Priscilla Rich

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See also Cheetah for a complete list of references to clarify differences between these closely named or closely related articles.


Priscilla Rich
Continuity:	DC Universe
Notability:	Antagonist
Type:	Socialite
Occupation:	Thief
Gender:	Female
Race:	Human
Location:	Washington, D.C.
Associations:	Villainy, Inc.
Status:	Excised from continuity
First:	Wonder Woman #6
Actor:	Marlene Aragon

Priscilla Rich is a fictional socialite and criminal and a recurring character featured in comic books published by DC Comics. She is associated with the Wonder Woman line of titles and first appeared in the first story in Wonder Woman #6, published in Fall, 1943, titled "Wonder Woman and the Cheetah".

Biography[]

Born into a family of wealth and prosperity, Priscilla Rich was considered one of the "loveliest, sweetest" debutantes. Despite her role as leader of the Junior League Committee, Priscilla was an insecure and reserved young woman suffering from an inferiority complex. During a fundraiser for women and children in Europe, Wonder Woman appeared as a guest of honor. Priscilla Rich was given the duty to introduce Wonder Woman, but the crowd dismissed her, clamoring for the Amazon to appear immediately. After performing a few stunts, Wonder Woman had Priscilla tie her up with chains that she and the Junior League Committee collected from prisons all over the world. Blindfolded, Wonder Woman had no idea Priscilla was using her Magic Lasso to tie her along with the chains. Wonder Woman was placed into a tank of water, and after a struggle, was able to remove her lasso and the chains. Priscilla expressed her concern for Wonder Woman, but the heroine couldn't help but feel suspicious over her. ^[1]

Later, Priscilla went to meet with her friend Courtley Darling, who had planned to take her to dinner. Darling instead decided to go with Wonder Woman to a party at the 400 Club, leaving Priscilla to herself. Alone in her room, Priscilla vented her frustrations about Wonder Woman and Courtley Darling until she saw herself in the mirror, wearing a cheetah costume. Her reflection told her that she's the real Priscilla Rich, and that she shall do what she commands. Priscilla used her cheetah rug to create her costume, declaring herself the Cheetah. During the night, Cheetah went to Courtley Darling's office and stole the money raised at the benefit. Cheetah then found Wonder Woman at the 400 Club and followed her home, planning to murder her. At the last minute, Cheetah decided instead to disgrace her by placing the money she stole under her bed. The next morning, Priscilla called Darling and told him she was worried about the money. He decided to deposit in a bank, as per her requests, and told her to meet him there. At the bank, Priscilla sat patiently until Darling burst through the door, claiming the money had been stolen. The police show up and Priscilla convinces them that Wonder Woman must have done it, as she was the only other person who saw the safe. They attempt to arrest Darling, but Wonder Woman showed up and was arrested instead.

Wonder Woman is bailed out of prison and found Cheetah attacking Courtley Darling. By gunpoint, Cheetah led Wonder Woman and Darling into a bin of wheat, which sucked them in like quicksand. Cheetah then began to leave, setting the warehouse they were in on fire. Wonder Woman rushed outside to find Cheetah on the roof. Cheetah, noticing that Wonder Woman survived, fell into the burning building and was thought to have died. However, Priscilla Rich quickly reappeared, encountering Diana Prince in a beauty shop. Cheetah had started to form a group of slave girls on an island, dressed as zebras. Cheetah later posed as a participant in an all-female challenge on Paradise Island, pitting trained female athletes against women who were trained by Amazons. With her superior speed, Cheetah won many of the challenges. However, during one challenge, Cheetah tripped one of the human hurdles, causing her to fall in the way of Paula von Gunther, her opponent. The hurdle girl told Wonder Woman of Cheetah's actions, but Paula believed Cheetah earned the win and Diana allowed it. Priscilla, enraged that they condescendingly let her have the win, decided she would find the Amazon power source and destroy it.

After discovering about Queen Hippolyte's girdle, Cheetah decided to steal it when the Amazons were asleep. With it, she kidnapped Hippolyte and challenged Wonder Woman to a duel. The two women battled, but Wonder Woman eventually loosened the girdle from Cheetah. Cheetah, refusing to admit defeat, dropped a boulder on Hippolyte, but Wonder Woman quickly saved her. The Amazons captured Cheetah and Wonder Woman discovered her identity as Priscilla Rich. She confessed of her multiple personalities, and Wonder Woman decided to keep Priscilla on Reform Island.

Before Cheetah was allowed to stay on Reform Island, Wonder Woman gave her the task of releasing her Zebra Girls. When Wonder Woman returned to work as Diana Prince, she discovered that a submarine had gone missing and evidence led to the Cheetah's doing. Diana decided to call Priscilla Rich and see if she was home, which she was, but as they spoke the Cheetah burst into Steve Trevor's office and attacked. She was subdued by Diana Prince, but was able to escape. Wonder Woman chases Cheetah back to the Rich Mansion, where she finds the Cheetah strangling Priscilla Rich. Wonder Woman scares Cheetah off and helps Priscilla, who tells her that the new Cheetah is one of her former slaves, Sandra. Sandra had apparently captured the submarine using the Cheetah guise, since the world knows the Cheetah as Priscilla Rich. When Wonder Woman left, Priscilla returned to her Cheetah costume, finding Sandra and punishing her for scratching her throat during their ruse on the Amazon. It is also revealed that Sandra had been the voice of Priscilla that Diana Prince heard on the phone. ^[2]

Later, Wonder Woman and Etta Candy joined Priscilla Rich on her private yacht in order to search for the missing submarine. Reaching the spot, Etta and Priscilla jumped under water, despite Wonder Woman's protests. Wonder Woman followed, and upon discovering the sub, was blasted by an electric weapon. Cheetah captured Wonder Woman and Etta Candy, threatening Etta's life in order for the heroine to surrender. Wonder Woman agreed to do as Cheetah ordered. First, Cheetah forced Wonder Woman to dance while in chains. She was unable to, which pleased Cheetah. Cheetah then performed her own dance, which astonished everyone including Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman told her that her dancing could attract millions of admirers and make people love her. Suddenly, Priscilla no longer felt jealousy or hatred for Wonder Woman or attractive females, and regained her senses. She tries to steer the submarine up, but crashed. Wonder Woman brought the submarine up herself, and decided to take Priscilla back to Reform Island after all.

Despite her attempts at reforming, Priscilla Rich returned to her Cheetah guise several times, often aligning herself with other enemies of Wonder Woman, such as Doctor Psycho, Giganta, and the Duke of Deception. She also joined Villainy Inc., who attempted to overthrow the Amazons and take over Paradise Island. ^[3]

Priscilla eventually gave up being the Cheetah, and at one point fell ill. She decided to tell her niece, Deborah Domaine, the secret about her past, but she died before she was able to.

Abilities[]

Skills[]

Acrobatics: Priscilla was skilled in acrobatics such as doing leaps and tumbles.
Dancing: Priscilla Rich was an expertly trained dancer, and even Wonder Woman complimented her on her ability.
Thievery: Priscilla Rich was a skilled cat burglar.

Powers[]

Telepathy: Through a means that remains unclear, Priscilla Rich seemed to possess a limited form of psychokinesis. She could communicate with Wonder Woman via her mental radio.

Equipment[]

Cat-suit: Priscilla Rich wore a single-piece leotard costume, which was yellow in color with orange spots resembling a cheetah. The costume was equipped with a tail and small claws on the hands and feet.
Knife: The Cheetah occasionally used a knife during crimes. On the cover of Wonder Woman #6, she is seen holding a large ornate knife and attempting to attack Wonder Woman.

Notes & Trivia[]

The character of Priscilla Rich was created by writer William Moulton Marston and artist Harry G. Peter.

A version of the Cheetah appeared on episodes of the 1978 cartoon series Challenge of the Super Friends as a member of the Legion of Doom. She was voiced by actress Marlene Aragon.