The Zookeeper The Zookeeper is Monkeywoman's arch-nemesis. An ingenious geneticist, this evil scientist killed Monkeywoman's parents when they stumbled upon his remote research facility in the Amazon jungle. His name unknown, he goes by the alias "The Zookeeper" because of the multitudes of animals he keeps and conducts experiments on. He is a nefarious force, well-connected and respected by his malevolent minions; he has conspirators in every branch of every world government. His ultimate plan is to create an army of genetically engineered animal / human hybrid freaks, position this force globally, and take over the world.
Organ Grinders While not inherently evil in and of themselves, the music of organ grinders is like Kryptonite to Monkeywoman. The tinkling, music-box sound sends Monkeywoman into a downward spiral of uncontrollable terror. She will curl into a ball or look for a place to hide, trembling and confused, until the music stops. Monkeywoman discovered this weakness of hers at a production of "Phantom of the Opera" - at which point she resolved to pursue classical opera rather than musical theater. Organ grinders are not easy to come by, and smaller music boxes don't affect Monkeywoman quite as effectively, so it hasn't been too much of a problem thus far...
Cornelius Quinn (a.k.a. The Ringmaster) Cornelius Quinn is one of the Zookeeper's loyal minions. He is ringmaster of the largest traveling circus in the country, and uses his circuit as a means of checking in on the Zookeeper's flunkies in any given town. He reports back to the Zookeeper, and executes all assignments with fiendish enthusiasm. Anyone who crosses the Zookeeper had better expect a visit from this freak next time the circus is in town.
Bonobo the Clown Bonobo the Clown is neither friend nor foe to Monkeywoman. He's just a total jerk in a clown suit who Monkeywoman ran into once (literally, she ran into him and accidentally clocked him in the nose with her bamboo stick) when she was chasing a villain through a local fair, and he hasn't left her alone since. Monkeywoman speculates he was just too thrilled to meet someone even more ridiculous-looking than himself, and seized the opportunity...he pseudo-stalks Monkeywoman, and pops up occasionally to heckle her when she's out fighting crime. Monkeywoman tries to be civil to Bonobo (after all, they're cousins, right?) but he seems to have a permanent chip on his shoulder.
Shiny Objects Monkeywoman's other weakness...not so much of a weakness as a distraction. I mean, shiny things are just so pretty, don't you think? The way they glisten, the way the light catches their surfaces and reflects different colors...who wouldn't want to take a closer look? Sure, sometimes strangers don't want you staring, transfixed, for minutes upon minutes on the jewel dangling from their earlobe. Sometimes people yell and honk when you just HAVE to step out of your car for a moment at a traffic light to dip your toe in the coruscating oil slick on a puddle after the rain. And sometimes getting punched in the face is simply unavoidable when an adversary whips out a prism and says "here monkey - look at the pretty trinket!"
Mr. Jenkins Mr. Jenkins is a very wealthy retired man and patron of the arts. He donated a sizeable fortune towards the Young Artist Program at Arbor City Opera. When his wife of 62 years passed on, he decided to volunteer his services as a chauffeur - he needed the distraction, and enjoys being around talented, vivacious young people. Maria quickly bonded with Mr. Jenkins for his gentle, grandfatherly presence. Mr. Jenkins sees the heart and passion in Maria and does anything he can to support her performing, as well as her crime-fighting. When Monkeywoman takes on a villain, Mr. Jenkins is there to make sure she doesn't have to worry about parking, and has a safe ride home.
Joseph McBadger (Joey) Since the very first moment Maria Suthers walked on stage, Joey has worshipped the ground she walks on. Joey is the props supervisor for Arbor City Opera. He designs and creates all the props used in every production, and tinkers with his own inventions in his spare time. He pretty much has the run of the set storage warehouse, and can use any of the materials and equipment there. When Maria became Monkeywoman and needed help creating weapons and tools, Joey was on the job like ugly on an ape. He is constantly coming up with new cutting-edge banana gadgets for Monkeywoman, and has an uncanny way of always supplying her with just the thing she'll need on a mission...
Beth Monet Beth is Maria Suthers' vocal coach. But she is much more than a voice teacher - Beth is the person Maria comes to for advice, counsel, and encouragement. Beth has always believed in Maria, and has an undying belief that no matter what Maria does, she will always succeed and make the right choices. Maria hasn't told Beth about her double life of crime-fighting because she doesn't want to get in trouble for taxing her voice and losing precious rest before performances, but Beth seems to know intuitively...her words are always applicable to Monkeywoman's concerns and issues. She consistently seems to have just the right thing to say to give Monkeywoman the courage and strength she needs to keep moving forward.