Who is Sheena, Queen of the Jungle?

The leap of a lion, the swing of the apes, and the keen vision of a hawk. From the world of Dynamite Entertainment comics,  Sheena is the Queen of the Jungle, and she is connected with all the animals around her. Perhaps more connected that anyone would expect.

But what does it mean to be the Queen of the Jungle? And what makes Sheena worthy of this title?

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Abandoned

Sheena was not born the Queen of the Jungle, nor did she come from the jungle at all. She has a different birth name (depending on which origin story you read) that she had to leave behind. But a few things are consistent in each of her origin stories: her parents took her to a strange and distant land as a child.

Perhaps they were exploring out of curiosity, perhaps with some hidden intentions. In each origin story, it seems they intended to bring back something valuable with them to their home in New York. But a terrible accident kills them and leaves their young and vulnerable daughter behind. The nature of the accident varies, but the severity is the same.

The young baby is left alone in the jungle only to be saved and adopted by a local village. The people there are always kind to her, and they raise her as one of their own.

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Embraced

As a part of the community, Sheena learned what it meant to live in the jungle, not just as a hunter or explorer from afar, but as a part of the living environment. As a part of the community and village, she was given a chance to learn the ways of the animals. Her whole life was spent alongside them.

In fact, Sheena had an uncanny ability to connect with animals from a very young age. Perhaps it was a natural kindness, or the way of her village, but her connection seemed to be stronger than most.

And over time, this connection grew tenfold. She would learn the secrets of the animal kingdom, and be given the greatest gift her village could give her.

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Entrusted

Once again, depending on the origin story, Sheena’s abilities have different sources. In many stories, the village gifts her the ability to talk with animals. She is entrusted with an incredibly important power only because she has an incredibly important role. She is the caretaker of the jungle. She is the protector of the animals and sacred grounds that they walk on. She is the Queen of the Jungle.

There are many intruders in the jungle, her parents included. And all too often, intruders don’t recognize or respect the jungle. Sheena fights against that. Sheena is the desire in all of us to protect what we care about, but she pushes us to care about things beyond our understanding.

Sheena’s is a story of protecting the unknown, even if we can’t understand it. Sheena is a story of communication, even with animals! She may not have come from the jungle, but it embraced her and she embraced it in return.

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What’s your favorite Sheena story? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow.

If you are looking to bring home the Queen of the Jungle for your own collection, be sure to check out these Sheena collectibles, inspired by the fan-favorite artwork of J. Scott Campbell.