Origin
Sheena was the first female comic book character to have her own series which debuted in spring 1942, beating Wonder Woman #1 which came out in summer the same year. Creator Will Eisner has been quoted as saying that her name was inspired by H. Rider Haggard’s novel She. Sheena was conceived as a female counterpart to Edgar Rice Burroughs‘ Tarzan and has a very similar origin story.
Creation
Sheena was created in 1937 by Will Eisner and Jerry Iger. Her first appearance was in magazine Wags #1 (1937) in the United Kingdom; in the United States, her first appearance was in Jumbo Comics #1 (1938).
Powers and Abilities
Sheena can communicate with animals and is a proficient hand-to-hand combatant, who gains the advantage in surprise attacks. She has no superhuman abilities (unless you count talking to animals), but she is an extremely strong, agile, and athletic woman, having been taught to survive the uncompromising ways of the jungle from an early age.
Weapons and Equipment
Sheena’s weapons include spears, bows, and knives.
Other Media
Sheena was a 26-episode TV series in 1955/56, with the title role played by model Irish McCalla.
In the movie Sheena (1984) directed by John Guillermin, Sheena is played by Tanya Roberts.
In the TV Series with the same name (2000-2002) Sheena is played by Gena Lee Nolin. In this version Sheena is able to transform into any jungle animal.
Popular Recognition
Sheena was ranked 59th in Comics Buyer’s Guide’s 100 Sexiest Women in Comics. With her first American comic book appearance in 1938, she was the oldest character to make the list.