Thoughts on Wonder Woman (Part 1)

Here's a couple posts I did on the characetr Wonder Woman abd how she should be re-invigorated to realize her potential as a character. Originally posted this at the Barbelith Forum and then on the DC Comics Message Board.


I think it's a crime what's happened to Wonder Woman.

She's the character with the most wasted potential in the entire DCU, IMO.

Here's the first major female super-heroine, a socio-political/spiritual-mystical proto-feminist crusader with a strong undercurrent of psycho-sexual BDSM fantasy due to her creator's hangups.

How the heck could DC go wrong with this for so long when they have the type of material they have over at Vertigo? And Why didn't Grant ever do anything substantial with her? Rucka was doing really good, but at the same time, His characters tend to have everything go wrong on every level. he tends to want to completely destroy them so that they can emerge at the end 'stronger'.

That's a problem with Diana to an extent IMO as she's intended to be an inherently optimistic figure. She's the champion for women's right sand equality, really. so she can't exactly ever truly FAIL in her mission, as she has in the mainstream DCU due to the events of OMAC/Infinite Crisis.

My Diana would be a Greco/Roman Shaolin Monk, as it where. a Teacher/Philosopher/Mystic/Warrior super-heroine. She's also an social and political activist here to make the world a better place for the weak and oppressed. Phil Jimenez during his WW and Joe Kelly in his JLA run both briefly showed that there where Themysciran-run centers around the world to help deal with issues of poverty,disease abuse and rape of women, etc. I'd get into that a bit more. Her status as Spirit of Truth could be played with as well, She speaks truth to Power, and I'd like to explore the rarely seen and define abilities of the Lasso of Truth to boot. She'd be one of the toughest heroes in the DCU, with top of the line strength, speed, and combat skill. Think of the movies Troy+Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon


I'd bring back Steve Trevor as a Love interest, sure. I like how Adam Hughes described him in his interview on the up coming All Star Wonder woman: Hal Jordan, 'only better'. I'd have him and Hal be old Air Force buddies and rivals.

I'd expand the concept of her Mission on Man's World. Man's World isn't just 'the rest of Earth'. Man's World is WHEREVER gender discrimination and male patriarchy exist, which judging by DC's history, seems to be the whole blamed universe. They have some hard work ahead of them.

The Amazon Nation could have sub-ambassadors and embassies across the GALAXY. I'd like to see Artemis, the Bana-Migdalian(The Amazons who didn't get to live on Paradise island for 5,000 years, and survived in Africa and the Middle East) who once stood in for Wonder Woman, I'd have her be the point for a sort of, well, inter-stellar movement -- The Amazonian Jihad. That could be a long running sub plot and evolve into a miniseries/ongoing title of it's own, really. I'd like to see the politics of the DCU and how all the renowned dictators and empires like it when a band of rowdy *women* brew discontent and anarchy among the masses, and how'd they react. The Guardians of the Universe, for example, are the (mainly male) self imposed guardians of Order who allow despots and empires to brutally oppress their populaces in the name of greater stability in the cosmos. How would they react to see a renegade movement foment instability and chaos, offsetting the relative order they worked for so long to maintain with their Green Lantern Corps?--guest appearances by the resident chauvinist Guy Gardner and fearless ladies man Hal Jordan brewing, of course.

Darkseid, the New God of Totalitarianism, deserves a mention as he has history with the Amazons, having slaughtered a number of them during John Byrne's run. He represents everything Wonder Woman was created to fight against, to a large extent. Interesting contrasts between the modern context of the New God and the Classical Gods, who they inter act and relate to one another, and there could also be a continuation of the scene where Diana implants a piece of her soul with Darkseid(as portrayed in the Our Worlds at war crossover, where the Amazons had to reinvigorate Darksied's power by worshiping him). Tons of potential there.

The Omega Men are self style freedom fighters/'terrorists' who spent years commiting themselves to fighting the totalitarian Citadel. Potential allies for fellow anti-status quo Amazons. they also worshiped a Goddess figure in X'Hal, and her son Auron was a member of the group.

Then, of course, there's the Mythological Angle. The Olympians. We could see how the Gods interact with both each other and the resulting effects on human kind, we could also see how the Olympians interact with other pantheons across the Earth and even the Universe, which I believe Eric Luke touched upon in his run but it was sort of too much like Marvel's system of 'magical aliens' to be. I'd like to see a bit more of the complexity and multiplicity among godly manifestations and aspects. Other mythological and mystical characters, such as Captain Marvel Dr. Fate can be used to create effect, with the Cap's boyish nervousness (internally) and Huge heart as well as mystical gifts and Dr. Fate connection to The Egyptian Powers of Ra, Isis and Thoth having a direct connection to some of the Bana's spirituality .

With dynamics of sexual/gender politics, counter cultural movements, terrorism, revolution, alternative spirituality/polytheism and much more--Why the hell isn't Wonder woman one of the best written characters in comics?