Wonder Woman FAQ

[Captain Jim]

While generally a good rule, I heartily endorse ignoring Byrne's entire Wonder Woman run and making up stories in your head about how everything that changed during that time.

Unless you really like scratchy artwork and seeing the Demon and the New Gods shoehorned into stories, in which case knock yourself out.

I didn't care for the Demon stories but I thought some of the other stuff--like the WWII JSA stories--were fantastic.

[Captain Jim]

The pre-Crisis Earth-2 Wonder Woman could not fly of her own power

Neither could the pre-Crisis Earth-1 Wonder Woman.

[Captain Jim]

Wonder Woman always was a powerhouse character. The problem was, that after Crisis, they tried to turn her into Superman

Bingo. I agree completely.

[shyguy]

I think people need to realize that a depowered Wondy does not automatically equal street-level.

In fact, rather than becoming part of an overpopulated part of the DCU, a Diana with lessened powers would actually be filling what is something of void currently - top-tier mid-level heroes. Marvel has a lot of mid-level heroes, but they're something that DC usually lacks. Post-Crisis, the most prominent is Aquaman, but since his stories are in some way or another confined to the ocean, that means there's a lot of ground to be exploited with a surface-based mid-level hero, particularly one who has a progressive social agenda to work with.

That, by the way, is another reason I don't like Wondy as Mrs. Superman. The more powerful she is, the less likely her stories are to have anything to do with the real world and the issues she should be dealing with.

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

I agree! That's why I don't think Wondy being an important character within the DCU should have anything to do with how powerful she is.

I didn't care for the Demon stories but I thought some of the other stuff--like the WWII JSA stories--were fantastic.

I don't know if I'd say "fantastic," but the JSA stories and Hippolyta-as-Wondy stories were by far my favorite of the Byrne run, too.

[Eliseu Gouveia]

Wonder Woman always was a powerhouse character. The problem was, that after Crisis, they tried to turn her into Superman

I don´t agree, just by giving her flight doesn´t mean she´s suddenly a Superman clone.

Personality, powers, background.... nothing in there is similar.

Diana doesn´t even have a secret identity (which I kind like, since a demigoddess of truth shouldn´t hide under alias and white lies).

[seaflower]

While I do believe that huge power doesn't always equal importance...

In Wonder Women's case, I think her power add to her importance. It is just not the point of her importance.

Plus she has been regard for the last ten years as the most powerful woman on earth. It has become part of her identity.

The reason I mention street level, is because several people have mention depowering and making her more street level ....like the horrid t.v show...sigh...

I agree that DC could use more mid level heros but why the one woman of the Trinity? In order for Diana to be one of the big 3, I think she needs to be able to go toe to toe with both men. Superman/Alien, Wonder Woman/Divine Origins, Batman/Human. They each have distinct beliefs, training,behaviour, family structure, social economic background and even thought Superman and Wonder Woman have similar powers, there are powers each characters have that is distinct to themselves.

I think Wonder Woman does stand apart from Superman for several reasons, she has more confidence in herself and her mission than he does, when she went blind she fought to stay with the League, while he admitted that he would have quit. Most of the League loves her because she makes them feel loved and talks to them like she knows them. The one thing I like about her is that she lack Superman's easy dismissal for his actions and Batman's cool detachment. What makes her stand out is her personality,background and experiences while her power enhance her importance.

Why not enlarge the roles of other mid player women or create new ones. Why take away the only Top Playing Female that isn't blood related to Superman. Hell why not depower/kill Supergirl (sorry bias, was never a fan of bringing her back)

If you want a good mid level female character...

why not read Birds of Prey or Catwoman?

[tangentman]

I'm firmly in favor of a fully-powered, high-end Wonder Woman. While there were problems with the post-Crisis reboot, I still loved the upgrade to Wonder Woman's power and methods. The mythological angle and ambassador's duties set Wonder Woman apart from the scores of heroes who played the secret identity game. When Wonder Woman reappeared in 1987, she was unique in her insistence that people call her "Diana" instead of "Wonder Woman". Why move backwards by having Diana become yet another superhero?

I prefer the warrior and peace ambassador. Now, if there was a change that could be made, I would say strip the character of the political correctness that built onto her in the 80's and 90's. Wonder Woman killing Medusa and Max was in character for a product of an Amazon warrior culture.

I would also suggest playing up Diana's brilliance and charisma. Batman might have the official degrees and Superman might have the Super-Intellect, but Diana should have more insight and discipline than either man. I would love to see Diana chide Kal for not pushing against his limitations, or showing Batman the emotions behind a motive in a crime. People of the DCU should see Diana as appealing and engaging, almost to the point that Superman appears boring next to her. If they ever get into a relationship, the DCU should refer to Superman as "Mr. Wonder Woman", not the other way around. :D

I'm not threatened or put off by a powerful Wonder Woman. After all, she's the favored of the Greek Gods. They didn't welsh when creating their heroes. Wonder Woman did NOT begin as a "street-level, Batman/Captain America-type" character, not even in the 40's. DC already tried a powerless, "Kung Fu" action WW and that ultimately FLOPPED. If you want a Batman or Captain America style hero, read Batman or Captain America comics! Hell, read Catwoman, Batgirl/Batwoman, or BoP. Leave Wonder Woman to the heights of the DC hierachy. :)

[Ultraman Max]

The TV show (along with Superfriends) is where a good deal of Wonder Woman's modern pop culture awareness comes from still. If one were to look around the malls at stores like Hot Topic or Suncoast or anywhere else that carries any Wonder Woman merchandise, you'd find it's pretty much entirely composed of the seventies version of the character. Either the drawn comic/cartoon version (with the eagle not the 2 w's) or Lynda Carter.

Outside of the Cartoon Network only Justice League shows, there's been little to no push what so ever to supplant that version in the cultural consciousness. Unlike say Batman or Superman, who've had several different periods of mass popularity, though with mixed results on the latter (some of the Byrne reboot aspects are more accepted than others). Even Aquaman's had a bit of push with other media outlets, though they were largely scorned or outright rejected for featuring the hook handed version (like the skewering done on X-Play). So unless that push happens successfully there's always going to be a set of people who will look at the current version and say "Wonder Woman can't do that!".

Personally I think what the character has suffered most in the comics is that no one seems to really know what they should do with her. You have a pull between various creators all wanting to go in thier direction of choice with largely mixed results. Heavy mythology use seems to have a limited span of interest with alot of fans (just ask Thor), as do heavy handed message stories (see general reaction to Judd Winnick's work) so leaning too much one way or the other could be problematic. I think a mix of message, mythology, and sci-fi, similar to say Kirby's Thor or New Gods, could work pretty well with her.

I also don't see how the purple ray or invisible jet are any more or less silly than being a living clay statue from an unchanged island of ancient amazonian women.

[Ontir]

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

The problem is, that after World War II, they diluted the character. Many of the plots during the 50's, were all about mobsters trying to get her married, so she'd be too busy to fight crime. Definately not a high point.

With the arrival of the Justice League of America, she was moved more toward the original direction, but even that took awhile.

In the late 60's early 70's, they did an interesting re-vamp, in which she said goodbye to her costume, jet, and other impliments, and became a more "Emma Peele" type of character. Unfortunately, this didn't work out too well, after a short time.

She was returned to her costume and plane, along with all the mythology, which should have worked, but as is quite often the case with Wonder Woman, the art was incredibly uneven, going from quite good, to just horrid. In a visual medium, an ugly book doesn't sell!

While things like the Super-Friends and the New Original Wonder Woman helped out for awhile, when the shows were off the air, the interest in her generally waned, and the un-even ups and downs continued to plague her until, and then after George Perez worked on the book.

[tangentman]

What you didn't mention was that the "Emma Peele" phase also made Diana an insipid fashion victim who was either troubled by romances with shady men or overly dependent on the homilies of I Ching, her grotesquely stereotyped Chinese mentor/father-figure. Yes, he really WAS called "I Ching". :rolleyes: Diana went from independent superheroine to a novice who needed the supervision of a man to survive in the world. Hardly a liberating step for the original feminist superheroine.

[Ontir]

I glossed over it with "Unfortunately, this didn't work out too well, after a short time." The idea of I Ching, initially, was OK. Diana no longer had her powers/Amazonian skills to rely on, and needed to start anew. Maybe if I Ching had been a woman, it might've gone down better, but it started out interestingly. Within a few issues, it was just bizarre, and I found a few of the stories kind of disturbing. There was that killer-lesbians issue, which leaps first and foremost to mind!

[Ultraman Max]

The "New" Wonder Woman was also the recipiant of a huge public backlash, notably from Ms. Magazine who felt they were depowering a feminist icon. In the DC COMICS: Sixty Years of The World's Greatest Comics Denny O'Neil lists said backlash amoung the reasons the direction didn't take off.

[tangentman]

Not to mention the "Women's Lib" issue, wherein Diana tells Cathy (her sorta teen sidekick) that "she doesn't even like most women". Ugh. :rolleyes: I wanted to SLAP whoever wrote Diana in that era.

Oh yeah, Gloria Steinem HATED the Emma Peel version and demanded the return of the powers, costume, and magickal weapons.

[Ultraman Max]

I kinda liked some of the go-go outfits during that period though, in a "so bad it's good" sort of way, lol.

[tangentman]

The ONE story I enjoyed from the era was Diana's battle/team-up with Catwoman. Cool story, good "catfight", and an interesting appearance by Fafyrd and the Grey Mouser. I thought Giordano's art was well-done on the two-part story, too, especially the cover that showed Wonder Woman in a sword duel to the death with Catwoman suspended over a fiery pit!