Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman | |
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Art by Alex Ross | |
Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
First appearance |
All Star Comics #8 (December 1941) |
Created by |
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In-story information | |
Alter ego | Princess Diana of Themyscira |
Species | |
Place of origin | Themyscira |
Team affiliations | |
Partnerships | |
Notable aliases |
Diana Prince Amazon Princess |
Abilities |
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Wonder Woman is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.[1] The character is a founding member of the Justice League, demigoddess, United Nations Executive Ambassador,[2] and warrior princess of the Amazonian people. In her homeland, she is Princess Diana of Themyscira, and outside of her homeland, she is known by her civilian identity Diana Prince.
Wonder Woman was created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston,[1] with his wife and co-creator Elizabeth Holloway Marston, and artist H. G. Peter. Their cohabitant, Olive Byrne, is credited as being Marston's muse for the iconic characters' physical appearance.[3][4][5][6][7] Marston drew a great deal of inspiration from early feminists, and especially from birth control pioneer Margaret Sanger. The character first appeared in All Star Comics #8 in December 1941 and first cover-dated on Sensation Comics #1, January 1942. The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986.[8]
Wonder Woman's origin story relates that she was sculpted from clay by her mother Queen Hippolyta and given life by Athena, along with superhuman powers as gifts by the Greek Gods. However, in recent years artists updated her profile: she has been depicted as the daughter of Zeus, and jointly raised by her mother Hippolyta and her aunts Antiope and Menalippe; artists George Perez gave her a muscular look and emphasized her Amazonian heritage; artist Jim Lee redesigned Diana's costume to include pants; she inherits Ares's divine abilities, becoming the personified "God of War"; and most recently, writer Greg Rucka, clarified her sexuality, giving her a backstory that includes positive relationships with women.[9][10][11]
Her Amazonian-training helped to develop a wide range of extraordinary skills in strategy, hunting and fighting. She possesses an arsenal of advanced technology, including the Lasso of Truth, a pair of indestructible bracelets, a tiara which serves as a projectile, and, in older stories, a range of devices based on Amazon technology. Although Diana is 5,000 years old, her first exposure to non-Amazon society as Wonder Woman will have only come within the last few 100 years. While the Amazons were originally created to protect "man's world," they ultimately abandoned it.[12]
Wonder Woman was created during World War II; the character was initially depicted fighting Axis military forces as well as an assortment of colorful supervillains, although over time her stories came to place greater emphasis on characters, deities, and monsters from Greek mythology. Many stories depicted Wonder Woman rescuing herself from bondage, which defeated the "damsels in distress" trope that were common in comics during the 1940s.[13] In the decades since her debut, Wonder Woman has gained a formidable cast of enemies bent on eliminating the Amazon, including classic villains such as Ares, Hades, Cheetah, Circe, Doctor Psycho, and Giganta, along with more recent adversaries such as the First Born. Wonder Woman has also regularly appeared in comic books featuring the superhero teams Justice Society (from 1941) and Justice League (from 1960).[14]
Notable depictions of the character in other media include Gloria Steinem placing the character on the cover of "Ms." magazine in 1971; the 1975–1979 Wonder Woman TV series starring Lynda Carter; as well as animated series such as the Super Friends and Justice League. Since Carter's television series, studios struggled to introduce a new live-action Wonder Woman to audiences, although the character continued to feature in a variety of toys and merchandise, as well as animated adaptations of DC properties, including a direct-to-DVD animated feature. Attempts to return Wonder Woman to television have included a television pilot for NBC in 2011, closely followed by another stalled production for The CW.[15][16] Gal Gadot portrayed Wonder Woman in the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, marking the character's feature film debut after over 70 years of history.[17] Gadot will also star in the character's first solo live-action film Wonder Woman, set to be released on June 2, 2017.[18][19]
On October 21, 2016, the United Nations named Wonder Woman a UN Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls in a ceremony attended by Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Cristina Gallach and by actors Lynda Carter and Gal Gadot, in recognition of her 75th anniversary and role as a worldwide feminist icon.[20][21]
Publication history
Creation
In an October 25, 1940, interview with the Family Circle magazine, William Moulton Marston discussed the unfulfilled potential of the comic book medium.[22] This article caught the attention of comics publisher Max Gaines, who hired Marston as an educational consultant for National Periodicals and All-American Publications, two of the companies that would merge to form DC Comics.[23] At that time, it was suggested to Marston that he create his own new superhero; Marston's wife Elizabeth suggested to him that it should be a female:[24]
William Moulton Marston, a psychologist already famous for inventing the polygraph, struck upon an idea for a new kind of superhero, one who would triumph not with fists or firepower, but with love. "Fine," said Elizabeth. "But make her a woman."
Marston introduced the idea to Gaines, co-founder of All-American Publications. Given the go-ahead, Marston developed Wonder Woman with Elizabeth, whom Marston believed to be a model of that era's unconventional, liberated woman.[24] Marston also drew inspiration from the bracelets worn by Olive Byrne, who lived with the couple in a polyamorous relationship.[25] Wonder Woman debuted in All Star Comics #8 (December 1941), scripted by Marston.
Marston was the creator of a systolic-blood-pressure-measuring apparatus, which was crucial to the development of the polygraph (lie detector). Marston's experience with polygraphs convinced him that women were more honest in situations different than men and could work more efficiently.[26]
Marston designed Wonder Woman to be an allegory for the ideal love leader; the kind of women who should run society.
"Wonder Woman is psychological propaganda for the new type of woman who should, I believe, rule the world", Marston wrote.[8]
In a 1943 issue of The American Scholar, Marston wrote:[27]
Not even girls want to be girls so long as our feminine archetype lacks force, strength, and power. Not wanting to be girls, they don't want to be tender, submissive, peace-loving as good women are. Women's strong qualities have become despised because of their weakness. The obvious remedy is to create a feminine character with all the strength of Superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman.
Marston went on record by describing bondage and submission as a "respectable and noble practice". Marston wrote in a weakness for Wonder Woman, which was attached to a fictional stipulation that he dubbed "Aphrodite's Law", that made the chaining of her "Bracelets of Submission" together by a man take away her Amazonian super strength.[28][29][30] This weakness served to subvert the damsel in distress trope, since Wonder Woman inevitably rescues herself. However, not everything about his creation was explicitly explained in any one source, which caused confusion among writers and fans for many years. Wonder Woman evolved as a frontrunner of emancipation for the suffragettes who fought for the rights of women in the early 20th century.
Golden Age
Initially, Wonder Woman was an Amazon champion who wins the right to return Steve Trevor – a United States intelligence officer whose plane had crashed on the Amazons' isolated island homeland – to "Man's World" and to fight crime and the evil of the Nazis.[31]
During this period, Wonder Woman joined the Justice Society of America as the team's secretary.[32][33]
Silver and Bronze Age
During the Silver Age, under writer Robert Kanigher, Wonder Woman's origin was revamped,[34] along with other characters'. The new origin story increased the character's Hellenic and mythological roots: receiving the blessing of each deity in her crib, Diana is destined to become "beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, as strong as Hercules, and as swift as Hermes."[35]
At the end of the 1960s, under the guidance of Mike Sekowsky, Wonder Woman surrendered her powers in order to remain in Man's World rather than accompany her fellow Amazons to another dimension. Wonder Woman begins using the alias Diana Prince and opens a mod boutique. She acquires a Chinese mentor named I Ching, who teaches Diana martial arts and weapons skills. Using her fighting skill instead of her powers, Diana engaged in adventures that encompassed a variety of genres, from espionage to mythology.[36][37] This phase of her story was directly influenced by the British spy thriller The Avengers and Diana Rigg's portrayal of Emma Peel.[38]
In the early 1970s the character returned to her superhero roots in Justice League of America and to the World War II era in her own title.[39]
Modern Age
Following the 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths series, George Pérez, Len Wein, and Greg Potter rewrote the character's origin story, depicting Wonder Woman as an emissary and ambassador from Themyscira to Patriarch's World, charged with the mission of bringing peace to the outside world. Pérez incorporated a variety of deities and concepts from Greek mythology in Wonder Woman's stories and origin. His rendition of the character acted as the foundation for the modern Wonder Woman stories, as he expanded upon the widely accepted origin of Diana being birthed out of clay. The relaunch was a critical and commercial success.[40]
In August 2010 (issue #600), J. Michael Straczynski took over the series' writing duties and introduced Wonder Woman to an alternate timeline created by the Gods in which Paradise Island had been destroyed and the Amazons scattered around the world.[41] He also introduced several "Easter eggs" within his run. In this timeline, Diana is an orphan raised in New York. The entire world has forgotten Wonder Woman's existence and the main story of this run was of Diana trying to restore reality even though she does not properly remember it herself. A trio of Death Goddesses called The Morrigan acted as the main enemy of Wonder Woman.[42][43] In this run, Wonder Woman wore a new costume designed by Jim Lee.[44] Straczynski determined the plot and continued writing duties till Wonder Woman #605; writer Phil Hester then continued his run, which ultimately concluded in Wonder Woman #614.[45]
In 2011, DC Comics relaunched its entire line of publications to attract a new generation of readers, and thus released volume 4 of the Wonder Woman comic book title. Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang were assigned on writing and art duties respectively and revamped the character's history considerably. In this new continuity, Wonder Woman wears a costume similar to her original costume, utilizes a sword and shield, and has a completely new origin. No longer a clay figure brought to life by the magic of the gods, she is, instead, a demi-goddess and the natural-born daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus. Azzarello and Chiang's revamp of the character was critically acclaimed, but highly divisive among long time fans of the character.[46][47][48][49]
Characterization
Diana Prince
Wonder Woman has used the alias Diana Prince, created by William Moulton Marston, as her secret identity.
During Marston's run, Diana Prince was the name of an army nurse whom Wonder Woman met. The nurse wanted to meet her fiancé, who was transferred to South America, but was unable to arrange for money to do so. As Wonder Woman needed a secret identity to monitor and look after Steve (who was admitted in the same army hospital Diana Prince worked at), and because both of them looked a lot like each other, Wonder Woman gave the nurse money to go to her fiancé in exchange for the nurse's credentials and took Diana Prince as her alias.[50] She started to work as an army nurse and later as an Air Force secretary.[50][51]
The identity of Diana Prince was especially prominent in a series published in the early 1970s, in which she fought crime only under the Prince alias and without her mystic powers. To support herself, she ran a mod clothing boutique.[52][53]
The Diana Prince alias also played an important role after the events of Crisis. Wonder Woman was broadcast worldwide killing a villain named Maxwell Lord, as he was mind controlling Superman into killing Batman. When Wonder Woman caught him in her lasso, demanding to know how to stop Superman, Maxwell revealed that the only way to stop him was to kill Lord, so as a last resort Diana snapped his neck.[54][55] To recover from the trauma of killing another person, the Amazon went into a self-imposed exile for one year.[56] On her return to public life, Diana realized that her life as a full-time celebrity superhero and ambassador had kept her removed from humanity. Because of this she assumed the persona of Diana Prince and became an agent at the Department of Metahuman Affairs. During a later battle with the witch Circe, a spell was placed on Diana leaving her powerless when not in the guise of Wonder Woman.[57]
In the current New 52 universe, Diana does not have a secret identity as stated in an interview by series writer Brian Azzarello.[58] However, when she and Superman began dating, for her civilian identity she uses the Diana Prince alias whenever she is around Clark Kent such as when she introduced herself to Lois Lane at Lois's housewarming party under that name.[59]
Personality
Princess Diana commands respect both as Wonder Woman and Diana Prince; her epithetical title—The Amazon Princess— illustrates the dichotomy of her character. She is a powerful, strong-willed character who would never back down from a fight or a challenge. Yet, she is a diplomat who strongly "favors the pen", and a lover of peace who would never seek to fight or escalate a conflict. She's simultaneously both the most fierce and most nurturing member of the Justice League; and her political connections as a United Nations Honorary Ambassador and the ambassador of a warrior nation makes her an invaluable addition to the team. With her powerful abilities, centuries of training and experienced at handling threats that range from petty crime to threats that are of a magical or supernatural nature, Diana is capable of competing with nearly any hero or villain.
Many writers have depicted Diana in different personalities and tone; between both of her diametric extremes; that of a warrior, a highly compassionate and calm ambassador, and sometimes also as a naive and innocent person, depending on the writer. What has remained constant, and is a mainstay of the character, is her nurturing humanity: feeling compassion and having a strong conscience. This trait had been the reason for her induction into the Star Sapphires.[60][61]
Writer Gail Simone was applauded for her portrayal of Wonder Woman during her run on the series, with comic book reviewer Dan Phillips of IGN noting that "she's molded Diana into a very relatable and sympathetic character."[62]
In the Golden Age, Wonder Woman adhered to an Amazon code of helping any in need, even misogynistic people, and never accepting a reward for saving someone;[63] while conversely, the modern version of the character has been shown to perform lethal and fatal actions when left with no other alternative, exemplified in the killing of Maxwell Lord in order to save Superman's life.[54][55]
The New 52 version of the character has been portrayed to be a more young, headstrong, loving, fierce and willful person. Brian Azzarello stated in a video interview with DC Comics that they're building a very "confident", "impulsive" and "good-hearted" character in her. He referred to her trait of feeling compassion as both her strength and weakness.[64]
A distinctive trait of her characterization is a group of signature mythological exclamations, such as "Great Aphrodite!" (historically the very first one), "Great Hera!",[65] "Merciful Minerva!", and "Suffering Sappho!", some of which were contributed by Elizabeth Holloway Marston.[66][67]
Others
Diana, after her death, was granted divinity as the Goddess of Truth by her gods for such faithful devotion.[68] During her brief time as a god of Olympus, Diana was replaced in the role of Wonder Woman by her mother, Queen Hippolyta.[69] Unlike Diana receiving the title of Wonder Woman in honor, Hippolyta's role as Wonder Woman was meant to be a punishment for her betrayal in Artemis' death as well as for unintentionally killing her own daughter.[70] However, Hippolyta eventually grew to enjoy the freedom and adventure the title came with. Whereas Diana used the Lasso of Truth as her primary weapon, Hippolyta favored a broad sword.
John Byrne, the writer that introduced the concept of Hippolyta as the first Wonder Woman, has explained his intentions in a post in his message board:
I thought George's one "mistake" in rebooting Wonder Woman was making her only 25 years old when she left Paradise Island. I preferred the idea of a Diana who was thousands of years old (as, if I recall correctly, she was in the TV series). From that angle, I would have liked to have seen Diana having been Wonder Woman in WW2, and be returning to our world in the reboot.
Not having that option, I took the next best course, and had Hippolyta fill that role.[71]
As Wonder Woman, Queen Hippolyta immediately got involved in a time travel mission back to the 1940s with Jay Garrick.[72] After this mission, she elected to join the Justice Society of America and remained in that era for eight years, where her teammates nicknamed her "Polly". During that time she had a relationship with Ted Grant.[73] Hippolyta also made visits into the past to see her godchild Lyta, daughter of Hippolyta's protege Helena, the Golden Age Fury. These visits happened yearly from young Lyta's perspective and also accounted for Hippolyta's participation in the JSA/JLA team ups. When she returned from the past, Hippolyta took Diana's place in the JLA as well.[74][75]
Artemis of Bana-Mighdall briefly served as Wonder Woman during Hippolyta's trials for a new Wonder Woman. Orana, a character similar to Artemis, defeated Diana in a new contest and became Wonder Woman in pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity. Orana was killed during her first mission. Others who have donned the Wonder Woman persona include Nubia, Cassandra Sandsmark, and Donna Troy.
Abilities
Powers and skills
Diana is depicted as a masterful athlete, acrobat, fighter and strategist, trained and experienced in many ancient and modern forms of armed and unarmed combat, including exclusive Amazonian martial arts. In some versions, her mother trained her, as Wonder Girl, for a future career as Wonder Woman. From the beginning, she is portrayed as highly skilled in using her Amazon bracelets to stop bullets and in wielding her golden lasso.[76] Batman once called her the "best melee fighter in the world".[77] The modern version of the character is known to use lethal force when she deems it necessary.[54] In the New 52 continuity, her superior combat skills are the result of her Amazon training, as well as receiving further training from Ares, the God of War, himself, since as early as her childhood.[78] The Golden Age Wonder Woman also had knowledge in psychology, as did her Amazon sisters.
Pre-Crisis
The Golden Age Wonder Woman had strength that was comparable to the Golden Age Superman. Wonder Woman was capable of bench pressing 15,000 pounds even before she had earned her bracelets, and later hoisted a 50,000 pound boulder above her head to inspire Amazons facing the test.[79] Even when her super strength was temporarily nullified, she still had enough mortal strength of an Amazon to break down a prison door to save Steve Trevor.[80] In one of her earliest appearances, she is shown running easily at 60 mph (97 km/h), and later jumps from a building and lands on the balls of her feet.[81]
She was able to heal faster than a normal human being due to her birthright consumption of water from Paradise Island's Fountain of Eternal Youth.
Her strength would be removed in accordance with "Aphrodite's Law" if she allowed her bracelets to be bound or chained by a male.[82]
She also had an array of mental and psychic abilities, as corresponding to Dr. Marston's interest in parapsychology and metaphysics. Such an array included ESP, astral projection, telepathy (with or without the Mental Radio), mental control over the electricity in her body, the Amazonian ability to turn brain energy into muscle power, etc.[83] Wonder Woman first became immune to electric shocks after having her spirit stripped from her atoms by Dr. Psycho's Electro Atomizer; it was also discovered that she was unable to send a mental radio message without her body.[84]
Wonder Woman (vol. 1) #105 revealed that Diana was formed from clay by the Queen of the Amazons, given life and power by four of the Greek and Roman gods (otherwise known as the Olympian deities) as gifts, corresponding to her renowned epithet: "Beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, swifter than Hermes, and stronger than Hercules", making her the strongest of the Amazons.[35] Wonder Woman's Amazon training gave her limited telepathy, profound scientific knowledge,[35] and the ability to speak every language known to man and beyond – even caveman[35] and Martian languages.[85]
Between 1966 and 1967, new powers were added, such as super breath.[86]
In the Silver and Bronze ages of comics, Wonder Woman was able to further increase her strength. In times of great need, removing her bracelets would temporarily augment her power tenfold, but cause her to go berserk in the process.[87]
These powers received changes after the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Post-Crisis
In the Post-Crisis universe, Wonder Woman receives her super powers as a blessing from Olympian deities just like the silver age version before, but with changes to some of her powers:[88]
- Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and fertility, blessed Diana with strength drawn from the Earth spirit Gaea, making her one of the physically strongest heroes in the DC Universe and the strongest female heroine in the DC Universe. However, now Diana is the daughter of Zeus, king of the Greek Gods, so it's unclear as to how much of her power and strength is a direct result of her divine heritage.[89] Her connection to the earth allows her to heal at an accelerated rate so long as she is in contact with the planet. However, as mentioned earlier, now that she is a Demigoddess, it has been suggested that she heals extremely quickly also due to her divine heritage. In rare cases where she has been gravely injured, Diana showed the ability to physically merge with the earth, causing whatever injuries or poisons to be expelled from her body; such an act is considered sacred, and can only be used in extreme cases.[90]
- Pallas Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war, granted Diana great wisdom, intelligence, and military prowess. Athena's gift has enabled Diana to master over a dozen languages (including those of alien origin), multiple complex crafts, sciences and philosophies, as well as leadership, military strategy, and armed and unarmed combat. More recently, Athena bound her own eyesight to Diana's, granting her increased empathy.[91]
- Artemis, goddess of the hunt, animals, and the Moon, graced Diana with the Eyes of the Hunter and unity with beasts. The Eyes of the Hunter ability gives Diana a full range of enhanced senses, including telescopic vision and super hearing.
- Hestia, goddess of hearth and home, granted Diana sisterhood with fire. This power has been shown to control the "Fires of Truth", which Diana wields through her lasso, making anyone bound by it unable to lie.[92] This ability also grants her resistance to both normal and supernatural fire.
- Hermes, the messenger god of speed, granted Diana superhuman speed and the ability to fly.[92] She is capable of flying at speeds approaching half the speed of light.[90] She can react quickly enough to deflect bullets, lasers, and other projectiles with her virtually impenetrable bracelets. After the 2011 relaunch of the character, Wonder Woman does not naturally possess the power of flight. She gains it once she is hit by a feather thrown by Hermes.[93][94]
- Aphrodite, goddess of love, bestowed Diana with stunning beauty, as well as a kind heart.
While not completely invulnerable, she is highly resistant to great amounts of concussive force and extreme temperatures and surpasses Superman . Although, edged weapons or projectiles applied with sufficient force are able to pierce her skin.[90][95] Due to her divine origins, Diana can resist many forms of magical manipulation.
She is able to astrally project herself into various lands of myth. Her physical body reacts to whatever happens to her on the mythical astral plane, leaving her body cut, bruised, or sometimes strengthened once her mind and body are reunited. She can apparently leave the planet through meditation, and did this once to rescue Artemis while she was in hell.[96]
The New 52 and Rebirth
After the 2011 relaunch, Diana gained new powers. As the natural born daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus, she has inherited some of her father's powers, which are held in check by the wearing her magic bracelets. She uses these powers in battle against the goddess Artemis and quickly renders her unconscious with ease with a series of carefully positioned counterattacks. While using her godly strength, her outfit and accoutrements lit up and her eyes glowed like her father's.[94][97] After becoming the God of War in the pages of Wonder Woman, Diana inherits Ares's divine abilities. Diana has not exhibited her full powers as War, but is seen in Superman/Wonder Woman #5 to slip easily into telepathic rapport with a soldier, explaining "I am War. I know all soldiers, and they know me."
During the Rebirth retcon, the "Year One" storyline explains that while put in a cell after coming to man's world, Diana was visited by the Greek gods in animal form, and each gave her powers that would reveal themselves when she needed them to. She first displays strength when she accidentally rips the bars off her cell door when visited by Steve Trevor, Etta Candy, and Barbara Ann Minerva. Later on a trip to the mall, she discovers super speed, slight durability, and flight while fighting off terrorists who attack.
Technology
Diana has an arsenal of powerful god-forged gear at her disposal, but her signature equipment are her indestructible bracelets and the Lasso of Truth.
Personal armor
Wonder Woman's outfit has varied over time, although almost all of her outfit incarnations have retained some form of breastplate, tiara, bracelets, and her signature five-pointed star symbols.
- Golden Age
Wonder Woman's outfit design was originally rooted in American symbolism and iconography, which included her signature star symbols, a golden eagle on her chest, crimson red bustier, white belt, and a dark blue star spangled skirt/culotte.
She also had a pair of red magnetic earrings which allowed her to receive messages from Queen Desira of the planet Venus.
- Pre-Crisis
At the time of her debut, Wonder Woman sported a red top with a golden eagle emblem, a white belt, blue star-spangled culottes, and red and golden go-go boots. She originally wore a skirt; however according to Elizabeth Martson, "It was too hard to draw and would have been over her head most of the time."[97] This outfit was entirely based on the American flag, because Wonder Woman was purely an American icon as she debuted during World War 2.[98] Later in 1942, Wonder Woman's outfit received a slight change – the culottes were converted entirely into skin-tight shorts and she wore sandals.[98] While earlier most of her back was exposed, during the imposition of the Comics Code Authority in the mid-1950s, Wonder Woman's outfit was rectified to make her back substantially covered, in order to comply with the Authority's rule of minimum exposure.[98] During Mike Sekowsky's run in the late 1960s, Diana surrendered her powers and started using her own skill to fight crime. She wore a series of jumpsuits as her attire, most popular of these was a white one.[98] After Sekowsky's run ended in the early 1970s, Diana's roots were reverted to her old mythological ones and she wore a more modernized version of her original outfit, a predecessor to her "bathing suit" outfit.[98] Later, in 1976, her white belt was turned into a yellow one.[98]
- Post-Crisis
After Crisis On Infinite Earths, George Pérez rebooted the character in 1987. She wore an outfit similar to her 1970s one, but now with a larger golden belt.[98] This outfit continued until William Messner-Loebs' run, which had Diana pass on the role of Wonder Woman to Artemis.[98] No longer Wonder Woman, Diana sported a new black biker-girl outfit designed by artist Mike Deodato Jr.[98] After John Byrne took over writing and art duties, he redesigned the Wonder Woman outfit (Diana was reinstated as Wonder Woman at the end of Loebs' run) and joined the emblem and belt together.[98]
Her outfit did not receive any prominent change until after Infinite Crisis. Similar to her chest-plate, her belt was also shaped into a "W".[98] This outfit continued until issue #600 – J. Michael Straczynski's run of Wonder Woman's altered timeline changed her outfit drastically. Her outfit was redesigned by Jim Lee and included a redesigned emblem, a golden and red top, black pants, and a later discontinued blue-black jacket.[98]
It was later retconned by Gail Simone that Wonder Woman's outfit design had Amazonian roots. During a flashback in Vol. 3, Hippolyta is shown issuing orders to have a garment created for Diana, taking inspiration from the skies on the night Diana was born; a red hunter's moon and a field of stars against deep blue, and the eagle breastplate being a symbol of Athena's avian representations.
- The New 52
Another major outfit change came after DC Comics relaunched its entire line of publications, dubbing the event the New 52. Her original one-piece outfit was restored, although the color combination of red and blue was changed to dark red and blue-black. Her chest-plate, belt and tiara were also changed from gold to a platinum or sterling silver color. Along with her sword, she now also utilizes a shield. She wears many accessories such as arm and neck jewelery styled as the "WW" motif. Her outfit is no longer made of fabric, as it now resembles a type of light, flexible body armor. Her boots are now a very dark blue rather than red. The design previously included black trousers, but they were removed and the one-piece look was restored during the time of publication.[99]
After the events of Convergence, Diana gets a new armored suit with the classic armor and tiara returning.
Her tiara's signature star symbol is now an eight pointed starburst. According to designer Lindy Hemming and director Patty Jenkins, every design decision made for Themyscira came down to the same question: “How would I want to live that’s badass?”[100] “To me, they shouldn’t be dressed in armor like men. It should be different. It should be authentic and real […] and appealing to women.” When asked about the decision to give the Amazons heeled sandals, Jenkins explained that they also have flats for fighting, adding "It’s total wish-fulfillment […] I, as a woman, want Wonder Woman to be sexy, hot as hell, fight badass, and look great at the same time […] the same way men want Superman to have ridiculously huge pecs and an impractically big body. That makes them feel like the hero they want to be. And my hero, in my head, has really long legs."[101] This corresponds to the original intent by William Moulton Marston, who wanted his character to be alluringly feminine.
Invisible plane
The Pre-Crisis version of the invisible plane was a necessity because before the Crisis on Infinite Earths rewrote Wonder Woman's history—along with the histories of many other heroes—Wonder Woman simply could not fly. She grew increasingly powerful through the Silver Age of comic books and beyond, acquiring the power to ride wind currents thus allowing her to imitate flight over short distance. This had limitations, however; for example, if there was no wind and the air was completely still she would be trapped on the ground or if dropped from a distance that she would helplessly fall out of control to the ground. Though this meant that she would rely on the invisible plane less frequently, she always had need of it.
The Invisible Plane was a creation of Diana's during her younger years on Paradise Island. She created it to be an improvement on her mother's planes which would be shot down in Man's World. The result of her innovation was an invisible plane that could fly at terrific speeds silently and not be detected by hostile forces, thus avoiding unpleasant conflict. Initially, it was portrayed as being transparent.
The Invisible Plane appeared in the very first comic stories, including All-Star Comics #8, where it is shown as being able to fly at over 2000 miles per hour (MPH) and to send out rainbow rays that penetrate the mist around Paradise Island, as well as landing stealthily and having a built-in radio. Wonder Woman is seen storing the plane at an abandoned farm near Washington, D.C., in the barn; she goes there as Lt. Prince and changes clothes in some of the earliest tales. Though never explicitly stated, the Plane is presumably stored there when not in use for the rest of the Pre-Crisis era. In a story made shortly after, it flies at 40 miles a second.
Shortly thereafter, the telepathic capacities of Wonder Woman's tiara allow her to summon it, often to hover or swoop by the War Department, and she would exit on a rope ladder. She uses the plane to fly into outer space, and frequently transports Etta Candy and the Holliday Girls, Steve Trevor, or others. During the 1950s, the plane became a jet, and was often shown swooping over Lt. Prince's office; she stripped out of her uniform at super speed and would bound to the plane. Though the Plane was depicted as semi-transparent for the reader's convenience, in-story dialogue indicated that it actually was completely invisible, or at least able to become so as the need arose. (DC Comics Presents ...#41)
Wonder Woman continued to use the plane for super-speed, outer space, and multi-dimensional transport up until the un-powered era of Diana Prince. When Wonder Woman resumed super-powered, costumed operations in 1973, she continued to use the jet as before, but did glide on air currents for short distances. At one point, Aphrodite granted the plane the power to fly faster than the speed of light for any interstellar voyages her champion might undertake.(Wonder WomanVol. 1 #261) Thanks to tinkering by gremlins, the Plane even developed intelligence and the power to talk. (Wonder Woman Vol. 1 #312) The Plane proved a good friend, eager to help his "mistress" and her loved ones in any way possible. It got along especially well with Steve Trevor.
Aegis of Athena
Diana's bulletproof bracelets were formed from the remnants of Athena's legendary shield, the Aegis, to be awarded to her champion. The shield was made from the indestructible hide of the great she-goat, Amalthea, who suckled Zeus as an infant. These forearm guards have thus far proven indestructible and able to absorb the impact of incoming attacks, allowing Wonder Woman to deflect automatic weapon fire and energy blasts.[102] Diana can slam the bracelets together to create a wave of concussive force capable of making strong beings like Superman's ears bleed.[54] Recently, she gained the ability to channel Zeus's lightning through her bracelets as well. Zeus explained to her that this power had been contained within the bracelets since their creation, because they were once part of the Aegis, and that he had only recently unlocked it for her use.[103] After the 2011 relaunch of the character, it was revealed that Diana was the daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta[104] and that the bracelets are able to keep the powers she had inherited from Zeus in check.[97] In addition, Hephaestus has modified the bracelets to allow Wonder Woman the sorcerous ability to manifest a sword of grayish metal from each bracelet. Each sword, marked with a red star, takes shape from a flash of lightning, and when Wonder Woman is done with them, the swords disappear, supposedly, back into her bracelets. As such, she has produced other weapons from the bracelets in this way such as a bow that fires explosive arrows, spears and energy bolts among others.[105]
The inspiration to give Diana's bracelets came from the pair of bracelets worn by Olive Byrne, creator Dr. William Moulton Marston's assistant and lover.[106]
Lariat of Hestia
The Lasso of Truth, or Lariat of Hestia, was forged by Hephaestus from the golden girdle of Gaea.[92] And the original form of the Lasso in the Golden Age was called the Magic Lasso Of Aphrodite. It compels all beings who come into contact with it to tell the absolute truth and is virtually indestructible;[92] in Identity Crisis, Green Arrow mistakenly describes it as "the only lie detector designed by Zeus." The only times it has been broken were when Wonder Woman herself refused to accept the truth revealed by the lasso, such as when she confronted Rama Khan of Jarhanpur,[107] and by Bizarro in Matt Wagner's non-canonical Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity.[108] During the Golden Age, the original form of the Lasso had the power to force anyone caught to obey any command given them, even overriding the mind control of others; this was effective enough to defeat strong-willed beings like Captain Marvel.[109] Diana wields the Lasso with great precision and accuracy and can use it as a whip or noose.
Other items
Diana occasionally uses additional weaponry in formal battle, such as ceremonial golden armour with golden wings, pteruges, chest-plate, and golden helmet in the shape of an eagle's head. She possesses a magical sword forged by Hephaestus that is sharp enough to cut the electrons off an atom.[92]
As early as the 1950s,[110] Wonder Woman's Tiara has also been used as a razor-edged throwing weapon, returning to her like a boomerang.[92] The Tiara allows Wonder Woman to be invulnerable from telepathic attacks. It allows for Diana to telepathically contact people such as the Amazons back on Themyscira using the telepathic power of the red star ruby in the center of her Tiara.[54]
The Golden, Silver, and Bronze Age portrayals of Wonder Woman showed her using a silent and Invisible plane that could be controlled by mental command [111] and fly at speeds up to 3,000 mph (4,800 km/h).[112] Its appearance has varied over time; originally it had a propeller, while later it was drawn as a jet aircraft resembling a stealth aircraft.[113]
During the golden age Wonder Woman possessed a Purple Ray capable of healing even a fatal gunshot wound to the brain.[114] She also possessed a Mental Radio that could let her receive messages from those in need.[111]
As a recent temporary inductee into the Star Sapphires, Wonder Woman gained access to the violet power ring of love. This ring allowed her to alter her costume at will, create solid-light energy constructs, and reveal a person's true love to them. She was able to combine the energy with her lasso to enhance its ability.
Fictional character biography
20th Century
Origin
In her debut in All Star Comics #8, Diana was a member of a tribe of women called the Amazons, native to Paradise Island – a secluded island set in the middle of a vast ocean. Captain Steve Trevor's plane crashes on the island and he is found alive but unconscious by Diana and fellow Amazon, and friend, Mala. Diana has him nursed back to health and falls in love with him. A competition is held amongst all the Amazons by Diana's mother, the Queen of the Amazons Hippolyta, in order to determine who is the most worthy of all the women; Hippolyta charges the winner with the responsibility of delivering Captain Steve Trevor back to man's world and to fight for justice. Hippolyta forbids Diana from entering the competition, but she takes part nonetheless, wearing a mask to conceal her identity. She wins the competition and reveals herself, surprising Hippolyta, who ultimately accepts, and must give in to, Diana's wish to go to Man's World. She then is awarded a special uniform made by her mother for her new role as Wonder Woman and safely returns Steve Trevor back to his home country.[115][116]
Wonder Woman was jointly raised by Queen Hippolyta, General Antiope, and Menalippe. Entertainment Weekly writes: "This trio of immortals is responsible for both raising and training Diana — the only child on this estrogen heavy isle — but they don’t always agree. Hippolyta, a revolutionary leader, longs to shelter her beloved daughter from the outside world, but Antiope, the Amazon responsible for Diana’s training, wants to prepare her. "She is the only child they raised together... and their love for her manifests in a different way for each of them.”[100][101][117]
Golden Age
Coming to America for the first time, Wonder Woman comes upon a weeping army nurse. Inquiring about her state, she finds that the nurse wanted to leave for South America with her fiancé but was unable due to shortage of money. As both of them looked identical and Wonder Woman needed a job and a valid identity to look after Steve (who was admitted in the same army hospital), she gives her the money she had earned earlier to help her go to her fiancé in exchange for her credentials. The nurse reveals her name as Diana Prince, and thus, Wonder Woman's secret identity was created, and she began working as a nurse in the army.[50][118]
Wonder Woman then took part in a variety of adventures, mostly side by side with Trevor. Her most common foes during this period would be Nazi forces led by a German baroness named Paula von Gunther, occasionally evil deities/demigods such as Mars and the Duke of Deception, and then colorful villains like Hypnota, Doctor Psycho, and the Cheetah.[119]
Silver Age
In the Silver Age, Wonder Woman's history received several changes. Her earlier origin, which had significant ties to World War II, was changed and her powers were shown to be the product of the gods' blessings – , corresponding to her epithet – "beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, stronger than Hercules, and swifter than Hermes".[35][120] The concepts of Wonder Girl and Wonder Tot were also introduced during this period.[121]
Wonder Woman (vol. 1) #179 (Nov. 1968) showed Wonder Woman giving up her powers and returning her costume and title to her mother in order to continue staying in Man's World. The reason behind this was that all the Amazons were shifting to another dimension, but Diana was unable to accompany them as she needed to stay behind to help Steve, who had been wrongly convicted .[122] Thus, she no longer held the title of Wonder Woman and after meeting and training under a blind martial arts mentor I-Ching, Diana resumed crime fighting as the powerless Diana Prince. She ran a mod-boutique as a business and dressed in a series of jumpsuits while fighting crime.[37][52][53][123][124] During this period, Samuel R. Delany took over scripting duties with issue #202. Delany was initially supposed to write a six-issue story arc, which would culminate in a battle over an abortion clinic, but Delany was removed reportedly due to criticism from Gloria Steinem, who, not knowing the content of the issues Delany was writing, was upset that Wonder Woman had lost her powers and was no longer wearing her traditional costume.[125]
Bronze Age
In Wonder Woman Vol 1 #204, Diana's powers and costume were returned to her and she is once again reinstated as Wonder Woman.[124] I-Ching is killed by a crazy sniper in the same issue.[126] Later, Diana meets her "sister" Nubia, who is Hippolyta's daughter fashioned out of dark clay (hence Nubia's dark complexion).[127][128] Nubia claimed to be the "Wonder Woman of The Floating Island", and she challenges Diana to a duel which ends in a draw.[128] Returning to her home, Nubia would have further adventures involving Diana.[127]
The last issue of Volume 1 showed Diana and Steve Trevor announce their love for each other and their subsequent marriage.[129][130]
Modern Age
- Crisis on Infinite Earths
The events of Crisis on Infinite Earths greatly changed and altered the history of the DC Universe. Wonder Woman's history and origin were considerably revamped by the event. Wonder Woman was now an emissary and ambassador from Themyscira (the new name for Paradise Island) to Patriarch's World, charged with the mission of bringing peace to the outside world. Various deities and concepts from Greek mythology were blended and incorporated into Wonder Woman's stories and origin. Diana was formed out of clay of the shores of Themyscira by Hippolyta, who wished for a child; the clay figure was then brought to life by the Greek deities. The Gods then blessed and granted her unique powers and abilities – beauty from Aphrodite, strength from Demeter, wisdom from Athena, speed and flight from Hermes, Eyes of the Hunter and unity with beasts from Artemis and sisterhood with fire and the ability to discern the truth from Hestia.[131] Due to the reboot, Diana's operating methods were made distinctive from Superman and Batman's with her willingness to use deadly force when she judges it necessary. In addition, her previous history and her marriage to Steve Trevor were erased. Trevor was introduced as a man much older than Diana who would later on marry Etta Candy.[132]
- War of the Gods
Starting in Wonder Woman Vol 2 #51, The Amazons, who had revealed their presence to the world in Wonder Woman Vol 2 #50, are blamed for a series of murders and for the theft of various artifacts. The Amazons are then taken into custody, Queen Hippolyta is nowhere to be found and Steve Trevor is forced by General Yedziniak to attack Themyscira. These events lead to the "War of the Gods" occurring. The culprit of the murders, thefts and the framing of the Amazons is revealed to be the witch Circe, who "kills" Diana by reverting her form back into the clay she was born from. Later, Wonder Woman is brought back to life and together with Donna Troy, battles Circe and ultimately defeats her.[133][134][135][136] Circe would later return by unknown means.
When Hippolyta and the other Amazons were trapped in a demonic dimension, she started receiving visions about the death of Wonder Woman.[137] Fearing her daughter's death, Hippolyta created a false claim that Diana was not worthy of continuing her role as Wonder Woman, and arranged for a contest to determine who would be the new Wonder Woman, thus protecting Diana from her supposed fate.[138] The participants of the final round were Diana and Artemis, and with the help of some mystic manipulation by Hippolyta, Artemis won the contest.[139] Thus, Diana was forced to hand over her title and costume to Artemis, who became the new Wonder Woman and Diana started fighting crime in an alternate costume.[140] Artemis later died in battle with the White Magician – thus, Hippolyta's vision of a dying Wonder Woman did come true, albeit not of Diana as Wonder Woman.[141] Diana once again became Wonder Woman, a request made by Artemis in her last seconds. Artemis would later return as Requiem. Prior to Artemis' death, Hippolyta would admit to her daughter about her own part in Artemis' death, which strained their relationship as Diana was unable to forgive her mother for sending another Amazon to her death knowingly for the sake of saving her own daughter.
The demon Neron engaged Diana in battle and managed to kill her.[142] The Olympian Gods granted Diana divinity and the role of the Goddess of Truth who started to reside in Olympus; her mother Hippolyta then assumed the role of Wonder Woman and wore her own different incarnation of the costume.[142] In Wonder Woman Vol 2 #136, Diana was banished from Olympus due to interfering in earthly matters (as Diana was unable to simply watch over people's misery on earth).[142] She immediately returned to her duties as Wonder Woman, but ran into conflicts with her mother over her true place and role as Hippolyta seemed accustomed to her life in America.[142] Their fight remained unsolved, as Hippolyta tragically died during an intergalactic war.[142] Themyscira was destroyed during the war, but was restored and reformed as a collection of floating islands.[142] Circe later resurrected Hippolyta in Wonder Woman Vol 3 #8.[143]
- The OMAC Project
One of the events that led to Infinite Crisis was of Wonder Woman killing the villain Maxwell Lord in Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #219.[144] Maxwell Lord was mind-controlling Superman, who as a result was near to killing Batman. Wonder Woman tried to stop Superman, Lord (who was unable to mind control her) made Superman see her as his enemy Doomsday trying to kill Lois Lane. Superman then attacked Wonder Woman, and a vicious battle ensued. Buying herself time by slicing Superman's throat with her tiara, Wonder Woman caught Lord in her Lasso of Truth and demanded to know how to stop his control over Superman. As the lasso forced the wearer to speak only the truth, Lord told her that the only way to stop him was to kill him. Left with no choice, Wonder Woman snapped Lord's neck and ended his control over Superman.[144] Unknown to her, the entire scene was broadcast live around every channel in the world by Brother Eye. The viewers were not aware of the entire situation, and saw only Wonder Woman murdering a Justice League associate. Wonder Woman's actions put her at odds with Batman and Superman, as they saw Wonder Woman as a cold-blooded killer, despite the fact that she saved their lives.[145]
- One Year Later
At the end of Infinite Crisis, Wonder Woman temporarily retires from her costumed identity. Diana, once again using the alias Diana Prince, joins the Department of Metahuman Affairs. Donna Troy becomes the new Wonder Woman and is captured by Diana's enemies. Diana then goes on a mission to rescue her sister, battling Circe and Hercules. Diana defeats the villains, freeing Donna and takes up the role of Wonder Woman again. Circe places a spell on Diana, which renders Diana into a normal, powerless human being when in the role of Diana Prince; her powers come to her only when she is in the role of Wonder Woman.[146][147][148][149][150]
- The Circle
The storyline "The Circle" was focused on the revelation of a failed assassination attempt on Diana when she was a baby, by four rogue Amazons.[151] These Amazons – Myrto, Charis, Philomela and Alkyone, collectively referred to as The Circle – were Hippolyta's personal guards and were extremely loyal and devoted to her.[152] However, when Hippolyta decided to raise a daughter, The Circle was horrified and considered the baby ill-fate, one who would ruin their entire race.[153] Thus, after Diana was sculpted out of clay and brought to life, The Circle decided to assassinate the baby. Their attempt was foiled however, and the four Amazons were imprisoned.[154] After years, the Circle escaped their prisons with the help of Captain Nazi, and decided to accomplish their previously failed mission and kill Diana. Diana defeated Myrto, Charis, Philomela and then approached Alkyone, who runs off and succumbs to her death by falling into the ocean. The other three Amazons return to their prisons.[154][155]
Issue #600 introduced Wonder Woman to an alternate time-line created by the Gods in which Themyscira had been destroyed and the Amazons scattered around the world.[41] In this timeline, Diana is an orphan raised in New York who is learning to cope with her powers. The entire world has forgotten Wonder Woman's existence and the main story of this run was of Diana trying to restore reality even though she does not properly remember it herself.[156] Diana has no memories of her prior adventures as Wonder Woman, recollecting her memories in bits and pieces and receiving different abilities and resources (such as the power of flight and her lasso) during the progression of her adventure. A trio of Death Goddesses called The Morrigan acted as Wonder Woman's main enemies.[157] Diana ultimately defeats the evil goddesses and returns everything back to normal.[158]
21st Century
The New 52
In September 2011, DC Comics relaunched its entire publication line, dubbing the event the New 52. Among the major changes to the character, Wonder Woman now appears wearing a new costume similar to her older one, and has a completely new origin. In this new timeline, Wonder Woman is no longer a clay figure brought to life by the magic of the gods, but the demigoddess daughter of Queen Hippolyta and Zeus: King of the Greek Gods. Her original origin is revealed as a cover story to explain Diana's birth as a means to protect her from Hera's wrath. Currently, Diana has taken on the role and title as the new "God of War".[159][160]
The Greek messenger god, Hermes, entrusts Wonder Woman with the protection of Zola, a young woman, who is pregnant with Zeus's child, from Hera, seething with jealousy and determined to kill the child.[161][162][163][164][165] With the appearance of a bizarre, new, chalk-white enemy, the goddess Strife (a reimagined version of Eris, the goddess of discord who had battled Wonder Woman in post-Crisis continuity), Wonder Woman discovers she, herself, is the natural-born daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus, who, after a violent clash, became lovers.[104] Hippolyta revealed Diana's earlier origin story to be a lie, spread amongst the Amazons to protect Diana from the wrath of Hera, who is known for hunting and killing several illegitimate offspring of Zeus.[104]
The first of these half-mortal siblings to reveal himself to Wonder Woman was her older half-brother, Lennox Sandsmark, who could transform himself into living, marble-like stone and, before his death, was revealed to be the father of Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark).[166] His killer, the First Born, the eldest progeny of Zeus, would become Wonder Woman's first major super-villain of the New 52.
The story then focuses on Wonder Woman's quest to rescue Zola from Hades, who had abducted her and taken her to Hell at the end of the sixth issue of the series.[167][168][169][170] The male children of the Amazons are introduced and Diana learns about the birth of her "brothers" – the Amazons used to infrequently invade ships coming near their island and force themselves on the sailors, before killing them. After nine months, the birth of the resulting female children was highly celebrated and they were inducted into the ranks of the Amazons while the male children were rejected. In order to save the male children from being drowned to death by the Amazons, Hephaestus traded weapons to the Amazons in exchange for them.[167][171][172]
After saving Zola from Hades, Wonder Woman tries to protect her further from Apollo, as it is prophesied that one of Zeus' children will be his downfall whom Apollo considers to be Zola's child.[173][174] Wonder Woman receives the power of flight by one of Hermes' feathers piercing her thigh and Zola's baby is stolen by Hermes at the end and given to Demeter. The issue's last page shows a dark and mysterious man rising from the snow, taking a helmet and disappearing.[175][176] This man is later revealed to be Zeus' first son, known only as First Born, who seeks to rule over Olympus and the rest of the world, and take Diana as his bride.
A stand-alone #0 issue was released in September which explored Diana's childhood and her tutelage under Ares, the God of War, now known most often as simply 'War'.[78] The issue was narrated in the style of a typical Silver Age comic book and saw Diana in her childhood years.[177] The main plot of the issue was Diana training under War as he thought of her being an extraordinary girl with immense potential. The issue ultimately concluded with Diana learning and experiencing the importance of mercy, which she first learned when War showed it to her during their sparring. This later translated into her refusal to kill the Minotaur – a task given to her by War; however, this show of mercy makes her a failure in War's eyes, which was actually his fault since he inadvertently "taught" her mercy and affection as his protege.[78][177][178] Later in the series, Wonder Woman is forced to kill War during a conflict with her evil half-brother, Zeus' son First Born, and herself becomes the God of War. After the Amazons are restored, she rules over them both as a warrior queen and God of War, as the ongoing conflict with First Born escalates. At the end of Azzarello's run, as part of a final conflict, Wonder Woman kills First Born, while Zeke is revealed to have be Zeus' plan for resurrection, with Zola revealed to have been a mortal shell for the goddess Athena, who gave birth to Zeus just as he once did to her. Wonder Woman pleads with Athena not to allow the Zola personality, whom she has grown to love as a friend, die with Athena's awakening. Athena leaves the site in animal form, leaving a stunned and confused Zola behind with Wonder Woman.[179]
Wonder Woman appears as one of the lead characters in the Justice League title written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Jim Lee that was launched in 2011 as part of the New 52.[180] In August 2012, she and Superman shared a kiss in Justice League Vol 2 #12, which has since developed into a romantic relationship.[181][182][183] DC launched a Superman/Wonder Woman series that debuted in late 2013, which focuses both the threats they face together, and on their romance as a "Power Couple".[184][185]
After the events of Convergence, Wonder Woman would don a new costume. She would also face Donna Troy, who is now reimagined as a villanous doppellganger created by a vengeful Amazon elder, not only to physically defeat Wonder Woman but also to outmaneuver her in Themyscirian politics.
Earth 2
The New 52 version of Earth 2 was introduced in Earth 2 #1 (2012). In that issue, the Earth 2 Wonder Woman is introduced via flashback. She, along with Superman and Batman, are depicted dying in battle with forces from Apokolips five years in the past.[186] This Wonder Woman worshiped the deities of Roman mythology as opposed to the Greek; the Roman gods perish as a result of the conflict. An earlier version of the Earth-2 Wonder Woman, prior to the Apokoliptian invasion, is seen in the comic book Batman/Superman, where she is seen riding a pegasus.
In Earth 2 #8 (2013), Wonder Woman's adult daughter, Fury, is introduced. She is loyal to the Apokoliptian Steppenwolf.[187]
DC Rebirth
In 2016, DC Comics started DC Rebirth, a relaunch of its entire line of comic books.
Following the events of the Darkseid War, Wonder Woman is told by the dying Myrina Black that on the night of Diana's birth, Hippolyta gave birth to a twin child. This child was revealed to be male, known as Jason, and is said to be incredibly powerful. Wonder Woman makes it her mission to find him.[188] At the same time, she finds the truth behind her origin and history is now cluttered, as she remembers two versions: the Pre-Flashpoint one, and the New 52 rendition. She cannot locate Themiscyra or her fellow Amazons and the Lasso of Truth does not work for her anymore. She can no longer get into Mount Olympus so she tracks down Barbara Ann Minerva, the Cheetah, to get help.[189][190] Cheetah agrees to help in exchange for Diana aiding her in killing the god Urzkartaga and end Minerva's curse. The pair battle their way through Urzkartaga's minions, the Bouda, and defeat Andres Cadulo, a worshiper of Urzkartaga that planned to sacrifice Steve Trevor to the plant god. Once reverted back to her human form, Minerva agreed to help Wonder Woman find her way back to Paradise Island. During this time Wonder Woman reconnects with Steve. Minerva eventually realizes Paradise Island is an embodiment of emotion instead of a physical place, so Wonder Woman and Steve head out to find the island. They succeed and Wonder Woman is greeted by her mother and sisters, though Steve senses something is wrong. Wonder Woman comes to realize nothing is as she remembers and, upon using the Lasso of Truth, discovers everything she thought she knew was a lie: she never really returned to Themyscira after departing with Steve years earlier.
Cultural impact
Critical reception
As a compassionate warrior with-god-like strength (and a penchant for bondage), Wonder Woman preferred peace and love to war and violence, a contradiction that has long made her a symbol of female empowerment, and the center of controversy. The early Wonder Woman stories featured an abundant amount of bondage portrayals, which had critics worried. However, the purpose of these bondage portrayals was for the effect it had on readers.
Wonder Woman was named the 20th greatest comic book character by Empire magazine.[191] She was ranked sixth in Comics Buyer's Guide's "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.[192] In May 2011, Wonder Woman placed fifth on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time.[193]
Not all reaction to Wonder Woman has been positive. In the controversial Seduction of the Innocent, psychiatrist Fredric Wertham claimed Wonder Woman's strength and independence made her a lesbian.[194]
Feminist icon
Gloria Steinem, founder of Ms. magazine was responsible for the return of Wonder Woman's original abilities. Offended that the most famous female superhero had been depowered into a boyfriend-obsessed damsel in distress, Steinem placed Wonder Woman (in costume) on the cover of the first issue of Ms. (1972) — Warner Communications, DC Comics' owner, was an investor — which also contained an appreciative essay about the character.[195] Wonder Woman's powers and traditional costume, were restored in issue #204 (January–February 1973).[195]
In 1972, just months after the groundbreaking US Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, science fiction author Samuel R. Delany had planned a story for Ms. that culminated in a plainsclothes Wonder Woman protecting an abortion clinic. However, Steinem disapproved of Wonder Woman being out of costume, and the controversial story line never happened.[196]
On October 21, 2016, the United Nations named Wonder Woman a UN Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls in a ceremony attended by Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Cristina Gallach and by actors Lynda Carter and Gal Gadot, in recognition of her 75th anniversary and role as a worldwide feminist icon.[20][197]
Pacifist icon
Gloria Steinem, editor for Ms. Magazine and a big supporter of Wonder Woman, stated "... [Marston] had invented Wonder Woman as a heroine for little girls, and also as a conscious alternative to the violence of comic books for boys." Badower described a near-international incident (involving an unnamed Russian general rolling dozens of tanks and munitions through a shady mountain pass) as a metaphor for standing up to bullies. “She ends up deflecting a bullet back and disarming the general,” he says, adding that “she doesn’t actually do anything violent in the story. I just think that Wonder Woman is smarter than that.”
Nick Pumphrey stated that Wonder Woman stands as a non-violent beacon of hope and inspiration for women and men. Grant Morrison stated "I sat down and I thought, 'I don’t want to do this warrior woman thing.' I can understand why they’re doing it, I get all that, but that’s not what [Wonder Woman creator] William Marston wanted, that’s not what he wanted at all! His original concept for Wonder Woman was an answer to comics that he thought were filled with images of blood-curdling masculinity, and you see the latest shots of Gal Gadot in the costume, and it’s all sword and shield and her snarling at the camera. Marston’s Diana was a doctor, a healer, a scientist."[198][199][200]
LGBT Icon
William Marston's earliest works were notorious for containing "sapphic-undertones" subtext. Dr. Fredric Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent referred to her as the “lesbian counterpart to Batman” (whom he also identified as a homosexual). In the decades since, DC Comics attempted to downplay her sexuality, and comic book writers and artists didn’t do much more than hint at Wonder Woman’s sapphic legacy, especially in interviews where they could be more explicit — like Robert Kanigher, Gail Simone, and Phil Jimenez, who’ve all commented publicly on her queerness.
Grant Morrison’s 2016 comic “Wonder Woman: Earth One,” which exists parallel to the current DC comics Rebirth canon, Diana is depicted taking on many female lovers.[201] Gal Gadot (who plays Wonder woman in the DC Extended Universe) thinks the superhero's sexuality may have been impacted by growing up in women-only Themyscira.[202][203][204]
Wonder Woman feels she need not be "labelled sexually", that 'loves people for who they are' and that she is 'just herself'. Coming from a society that was only populated by women, "lesbian" in [the world's] eyes may have been "straight" for them. "Her culture is completely free from the shackles of heteronormativity in the first place so she wouldn't even have any 'concept' of gender roles in sex."[205] Wonder Woman is suggested as being bisexual, as she and another Amazon, Io, had reciprocal feelings for each other.[206][207][208]
In 2016, Sensation Comics featured Wonder Woman officiating a same-sex wedding (Issue #48) drawn by Australian illustrator Jason Badower. "My country is all women. To us, it’s not ‘gay’ marriage. It’s just marriage", she states to Superman. Inspired by the June Supreme Court ruling that established marriage equality in all 50 United States, Badower says DC Comics was "fantastic" about his idea for the issue. In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, he said his editor "Was like 'great, I love it! Let's do it. It was almost anticlimactic." [209] “[Diana’s] mother, the queen, at the very least authorized or in some cases officiated these weddings,” Badower says. “It just seems more like a royal duty [Diana] would take on, that she would do for people that would appreciate it.”[2]
Wonder Woman's advocacy for gay rights was taken a step further in September 2016, when comic book writer Greg Rucka announced that she is canonically bisexual, according to her rebooted Rebirth origin.[210] Rucka stated that in his opinion, she "has to be" queer and has "obviously" had same-sex relationships on an island surrounded by beautiful women.[211][212] This follows the way Wonder Woman was written in the alternate continuity or non-canon Earth One by Grant Morrison,[213] and fellow Wonder Woman writer Gail Simone staunchly supported Rucka's statement.[214] Surprised at the amount of backlash from her fanbase, Rucka responded to "haters" that consensual sex with women is just as important to Wonder Woman as the Truth is to Superman.[215]
In other media
Film
Animated film
In 2009, Warner Premiere released the Wonder Woman animated film featuring Keri Russell as the voice of Wonder Woman. The film was well received.[216] Warner Premiered animated films that feature the Justice League.
A Lego minifigure version of Wonder Woman appeared in The Lego Movie, which was released in February 2014. The character is voiced by Cobie Smulders. This marked her first theatrical film appearance.
Live-action film
Gal Gadot appeared as the character in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, starring Henry Cavill as Superman and Ben Affleck as Batman.[217][218] The film was released in March 2016[219] and marked her first live action theatrical film appearance. Her outfit features a blue bottom resembling a Roman war skirt or Fustanella. Gadot will also star in the character's live-action solo film Wonder Woman, set to be released on June 2, 2017, Justice League, set to be released on November 17, 2017, and Justice League 2, set to be released on June 14, 2019.[220]
Television
Animated television
DC Animated Universe
In animation, Wonder Woman has appeared in a variety of shows – notably Super Friends, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited.
DC Super Hero Girls
DC Super Hero Girls or DC Superhero Girls (in various countries) is an American super hero action figure franchise created by DC Comics (a subsidiary of Time Warner) and Mattel that launched in the third quarter of 2015. The franchise was announced in April 2015. The range is to include books from Random House, Lego tie-ins and action figures from Mattel.[221] The website was launched in early July 2015. Characters featured at launch were Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Supergirl, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Katana, and Bumblebee.[222] Other characters including Hal Jordan, Barry Allen, Star Sapphire, Beast Boy, Cheetah, Hawkgirl and Catwoman also appear.[223] Amanda Waller is featured as the principal of the series' setting Super Hero High. Many other DC Comics Heroes and Villains appear in the background as cameos. The story is about at Super Hero High School, well-known DC heroes attend classes and deal with all the awkwardness of growing up (with the added stress of having superpowers).[224] Wonder Woman has been voiced by Grey Griffin. A movie DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year based on the serie, was released in 2016.[225]
Live-action television
Wonder Woman has appeared in a wide variety of media outside of comic books since her initial appearance including comic strips, film, television and video games.
The first serious attempt at creating a live action series on Wonder Woman was a 1974 pilot movie. It was written and produced by John D. F. Black, and starred Cathy Lee Crosby as Wonder Woman. This incarnation of the character was blonde, wore a red and blue jumpsuit, and acted more like a secret agent rather than a superhero.[226][227] This pilot was not picked up for a regular television series.
A year later in 1975, the highly successful Wonder Woman television series starring Lynda Carter in the title role debuted. It aired on ABC for its first season, followed by CBS for its second and third season. This version of the character was written by Douglas S. Cramer, and retained significant aspects from the comic book version, airing from 1975 to 1979.[227][228][229] The show earned solid ratings and helped Wonder Woman reach the peak of her popularity.[230]
Other
Attempts have been made to produce a television series on the character in more recent times, but none have emerged successfully yet. In 2011, NBC released a pilot for a television series starring Adrianne Palicki as Wonder Woman. The pilot was not taken up for a regular series however.[231] In 2012, it was revealed that The CW, Warner Bros. Television and DC Comics are developing a script for a possible television series, titled Amazon, about the origin of Wonder Woman.[15][232][233] She appeared in 2013 in the comic book continuation of Smallville in a 4-issue story arc titled Olympus,[234] which features a Smallville take on her origins, her first appearance as Wonder Woman, and her and Superman's first adventure together. It also features Hippolyta, Steve, Lois, and Martha Kent, and has been described as the comic realization of an idea that couldn't be brought to life during Smallville's TV run because of the Wonder Woman NBC pilot.
Many alternative versions of Wonder Woman have appeared in comics, such as in various Elseworlds titles etc.
See also
- Alternative versions of Wonder Woman for Elseworlds and other characters to bear the title.
- Amazons (DC Comics)
- Counterstereotype
- Darna
- Diana Prince
- Bisexual women
- List of female action heroes
- List of feminist comic books
- List of Wonder Woman characters
- List of Wonder Woman enemies
- Orana (comics)
- Portrayal of women in comics
- Woman warrior
- Wonder Woman in literature
References
- 1 2 3 Garner, Dwight (October 23, 2014). "Books – Her Past Unchained 'The Secret History of Wonder Woman,' by Jill Lepore". New York Times. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- 1 2 http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/19/wonder-woman-officiates-her-first-same-sex-wedding-averts-crimea-crisis.html
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/24/books/the-secret-history-of-wonder-woman-by-jill-lepore.html?_r=0
- ↑ Moon, Michael (2012-03-12). Darger’s Resources. Duke University Press. ISBN 0822351560.
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/dec/28/secret-history-wonder-woman-jill-lepore-observer-review
- ↑ http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/11/wonder-womans-kinky-feminist-roots/380788/
- ↑ http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/09/22/last-amazon
- 1 2 Hendrix, Grady (December 11, 2007). "Out for Justice". The New York Sun.
- ↑ Woerner, Meredith (October 27, 2016). "At 75, Wonder Woman was just named an honorary U.N. ambassador... But not everyone is happy about that". latimes.com. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
- ↑ http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2013/12/26/ten-moments-that-mattered-wonder-woman-becomes-war
- ↑ http://www.newsarama.com/18787-wonder-woman-kills-who-is-the-new-god-of-what-azzarello-explains-spoilers.html
- ↑ http://www.cinemablend.com/new/How-Wonder-Woman-Batman-V-Superman-108237.html How Old Wonder Woman Will Be In Batman V Superman
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9JdT00mYIc Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines – She Rescues Herself
- ↑ Crawford, Philip. "The Legacy of Wonder Woman". School Library Journal. Retrieved March 1, 2007.
- 1 2 Adalian, Josef (September 6, 2012). "The CW Is Developing a Wonder Woman Origins Series". Retrieved September 16, 2012.
- ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (July 30, 2013). "CW Eyes 'Flash' Series With 'Arrow's Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg & David Nutter". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
- ↑ Kroll, Justin (December 4, 2013). "Gal Gadot to Play Wonder Woman in 'Batman vs. Superman'". Variety. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
- ↑ Ford, Rebecca (April 6, 2016). "Warner Bros. Pushes 'Jungle Book' to 2018, 'Wonder Woman' Gets New Date". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
- ↑ http://www.thewrap.com/women-blacks-gays-warner-bros-catapults-dc-ahead-of-marvel-in-superhero-diversity-race/
- 1 2 Cave, Rob (October 10, 2016). "UNITED NATIONS TO NAME WONDER WOMAN HONORARY AMBASSADOR". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
- ↑ Alexander, Erik (October 21, 2016). "Wonder Woman named UN ambassador in controversial move". CNN.com. CNN. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
- ↑ Lyons, Charles. "Suffering Sappho! A Look at the Creator & Creation of Wonder Woman". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved August 23, 2006.
In October 1940, the popular women's magazine "Family Circle" published an interview with Marston entitled "Don't Laugh at the Comics," in which the psychologist discussed the unfulfilled potential of the medium.
- ↑ Lyons, Charles. "Suffering Sappho! A Look at the Creator & Creation of Wonder Woman". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved August 23, 2006.
Maxwell Charles Gaines, then publisher of All-American Comics, saw the interview and offered Marston a job as an educational consultant to All-American and sister company DC Comics.
- 1 2 Lamb, Marguerite (Fall 2001). "Who Was Wonder Woman?". Bostonia. Archived from the original on December 8, 2007.
- ↑ Daniels, Les (April 6, 2004). Wonder Woman: The Complete History. Chronicle Books. pp. 28–30. ISBN 978-0-8118-4233-4.
- ↑ Bunn, Geoffrey C. (1997). "The lie detector, Wonder Woman, and liberty: The life and work of William Moulton Marston". History of the Human Sciences. London: Routledge. 10 (1): 91–119. doi:10.1177/095269519701000105.
- ↑ Tartakovsky, Margarita. "A Psychologist and A Superhero". Psych Central.
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00P1kyWGG9k
- ↑ http://www.cracked.com/article_19434_the-6-most-ridiculous-superhero-weaknesses.html
- ↑ http://comicvine.gamespot.com/wonder-womans-bracelets/4055-51517/
- ↑ All Star Comics. 1. DC Comics. 1941.
- ↑ Hanley, Tim. "Wonder Woman: Secretary Of The Justice Society Of America". Straitened Circumstances. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
- ↑ All Star Comics #12 (August/September 1942)
- ↑ Wonder Woman (vol. 1) #98 (May 1958)
- 1 2 3 4 5 Wonder Woman (vol. 1) #105 (April 1959)
- ↑ Wonder Woman #179 (1968)
- 1 2 Reed, Bill. "365 Reasons to Love Comics". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved March 5, 2007.
- ↑ "We were all in love with Diana Rigg and that show she was on." Mike Sekowsky, quoted in Les Daniels, Wonder Woman: The Complete History (Chronicle, 2004), p. 129.
- ↑ Wonder Woman Vol 1 #204
- ↑ Mangels, Andy (January 1, 1989). "Triple Threat The George Pérez Interview". Amazing Heroes. Fantagraphics Books (156): 30.
Wonder Woman's sales are some of the best the Amazing Amazon has ever experienced, and the book is a critical and popular success with its weaving of Greek mythology into a feminist and humanistic atmosphere.
- 1 2 "Who destroyed Paradise Island?". DC Comics. April 15, 2010. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
- ↑ Rogers, Vaneta (June 29, 2010). "JMS Talks Wonder Woman's New Look and New Direction". Newsarama. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
- ↑ George, Richard (July 7, 2010). "Wonder Woman's New Era". IGN. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
- ↑ Gustines, George Gene (June 29, 2010). "Makeover for Wonder Woman at 69". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
- ↑ Ching, Albert (November 10, 2010). "JMS Leaving Superman and Wonder Woman for Earth One Sequel". Newsarama.com. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
- ↑ Esposito, Joey. "The Best of DC Comics in 2011". IGN. Retrieved December 14, 2011.
- ↑ Renaud, Jeffrey. "Azzarello Lowers the Boom(Tube) on Wonder Woman". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
- ↑ Garcia, Joe. "The Best & Worst of DC Comics' New 52, One Year Later". Front Towards Gamer. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
Despite being one part of the Justice League's "Holy Trinity", Wonder Woman never seems to get the recognition that she deserves. While she might not be invincible, her strength is second only to Superman and she's arguably a better fighter. Her solo outings, however, were rarely very interesting. The New 52 put an end to that injustice, with Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang spearheading one of the best books DC is putting out. Azzarello currently has Wonder Woman tearing through the ranks of Greek mythology, and Chiang's art manages to be intense despite his use of softer lines. If you're not reading Wonder Woman, go rectify that. Despite being one part of the Justice League's "Holy Trinity", Wonder Woman never seems to get the recognition that she deserves. While she might not be invincible, her strength is second only to Superman and she's arguably a better fighter. Her solo outings, however, were rarely very interesting. The New 52 put an end to that injustice, with Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang spearheading one of the best books DC is putting out. Azzarello currently has Wonder Woman tearing through the ranks of Greek mythology, and Chiang's art manages to be intense despite his use of softer lines. If you're not reading Wonder Woman, go rectify that.
- ↑ Hughes, Mark (September 29, 2011). "Top Ten Best Comics In DC's 'New 52' – UPDATED". Forbes. Retrieved September 29, 2011.
- 1 2 3 Gutierrez, Jon. "The 6 Worst Jobs Wonder Woman Ever Had". Topless Robot. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
- ↑ Cronin, Brian. "Love Ya but You're Strange – That Time the Husband of Wonder Woman's Exact Double Chained Her to a Table". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
- 1 2 Hanley, Tim. "A Book Look: Ads vs. Audience". Straitened Circumstances. Retrieved November 19, 2010.
- 1 2 "Diana's Memory Album". Dial B for Blog.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #219 (September 2005)
- 1 2 Goldstein, Hilary. "Defending Wonder Woman". IGN. Retrieved August 1, 2005.
- ↑ Infinite Crisis #7
- ↑ Allan Heinberg (w), Terry Dodson (p), Rachel Dodson (i). "Who Is Wonder Woman Part 5" Wonder Woman Annual v3, 1 (November 2007), DC Comics
- ↑ Azzarello, Brian. "No, she (Wonder Woman) doesn't (have a secret identity". IGN. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
- ↑ Superman (Volume 3) #19
- ↑ Blackest Night #6 (2010)
- ↑ WonderAli. "Welcome to the Star Sapphires". WonderAli. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
- ↑ Phillips, Dan. "Wonder Woman #16 review". IGN. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
- ↑ Charles Moulton (w), Harry G. Peter (a). Wonder Woman: 5 (1949), All American Comics
- ↑ Azzarello, Brian (2012). NYCC 2012; Wonder Woman 101. New York Comic Con: DC Comics.
Wonder Woman's greatest strength is her compassion; her greatest weakness is her compassion
- ↑ Cronin, Brian. "When We First Met – When Did Wonder Woman First Fly Her Invisible Jet?". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
In Wonder Woman #6, she says “Great Hera,” which soon became one of her top phrases…
- ↑ Pollitt, Katha (October 14, 2014). "Wonder Woman's Kinky Feminist Roots". Atlantic Monthly.
- ↑ Lepore, Jill, The Secret History of Wonder Woman, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2014. ISBN 9780385354042
- ↑ Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #127 (November 1997)
- ↑ Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #128 (December 1997)
- ↑ Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #129 (January 1998)
- ↑ "Wonder Woman revisited". Byrne Robotics. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
- ↑ Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #130-133 (February–May 1998)
- ↑ Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #185 (November 2002)
- ↑ JLA #18-23 (May–October 1998)
- ↑ JLA #30 (June 1999)
- ↑ Ambush Bug: Year None #4 (December 2008)
- ↑ Justice League of America (vol. 2) #13 (Nov. 2007)
- 1 2 3 Azzarello, Brian (w), Chiang, Cliff (a). "The Lair of the Minotaur!" Wonder Woman v4, 0 (November 2012)
- ↑ Charles Moulton (w), Harry G. Peter (a). Wonder Woman: 3–5 (1945), All American Comics
- ↑ Sensation Comics #6 (June 1942)
- ↑ Charles Moulton (w), Harry G. Peter (a). Sensation Comics: 5–7 (1942), All American Comics
- ↑ "Panel featuring Aphrodite's Law". SuperDickery.com. Retrieved September 3, 2008.
- ↑ Charles Moulton (w), Harry G. Peter (a). Sensation Comics: 6 (1945), J.R. Publishing Co
- ↑ Charles Moulton (w), Harry G. Peter (a). Wonder Woman: 14–15 (1943), J.R. Publishing Co
- ↑ Wonder Woman (vol. 1) #115 (July 1960)
- ↑ Fleisher, Michael L. (September 1976). The Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, Volume 2: Wonder Woman. Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-0-02-080080-4.
- ↑ Wonder Woman (vol. 1) #166 (November 1966), Wonder Woman (vol. 1) #229 (March 1977)
- ↑ Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #1 (February 1987)
- ↑ "And the New Wonder Woman Is…". Time. December 4, 2013.
- 1 2 3 Dougall, Alastair, ed. (2008). The DC Comics Encyclopedia. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 978-0-7566-4119-1. OCLC 213309017.
- ↑ Johns, Geoff (February 2006). Wonder Woman: Land of the Dead. ISBN 978-1-4177-5102-0.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Beatty, Scott (November 2003). Wonder Woman: The Ultimate Guide to the Amazon Princess. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 978-0-7894-9616-4.
- ↑ Wonder Woman (vol. 4) #12 (Sept. 2012)
- 1 2 Hanley, Tim. "Wonder Woman #12 Review OR I Really Didn't See That Coming At All!!". Straitened Circumstances. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ↑ Jimenez, Phil et al. The Essential Wonder Woman Encyclopedia Published by Random House Digital, Inc. 2010, p. 271, 116, 244 & 165.
- ↑ Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #56, 75, 77, 97 (July 1991 – May 1995); Wonder Woman Special #1 (May 1992); Artemis: Requiem #1 (June 1996)
- 1 2 3 Steinem, Gloria; Chesler, Phyllis; Feitler, Bea (1972). "Origins preface". Wonder Woman. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. ISBN 0-03-005376-5.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Cronin, Brian. "Wonder Woman Throughout The Years". ComicBookResources.com. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
- ↑ Polo, Susana. "DC Inexplicably, Quietly Changes Wonder Woman's outfit... Again". The Mary Sue. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
- 1 2 http://www.themarysue.com/wonder-woman-themyscira-image/
- 1 2 http://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/24/wonder-woman-first-look-gal-gadot-robin-wright-connie-nielsen
- ↑ Wallace, Dan (2008). "Wonder Woman's Magical Weapons". In Dougall, Alastair. The DC Comics Encyclopedia. New York: Dorling Kindersley. p. 93. ISBN 978-0-7566-4119-1. OCLC 213309017.
- ↑ Wonder Woman (vol. 3) #39 (February 2010)
- 1 2 3 Azzarello, Brian (w), Chiang, Cliff (p), Chiang, Cliff (i). "Clay" Wonder Woman v4, 3 (January 2012)
- ↑ Azzarello, Brian (w), Chiang, Cliff (p), Chiang, Cliff (i). Wonder Woman (vol. 4), #15
- ↑ Lepore, Jill (2014). The Secret History of Wonder Woman. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 978-0-385-35404-2.
- ↑ JLA #62 (March 2002)
- ↑ Wagner, Matt (July 1, 2005). Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity. DC Comics. ISBN 978-1-4012-0187-6.
- ↑ War of the Gods #1 (September 1991)
- ↑ Kanigher, Robert (August 22, 2007). Showcase Presents: Wonder Woman, Vol. 1. DC Comics. ISBN 978-1-4012-1373-2.
- 1 2 Charles Moulton (w), Harry G. Peter (a). Sensation Comics #1: 10 (1942), All American Comics
- ↑ Charles Moulton (w), Harry G. Peter (a). Sensation Comics: 5 (1947), All American Comics
- ↑ Strickland, Carol A. "The Invisible Plane/Jet!". Carol A. Strickland.
- ↑ Charles Moulton (w), Harry G. Peter (a). Sensation Comics: 3 (1942), All American Comics
- ↑ Charles Moulton (w), Harry G. Peter (a). "Introducing Wonder Woman" All Star Comics 8 (January 1942), DC Comics
- ↑ "Wonder Woman A History".
- ↑ http://nerdist.com/new-leaked-footage-from-wonder-womans-themyscira/
- ↑ Charles Moulton (w), Harry G. Peter (a). Sensation Comics: 8 (1942), All American Comics
- ↑ Cronin, Brian. "When We First Met – Wonder Woman's Golden Age Rogues". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
- ↑ MARIONETTE. "The complicated origin of Wonder Woman". Dance of the Puppets. Retrieved September 28, 2005.
- ↑ Hanley, Tim. "A Book Look: Kanigher's Giant Birds". Straitened Circumstances. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
- ↑ Denny O'Neil (w), Mike Sekowsky (p), Dick Giordano (i). "Wonder Woman's Last Battle" Wonder Woman 179 (November 1968)
- ↑ Mr. Morrow. "Wonder what I did on my Christmas vacation?". TwoMorrows Publishing. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
- 1 2 Guion, Richard. "Introducing the NEW Wonder Woman". Giant Size Geek. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
- ↑ Monash Arts Online Presence Team. "Colloquy" (PDF). Arts.monash.edu.au. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
- ↑ Cronin, Brian. "Diana Prince – Forgotten Classic". Snark Free Waters. Retrieved April 23, 2005.
Sadly, though, in the last issue of the run, I-Ching was murdered and Wonder Woman was given amnesia. When the Amazons returned her memories (and her powers), they left out her memories of her experiences as just plain "Diana Prince."
- 1 2 Jones, Jr., Robert. "Wonder of Wonders". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved December 31, 2009.
- 1 2 Strickland, Carol. "The Illustrated Nubia Index". Carol A. Strickland.
- ↑ Gerry Conway (w), Don Heck (a). "Of Gods And Men" Wonder Woman 329 (February 1986), DC Comics
- ↑ Mozzocco, J. Caleb. "The Many Loves of Wonder Woman: A Brief History Of The Amazing Amazon's Love Life". ComicsAlliance. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ↑ Colluccio, Ali. "Top 5: Wonder Woman Reboots". iFanboy. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
After she was "erased" from existence in the final pages of Crisis on Infinite Earths, George Perez, Len Wein and Greg Potter brought the Amazon Princess back to the DC Universe. While the basics of the story remained the same, Wonder Woman;s powers were adjusted to include Beauty from Aphrodite, Strength from Demeter, Wisdom from Athena, Speed and Flight from Hermes, Eyes of the Hunter from Artemis, and Truth from Hestia. This run established Paradise Island as the mythical Amazon capital, Themyscira. Perez's Diana is not only strong and smart, but graceful and kind – the iconic Wonder Woman.
- ↑ Mozzocco, J. Caleb. "The Many Loves of Wonder Woman: A Brief History Of The Amazing Amazon's Love Life". ComicsAlliance. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
When the next volume of Wonder Woman would start, Trevor was sidelined as Diana's love interest. He still appeared in the series, but as an older man, one who would ultimately marry the post-Crisis version of Wondy's Golden Age sidekick, Etta Candy.
- ↑ George Pérez (w), George Pérez, Cynthia Martin (p), Cynthia Martin (i). "War of the Gods, Chapter One: Hellfire's Web" War of the Gods 1 (September 1991), DC Comics
- ↑ George Pérez (w), George Pérez, Cynthia Martin (p), Cynthia Martin (i). "The Holy Wars" War of the Gods 2 (October 1991), DC Comics
- ↑ George Pérez (w), George Pérez, Cynthia Martin (p), Cynthia Martin (i). "Casualties of War" War of the Gods 3 (November 1991), DC Comics
- ↑ George Pérez (w), George Pérez (p). "In the Beginning... There Was the End" War of the Gods 4 (December 1991), DC Comics
- ↑ "Superhero Makeovers: Wonder Woman, part two". The Screamsheet. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
Hippolyta received a vision where Wonder Woman died.
- ↑ "Superhero Makeovers: Wonder Woman, part two". The Screamsheet. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
Desperate to save her daughter, she claimed that Diana had failed in her role as an ambassador to man's world and called for a do-over on the contest that had determined Diana fit to carry the Wonder Woman mantle in the first place.
- ↑ "Superhero Makeovers: Wonder Woman, part two". The Screamsheet. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
Due to Hippolyta secretly meddling so her daughter would lose the contest, Diana lost to one of the Bana named Artemis, who became the new Wonder Woman.
- ↑ "Superhero Makeovers: Wonder Woman, part two". The Screamsheet. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
Meanwhile, Diana herself wore the costume equivalent of black lingerie and a jacket and continued to fight crime.
- ↑ "Superhero Makeovers: Wonder Woman, part two". The Screamsheet. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
Artemis was killed off, resulting in the death of Wonder Woman that Hippolyta had foreseen, and Diana returned as Wonder Woman.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Wonder Woman & Hippolyta – As All Great Heroes Do...". Cosmic Teams.
- ↑ Jodi Picoult (w), Terry Dodson (p), Rachel Dodson (i). "Love and Murder, Part 3" Wonder Woman 8 (June 2007), DC Comics
- 1 2 Goldstein, Hilary. "Infinite Crisis Guide". IGN. Retrieved March 23, 2005.
- ↑ Goldstein, Hilary. "Defending Wonder Woman — Why the Amazonian princess should be spared punishment from DC's heroes". IGN. Retrieved August 1, 2005.
- ↑ Allan Heinberg (w), Terry Dodson (p), Rachel Dodson (i). "Who is Wonder Woman?: Part One" Wonder Woman v3, 1 (August 2006), DC Comics
- ↑ Allan Heinberg (w), Terry Dodson (p), Rachel Dodson (i). "Who is Wonder Woman?: Part Two" Wonder Woman v3, 2 (September 2006), DC Comics
- ↑ Allan Heinberg (w), Terry Dodson (p), Rachel Dodson (i). "Who is Wonder Woman?: Part Three" Wonder Woman v3, 3 (October 2006), DC Comics
- ↑ Allan Heinberg (w), Terry Dodson (p), Rachel Dodson (i). "Who is Wonder Woman?: Part Four" Wonder Woman v3, 4 (February 2007), DC Comics
- ↑ Allan Heinberg (w), Terry Dodson (p), Rachel Dodson (i). "Who is Wonder Woman?: Part Five" Wonder Woman Annual v3, 1 (November 2007), DC Comics
- ↑ Gail Simone (w), Terry Dodson (p), Rachel Dodson (i). "The Circle Part One of Four: What You Do Not Know Yet" Wonder Woman v3, 14 (January 2008), DC Comics
- ↑ Gail Simone (w), Terry Dodson (p), Rachel Dodson (i). "The Circle Part Two of Four: Dead Heat" Wonder Woman v3, 15 (February 2008), DC Comics
- ↑ Gail Simone (w), Terry Dodson (p), Rachel Dodson (i). "The Circle Part Three of Four: The Wellspring of all Vengeance" Wonder Woman v3, 16 (March 2008), DC Comics
- 1 2 Gail Simone (w), Terry Dodson (p), Rachel Dodson (i). "The Circle Conclusion: A Time Of Reckoning" Wonder Woman v3, 17 (April 2008), DC Comics
- ↑ Raou. "Wonder Woman: The Circle". Trade Talks. Retrieved May 29, 2009.
- ↑ George, Richard. "Wonder Woman's New Era". IGN. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ↑ "SS/OM: All New Wonder Woman Review Part 3: The Morrigan". That Guy With the Glasses. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ↑ Phil Hester (w), Don Kramer, Lee Garbett (p). "The Odyssey Part Fourteen: The Return" Wonder Woman 614 (October 2011), DC Comics
- ↑ Ching, Albert. "WONDER WOMAN Gets a NEW 52 Origin, Parent in November". Newsarama. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
- ↑ Gregorian, Dareh. "Zeus your daddy, Diana!". New York Post. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
- ↑ Azzarello, Brian (w), Chiang, Cliff (p), Chiang, Cliff (i). "The Visitation" Wonder Woman v4, 1 (November 2011)
- ↑ Azzarello, Brian (w), Chiang, Cliff (a). "Home" Wonder Woman v4, 2 (December 2011)
- ↑ Azzarello, Brian (w), Chiang, Cliff (p), Chiang, Cliff (i). "Blood" Wonder Woman v4, 4 (February 2012)
- ↑ Azzarello, Brian (w), Akins, Tony (p), Akins, Tony (i). "Lourdes" Wonder Woman v4, 5 (March 2012)
- ↑ Azzarello, Brian (w), Akins, Tony (p), Akins, Tony; Green, Dan (i). "Thrones" Wonder Woman v4, 6 (April 2012)
- ↑ Teen Titans #19 (2013)
- 1 2 Azzarello, Brian (w), Chiang, Cliff (p), Chiang, Cliff (i). "Il Gangster dell'amore" Wonder Woman v4, 7 (May 2012)
- ↑ Azzarello, Brian (w), Chiang, Cliff (p), Chiang, Cliff (i). "Casting Shadows" Wonder Woman v4, 8 (June 2012)
- ↑ Azzarello, Brian (w), Chiang, Cliff (p), Chiang, Cliff (i). "The Dearly Beloved" Wonder Woman v4, 9 (July 2012)
- ↑ Azzarello, Brian (w), Chiang, Cliff (p), Chiang, Cliff (i). "Vows" Wonder Woman v4, 10 (August 2012)
- ↑ Lima, Sara. "Is Changing Wonder Woman and the History of the Amazons A Good Idea?". ComicVine. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
- ↑ Hunsaker, Andy. "Wonder Woman #7: Amazon Sex Pirate Spartans". CraveOnline. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
- ↑ Azzarello, Brian (w), Chiang, Cliff (p), Chiang, Cliff (i). "Son Rise" Wonder Woman v4, 11 (September 2012)
- ↑ Azzarello, Brian (w), Chiang, Cliff (p), Chiang, Cliff (i). "Birth Right" Wonder Woman v4, 12 (October 2012)
- ↑ Rogers, Vaneta. "BRIAN AZZARELLO On Ending WONDER WOMAN #12 With a 'BOOM'". Newsarama. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
- ↑ Johnston, Rich. "The End Of Wonder Woman #12 That You Really Might Not Have Expected". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
- 1 2 Sava, Oliver. "Wonder Woman #0 goes back to the Silver Age". The A.V. Club. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
- ↑ Hanley, Tim. "Wonder Woman #0 Review OR Kind Of Cute On The Surface, But Troubling Below". Straitened Circumstances. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
- ↑ Wonder Woman #35 (2014)
- ↑ Johns, Geoff (w), Lee, Jim (p), Williams, Scott (i). "Justice League Part Three" Justice League v2, 3 (January 2012)
- ↑ "Superman and Wonder Woman kiss with powerful consequences". USA Today. August 27, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
- ↑ "Superman-Wonder Woman Romance rocks DC Comics". MSNBC.com. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
- ↑ "Superman-and-Wonder Woman become the world's newest power couple". DCcomics.com. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
- ↑ "Charles Soule And Tony Daniel Discuss Superman and Wonder Woman Comic". Newsarama.
- ↑ "Soule and Daniel Join Forces for Superman-Wonder Woman". Comic Book Resources.
- ↑ "Who's Who on EARTH 2". Newsarama.com. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
- ↑ "Look's Like Earth 2's Wonder Woman Left a Certain Something Behind... (SPOILERS)". BleedingCool.com. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
- ↑ Justice League #50 (2016)
- ↑ Wonder Woman: Rebirth #1 (2016)
- ↑ Wonder Woman #1 (2016)
- ↑ "The 50 Greatest Comic Book Characters – Wonder Woman". Empire.
- ↑ Frankenhoff, Brent (2011). Comics Buyer's Guide Presents: 100 Sexiest Women in Comics. Krause Publications. p. 14. ISBN 1-4402-2988-0.
- ↑ "Wonder Woman – #5 Top Comic Book Heroes". IGN. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
- ↑ Wertham, Fredric (1954), Seduction of the Innocent, Rinehart & Company, Inc., pp. 192, 234–235
- 1 2 McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah, eds. (2010). "1970s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 154. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9.
After nearly five years of Diana Prince's non-powered super-heroics, writer-editor Robert Kanigher and artist Don Heck restored Wonder Woman's... well, wonder.
- ↑ Matsuuchi, Ann (2012). "Wonder Woman Wears Pants: Wonder Woman, Feminism and the 1972 'Women's Lib' Issue" (PDF). Colloquy: text theory critique. archived at Monash University (24).
- ↑ Alexander, Erik (October 21, 2016). "Wonder Woman named UN ambassador in controversial move". CNN.com. CNN. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
- ↑ http://kernelmag.dailydot.com/issue-sections/features-issue-sections/14592/history-of-wonder-woman/
- ↑ https://feminismandreligion.com/2012/03/27/the-legacy-of-original-intentions-the-non-violence-of-wonder-woman-by-nick-pumphrey/
- ↑ http://comicvine.gamespot.com/forums/wonder-woman-179/the-true-nature-of-pacificism-627794/
- ↑ https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--TCLrkdUI--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/e2zvaxuicmjwogxcwo9t.png
- ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3834756/Gal-Gadot-says-Wonder-Woman-bisexual-loves-people-are.html
- ↑ http://www.newser.com/story/231895/wonder-woman-is-officially-bisexual.html
- ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3705049/What-not-Gal-Gadot-takes-fight-new-action-packed-Wonder-Woman-trailer-debuts-Comic-Con.html
- ↑ http://www.revelist.com/pop-culture/wonder-woman-is-queer/5002/default/2 "Wonder Woman has sex with other women. Get over it!"
- ↑ http://comicsalliance.com/the-many-loves-of-wonder-woman-steve-trevor-nemesis-batman-superman-romance/ The Many Loves of Wonder Woman
- ↑ https://www.wired.com/2016/11/cape-watch-112/
- ↑ http://comicvine.gamespot.com/forums/wonder-woman-179/lesbian-interpretation-23264/
- ↑ http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2015/08/20/wonder-woman-performs-same-sex-wedding-new-comic Wonder Woman Fights for Marriage Equality
- ↑ http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/woman-bisexual-dc-comics-article-1.2813018
- ↑ "Comic Book Hero Wonder Woman is Bisexual". 2016-10-01. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
- ↑ "Exclusive Interview: Greg Rucka on Queer Narrative and WONDER WOMAN". 2016-09-28. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
- ↑ http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/04/06/grant-morrison-on-wonder-woman-earth-ones-birth-race-and-sexuality-changes
- ↑ https://www.inverse.com/article/21755-gail-simone-wonder-woman-queer
- ↑ http://io9.gizmodo.com/greg-rucka-says-haters-need-to-get-over-it-about-wond-1787537688
- ↑ "Wonder Woman (2009)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
- ↑ Fleming, Mike (2013-12-04). "Emerging Star Gal Gadot Set For Wonder Woman In 'Batman Vs. Superman'". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
- ↑ "Gal Gadot to Play Wonder Woman in 'Batman vs. Superman'". Variety. 2013-12-04. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
- ↑ Busch, Anita. "Warner Bros Pushes Superman-Batman Movie To 2016". Deadline.com. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
- ↑ Cecchini, Mike. "Complete DC Comics Superhero Movie Release Calendar". Den of Geek. Den of Geek. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ↑ Mendelson, Scott. "Girls To Get 'Separate But Equal' DC Super Hero Girls Product Line". Forbes. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
- ↑ Reich, J.E. "Hotly Anticipated DC 'Super Hero Girls' Website Is Now Live". TechTimes. Retrieved 2015-08-25.
- ↑ "Meet the Heroes – Others". DC Super Hero Girls. October 1, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- ↑ "Welcome to Super Hero High School". dccomics.com/. October 1, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- ↑ Pantozzi, Jill (June 9, 2016). "DC Super Hero Girls Are Getting Their Own Movie". HitFix. Archived from the original on July 13, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
- ↑ Lambert, David (May 12, 2012). "Wonder Woman – 'The Cathy Lee Crosby Pilot' from 1974 Comes to DVD at Last!". TvShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
- 1 2 "Wonder Woman TV movie pilot DVD 1974 Cathy Lee Crosby". Hard to Find Films. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
- ↑ "Wonder Woman". TV.com. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B19qk6ywPaM Wonder Woman S03 DVD Extras The Ultimate Feminist Icon
- ↑ Goldman, Eric. "The History of DC Comics on TV". IGN. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
- ↑ Rise, Lynette (May 12, 2011). "NBC rejects 'Wonder Woman'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
- ↑ Franich, Darren (September 6, 2012). "New Wonder Woman series in development at the CW". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
- ↑ Gennis, Sadie (September 7, 2012). "The CW Developing Wonder Woman Origin Series". TV Guide. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
- ↑ "Smallville Season 11, Episode 7 (Issues 16–19): Olympus". DC Comics.
External links
- Wonder Woman Official website at DC Comics.com
- Origin story of Wonder Woman at DC Comics.com
- AmazonArchives.com
- Wonder of Wonders
- Glen, Joshua (April 4, 2004). "Wonder-working Power". The Boston Globe.
- Jett, Brett. "Who Is Wonder Woman?", " (Manuscript) (2009): 1-71.
- Jett, Brett. "Who Is Wonder Woman?--Bonus PDF", " (PDF) (2009): 1-17.
- Malcolm, Andrew H. (February 18, 1992). "She's Behind the Match For That Man of Steel". The New York Times.
- Marston, William Moulton. Emotions Of Abnormal People. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co, Ltd. 1928. ISBN 1406701165
- Rosenberg, Robin S. "Wonder Woman As Émigré - Why would Wonder Woman leave her idyllic existence on Paradise Island?", (Article) (2010).
- Rosenberg, Robin S. "Wonder Woman: Compassionate Warrior for Peace", (Article) (2013): 1-35.
- Valcour, Francinne. "Manipulating The Messenger: Wonder Woman As An American Female Icon", (Dissertation) (2006): 1-372.