10 Facts You Should Know About WONDER WOMAN

Welcome to another edition of 10 Facts, where we give you a rundown of the ten essential things (and some obscure facts) that you should know about a character.

For a character with such significance in comics, it’s a bit hard to believe that we’re just getting a film about Wonder Woman. So to celebrate her solo movie debut, we are dedicating this entry to our favorite Amazonian princess.

1. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 in 1941.

Wonder Woman was created by writer William Moulton Marston and artist Harry G. Peter, and first appeared in All Star Comics #8 (October 1941). Marston was an American psychologist, but perhaps he is best known for inventing the lie-detector test. You can probably infer correctly where the inspiration for Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth came from.

Believing in equal rights, Marston used the Wonder Woman comics as an avenue to express his radical views on gender. He cites his wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, and another woman who lived with the couple, Olive Byrne, as the inspirations for Wonder Woman’s appearance.

2. Her true identity is Princess Diana of Themyscira.

Diana is the Amazon Princess of Themyscira (originally called Paradise Island), an island nation of female Amazon warriors hidden from the “Man’s World.” She was sculpted from clay by her mother Queen Hippolyta and given life by Aphrodite, as well as superhuman powers imbued by the Greek Gods. Recent reboots, however, modified her origins as being the daughter of both Zeus and Hippolyta and half-sister to the god of war, Ares.

Diana uses the name Diana Prince as her alter ego, whom was actually a real Army nurse during World War II in the DC Universe. Noticing how similar they were in appearance, Diana bought the name and credentials from the real Diana Prince, which in turn let Prince move to South America and marry her fiance.

3. She became the Amazonian ambassador to the outside world.

When Steve Trevor crash landed into Themyscira, the Amazons held a competition for the right to accompany Steve back to “Man’s World.” Diana won, and as champion, earned the right to don the Wonder Woman armor.

Steve and Diana went back to the outside world to help fight the war against the Nazis and supervillains, along with their sidekick Etta Candy. In the movie Wonder Woman, however, the setting is changed to World War I.

4. Her love interest is Steve Trevor.

First appearing in All Star Comics #8, Steve Trevor is an intelligence officer for the United States Army Air Corps who became stranded in Themyscira. As a result, he is the first foreigner to discover the island and the first man Diana has ever seen. After nursing him back to health, Diana develops feelings for Steve and even accompanied him back to the outside world.

In recent years, Steve became the government liaison for the Justice League due to his close relationship with Wonder Woman.

5. She’s an honorary member of the Justice Society of America.

Before the Justice League formed, there was already an established superhero team called the Justice Society of America (JSA) during the era known as the Golden Age of Comic Books. They hold the distinction as the first ever superhero team in comics.

Proving to be a hit among readers, she became an honorary member of the JSA in All Star Comics #13. Despite being the most popular character among the male-dominated team, Wonder Woman was often left behind from their adventures and ultimately relegated to the position of a… secretary.

6. Wonder Woman had a “disco” phase.

As a way to update the character, Wonder Woman lost her powers , returned her costume to her mother in order to stay in Man’s World during the late 1960s. Thus, she was no longer called Wonder Woman. But to continue her crime-fighting ways, Diana trained under a blind martial arts master I-Ching and fought under her Diana Prince alias. She opened a fashion boutique as a business and dressed in contemporary ‘60s jumpsuits (inspired by spy shows at the time) while fighting crime.

7. She’s a founding member of the Justice League of America.

In the early ‘70s, DC finally decided to return Wonder Woman to her superhero roots after pressure from feminist magazine called Ms. (which featured the character in her original costume on the cover), in addition to the popularity of the TV show featuring Lynda Carter. DC gave the character her original costume back, and made her a founding member of a new superhero team, the Justice League of America along with Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter.

8. She originally could not fly.

In her original incarnation, Wonder Woman didn’t have the ability to fly so she created an invisible plane during her younger years in Themyscira. The plane can fly at lightning fast speeds, even through outer space, and was invisible to enemy radar.

After the Crisis of Infinite Earths event in 1980s, DC rebooted a majority of their characters’ continuity. Wonder Woman’s origins were modified yet again, but she gained a significant power boost – including the ability to fly.

9. Wonder Woman has a younger counterpart named Wonder Girl.

Much like Superman has Superboy and Supergirl, and Batman has a Robin, Wonder Woman also has younger counterparts/protégées – Wonder Girl. There have been several Wonder Girls over the years (including Diana herself).

The first Wonder Girl was actually Diana herself, and was featured in several spin-off stories in the original Wonder Woman comics. Because of Queen Hippolyta’s power to splice different time periods, there were occasions where Wonder Woman teams up with Wonder Girl (who was really just a younger version of herself).

The next character to take on the name was Donna Troy, whose origins are very complicated – even by comic book standards – as a result of constant reboots from DC. Currently, Cassandra Sandsmark holds the Wonder Girl moniker. She is the daughter of an archaelogist and Zeus. Both Donna Troy and Cassandra Sandsmark have been members of the teenage superhero team Teen Titans.

10. Lynda Carter wasn’t the first actress to portray Wonder Woman.

Although Lynda Carter’s TV show is the most successful and popular among fans, there have already been a few attempts at a live-action Wonder Woman before.

Linda Harrison portrayed the character in unaired 1967 TV pilot called Who’s Afraid of Diana Prince? The pilot was an attempt to capitalize the success of the Batman TV show starring Adam West. Needless to say, it failed. Then in 1974, a television movie simply titled Wonder Woman aired starring Cathy Lee Crosby. The film is loosely based on the 1960s era of Wonder Woman (see number 6 above) and thus, did not feature the traditional costume.

In the DC Extended Universe, Wonder Woman is played by Gal Gadot and first appeared in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.