Zawadi
Context
Zawadi is a fairly obscure Marvel Comics adventurer. She primarily appeared in 1998, in a story about the “generation” of heroes between World War Two and the Heroic Age. Since, by that point, the sliding timeline had turned this once-small gap into a chasm.
Perhaps the 2018+ interest in the Black Panther will lead to her return ?
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Background
- Real Name: Unrevealed.
- Other Aliases: Zawadi (meaning “precious gift” in Swahili, so it is presumably a nickname given to her in Kenya), Lady Zawadi.
- Marital Status: Unrevealed.
- Known Relatives: None.
- Group Affiliation: Monster Hunters.
- Base Of Operations: Mobile ; formerly mobile in the Wakandan area.
- Height: 5’9” Weight: 140 lbs.
- Eyes: Brown Hair: Black
Powers and Abilities
Zawadi is superhumanly strong, agile and fast, and has superhuman senses. Reportedly this comes from having consumed the sacred heart-shaped herb of Wakanda.
Her strength, however, is beyond the levels previously witnessed in Black Panthers – about “Class 2”. Thus, she could repulse a T-Rex by lobbing random 50 lbs. rocks at its head from a distance. Or drive a spear right through the neck of another in a diving attack.
Zawadi is also a superb warrior, tracker, survival expert, athlete, etc.. She has demonstrated considerable abilities to adapt, likely stemming from the excellent Wakandan education system.
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Arsenal
Zawadi usually carries three sorts of weapons:
- A huge knife that would make Crocodile Dundee proud.
- Huge spears that seem intended to hunt huge things. A typical one is about two meters long, with a blade as large as Zawadi’s head. She often attacks from above (jumping from cover from a nearby tree, cliff, etc. – and at least once from an helicopter).
Zawadi has been known to ride her spear with her feet on the cross-haft bar behind the blade, to put as much of her weight as possible behind the blow. - Hypo-spears. These are presumably provided by Bloodstone. They consist in a huge syringe at the end of a long spear haft. Zawadi holds the haft with her hands and pushes the plunger with her feet, usually as part as one of her aforementioned diving attack.
History
Zawadi is an adventurer from Wakanda. She apparently consumed the mystical heart-shaped herb that plays a critical role in the politico-religious monarchic system of that country.
Since the herb is normally intended solely for those personally accepted as monarch and vessel by the Panther God, there must be quite a story there. It is entirely possible that she’s persona non-grata in Wakanda, and perhaps even hunted by the Hatut Zeraze, the Wakandan secret police.
Mr. Bloodstone
In 1956, Zawadi stumbled upon Ulysses Bloodstone in what I assume were the Pare mountains . he was fighting a tyrannosaurus, as he does. She helped him wound and rout the beast. Bloodstone explained that he was tracking the gigantic mutated ant named Grottu, who had just invaded Mombasa.
Zawadi helped Bloodstone follow the trail of the monster, and the two became friends. However they never found Grottu. The monster’s trail entered a tunnel that had since collapsed. Reportedly that was in the Wakanda mountains, which seems impossible given the distance between Mombasa and Wakanda. But then, comics have historically been bad at Africa-ing.
Monsters huntress
Zawadi accompanied Bloodstone as he returned to New York City. Bloodstone taught her English during the trip if she didn’t speak it already. There they were contacted by one Michael Cury of the NSA (secretly Makkari of the Eternals), who wanted to organise a club of Monster Hunters.
What is known about the career of the Monster Hunters is explained in our Ulysses Bloodstone entry. Their further adventures, and the remainder of Zawadi’s career, are unrevealed.
According to Elsa Bloodstone’s research, Zawadi mysteriously broke contact with everyone, though Ms. Bloodstone didn’t specify the year.
Description
Zawadi has the regal bearing traditionally associated with jungle heroes, back when jungle heroism was fashionable in the funny books. She wears mostly Western clothing when in town, but prefers traditional jungle heroine attire when in the field.
Personality
Zawadi appears to be an adrenaline junkie. She craves adventure, new sensations and new experiences. When Makkari made her fly she was obviously having the time of her life.
As a nod toward the fiction of that time, Zawadi is a Noble Savage of Regal Bearing and Innate Lack of Underhandedness. As a more modern trait she’s observant, sharp as a tack and not afraid to speak up her mind. Gaining her trust is not easy, but she’s not pointlessly difficult about it either.
Zawadi prefers the wilderness to the city. Since she grew up in the beautiful wilds of Kenya and Wakanda, and has an enhanced sense of smell. She also seems to like animals.
Generally she’s a positive and vital person.
Quotes
“So many people living so crowded together ! I was expecting better of your New York City !”
(About her spearswomanship) “Firearms are rare in Wakanda, doctor — and the threats are many. We have had to develop other skills.”
“I could smell your breath across the room ! Who are you, little man ? Why do you spy upon us ?”
Zawadi: “Ulysses, why didn’t you tell me [about your past] before ?”
Bloodstone: “Would you have believed me ?”
Zawadi: “Yes.”
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Zawadi
| Dex: 07 | Str: 07 | Bod: 06 | Motivation: Thrill |
| Int: 06 | Wil: 05 | Min: 05 | Occupation: Adventuress |
| Inf: 05 | Aur: 04 | Spi: 05 | Resources {or Wealth}: 002 |
| Init: 024 | HP: 030 |
Powers:
Analytical smell/Tracking scent: 06, Directional hearing: 03, Enhanced initiative: 06, Extended hearing: 02, Jumping: 02, Telescopic vision: 01
Skills:
Acrobatics*: 07, Military science (Camouflage)*: 07, Military science (Danger recognition): 04, Military science (Tracking): 09, Thief (Stealth)*: 07, Weaponry (Traditional Wakandan): 08
Advantages:
Area Knowledge (presumably Wakanda and Kenya), Expertise (Outdoors survival), Language (Swahili and presumably others, including Hausa)).
Connections:
Monster Hunters (Low), Bloodstone (High).
Drawbacks:
Misc.: Early on, Zawadi lacked basic Western skills such as how to drive a car, Misc.: Zawadi likely encounters racial prejudice in many countries she operates in.
Equipment:
- Big Wakandan Knife [BODY 09, EV 03 (08 w/STR)].
- Rather Large Spear [BODY 09, EV 05 (08 w/STR)]. When shed does full-body diving attacks with those she’s usually putting HPs behind the EV, or going Critical.
- Hypo-Spear [BODY 05, EV 04 (08 w/STR) and about ten litres of solution]. The efficacy of the tranq varies depending on how standard the physiology of the target is, who brewed that batch up, how well the needle penetrates, whether Zawadi could spot and hit a vein, etc..
Design Notes
Zawadi appeared but twice, and some stats are thus but educated guesses.
Source of Character: Marvel Universe.
Writeup completed on the 11th of December, 2009.