Wonder Woman is Princess Diana of Themyscira (Diana Prince). Daughter of Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, and Zeus, the most powerful of the gods of Olympus, the truth is that her origin has been rewritten a few times and she started out made of clay, a bit in the biblical style.
Diana volunteered to leave behind her island paradise home in the Amazons and bring a message of peace, fighting for justice and equality in the world of men.
Founder of the Justice Leagueis considered one of DC’s most powerful superheroes, and capable of winning some of the strongest characters in battle, thanks to her superior skill and intelligence.
The curious origin of the character
The character was created for DC by psychologist William Moulton Marstonwho also invented, curiously, the polygraph.
character appeared for the first time in number 8 All Star Comicspublished October 21, 1941. It was an instant success and, therefore, his first own comic would be the Sensation Comics number 1, published in January 1942, just a few months later.
That makes her the first superheroine in the history of comicsincluding Marvel. Or, at least, the first superheroine mainstream.
Since then, Wonder Woman has been published by DC Comics almost continuously.
Marston’s idea was to create a different hero, whose resolution of things was not based on force and punches. His wife, Elizabeth, also a psychologist, suggested that she be a woman.
In an interview to The New YorkerMarston made the intentions of the character and why he created it very clear: «Wonder Woman is the psychological propaganda of the new type of woman who, in my opinion, should rule the world […] the only hope of civilization is the greater freedom, development and equality of women in all fields of human activity”.
At a time when this was still unthinkable, it was a revolution.
What are Wonder Woman’s powers
Before leaving for the world of men, the gods of Olympus granted various powers to Diana. Among them, it is worth highlighting:
- Super strengthagility, reflexes, heightened senses and speed.
- Capacity of fly.
- Immortality and eternal youth.
- Accelerated healing.
- Communication with animals and much more.
In general, it is considered to be the most powerful heroine in the DC Universe. In the same way, it is helped with weapons and objects that increase these powers. Among them, it is worth highlighting:
- the lasso of truth. With a good handful of magical abilities (as needed by the writers of the story), the main characteristic of him is that whoever is bound by him can only tell said truth.
- The submission bracelets. Almost indestructible and made of amazoniumthey are the shield capable of stopping projectiles and blows.
- The sword forged by Hephaestus and the shield of Queen Alcippe.
- His tiaramade of the same metal that, in addition to being a throwing weapon on occasions, allows him other abilities, such as understanding all languages.
- His invisible plane to the human eye. Initially, it was the plane that Steve Trevor crashed on Themyscira and that was upgraded by the Amazons.
Yes, it is clear, if Wonder Woman flies, why a plane? However, especially early on, it was one of the most significant elements of her and Wonder Woman didn’t fly by herself.
Who is more powerful, Wonder Woman or Superman?
This is a very common question, since Wonder Woman can usually be measured with Superman and it is one of the few, if not the only one, that can withstand a few rounds… and even give it a spanking.
However, Officially, Superman is more powerful than Wonder Woman. and Wonder Woman herself recognizes it.
Normally, if Superman is known as the strongest man on the planet, Wonder Woman is undoubtedly the strongest woman on the planet. In addition, on many occasions she has shown that not everything is strength, but ingenuity. Being the warrior and strategist that she is, she has shown that his power is more effective than that of the Man of Steel at timesalthough it is not so excessive.
In the same way, Wonder Woman doesn’t have Superman’s weaknesseswith which, in a fight with him, and depending on the circumstances, anything can happen.
What are some of the most important adventures of Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman has had plenty of adventures in her long life. Both alone and in the company of The Justice League, since she has always been one of the most popular DC characters.
This was also shown when brought the DC Extended Universe of cinema out of a coma. Her film was a breather, both critically and at the box office, which of course they proceeded to squander on the movies from The Justice League and an atrocious sequel to Wonder Woman, which also suffered from the pandemic.
However, in the comics, these are some of his biggest adventures.
- In the heroine’s initial Golden Age, her adventures have an important influence of Greek mythology and innocence of those times. But unlike other characters, like Batman, his consistency is undeniable. He continues to fight for the same ideals in the same way.
- Steve Trevorcrashed pilot on his island, will always be your great love and partner.
- Ares the god of War and the character of cheetah, embodied by various women in the comics, have always been two of his great enemies. However, doesn’t have an iconic nemesisas the Joker is from Batman.
- In 1968, he lost his powers for a while, but she stayed in the world of men, opened a clothing store and learned martial arts. Back then he wore everything, instead of his original outfit, but mainly he wore a white jumpsuit with a W on it. His powers came back 4 years later.
- Following Superman’s death, a depressed Wonder Woman discovers, using her own lasso, that she has been misled about her origins and travels to Olympus for answers, only to find it abandoned. It’s a good story that will see her reunite with Steve Trevor.
- In time, Wonder Woman will have another big-name love affair, as it will be superman.
- On Immortal Wonder Womanwe see that, in the future, at the end of the days of the DC Universe, she is the one who has to face Darkseidthe great enemy of The Justice League, in his last attempt to conquer the Earth. With her allies dead and a weak older Superman, it’s all up to Wonder Woman.
The truth is that Wonder Woman may have suffered a bit from not having that nemesis, that great enemy. However, some stages, such as those of Gail Simone or that of The New 52the relaunch of the 2011 DC heroes are very good.
Curiosities and secrets that few know about the heroine
To finish, here are a few curiosities that only the most fans of the Amazon know:
- wonder-woman she has never worn a skirt. Although in some comics it seems that he wears something similar, in reality, he is always a culottes.
- Of course, early Wonder Woman comics were considered obscene in the 40s. His suit showed too much meat.
- It was also the first woman to join the Justice Societythe prelude to the later Justice League.
- At first, was going to be called SupremeWonder Woman.
- In addition to Diana Prince, there were other Wonder Women occasional, like Donna Troy or Queen Hippolyta herself.
- Wonder Woman, just like Superman, is able to lift Thor’s hammer. Seriously, we haven’t got the wrong universe. Thor’s own comic reminds us of that, as you can see below.
The story of crossovers between DC and Marvel is curious over time, and that wink is one more stone in the building that never finished being built as it deserved.
As you can see, Wonder Woman is, without a doubt, one of the most important DC superheroes. The first superhero in history is also the most powerful and, as far as we know, the only one left to defend us when the last days come. At least, the last days of the DC Universe.
