
Mari Jiwe McCabe (Vixen) is a Zambesi-born American businesswoman and model. She fights crime as Vixen with the aid of the Tantu Totem that allows her to wield the powers of the animal kingdom.
Growing up in a small African village, Mari Jiwe McCabe heard the legend of the “Tantu Totem” from her parents. She was the daughter of Reverend Richard Jiwe, the village priest, who was her sole caretaker, as poachers, lead by a man named Kwesi, killed her mother years ago. Reverend Jiwe himself was killed by his half-brother (Mari’s uncle) General Maksai. Makasai wanted the Tantu Totem, which had been in Reverend Jiwe’s possession.
Now orphaned, she fled to America. She set up an identity for herself as Mari McCabe and used her beauty to become a well-known fashion model in New York City. She used her newfound wealth to travel the world. On a trip back to Africa, she came across her uncle, and stole back the Tantu Totem, using its power to become the Vixen. (Source: dc.wikia.com)
She’s one of those underrated heroes in the DC universe that have been apart of multiple iterations of the Justice League and other teams. You may have seen her in animated form in the early 2000s on Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. More recently, she has been brought to the small screen. She was a guest on CW’s Arrow and a regular on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. The actress is Maisie Richardson-Sellers.
I’m hoping they develop her more and more and she gets more airtime on screen. From what I’ve seen on the show, her back story isn’t some usual stereotypical trope (besides being from and African tribe). There’s actually a online CW animated series called Vixen where she is of course the main character. It’s always great to see powerful African born heroes shine where ever possible. Let’s just celebrate another dynamic woman of color! Nerd Out!