclub 'Bewitched', where she has waited tables and chatted with Zatanna.

Fictional character biography

First appearing in "The Phantom Stranger" v2 #4 (1969), distinguished by its utilization of the series for actual supernatural phenomena and not debunking mysticism like its first incarnation, Tala is known as the archnemesis of the Stranger. She is a demoness and a mistress of Hell, and her motives reflect such origins, as she is known for either trying to doom mortals' souls to ruin or aiming to unleash apocalyptic evils upon the world. She has claimed to find the Stranger attractive and is thus interested in him, but the comics have never followed through on these hints, nor are these claims known to be true.

Appearances in other media

Tala appeared on "Justice League Unlimited" (voiced by Juliet Landau) as one of the key members of Project Cadmus. Her role in the government black ops group is never specifically detailed, although it would be best determined that she is responsible for mystical and magical projects (like trying to reverse engineer the Annihilator, Hephaestus' living suit of armor made for Ares). While she is portrayed as a project leader, sitting at the big table, she gets trapped in a mirror by the trickery of Felix Faust and is not seen for the rest of the season. She is, at this point, not the immortal evil from the comics, but a skilled magician whose magical imprisonment at Faust's hands shows that she has limits to her powers.

Tala reappears in the "Justice League Unlimited"'s final season, this time as a member of the Secret Society, created by Gorilla Grodd. In the episode, "Dead Reckoning", it is explained that she escaped the mirror with the help of Grodd. She has taken over Giganta's position as Grodd's female companion and also serves as the Secret Society's master of magic and mysticism.

As Lex Luthor took control of the Secret Society from Grodd, Tala quickly changed positions, swearing allegiance to Luthor and becoming his new groupie (with implications of more, as seen in "The Great Brain Robbery"). In that same episode, she shows interest in The Flash (who by the help of Doctor Fate, got trapped in Lex Luthor's body) without even knowing it. In these recent appearances, the seductive qualities that her comic version shows have come into her characterization.

In the penultimate episode of the series, Tala gets fed up with Luthor, as he is consumed with the task of restoring Brainiac, so she goes to the imprisoned Grodd and helps him mount an insurrection against Luthor. Lex, however, defeats Grodd and, thanks to a very expensive magic amulet he purchased in case she attacked him with her magic, takes Tala prisoner. She tries to woo her way back into Luthor's good graces, but he reveals that he has other plans for her. Hooking her up to a machine, Lex uses Tala as a power conduit to restore Brainiac, but resurrects Darkseid instead. The restoration of Darkseid ultimately kills Tala (as revealed in an interview by the show's creative team), with a rather horrifying scream (it is revealed that Luthor planned to do this to her all along). It was suggested on the DVD commentary that she was responsible for bringing back Darkseid instead of Brainiac as a final "screw you" to Luthor.

In the Justice League Unlimited comic book series (issue 37), Tala's spirit returns and drives The Spectre out of control before Batman, Hawkgirl, Deadman, and Jim Corrigan (the Spectre's human host) stop his rampage. Fortunately, Dr. Fate imprisons her within a crystal ball and stops her plans. These events are not necessarily canon to the animated series, though is intended to be as the issue was written by Matt Wayne (Who wrote Tala's last appearance in "Alive"). The story to the issue was planned as an episode [http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/jlu/backstage/interviews/wayne01.php]

References

External links

*DCDP|Tala
*Dcauw|Tala