Dora Milaje Explained

Publisher:	Marvel Comics
Debut:	Black Panther, vol. 3 #1 (November 1998)
Creators:	Christopher Priest Mark Texeira
Hero:	h
Sortkey:	Dora Milaje

The Dora Milaje are fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are a team of women who serve as special forces for the fictional African nation of Wakanda.

Members of the Dora Milaje appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films (2016), Black Panther (2018), (2018), (2019), and (2022), and the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and What If...? (both 2021).

Publication history

The Dora Milaje first appeared in Black Panther, vol. 3 #1 (November 1998), created by writer Christopher Priest and artist Mark Texeira.^[1] Priest, however, claimed that credit for their creation really should go to his Marvel Knights editors Jimmy Palmiotti and Joe Quesada, "who thought it would be great if the Panther had female bodyguards."^[2] The Dora Milaje share similarities with the Dahomey Amazons (Agoji), the all-female military regiment of the Kingdom of Dahomey,^{[3] [4] [5]} which was located in West Africa in what is now the Republic of Benin.

The 2017 series "World of Wakanda" written by Roxane Gay and Yona Harvey, tells the story of the couple Ayo and Aneka, two former Dora Milaje.^{[6] [7]}

In the 2018 limited series Wakanda Forever, written by Nnedi Okorafor, the Dora Milaje act in team-ups with Spider-Man, the X-Men and the Avengers.^{[8] [9]}

Fictional character biography

To keep peace in Wakanda, the Black Panther picked dora milaje ("adored ones") from rival tribes to serve as his personal guard and ceremonial wives-in-training.^[10]

Members

• Aneka - A former leader of the Dora Milaje. She was arrested and stripped of her rank after killing a chieftain who had been victimizing the women in her village. After escaping, she became half of the vigilante duo known as the Midnight Angels.^[11]
• Asira - The princess of the Jabari tribe.^[12]
• Ayo - Aneka's lover and another former Dora Milaje.^[10] After Aneka was arrested and sentenced to death, Ayo broke her out of prison. Using a pair of prototype armored suits, the two became the Midnight Angels.^[11]
• M'yra - A member of the Dora Milaje who lost her right arm. She was reassigned to protect Shuri.^[13]
• Nareema - A Dora Milaje member who helped Storm fight the V-Series Doombots.^[14]
• Nakia – A Wakandan Mutate with superhuman strength, speed, and agility. She is a former Dora Milaje of T'Challa.
• Okoye – A former Dora Milaje.^[15] Okoye is of the J'Kuwali tribe and acted as a traditional, proper concomitant to the king, speaking only to him and only in Hausa, an African language not widely spoken in Wakanda and thus affording the king and his wives a measure of privacy.
• Queen Divine Justice – The street-smart queen of the Jabari tribe of Wakanda raised in Chicago, and former Dora Milaje of T'Challa.^[16] She originally went by the name Chanté Giovanni Brown.^[17]
• Zola - The headmistress of the Dora Milaje who trained Aneka, Ayo, and Nakia.^[18]

Collected editions

Title	Material collected	Pages	Date Published	ISBN
World of Wakanda	Black Panther: World of Wakanda #1–6	144
Wakanda Forever	Amazing Spider-Man: Wakanda Forever, X-men: Wakanda Forever, Avengers: Wakanda Forever, Black Panther Annual vol. 2 #1	136

In other media

Television

• The Dora Milaje appeared in Black Panther, voiced by Alfre Woodard and Vanessa Marshall.^[19]
• Okoye, Nakia, and Divine Justice of the Dora Milaje appeared in episode "Welcome to Wakanda".
• The Dora Milaje appeared in Avengers Assemble, with Aneka voiced by Erica Luttrell^[20] while the other unnamed members are voiced by Daisy Lightfoot^[21] and Debra Wilson.^[22]
• Okoye appears in Lego Marvel Super Heroes - Black Panther: Trouble in Wakanda, voiced by Yvette Nicole Brown.^[23]
• The Dora Milaje appear in the X-Men '97 episode "Tolerance is Extinction - Part 3".^[24]

Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Dora Milaje appear in live-action media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Video games

• A member of the Dora Milaje appears in Lego Marvel's Avengers.
• The Dora Milaje appear in .

External links

• Web site: Meet the Warrior Women of Wakanda . Tucker Chet . Markus . December 22, 2016 . Marvel Entertainment.
• Web site: Dora Milaje . Marvel Wiki.
• Web site: Dora Milaje . Comic Vine.

Notes and References

1. Book: DeFalco . Tom . Sanderson . Peter . Brevoort . Tom . Teitelbaum . Michael . Wallace . Daniel . Darling . Andrew . Forbeck . Matt . Cowsill . Alan . Bray . Adam . The Marvel Encyclopedia . 2019 . DK Publishing . 978-1-4654-7890-0 . 115.
2. Web site: Johnston . Rich . October 6, 2018 . Priest Credits Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti For Dora Milaje - 20 Years of Marvel Knights at Cup O'Joe NYCC 2018 . April 30, 2022 . Bleeding Cool News And Rumors . en.
3. Web site: February 24, 2018 . Carter . Terry . The Female Warriors Who Inspired Black Panther's Dora Milaje Are Freakin' Badass . . February 26, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180227035707/https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Dora-Milaje-Black-Panther-Real-44595808 . February 27, 2018 . dead.
4. News: Warrior Women With Lupita Nyong'o review – a kick-ass tale worthy of an Oscar . Ellen E. . Jones . October 23, 2019 . The Guardian.
5. News: Coleman . Arica L. . February 22, 2018 . There's a True Story Behind Black Panthers Strong Women. Here's Why That Matters . . November 12, 2022.
6. Web site: Scott . Sydney . Roxane Gay And Yona Harvey Didn't Hesitate To Take On The 'World Of Wakanda' . February 6, 2017 . Essence . November 11, 2016.
7. Web site: Roxane Gay on How to Build a More Inclusive Comic Book Industry . Eliana . Dockterman . July 28, 2017 . Time.
8. Web site: 'Wakanda Forever' Brings Dora Milaje to the Rest of the Marvel Universe . Graeme . McMillan . March 16, 2018 . The Hollywood Reporter.
9. Web site: Fighting for Wakanda Forever . Tucker Chet . Markus . March 16, 2018 . Marvel Entertainment.
10. Web site: Get to know the Dora Milaje, Black Panther's mighty women warriors . Broadnax . Jamie . Jamie Broadnax . February 21, 2018 . Vox.com.
11. Black Panther vol. 6 #1. Marvel Comics.
12. Black Panther Vol. 3 #13. Marvel Comics.
13. Black Panther Vol. 5 #7. DC Comics.
14. Doomwar #4. Marvel Comics.
15. Black Panther Vol. 3 #1. Marvel Comics.
16. Black Panther Vol.3 #16-17. Marvel Comics.
17. Web site: Queen Divine Justice . Marvel Universe . June 23, 2006 . January 6, 2011.
18. Black Panther: World of Wakanda #1. Marvel Comics.
19. Web site: Voice Of Dora Milaje - Black Panther . Behind The Voice Actors . March 12, 2018 . . Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources.
20. Web site: Voice Of Aneka - Avengers Assemble . Behind The Voice Actors . December 14, 2017 . . Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources.
21. The Zemo Sanction . Avengers Assemble . Disney XD . 5 . 5 . October 14, 2018.
22. Widowmaker . Avengers Assemble . Disney XD . 5 . 21 . February 17, 2019.
23. Web site: Okoye Works To Help Save Shuri In New 'Lego Marvel Super Heroes – Black Panther: Trouble In Wakanda' Short . May 25, 2018 . Eric . Goldman . Marvel News . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180612210924/https://news.marvel.com/tv/89419/okoye-works-to-help-save-shuri-in-new-lego-marvel-super-heroes-black-panther-trouble-in-wakanda-short/ . June 12, 2018.
24. Web site: X-Men '97: Every Marvel Cameo in the Season Finale . 2024-05-19 . TV Shows . en.