View source for Dora Milaje

{{short description|Fictional team of female characters within the Marvel universe}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox comics organization
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| caption = Dora Milaje in ''[[Doomwar]]'' #5 (August 2010).<br />Art by [[Scot Eaton]]
| publisher = [[Marvel Comics]]
| debut = ''[[Black Panther (comic book)|Black Panther]]'', vol. 3 #1 (November 1998)
| creators = [[Christopher Priest (comic book writer)|Christopher Priest]]<br />[[Mark Texeira]]
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The '''Dora Milaje''' are fictional characters appearing in [[American comic book]]s 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 ''[[Captain America: Civil War]]'' (2016), ''[[Black Panther (film)|Black Panther]]'' (2018), ''[[Avengers: Infinity War]]'' (2018), ''[[Avengers: Endgame]]'' (2019), and ''[[Black Panther: Wakanda Forever]]'' (2022), and the [[Disney+]] series ''[[The Falcon and the Winter Soldier]]'' and ''[[What If...? (TV series)|What If...?]]'' (both 2021).

==Publication history==
The Dora Milaje first appeared in ''[[Black Panther (comic book)|Black Panther]]'', vol. 3 #1 (November 1998), created by writer [[Christopher Priest (comic book writer)|Christopher Priest]] and artist [[Mark Texeira]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=DeFalco |first1=Tom |last2=Sanderson |first2=Peter |last3=Brevoort |first3=Tom |last4=Teitelbaum |first4=Michael |last5=Wallace |first5=Daniel |last6=Darling |first6=Andrew |last7=Forbeck |first7=Matt |last8=Cowsill |first8=Alan |last9=Bray |first9=Adam |title=The Marvel Encyclopedia |date=2019 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1-4654-7890-0 |page=115}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnston |first=Rich |date=October 6, 2018 |title=Priest Credits Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti For Dora Milaje - 20 Years of Marvel Knights at Cup O'Joe NYCC 2018 |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/joe-quesada-christopher-priest-marvel-knights-cup-o-joe-nycc-201/ |access-date=April 30, 2022 |website=Bleeding Cool News And Rumors |language=en}}</ref> The Dora Milaje share similarities with the [[Dahomey Amazons]] (Agoji), the all-female military regiment of the [[Dahomey|Kingdom of Dahomey]],<ref>{{cite web |date=February 24, 2018 |last=Carter |first=Terry |title=The Female Warriors Who Inspired Black Panther's Dora Milaje Are Freakin' Badass |url=https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Dora-Milaje-Black-Panther-Real-44595808 |website=[[Popsugar]] |access-date=February 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227035707/https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Dora-Milaje-Black-Panther-Real-44595808 |archive-date=February 27, 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/oct/23/warrior-women-with-lupita-nyongo-review-a-kick-ass-tale-worthy-of-an-oscar |title=Warrior Women With Lupita Nyong'o review – a kick-ass tale worthy of an Oscar |first=Ellen E. |last=Jones |date=October 23, 2019 |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Coleman |first=Arica L. |date=February 22, 2018 |title=There's a True Story Behind ''Black Panther'''s Strong Women. Here's Why That Matters |url=https://time.com/5171219/black-panther-women-true-history/ |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |location= |access-date=November 12, 2022}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Scott |first1=Sydney |title=Roxane Gay And Yona Harvey Didn't Hesitate To Take On The 'World Of Wakanda' |url=http://www.essence.com/entertainment/roxane-gay-yona-harvey-world-wakanda-exclusive |access-date=February 6, 2017 |work=Essence |date=November 11, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://time.com/4866569/roxane-gay-marvel-lumberjanes/ |title=Roxane Gay on How to Build a More Inclusive Comic Book Industry |first=Eliana |last=Dockterman |date=July 28, 2017 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref>

In the 2018 [[limited series (comics)|limited series]] ''Wakanda Forever'', written by [[Nnedi Okorafor]], the Dora Milaje act in [[team-up]]s with [[Spider-Man]], the [[X-Men]] and the [[Avengers (comics)|Avengers]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/wakanda-forever-brings-dora-milaje-rest-marvel-universe-1095200 |title='Wakanda Forever' Brings Dora Milaje to the Rest of the Marvel Universe |first=Graeme |last=McMillan |date=March 16, 2018 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/fighting-for-wakanda-forever |title=Fighting for Wakanda Forever |first=Tucker Chet |last=Markus |date=March 16, 2018 |website=Marvel Entertainment}}</ref>

==Fictional character biography==
{{expand section|date=September 2016}}
To keep peace in Wakanda, the [[Black Panther (comics)|Black Panther]] picked ''dora milaje'' ("adored ones") from rival tribes to serve as his personal guard and ceremonial wives-in-training.{{Volume needed|c=y|date=August 2016}}<ref name="vox">{{Cite web |url=https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/2/21/17017234/black-panther-dora-milaje-wakanda-warriors |title=Get to know the Dora Milaje, Black Panther's mighty women warriors |last=Broadnax |first=Jamie |author-link=Jamie Broadnax |date=February 21, 2018 |website=Vox.com}}</ref>

==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.<ref name="Black Panther vol. 6 #1">''Black Panther'' vol. 6 #1. Marvel Comics.</ref>
* '''Asira''' - The princess of the Jabari tribe.<ref>''Black Panther'' Vol. 3 #13. Marvel Comics.</ref>
* '''Ayo''' - Aneka's lover and another former Dora Milaje.<ref name="vox"/> 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.<ref name="Black Panther vol. 6 #1"/>
* '''M'yra''' - A member of the Dora Milaje who lost her right arm. She was reassigned to protect Shuri.<ref>''Black Panther'' Vol. 5 #7. DC Comics.</ref>
* '''Nareema''' - A Dora Milaje member who helped [[Storm (Marvel Comics)|Storm]] fight the V-Series [[Doombot]]s.<ref>''Doomwar'' #4. Marvel Comics.</ref>
* '''[[Nakia (comics)|Nakia]]''' – A Wakandan Mutate with superhuman strength, speed, and agility. She is a former Dora Milaje of T'Challa.<ref name="Black Panther #1"/>
* '''[[Okoye (comics)|Okoye]]''' – A former Dora Milaje.<ref name="Black Panther #1">''Black Panther'' Vol. 3 #1. Marvel Comics.</ref> 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 language|Hausa]], an African language not widely spoken in Wakanda and thus affording the king and his wives a measure of privacy.
*{{Anchor|Queen Divine Justice}}'''Queen Divine Justice''' – The street-smart queen of the Jabari tribe of Wakanda raised in Chicago, and former Dora Milaje of T'Challa.<ref>''Black Panther'' Vol.3 #16-17. Marvel Comics.</ref> She originally went by the name Chanté Giovanni Brown.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marvel.com/universe/Queen_Divine_Justice |title=Queen Divine Justice |website=Marvel Universe |date=June 23, 2006 |access-date=January 6, 2011}}</ref>
* '''Zola''' - The headmistress of the Dora Milaje who trained Aneka, Ayo, and Nakia.<ref>''Black Panther: World of Wakanda'' #1. Marvel Comics.</ref>

==Collected editions==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Title
! Material collected
! Pages
! Date Published
! ISBN
|-
|-
|''World of Wakanda''
|[[World of Wakanda|''Black Panther: World of Wakanda'']] #1–6
|144
|{{dts|2017-6-27}}
|{{ISBNT|978-1302906504}}
|-
|Wakanda Forever
|''Amazing Spider-Man: Wakanda Forever'', ''X-men: Wakanda Forever'', ''Avengers: Wakanda Forever'', ''Black Panther Annual vol. 2 #1''
|136
|{{dts|2018-11-6}}
|{{ISBNT|978-1302913588}}
|-
|}

==In other media==
===Television===
* The Dora Milaje appeared in ''[[Black Panther (TV series)|Black Panther]]'', voiced by [[Alfre Woodard]] and [[Vanessa Marshall]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Voice Of Dora Milaje - Black Panther |url=http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/Black-Panther/Dora-Milaje/ |work=Behind The Voice Actors |access-date=March 12, 2018 |postscript=. Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources}}</ref>
* Okoye, Nakia, and Divine Justice of the Dora Milaje appeared in ''[[The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes]]'' episode "Welcome to Wakanda".{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}
* The Dora Milaje appeared in ''[[Avengers Assemble (TV series)|Avengers Assemble]]'', with Aneka voiced by [[Erica Luttrell]]<ref name="btva">{{cite web |title=Voice Of Aneka - Avengers Assemble |url=http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/Avengers-Assemble/Aneka/ |work=Behind The Voice Actors |access-date=December 14, 2017 |postscript=. Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources}}</ref> while the other unnamed members are voiced by Daisy Lightfoot<ref>{{cite episode |title=The Zemo Sanction |series=Avengers Assemble |network=Disney XD |season=5 |number=5 |airdate=October 14, 2018}}</ref> and [[Debra Wilson]].<ref>{{cite episode |title=Widowmaker |series=Avengers Assemble |network=Disney XD |season=5 |number=21 |airdate=February 17, 2019}}</ref>
* Okoye appears in ''Lego Marvel Super Heroes - Black Panther: Trouble in Wakanda'', voiced by [[Yvette Nicole Brown]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.marvel.com/tv/89419/okoye-works-to-help-save-shuri-in-new-lego-marvel-super-heroes-black-panther-trouble-in-wakanda-short/ |title=Okoye Works To Help Save Shuri In New 'Lego Marvel Super Heroes – Black Panther: Trouble In Wakanda' Short |date=May 25, 2018 |first=Eric |last=Goldman |website=Marvel News |url-status=dead |archive-url=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/ |archive-date=June 12, 2018}}</ref>
* The Dora Milaje appeared in the ''[[X-Men '97]]'' episode "Tolerance is Extinction – Part 3".<ref>{{Cite web |title=X-Men '97: Every Marvel Cameo in the Season Finale |url=https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/x-men-97-episode-10-finale-marvel-cameos-explained-spider-man-daredevil-mutants/ |access-date=2024-05-19 |website=TV Shows |date=May 15, 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

===Marvel Cinematic Universe===
{{Main|Dora Milaje (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]]''.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}
* The Dora Milaje appear in ''[[Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order]]''.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Cite web |url=https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/black-panther-history-of-the-dora-milaje |title=Meet the Warrior Women of Wakanda |first=Tucker Chet |last=Markus |date=December 22, 2016 |website=Marvel Entertainment}}
*{{Cite web |url=https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Dora_Milaje_(Earth-616) |title=Dora Milaje |website=Marvel Wiki}}
*{{Cite web |url=https://comicvine.gamespot.com/dora-milaje/4060-55780/ |title=Dora Milaje |website=Comic Vine}}

{{Black Panther}}

[[Category:Black people in comics]]
[[Category:Comics characters introduced in 1998]]
[[Category:Fictional female soldiers]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics female characters]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics military personnel]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics organizations]]
[[Category:Wakandans]]