Created by writer Carole Seuling and penciller George Tuska, the character first appeared in Shanna the She-Devil #1 (December 1972).

Shanna the She-Devil was introduced in one of a trio of Marvel Comics aimed at a female audience, alongside Night Nurse and Claws of the Cat.

[3] Marvel writer-editor Roy Thomas recalled in 2007 that editor-in-chief Stan Lee: ...had the idea, and I think the names, for all three.

I thought of my friend Carole Seuling, who had done a bit of writing for her ex-husband Phil in conjunction with his comic cons.

[4]Seuling in 2010 recalled: "My instructions were to make [Shanna] someone who would fit in with the times and also was prone to a little more violence than Sheena or the other jungle queens of the past".

[5] With veteran penciler George Tuska, she created the lead character and her two leopard companions, as well as game warden and potential romantic interest Patrick McShane, loosely based on after actor Patrick McGoohan's game-warden character in the film Nor the Moon by Night.

Gerry Conway recalled in 2010 that this "was part of the strategy to make her a stronger, fiercer character in the Savage Tales mode.

[12] In the meantime, Shanna starred in a backup story in The Rampaging Hulk #9 (June 1978), by writer Gerber and artist DeZuniga.

[11] She then starred in several eight-page solo stories in the omnibus title Marvel Comics Presents, beginning with a tale by writer-artist Bruce Jones in issue #13 (Late Feb. 1989), followed by the 10-part "The Bush of Ghosts", by writer Gerard Jones and penciler Paul Gulacy in issues #68–77 (Jan.-Late May 1991).

Shanna grows up to become an accomplished Olympic athlete, specializing in competitive swimming and track and field.

After completing college, Shanna began to work for the Central Park Municipal Zoo in New York City as a zoologist.

While working at the zoo, Shanna raised many animals, including a female leopard named Julani.

The following day, the zoo director proposes Shanna take Julani's cubs, Ina and Biri — Yoruba names meaning "bright" and "black", respectively[5] — to the Dahomey Reserve in Africa.

Seeking revenge, she goes to North America to aid Daredevil and Black Widow in stopping the Mandrill and Nekra's plan to overthrow the American government.

[16] After this, Shanna travels between San Francisco and the Savage Land, finally returning to Africa only to find Ina and Biri have been killed by a cult leader named Raga-Shah.

After a short grieving period in North America, Shanna tracks and kills Raga-Shah by feeding him to her python Ananta.

The couple's relationship was tempestuous: Shanna married Mele of the Botor who died in a hunting accident while with Ka-Zar.

When Ka-Zar was seemingly killed while they were in New York, a distraught Shanna rampaged, was institutionalized, and nearly romanced Peter Parker.

Shanna was rescued by a revived Ka-Zar, aided by Spider-Man, and the two returned to Antarctica, where they were married despite interference from Belasco and others.

At the same time, Wolverine crashes on the island,[21] and joins with Shanna the She-Devil to destroy the dampening field generator.

They then encountered the Hulk where a fight between him, Wolverine, and the giant gorillas accidentally damaged the dampening fields, which freed the alien Morrigon who returns to his master Visher-Rakk.

To assist her, the Scarlet Witch brings Ka-Zar into Shanna's mind, where he learns that some creatures in the Savage Land are dying and trees are falling.

[24] As the Scarlet Witch and Doctor Voodoo work to extract Ka-Zar's soul, Shanna the She-Devil uses the same waters that resurrected her in order to revive her lost love.

She has Olympic athlete-level strength: naturally excelling at swimming, diving, climbing, leaping, and running with great speed and determination.

The She-Devil has a connection with the floral and faunal elements of the natural environment, and is able to discharge energy blasts, bend plant matter to her will and directly communicate with the creatures of the land around her to enlist their aid.

Deirdre Kaye of Scary Mommy called Shanna the She-Devil a "role model" and "truly heroic.

[33][34][35] A blonde, alternate-universe version of the character starred in the seven-issue miniseries Shanna, the She-Devil (vol.