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"I'm a little heavier than I look."[1]

Giganta was a super-criminal with the ability to increase or decrease her size at will. She befriended Grodd and became a member of his Secret Society.

History[]

According to a story Grodd told Clayface, Grodd transformed Giganta from an ape into a human woman with the power to increase her size to tremendous heights, with a proportionate increase in her strength and durability. For this, she was hopelessly devoted to Grodd, and the member of the Secret Society most loyal to him.[1][2]

Diana fights Giganta

Giganta fights Wonder Woman.

After the Society was defeated by the Justice League, she attempted to free Grodd from prison with the help of Bizarro, but their efforts were thwarted by Wonder Woman and Long Shadow. She later resurfaced as a member of Grodd's Legion of Doom. She accompanied a Legion team to Norway assigned to steal the corpse of the Viking Prince. However, the Justice League intervened. In an effort to expedite the battle, J'onn J'onzz attempted to read Giganta's mind and learn their plan, but the fail-safe implanted in all Legion members' minds was activated and Giganta was instantly incapacitated.[3] In her absence, her position as Grodd's girlfriend was usurped by Tala.

Giganta squeezes Grodd

Giganta airs her grievances against Grodd.

She later recovered from her condition and got out of jail. Going to rejoin the Legion, she learned of Grodd's new relationship. This may have been a reason she supported Lex Luthor during the mutiny led by Grodd against his leadership. Surviving the mutiny, and Darkseid's destruction of the Legion's headquarters, she accompanied the surviving members to Earth, where she was one of the loudest voices demanding that the Legion be allowed to help defend it from Darkseid's invasion.

During the battle, she fought Darkseid's parademons alongside The Flash and Green Lantern in Paris. After the battle, she and the other Legion members were given a five-minute head start to run before being rounded up and returned to jail. Giganta gave up a few precious seconds to plant a goodbye kiss on the Flash (hinting that she harbored a secret crush on him).[4] It is unknown what happened to her after that.

Powers and abilities[]

Normally standing somewhere over six feet tall, Giganta could greatly increase her size, becoming gigantic, and proportionately strong and durable. In her enlarged state, her strength was far superior to Wonder Woman's and her body weight is enough to crush people, cars, buildings and such under her extreme heaviness. Also, being gigantic makes her sound and ground vibrations much louder and deeper. Such as clapping her massive hands is loud enough to cause small shock waves.

Background information[]

  • The origin of Giganta being an altered gorilla is clearly based on her Pre-Crisis era incarnation. In the Post-Crisis era of DC Comics, Giganta is a human scientist, Dr. Doris Zuel, who develops the ability to increase her size at will. Her animated portrayal differs in many ways from her comics one. In the comics, she often wears a giant leopard skin (similar to a female version of Tarzan) or, more recently, a full-body gray suit with leopard print details, and has a rough, brutish personality and a slight muscular build which may or may not be a side effect of the elixir she drank when she was a teenager. In the series, she is extremely feminine, even delicate, and not as likely to get into a fight if her chances of winning were reduced. In the episode, "Ultimatum" she surrendered without a fight when confronted with Long Shadow's ability to grow to a height greater than her own.
  • Jennifer Hale said in an interview that she loved playing Giganta as such a "girly" character, despite her size and strength, in opposition to her other supervillain role in the series, Killer Frost, who bordered on being sadistic.
  • In the Justice League Unlimited episode "Alive!", Giganta was one of the 12 surviving members of the Legion of Doom. This was a tribute to the fact that she was a member of the original Legion in the Hanna-Barbera TV show Challenge of the Super Friends.
  • Writer Matt Wayne, originally wrote an episode for the show's third season featuring Giganta as the main character. The episode's story would have featured Giganta trying to go straight so she could spend time with The Flash. She revealed angrily her intentions once he announces that he is going on a date. Although it went unproduced, the episode's story was ultimately adapted in the tie-in comic Justice League Unlimited #38.[5]

Appearances[]

Justice League

Justice League Unlimited

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Berkowitz, Stan (writer) & Riba, Dan (director) (November 22, 2003). "Secret Society, Part I". Justice League. Season 2. Episode 17 (airdate). Episode 45 (production). Cartoon Network.
  2. Berkowitz, Stan (writer) & Riba, Dan (director) (November 22, 2003). "Secret Society, Part II". Justice League. Season 2. Episode 18 (airdate). Episode 46 (production). Cartoon Network.
  3. McDuffie, Dwayne (writer) & Riba, Dan (director) (September 24, 2005). "To Another Shore". Justice League Unlimited. Season 2. Episode 4 (airdate). Episode 30 (production). Cartoon Network.
  4. McDuffie, Dwayne (writer) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director) (May 13, 2006). "Destroyer". Justice League Unlimited. Season 2. Episode 13 (airdate). Episode 39 (production). Cartoon Network.
  5. Interview with Matt Wayne at The World's Finest


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