Don't EVER disrespect Steve Trevor!!!: Revelations of a mysterious boyfriend.

[BrettJett]

Revelations of a mysterious boyfriend.
by Brett Jett



"How could Wonder Woman be interested in Steve, who seemed so weak and so boring?" ---Gloria Steinem.

"Steve Trevor was dull and boring and I didn't like him much so I disposed of him." ---Mike Sekowsky

"What does she see in that man?" ---Batman.


Just yesterday I saw a clip of Wonder Woman in Batman's "Brave & the Bold" show on YouTube, and laughed as Batman's remark summed up the sentiments fans have had for decades! Trina Robbins even postulated that Steve Trevor is simply so stupid that he constantly fails to put two & two together..LOL..(Oh nevermind that Etta Candy & the Holliday girls couldn't figure it out either, huh?) Geez, such harsh sentiments from fans!!
And what a shame, becuz Steve is the prototype that inspired many other boyfriends of female protagonists...Michael Samuelle, Riley, Borias, Michael Vaughn, etc.
The difference between them & Steve is that their creators fully developed them, complete with rich backstories. Heck, Lois Lane also used to be tagged as boring & unsexy...that is, until writers further developed & modernized her, starting with the Teri Hatcher incarnation, but still keeping & building off of her core personality. Even tho Dr. William Moulton Marston built certain attractive core elements into Steve, he had an agenda to use WW to inspire a Matriarchy, which didn't leave much time to refine the significance of those elements...something I'm sure he would've done had he continued living today. However, that doesn't mean that he created a boring character in Steve. The truth about Steve is that he was created specifically as the ideal boyfriend for Diana, using sound attraction psychology...whereas Siegel & Shuster created Lois Lane simply based on their experience with one particular hard-nosed, empowered girl that they knew & wanted.

Why he's had problems:
Steve Trevor is a character that is actually more misunderstood than Wonder Woman. Fortunately, he's easier & shorter to explain than WW, requiring only one article (this)......

William Marston did design Steve with certain, attractive core elements that make up not only the ideal man for WW but one that most women would fall for. But like the rest of the mythos, these core points weren't easy to decipher nor readily perceived as they were hidden in the background and weren't properly accentuated, becuz Dr.Marston was too busy spotlighting Wonder Woman. Thus, Steve seemed boring & useless. This is more of a problem for the Steve character than Lois, becuz of the difference in gender dynamics...As men are more visual, all that's required to accentuate Lois' worth was simply a better visual...via better artist, sexier actress, etc. But for female fans to get a sense of worth & attraction for Steve requires more character development, which William Marston never got around to further accentuating what he already built into Steve. Thus making it harder on Steve, as men typically don't perceive attractive worth via character development anyway.
And the problem got worse as subsequent writers misinterpreted Steve as they did Wonder Woman, and left out those core elements that were laid out by Dr.Marston in the background. The 70's Women's Movement didn't help things either...As men became wussies this was reflected in the writing for Steve Trevor, both in the comics and the 70's show. No wonder female fans thought he was boring! Heck, the "Galactic Guardians" show's Steve was truer to Dr.Marston's concept than Lyle Wagner's!! And Michael Jelenic's portrayal even made me angrier with how he made Steve self-deprecating & apologetic for being a man, totally disrespecting men! Most men just don't know how to be men, kissing up to women, approval-seeking, etc. Its the lack of understanding of gender dynamics that writers didn't pickup on the cues that made Dr.Marston's version of Steve a man who Wonder Woman loves...The true Steve is a real man who doesn't apologize for it. Especially during the Women's Movement, people mistakenly thought that WW changing Steve meant turning him into whatever a woman feels he should be (AKA a wussy), when in fact, she was only meant to make him a better man by inspiring hope in him while he does his work.
Another thing screwing with the Steve Trevor mythos is that a lot of feminists, zealots, & wussy guys, all have this crazy idea that a powerful woman doesn't need a man to complete her. WTF?
Being powerful has nothing to do with one's emotional needs. Its not good to be lonely. WW was designed to have human needs. Portraying Wonder Woman longing for a man does NOT send a bad message to girls. How can you send a message that was already known? Girls will naturally grow up pining for boys, whether you portray it in a comic or not!! Especially in today's world, being independent does not mean being lonely...it just means that you are self sufficient, and don't need to feed off of others.

This is one of the reasons why I created my own private WW world with its own continuity...becuz DC & mainstream fans don't know what the hell they're doing. And quite frankly, me & Coww find my WW stories a lot more exciting than what Mainstream puts out. In my world, I do Steve right, and I keep it that way.

[BrettJett]

The truth about Steve Trevor:
The first thing fans must do in order to understand the real Steve Trevor is to disregard every subsequent incarnation that came after Dr.Marston died. A full expose of Steve & his romance with WW can be found in the appropriate sections of my other articles. But basically after I analyzed this character from the framework of a psych major & PUA, I had found that Dr.Marston skillfully designed him with core qualities & planted certain psychological cues that never got accentuated for the readers, and were nearly sterilized from the 70's show. These are the cues & qualities that also make it psychologically plausible that Wonder Woman would love him forever.
The roles that the Steve character was designed to play were:
-the herald to the Amazons that things are heating up in Man's World,
-a secondary "hunter" hero & ally in Man's World,
-the love interest,
-and the esquire in jeopardy.
Being that he was meant to be WW's only true love interest, Steve follows the mythological archetype of Orion, to WW's 'Diana'. He is a fellow "hunter" to WW. And even though he isn't as superb as her, he is a passionate man who's totally dedicated to his life mission of justice & freedom, living with a definite purpose...which explains him rising in the military ranks. The other core elements that make up Steve are:
-His "hunter" occupation
-Has hero status back home due to his good works in the name of justice & freedom
-His fiery temper
-His confident, playful flirtations as a lady's candy...which is also used to his advantage as a covert op.
-His lustful philandering as a skirt-chaser, picking up on many women, but deep down inside is really hoping to find his ultimate ideal woman.
-Is nearly as quirky & unconventional thinking as WW, but not quite...and having WW in his life certainly changes him & his life.
-His willingness to submit to a stronger woman who loves him, yet remained self-assured.
-His masculine, self-assured confidence in himself as a man who has boundaries.
-Him being a product of his time.

These are the timeless core elements that don't get changed no matter what modernization or incarnation. Everything else is interchangeable (including his race). The fact that he was a Caucasian World War 2 army pilot was simply a product of the times, as joining the military was the thing to do during World War 2 to show your dedication to freedom & justice. And Dr.Marston chose to place him as a counterintelligence officer probably becuz Dr.Marston had experience in that military dept himself, which coincidentally provides a fitting occupation for Steve's archetype...he's not simply a flyboy...he's essentially a hunter of justice (investigator).
The last core element on the list means that whatever times his incarnation lives in is what he blends with. So during Dr.Marston’s day, that meant Steve was a bit of a chauvinist, like other men of that time, but...having WW in his life eventually changes his outlook. A modern Steve would be less chauvinistic & more free-thinking...but his core elements remain. That means Steve doesn't have to be a military man, just as long as he's some sort of hunter (investigator).
I have not found any real life person in particular that Dr.Marston modeled Steve after, and I don't think that he modeled Steve after himself either. In fact, the Steve character has an element of mystery to him, in that we don't really know much about his background other than he has a niece. Either becuz Dr.Marston intended to play up the "mysterious boyfriend" angle, or its just another result of Dr.Marston not yet fully developing Steve. In any case, subsequent creators have designed their heroine boyfriends with an element of mystery that also makes them attractive (ie.Michael Samuelle). Altho in my screenplays, I only play up this mystery element for so long before WW is eventually told by Steve about his past & the abuse he came from, and that actually connects her to him more than ever.

Sure, he was an esquire in jeopardy that needed saving by Wonder Woman...but that was only becuz he was so dedicated to his work that he was way in over his head at times. That dedication is admirable. And not everyone can be as powerful as WW. Being saved by a woman doesn't make you less of a man. Becuz Steve was still confident in himself & self-assured as a man, feeling no sting to his ego.
Nobody feels Lois Lane is any less the strong confident woman just becuz she's a damsel in distress, right? Well why would you think lower of Steve?...
The double standard comes from most people's chauvinistic mindset. Steve was meant to be an example of Dr.Marston's theory that men inherently desire to submit to a stronger woman who loves them. He was the ideal boyfriend, just as WW was the ideal woman. But upon closer analysis, I have also found that Steve's other function was to send the message that, altho Dr.Marston meant for women to rule, the ultimate goal is for male/female unification...and WW served as the first of that unification from the Amazons. The ideal man paired with the ideal woman, in an ideal relationship of unity & submission to love.

[BrettJett]

Why does WW love him?:
In-story, it was no accident that Steve crashed near Paradise Island...Steve & WW were paired by the gods (likely Aphrodite, as it was in my script). In real life, Dr.Marston not only designed Steve with attractive core elements, but he also gave him certain personal features that perfectly complemented Wonder Woman, thus making him her one & only true love...just as Orion was to Diana/Artemis. But, not only were subsequent writers oblivious to these cues, like the attractive core elements, Dr.Marston never got around to highlighting them. Thus, every other fan totally missed them as well.

On Steve's side, its simple...he had unconsciously longed for the virginal epitome of feminine tenderness, who has a spine. Which is in contrast to the shallow, deceit-prone women in Man's World that he has dated. Hmmmm, sounds familiar! These elements are among the reasons why I fully understand Steve Trevor...I can relate to him! And in my WW screenplay, I accentuate his unconscious longing with his backstory, which includes a promise from Aphrodite in his dreams. So when he finally meets WW, its like seeing an angel...his angel. What makes Steve so special as a love interest was already written into the mythos by Dr.Marston...I simply highlighted them & updated the backstory for today's sensibilities while keeping his core elements.

On WW's side, her love for him took place in two stages...the initial, then the subsequent solidification. What first got her captivated by him was the fact that he was the first man she's ever seen, combined with the Nightingale Effect, as she is the most human & caring Amazon. It didn't hurt too that Steve was fascinated with her enough to call her a beautiful angel. That, combined with her wanderlust, created the feeling in her that is comparable to a HS girl longing for a certain popular guy becuz she wants to be a part of whatever he's associated with & doesn't want to miss out on it. Becuz she, above all other Amazons, allows herself to feel amorous emotions...remember, she's the most quirky, organic, off-beat (sometimes silly) Amazon. From there, the second phase came as she comes to know that Steve is a dedicated man who's passionate about his life mission of peace & justice, which is a dedication shared by them both. This common connection, which is comparable to the one Steve Rodgers & Peggy Carter had, creates in WW a deeper sense of love for Steve. Since she is more capable than, and is a "Connoisseur" type, WW is the delighted position of being needed by him. And in my screenplay, I add the element of how Steve went thru child abuse & became a stronger person in the end, which gets to WW's heart as she not only protects children but can relate to his resultant fiery temper in fighting for justice, which he hasn't learned to control as well as she has. She seeks to be a part of his life. And of course, Steve's core qualities are attractive to her. His imperfections are also attractive to her, as he lovingly needs her to balance him out. It also didn't hurt too that Steve was a charming lady's candy that all the girls wanted a piece of...making him further attractive to WW in a psychological phenomena known as Preselection. After this second phase, her love for Steve was pretty much solidified...to where if Steve were to ever die, I'm sure WW would add a special star-constellation design on her hotpants in honor of him. There's no further explanation beyond the above revelation...becuz love was never meant to be logical.

The problem even with the Marston comics was that this second phase wasn't developed into the spotlight, as it just got moved along by the others stories which dealt with WW's heroics, and so most people missed it. That's why in my modern WW screenplay, I emphasize it by creating a scene on Paradise Island where those two are alone while he's healing, connecting on a personal level. And it just takes off from there. My screenplay also gives more background info that explains why Steve is the way he is with all his core elements. I felt I could take liberties on his background, becuz Dr.Marston never formulated one for him! In my script, Steve was an Asian American foster child (whose Chinese name was Shen) who experienced racism & injustice while growing up, before finally being adopted by the Trevors. This is a modernized explanation for his temper & dedication to justice & American freedoms. There's nothing in Dr.Marston's core development of Steve that said he had to be Caucasian. The original Steve was blond, likely becuz he submits to Wonder Woman, and according to Dr.Marston's theory blonds are more submissive. But this is an outdated theory, and so I don't list it as a core trait. But to satisfy hypothetical viewers, I wrote it so that this Asian Steve bleaches his hair to a near-blond.

NOTE: If this part of my script is ever used by Hollywood, it would revolutionize things for Asian Americans, not only by giving us the first Asian American romantic lead, but by showcasing the injustices to Asian Americans, and hopefully squashing the stigma of the "maniac Asian boy" that came as a result of the Virginia Tech Massacre.
Hollywood using my script ideas would also bring to light the real life issue of child abuse, and how injustices by caseworkers & abusers get overlooked due to deceitful manipulation on their part. This would also be the kind of issue that WW would concern herself with.


Steve = The PUA paragon.
Aside from his first incarnation's folly as a product of his chauvinistic time, Steve is actually the alternative to the badboy that women usually go to whenever they can't find a better confident man. He represents the modern ideal man that women really want...the right balance of masculine swagger & feminine thoughtfulness. He could very well be a poster boy for the PUA Movement, showing that women don't necessarily want or need to go to the badboy.
He could be the symbol for men everywhere, that shows that its OK to be a man who is with a stronger woman...that there's no shame in that...that you don't have to be overly macho to be seen as manly & attractive to women. Its also an occasion for guys today to finally learn about PUA & gender dynamics, so that they will have a more truthful view of what is truly manly & truly wussy....and to put their egos aside. Ditto with women.
http://forums.comicbookresources.com...1#post14890580

[BrettJett]

APHRODITE’S LAW
So most of you are wondering, OK if WW is so in love with Steve, why the heck did she put up a shield to his advances? Well, she has a Damocles sword hanging above her, known as Aphrodite's Law which decrees that Amazons never submit to men. That & William Marston's ideas of Amazonian celibacy tends to make it seem like WW is bisexual and the Amazons are lesbians or asexual...they're not. They used to chase men to domesticate them as husbands. But that no longer became the case since Ares started to rule most of the world and the Amazons had to isolate. The idea of the Amazons isn't that they're dominatrixes...they are like average heterosexual women of all sizes & shapes, but they have dominant power...that's the only difference. They have made a pledge to submit only to Aphrodite where they find eternal happiness, not men. So of course WW worries about domestication & submitting to Steve. She was taught all her light that terrible things result from submitting to men. And this really matters to her, becuz especially as an Amazon, she has a duty to Aphrodite & is dedicated to her mission, therefore she must stay dominant. This is comparable to the Buffy mythos' element of ultimate happiness for Angel, as Buffy & Angel must fight temptation, otherwise Angel loses his soul. Joss Whedon likely got his inspiration for this from Aphrodite's Law.

Every major female champion protagonist has some sort of opposition between her & her lover. Its part of the drama. Its a reflection of real life, for is it not often the case that the ones we desire the most are the ones that are difficult to find smooth union with? Buffy & Angel have their dilemma, Michael & Nikita have it for obvious reasons, etc. For WW, its Aphrodite's warnings. It was such a significant aspect of the WW mythos, becuz it speaks a lot about gender dynamics. Part of the drama of the WW saga is about her figuring out a compromise. Afterall, she is the most human of the Amazon, so she really can't stand being aloof to her sexual-romantic feelings. How can WW connect with Steve without suffering whatever terrible fate would supposedly befall her if she ever submits to him?...How can she ensure that Steve won't enslave her as his wife? Its about Steve proving himself to be a better man. Like Angel who has a good & bad side, Steve's dominant male side that enslaves women may spew forth, or his stable male side may prevail. That is the dilemma. And until WW knows the answer for sure, she'll always be reluctant to consummate with him, as she must "stay a career woman". That doesn't mean she doesn't love him deeply.

But due to Dr.Marston's lack of further demarcation, I can see why most people would misinterpret many of her & the Amazons' behaviors as either man-hating or lesbo-fest. But if you still have doubts, think of why else would she go undercover as Diana Prince just to be close to him? It allows her the fantasy of submitting to him as his underling...something she cannot do as WW.

The metaphoric basis for Aphrodite’s Law was Dr.Marston's advice for women (particularly love leaders) to be sure they captivate men first, making them submit to the women. And to not be so enamored by men that they turn submissive so soon to the un-captivated men, which used to be a disadvantage to a woman in the Depression Era who married, becuz then she'd could be enslaved by her hubby who takes her as his property & is free to abuse her or such; as a result, she'd be unable to fulfill the duties of a dominant love leader. All of which was more likely if she was more beguiled by him than he by her. And so William Marston, in constructing his mythos, thought to allegorize this concept into an interesting story element that provides some internal opposition/conflict (note: there's that dominance-submission principle again) to the drama of her stories. Back then, Aphro's Law was created based on Man's rule...thus, Amazons must not submit to a man. But even today with the trend of husbands enslaving wives being outdated, Aphro's Law can still be relevant today since A.)the eternal submissive wiring in women (which is worse for a love leader who needs to mind her mission), and B.)it can be updated to be based more on appetitive rule or society's rule (either sex), that an Amazon must not submit to the ways of appetite, greed, rage, etc.

The in-story fact remains, WW decided that she cannot consummate with Steve until her mission is complete, lest (in-story) she risk exposing Steve to danger and (real-world implication) give up her dominance. However, that does not mean they cannot date or live together. In fact, in my screenplay's modernized WW mythos, I have it so by the end of the story, Steve & Diana are indeed dating & fooling around with binding games. And Steve has no problem with this, as he knows that he will never lose her to another man anyway. But WW still worries about the looming possibility that Steve could be lost to another woman, and that he grows older while she stays forever young.
The first Steve incarnation of World War 2 was a bit more culturally chauvinistic, as he was a product of his time. But the modern Steve is less culturally chauvinistic (almost none), more liberal, but like most regular men, still retains his natural sense of dominance. And the question still remains...will that dominance ever enslave the girl-that-is-our-savior? We'll need more modern stories to tell....In fact, I'm still writing those stories with no answer in sight yet.



For more info on Aphrodite's Law, Steve & Diana's love for each other, why WW & Superman are an unlikely pair, and such, refer to my WW article...

[Dr. Hurt]

1) Cool story bro
2) There's already a Trevor thread in the first page.

[RandomFalls]

I have to admit I just did a quick read, mostly because I have to go to work in a moment and don't have time. But a quick question - are you deathly allergic to the word "because"?

[brettc1]

Steve needs to be more like Tom...and Nathan Fillion.

But mostly Tom ;)

[gwhh]

Does this means Amazons and WW do all the work in bed and go off and fight the bad guys and let the man stay at home and take care of the home front?

How fall does this "never submit to a man thing" goes??


[QUOTE=BrettJett;14890834]APHRODITE’S LAW
So most of you are wondering, OK if WW is so in love with Steve, why the heck did she put up a shield to his advances? Well, she has a Damocles sword hanging above her, known as Aphrodite's Law which decrees that Amazons never submit to men. That & William Marston's ideas of Amazonian celibacy tends to make it seem like WW is bisexual and the Amazons are lesbians or asexual...they're not. They used to chase men to domesticate them as husbands. But that no longer became the case since Ares started to rule most of the world and the Amazons had to isolate. The idea of the Amazons isn't that they're dominatrixes...they are like average heterosexual women of all sizes & shapes, but they have dominant power...that's the only difference. They have made a pledge to submit only to Aphrodite where they find eternal happiness, not men. So of course WW worries about domestication & submitting to Steve. She was taught all her light that terrible things result from submitting to men. And this really matters to her, becuz especially as an Amazon, she has a duty to Aphrodite & is dedicated to her mission, therefore she must stay dominant. This is comparable to the Buffy mythos' element of ultimate happiness for Angel, as Buffy & Angel must fight temptation, otherwise Angel loses his soul. Joss Whedon likely got his inspiration for this from Aphrodite's Law.

[Javier Velasco]

Hello everyone.

Just a reminder.

This is a message board for discussion of Wonder Woman. Not a personal publishing site. if you have some fan fiction, an essay, a fan video that you would like people to access, invite them to do so and provide a link.

Additionally, the WW Message Board has a slightly lower tolerance for characterizing other poster's opinions and remarks than other boards you may frequent. Please refrain from talking to other posters as if they belong to a group of people "you WW fans" "you unenlightened men" etc. Additionally, it is expressly frowned upon to get personal with another poster as is "sit on your a***" "you need to get laid" or make a suggestion as to what they should be doing in the privacy of their own home.

Please remember... by posting on this site, you cannot control the conversation. You are simply inviting others to engage with you. How they choose to do so is up to them, so long as they stay within board guidelines. If a poster disagrees with you, he/she is not wrong. Simply stating a different opinion. If you cannot post in the forum without accepting that, then perhaps this is not the forum for you.

Javier Velasco
Moderator

[lariatofhestia]

Why does WW love him?:


On Steve's side, its simple...he had unconsciously longed for the virginal epitome of feminine tenderness, who has a spine. Which is in contrast to the shallow, deceit-prone women in Man's World that he has dated. Hmmmm, sounds familiar! These elements are among the reasons why I fully understand Steve Trevor...I can relate to him! And in my WW screenplay, I accentuate his unconscious longing with his backstory, which includes a promise from Aphrodite in his dreams. So when he finally meets WW, its like seeing an angel...his angel. What makes Steve so special as a love interest was already written into the mythos by Dr.Marston...I simply highlighted them & updated the backstory for today's sensibilities while keeping his core elements.


http://forums.comicbookresources.com...1#post14890580

Yeah totally rolled my eyes here. I can see many young women and men doing the same. WTF is wrong to normal women? Oh please. Steve's head sounds like it's up his own butt. He is the ass but it's the women who's the problem. Helps she looks like super model, I guess. His angel. The only Steve that was tolerable was the one who dated/married Etta.

[BrettJett]

Yeah totally rolled my eyes here. I can see many young women and men doing the same. WTF is wrong to normal women? Oh please. Steve's head sounds like it's up his own butt. He is the ass but it's the women who's the problem. Helps she looks like super model, I guess. His angel. The only Steve that was tolerable was the one who dated/married Etta.

BrettJett--Wonder Woman's #1 Loverboy & Expert--says:

No you're not understanding. Steve is a guy who HAS dated supermodel quality women...many, actually. But after a while, he longed for a more truehearted gal with more substance. He's dated a variety. But I guess his biological clock was ticking, and longed for the ultimate. LOL



---Brett Jett,
Wonder Woman's #1 Loverboy...aficionado & expert.

[Dr. Hurt]

---Brett Jett,
Wonder Woman's #1 Loverboy...aficionado & expert.

Dude... what?

[BrettJett]

Here's a hint to everyone:

I only have less than a week to chat with you guys. Instead of wasting your mental energy &time trying to take things off topic (ie. talking about my grammar), why not just get engaged in a convo about WW?

You won't get this much insight into the character from anyone else...well, anyone in here.

[The Man From Room X]

Dude... what?

You're not the only one thinking that... lol.