Flight or no Flight?

[Shatagni]

Just want to gather people's opinions here.

Although I'm a fan of Post-crisis Wonder woman, recently I've being considering that maybe she works better as a ground-based brawler, especially after watching The animated movie and reminiscing about her days in the Linda Carter show.

Sometimes I feel flight makes things too easy for her. Like if she's surrounded by a bunch of enemies, all she has to do is fly away and then attack again. But then again, being flightless means fighting someone like Giganta would be a real pain.

I dunno, thoughts?

[loneangel74]

I like Diana with the power of flight! It is not necessarily a new idea for her in the comic book… they just used to call it “gliding on air currents” pre-crisis. I always felt it was a slap in the face for Diana since Donna could fly but she couldn’t. I have had her flying for over 20 years and I really cannot see her not be able to do so in the future. Besides, every character evolves. Why not Wonder Woman? Superman did not start off flying… only leaping tall buildings in a single bound. Considering Diana’s supernatural background, flying is more plausible for her than any other character.

Just a little angelic thinking…

Regards,

[Gail Simone]

Great, great question.

I actually am in a weird spot here, as I like both. The wind currents/invisible jet combination is incredibly powerful and evocative.

But it DOES leave her underpowered against other superheroes.

At this point, I don't think there's any going back. But if I were doing a WW movie for live action, I wouldn't immediately throw out the idea of going with the classic not-quite-full-flight powers.

She could fly in my WW animated drafts.

[Cayman]

No flight for me.

[Donna M.]

FLIGHT! "Gliding on air currents" is just bloody silly.

[suedenim]

But it DOES leave her underpowered against other superheroes.

This is a point I made in the "Invulnerability" topic, that sometimes it's kind of a shame that Wonder Woman is in a "shared universe" with Superman et al.

In many (and probably most) ways, it's a Good Thing, but there are drawbacks, and the implicit need to have her on a rough par with Superman turn some Wonder Woman shticks (like "bullets and bracelets" or the invisible jet) into not-entirely-necessary quirks.

[JKCarrier]

Among superheroes, flying is no big deal. The invisible plane is cooler, and uniquely hers, so I say stick with that. "Because Superman does it" is a dumb reason for anything. Should Diana have x-ray vision, too? :rolleyes:

[Kevenn]

FLIGHT!!!!

[Sijo]

I always thought it was cool that Diana had her own way to fly, instead of just going up on force of will ala Superman (I even remember an issue of Super Friends from the 70's -seriously, the comic book version was actually good- where an enemy with elemental powers dropped her from the sky by stopping the air currents!

Still, normal flight works too.

[Xeres]

Yeah I like the flight. I was never a fan of the wind currents - she's not a kite.

[scary harpy]

Flight.

Call it "gliding on air currents" if you wish but she should fly.

[ryerye17]

Flight

How is this EVEN a question

[West Mantooth]

Honestly, how is it even possible to tell the difference(flight -gliding) in a static medium like comics unless she it tells you so?

[Phil Jimenez]

I'm with Gail. As much as I love that she can fly, I also love the invisible jet. In the film, I'd actually prefer she didn't fly, and that she uses the invisible jet for long-distance transport.

In the comics, when she does fly, I wish people would remember how fast she can travel -- I think she was clocked at Mach 3 during Grant's early JLA run.

Weren't the Amazons' gliding powers pre-Crisis by-products of Amazon Training? Didn't they have to study and practice and channel their mental energies to glide on those currents?

[Superbeast]

I always thought she'd use the jet for long trips and her normal flight to get across town or something. I always had WW as a notch below Superman or the Flash in terms of speed and much lower than Superman in terms of endurance because she isn't constantly being powered by the sun. So I assumed flying all the way to China would tire her out and given she isn't completely invulnerable, the invisible jet gave her more defensive options.