Pantha

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Blood Red Queen of Hearts

Pantha is Vampirella's ally and friend who has successfully transferred from the original Warren stories into the Harris universe.

Her origin has changed somewhat over the years, as she started as an alien Drakulonian (rather similar to Vampirella's original origin) but then seemed to develop a new origin as an immortal elemental being, a kind of Goddess. She can change her form into that of a panther when she wills, although in the early Warren days it required some kind of emotional trigger.

In recent comics she has become less human and more mysterious and god-like, a far cry from the somewhat flippant girl who joined Vampirella as a sex-symbol in Hollywood (in the Warren series). Part of the change may be due to the fact she was imprisoned by the Danse Macabre and released in Vampirella Death and Destruction #3 when Nyx and Haemorrhage are in the throes of beating up our heroine.

Pantha first appeared in Warren's Vampirella #30 in her own story (reprinted in Harris' Pantha: Haunted Passion #1) as a mysterious girl able to transform into a panther when attacked. The story was more an allegory on the victims of abuse, and the series ran for five more episodes before Pantha briefly met Vampirella in Vampirella #50 (also reprinted in Vampirella Strikes #7).

However it was in Vampirella #62 that we learn that Pantha is also a descendant of Drakulon, a member of the Cat People who occupied the planet eons before Vampirella's race. A mysterious amulet that Vampirella found restores the panther to a girl again. As alien 'sisters' Vampirella and Panth return to Earth to start a life together, choosing to involve themselves in Hollywood and the film world and to leave the world of vampires, monsters and evil demons to others.

Although Vampirella and Panth remain friends they go their separate ways because Adam finds he cannot wait for Vampirella to deepen their relationship and so he and Panth spend some time together, but eventually he returns to Vampirella because Pantha knows she cannot have children. So Pantha continues to join Vampirella in their adventures, until the 10 year gap in Vampirella's life. During that time we know very little about Pantha, but it would appear that the Danse Macabre (the consortium that Vampirella is involved with throughout Vengeance of Vampirella) captured her to performed evil experiments on her.

She is set free during the Vampirella/Nyx battle in Death and Destruction #3 and sets out to revenge herself on the various Danse operatives. Vampirella finds her and they fight until Pantha realises the error of her mission for revenge.

Pantha disappears again for a while, to reappear during Vampirella's ultimate fight with Nyx in Vampirella Monthly #8 to #11. Because Vampirella has disappeared through the vortex Panth befriends Dixie, and together they take on new enemies who seem determined to conquer the world. It is now that we learn that Pantha is not an alien Drakulonian (as we first thought) but an elemental goddess 'born of ancient Egypt'. We also learn of the sacred Scarab of Atum-Ra, a mystical stone that gives its owner eternal life and the power to alter the destiny of the world.

All images on this site are copyright © 2002, Harris Publications, Inc. VAMPIRELLA ® and other characters are trademarks of Harris Publications, Inc. Text and concepts © 2002 Mike Grace. All rights reserved.