Origin
Rova Barkitt was a famous gossip columnist in Follywood. She was sent to interview well-known actor Byrd Rentals. During their interview she and Rentals were struck by a mysterious meteor fragment which granted them both superpowers. Barkitt developed so-called “animal magnetism”. She and Rentals soon joined up with others who had also been struck by fragments of the meteor, forming the nascent Zoo Crew. This group went on to combat the entity which had been responsible for the meteor’s arrival on Earth, Starro, with the assistance of Superman. The group was able to defeat Starro, and agreed to remain together as the Zoo Crew.
Creation
Yankee Poodle was created by Roy Thomas and Scott Shaw.
Character Evolution
Bronze Age
In her initial appearances, Yankee Poodle was mostly comedic character.
Modern Age
The character and her world was rebooted as part of a parody of the “grim and gritty” trend in comics.
New 52
While her some of her comrades from the Zoo Crew have been redesigned to appears in the new DC universe, at this point Yankee Poodle has not yet appeared.
Major Story Arcs
Zoo Crew
Yankee Poodle and her teammates go on a number of adventures together. They have some difficulty working together as a team, and Yankee Poodle particularly develops some animosity with teammate Alley-Kat-Abra. Yankee Poodle is especially concerned with the public image of both the group and herself. Together, she and the team develop their ability to work together as they face a variety of foes.
Whatever Happened to Captain Carrot?
Yankee Poodle breaks with the other members of the Zoo Crew and begins operating as an individual superheroine. Her secret identity is known to the public, and she is a fugitive due to her alleged involvement in an assassination attempt on the president. She is recruited to rejoin the team following the savage murder of former teammate Little Cheese. She and the Crew investigate Little Cheese’s death, eventually discovering that another former teammate, Alley-Kat-Abra, had been responsible for the murder. After Alley-Kat-Abra is arrested, Yankee Poodle agrees to reform the Zoo Crew on a permanent basis. It turns out the murder was a set up – see the entry for Alley Kat Abra.
Countdown
The team officially breaks up as a result of the Collar ID Initiative, a superhero registration act. Yankee Poodle becomes a high-rated talk show host in her civilian identity. She later begins working with the Zoo Crew in the wake of conflicts between land and sea creatures that has been instigated by Starro. She and most of her teammates are hypnotized into being unable to use their powers. When Starro floods the world, Yankee Poodle joins her teammates in helping to evacuate much of Gnu York with a giant ocean liner. The ship is accidentally transported to New Earth, escaping the destruction to their home planet at the cost of turning all the previously anthropomorphic animals, including Yankee Poodle, into regular animals.
Final Crisis
Yankee Poodle’s anthropomorphism and powers are returned to her by Nix Uotan, who also restores the other members of the Zoo Crew. She and her teammates join in the battle against Mandrakk, aiding the other heroes in seeing to the Dark Monitor’s defeat.
Powers and Abilities
Yankee Poodle possesses the power of “animal magnetism”, a kind of telekinesis that manifests itself in the form of semisolid electromagnetic beams. Her right hand gives off “stars” which repel objects, while her left gives off traction beam-like “stripes”. When these beams are combined, they create destructive blasts. They can also be used for flight-like transportation, with the stripes providing a sturdy base and the stars providing propulsion.
Other Media
Yankee Poodle is featured in the video game Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure, available for the Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, and PC.