Wonder Woman FAQ

[Ontir]

Wonder Woman always was a powerhouse character. The problem was, that after Crisis, they tried to turn her into Superman, and it didn't work. While Perez was on the book, the sales were good, and they've gone up and down, depending on whom was writing and drawing, but with the increased mythological basis, she still didn't really work. One of the other things working against her, is that the costume is directly tied to World War II, and that's been excised from the Earth 2 origin.

The strength of the invisible jet (originally, invisible plane), is that is shows the development of the Amazons. They weren't just kicking back peeling grapes for 3,000 years, they were a vibrant, thriving, and progressive society. Removing that from the book weakens it from the foundation. Many people complain that the jet is silly, but I maintain that it's the un-updated graphic representation that is the problem, and not the basic concept. Especially now, as stealth technology is advancing, it makes more sense than ever that a race that's done nothing but explore the boundries of science for millenia, would be a bit further ahead.

Combining this aspect with her physical strength, agility, and endurance, puts her on equal footing with both Superman and Batman, and I believe, does far more to legitimise her place in DC's Trinity.

[PatrickG]

What is the problem with having a woman as a powerhouse?

Really?

There isn't anything wrong with her powers.
And if you want her to be more distinct, DC can do more stories about her magic based abilities.

I think more attention should be spent trying to give her more of a background base and maybe just maybe a love interest. I would love her to have an interesting support network that both Batman and Superman have. Plus I think her book stands out from the other two, since it has a slight political slant and socially progressive. I think stories that combind her abilities to handle superpower villian while trying to help to work with humans on a government level is very cool. Though....I am guessing her ability to work with world governments is going to end...sadly...

Nothing wrong with her being a powerhouse.

I'm all for Supergirl being more powerful than Superman.

But the appeal of WW, for me, is that she's this street level, hands-on, ambassador type.

Making her the powerhouse as opposed to a more Batman/Captain America-level character takes away what I find cool about her.

[shyguy]

What is the problem with having a woman as a powerhouse?

No problem with that at all. That's why we have Supergirl. And Powergirl. And Mary Marvel. And why we used to have Maxima. You can be a powerhouse without being as powerful as Superman (and again, that's why we have Supergirl), and Wonder Woman stories (about social issues and empowerment) work better if she's not that powerful.

And if you want her to be more distinct, DC can do more stories about her magic based abilities.

Why? Wonder Woman is supposed to be about socially progressive stories and themes. She's not Thor or Dr. Fate. Plus, Superman and Batman have magically based stories all the time, so I'm not sure how that would set her apart.

[CoreyB]

Wonder Woman always was a powerhouse character. The problem was, that after Crisis, they tried to turn her into Superman, and it didn't work. While Perez was on the book, the sales were good, and they've gone up and down, depending on whom was writing and drawing, but with the increased mythological basis, she still didn't really work. One of the other things working against her, is that the costume is directly tied to World War II, and that's been excised from the Earth 2 origin.

The strength of the invisible jet (originally, invisible plane), is that is shows the development of the Amazons. They weren't just kicking back peeling grapes for 3,000 years, they were a vibrant, thriving, and progressive society. Removing that from the book weakens it from the foundation. Many people complain that the jet is silly, but I maintain that it's the un-updated graphic representation that is the problem, and not the basic concept. Especially now, as stealth technology is advancing, it makes more sense than ever that a race that's done nothing but explore the boundries of science for millenia, would be a bit further ahead.

Combining this aspect with her physical strength, agility, and endurance, puts her on equal footing with both Superman and Batman, and I believe, does far more to legitimise her place in DC's Trinity.

As I understand it, Wonder Woman never tore up the sales charts, except maybe in the 50s.

[shyguy]

As I understand it, Wonder Woman never tore up the sales charts, except maybe in the 50s.

Wonder Woman was a huge seller in the 40's; she warranted her own title as well as appearing in Sensation Comics.

She's just been going downhill since then. Partially because it's hard for female heroes to find an audience at all, partly because she's such a bizarre character that nobody except her creator has been able to write her to her full potential, and partly because her stories have just sucked a lot of the time.

[trickster]

That jet was retarded.

And if she's super-strong why does she need a jet to carry cargo and passengers?

Yeah, she would have looked silly, like her sitting on an invisible can or something.

[Gargus]

I believe Wonder Woman should keep the jet in order to use it for cargo and passengers but I hate the idea of taking away her ability to fly, downsizing her strength and invulnerability. There are very few female characters that can believeably stand with the Big Boys in DC comic today. Making her weaker would take away her ability to be the tough as nail peace adovcate who never gives up.

If you want her to be more distinct from Superman, DC could play up the more magical side of her powers, talking to animals and how her bracelets can be used against her and possiblity returning her secret identity. Actually I do think they will return her secret identity esp now that her entire world is gone and she has no where else to go but live in man's world where there are some people who no longer trust her.

I understand that many comic book fans are older and were around during the golden/silver age of comics and like seeing the characters presented as they were But I think that some people need to lighten up on the whole "that is how everyone remembers her"

No not everyone thinks of her like that, new generation, new times.

This is the iron age......

Has nothing to do with remembering her the way she was, it has to do with there are more than enough slugfest type charcters. Personally I think it would be cooler if she could stand up against heavy hitters by being faster, smarter, more agile or more tactical. Id rather see her little more of a individual and not another clone, not flying or being super strong or standup up to a punch from superman would mean she would have to use other talents. I mean why use her other abilities to take out a guy when she can just knock em out?

I gather your a woman and want equality and all that from the sense of your post but this is a comic not a womans rights movement and no one says she shouldnt be able to stand up to darkseid blow for blow. But I think its a matter of most people (including me) want to see WONDER woman and not a grown up version of power girl or super girl. Depower her and make her more interesting, trading shots on the whole is boring when the charcter has so much more in their aresenal. No offense by the way intended.

Why out of all the DC universe charcters I always liked the ones most who different than your standard comic charcter like green lantern has super powers but he is just a man. Or the ultimate example, batman. Batman is a badass because he isnt super strong or can fly so he has to fallback on his brain and that makes him cool because one shot from shazam or superman would squash him to paste but he could beat them without using brute strength and thats also why I originally liked wonder woman.

[trickster]

For all those who say that her being powerful is bad: without powers she'd be more fit for fashion shows or adult magazines than superheroing, or she'd just be a mythological Huntress. Where's the point in that? Maybe not even that anymore, now that the gods are gone and Themyscira is gone too. I like that she can go to toe with Superman, like she did in "Paradise Lost" in the JLU cartoon, or in "Sacrifice".

[CoreyB]

I will admit that the bracelets are kind of silly if bullets can just bounce off her skin. And her bracelets are such an iconic part of her. So I can see bringing down the invulnerability for that.

[Syphre Zero]

Greg Rucka touched on a few of these points on the DC panel at WizardWorld Boston back at the beginning of October (glad I made it to at least one). If I recall correctly, he said one of the greatest challenges (and greatest attraction for him) to tackling Diana's writing duties was that he would be working with a character he felt had been systematically short-changed for most of her existence. Wonder Woman's autonomy as a character was limited by her very definition: she was almost as strong as Superman, almost as fast as Superman, almost as smart as Superman, etc. He used this platform to describe the need for strong female archetypes in the DCU. I, for one, agreed with him - I was inspired enough to add Wonder Woman to my pull list the very next week.

As a cornerstone of the Big Three, I think Wonder Woman is obligated to be the strongest female character on the field; Kara may be able to out bench-press her, but she still looks to Diana for inspiration and example. I think she's earned the heightened powers, they complement her as a whole.

[shyguy]

For all those who say that her being powerful is bad: without powers she'd be more fit for fashion shows or adult magazines than superheroing, or she'd just be a mythological Huntress. Where's the point in that?

No one's saying that she shouldn't have powers (although I wouldn't necessarily mind that), people are saying that she should be a more mid-level hero (like Spider-Man).

As a cornerstone of the Big Three, I think Wonder Woman is obligated to be the strongest female character on the field; Kara may be able to out bench-press her, but she still looks to Diana for inspiration and example. I think she's earned the heightened powers, they complement her as a whole.

Inspiration and example, fine; but I'm not sure how that translates to powers. Batman seems to do pretty well for himself despite being vastly less powerful than Superman. I never understand why some people think that power has to correspond to importance (I think Captain America would have a few words to say about that).

And on the contrary, I think the heightened powers take away her uniqueness and force her into a mold that the character was never supposed to inhabit. Furthermore, they impose upon her unecessary restrictions ("2nd most powerful").

[seaflower]

Yes I am a women (this is a reply to another post) and very well read in comics and their history.

My problem is that essentially I think we link heros identity with their powers a little too closely...

Personally as I have said before , I don't think there is anything wrong with her powers as is. Plus I think she does stand apart from the other hero due to the fact that her book tends to be a bit more political/socially progressive. I think that if you want to make her more unique, focus on her ideals instead of her powers. And how does it make sense for a person given power by the gods to be street- level?.The real problem with Wonder Woman is her lack of a solid identity who can't find her fit anywhere in the world, which I think is her greatest weakness and strength.

Granted, I do like the suggestion of her being smarter than she is now...she is suppose to have a beyond world class education....

I think her warrior side does make her different within the big 3, as seen from the recent event with Max Lord. As a warrior she killed to protect the world while Superman and Batman hide behind their superhero ethics. Plus unlike the other two , she will hurt her friends in order to protect them.

Since she is older than powergirl and supergirl, it would be more correct to say that they are a copy them off her.

One of the reasons why she wears the bracelets is for their symbolic value for the Amazons as a reminder of the time when they were once slaves in man's world.

Magic wise she is distinct from Superman and Batman: Her creation is more magic based than Superman and Batman.
I think the growth of magical realism in the fantasy genre has shown with some creativity, you can wrtie socially progressive stories with slight magical undertone, very slight...Plus she doesn't have their distain for magic.

One last point: Aren't most of the female centred books in DC street - level the exception being Super-girl? Well DC version of street level outside of Vertigo.
Batgirl
Catwoman
Birds of Prey
Do we really need one more street level female centred comic?

[mswood]

Have to add, I think the invisible jet, purple ray, mental radio was crap, pure unadulterated garbage.

As for her starting out in the 40's being less powerful, that is true. But so was Superman, who couldn't fly was stronger then a train but wasn't picking up mountains and certainly not pushing planets around.

By the time of the JLA versions of both characters. Wonder Women was far stronger, she would get into slugging matches with Superman and was one of the few who could. She glided on air (which was as dumb as the jet).

And when she was rebuted Perez didn't make her vastly powerful (though nearly was Superman during his reboot, that came years later). In boths first 2 years, the most I saw Superman move was a ocean linear while WW lifted a wooden frigate.

But over time (just like in both golden and silver ages) writers increased both's power levels.

To me I want her superstrong, I want her to be the female powerhouse who isn't a copy of another character Super Girl (female version of Superman), Power girl (Alternate form of supergirl), Mary Marvel (female version of Captain Marvel). In fact their isn't a real example of a female hero (of any real visability that is Super Strong. That isn't a female version of a more popular male character that I can think of.

Yeah there were minor characters like Maxima (a rather new character in comic terms) and no longer with us, if I recall.

And just because she is super strong doesn't mean she needs to be portrayed as a female superman. After all Thor isn't portrayed as Superman. And even in DC Captain Marvel or the Martian Manhunter (both exceedinly powerful beings) are portrayed quite differently then Superman.

[seaflower]

Have to add, I think the invisible jet, purple ray, mental radio was crap, pure unadulterated garbage.

As for her starting out in the 40's being less powerful, that is true. But so was Superman, who couldn't fly was stronger then a train but wasn't picking up mountains and certainly not pushing planets around.

By the time of the JLA versions of both characters. Wonder Women was far stronger, she would get into slugging matches with Superman and was one of the few who could. She glided on air (which was as dumb as the jet).

And when she was rebuted Perez didn't make her vastly powerful (though nearly was Superman during his reboot, that came years later). In boths first 2 years, the most I saw Superman move was a ocean linear while WW lifted a wooden frigate.

But over time (just like in both golden and silver ages) writers increased both's power levels.

To me I want her superstrong, I want her to be the female powerhouse who isn't a copy of another character Super Girl (female version of Superman), Power girl (Alternate form of supergirl), Mary Marvel (female version of Captain Marvel). In fact their isn't a real example of a female hero (of any real visability that is Super Strong. That isn't a female version of a more popular male character that I can think of.

Yeah there were minor characters like Maxima (a rather new character in comic terms) and no longer with us, if I recall.

And just because she is super strong doesn't mean she needs to be portrayed as a female superman. After all Thor isn't portrayed as Superman. And even in DC Captain Marvel or the Martian Manhunter (both exceedinly powerful beings) are portrayed quite differently then Superman.

Hmmmm you make an interesting point that I don't think has been mention before...

[Eliseu Gouveia]

People affraid that a superstrong WW will become too identical to Superman must stop to realise that about the only thing in common between them is the fact that they wear uniforms.

Personalities: farm boy VS greek demigoddess
Background: greek mythology VS alien refugee
Powers: sun battery VS gift from gods
and so on and so forth

Really, I´m as opposed to a female streetleveler as I can be, I already have Batgirl for that part.
And Black Canary.
And Huntress.
And...and...and...

It´s true that they upped her powers a lot since Perez´revamp, but the only thing in my opinion that should have been addressed since day one was her uniform. As a guy I´m naturally fond of some hefty doses of cheesecake but an amazonian princess fighting evil in a bathing suit?

That´s just a little bit too much.