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Template:Infobox comics character and title

Wonder Woman is a fictional DC Comics superheroine created by psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 (December 1941). The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986.[1] Her depiction as a heroine fighting for justice, love, peace, and sexual equality has also led to Wonder Woman being widely considered a feminist icon.[2][3][4] Wonder Woman is a warrior princess of the Amazons (based on the Amazons of Greek mythology) and is known in her homeland as Diana of Themyscira. She is gifted with a wide range of superhuman powers and superior combat and battle skills. She also possesses an arsenal of weapons, including the Lasso of Truth, a pair of indestructible bracelets, a tiara which serves as a projectile, and, in some stories, an invisible airplane.

Created during World War II, the character was initially depicted fighting the Axis military forces, as well as an assortment of supervillains. Since then, Wonder Woman has gained a formidable cast of enemies bent on eliminating the Amazon, including classic villains such as Cheetah, Ares and Circe and newer ones like Genocide and The Circle, as well as many gods and monsters from Greek mythology. Wonder Woman has also regularly appeared in comic books featuring the superhero teams Justice Society (from 1941) and Justice League (from 1960).[5]

In addition to the comics, the character has appeared in other media; most notably, the 1975–1979 Wonder Woman TV series starring Lynda Carter, as well as animated series such as the Super Friends and Justice League. Although a number of attempts have been made to adapt the character to live-action film, none have yet emerged. An animated film was released in 2009, with Keri Russell voicing the title role. Attempts to return Wonder Woman to television have also faced problems, with a failed NBC Wonder Woman pilot in 2011 counting among more recent attempts. In September 2012, it was revealed that The CW, home of the long-running Superman TV series Smallville, was developing a potential Wonder Woman origin TV series titled Amazon.[6] Wonder Woman has also appeared in the form of a variety of toys, merchandise and pin-ups.

Publication history

Main article: Publication history of Wonder Woman

Creation

In an October 25, 1940 interview with the Family Circle magazine, William Moulton Marston discussed the unfulfilled potential of the medium.[7] This article caught the attention of comics publisher Max Gaines, who hired Marston as an educational consultant for National Periodicals and All-American Publications, two of the companies that would merge to form DC Comics.[8] At that time, Marston decided to develop a new superhero. Family Circle published a follow-up article two years later from issue of the Boston University alumni magazine, it was Marston's wife Elizabeth's idea to create a female superheroine:[9]

William Moulton Marston, a psychologist already famous for inventing the polygraph (forerunner to the magic lasso), struck upon an idea for a new kind of superhero, one who would triumph not with fists or firepower, but with love. "Fine," said Elizabeth. "But make her a woman."

Marston introduced the idea to Gaines, co-founder of All-American Publications. Given the go-ahead, Marston developed Wonder Woman with Elizabeth, whom Marston believed to be a model of that era's unconventional, liberated woman.[9] Marston was also inspired by Olive Byrne, who lived with the couple in a polygamous/polyamorous relationship.[10] Both women served as exemplars for the character and greatly influenced the character's creation.[9] Wonder Woman debuted in All Star Comics #8 (December 1941),[11] scripted by Marston and with art by Harry G. Peter. Wonder Woman was initially named "Suprema" in Marston's first script, but this name was dropped.[12][13]

Sensation Comics #1 (January 1942) was Wonder Woman's first cover appearance.

Marston was the creator of a systolic-blood-pressure-measuring apparatus, which was crucial to the development of the polygraph (lie detector). Marston's experience with polygraphs convinced him that women were more honest and reliable than men and could work more efficiently.[14]

"Wonder Woman is psychological propaganda for the new type of woman who should, I believe, rule the world," Marston wrote.[1]

In a 1943 issue of The American Scholar, Marston wrote:[15]

Not even girls want to be girls so long as our feminine archetype lacks force, strength, and power. Not wanting to be girls, they don't want to be tender, submissive, peace-loving as good women are. Women's strong qualities have become despised because of their weakness. The obvious remedy is to create a feminine character with all the strength of Superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman.

Initially, Wonder Woman was an Amazon champion who wins the right to return Steve Trevor — a United States intelligence officer whose plane had crashed on the Amazons' isolated island homeland — to "Man's World" and to fight crime and the evil of the Nazis.[16]

During this period, Wonder Woman joined the Justice Society of America as the team's secretary.[17][18]

Silver and Bronze Age

During the Silver Age, under writer Robert Kanigher, Wonder Woman's origin was revamped,[19] along with other characters'. The new origin story increased the character's Hellenic and mythological roots: receiving the blessing of each deity in her crib, Diana is destined to become "beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, as strong as Hercules, and as swift as Hermes."[20]

At the end of the 1960s, under the guidance of Mike Sekowsky, Wonder Woman surrendered her powers in order to remain in Man's World rather than accompany her fellow Amazons to another dimension. Wonder Woman begins using the alias Diana Prince and opens a mod boutique. She acquires a Chinese mentor named I Ching, who teaches Diana martial arts and weapons skills. Using her fighting skill instead of her powers, Diana engaged in adventures that encompassed a variety of genres, from espionage to mythology.[21][22]

In the early 1970s the character returned to her superhero roots in Justice League of America and to the World War II era in her own title.[23]

Modern Age

Following the 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths series, George Pérez, Len Wein and Greg Potter relaunched the character, writing Wonder Woman as an emissary and ambassador from Themyscira to Patriarch's World, charged with the mission of bringing peace to the outside world. Pérez incorporated a variety of deities and concepts from Greek mythology in Wonder Woman's stories and origin. His relaunch of the character acted as the foundation for the more modern Wonder Woman stories as he expanded upon the widely-accepted origin of Diana being birthed out of clay. The relaunch was a critical and commercial success.[24]

In August 2010 (issue #600), J. Michael Straczynski took over the series' writing duties and introduced Wonder Woman to an alternate timeline created by the Gods in which Paradise Island had been destroyed and the Amazons scattered around the world.[25] In this timeline, Diana is an orphan raised in New York who is learning to cope with her powers. The entire world has forgotten Wonder Woman's existence and the main story of this run was of Diana trying to restore reality even though she does not properly remember it herself. A trio of Death Goddesses called the Morrigan acted as the main enemy of Wonder Woman.[26][27] In this run, Wonder Woman wore a new costume designed by Jim Lee.[28] Straczynski determined the plot and continued writing duties till Wonder Woman #605; writer Phil Hester then continued his run, which ultimately concluded in Wonder Woman #614.[29]

In 2011, DC Comics relaunched its entire line of publications to attract a new generation of readers. Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang were assigned on writing and art duties respectively and revamped the character's history considerably. In this new continuity, Wonder Woman wears a costume similar to her original costume, but has a completely new origin. No longer a clay figure brought to life by the magic of the gods, she is, instead, a demigoddess and the natural-born daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus. Azzarello and Chiang's revamp of the character was critically acclaimed.[30][31][32][33]

Fictional character biography

Golden Age

In her debut in All Star Comics #8, Diana was a member of a tribe of female women named the Amazons, native to Paradise Island - a secluded island set in the middle of a vast ocean. Captain Steve Trevor's plane crashes on the island and he is found alive but unconscious by Diana and a fellow Amazon. Diana has him nursed back to health and falls in love with him. A competition is held amongst all the Amazons by Diana's mother, the Queen of the Amazons Hippolyte in order to determine who is the most worthy of all the women and charge the winner with the responsibility of delivering Captain Steve Trevor back to man's world and to fight for justice. However, Hippolyte forbids Diana from entering the competition - who takes part nonetheless, wearing a mask to conceal her identity. She wins the competition and reveals her identity, surprising Hippolyte, who ultimately gives in to Diana's wish to go to Man's World. She then safely returns Steve Trevor back to his home and is awarded a special dress made by her mother for her new role as Wonder Woman.[34][35]

Coming to America for the first time, Wonder Woman comes upon a weeping army nurse named Diana Prince. Inquiring about her state, she finds that the nurse wanted to leave for South America with her fiancé but was unable to due to shortage of money. As both of them looked identical and Wonder Woman needed a job and a valid identity to look after Steve (who was admitted in the same army hospital), she gives her the money she had earned earlier to help her go to her fiancé in exchange of her credentials. The nurse reveals her name as Diana Prince, and thus, Wonder Woman's secret identity was created and she started working as a nurse in the army.[36]

Wonder Woman then took part in a variety of adventures, mostly side by side with Trevor. Her most common foes during this period would be Nazi forces, and sometimes villains like Baroness Paula Von Gunther, The Cheetah, Doctor Psycho and Duke of Deception.[37]

Silver Age

File:WonderWoman203.jpg
Samuel Delany wrote issue #203 of Wonder Woman, the "women's lib issue".

In the Silver Age, Wonder Woman's history received several changes. Her earlier origin, which had significant ties to World War II, was changed and her powers were shown to be the product of the Gods' blessings – "beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, stronger than Hercules, and swifter than Mercury".[20][38] The concepts of Wonder Girl and Wonder Tot were also introduced during this period.[39]

Wonder Woman Vol 1 Issue #179 (Nov. 1968) showed Wonder Woman giving up her powers and returning her costume and title to her mother in order to continue staying in Man's World. The reason behind this was that all the Amazons were shifting to another dimension, but Diana was unable to accompany them as she needed to stay back to help a wrongly-convicted Steve.[40] Thus, she no longer held the title of Wonder Woman and after meeting and training under a blind martial arts mentor I-Ching, Diana resumed fighting crime as the powerless Diana Prince. She also ran a mod-boutique as a business and dressed in a series of jumpsuits while fighting crime.[22][41][42][43][44] During this period, Samuel R. Delany took over scripting duties with issue #202. Delany was initially supposed to write a six-issue story arc, which would culminate in a battle over an abortion clinic, but Delany was removed at the request of Gloria Steinem, who, not knowing the content of the issues Delany was writing, was merely upset that Wonder Woman was no longer wearing her traditional costume.[45]

Bronze Age

In Wonder Woman Vol 1 #204, Diana's powers and costume were returned to her and she is once again reinstated as Wonder Woman.[44] I-Ching is killed by a mad sniper in the same issue.[46] Later, Diana also meets her 'sister' Nubia, who is Hippolyta's daughter fashioned out of dark clay (hence Nubia's dark complexion).[47][48] Nubia was the Wonder Woman of "The Floating Island", and she challenges Diana to a duel which ends in a draw.[48] Returning to her home, Nubia would have further adventures involving Diana.[47]

The last issue of Volume 1 showed Diana and Steve Trevor announce their love for each other and their subsequent marriage.[49][50]

Modern Age

Cover to Wonder Woman Vol 2 #1 (Feb. 1987), showing the character's look after the Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot. Art by George Pérez.

The events of Crisis on Infinite Earths greatly changed and altered the history of the DC Universe. Wonder Woman's history and origin were considerably revamped by the event. Wonder Woman was now an emissary and ambassador from Themyscira (the new name for Paradise Island) to Patriarch's World, charged with the mission of bringing peace to the outside world. Various deities and concepts from Greek mythology were blended and incorporated into Wonder Woman's stories and origin. Diana was formed out of clay of the shores of Themyscira by Hippolyta, who wished for a child; the clay figure was then brought to life by the Greek deities. The Gods then blessed and granted her unique powers and abilities - beauty from Aphrodite, strength from Demeter, wisdom from Athena, speed and flight from Hermes, Eyes of the Hunter and unity with beasts from Artemis, and sisterhood with fire and the ability to discern the truth from Hestia.[51] Due to the reboot, her previous history and her marriage to Steve Trevor were erased. Trevor was introduced as a man much older than Diana who would later on marry Etta Candy.[52]

Main article: War of the Gods (comics)

Starting in Wonder Woman Vol 2 #51, The Amazons, who had revealed their presence to the world in Wonder Woman Vol 2 #50, are blamed for a series of murders and for the theft of various artefacts. The Amazons are then taken into custody, Queen Hippolyta is nowhere to be found and Steve Trevor is forced by General Yedziniak to attack Themyscira. These events lead to the "War of the Gods" occurring. The culprit of the murders, thefts and the framing of the Amazons is revealed to be the witch Circe, who "kills" Diana by reverting her form back into the clay she was born from. Later, Wonder Woman is brought back to life and together with Donna Troy, battles Circe and ultimately defeats her.[53][54][55][56] Circe would later return by unknown means.

When Hippolyta and the other Amazons were trapped in a demonic dimension, she started receiving visions about the death of Wonder Woman.[57] Fearing her daughter's death, Hippolyta created a false claim that Diana was not worthy of continuing her role as Wonder Woman, and arranged for a contest to determine who would be the new Wonder Woman, thus protecting Diana from her supposed fate.[58] The participants of the final round were Diana and Artemis, and with the help of some mystic manipulation by Hippolyta, Artemis won the contest.[59] Thus, Diana was forced to hand over her title and costume to Artemis, who became the new Wonder Woman and Diana started fighting crime in an alternate costume.[60] Artemis later died in battle with the White Magician- thus, Hippolyta vision of a dying Wonder Woman did come true, albeit not of Diana as Wonder Woman.[61] Diana once again became Wonder Woman, a request made by Artemis in her last seconds. Artemis would later return as Requiem. Prior to Artemis' death, Hippolyta would admit to her daughter about her own part in Artemis' death, which strained their relationship as Diana was unable to forgive her mother for sending another Amazon to her death knowingly for the sake of saving her own daughter.

The demon Neron engaged Diana in battle and managed to fatally kill her.[62] The Olympian Gods granted Diana divinity and the role of the Goddess of Truth who started to reside in Olympus; her mother Hippolyta then assumed the role of Wonder Woman and wore her own different incarnation of the costume.[62] In Wonder Woman Vol 2 #136, Diana was banished from Olympus due to interfering in earthly matters (as Diana was unable to simply watch over people's misery on earth).[62] She immediately returned to her duties as Wonder Woman, but ran into conflicts with her mother over her true place and role as Hippolyta seemed accustomed to her life in America.[62] Their fight remained unsolved, as Hippolyta tragically died during an intergalactic war.[62] Themyscira was destroyed during the war, but was restored and reformed as a collection of floating islands.[62] Circe later resurrected Hippolyta in Wonder Woman Vol 3 #8.[63]

Main articles: Infinite Crisis and The OMAC Project

One of the events that led to Infinite Crisis was of Wonder Woman killing the villain Maxwell Lord in Wonder Woman Vol 2 #219.[64] Maxwell Lord was mind-controlling Superman, who as a result was near to killing Batman. Wonder Woman tried to stop Superman, Lord (who was unable to mind control her) made Superman see her as his enemy Doomsday trying to kill Lois Lane. Superman then attacked Wonder Woman, and a vicious battle ensued. Buying herself time by slicing Superman's throat with her tiara, Wonder Woman caught Lord in her Lasso of Truth and demanded to know how to stop his control over Superman. As the lasso forced the wearer to speak only the truth, Lord told her that the only way to stop him was to kill him. Left with no choice, Wonder Woman snapped Lord's neck and ended his control over Superman.[64] Unknown to her, the entire scene was broadcast live around every channel in the world by Brother Eye. The viewers were not aware of the entire situation, and saw only Wonder Woman murdering a Justice League associate. Wonder Woman's actions put her at odds with Batman and Superman, as they saw Wonder Woman as a cold-blooded killer, despite the fact that she saved their lives.[65]

Main articles: One Year Later and Who is Wonder Woman?

At the end of Infinite Crisis, Wonder Woman temporarily retires from her costumed identity. Diana, once again using the alias Diana Prince, joins the Department of Metahuman Affairs. Donna Troy becomes the new Wonder Woman and is captured by Diana's enemies. Diana then goes on a mission to rescue her sister, battling Circe and Hercules. Diana defeats the villains, freeing Donna and takes up the role of Wonder Woman again. Circe places a spell on Diana, which renders Diana into a normal, powerless human being when in the role of Diana Prince; her powers come to her only when she is in the role of Wonder Woman.[66][67][68][69][70]

Main article: The Circle (comics)

The storyline "The Circle" was focused on the revelation of a failed assassination attempt on Diana when she was a baby, by four rogue Amazons.[71] These Amazons- Myrto, Charis, Philomela and Alkyone, collectively referred to as The Circle were Hippolyta's personal guards and were extremely loyal and devoted to her.[72] However, when Hippolyta decided to raise a daughter, The Circle was horrified and considered the baby ill-fate, one who would ruin their entire race.[73] Thus, after Diana was sculpted out of clay and brought to life, The Circle decided to assassinate the baby. Their attempt was foiled however, and the four Amazons were imprisoned.[74] After years, the Circle escaped their prisons with the help of Captain Nazi, and decided to accomplish their previously failed mission and kill Diana. Diana defeated Myrto, Charis, Philomela and then approached Alkyone, who runs off and succumbs to her death by falling into the ocean. The other three Amazons return to their prisons.[74][75]

Issue #600 introduced Wonder Woman to an alternate timeline created by the Gods in which Themyscira had been destroyed and the Amazons scattered around the world.[25] In this timeline, Diana is an orphan raised in New York who is learning to cope with her powers. The entire world has forgotten Wonder Woman's existence and the main story of this run was of Diana trying to restore reality even though she does not properly remember it herself.[76] Diana has no memories of her prior adventures as Wonder Woman, recollecting her memories in bits and pieces and also receiveing different abilities and resources (such as the power of flight and her lasso) during the progression of her adventure. A trio of Death Goddesses called the Morrigan acted as Wonder Woman's main enemies.[77] Diana ultimately defeats the evil goddesses and returns everything back to normal.[78]

The New 52

In September 2011, DC Comics relaunched its entire line of publication to cater to a new generation of readers, dubbing the event The New 52. Among the major changes to the character, Wonder Woman now appears wearing a new costume similar to her older one, and has a completely new origin. In this new continuity, Wonder Woman is no longer a clay figure brought to life by the magic of the gods, but, the demigodess daughter of Queen Hippolyta and Zeus, King of the Greek Gods.[79][80]

The Greek messenger god, Hermes, entrusts Wonder Woman with the protection of Zola, a young woman, who is pregnant with Zeus's child, from Hera, seething with jealousy and determined to kill the child.[81] [82][83][84][85] With the appearance of a bizarre, new, chalk-white enemy, the goddess Strife, Wonder Woman discovers she, herself, is the natural-born daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus, who, after a violent clash, became lovers.[86] Hippolyta revealed Diana's earlier origin story to be a lie, spread amongst the Amazons to protect Diana from the wrath of Hera, who is known for hunting and killing several illegitimate offspring of Zeus.[86]

The story then focuses on Wonder Woman's quest to rescue Zola from Hades, who had abducted her and taken her to Hell at the end of the sixth issue of the series.[87][88][89][90] The male children of the Amazons are introduced and Diana learns about the birth of her "brothers"- the Amazons used to infrequently invade the ships coming near the island and force themselves on the sailors, and then kill them. After nine months, the birth of the female children are highly celebrated and are inducted into the proper ranks of the Amazons while the male children are rejected. In order to save the male children from being drowned to death by the Amazons, Hephaestus trades them with the Amazons in exchange for weapons.[87][91][92]

After saving Zola from Hades, Wonder Woman tries to protect her further from Apollo, as it is prophesied that one of Zeus' children will be his downfall whom Apollo considers to be Zola's child.[93][94] Wonder Woman receives the power of flight by one of Hermes' feathers piercing her thigh and Zola's baby is stolen by Hermes at the end and given to Demeter. The issue's last page shows a dark and mysterious man rising from the snow, taking a helmet and disappearing.[95][96]

Diana tries to reconcile with her mother, but unfortunately, Hera has turned the entire Amazon population to stone. Wonder Woman also comes to the help of Zola, a girl who is pregnant by Zeus' child. Hermes tells Wonder Woman that she must protect Zola from Hera. In order to do so, Wonder Woman asks the help of Lennox, an illegitimate child of Zeus and Diana's older brother. The four realize that Zeus has disappeared, leaving a power vacuum that other gods seek to fill. Poseidon and Hades attack Wonder Woman's group in London.

Wonder Woman and Lennox try to negotiate with the two gods. Using a distraction, Wonder Woman takes Hades's staff and teleports to Olympus, where she swears retribution on Hera for what she did to her people. By the time Wonder Woman returns to London, however, Hades kidnaps Zola.[79] Wonder Woman, Hermes and Lennox go to Italy to find Eros, so that he can take them to the realm of Hephaestus. Wonder Woman hopes Hephaestus will give them what they need in order to face Hades. The group travels to Mount Etna, where they are greeted by Hephaestus' labourers. Eros and Hephaestus explain that the labourers are in fact the discarded male children of the Amazons. Whenever Amazon children are born, the females are accepted while the males are thrown to sea. Hephaestus rescued them and raised them with love.

Wonder Woman, armed with Eros' guns, and Hermes travel to the Underworld. There, Hades says that he will give Zola to them if Diana makes a new deal with him. Their previous bargain dictated that he would be able to marry Hera as his new queen, but since Wonder Woman cannot convince Hera to do so, a new bargain must be made. Hades wants Eros' guns and Diana gives them to him. Receiving the guns, Hades returns Zola to Wonder Woman and Hermes. Suddenly, Hades shoots Wonder Woman in the heart, saying that she will be Hades' queen. Hermes and Zola are forced to leave Diana behind.

Diana is forced to go through the wedding. She also meets Persephone, Hades' first wife, who tried to escape by slitting her wrists. As she is taken to the altar, Hades creates a noose from her Lasso of Truth. Hades is confused whether Diana is feigning love towards him in order to protect Zola, so he will test her love. If she is dishonest, then she will be hanged and he will capture Zola.

As the lasso is placed around her neck, Diana says she truly loves Hades. Suddenly, she breaks free of her bonds, saying that she will not marry him, whether she loves him or not. Lennox and Hephaestus enter the underworld in order to help her. During the confrontation, Hephaestus tells Hades that Diana indeed loves Hades, just as she loves everyone. Wonder Woman says that even with Eros' guns, Hades cannot make anyone fall in love with him if he does not love himself. Hades allows the trio to leave the underworld, but not before Wonder Woman shoots Hades in the heart while he is staring at a mirror, hoping that he will finally love himself.

The group travels to Coloma, Michigan, just as Zola is about to give birth. Zola is taken to a doctor, but Apollo and Artemis arrive in order to kidnap Zola and the child. Although Wonder Woman, Lennox work together, the two gods defeat them and take Zola to Olympus. Wonder Woman and Hermes travel to Olympus, reaching Zeus's throne, where Hera has met up with Strife and Apollo.

Hera reveals that she had made a pact with Apollo in which he would get to be ruler of Olympus while she gets to destroy Zola and her child. Just as she is about to throw Zola off a cliff, Wonder Woman rescues her. Apollo becomes the new ruler of Olympus and exiles Hera. Wonder Woman gets Hermes to take Zola back to Earth so that she can deliver her child. Artemis attacks Wonder Woman again, but Wonder Woman removes her bracelets, easily defeating her foe. Apollo agrees to let Diana leave in peace, but he speaks of a prophecy in which the ruler of Olympus will be killed by a child of Zeus. If Zola's child turns out to be the one mentioned by the prophecy, Diana will kill the child herself. Wonder Woman returns to Earth and Zola gives birth to her child, but in that moment, Hermes takes the child and leaves. Wonder Woman swears to rescue the child and bring Hermes to justice.

New Gods

Wonder Woman and Lennox agree to protect Zola and a now mortal Hera from Olympus. Lennox tells Diana that he knows of a child of Zeus who had been killed by Hera. Her name is Siracca, and she had been giving information to Lennox before he joined Diana. In order to find Siracca, Wonder Woman travels to Lybia, where she finds a child. Wonder Woman takes the child to an underground temple, where the child dissipates into a cloud of sand and attacks Diana, revealing herself to be Siracca.[86] Wonder Woman refuses to fight Siracca, as they have both been victimized by Hera. Instead she asks for her help to find Zola's child. Ceasing her attack, Siracca agrees to help. She says that her brother, Milan, might be able to help Wonder Woman. He lives in New York.[87] Wonder Woman and Lennox travel to New York City. As their reach a subway tunnel, Hephaestus briefly appears before Diana and modifies her bracelets. Suddenly, she sees Lennox being threatened by Orion and prepares to fight. In that moment, her bracelets create two swords for her to wield. Before a fight breaks out, Milan appears and summons a swarm of insects from his mouth, enveloping everyone present.

A stand-alone #0 issue was released in September which explored Diana's childhood and her tutelage under Ares, the God of War.[97] The issue was narrated in the style of a typical Silver Age comic book and saw Diana in her childhood years.[98] The main plot of the issue was Diana training under Ares as he thought of her being an extraordinary girl with immense potential. The issue ultimately concluded with Diana learning and experiencing the importance of mercy, as she hesitates and refuses to kill the Minotaur- a task given to her by Ares; however, this show of mercy makes her a failure in Ares' eyes.[97][98][99]

Wonder Woman also appears as one of the lead characters in the new Justice League title written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Jim Lee.[100] In August 2012, she and Superman shared a kiss in Justice League Vol 2 #12, which has since developed into a romantic relationship. According to Justice League writer Geoff Johns, their union is the new status quo.[101][102][103]

Earth 2

The New 52 version of Earth 2 was introduced in Earth 2 #1 (2012). In that issue, the Earth 2 Wonder Woman is introduced via flashback. She, along with Superman and Batman, are depicted dying in battle with forces from Apokolips five years in the past.[104] In Earth 2 #8 (2013), Wonder Woman's adult daughter, Fury, is introduced.[105]

Secret identity

A powerless Wonder Woman fighting crime as Diana Prince. Cover to Wonder Woman Vol 1 #189 (July, 1970), art by Mike Sekowsky.

Wonder Woman uses the alias Diana Prince, which was created by William Moulton Marston, as her secret identity.

During Marston's run, Diana Prince was the name of an army nurse whom Wonder Woman met. The nurse wanted to meet her fiancé, who was transferred to South America, but was unable to arrange for money to do so. As Wonder Woman needed a secret identity to monitor and look after Steve (who was admitted in the same army hospital Diana Prince worked at), and because both of them looked identical, Wonder Woman gave the nurse money to go to her fiancé in exchange for the nurse's credentials and took Diana Prince as her alias.[36] She also started to work as an army nurse and later as an Air Force secretary.[36][106]

The identity of Diana Prince played an important part in Wonder Woman's adventures during the 1960s, which featured a de-powered Diana fighting crime without her mystic powers. As she was no longer Wonder Woman, she used the Diana Prince alias while fighting crime and ran a mod boutique as a business.[42][43]

The "Diana Prince" alias again gained an important role to play in Wonder Woman's adventures after the events of Infinite Crisis. Wonder Woman was broadcast worldwide killing a villain named Maxwell Lord, as he was mind controlling Superman into killing Batman. When Wonder Woman caught him in her lasso, demanding to know how to stop Superman, Maxwell revealed that the only way to stop him was to kill him, so as a last resort Diana snapped his neck.[107][108] Due to the trauma of killing another person, the Amazon went into a year's exile in order to rediscover herself.[109] Once she returned to public life, Diana realized that her life as a full-time celebrity superhero and ambassador had kept her removed from humanity. Because of this she donned the persona of Diana Prince and became an agent at the Department of Metahuman Affairs. During a later battle with Circe, the witch placed a spell on Diana leaving Wonder Woman powerless when in the role of Diana Prince.[110]

In the current New 52 universe, Diana does not have a secret identity as stated in an interview by series writer Brian Azzarello.[111]

Characterization

While many writers have depicted Diana in different personalities, what has remained constant is her ability to feel compassion and give love without discrimination. This trait had been the reason for her induction into the Star Sapphires.[112][113] The modern version of the character has been shown to perform lethal and fatal actions when left with no other alternative. A primary example of this is when she killed Maxwell Lord in order to save Batman's life.[108][114]

Wonder Woman's personality and tone has wavered between that of a typical warrior, a highly compassionate and calm Ambassador, and sometimes also as a naive and innocent person. Writer Gail Simone was applauded for her portrayal of Wonder Woman during her run on the series, with comic book reviewer Dan Phillips of IGN noting that "she's molded Diana into a very relatable and sympathetic character."[115]

The New 52 version of the character has been portrayed to be a more young, headstrong, loving, fierce and wilful person. Brian Azzarello stated in a video interview with DC Comics that they're building a very "confident", "impulsive" and "good-hearted" character in her. He also referred to her trait of feeling compassion as her strength and weakness both.[116]

Powers and abilities

Pre-Crisis

The Golden Age Wonder Woman, compared to a normal human being, was much stronger - an example of this is when she was able to tear a steel door off its hinges.[117] In one of her earliest appearances, she is shown running easily at 60 mph, and later jumps from a building and lands on the balls of her feet.[118]

Her powers would be removed in accordance with "Aphrodite's Law" if she allowed herself to be bound or chained by a male. However the effects of this varied.[119]

Wonder Woman (vol. 1) #105 revealed that Diana was formed from clay by the Queen of the Amazons and was imbued with the attributes of the Greek and Roman gods by Athena — "beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, as swift as Hermes, and as strong as Hercules."[20] Wonder Woman's Amazon training also gave her limited telepathy, profound scientific knowledge,[20] and the ability to speak every language known to man and beyond — even caveman[20][120] and Martian language.[120]

Between 1966 and 1967, new powers were added, such as super breath and telepathy.[121]

In the Silver and Bronze ages of comics, Wonder Woman was able to further increase her strength. In times of great need, removing her bracelets would temporarily augment her power tenfold, but cause her to go insane in the process.[122]

These powers received changes after the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Post-Crisis

In the Post-Crisis universe, Wonder Woman receives her powers as a blessing from the Olympian deities.[123]

Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and fertility, blessed Diana with strength drawn from the Earth spirit Gaea, making her one of the physically strongest heroes in the DC Universe and the strongest female heroine of all in the DC Universe. Her connection to the earth allows her to heal at an accelerated rate so long as she is in contact with the planet. In rare cases where she has been gravely injured, Diana showed the ability to physically merge with the earth, causing whatever injuries or poisons to be expelled from her body; such an act is considered sacred, and can only be used in extreme cases.[124] Pallas Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war, granted Diana great wisdom, intelligence, and military prowess. Athena's gift has enabled Diana to master over a dozen languages (including those of alien origin), multiple complex crafts, sciences and philosophies, as well as leadership, military strategy, and armed and unarmed combat. More recently, Athena bound her own eyesight to Diana's, granting her increased empathy.[125] Artemis, goddess of the hunt, animals, and the Moon, graced Diana with the Eyes of the Hunter and unity with beasts. The Eyes of the Hunter ability gives Diana a full range of enhanced senses, including telescopic vision and super hearing. Hestia, goddess of hearth and home, granted Diana sisterhood with fire. This power has been shown to control the "Fires of Truth," which Diana wields through her lasso, making anyone bound by it unable to lie.[126] This ability also grants her resistance to both normal and supernatural fire. Hermes, the messenger god of speed, granted Diana superhuman speed and the ability to fly.[126] She is capable of flying at speeds approaching half the speed of light.[124] She can react quick enough to deflect bullets, lasers, and other projectiles with her virtually impenetrable bracelets. After the 2011 relaunch of the character, Wonder Woman does not naturally possess the power of flight. She gains it once she is hit by a feather thrown by Hermes.[127][128] Aphrodite, goddess of love, bestowed Diana with stunning beauty, as well as a kind heart.

While not invulnerable, she is highly resistant to great amounts of concussive force and extreme temperatures. Edged weapons or projectiles applied with sufficient force, though, are able to pierce her skin. [124][129] Due to her divine origins, Diana can resist many forms of magical manipulation.

She is able to astrally project herself into various lands of myth. Her physical body reacts to whatever happens to her on the mythical astral plane, leaving her body cut, bruised, or sometimes strengthened once her mind and body are reunited. She can apparently leave the planet through meditation, and did this once to rescue Artemis while she was in hell.[130]

After the 2011 relaunch, Diana has gained new powers. As the natural born daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus, she has inherited some of her father's powers, which is suppressed by wearing her bracelets. She uses these powers in battle against Artemis (the Goddess; not the Amazon) and quickly renders her unconscious with a series of carefully positioned counter-attacks. While using her godly strength, her costume and accoutrements lit up and her eyes glowed like her father's.[94][128]

Skills and resources

Diana is depicted as a masterful athlete, acrobat, fighter and strategist, trained and experienced in many ancient and modern forms of armed and unarmed combat, including exclusively Amazonian martial arts. In some versions, her mother trained her, as Wonder Girl, for a future career as Wonder Woman. From the beginning, she is portrayed as highly skilled in using her Amazon bracelets to stop bullets and in wielding her golden lasso.[131] Batman once caller her the "best melee fighter in the world".[132] The modern version of the character is known to use lethal force when she deems it necessary.[133] In The New 52 continuity, her superior combat skills are the product of her training with Ares in her childhood.[97]

Diana has an arsenal of powerful god-forged weapons at her disposal, but her signature weapons are her indestructible bracelets and the Lasso of Truth.

Her bulletproof bracelets were formed from the remnants of Athena's legendary shield, the Aegis, to be awarded to her champion. The shield was made from the indestructible hide of the great she-goat, Amalthea, who suckled Zeus as an infant. These forearm guards have thus far proven indestructible and able to absorb the impact of incoming attacks, allowing Wonder Woman to deflect automatic weapon fire and energy blasts.[134] Diana can also slam the bracelets together to create a wave of concussive force capable of making strong beings like Superman's ears bleed.[133] Recently, she gained the ability to channel Zeus's lightning through her bracelets as well. Zeus explained to her that this power had been contained within the bracelets since their creation, because they were once part of the Aegis, and that he had only recently unlocked it for her use.[135] After the 2011 relaunch of the character, it was revealed that Diana was the daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta[86] and that the bracelets are able to keep the powers she has inherited from Zeus in check.[94]

The Lasso of Truth, or Lariat of Hestia, was forged by Hephaestus from the golden girdle of Gaea.[126] It compels all beings who come into contact with it to tell the absolute truth and is virtually indestructible;[126] the only times it has been broken were when Wonder Woman herself refused to accept the truth revealed by the lasso, such as when she confronted Rama Khan of Jarhanpur,[136] and by Bizarro in Matt Wagner's non-canonical Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity.[137] It also at one time had the power to force anyone caught to obey any command given them, even overriding other kinds of mind control; this was effective enough to defeat strong-willed beings like Captain Marvel.[138] Diana wields the lasso with great precision and accuracy and can use it as a whip or noose.

As early as the 1950s,[139] Wonder Woman's Golden Tiara has also been used as a razor-edged throwing weapon, returning to her like a boomerang.[126] It is also possible for Diana to contact Amazons back on Themyscira using the telepathic power of the red star ruby in the centre of her tiara.[133]

The Golden, Silver, and Bronze Age portrayals of Wonder Woman showed her using an Invisible plane that could be controlled by mental command. Its appearance has varied over time; originally it had a propeller, while later it was drawn as a jet aircraft resembling a stealth aircraft.[140]

Diana occasionally uses additional weaponry in formal battle, such as ceremonial golden armour with golden wings, pteruges, chest-plate, and golden helmet in the shape of an eagle's head. She also possesses a magic sword forged by Hephaestus that is sharp enough to cut the electrons off an atom.[126]

As a recent temporary inductee into the Star Sapphires, Wonder Woman gained access to the violet power ring of love. This ring allowed her to alter her costume at will, create solid-light energy constructs, and reveal a person's true love to them. She was able to combine the energy with her lasso to enhance its ability.

Costume

File:Wonder Woman New 52 Jim Lee.jpg
Wonder Woman's New 52 costume. Panel from Justice League Vol. 2 #3 (Nov. 2011). Art by Jim Lee and Scott Williams.

Wonder Woman's costume has varied over time, although almost all of her costume incarnations have retained some form of breastplate, tiara, bracelets and her signature star symbols.[141]

At the time of her debut, Wonder Woman sported a red top with a golden eagle emblem, a white belt, blue star-spangled culottes and red and golden go-go boots. This costume was entirely based on the American flag, as Wonder Woman at that time was purely an American icon.[142] Later in 1942, Wonder Woman's costume received a slight change- the skirt was converted entirely into skin-tight shorts and she wore sandals.[142] While earlier most of her back was exposed, during the imposition of the Comics Code Authority in the mid-1950s, Wonder Woman's costume was rectified to make her back substantially covered, in order to comply with the Authority's rule of minimum exposure.[142] During Mike Sekowsky's run in the late 1960s, Diana surrendered her powers and started using her own skill to fight crime. She wore a series of jumpsuits as her attire, most popular of these was a white one.[142] After Sekowsky's run ended in the early 1970s, Diana's roots were reverted back to her old mythological ones and she wore a more modernized version of her original costume, a predecessor to her "bathing suit" costume.[142] Later, in 1976, her white belt was turned into a yellow one.[142]

After Crisis On Infinite Earths, George Pérez rebooted the character in 1987. She wore a costume similar to her 1970s one, but now with a larger golden belt.[142] This costume continued until William Messner-Loebs' run, which had Diana pass on the role of Wonder Woman to Artemis.[142] No longer Wonder Woman, Diana sported a new black biker-girl costume designed by artist Mike Deodato Jr.[142] After John Byrne took over writing and art duties, he redesigned the Wonder Woman costume (Diana was reinstated as Wonder Woman at the end of Loebs' run) and joined the emblem and belt together.[142]

Her costume did not receive any prominent change until after Infinite Crisis. Similar to her chest-plate, her belt was also shaped into a W.[142] This costume continued until issue #600- J. Michael Straczynski's run of Wonder Woman's altered timeline changed her costume drastically. Her costume was redesigned by Jim Lee and included a redesigned emblem, a golden and red top, black pants and a later discontinued blue-black jacket.[142]

Another major costume change came after DC Comics relaunched its entire line of publications, dubbing the event The New 52. Her original swim-suit costume was restored, although the color combination of red and blue was changed to red and dark blue. Her chest-plate, belt and tiara were also changed from gold to silver. She also wears many accessories such as arm and neck jewellery. The design previously included black trousers, but they were removed and the swimsuit look was restored during the time of publication.[143] Wonder Woman is currently sporting this incarnation of the costume.

Reception

Wonder Woman was named the 20th greatest comic book character by Empire magazine.[144] She was ranked sixth in Comics Buyer's Guide's "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.[145] In May 2011, Wonder Woman placed fifth on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time.[146]

Alternative versions

Main articles: Wonder Woman in other media, Cultural impact of Wonder Woman, and Alternative versions of Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman has appeared in a wide variety of media outside of comic books since her initial appearance including comic strips, film, television and video games.

The first serious attempt at creating a live-action series on Wonder Woman was a 1974 pilot movie. It was written and produced by John D. F. Black, and starred Cathy Lee Crosby as Wonder Woman. This incarnation of the character was blonde, wore a red and blue jumpsuit, and acted more like a spy rather than a superhero.[147][148] This pilot was not picked up for a regular television series. A successful television series based on Wonder Woman finally emerged in 1975, airing initially on ABC for its first season and CBS for its second and third season. This version of the character was written by Douglas S. Cramer, and retained significant aspects from the comic book version. It starred Lynda Carter in the lead role as Wonder Woman and originally aired from 1975 to 1979.[148][149] The show earned solid ratings and helped Wonder Woman reach the peak of her popularity.[150]

Attempts have been made to produce a television series on the character in more recent times, but none have emerged successfully yet. In 2011, NBC released a pilot for a television series starring Adrianne Palicki as Wonder Woman. The pilot was not taken up for a regular series however.[151] In 2012, it was revealed that The CW, Warner Bros. Television and DC Comics are developing a script for a possible television series, titled Amazon, about the origin of Wonder Woman.[6][152][153]

In the animation stream, Wonder Woman has appeared in a variety of shows – notably Super Friends, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. She has starred in her own animated film too, which released in 2009. The title role was voiced by Keri Russell. The film was well-received and much appreciated.[154] She has also appeared in other animated films, mostly those based on the Justice League.

Many alternative versions of Wonder Woman have appeared in comics, such as in various Elseworlds titles etc.

Collected editions

Title Material collected ISBN
Wonder Woman Chronicles, Vol. 1 All Star Comics #8, Sensation Comics #1–9, Wonder Woman #1 978-1401226442
Wonder Woman Chronicles, Vol. 2 Sensation Comics #10–14, Wonder Woman #2-3, Comics Cavalcade #1 978-1401232405
Wonder Woman Archive Edition, Vol. 1 All Star Comics #8, Sensation Comics #1–12, Wonder Woman #1 978-1563894022
Wonder Woman Archive Edition, Vol. 2 Sensation Comics #13–17, Wonder Woman #2–4 978-1563895944
Wonder Woman Archive Edition, Vol. 3 Sensation Comics #18–24, Wonder Woman #5–7 978-1563898143
Wonder Woman Archive Edition, Vol. 4 Sensation Comics #25–32, Wonder Woman #8–9 978-1401201456
Wonder Woman Archive Edition, Vol. 5 Sensation Comics #33–40, Wonder Woman #10–12 978-1401212704
Wonder Woman Archive Edition, Vol. 6 Sensation Comics #41–48, Wonder Woman #13–15 978-1401227340
Wonder Woman: The Amazon Princess Archives, Vol. 1 Wonder Woman #98-110 978-1401238650
Showcase Presents Wonder Woman, Vol. 1 Wonder Woman #98–117 978-1401213732
Showcase Presents Wonder Woman, Vol. 2 Wonder Woman #118–137 978-1401219482
Showcase Presents Wonder Woman, Vol. 3 Wonder Woman #138–156 978-1401225247
Showcase Presents Wonder Woman, Vol. 4 Wonder Woman #157–177 1-4012-3289-2
Diana Prince: Wonder Woman, Vol. 1 Wonder Woman #178–184 978-1401216603
Diana Prince: Wonder Woman, Vol. 2 Wonder Woman #185–189, Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane #93, The Brave and the Bold #87 978-1401218256
Diana Prince: Wonder Woman, Vol. 3 Wonder Woman #190–198, World's Finest #204 978-1401219475
Diana Prince: Wonder Woman, Vol. 4 Wonder Woman #199–204, The Brave and the Bold #105 978-1401221508
Wonder Woman: The Twelve Labors Wonder Woman #212–222 978-1401234942
Wonder Woman, Vol. 1: Gods and Mortals Wonder Woman vol. 2, #1–7 978-1401201975
Wonder Woman, Vol. 2: Challenge of the Gods Wonder Woman vol. 2, #7–14 978-1401203245
Wonder Woman, Vol. 3: Beauty and the Beasts Wonder Woman vol. 2, #15–19, Action Comics #600 978-1401204846
Wonder Woman, Vol. 4: Destiny Calling Wonder Woman vol. 2, #20–24, Annual #1 978-1401209438
Wonder Woman: The Contest Wonder Woman vol. 2, #0, #90–93 978-1563891946
Wonder Woman: The Challenge of Artemis Wonder Woman vol. 2, #94–100 978-1563892646
Wonder Woman: Second Genesis Wonder Woman vol. 2, #101–105 978-1435218093
Wonder Woman: Lifelines Wonder Woman vol. 2, #106–112 978-1563894039
Wonder Woman: Paradise Lost Wonder Woman vol. 2, #164–170, Secret Files #2 978-1563897924
Wonder Woman: Paradise Found Wonder Woman vol. 2, #171–177, Secret Files #3 978-1563899560
Wonder Woman: Down to Earth Wonder Woman vol. 2, #195–200 978-1401202262
Wonder Woman: Bitter Rivals Wonder Woman vol. 2, #201–205 978-1401204624
Wonder Woman: Eyes of Gorgon Wonder Woman vol. 2, #206–213 978-1401207977
Wonder Woman: Land of the Dead Wonder Woman vol. 2, #214–217, The Flash #219 978-1401209384
Wonder Woman: Mission's End Wonder Woman vol. 2, #218–226 978-1401210939
Wonder Woman: Who is Wonder Woman? Wonder Woman vol. 3, #1–4, Annual #1 978-1401212346
Wonder Woman: Love and Murder Wonder Woman vol. 3, #6–10 978-1401217082
Wonder Woman: Amazons Attack! Wonder Woman vol. 3, #11-13 9781401215439
Wonder Woman: The Circle Wonder Woman vol. 3, #14–19 978-1401219321
Wonder Woman: Ends of the Earth Wonder Woman vol. 3, #20–25 978-1401221362
Wonder Woman: Rise of the Olympian Wonder Woman vol. 3, #26–33 978-1401225131
Wonder Woman: Warkiller Wonder Woman vol. 3, #34–39 978-1401227791
Wonder Woman: Contagion Wonder Woman vol. 3, #40–44 978-1401229207
Wonder Woman: Odyssey, Vol. 1 Wonder Woman vol. 3, #600-606 978-1401230777
Wonder Woman: Odyssey, Vol. 2 Wonder Woman vol. 3, #607-614 978-1401234317
Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Blood Wonder Woman vol. 4, #1-6 978-1401235638 Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: checksum
Wonder Woman Vol. 2: Guts Wonder Woman vol. 4, #7-12 978-1401238094
Miscellaneous
Wonder Woman 80-Page Giant No. 1 (2002) Wonder Woman vol. 1, #28; #105; #108; #144 (80-Page Giant retro style Annual) SC: 1-56389-818-7

See also

References

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  2. ^ Curiel, Jonathan. "Is Wonder Woman a Feminist Icon? Yes, Yes, Yes!". KQED. Retrieved Nov 29, 2012.
  3. ^ Cawley, Stephanie (December 30, 2012). "Comics and American Feminism: Wonder Woman". The Stockton Postcolonial Studies Project.
  4. ^ Crawford, Philip Charles (March 1, 2007). "The Legacy of Wonder Woman". School Library Journal. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  5. ^ Crawford, Philip. "The Legacy of Wonder Woman". School Library Journal. Retrieved 03/01/2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  6. ^ a b Adalian, Josef (9/6/12). "The CW Is Developing a Wonder Woman Origins Series". Retrieved 16 September 2012. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ Lyons, Charles. "Suffering Sappho! A Look at the Creator & Creation of Wonder Woman". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved August 23, 2006. In October 1940, the popular women's magazine "Family Circle" published an interview with Marston entitled "Don't Laugh at the Comics," in which the psychologist discussed the unfulfilled potential of the medium.
  8. ^ Lyons, Charles. "Suffering Sappho! A Look at the Creator & Creation of Wonder Woman". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved August 23, 2006. Maxwell Charles Gaines, then publisher of All-American Comics, saw the interview and offered Marston a job as an educational consultant to All-American and sister company DC Comics.
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  13. ^ "Wonder Woman". Marston submitted his first script about "Suprema, the Wonder Woman" to editor Sheldon Mayer in February 1941 under the pseudonym Charles Moulton. The Suprema name was quickly dropped, and Marston selected artist Harry Peter to draw the feature, over Mayer's objections. Wonder Woman made her first appearance in All Star Comics 8 (December 1941â€"January 1942), an origin story with an unusual combination of illustrations and text.
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  17. ^ Hanley, Tim. "Wonder Woman: Secretary Of The Justice Society Of America". Straitened Circumstances. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  18. ^ All Star Comics #12 (August/September 1942)
  19. ^ Wonder Woman (vol. 1) #98 (May 1958)
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  21. ^ Wonder Woman #179 (1968)
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  23. ^ Wonder Woman Vol 1 #204
  24. ^ Mangels, Andy (January 1, 1989). "Triple Threat The George Pérez Interview". Amazing Heroes (156). Fantagraphics Books: 30. Wonder Woman's sales are some of the best the Amazing Amazon has ever experienced, and the book is a critical and popular success with its weaving of Greek mythology into a feminist and humanistic atmosphere.
  25. ^ a b "Who destroyed Paradise Island?". DC Comics. April 15, 2010. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2012. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |deadurl= (help)
  26. ^ Rogers, Vaneta (June 29, 2010). "JMS Talks Wonder Woman's New Look and New Direction". Newsarama. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2012. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |deadurl= (help)
  27. ^ George, Richard (July 7, 2010). "Wonder Woman's New Era". IGN. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2012. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |deadurl= (help)
  28. ^ Gustines, George Gene (June 29, 2010). "Makeover for Wonder Woman at 69". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2012. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |deadurl= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  29. ^ Ching, Albert (November 10, 2010). "JMS Leaving Superman and Wonder Woman for Earth One Sequel". Newsarama. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2012. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |deadurl= (help)
  30. ^ Joey, Esposito. "The Best of DC Comics in 2011". IGN. Retrieved December 14, 2011.
  31. ^ Renaud, Jeffrey. "Azzarello Lowers the Boom(Tube) on Wonder Woman". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  32. ^ Garcia, Joe. "The Best & Worst of DC Comics' New 52, One Year Later". Front Towards Gamer. Retrieved September 5, 2012. Despite being one part of the Justice League's "Holy Trinity," Wonder Woman never seems to get the recognition that she deserves. While she might not be invincible, her strength is second only to Superman and she's arguably a better fighter. Her solo outings, however, were rarely very interesting. The New 52 put an end to that injustice, with Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang spearheading one of the best books DC is putting out. Azzarello currently has Wonder Woman tearing through the ranks of Greek mythology, and Chiang's art manages to be intense despite his use of softer lines. If you're not reading Wonder Woman, go rectify that.Despite being one part of the Justice League's "Holy Trinity," Wonder Woman never seems to get the recognition that she deserves. While she might not be invincible, her strength is second only to Superman and she's arguably a better fighter. Her solo outings, however, were rarely very interesting. The New 52 put an end to that injustice, with Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang spearheading one of the best books DC is putting out. Azzarello currently has Wonder Woman tearing through the ranks of Greek mythology, and Chiang's art manages to be intense despite his use of softer lines. If you're not reading Wonder Woman, go rectify that.
  33. ^ Hughes, Mark. "Top Ten Best Comics In DC's 'New 52' - UPDATED". Forbes. Retrieved 9/29/2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
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  41. ^ Mr. Morrow. "Wonder what I did on my Christmas vacation?". TwoMorrows Publishing. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
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  51. ^ Colluccio, Ali. "Top 5: Wonder Woman Reboots". iFanboy. Retrieved 04/10/12. After she was "erased" from existence in the final pages of Crisis on Infinite Earths, George Perez, Len Wein and Greg Potter brought the Amazon Princess back to the DC Universe. While the basics of the story remained the same, Wonder Woman's powers were adjusted to include Beauty from Aphrodite, Strength from Demeter, Wisdom from Athena, Speed and Flight from Hermes, Eyes of the Hunter from Artemis, and Truth from Hestia. This run also established Paradise Island as the mythical Amazon capital, Themyscira. Perez's Diana is not only strong and smart, but graceful and kind — the iconic Wonder Woman. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  52. ^ Mozzocco, J. Caleb. "The Many Loves of Wonder Woman: A Brief History Of The Amazing Amazon's Love Life". ComicsAlliance. Retrieved Aug 28th 2012. When the next volume of Wonder Woman would start, Trevor was sidelined as Diana's love interest. He still appeared in the series, but as an older man, one who would ultimately marry the post-Crisis version of Wondy's Golden Age sidekick, Etta Candy. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
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  58. ^ "Superhero Makeovers: Wonder Woman, part two". The Screamsheet. Retrieved February 10, 2011. Desperate to save her daughter, she claimed that Diana had failed in her role as an ambassador to man's world and called for a do-over on the contest that had determined Diana fit to carry the Wonder Woman mantle in the first place.
  59. ^ "Superhero Makeovers: Wonder Woman, part two". The Screamsheet. Retrieved February 10, 2011. Due to Hippolyta secretly meddling so her daughter would lose the contest, Diana lost to one of the Bana named Artemis, who became the new Wonder Woman.
  60. ^ "Superhero Makeovers: Wonder Woman, part two". The Screamsheet. Retrieved February 10, 2011. Meanwhile, Diana herself wore the costume equivalent of black lingerie and a jacket and continued to fight crime.
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