Rima
- For the Icelandic ríma poetry see rímur.
Rima, a.k.a. Rima the Jungle Girl, is a fictional character, a white-haired superhero who starred in the short-lived comic book series Rima the Jungle Girl published by DC Comics in 1974-75 and subsequently made several appearances on the popular Saturday morning cartoon The All-New Super Friends Hour in 1977-78. Though Rima herself is an all-but-forgotten superhero character, the 7-issue run of her monthly series is of historical significance, at least within the world of comics fandom, in part because it features truly exquisite (and rarely-glimpsed) interior artwork by the great Filipino illustrator Nestor Redondo and stunning covers by comics legend Joe Kubert. Rima the Jungle Girl is also noteworthy as one of DC's first major publishing efforts to feature a woman hero (other than Wonder Woman) as the titular star of her own book.
Rima, like her cousins Tarzan and Mowgli, was adapted from a Victorian adventure novel. Green Mansions: A Romance of the Tropical Forest was published in 1904. The American-British writer W.H. Hudson was a naturalist who wrote many classic books about the ecology of South America. Hudson based Rima on a persistent South American legend about a lost tribe of white people who lived in the mountains. Although the DC character was a fully-grown and powerful woman, in the novel Rima the Bird Girl was small and slight. Her age was indeterminate, but Abel thought her child-like. Her only defense against encroaching natives was a reputation for magic, such as talking to birds and plucking poison arrows from the air.
Additionally, actor and director Mel Ferrer adapted Green Mansions into a 1959 film for MGM Studios starring Audrey Hepburn as Rima.
London's Kensington Garden has a statue of Rima the Bird Girl sculpted by Jacob Epstein.
Media
Literature:
Rima originated in a novel by W.H. Hudson .
Movies:
A version of this character appeared in the 1959 film version of the novel Green Mansions, where Rima is played by Audrey Hepburn.
Comic Books:
Editor/Cover Art: Joe Kubert Assistant Editor: Alan Asherman
- Issue
- (Apr-May 1974) Rima in "Spirit of the Woods", Nestor Redondo and Alex Nino art
- (May-Jun 1974) Rima in "Flight from Eden"
- (Aug-Sep 1974) Rima in "Riolama"
- (Oct-Nov 1974) Rima in "The Flaming Forest"
- (Dec 1974-Jan 1975) Rima in "Jungle Vengeance"
- (Feb-Mar 1975) Rima in "Safari of Death"
- (Apr-May 1975) Rima in "The Imp!"
TV:
Rima appeared in three episodes of Super Friends.
Fire
First aired: Saturday October 1, 1977; ABC (8 minutes) Batman, Robin, and Rima the Jungle Girl contend with a spreading forest fire, and have to search for a pair of escaped prisoners who have stolen a forestry truck filled with dynamite. Rima's main contribution is to call upon a nearby bear to push down some trees for an emergency bridge across a wide gap.
River Of Doom
First aired: Friday November 4, 1977; ABC (8 minutes) Wonder Woman and Rima the Jungle Girl search for archaeologists who have accidentally stumbled onto a burial ground of angry natives. The archaeologists are captured and sentenced to death on the River of Doom. The superheroines rescue the scientists while Rima summons alligators to attack their pursuers' canoes.
Return Of Atlantis
First aired: Saturday October 25, 1980; ABC (7 Minutes) Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Rima. Aquaman is captured by Ocina when the lost city of Atlantis rises from the sea. Ocina plans to conquer the world with her female warriors. Wonder Woman and Rima the Jungle Girl gather the Amazons of Paradise Island to stop her. Note: This "Atlantis" is not the one Aquaman is king of.