CBR: Wonder of Wonders - Oct 9, 2009

**CBR News** · 10-09-2009, 01:28 PM

Wonder Woman's boyfriend,Steve Trevor was one of the most brilliant concept of the Golden Age, so why is it equally brilliant that he's not longer the Amazon's love interest in current continuity? Carol A. Strickland spells it out.

Full article here.

**shanejayell** · 10-09-2009, 01:45 PM

Sadly, I have NEVER been able to take Steve seriously.

Good essay, tho.

**CMBMOOL** · 10-09-2009, 01:47 PM

Eh, this is often one of the many reasons why I enjoyed the Golden Age version of Wonder Woman to the modern age version. Because at least in the Golden Ages the lovers were patients to marry each other and willing to work together.

Plus, I see this is the reason why I wouldn't read WW now.

**philippos42** · 10-09-2009, 02:16 PM

Thank you for this, Carol. Well said.

Let's worry about the content of the character--what Wondy's boyfriends/love interests are like--rather than exalting a name as trademark.

Insisting that it be Steve Trevor is muddying; not only because Etta's husband is named Steve Trevor, but because there have been different aspects to Steve, arguably different incarnations. And a new writer should not kid himself that he is the final synthesis. Whatever new boyfriend she has could be an "interpretation of Steve Trevor" or a new character defined as such. The latter is probably better.

Also, I have to agree that Steve was in the 1940's a total standard action hero. In the 1990's, an equivalent character could have been a Wesley Snipes, not a Steve Canyon. Why not let Wondy date a nice black guy?

**Eliseu Gouveia** · 10-09-2009, 02:57 PM

Look at female solo leads in continuing series of all kinds. TV's Buffy had two heroes who held her heart: Angel and Spike, plus a few other, much more mortal, lovers. In books, today's "kick-ass" heroines always have more than one man in their lives, providing all kinds of romantic conflict and leaving the reader wondering, "Who's she going to end up with?"

Janet Evanovich's wildly sales-successful bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum, enjoys being pursued by hunks Morelli, Ranger, and Diesel. Sookie Stackhouse, Anita Blake, even Scarlett O'Hara (oops, not a series there) have multiple concurrent love interests. Even Rachel Caine's married Weather Warden, Joanne Baldwin, has two men pulling at her emotions.

Your average "kick-ass" heroine can be found as a matter of course in today's best-selling urban fantasy genre, which often run as series. Every one of these heroines will have at least two men panting after her, and they'll be alpha males to out-alpha any other male in the area. If the heroine is human you can bet money her lovers won't be. Humans are just too, well, ordinary to interest today's K-A heroine.

And Wondie is the kickin'-est-ass heroine of ‘em all!

Thus, it is my contention that Steve Trevor is no longer needed - or WANTED - as Wonder Woman's love interest. As such he would bring inertia to a series that needs to intrigue its readers.

These days Nemesis (portrayed in the book as a pallid, though WW-adoring, man-boy) has dumped Diana, and Achilles (greatest warrior of ancient Greece) has proved himself anything but an alpha male. WW should think about collecting a harem of male admirers, not only of the extreme alpha type but, for variety, include a few gammas, those guys who combine alpha and beta characteristics. Not only would this give "Wonder Woman" a modern feel, but it would add spark to the series and keep the readers guessing as to who might wind up with Diana, even if for only the immediate night.

I think Diana might enjoy it as well.

I feel so... vindicated!
This is what I´ve been saying all along!
This virgin crap is SO 1945...
Get a whole bunch of love interests for WW.
Gods, demigods, gifted humans, a whole bunch of characters SPECIFIC TO HER BOOK (no Superman/Batman or other fellow superheroes from other books, please). and let her have her way with them.
The "who will she pick" tension alone will provide story material for decades to come.

**Xeres** · 10-09-2009, 03:03 PM

Another excellent article Carol!

**goodellboy** · 10-09-2009, 03:06 PM

Great article. Carol's writing is always a treat.

**Leto** · 10-09-2009, 03:08 PM

For a long while, I favored bringing back Steve as a love interest, but I have been swayed by the appeal of the older Steve Trevor character. He reminds me of Paul Newman.

I realized Diana has many surrogate sisters and mothers, but few boyfriends or paternal figures. It's an interesting absence.

**CarolStrick** · 10-09-2009, 03:47 PM

Paul Newman? Oh, I like that! Nice imagery.

**Black Atom** · 10-09-2009, 03:49 PM

The worst part of making Steve an old guy was that, like, 80% of WW's supporting cast were geriatrics at the beginning there. Who the hell wants
to read about that?

I'm not sure you NEED Steve, but I agree you do need (at least) one romantic interest for WW at any given time.

**Leto** · 10-09-2009, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by Black Atom

The worst part of making Steve an old guy was that, like, 80% of WW's supporting cast were geriatrics at the beginning there. Who the hell wants to read about that?

I'm not sure you NEED Steve, but I agree you do need (at least) one romantic interest for WW at any given time.

Angle Man! Or that spy guy, Tom.

**hellacre** · 10-09-2009, 06:01 PM

As a fan of Diana who picked her up cause of Perez's origin but was vaguely aware of Steve mainly to the Lynda Carter series...but never saw the big deal over him...found him expendable and dull...I totally enjoyed what Carol had to say!!!

I agree with Carol...why do we have to pigeon hole heroes...why must we have only beta males cause suddenly what ? Diana can't deal with an Alpha male? pffft. WW should be able to romance anyone ...based on their qualities not that oh...he will weaken her or she must have a human as if a human is the only decent being in the universe or we can't have so and so show her up. :rolleyes:

If a writer can convince me she will work with a particular person regardless of where he belongs in the DCU.... fine...just do not shove her with someone you barely believe she could care for or would so drastically have to change herself for. Tom is a perfect example of not working.

**Gail Simone** · 10-09-2009, 06:11 PM

HA! Another really good column. This is some of the most entertaining stuff ever written about Wonder Woman, in my opinion.

**CaptainCanada** · 10-09-2009, 07:02 PM

The big problem with Steve Trevor is the same thing that afflicts Diana's other love interests; nobody's ever been able to quite decide what his role in the book should be. He can't be too useful in a fight because writers don't want him undermining the main character; but if he's not useful in a fight, he's usually perceived as being useless (which makes him unappealing to both men and women, in different ways).

I much prefer the current version to the pre-Crisis one; among other things, a character being tied down to a permanent love interest is something I generally find dull (it works with a select few characters, like with Clark and Lois, just because she's so prominent you might as well just get on with it).

**3D Master** · 10-09-2009, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by philippos42

Also, I have to agree that Steve was in the 1940's a total standard action hero. In the 1990's, an equivalent character could have been a Wesley Snipes, not a Steve Canyon. Why not let Wondy date a nice black guy?

Plenty of black guys and black love interests around; how about an Asian instead?

Oh, and totally agree with the article.

In fact, let Diana have some non-serious-relationship fun before she chooses one (or more) for the long-term haul.

(And I'm a bi guy, if a couple of those non-serious-relationship funs are women, all the better!)

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