Wildcat (Yolanda Montez)

[Güicho]

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...ix=protagonist



Art by Ramon Villalobos


Yvette Monreal

With Yvette Monreal cast to play Wildcat (Yolanda Montez) in the upcoming DC Universe’s ‘Stargirl’.

(Brian Stapf also cast as Ted Grant/Wildcat) He has his thread here - https://community.cbr.com/showthread...hlight=wildcat
(Series also stars Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitemore, Joel McHale as Starman, Luke Wilson as Pat Dugan, Meg DeLacy as Cindy Burman, Lou Ferrigno Jr. as Rex Tyler, and more...)

Thought it was time for her own thread.

[Güicho]

The idea first appeared in promotional material for the new Infinity Inc. series appearing in All-Star Squadron #28,
She is shown riding a cat-cycle, and oddly called "La Garro" which makes no sense. La is feminine, Garro (masculine) really means nothing.
Although La Garra is feminine for "Claw", could be what they meant? And would not have been a bad name.
However they did not go with the name or look.



Created by Roy Thomas, Dannette Thomas and Don Newton.
Yolanda Montez debuted in Infinity Inc. #12 (March 1985).
Slowly seeded into the book, her story is not revealed till a few issues later...

Her "powers" were first hinted at in #16



In a slow burn build, she would inevitably make her costumed debut in #23
In the midst of the Crisis of Infinite Earths wide line event:

[Güicho]

And in #25 a charming, and emotional scene, she is finally accepted as a member and legitimate legacy to the name Wildcat.
at first by the reluctant Ted Grant (who is only momentarily in a wheelchair), who is her uncle by way of Juan "The Mauler" Montez her father who Ted Grant once fought and trained with in the ring.
Upon seeing who she really is, he is more then willing to embrace her, and train her as his Legacy.




A role she fully embraces.


Yet with her own spin on it....

[Güicho]

[Agent Z]

Proposal: what if Yolanda was a Nagual?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagual

[Güicho]

Proposal: what if Yolanda was a Nagual?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagual

Love the Nagual and Tezcatlipoca, mythology, had a character like this when I was a kid.
Would love it if Yolanda took it as a power totem.

Although as far as an actual power, I actually prefer Yolanda remain more street level, and with the strong connection to her uncle Ted Grant (once her father's (Juan "The Mauler" Montez) rival in the ring), who trains her.

Nagual with the more supernatural shape shifting aspect, as a name and power I actually think lends itself more appropriately to Rosabelle Mendez (Pantha), or DC's/Impact/Archie Maria DeGuzman and Ivette Velez (Jaguar), strangely lots of overlap there.

As for Yolanda I'd go the other way, no wear-cat shape-shifting (just the claws), tough as nails brawler and boxer, and put her in the ring with her uncle, mentor and trainer Ted Grant.

[Agent Z]

Love the Nagual and Tezcatlipoca, mythology, had a character like this when I was a kid.
Would love it if Yolanda took it as a power totem.

Although as far as an actual power, I actually prefer Yolanda remain more street level, and with the strong connection to her uncle Ted Grant (once her fathers (Juan "The Mauler" Montez) rival in the ring), who trains her.

Nagual with the more supernatural shape shifting aspect, as a name and power I actually think lends itself more appropriately to Rosabelle Mendez (Pantha), or DC's/Impact/Archie Maria DeGuzman and Ivette Velez (Jaguar), strangely lots of overlap there.

As for Yolanda I'd go the other way, no wear-cat shape-shifting (just the claws), tough as nails brawler and boxer, and put her in the ring with her uncle, mentor and trainer Ted Grant.

Would making her a Nagual take her out of street level stories? From what I've read they're just animal shapeshifters limited to one form.

[Güicho]

Would making her a Nagual take her out of street level stories? .

No, but that's not what I said.
I said:

I actually prefer Yolanda remain more street level, and with the strong connection to her uncle Ted Grant

Meaning street level as in character, like Grant, no great powers, mostly a self made and trained street level brawler. Adding Nagual type connection to a mythological being and supernatural shape shifting powers, would be the opposite.
At least that's my understanding of the use "street level" hero.
Self made, no great powers, magic or supernatural, or mythological. Suddenly becoming a supernatural shape-sifter, or wear-jaguar runs counter to that.
It's not a bad character (like I said I came up with my own as a kid) I'd love to see DC take it on, (again I indicated Rosabelle Mendez (Pantha), or DC's/Impact/Archie Maria DeGuzman and Ivette Velez (Jaguar), all lend themselves better to it)

As to Wildcat (for me)

I'd just prefer she be closer to her old man and uncle, Ted Grant pretty much the template. Is what I meant by the use street level hero.


But with the claws , I can see them going either way with her (and I'd embrace it). So long as they do use her!

[Agent Z]

Sorry didn't get what you initially meant.

It is impressive that Yolanda was a latina legacy character introduced in the 80s. I'd have expected something like this in the 90s or 2000s.

[The_Lurk]

Nice to see something made with her. I only saw her originating during the COIE and read not much (or rather not anything) anymore about her after that.

[Güicho]

Sorry didn't get what you initially meant.

It is impressive that Yolanda was a latina legacy character introduced in the 80s. I'd have expected something like this in the 90s or 2000s.

Yes it's great! Actually it's the Bronze to 80's gen that was all about building and introducing new characters, (see New X-Men (New Teen Titans) actually two strong women of color here) and had them run alongside their predecessors.
It's the eXtreme 90's that used them for pure shook value canon fodder, and killed her.
They took out the new Dr. Midnight (Beth Chapel) in the same horrible purely for shock - bloody strike.

It is impressive that Yolanda was a latina legacy character introduced in the 80s. I'd have expected something like this in the 90s or 2000s.

As far as being a legacy character yes I think it's great, as a tool to introduce a new character, but the new characters need to evolve into their own, name/identity, or they will be used as canon fodder by later writers (see above).
Or when the original is inevitably brought back.
If they are used long term, and become popular in their own right, with their own fan base, they tend to inherit the ire and a backlash from the fans of the originals, which for me as a fan of many new legacy characters and the classics, is painful to see.
Check the schism with Blue Beetle fans, instead of expanding the fan-base, they divide it.

As far as how her and Ted will be used on the upcoming show, I am curious to see what they are doing.

[ultradav]

The idea first appeared in promotional material for the new Infinity Inc. series appearing in All-Star Squadron #28,
She is shown riding a cat-cycle, and oddly called "La Garro" which makes no sense. La is feminine, Garro (masculine) really means nothing.
Although La Garra is feminine for "Claw", could be what they meant? And would not have been a bad name.
However they did not go with the name or look.

In an All Star Squadron letter column a few issues later (and still before Yolanda actually debuted), Roy admitted that it was supposed to be La Garra and that it was a mistake. Of course it eventually turned into Wildcat which was the right choice. Hated that they felt the need to cripple Ted to make it happen though.

[Güicho]

.Hated that they felt the need to cripple Ted to make it happen though.

That's^ is not what happened here though.

His injury happened during Crisis, where they also took out Barry to transition Wally as the new Flash.
Huge difference between Barry to Wally and Ted to Yolanda, is a few issues later, after introducing her, Ted was already back! Standing up and ready to fight! (it was just a story-beat, so he could do the crotchity "aint nobody replacing me" bit), and she didn't replace him. He's back ready to be Wildcatting right alongside her.
And sticking up for her right, to be there too. TOGETHER!
She did not replace him.
So not sure how you level that hate or narrative against her.

That was the set up. He was already healed and standing, before she joined, he was not replaced by her.


How and why they later transitioned All-Star/JSA post Crisis, is a whole other bigger issue and nightmare, that has nothing to do with Yolanda or her introduction, LOL!

As far as sharing the name, I'd be fine with, In fact I'd prefer it if she took up her own identity as La Garra. So those like you couldn't level the hate and false narrative against her character.

... oddly called "La Garro" which makes no sense. La is feminine, Garro (masculine) really means nothing.
Although La Garra is feminine for "Claw", could be what they meant? And would not have been a bad name.

In an All Star Squadron letter column a few issues later (and still before Yolanda actually debuted), Roy admitted that it was supposed to be La Garra and that it was a mistake.

I'm not surprised it was a typo (her "Spanglish throughout the series is full of typos any time they used Spanish).
As I said La Garra (the Claw) seemed what they meant , and as originally intended was actually pretty good name for her.
The claw imagery is pretty much how she is revealed...

Her "powers" were first hinted at in #16

[Sandy Hausler]

Should I assume that the Stargirl show has no connection to the CW shows and the fact that a Wildcat (who may or may not have died) appeared on Arrow is of no importance/

[Güicho]

S... the fact that a Wildcat (who may or may not have died) appeared on Arrow is of no importance/

She appeared on Arrow?

Episode(s)?
Describe thanks!