White Witch (DC Comics)

For the Amalgam Comics character, see White Witch (Amalgam Comics).

White Witch
White Witch as depicted in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #25 (March 1987).
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Adventure Comics #350 (November 1966)
Created by	E. Nelson Bridwell (writer) Curt Swan (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Mysa Nal Xola Aq
Species	Naltorian
Place of origin	Naltor
Team affiliations	Legion of Super-Heroes
Notable aliases	The Hag The Black Witch
Abilities	Spellcasting Flight via ring

White Witch (Mysa Nal, originally Xola Aq) is a fictional character appearing in media published by DC Comics. Created by E. Nelson Bridwell and Curt Swan, she is usually depicted as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. She is the sister of fellow Legionnaire Dream Girl and daughter of Kiwa Nal, the former High Seer of Naltor. Like Dream Girl, she is a native of the planet Naltor, but lacks the precognitive abilities of her species.

Fictional character biography

To compensate for her inability to see the future, Mysa trains in the mystic arts on the planet Zerox and becomes an accomplished sorceress instead. Mysa shows a remarkable aptitude for magic and excels in her studies, to the chagrin of the envious Mordru. Her use of magic gradually turns her hair and skin white and her eyes red.

In the White Witch's first appearance in Adventure Comics #350, Mordru transforms her into the Hag, an ancient magic user and agent of the villainous Prince Evillo, before Star Boy and Dream Girl restore her to her true form. She does not join the Legion until The Great Darkness Saga, where she helps them defeat Darkseid.

Some years later, after leaving the Legion, the White Witch marries the supposedly-reformed Mordru and moves to the planet Tharn, which he has invaded. She acts as a vessel for the disembodied soul of Amethyst and helps the Legion defeat Mordru. Shortly before Zero Hour: Crisis in Time!, Glorith de-ages Mysa to a teenager, after which she becomes known as Jewel.

Reboot version

In post-Zero Hour continuity, Mysa is Mordru's daughter and the only survivor of a group of sorcerers who imprisoned him. She manipulates Zoe Saugin into gaining powers to help fight Mordru and eventually enters a relationship with Dragonmage.

Threeboot version

In the "Threeboot" continuity, White Witch appears as a member of Mekt Ranzz's Wanderers. Her home planet is listed as "unknown".

Post-Infinite Crisis

In Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes, featuring a group of Legionnaires based on the original, pre-Crisis incarnation, Spider Girl trades Mysa to Mordru in return for not attacking Earth. At the conclusion of the story, Wildfire comments to Superman that Dawnstar has a lock on Mysa's location, while Chameleon Girl assures Superman that the Legion will find their remaining lost teammates.

In Legion of Three Worlds, the White Witch is imprisoned on Sorcerer's World by Mordru before being freed by the Legion. She summons past incarnations of the Legion to battle Superboy-Prime and absorbs Mordru's magic, transforming into the Black Witch.

In The New Golden Age, the Black Witch is among the Legion of Super-Heroes members who arrive in the present and confront the Justice Society of America over their decision to recruit Legionnaire, a young, heroic incarnation of Mordru.

Powers and abilities

Mysa Nal was trained by the master magician, Mordru. She can cast a variety of magic spells, such as creating force fields, transmuting matter, absorbing energy, and generating dimensional portals, among other feats. The only drawback is her memory, plus an additional time-consuming preparation for them, which could take up from minutes to hours. As the White Witch, Mysa possesses expertise in occultism.

Equipment

As a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, she is provided her own Legion Flight Ring. It allows her to fly and survive in the vacuum of space and other dangerous environments.

In other media

• The White Witch appears in the Legion of Super Heroes episode "Trials", voiced by Lauren Tom. This version is a member of the Zeroxian council and leader of the trials that banished wizards can undergo to regain their magic.
• The White Witch appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.
• The White Witch appears in Legion of Super Heroes in the 31st Century #18.
• The Black Witch appears in Beast Boy: Lone Wolf.

Reception

Jesse Murray of Syfy placed Mysa Nal as the 22nd greatest Legion of Super-Heroes member of all time, noting her relationship drama with Mordru and calling her absorbing his powers one of the defining moments for her. Eileen Gonzalez of Comic Book Resources placed her as one of the "best" Legion superheroes out both a best and worst character list. Gonzalez noted her pivotal roles in The Great Darkness Saga with her role of stopping Darkseid and once again the role of Final Crisis stopping Mordru as defining moments as well. Caleb Bailey of Comic Book Resources described her as a "powerful magic user who could probably give Zatanna a run for her top hat".