Tana Nile is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Tana Nile
Tana Nile as depicted in Annihilation: The Nova Corps Files #1 (August 2006)
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearance(human form): Thor #129 (Jun 1966)
(true form): Thor #131
Created byStan Lee
Jack Kirby
In-story information
SpeciesRigellian
Team affiliationsColonizers of Rigel
Daydreamers
Graces
Abilities
  • Self-density manipulation
  • Mind control

Publication history edit

Tana Nile first appeared in Thor #129 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.[1]

Fictional character biography edit

Tana Nile, of the planet Rigel-3, was a leading female member of the Colonizers of Rigel. In her attempt to colonize the planet Earth, Tana Nile took a human form as Jane Foster's roommate.[2] Tana took control of Jane Foster's will, and then resumed her Rigellian form.[3][4] She attempted to take control of the Earth, but was ordered to cease her attempt to colonize Earth.[5] She left Earth to be given a new assignment, and was told that the High Commissioner of Rigel had chosen her to be his wife.[6][7] Some time later, she encountered Thor during his second journey into the Black Galaxy.[8]

Tana Nile later encountered Sif, Hildegarde, and sailor Silas Grant on Blackworld while she fought Ego-Prime.[9] She revealed that Ego-Prime was a slab that she had removed from Ego the Living Planet and had taken to Blackworld to terraform it, but that Ego-Prime had proved to be uncontrollable. Blackworld was destroyed in a nuclear war, and Tana and her allies fled to Earth, pursued by Ego-Prime.[10] There, she was aided by Silas Grant in clashes with Ego-Prime's monsters.[11] Tana assumed a human form to live on Earth.[12] Tana then became an ally to Thor and the Asgardians. She aided Thor in battling trolls.[13] She first visited Asgard.[14] She was captured by Sssthgar, but was freed by Thor, and she released Odin, Hogun, and Fandral from captivity.[15] She accompanied Thor to the Dark Nebula to help rescue Sif and Karnilla.[16] She accompanied Thor back to Rigel-3, just in time to witness the destruction of Rigel-3 by the Rhunians. She was then reunited with the Grand Commissioner.[17] She accompanied Thor to the planet Rhun.[18] She then bade farewell to Thor, while Silas Grant announces that he will stay with his "good friend" Tana.[19]

Tana visited Charles Xavier's Massachusetts Academy to learn more about human beings. During an adventure in an alternate dimension created by Franklin Richards, she fell in love with Howard the Duck. After a spontaneous kiss, Howard tells her of his attachment to Beverly Switzler, and she accepts that romance with him is inappropriate.[20]

During the Annihilation storyline, Tana Nile frames Ronan the Accuser for the House of Fiyero in exchange for information on Ronan. He promises to hunt her down, along with others involved in the trial, to discover the true reason behind his dismissal.[21] Tana Nile later joined Gamora's Graces, a collection of super-powered women from across the galaxy. The Graces, along with much of known space, is killed by Annihilus' Annihilation Wave.[22]

Powers and abilities edit

Thanks to the alien attributes of the Rigellian race, Tana Nile can increase her own density at will, increasing her strength and resistance to physical injury to superhuman levels. She has the psionic ability to control the mind of another humanoid or to override another humanoid's control of their muscles (through "mind thrust").

Tana Nile wears body armor of unknown composition, which includes devices enabling her to rearrange the molecular structure of her body and clothing to disguise herself as a human. She was armed with a "stasis gun" that can project concussive energy or intense heat. She also uses a solar beam communicator device, worn on her wrist, permitting instantaneous communication between Earth and Rigel via hyperspace transmission.

In other media edit

Television edit

  • Tana Nile makes a non-speaking appearance in The Super Hero Squad Show episode "Tremble at the Might of...M.O.D.O.K.!"[citation needed]
  • Tana Nile makes a cameo appearance in the Ultimate Spider-Man episode "Guardians of the Galaxy", voiced by Grey DeLisle.[23]
  • Tana Nile appears in Guardians of the Galaxy, voiced by Jessica DiCicco.[24] This version is the daughter of the Grand Commissioner of Rigel. After she flees from Rigel-3 to avoid the Rigellians' coming-of-age ritual called the Centering, which would strip her of emotions in exchange for enhanced psychic abilities, the Grand Commissioner hires the Guardians of the Galaxy to retrieve her. Eventually, she decides to follow in her father's footsteps to lead the Rigellians into an era of compassion and better understanding.

References edit

  1. ^ DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 258. ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
  2. ^ Thor #129
  3. ^ Thor #130
  4. ^ Wells, John (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965-1969. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 90. ISBN 978-1605490557.
  5. ^ Thor #133
  6. ^ Thor #134
  7. ^ Comtois, Pierre (2015). Marvel Comics in the 1960s: An Issue By Issue Field Guide to a Pop Culture Phenomenon. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 139–141. ISBN 978-1-60549-016-8.
  8. ^ Thor #160
  9. ^ Thor #198
  10. ^ Thor #201
  11. ^ Thor #202-203
  12. ^ Thor #204
  13. ^ Thor #211
  14. ^ Thor #212
  15. ^ Thor #213
  16. ^ Thor #217
  17. ^ Thor #218
  18. ^ Thor #220
  19. ^ Thor #221
  20. ^ Generation X #23, 25; Daydreamers 1-3
  21. ^ Annihilation: Ronan #1
  22. ^ Annihilation: Ronan #4
  23. ^ "Tana Nile Voice - Ultimate Spider-Man (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved March 12, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
  24. ^ "Tana Voice - Guardians of the Galaxy (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved March 12, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.

External links edit