Vixen is Mari Jiwe McCabe, a female superhero from Zambesi who adopts the abilities of animals using the Tantu Totem, a magical artifact created by the African god Anansi. She can channel the powers of the animal kingdom by tapping into the morphogenetic field, also known as "The Red".
Mari was born in Africa to Reverend Richard Jiwe and Jeanne-Mari Jiwe, but her mother was eventually killed by poachers and her father was killed by the General Mustapha Maksai. So she moved to New York City, where she became a model and activist, later returning to Africa to reclaim the totem and became the superheroine Vixen. She has been a member of the Birds of Prey, Checkmate, the Justice League, Suicide Squad and the Ultramarine Corps.
Mari's predecessor and grandmother named Amaya Jiwe was introduced in the Arrowverse show Legends of Tomorrow as a member of the Justice Society of America and the girlfriend of Hourman Rex Tyler. When Tyler was killed by the Reverse-Flash in 1942, she joined the Legends to stop him and eventually began a relationship with Nate Heywood, before her return to Zambesi. In the Vixen: NYC comics, Mari's grandmother and predecessor was named Adowa Jiwe instead.
