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.
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.
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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.[volume & issue needed][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]
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.[15]
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]
^Black Panther: World of Wakanda #1. Marvel Comics.
^"Voice Of Dora Milaje - Black Panther". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved March 12, 2018. Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
^"Voice Of Aneka - Avengers Assemble". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved December 14, 2017. Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
^"The Zemo Sanction". Avengers Assemble. Season 5. Episode 5. October 14, 2018. Disney XD.
^"Widowmaker". Avengers Assemble. Season 5. Episode 21. February 17, 2019. Disney XD.