B'wana Beast

B'wana Beast (Michael Payson "Mike" Maxwell) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is an African-themed hero who can communicate with and fuse animals.

B'wana Beast
B'wana Beast's debut appearance in Showcase #66 (January 1967). Art by Mike Sekowsky and Joe Giella.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	As B'wana Beast: Showcase #66 (January 1967) As Shining Man: Animal Man #47 (May 1992)
Created by	Bob Haney Mike Sekowsky
In-story information
Alter ego	Michael Payson Maxwell
Team affiliations	Justice League
Notable aliases	Jungle Master White God Shining Man
Abilities	Telepathic control over animals Able to fuse two animals into a chimera Superhuman strength, speed, endurance, and agility Heightened senses Experienced wrestler

B'wana Beast has also appeared in various media outside comics. Kevin Michael Richardson and Peter Onorati voice the character in Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Justice League Unlimited respectively.

Publication history

Created by Bob Haney and Mike Sekowsky, B'wana Beast made his first appearance in Showcase #66 (January 1967).^[1] The character was an attempt to capitalize on Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan, borrowing the African jungle setting and "Tarzan yell" which was created in the Johnny Weissmuller incarnation of Tarzan.^[2]

Fictional character biography

Michael Maxwell is a ranger in Zambezi's nature preserves who crashes on Mount Kilimanjaro after his plane is struck by lightning. He and his companions take refuge in the cavern home of Djuba, a mutant red gorilla. After drinking the cavern's mineral-rich water, Maxwell gains superhuman strength and defeats Djuba.

Acknowledging Maxwell as its master, Djuba gives him a mystical helmet that enables him to communicate with and fuse animals.^[3] S.T.A.R. Labs scientists later infect B'wana Beast and Djuba with anthrax.^[4] Djuba dies, but Animal Man cures B'wana Beast by enhancing his immune system.^[5] In Animal Man #13 (1989), Maxwell retires and gives his helmet and elixir to South African activist Dominic Mndawe, who becomes Freedom Beast.^[6]

Mike Maxwell returns in Animal Man #47 (1992), where he is possessed by the entity Antagon and transformed into Shining Man. Shining Man wreaks havoc on Earth before being killed in a fight with Metaman.^[7]

B'wana Beast is resurrected following The New 52 continuity reboot. He is depicted as a rejected Justice League International applicant whose abilities are derived from the Red, a mystical force connecting animal life.^[8]

Powers and abilities

B'wana Beast drinks an elixir that gives him superhuman strength, speed, hunting and tracking abilities. He also wears an ancient helmet that allows him to communicate with animals and merge them to form Chimeras.^[1][9][10]

In other media

Television

• B'wana Beast appears in The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure. Additionally, the studio considered making a standalone B'wana Beast series, but it did not come to fruition.^[11][12]
• B'wana Beast appears in Justice League Unlimited, voiced by Peter Onorati.^[13] This version is a member of the Justice League who has a thick New York accent and blue collar personality. Additionally, according to the DVD commentary for the episode "This Little Piggy", a seductive growl that B'wana Beast directs at Zatanna was provided by producer James Tucker as Onorati was unable to do so.
• B'wana Beast appears in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.^[13] This version is the love interest of Vixen and a former wrestler who gained his abilities from exposure to contaminated radioactive water. In the two-part episode "The Siege of Starro!", B'wana Beast seemlingly sacrifices himself to destroy Starro. However, he returns in the series finale "Mitefall!" to attend the series' wrap party.
  • Additionally, an unnamed alternate universe incarnation of B'wana Beast makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in a flashback in the episode "Deep Cover for Batman!" as a member of the Injustice Syndicate.
• B'wana Beast makes non-speaking appearances in Teen Titans Go!.^[13]
• B'wana Beast appears in the Legends of Tomorrow episode "Freakshow", portrayed by Jason William Day.^[14] This version is an unnamed strongman working for P. T. Barnum's traveling circus.

Film

B'wana Beast makes a cameo appearance in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.

Video games

B'wana Beast appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.^[15]

Miscellaneous

B'wana Beast appears in Justice League Unlimited #29.^[16]

Merchandise

• Four B'wana Beast action figures were produced by Mattel. The first was released as part of the company's Justice League Unlimited line as part of a six-figure boxed set along with Superman, Crimson Fox, Deadman, Commander Steel, and Vibe.
• Two figures of B'wana Beast from Batman: The Brave and the Bold were produced, one in the five-inch scale and another in a two-pack with Batman as part of the smaller Action League series.
• A six-inch scale DC Universe Classics figure of B'wana Beast was released in the "Justice in the Jungle" two-pack with Animal Man in December 2009 as a MattyCollector.com internet exclusive.