All Episodes

March 3, 2020 53 mins

As Black History Month draws to a close we are celebrating on Nerdificent by covering the first Black Female Superhero in DC Comics, Nubia! Dani and Ify are joined by Wonder Woman fanatic Tamara Brooks to discuss this DC Queen. Enjoy this last installment and look for the next theme right here on Nerdificent!


FOOTNOTES:

Tamara on Twitter

Wrestling Friends on Twitter

Diana's Amazon Sister Nubia Featured

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Hey, hey, Hey, how's it going to another episode of
Nerdifficent Donia host if you are to wait and sitting
across from me as always as your other host, Danny Fernandez.
How you doing, I'm doing good? How How good are
you doing? I'm doing good? Oh my gosh. Yeah. So

(00:34):
we're we're we're a week out of Black History Month,
but we're still we're still we're still keeping it going
were I feel like we need all the extra weeks. So,
you know, today we're talking about Nubia, but you know where,
we're joined by some of our favorite voices in nerd dum,
some of the strongest voices in nerdo, some of my

(00:54):
favorite people just in general. And one of these people
our producer, officially new producer Joel Monique doing good be
with you guys, yes, who did all this Newbia research
for us, and also our wonder Woman Queen Tomorrow Brooks. Hello, Hello,

(01:20):
how are you doing. I'm I'm doing well. I'm I'm
happy to talk about again more wonder Woman related stuff
and you know, be in your lovely presence. Well, if
you haven't listened to our Wonder Woman episode, definitely listened
to it after this because tomorrow just dropped the most
knowledge We've been on multiple Wonder Woman panels together, and
I just feel, uh, you also got to go to

(01:41):
the DC Archives, right I did, and it was like
really transcendent into experience, even though it's just like a
library basically, like it's in like our library room, but
like I got to hold the the like some first
like original pages from like Superman, and I got to
see the unfinished um alternate ending from Batman when Jason

(02:05):
Todd lived and I got yeah, I got to hold
it in my hand. And then I also saw some
dope Wonder Woman stuff like this like Rainbow record that
like no like like three other printing, like there's only
three available left somewhere else in the world. I saw
the Bible that they used to write Wonder Woman, like
there's like the whole guideline things. It was just it
was it was a lot. They were like, you can

(02:26):
take more pictures. I'm like, but you don't understand I
want to take I'm like absorbing all of this into
all of my situation right now. So well, we normally
start our show with what we're seeking out about. Um, Joel,
what are you speaking out about? What am I gaking
out about I am still I'm sorry for people who

(02:47):
follow me from podcasts and podcasts, but yes, I'm still
watching Gray's Anatomy. We have officially hit season fifteen contract
three times over. It is such a hall. I'm so
ready to be done and get out of Grace Law Memorial.
Let's fiddle, my god, I'm determined. I'm of two minds
for that, with the same brain, which like is both

(03:07):
the actor brain, because on the one hand, as an actor,
like stuck to a show for that long, oh my gosh,
creatively ah, But then as an actor brain, you're like,
that's a lot of money guaranteed that who you're good?
You are good. Adia Benson over at SVU just got
renewed for seasons five, I think, and like she's been
doing it so long that she is not only getting

(03:29):
both her regular paycheck but the residual paycheck because they
are running it. They're they're running it everywhere and get
that producer paycheck. Yeah, yeah, she's making all the money.
That show dies when she's done, amazing, and even then
she probably is good for the rest of her life
about it that they're running though, if they made iced
teas Finn the Captain. That would be fascinating and I

(03:51):
would totally watch that. They won't do that, but I'm
just saying that I would love it though, fascinating. What
about you tomorrow? That's an excellent question. I am in
a position of catching up on a lot of stuff
because I have a new day gig, and I also
watch a lot of TV for that, So it's like
every once in a while, I'm like, I'm just gonna
watch repeats of Chopped as opposed to love it, you know,

(04:12):
catching up. So I always loved my cooking shows. UM.
Another thing that I am obsessed with currently is um
research because I am a writer and I also I
am a nerd, and so I've been researching some stuff
that I'm working on that I can't talk about and
just falling down these deep, deep research holes and having
like like hours of like YouTube videos talking about different

(04:35):
subjects and going down like the Wikipedia trapdoor and just
all that kind of stuff. So that's kind of what
I'm into at the moment. And also I am into
back issues of comics. UM. I've decided that I am
going to fill out my entire teen Titans comic collection
and that's going to be a lot of money, but
dedicated to it because I actually have a lot. So

(04:57):
happy for you. And it's somebody who just got like
a regular gig. This is also I'm like ready to go.
Like when I first got into comics, I maxed out
my first credit card. Buying comic books became a very
quick ob session. So I have like all of the
Crisis on Infinite and Earth. I have uh, the first
original print run of Sandman, UM all of the Cassandra

(05:17):
Kanes back Girls. But I was like, I really, uh,
Teen Titans sounds like something I really want to get into.
It is a lot of books. I'm going to tell
you that right now, because that was the first book
that I started collecting each volume. Yeah, well I already
have the like the Wolfman run basically almost entirely. Um.
I did stop at I have all all but one

(05:37):
um from like the New Teen Titans slash New Titans
era from like one to like D and four because
then the arts changed and I didn't like the art,
so I can understand. Um, going back reading all the
wonder Boman comics, I was like, look at how much
changes over time. It's crazy. So yeah, So but I
also had some of like the original Teen Titans runs
from the sixties, because I was going to the same

(05:59):
used but store when I was a kid and just
buying whatever. So now I'm like kind of like filling
that part out. And then I have I think the
Tales of the Tea Times. I think I have all
those already, so I just have to kind of go
back and refresh what I'm missing. So it's surprisingly not
that much that I have to catch this, but they're
going to be like twenty dollars a pop at this point.
Question for you, Yes, how do you archive your books? Um?

(06:22):
I am going through a process of re archiving. I
currently just have the long boxes like everybody has, UM,
but I do have a plastic, more waterproof one because um,
the first three books I collected was Teen Titans, Generation
X and UM New Warriors, and several water uh things
happened like there's a burst pipe, there's like an electrical fire,

(06:46):
and it just demolished my collection. So I'm very sadly
I don't I don't have any of my gen Xes anymore,
and I don't have any of my New Warriors anymore.
It's my feelings. So the ones that I'm really really
emotionally attached to are in a plastic bit now couple
of my like autographed ones. Nice. Yeah. Yeah, I have
to reorganize everything in my room because it went from

(07:07):
like now I have it. Everything is getting cramped up
now that I'm really in the Gundham's now so too
many figures. So I'm gonna get like a glass like
especially because my buddy Roe com who you've heard on
the Pot, has been doing a lot of sofoobie toys,
so I have like he just recently did a co
collab with Tom Neely, who does the indie comic Henry

(07:28):
and Glenn Forever, which is a comic where Henry Rawlins
and Glenn Danzigger in a beautiful marriage and it's all
they're like regular day to day trials and tribulations as
essentially the Gods of Metal. But he did a co
lab of those characters as Astro Boy, and so it's
like it's like so many layers, but it's so cool

(07:49):
because then on top of that, because I kick started,
I got the bonus one off painting where it's painted
in the style of Wolverine and Colossus, So there are
multiple layers. But it's like cramped right next to my deco,
who's like yeah, and then next to his death jaguar.
So I'm like, okay, it's time to adult up and
put my toys in a nice glass. Yeah. I love representation.

(08:14):
Oh yeah. But for me, what I've been nerding out
about is I've been slowly but surely. I also have
been having a pretty packed schedule, just both working on
The Great Debate and now I can talk about I
don't know if I said it on show sci Fi
is going to take The Great Debate show which Danny
has been in at many comic cons, and they're putting
it on television. So I've been writing on that and

(08:35):
then at night doing my late night show, Super Punch.
So it's been My house has been tragic, and I've
been trying to still like watch things. And I thought, okay,
it's been hard to keep up with, you know, seasonal
animes and stuff. Maybe I'll just sit down and watch Redline,
which I missed. Which Redline is this anime done by
Madhouse if you're familiar with the studio, and it was

(08:57):
back in like two thousand, like seven nine, I think,
and the art in it is so intense because it
was hand drawn each frame and it almost made the
company go bankrupt because it took so long to make.
But it is gorgeous and it's in blu ray and
it's crisp. And but I because I just don't have

(09:20):
any time, I always get too sleepy. So I've been
watching it in chucks, but I think I'm gonna go
watch it in full sometime this weekend. What are you
gigging out about, Danny? Well, last night I got to
go to the National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Awards and
that was fantastic. I feel like it's what my soul needed. Um. One,
everyone was hot as hell. I was like, wow, we

(09:42):
are such a hot people. It was like packed and
everybody was just like dressed to the nines and it
was just great. You know, America Ferrero was honored. She
is like such an amazing I want to say motivational
speakers like what came to mind, But I don't know
if you've ever watched her give speech, is you know,
at protests or events and stuff, and she just has

(10:03):
a way of really being like we're not going to
put up with this. You know, we're going to fight together.
Um But so many people that were honored. One of
them was Danny Garcia, who um, she helped fund seven
Bucks Productions, which is like, uh, Dwayne the Rock Johnson's
you might know she was married to him. They have
a daughter, Simone, and then but she's gone on to

(10:26):
work on so many things, and they were saying that
she's actually made billions of dollars for if you look
at all the revenue of everything she's worked on, and
it's just like, this is so insane. This is a
Latina who has made billions of dollars. She is like
just producing so many things, and like they had a
clip of it and it was just so inspiring that
it was like she's worked on so many you know,

(10:48):
I feel like I'm just repeating myself, but she she
works on all these blockbusters and like everybody, and she's
also helping people and bringing people up with her. She
had Cuban immigrant parents and it's just like wow. And
there were so many stories like that of like, while
we're there's so many of us that are really putting
in the work and it was just great to see
so many successful Latinos there because it's just a reminder

(11:09):
of like, wow, like our community really looks out for
each other and this is what we can do. And
that was kind of like the theme the whole night
was like we have to stick together, we have to
reach back down once we've made it and pull the
rest of us up. And the cast of Hentified was there,
which if you haven't watched, it's on Netflix and America
Frera produced it and it's uh don't my friend Francisco

(11:32):
Ramos is in it um and it really talks about
the Chicano experience, which it was fascinating scene um Mexican
people being like, oh, I didn't resonate with this, and
I and uh Lalo who did? Uh? The Cassa Grandes
was like, well, the Chicano experience is not the easiest
thing to capture, Like it's so mixed for everyone's like

(11:53):
when did you come over here? What is it like?
Are your first generation? Second generation? And it's just it's
such a fascinating conversation and I just ask everyone to,
you know, be open that we are not monoliths, but
you don't all have the same experience. That's always the
the hard convo that uh that kind of goes into
it because I I love you know, and it all

(12:14):
comes through just multiple pieces of media, because I feel like,
you know, right before this kind of like Renaissance and
black art has happened, that was happening where people would
nit pick it where it's like, this doesn't fit my experience,
so this is why. And it's like, well, because everyone's
isn't the same, why are you asking you know, this
to perfectly fit into yours and not see what you

(12:35):
do resonate with? Uh? And that's and so I am
more than sure as more stuff because even just in
the past few years, I like how much like Latin
X content there's been with on my block hnified uh
you know uh time, you know, even like Jane and

(12:57):
Jane the Virgin, you know all it's it's just really
just finally we're starting to break through the doors. And
you know, me and Danny kind of had a conversation
akin to this. But things are changing in the sense
that there was one kind of gatekeeper reprocess before where
you had to just basically have permission to create, And
now with the Internet and being able to produce media

(13:19):
and the the falling prices of like cameras and audio equipment,
people are now able to shoot and make things and
get noticed past the gatekeepers, so that there's an execut
who's like, no, this person, I don't need your inputs.
Air I like them because I got to see what
they did, alright. Yeah, and it was America was essentially
saying like we're no longer going to fight each other

(13:41):
for one measly piece of the pie. We're gonna bake
our own cake, and like we're gonna you know, but
it takes us, you know. It was, it was great.
It was just super inspired to see people that like
they're starting their own studios, are starting their own production
so we can own our art and our work, you know,
not be working under somebody, so we can tell the
stories that we want to. And actually Jay Hernandez was
also honored, and he was like, I'm you know, I'm

(14:04):
glad that I'm my role is not like as a
criminal or as like his new role that he's doing
um or drug dealer or whatever, and so it was
it was just very inspiring. And I think he's the
first Latino lead on any show on CBS really that
makes sense, or at least for like a really long time,

(14:26):
at least like ten years. Yeah, that's it's wild. I'm
gonna remove all names from it. So but I remember
I was pitching a show and we were talking about
it after they didn't end up getting picked up, and
I was talking about it with someone and I was like, yeah,
I remember when we were pitching the meeting and you
were well into your pitch. It was really good. But

(14:46):
I was looking up they had all the shows that
they've greenlit the wall, and he's like, I'm looking around
and they had no black people, no people of color,
and I was like, well, I was. I was in
a punch up room last last year for a CDs
show and I was not only the only woman, but

(15:07):
I was the only person of color. Like that is
yikes on yikes having to speak up on there. And
then one of the jokes I remember it didn't get
picked up, so I don't care. One of the jokes
on there, they had a kid being like, what's lit?
Fam Like just wanted to visit my squad, and I'm
like they would never, like how are you doing a
fellow children? Think I love about this show. This the

(15:28):
the episodes we've done this much as they all kind
of leaked back in because this kind of goes back
into what we're talking about in the Duyne episode when
you're saying there that Dwayne didn't see authenticity behind it
like that, and it's things like that, and that's why
like you are able to be like, now that's not
what people say. This is something more common and this
is how that you know it really is like the

(15:49):
easiest way to prevent coming off Like every time someone's like, yeah,
this it just this ran hollow, this one on hollidand
I'm talking about I was like, you know how you
solve that right? And they're like what higher writers. I also,
just before we move on, I also just want to
say it's really fascinating we constantly see people saying like,
hire the best person for the job, Hire the best
person for the job. Okay, So if I'm in that room,

(16:11):
like I've I've sold a show right to HBO Max,
I'm writing on a Netflix show. I am a writer,
I'm a successful writer, and and those aren't the only
things I've written written for Playboy blah blah blah. So
if I'm in that room and I am the only
woman and I'm the only person of color, do you
think that they think that the things that I suggest
are the best suggestions for the plots, the jokes or whatever.

(16:32):
They might just not get it. Like I hope that
people understand that when you're saying like, well it should
go to the best person, it's like, but who's deciding that?
And maybe they don't think my jokes are good because
they don't get it, and they're they're like a decade
and a half older than me and so, and they're
outdated in blah blah blah, and it's just like, I'm
really exhausted by that that I see constantly in the

(16:55):
mentions whenever directors and other people are speaking up about that.
Uh so, yeah, they probably thought their jokes were the best,
and I could tell you they weren't, and the show
didn't get picked up. So moving on to the Nubia.
Moving on to Nubia, UM tomorrow, What is actually your
first introduction to her? Nubia is an interesting thing because,

(17:16):
as we're going to discover, as we talked about in
this conversation, she's not used very much, and so I'm
trying to remember specifically the first time I learned about her.
I'm pretty sure it was like during my like super
hyper obsessive research time in high school when I was
like getting away way deep in the comics, and I

(17:38):
was like, where, why isn't this character around? More Like,
I don't understand it's a she's a really interesting character technically,
I think honestly, the first version of her I ever
saw was a repeat of that Kathy Lee Crosby Wonder
Woman movie where they had sort of she's, you know,
kind of a riff on Nubia a little bit. You know,

(17:59):
she was lighter skinned, but like she was an Amazon
that wasn't on the island and then became evil adjacent adversarial, sure, adversarial,
and so it's that thing where you're just kind of, yeah,
it's it's a crazy thing. So when I learned about
her origin, which is basically she is Wonder Woman's twin sister.

(18:20):
Her mother fashioned two babies out of clay, one light clay,
one dark clay, and um, you know, brought them both
a life, and then Aries or Mars as he was
called back then stole her away because you know, Ari's
gonna Aries and put her on an island full of
dudes and had her run that island. Now, in my head,

(18:40):
that's always stuck with me as the greatest version of
her origin, because if you think about it, why would
Hippolitas just have one kid running around the island? Truly,
Like why wouldn't you have a sister for her? And
that also kind of runs into the sort of reiterations
of Donna Troy's origins where they did that whole thing
where she was like a mirror toy and that got
kidnapped and all that kind of stuff, which I'm not

(19:02):
into that origin, but like that, it's a similar thought.
I think that goes through that. So yeah, just it
was one of those things where I'm like, oh, that's
a really cool origin and it's like, oh, she's like
savage and running around with a bunch of angry dudes
and difficut of her character, which I think what's interesting
about Nubia is they're always trying to be less offensive

(19:23):
and then they just run smack dab into a wall
of like slightly more offensive and yours. It's frustrating. And
when you read like the different origins or different aspects
of her character, like this would be a fast why
does she have her own solo series? Like I would
read I would hardcore read a Nubia series either, like
where she's chilling in hades and protecting the door, which
I think could be fascinating. She has a great love, like,

(19:43):
let's explore that. Um, I wouldn't mind it if we
saw the Nubia who's a twin sister who was like,
you know what I'm saying behind while you go off
into your thing, Like maybe I'll come down and visit
every once in a while because I'm still a champion. Like,
there's so many opportunities to tell a unique and fun story,
and they're constantly like, we just don't really know what
to do with her, or just leave her in the back,
stranded somewhere behind locked doors fighting monsters or you know

(20:07):
you never time she shows up, it's breathtaking, Like any
times she was in a coma, you're just like, oh
my god, Nube is here. So, so Nubia was introduced
across three issues of Wonder Woman, number two or four
through number two oh six. Can you talk about that
initial the story? Yeah, okay, so and just describing her
for people that don't have never seen her before. Okay,

(20:27):
So in her original iteration, she has kind of longer
black hair with a white streak. Usually, um, that kind
of mixes up depending on who's coloring book at the time,
but um, and so she wears this armor, UM that's
like silver armor. She carries a sword that is forged
by Aries or Mars at the time um and is

(20:47):
one of the is the only weapon on the planet
that can counteract the Lasso of Truth. And so she
just kind of shows up on the island and it's like, yo,
I'm gonna fight you. And so Diana and and uh
Nubia getting this kind of battle and it's very evenly
matched until Nubia has the upper hand and has Diana
her sword. And then she's like, okay, well I'm Nubia.

(21:10):
I'm over at the floating island. Um. That was a
great fight and I'm better than you. I'll see you later, um.
And so she goes off to the island. And then
when you find out that you know the secret history
of her later um where she got you know, fashion
and Mary stole her and actually suppressed the memory and
apolitis a politics didn't even remember her until she saw her.

(21:31):
And then she leads a invasion of Paradise Island with
her homie dudes that she used ruling. Oh and then
there was a part in there before I think this
is when she gets back to the island after fighting Diana.
There are two men of the island who are like
fighting over the right to marry her, and She's like,
how about this, I will fight you both and I

(21:53):
will win because I'm no one's property. How about that? Um. So,
then she leads this, uh this takeover of the island
um and is battling Diana, and Diana manages to reflect
array of light to this ring that she's wearing so
that it loosens up and falls off her fingers because basically, hey,
guess what, aries was mind controlling her the whole time
because he's terrible and that's what God's be doing. And

(22:17):
uh So, then after she broke free from that that
mind control, she went back to the island and it
was going to basically turn all the warriors there into
warriors peace, you know. So that was basically and then
so so that's what happened in that story. And then
the next time you see her is actually Supergirl number nine,

(22:38):
and I think that's in seventy four, um and uh
in that story, Supergirl was trying to save people. It
starts out with her seeing this guy that she was
dating making out with another girl on a and this
car goes over the cliff and she saves him, and
she realizes that this is due that she dang, so
she's like gross and then um, and then she goes

(23:01):
and saves a guy in a plane who gets mad
at her because he's doing an experiment, but she didn't
know that because it looked like he was gonna die.
And then she saves a rock star from a mob
and then he's like, I'm gonna kiss you, you know,
for to thank you, and she's like gross. And so
she's like, you know what, I'm just gonna fly around
and not be here right now. So she ends up
at Paradise Island and uh. She saves a boat with

(23:27):
another Amazon who's unnamed Nubia and hi politics because they're
fighting these mutated shark men, as you do. And then
Nubia gets poisoned and there's only there's this mystical route
on a island that's two thousand miles away, and so
the only person that can save them a supergirl. And
as she's there, Paultas like, you know what, you have
a strength. You remind me of my daughter Diana. I'm

(23:48):
gonna make you my honorary daughter and you can just
stay on Demoscara forever because she and she's like, you
know what, dudes kind of suck and I'm okay with
not being around them now yeah staying here. Yeah, so
sorry that I was gonna say yes. So she goes
off to the island. Uh. She gets the root these
uh priests on the island stealer her powers. She gets

(24:10):
saved by a guy that's there, who then is like, well,
now I have to protect you forever and I'm not
letting you off the island. And then she gets her
powers back and she leaves and everything's fine, and she's like,
I guess I have to go back to the real
world because I can't just hide out here forever. I
have a side selfish question that I want to ask
because I know that you have read like every every
Wonder Woman iteration, there's a lot of talk of their sisters,

(24:33):
So I'm not saying that as them together but then
being queer separately. Um, are there actual instances in the
comics that you can think of with either of them? Again,
I'm not saying with each other, right, um. Nubia is
presented as Hippolita's lover and I believe the earth one book. Um,

(24:55):
she is with a god. So that was that deep.
So that was her you know, I'll take it. It's
not her real mom. But it was like I'm like, okay,
I'm trying to say she doesn't hook up with her sister.
I'm not saying that. When have they been queer? I
would like to know selfishly for myself. But but this

(25:16):
version of her is not. This is she's just an
Amazon island a thing because like once post crisis, she
is that that whole being her sister thing is never areshed.
Every um. They just basically like that's nice, that doesn't exist.
So um. So there's that she's with a male god
in um the only run I think of the complete

(25:40):
run of her. That's all. That's two O five and
two or six. Yeah, it's called Three of Hearts and
his name it's by Robert Canager. He was the writer,
uh not on that one. Um. That was some of
the d I can't remember. I have to look up
the name. I haven't. I haven't. I swear to God
I Mazda. Yes, that's the name of the God of Light. Yes,

(26:03):
the God of Light and his heart got cut out
of his body by his brother, who is a god
of lies. And so basically she ends up being in
Vegas where Wonder Woman is fighting other people, um, because
she's chasing the heart so she can bring him back,
and a bunch of stuff happens, and there you get
to see her use she One of her powers post
crisis is the cold Stare, which is what they call it,

(26:24):
and basically she can turn people into stone. But she
got from the Gorgon's. Yes, they packed from the Gorgon's
because she did some kind of cool stuff when she
was guarding the gate and they're like, hey, you know what,
you're pretty dope. Here's an extra power for you. Level up.
It's so awesome. We have to dig a really quick
break and then we're going to cover more of Nubia
right after this and we're back. We're still talking about Nubia. Um. So, Joel,

(26:56):
I know you did a lot of research on her costumes.
Can you talk about the the changes along the way. Yeah,
And the first time we see Nubia, it's very like
Gladiat your style. She's got this rising phoenix on the breastplate,
which is really cool. She has um very typical kind
of spartan hat you think of when you think of
the warriors, the full chain mail down the arms and
like this red kind of like pleaded skirts sort of

(27:18):
similar to what Diana will wear later in her iteration.
At this point, she's still in the like spans high
tight star spangled banner outfit. Um and what year? Sorry?
What years? Yes? So this is during her initial appearance
in nineteen three. Um, She's just so badass, it's insane.
It's just like we have just kept this kind of

(27:41):
progressiveness the whole way because I'm looking at it. We
will tweet out this photo. I mean, she's just stunning
and in Gladiator, like Joel was saying armor and it's
just yeah, and having like a separate series where she
is like training these warriors of male warriors or peace
and like going out in the worlding stuff would have
been so cool. It's it's awesome. I feel like she

(28:04):
uses a box set of Dark and Lovely every other
week to keep her hair like soft and flowy, and
like there's a very secret pool somewhere on the island
where she just goes over and just like dips her
head in, like it just swirls a little bit and
then like pulls it out and it's just like beautifully laid,
like that's I feel like that's a magic of the island. Yeah.

(28:24):
I feel like there's a special like uh like like
pool for all the black Amazon where you put it
and you think about what style you want, if you
wanted to get pressed, it's there, and it's like a
special magic press that doesn't mess up when water hits it. Right. Um,
when you see her your leader in, she's got this

(28:45):
like black swimsuits or thing. It's really feels like they
were like storm's kind of hot. Like I don't like
to draw a storm for d C. It's like weird
gold plate cutouts, but they're literally just like chicken breasts
like over her boobs. It's very weird. Um. And then
she has a gold boot that I love because it's
slip down the front and then the triangle folds are

(29:06):
like down instead of I think what we typically see,
which is like just a very straight triangle on the side.
This is at the front of her shin. They just
look cool, they're unique. I just love this panel that
you pulled out, which it's nubia with her fist up
not quite doing the black almost almost, and she goes me, um,
they're Wonder Woman. And then and then the black woman
in the back says, Nubia my black sister. Yeah, listen,

(29:29):
they knew how black people talk. They had it down
packs Christmas. Um, and she's got sort of the What
I really like about Wonder Woman in the late sixties
early seventies is all the characters have the giant hair
of the moment, and it's glorious. It's like very much
like a snooky style bump, a like bigger and more curious,

(29:52):
and it's like all kinds of like the black and
blue shiny they do in comic books. She looks amazing,
Like I was really looking at this origin you had
out of her where it was like the whole Wonder
Woman arc where she changes outfits and she's like Diana,
And it really was cool how they were like, yeah,
we're just gonna like set, We're gonna try and update
it and like this like we like progressive, like I'm

(30:12):
gonna save you from prison by doing the Like I
was like, I hope they really bring that energy to
the d C. You like, let's see one like I
want to see her go from each decade and let's
see like them earlyts nineties wonder Woman with the Britney
Spears dinhim fit. But I know, I was like, I'm
so excited about the eighties. They better have some Madonnas

(30:34):
stuff in there for her. I mean, I want to
see her with like the crop. No, they probably can't
do that, like the brawn across the last UM. I
did want to have our my friend and a lot
of our friends, Christina Riel on this episode, but she's
at packs, I believe. But she has cause played pretty
famously as Nubia, so we'll include that on our instant Twitter. Um.

(30:56):
Some picks of her. Um and it's like you said,
if he in the trade sail wonder Woman outfit. I
also love this barbie that they had of her. Yeah,
there's like a doll they created for Okay, So Tamery,
can you talk about the sad news about how she
was going to be on TV show but then wasn't
on the wonder Woman TV shows. It is a thing
that either I didn't know or I actively suppressed in

(31:19):
my brain because understandable devastating. UM. So, if you guys
don't know about the original Wonder Woman series, it started
out on ABC and then for its last season or
maybe two seasons, moved to CBS. I think it was
just this last season, so uh or at ABC they
were like, hey, you know what we should do. We
should bring a Nubia She's in the comics, would be
really cool. We're gonna bring her in. They cast uh,

(31:40):
the woman who was the lead and get Christie Love.
So they already had her cast. They had it all
ready to go, and they even did this uh promotional.
They were getting the merchandise a ready, So you did
this promotional doll of Nubia and how she was going
to appear on the show, and she looks so dope.
So she has the dark hair, she has a white stripe,
she has the great silver armor and like it's basically

(32:02):
her original comics appearance outfit. But because they moved UH
networks and the the plan for the series change, that
was completely scrapped. So um, it's definitely what could have
been a situation, and it hurts my heart a little bit, um,
but it's it was not meant to be at that time. Sadly. Yeah,

(32:24):
CBS it is only now just getting into showing people
of color on their network, CBS, But it was unfortunate
because you have this doll. It's kind of a one off.
It hit store shelves but didn't go really beyond that.
But she does look sick. My favorite Nubia look is
her two thousand appearance where she causes the Three Hearts.
Is she run one seventy six? I think, Um, she

(32:48):
gets like a George Washington shoulder treatment that is so sick.
They give her an olive green cape's to the floor,
and then her breastplate is like a ring lion was too,
like gems for eyes. And then the best part they
give her natural twists which are really sick. Her hair
is like kind of short, like shoulder length, but these
like thick twists on it. She looks so good. And

(33:11):
then of course classic hoops, which you know. I would
like to see some people caused play this version of
new be totally. I mean, I would love to see
more of you. I was just thinking like, if someone
caused played the seventies version of her, would people know, um, right,
who that was? That's a good question. I think that
it would definitely be the Deep Nerds. Oh my god,

(33:31):
it's actually about to say the Deep Weeves, but that's
the difference. Weaves might know it too. What's really interesting
as we kind of review both the history of Nubia
and her costuming, is like, how did this idea come
into being? And if you listen to Glorious Steinham tell it,
her and Miss Magazine had like a huge role play

(33:53):
in it, right, yeah, there was, um so, as I
talked about the last time I was in here, there's
a period where they've depowered Wonder Woman, made her spy
for reasons and uh so, and that lasted a good
couple of years and so uh yeah, um so. Gloria's
Dynham then, as a fan of the character as a child,
ran a series of essays and Miss Magazine talking about

(34:15):
Wonder Woman her impact and so in it she implored
DC Comics to give her her powers back, which they did,
and then there's a part where she talks about how
Wonder Woman is a great hero for women, but it
is only white women that you see in the comics
and there is no intersectionality there. So a lot of
people are crediting her pointing that out to them being

(34:38):
inspired to create Nubia m um, and which I think
is actually as a writer and as a person who
doesn't always write stories and things like that, but I
do you know, cultural critiques and things like that. To
be able to see that historically the words have always
been able to create a positive impact on the pop
culture that you consume is really heartening. And it, you know,

(35:02):
being able to see a character like that in the
books more if if she existed in any capacity during
the eighties or you know, nineties, and when I was
like in this used bookstore and that's how I got
my comics. Mostly there was like a book a rack
at like the local Crown Books and then this let's
use bookstore in Pasadena that every you know, every month,
I take my allowance and I go there. I look

(35:23):
through the books and see what was there and just
get whatever, you know, looked interesting at the time. And
so if I could have seen her on the cover
and I would have flipped my lid like it would
have been just it would have been so so impactful.
So it's it's really really interesting to see how all
that that works. And it makes me hopeful that will
still be able to do this stuff. I mean, we're

(35:44):
seeing it now, but like to be able to know
that it happened even in the seventies is great. Yeah,
I mean that's to me, I guess what gets confused.
Not confusing, but it's like we were so we were
doing something like of trying to you know, and then
why did why? I mean I already know the answer
to my question, but it is difficult to see us
go backwards for decades, including now bat times, but like, yeah,

(36:10):
that is a big deal. That is a big deal
to have her in this like gladiator armor, just like
shining and gorgeous and like being the equal of Yeah. Yeah,
that's like, yeah, that was like huge. It reminds me
of I mean, not in the same way, but like
when we were talking about Diana's first appearance in the

(36:30):
forties when she was kind of like no, I'm not
gonna listen to you, and like you don't understand. In
the forties that was like not done. Women were supposed
to be, you know, underneath their husbands and and the
man is first and respecting them and very much like
leave it to beaver type stuff, especially you know, back then.
And it's just wild to me that we kind of

(36:52):
then went in reverse for several decades. They were like
we don't like that, and that scares us so now
we're going to like completely not do that. Well, it's
funny because it's just like with like t g IF
and how there were so many black sitcoms at one
point where you had like sisters Sister, you had family matters,
you had uh, you know, what's the what's the one

(37:14):
thing about the Parkers you had? Yeah, you had all
those and then out of nowhere, it just seemed like
it just stopped. You know. Well, they were networks were
combating cable at the time, and one of the way
you could do that was appeal on your basic cable
to a black audience, because more black people have basic cable,
and that's what basically saved dPNs right before they became

(37:36):
more prothers. They're like, oh, they don't need black people anymore,
thank you for the ratings boosts abounds, which I think
is what typically sort of happens. It's like, oh, and
sort of how Nubia has been treated a lot throughout
her career. It's like, oh, they like seeing a black
wonder woman here he goes taste. Yeah, she's so awesome
and she kicks so much button. She's like has such

(37:57):
a different ideology from wonder woman who's very much like
I must come and protect man. And listen, they're trying,
they're struggle, they're not mature. Yet we're going to get
them there wherea Zubia was like, when we got time,
I'm gonna turn that guy to stone and save this
little girl. And then I got to Bounce's amazing. And
also I would also like to say that the whole
thing of them being sisters, which blows a lot of

(38:17):
people's brains, but like, I'm black, but I'm also mixed,
and so some of the things I mixed with his
Cape Verdian which is a group of violence off the
Cas Senegal and most of them live in Massachusetts or
in San Francisco, um, but in my mom's family, there's
seven of them and they go a spectrum of colors.
So it's not like you can't just have two kids
and one blight. It literally happens every day. So you know,

(38:38):
even that like and that's also you know I talked
about a little before seeing Linda Carter, I knew she
was something. I don't know what she was, but I
knew she was something, And she reminded me of some
of my mom's side of the family and That's another
reason why I imprinted on her so hard, because it's
just like, this is a thing that represents my life
in a way that I never see it ever and
still pretty much don't. And I just you know, I

(39:00):
need everybody to do better, get on get on their level.
There's opportunities. We have to take another really quick break,
and then I actually have before we hop back into
more things. I really have a really funny, great crossover
of Nubia that I'm going to spill right after this

(39:21):
and we're back. So this is often forgotten, but Nubia
actually appeared in the Scooby Doo comics Scooby Doo Team
Up number five by d C Comics. It was Trouble
in Paradise. She this is her description or personality. She
has a low opinion of men. Uh. This is on

(39:41):
the Scooby Doo a pda uh. She has a low
opinion of men, as evidence when she describes Shaggy Roger's
cowardice as something that should be expected from his gender. Yeah. Um.
Due to Aphrodite's Law, Paradise Island bestows wonder Woman and
all the Amazon's godlike powers. Um, as long as mortal
and do not step foot on the island. So she

(40:02):
has in this run immortality and she's an a dope.
She's like kind of in a white like armor and
has like a golden eagle. I do have to give
props to like modern Scooby Doo writers because like the
last ten to ten to fifteen years, it's just great content.
And when they started doing the crossover stuff, it is
just a whole other level. Like the Scooby Natural like

(40:25):
crossover was that was insane. Dude prepared, I'm prepared for
how great that is. So I just props to everybody
who's been working on that. I p right now because
it's you're hitting out of the park. Yeah. So she's
in full like armor but still has like a redsh
skirt um and then her hair do is different every time,
which I love and appreciate. And then she's also in

(40:48):
the Wonder Woman seventy seven Bionic Woman crossover and she's
there with one of the Fausta something camerostice. No, No,
it's um she because she's one of the character is
that um one on one faced uh, and then brought
them to the island and they're reformed now. So they're
reformed island. Amazon's on the island and they're actually in

(41:10):
a relationship together. So that's another more career representation for y'all.
I forgot about that one when we were talking about earlier.
There we go Fausta Grable, Yes, um so, and I
think married, getting married, being on the island, doing good stuff,
and it's a thing that I feel like people forget

(41:30):
that one or one is really trying to reform people
and reach their hearts. I feel like that's a better
reason in the universe for her to not have a
big rogues gallery as opposed to sexism. Uh in the
real world, Well, it does look like people think that
she popped up in the TV series, Um yeah, that
a version of her um as Caroline Hamilton's who's part

(41:51):
of the San Francisco Police Department. But she, Uh, they
have Caroline in um as Nubia in a comic, so
they that's the Wonder Woman's having. So they she she
renames herself Nubia when she gets through the island, so

(42:11):
you know, it's a whole thing. So that's like, you know,
I also have a big fan in the Wonder Woe
in seventy seven comics. Anyway, So definitely check those out
when you guys have a chance. Um, it's really interesting that,
like this was one of the hardest things to research
because I knew that I had read like I read
the you know the nineties appearance, you know that storyline,
and I know I had seen her first appearance, and
then I was like, there's got to be more, right,

(42:35):
there's not that much more well speaking of that, So,
so we have The Wonder Woman eight four coming out.
I think it would be dope if Nubia appeared and
that was something they were keeping secret. But I don't
see a world in which Patty Jenkins has done such
an amazing job with trying to make an honest portrayal

(42:57):
from a normal viewpoint. I don't even want to say
like a woman's viewpoint. It's just like not from a guy's,
Like it's not you know what I mean. And so
of like showing no, I probably wouldn't like bend down
and put on lipstick in the middle of a fight
or some shi it or like my skirt doesn't need
to be that high. It doesn't make sense, um for fighting. Uh.
And and I don't see a world in which Patty

(43:18):
Jenkins wouldn't want to add Nubia in at some point.
I think it's probably not the time for it, though,
just from a like, I don't know what the story
of this movie is. I've been trying to not learn
anything about it, um, but I just think she's such
a big deal potentially that I would rather her be

(43:38):
saved for another time than to just kind of like
shove her in here. My I totally agree. I don't
know if I think that she's going to be necessarily
or maybe at the end of this one, but I
think it's perfect because Wonder Woman did so well to
kind of slide her in here, so she's introduced here,

(44:00):
she can further be in the film and then get
her own film, because I think that's well, here's the
thing is, it's just like, it's so much if we
just gave her her own film, where I think, like
Wonder Woman is already set as like people are like,
oh no, that made millions of dollars. It was like
a huge success. It was like one of the best
DC films, and so like, why don't we slide her

(44:21):
in here, introduce her and then give her her own film.
I've got it. Here's what I want to see I
would like to see them her just help out in
a fight, right, like one of Thomen. She like maybe
calls some of her Amazonian sisters they came through. She
like tosses her sword and she's like, no, thanks, got
my own giant swords from my dad, bam. And then
she's super awesome. And then Brothers is like, man, people

(44:42):
really like these Smscarans. That was our favorite part in
the first movie. In the second movie, what if we
gave them a TV show on HBO and we watched
them every week be lesbians and awesome fighters? And then
Joel is happy for life. No, Joel, you're still right
because we lost like that fantasy like Game of Thrones
whatever thing. So it's perfect for them to pick up

(45:03):
a warrior franchise women's staff. Let's go. I will be
on it. Listen. I have a lot of ideas hiring
me and giving me money. UM. I know that she appeared.
I could not read them at the time because they're
not available on the DC Universe app. But I did
see that Nubia di does pop up currently in the
Rebirth era UM and the last couple of issues of

(45:24):
Great the Live storyline. I think it's the last three
issues or it's from like, you know, seventy seventy five
is like the last part of this run, I believe,
So I think it's seventy three to seventy five. Um,
but I couldn't read them, so I just read about it.
So because she's in there recently, then I am taking

(45:45):
that as a sign that they are going to definitely
do more things. And here's the thing. Wonder Woman is
the only female superhero who has sidekicks named after her. True,
So why do we not have a wonder Woman's centric spinoffs?
Why do we not have a wonder Woman office covering
all her comics? Why does Wonder Girl not have her

(46:06):
own comics? Why does you know? Like, why are we
not data? So cool to like seeing? The cool thing?
What I really like about that DC does really well
as their animation, especially if you're checking out Young Justice,
which you absolutely should be. Season three is so good. Um.
But it's cool is that it gives like, if you
didn't come across these characters in your natural reading, you know,
maybe you're like me and you got into a couple

(46:27):
of series here and there. I got really into an
indie comic books not too long after getting into like
superhero comic books and so I'm touch and go in
some places. But man, if you want to know about
some heroes, Young Justice or Justice League or Justicely Unlimited
will fill you in and give you like a whole
vibe of like what these characters are going for. And
Diana Prince is Dope's how I got into Zatanna, who's

(46:47):
super awesome. I learned about Icon and Rocket from those shows,
like there's just there's so much to love about them.
I'm a little upset we never got Nubia in any
of those Yes, never appear in such a larger deep
cut than New Year, Yes, I can't. And Rocket like,
and they had Rocket there being a Rocket like, like

(47:08):
they didn't like change her down. She got right up
there with the other team. Times. It's good. Um yeah,
I think I'm gonna I'm gonna stay a controversial opinion,
which I don't know if I stated this on the
Wonder Woman's specific podcast, but Justice leagu Unlimited is a
great show for deep cuts, but it is also wonder
Woman is the one character that that Holy Trio cannot

(47:29):
figure out how to write. I don't think that's contra
virtual at all. It's very true because they're always like,
maybe she's a love interest for Batman or Superman. Every
time they do it, I'm like, what the hell is happening?
So gross love triangle too, because it's like it just
doesn't and then it's not truly because Superman Batman never
like deal with it, and they're never in a committed
relationship with Wonder Woman. It's almost always a side flirtation.

(47:50):
And then she'll be like, oh, well, I'm just about
the rules and up and down. I mean, like a
die hard Batman like fan since I was little. Also
the lord of just like Selena Kyles is who I mean,
who gets shipped like that to me? Will always be
So I'm just like, I don't even want one woman involved.
And this is Steve Trevor Erasure is woman not Diana,

(48:15):
which blows my mind. Just uh, secure in his own ability, Yes,
supportive dude who's like, look at my baby be all straight. Yeah,
And he's like, this woman is better than me in
every way, and I respect and I don't need to
put her in her place. Ever, I will run support
for her in the ways that I can. I still
could do some stuff, but I know she could do

(48:35):
more than that. He's a colonel in the army, like
Serevor gotta going on. And I do think that Chris
Pine did that role so well. It was so just like,
oh crap, she can do everything better than me. I'm
just going to be here on the side her and
adore her. Um. But yeah, and that's you know, so
love interesting. So I think it's interesting that Nubia, like

(48:58):
for you know, in the in the nineties iteration where
she's guarding you know, the door to Tartarus and Hades
and all that dooms doorways what they call it, I believe. Um.
But they talked like they did the thing that the
thing where they talk about some of her adventures and
I'm like, like we were saying before, like they sound
so cool, and so what was the thing that led
her to be like messed up on the shores of
where this god is? And like how about that she's

(49:21):
dope enough that all powerful God is Like hey, and
I don't recap of their romance. I was instantly intrigued.
I will watch that love story because I feel like
it was messy and challenging and then she has to
come and save him and he's like calling to her telepathically.
It's so romantic and sweeten It happens in two episodes
like two issues. Now you could easily do like a

(49:42):
fifty issue arc of their like love romance in the
same way that Green Arrow and Canary got their storyline,
which was super awesome done a comic. More couples comics.
They are extremely my vibe. I just want to say too,
I think it's so fun when people get upset about
calling either Nubia or a wonder Woman queer because it's like,

(50:05):
so you think that they're just virgins on that island.
They've just never had sex ever, even though they look
like that and their bodies look like that. Okay, um,
well this has been I mean, I mean not wrong.
That's why it's funny. So they're just all virgins running around.
That makes perfect hot ladies waiting for a guy. Just waiting. Yep,

(50:28):
you know. Find guys are not necessary. They're like rocks
so that they can eat. Okay, that's a little bit making.
They're making their own. Yeah, they dreaming, dreaming, waiting. They
have magic and technology. They do not need it. Magic
and technology and each other, who are very beautiful people.
I think, well, that's why. Okay, so I'm just gonna

(50:50):
put this out there too, going along with Joel said
with having a series possibly on HBO, but I think
that if Nubia was introduced there, it could be a
world in which that is Diana's love interest, because even
Gal Gadote herself has been like, just because she likes
Steve Trevor right now doesn't mean that that's who she's
going to be with forever, you know. I mean that's
because I's that's I mean also that but that's yeah.

(51:14):
But um, it's kind of like what we talked about
with our Lando episode. It's like the guy is so hot,
like of course he's going to sleep with whoever you can,
like a robot, a man, a woman, an alien, literally anyone.
He's you know, gonna taste the rainbow from the underworld
that visits them Scaria, He's listen, is the goal and

(51:36):
peer of heart. Yeah, is a person. And I'm just
saying it's like it's like those the quartz crystals that
are nice, and it's a quartz that is just delightful
and just hello, ladies, today the world is pretty pretty

(51:58):
and shiny and bright, and let me romance you yeah,
shout out to that goal and Shadow Well, thank you
all for coming on the geek out about Nubia. Yeah,
of course. Um uh tomorrow, where can everyone catch you?
You can find me on Twitter and sometimes Instagram at
Misfits tomorrow and Joel Uh same with those directions only

(52:19):
head to at Uel Monique, j O E L L E,
M O N I q u E. I'm at MS
Danny Fernandez. It's M S D A and I F
E R and and D easy. I'm actually gonna be
on a panel with tomorrow at Wonder Car and so
pay attention to our twitters because I think we get
to officially announced the day and time and I We're like, okay,
soon soon, um yeah yeah. And Brett Brett Brett, how

(52:41):
you doing? Um? I I Y N W I D
I d V on Twitter and Instagram if he's on Twitch,
the discord is Discord dot g G Forward slash Salt Squad. Uh.
You can catch me every night at eight pm eleven
pm Eastern on Twitch at super Punch, Twitch dot tv
slash super Punch for my late night show super Punch.

(53:02):
I'll be at Emerald City, uh talking you know, and
we're gonna do a bonus episode talking about that, and
I'll also be doing stand ups and pay attention to
the twitters and see what shows I actually get on
wonder Con. I will not be in l A. I
will also be at the same time, Yes, soccer Klon
I'll be Yeah, I'll be at Socco da Kroon. So

(53:23):
maybe we'll compare our con experiences and see how how
might we be experience compared to your dope panels. Yeah, yeah,
I'm getting it all, but yeah, thanks for listening, and
like we say every week, stay

Nerdificent News

Advertise With Us

Follow Us On

Hosts And Creators

Dani Fernandez

Dani Fernandez

Ify Nwadiwe

Ify Nwadiwe

Show Links

About
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.