Zatanna
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Real Identity: Zatanna Zatara
Appearances: Justice League Dark
Powers/Skills: Manipulation of Magic
Voiced By: Camilla Luddington
Zatanna was born with the natural ability to create and conjure magic like the famed Merlin. She could have been the most powerful wizard but she feared her own power as magic was a force of nature and intoxicating without proper training. She feared losing control of herself if she ever used her full power. Instead, she mostly used parlor tricks to entertain people during her magic acts. Over the years, she met John Constantine and Batman. She even learned Batman's secret identity. While in Sumatra, Zatanna got herself and Constantine into an incident after she insisted they save some monkeys in cages. They eventually parted ways and lost touch. Like most, Zatanna held onto some unresolved anger towards Constantine.
After Deadman wrote Constantine's name all over Bruce Wayne's master bedroom, Batman sought out Zatanna. She happened to be performing in Gotham City and finished a show at the Gotham Square Garden. For her closing act, she levitated three elephants into the air and made them disappear. The audience was amazed and applauded her. Batman visited her in her dressing room after the show. He remarked he hoped the elephants survived or PETA would be all over her. She noted he was assuming they were real in the first place. Batman smiled a little at his expense. Zatanna asked how he was but Batman cut to the chase and asked where he could find John Constantine. She claimed she didn't know. Batman thought she would have an idea since they had a history. Zatanna stated they didn't keep in touch. Batman was suddenly possessed by Deadman. Deadman declared it was important for Batman and Constantine to talk. He added she should come along, too. Zatanna realized it was Deadman and changed her mind. Deadman couldn't keep control and left Batman's body. Zatanna told the confused Batman she'd tell him what happened on the way.
Zatanna cast a spell on the Batmobile to allow the House of Mystery to home in on them. On the drive, she told Batman about what happened to Deadman after he was murdered during his trapeze act. Just as the House of Mystery appeared, Destiny, through Felix Faust, conjured a demonic tornado and sent it after them. As the tornado swallowed up the Batmobile, Zatanna incanted a blue magic shield around it but she struggled to hold on. Batman floored it and sped out of the tornado. Constantine opened the front door and they ran in just in time. Constantine asked Zatanna if she was all right. She asked him to get off her. Constantine complied and mused she had to have been the reason he wasn't enjoying a pint in London. He admitted the House always did like her better. Batman briefed Constantine about the nightmare crimes. Orchid, a manifestation of magic of the House, suddenly appeared next to Constantine. Zatanna asked how "new" she was. Constantine cleared things up.
Orchid started studying the visitors. She concluded Zatanna was powerful in true magic and angry at Constantine. She understood the latter but noticed she still had feelings for him. Zatanna commented she could kill him. Constantine reviewed the outbreaks around the world and decided to look into it. Alone. Deadman insisted Rama Kushna wanted them to work together with the Justice League. Constantine surmised even a god could be wrong but asked Zatanna for her help. She would agree to it if everyone came along. Constantine was irritated and brought up Sumatra. They started arguing. Batman broke them up and reiterated he understood the risks. Constantine resigned himself and had the House take them to Washington D.C. to seek out Ritchie Simpson. Zatanna tried to ask Constantine if he knew Simpson was dying but they ran into Shrouds, agents sent to escort souls to Hell, waiting outside his home. Simpson was surprised to see Zatanna and Batman. He mistook Constantine's presence as an apology for a case that got him infected with a supernatural form of terminal cancer.
Zatanna noticed Simpson was worse for wear. Simpson admitted he lied the last time they talked about exactly how fast he was going downhill. He apologized for that. Simpson realized Constantine didn't come to apologize and refused to help. Batman got him to reconsider. Simpson lent them the Keshanti Key. They went to the Metropolis Health Center, where Steve, a man infected by the madness, was being held. Despite being out of practice, Zatanna insisted she go along with Constantine into the portal made by the Key into Steve's mind. Zatanna was uneasy and could feel darkness seeping into her. Constantine reminded her it was all about control and offered her a refresher course. Zatanna refused. Constantine chided her for sitting out the war between good and evil to dazzle mindless twits. Zatanna insisted the magic she performed brought people happiness. She remembered he was a pessemist. Constantine countered he expected the worst and prepared for it. He noticed another bad memory. Zatanna felt there used to be joy but the madness swept it away.
Destiny, through Faust, conjured a Golem in a restroom at the health center and sent it after Steve. Despite Deadman and Batman's efforts, the Golem got Steve and dissolved his body. Zatanna and Constantine narrowly vacated the mental plane in time. Zatanna incanted and discorporated the Golem. They found Simpson near death and Jason Blood trying to run for it. They took both of them back to the House. Blood came clean he thought Simpson would have a means to gain access to the House so he could steal the Dreamstone then revealed how his origins were connected to it. Simpson woke up and linked the ring Constantine found in Steve's memories to Felix Faust. Constantine couldn't locate Faust's heavily warded Observatory of the Cosmos and opted to try Swamp Thing. Constantine tried to draw him out by threatening a patch of posies. Zatanna dispersed the glyph he rode then approached Swamp Thing. She rephrased their need was urgent and asked him not to let his feelings for Constantine stop him from doing the right thing.
Swamp Thing look at her and sensed she had a garden. Zatanna confirmed it and said she found it relaxing and watered it once a week. She asked him to help find Felix Faust. Swamp Thing had no clue. To him, he was just one among the teaming masses. Zatanna recalled Faust masked his observatory. She asked Swamp Thing to look for a place where dark magic infected the earth below. Swamp Thing took them there so they would stop pestering him. Zatanna incanted and rendered the observatory visible to them but it was still heavily warded. Swamp Thing refused to help any further and left. Blood transformed into Etrigan and led the onslaught. Zatanna followed, kicked Faust and grabbed his book. She discovered she could not speak due to one of Faust's wards. He summoned his book back and sent to glyphs after her. She went flying into a bookshelf. She hid, conjured her wand, and extracted a ball of magic then sent it searching for the muting ward. Faust eventually found her and froze her. Etrigan tackled Faust but he changed him back into Blood.
Zatanna freed herself and blasted him with stored magic. Faust laughed it off and shoved her blast back at her then fired several glyphs at her. An arm of earth grabbed her just as she found the muting ward, a figurine with a cloth around its mouth. Zatanna removed the cloth and went overboard. Out of control, Zatanna was engulfed in a column of energy. Faust was infuriated, lined up several glyphs and fired. She swatted the blast back at him. He fired off rapid blasts but they did nothing against her. She emerged from the smoke screen and grabbed Faust by the throat threw him to the ground and fired off an energy blast. Faust tumbled into a column. Zatanna conjured a huge glyph and formed an equally huge sword then threw it straight at Faust. Constantine ran in front of Faust and the sword stopped at the last second. Zatanna ordered Constantine to get out of the way. Constantine pleaded with her and stated if no blood was spilled, her soul would be in the clear. The sword broke up into a multitude of smaller blades pointed at Faust.
Constantine instructed her to get control just like he taught her. Zatanna regained her composure and sobbed. The swords all dissipated. She dropped to her knees and held onto Constantine. Constantine consoled her that even the best of them lost control. He cited himself. Batman walked Faust over. He had no clue why they attacked him nor what artifact they were talking about. Blood pointed out Faust had the power to summon the Demons Three whenever he wanted in order to get the Dreamstone in theory. Batman believed Simpson was the real threat all along and used Faust as a patsy. Simpson found the rest of the Dreamstone in the House and powered up on it. Destiny took control of him and rematerialized then blew up the House. Zatanna drew up a force shield around them but collapsed from the effort. Constantine realized she used too much magic and might die. He brought out a necklace and incanted. Zatanna was enveloped in a yellow dome. The others proceeded into D.C. to face Destiny. Zatanna recovered and teleported to Batman just in time.
Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and Superman fell prey to Destiny's madness and attacked Batman. Zatanna incanted and Wonder Woman was tied up in her own Lasso of Truth. Batman admitted he was glad to see her but she suddenly incanted again. Batman turned around and saw she just barely stopped Superman from punching his head off. Zatanna implored him to hurry while she kept them immobilized. Zatanna found the others shortly after Destiny was destroyed and Simpson's soul was dragged to Hell. Zatanna remarked her head felt like the morning after Brixton. Constantine didn't think it could be that bad. Since Destiny broke Merlin's spell on Blood and Etrigan, the former passed away. Batman offered Zatanna an invitation to join the Justice League. She visited the Hall of Justice to learn more and started to entertain the notion. Batman even extended the offer to Constantine. Zatanna predicted he would think it was a practical joke. Zatanna started to think Constantine may have been right and it was time to start making a difference.
A few days later, Blood was laid to rest near where the village of his birth once was. After Etrigan said his goodbyes and teleported, Zatanna put down a flower bouquet at his gravestone. Zatanna told Constantine about the Justice League offer. As she predicted, he thought it was just a joke. She bid him to be safe and conjured a stage door. Constantine asked her to hold on and asked her to tell him more over a drink. Zatanna dispersed the door and warned him it wasn't going to turn into some sort of Manchester weekend. As they walked, the House of Mystery formed. Constantine suggested a Trewhiddle Tuesday. Zatanna laughed and turned him down. Constantine settled on a "maybe". Orchid greeted them with two mugs of beer. They toasted and continued inside.