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The first episode of Creature Commandos introduced the first new villain into the DCU, the immortal sorceress Circe. Based on the witch of the same name from Greek mythology, Circe has immense magical powers. Considered a minor goddess, her most famous account came in Homer’s Odyssey, where she lured men to her island of Aeaea, turning them into animals. Naturally, this spellcaster from eventually became one of Wonder Woman’s most notorious foes. Thanks to her appearance in Creature Commandos, she’s also now officially DCU canon. But how does she differ from her DC Comics counterpart? Actually, there have been a few versions of Circe in the comics, going back to 1949. Before we get into her cinematic future, let’s dive into her comic book history.

Circe in DC Comics’ Golden and Silver Ages

Circe first appeared in DC Comics in the pages of Wonder Woman, but spent the better part of the next three decades as a villain for various DC heroes. In 1949’s Wonder Woman #37, the sorceress/demigoddess of Greek myth fought Diana Prince. This interpretation, a blonde bombshell, was created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist H.G. Peter. Diana’s mother Queen Hippolyta had banished her to an uninhabited planet for using dark magic. Once she escaped, she sought revenge on the Amazons. Ultimately, Circe was taken to the Amazonian Transformation Island to be reformed, after a battle with Wonder Woman. That was her last appearance as a Wonder Woman villain for over 30 years. In the ensuing Silver Age of comics, she mostly fought Superman and Supergirl, with never a mention of Wonder Woman. All of that would change in the early ’80s.

How Circe Became a Primary Wonder Woman Enemy

In 1983, Circe returned to the pages of Wonder Woman as a major villain. It was presumably the same Circe that plagued Superman and his allies years earlier, although they never explicitly say that she is. Her hair color and overall design were certainly different, suggesting a different character. Upon learning an ancient prophecy saying Diana would kill her, she’d spend several issues trying to take Wonder Woman out first. DC positioned Circe to be a major Wonder Woman villain like the Cheetah or Dr. Psycho. However, the universe-altering event Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985 deleted this version of the character from continuity. But the best and most influential version of Circe was yet to come.

Circe in the Modern DC Comics Era

In the post-Crisis DC universe, writer/artist George Perez reinvented Wonder Woman lore, tying her far more closely to Greek mythology. As a result, Circe became a major foe for Diana. In this version, Circe is still an immortal and powerful sorceress, powered by the goddess Hecate. She’s not an Amazon herself, but instead has a lifelong animosity towards the warrior women. She spent many centuries sowing discord between the sexes, and viewed Diana’s preaching of equality as a threat. And like in previous versions, Circe adhered to prophecies that suggested Diana would be her end, creating built-in animosity.

From that point forward, Circe became Diana’s most persistent foe. Even more so than the war god Ares or the Cheetah. Circe often used her magic to empower Diana’s other enemies, and even took on another identity pretending to be Wonder Woman’s mortal friend to get close to her at one point. This version was sassy, sexy, and psychotic. She even inspired a memorable animated version in Justice League Unlimited. In the New 52 continuity, Circe became a part of the magic-based Injustice League Dark. She continues to plague Wonder Woman in comics to this day.

Creature Commandos‘ Version of the Immortal Witch

In Creature Commandos, Circe is described as a rogue Amazon sorceress who claims to be the rightful heir to the throne of Themyscira. This is a total departure from the comics, where Circe was never an Amazon, evil or otherwise. Interestingly, the news footage in the first episode of Creature Commandos says that she’s raising an army of men to conquer Themyscira. With this DCU version of Circe, we’ve learned a few key things about this Wonder Woman’s lore. For starters, one of her biggest enemies is now an Amazonian sister, which she was not before. In addition, we now know the world at large is aware of Wonder Woman’s homeland—even if not everyone believes it’s a real place.

With both of Wonder Woman’s two other most famous villains, Cheetah and Ares, already done in the old DCEU, it makes sense that Gunn would position Circe as her new “Big Bad.” Gunn has insisted that he wants animated actors and their live-action counterparts to be played by the same actor, so we may be seeing The Witcher actress Anya Chalotra casting spells against Diana Prince eventually. We don’t know who will play Wonder Woman yet, as it’s looking more and more unlikely that it’s Gal Gadot. But when she does appear, we think a battle with the ancient Greek witch is almost certainly in the cards.

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