Zatanna: The Injustice Character That Deserves a Comeback!

by

Over a span of approximately 12 years, a diverse array of DC Comics heroes and villains, together with an assortment of guest combatants, have taken part in battles reminiscent of Mortal Kombat. These battles often pit a tyrannical Superman against a freedom-fighter Batman in the universe created by NetherRealm Studios for their game titled Injustice. Characters ranging from DC classics like Wonder Woman to comic book-inspired characters such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been part of the game’s storyline, multiplayer mode, and additional content.

In the game “Injustice 2” of 2017, certain characters received more attention than others, and some fighters were absent from the sequel. Given the speculation that NetherRealm is working on an “Injustice 3,” they might want to reintroduce a DLC character from the original game as a recurring figure in the next storyline: Zatanna.

The History of Zatanna in the Injustice Universe

First introduced in Hawkman #4 from 1964, Zatanna is one of DC Comics’ most beloved magic practitioners and female superheroes. Born to renowned magician and sorcerer Giovanni Zatara, Zatanna possesses innate magical abilities, with her most notable power being the ability to make anything come into existence or action by speaking phrases backward, like saying “etativel” to levitate. Growing up admiring her father, Zatanna honed her magic skills and became a powerful sorceress and skilled hand-to-hand combatant herself. This expertise led her to join and even lead various superhero teams, such as the Justice League, Justice League Dark, and Sentinels of Magic.

Back in August of 2013, I was thrilled to learn that I, Zatanna, had earned the top spot in a Twitter poll and was chosen as the final DLC fighter for the roster of Injustice: Gods Among Us. It was an incredible honor to join this iconic cast! Later on, I also got to make my mark in the free-to-play mobile versions of both Injustice 1 and 2, available on iOS and Android devices.

On the battlefield, I showcased my magic abilities and sleight-of-hand tricks by teleporting, setting opponents ablaze or shocking them with electricity, and even becoming intangible at times. My move sets were truly enchanting!

I was fortunate enough to be brought to life vocally by the talented Lacey Chabert, who had previously portrayed me in the 2010 animated series Young Justice and later reprised her role as Zatanna in the 2013 game Young Justice: Legacy, as well as the 2016 animated series Justice League Action. It’s been a magical journey so far, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds!

Zatanna’s Role in the Injustice Comics Explained

Because Zatanna is a downloadable content character, she isn’t part of the main storyline in the original Injustice game. However, she does feature prominently in the comic book prequel series for Injustice 1, written by Tom Taylor and Brian Buccellato. This series takes place over five years prior to the events of Injustice 1, chronicling Superman’s rise to power with his One Earth Regime, while Batman gathers allies to counteract it. Zatanna makes her first appearance in Injustice Year Three, supporting Batman by offering sanctuary to the Insurgency at the Tower of Fate, rescuing John Constantine, and eventually transporting the Insurgency to Alaskan lead mines for safety. Later, Zatanna’s Classic Battle mode ending indicates that she detained some Regime forces within the Tower of Fate following Superman’s defeat.

In contrast to her occasional roles as a supporting character in various novels, Zatanna has also taken the lead in numerous long-running and limited series, including Jamal Campbell’s 2025 “Zatanna” comic book series.

Zatanna’s Potential Role in Injustice 3

In summary, Zatanna only appears briefly in the “Injustice” comics past the start of “Injustice Year Four”, and she doesn’t show up in the main “Injustice 2” game or its 2021 animated adaptation based on the first game. However, she does appear in the 2018 “Injustice vs. Masters of the Universe” series, which takes place after the bad ending of “Injustice 2”. In this series, Zatanna enlists He-Man’s help to battle against a Brainiac-enhanced Superman and safeguards the Insurgency from Superman’s surveillance. If NetherRealm is developing an “Injustice 3”, they may choose to disregard the events of the He-Man crossover in order to create their own sequel narrative. Regardless, there are numerous opportunities for Zatanna to reappear in future “Injustice” stories and related media.

In the aftermath of Doctor Fate’s demise at Brainiac’s hands, and the Helmet of Fate’s destruction by Superman in “Injustice 2”, there are only a scant few magical characters remaining in the “Injustice” universe. One possible scenario for “Injustice 3” could see Zatanna stepping up as leader of a revamped Justice League Dark alongside Swamp Thing, John Constantine, a reformed Raven, and a new Shazam (since Billy Batson was killed by Superman in “Injustice 1”). This new team could be portrayed training fresh magic-wielders to maintain a strong defense against Superman, as his greatest vulnerability lies within the realm of magic. If Zatanna doesn’t make an appearance in “Injustice 3”, she might instead be showcased in comics bridging the gap between “Injustice 2” and “Injustice 3”, as DC has a history of publishing prequel comics for the “Injustice” series that precede their game events.

Read More

2025-03-19 14:37