Circe is an immortal sorceress and one of Wonder Woman's most enduring adversaries in DC Comics, drawing inspiration from the mythological figure in Homer's Odyssey. She was created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Harry G. Peter, making her debut in Wonder Woman #37 (September-October 1949), where she appeared as a blonde-haired enchantress in flowing red robes who transformed men into animals. In the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity, Circe was reintroduced and significantly developed by George Pérez in Wonder Woman volume 2 #17 (June 1988), establishing her as an ancient witch from Colchis, often depicted as a follower or vessel of the goddess Hecate, with a deep-seated enmity toward the Amazons rooted in ancient conflicts and perceived threats to her power.
Possessing goddess-level magical abilities, Circe is renowned for her immortality, vast sorcery, and signature power to transmute humans into hybrid animals known as bestiamorphs, subjecting them to her will. Her arsenal includes energy projection, reality warping, telepathy, telekinesis, shape-shifting, and hypnotic influence, often amplified by her supernatural beauty and cunning intellect. As a recurring antagonist, she embodies manipulative ambition and misandry, frequently scheming to humiliate or destroy her foes, particularly Wonder Woman, while occasionally forming tenuous alliances that highlight her complex, self-serving nature.
Circe's character has undergone notable evolutions across DC continuities. In the landmark War of the Gods crossover (1991), she orchestrated a massive conflict among pantheons to absorb divine powers, resulting in the death of Hermes and temporary setbacks to her ambitions. Post-Crisis stories portrayed her in multifaceted roles, including a deceptive alliance with Diana Prince under the guise of Donna Milton, motherhood to Lyta, and participation in groups like the Injustice Gang. In the New 52 and Rebirth eras, beginning with appearances in Men of War volume 2 (2011), she gained ties to Hecate's witchmarks, briefly ascended as Goddess of Witches, formed an Injustice League Dark, and exhibited rare moments of compassion amid ongoing quests for power and redemption, solidifying her status as a nuanced and formidable villain.