Clawing Back
Archie is returning The Jaguar to her roots in a new one-shot comic
AFTER BRINGING back Bob Phantom and Darkling, Archie Comics are now returning to the Jaguar. While original Jaguar Ralph Hardy first gained feline powers after discovering a magical totem on an archaeological dig in Peru, in 1961’s Adventures Of The Jaguar, this new one-shot focuses on Ivette Velez, who took over the role in 2012’s The Mighty Crusaders. A zoologist by trade, she journeys to South America to solve the mystery of who is killing the Pampas cats of Northern Peru.
“I love that the earliest Jaguar stories featured Ralph Hardy on adventures abroad,” writer Keryl Brown Ahmed tells Red Alert. “I personally have an international background, so I jumped at the opportunity to go back to the roots of the character and have Ivette’s story take place in a setting far from her home.”
ROOT CAUSES
With her family having hailed from Peru, Ivette unexpectedly reconnects with her heritage. “At the start of the story she doesn’t even consider herself Peruvian, but it doesn’t take long before she realises that her powers are deeply tied to her ancestry, and in order to harness them she’ll have to embrace her roots,” explains Ahmed, who can personally relate to Ivette.
“As a child of an immigrant who feels a tenuous connection to my family’s homeland, I certainly have the fantasy of going back and strengthening my identity and connection to the culture.”
Ahmed, who is paired with artist Tango, also explores the Jaguar’s animalistic abilities. “I really enjoyed writing a character who channels the powers of a big cat,” she continues. “I’m a cat person and my family is from Kenya, the safari capital of the world, so I’ve always had a thing for cats of all sizes! It was fun to research the two types of cats that appear in the one-shot, and crafting a story featuring zoologists allowed me to geek out a little bit.”
“I’ve got a real soft spot for female characters who are allowed to really tap into their rage, and the connection with Ai Apaec gives Ivette more access to that part of herself,” adds Tango, referring to the god who gives the Jaguar their powers. “One of my favourite little things in the issue is the way Keryl brilliantly has Ivette subtly aloof and antisocial in a very housecat way, even out of the Jaguar suit.”
Ahmed also resurrects old Mighty Crusaders villain the Buzzard. “He’s the same in name only, as I’ve significantly revamped his character,” she says.
“But I was inspired by the past Crusaders issues and wanted to include another callback to them.”
Tango has also been delving into The Mighty Crusaders’ back catalogue, taking inspiration from some of the Archie team book’s past artists, including Steve Ditko and Alex Toth. “I’m always striving for a touch of that classic comics feel in my work,” he says. “As part of my research, I went through all the prior iterations of the Jaguar, since with any legacy character it’s important to draw from the elements that feel core to what makes them work, and especially what already makes them endearing to fans.”
The Jaguar issue one is out on 21 February.