Legends of Tomorrow took a trip back to the 1800s and the circus of P T Barnum this week, as the team attempted a simple mission (to put a saber tooth tiger back where it belongs) - and of course, everything goes haywire. In the chaos, Captain Sara (Caity Lotz) decides that there is someone else whose help the Legends need: Amaya Jiwe, aka Vixen (Maisie Richardson-Sellers).

Vixen didn't rejoin the team in the season premiere, and it was explained that she had returned to her own time, and to her home, Zambesi. It seemed like this would be the last we saw of her, and it wouldn't be the first time that a Waverider crew member said goodbye to the show. However, this week's 'Freakshow' brought Amaya back to the Arrowverse - alongside her modern-day counterpart, Mari McCabe (Megalyn Echikunwoke), and another character from the Vixen animated series. We take a look at how this complicated legacy character exists in the wonderful world of the CW's Arrowverse.

The First Vixen: Mari McCabe

The character of Vixen first appeared in the live action Arrowverse in Arrow Season 4. Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Barry (Grant Gustin) had already met Mari when they were hunting for other metahumans, although this wasn't shown in the live-action universe. When Oliver was going up against Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough), he turned to his friend from Detroit for help with his magical foe. In 'Taken', some of Mari's backstory was explained, as she helped Oliver to learn how to defeat Darhk by finding his totem. However, she then left the show to return to her own city, and this version of the character was only mentioned in future episodes, but never actually returned.

Many assumed that the totem-wielding superhero would be back when it was announced that Vixen was going to be part of the Legends of Tomorrow, but were surprised with the news that she was re-cast. Fans quickly learned, however, that there are actually two versions of Vixen within the Arrowverse, from different points in history.

Amaya And The Legends

The second Vixen, Amaya Jiwe, is actually the grandmother of Mari McCabe, and met the Legends when they went back in time to the 1940s to work with the Justice Society of America. Amaya joined the Legends to try and hunt down Rex Tyler's (Patrick J Adams) killer, but soon became an invaluable member of the team.

Amaya was raised in the Zambesi village, but was recruited to the Justice Society of America during the Second World War. After joining the Legends, she fell in love with Nate Heywood (Nick Zano), and for a while she stayed with him in 2017. However, she was told from the start that she would have to return to her own time; if she didn't, her descendants would not be born, and the other Vixen, Mari McCabe, would never come into being and save the people that she saved. Knowing this, after the Legends were disbanded by Rip (Arthur Darvill) and the Time Bureau, she still stayed with Nate... until the day that she saw Mari on the news. Watching her, Amaya realized that she couldn't risk staying in 2017 any longer. She packed up and abandoned Nate to return to her own time, and to her village - and to raise a daughter so that she would be able to have her own daughters, and the Vixen totem would be passed down the line.

Return To The Legends

Amaya's time back home was short-lived, however, as Sara came calling to recruit Amaya back to the Waverider for one last mission. Her animal abilities were vital to tracking and calming the saber tooth tiger, and Amaya, though reluctant, agreed. However, Amaya seems reluctant to use her abilities, and later in the episode, we learn why; Amaya can no longer control her powers fully, with the animal spirits she calls upon starting to take over her entirely. By the end of the episode, Amaya has decided to return to the team, at least until she can figure out what is wrong with her totem.

This episode also introduced Amaya's daughter, back in Zambesi, which means that the timeline seems to be back on track to create the Mari version of Vixen - but only if Amaya can figure out her powers in time to pass on the totem itself.

Who Is Kuasa?

Amaya's daughter wasn't the only character in the Vixen mythology introduced in this week's episode of Legends of Tomorrow. The final moments of the episode saw a hooded figure chanting beside a lake, as water rose up and took the form of a young woman. The figure then welcomes Kuasa (Tracy Ifeachor) back, and tells her that they have work to do.

For fans of the live-action universe only, Kuasa is an entirely new character, but those who have been watching the animated series know exactly who this is. Kuasa is the sister of Mari McCabe, another granddaughter of Amaya. As the older sister, she believed that she was the rightful holder of the spirit totem, and this belief brought her into conflict with Mari more than once in the animation. Initially, Kuasa attempted to kill Mari in order to get the totem and protect the village of Zambesi once more - even though the village was destroyed by the warlock Eshu. Mari eventually won the totem back and returned to Detroit, knowing far more about her past and her family, but leaving her sister gravely injured.

Kuasa later returned to the show when Mari and Eshu faced off over two other totems, the Fire Totem and the Water Totem. Kuasa fought alongside her sister this time, although she did still try and betray her to keep the Water Totem for herself for a brief moment. In the end, Kuasa died fighting, destroyed along with the Totem she sought.

What Does This Mean For Legends Season 3?

Kuasa's resurrection in the live-action universe is an interesting one, and it means that Amaya is definitely going to be playing a big part in this season of Legends. She may even find that she no longer has to return to her own time, as her daughter (and therefore, her legacy) is now a part of the timeline - as long as she returns the totem necklace to Zambesi, she might have the option of remaining in 2017 and rekindling her relationship with Nate.

The appearance of Kuasa also means that it is likely that Mari is going to be popping into the show this season - and not just in the form of a news headline, either. Of course, that is going to complicate things a little further; the team already knows that they are not supposed to interact with their past selves, but what about future descendants? Many a time-paradox is sure to spring from interactions between Amaya and Mari, and the Legends are going to have to iron those out. In addition, Kuasa's appearance as a villain reveals that the big bad, Mallus, has the ability to bring people back from the dead - and that it is messing with Amaya's powers and the Spirit Totem that she wears. It's not clear yet what Mallus wants to Kuasa, but it's very likely that this is a character we are going to be seeing a lot more of in the next few episodes.

Legends of Tomorrow continues with œZari Tuesday, Oct. 24 @9pm on The CW.

Next: How The Vixen Animated Series Will Affect Legends of Tomorrow Season Three

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