Wondrous Secrets
Wonder Woman: “What one does when faced with the truth is more difficult than you think. I learned this the hard way. A long, long time ago.”
Wonder Woman (2017)
Wonder Woman is perhaps the last superhero you would expect to keep secrets. She rarely bothers with a secret identity, carries around the Lasso of Truth, and one of her nicknames is “The Spirit of Truth.” Despite that, there are some cards she plays close to her chest.
So what is Wonder Woman hiding in her invisible jet? Let’s find out.
Scene Select
#5 JSA Secretary
Hawkman: “Even though you are an honorary member, we’d like you to act as our secretary.”
All Star Comics #13
Wonder Woman: “Why, that’s quite an honor! I don’t think I’ve ever been so thrilled!”
Talk about a blast from the past. Our first Wonder Woman Secret takes place in the 1940s, during the Golden Age of Comics.
Several superheroes formed a team called the Justice Society of America to fight the Axis as World War II raged. Wonder Woman joined them for a mission, and her fighting skills impressed the teams. The JSA asked her join the team as an honorary member.
Despite being one of the strongest heroes in the JSA, Wonder Woman was given the title of secretary and told to stay at their base. The decision was usually justified by saying that someone had to remain behind in case a villain attacked or an emergency was reported.
Behind the scenes, Wonder Woman creator William Marston refused to let anyone else write the hero’s stories. He was busy writing three other Wonder Woman books, so usually only had time to write a paragraph about why she wouldn’t be accompanying the JSA into battle.
Marston died in 1947, giving the writers more freedom to use Wonder Woman. She still worked as the secretary, but also fought alongside the team. Wonder Woman also scouted the first female superhero to be a full member of the JSA, Black Canary.
#4 Divine Armaments
Steve: “Ares, as in… the god of war?”
Wonder Woman (2017)
Diana: “The god of war is our responsibility. Only an Amazon can defeat him. (raises the Godkiller sword) With this.”
Most superheroes don’t use weapons, making do with their super powers or hand to hand combat. Some are willing to use weapons, but only specialize in one type. Our second Wonder Woman secret is her arsenal of magical weapons.
Wonder Woman’s signature weapons are the Lasso of Truth and the Bracelets of Submission. The lasso prevents anyone touching it from lying and can only be destroyed by the user refusing to accept the truth. Wonder Woman can also use it as a whip or a noose for those especially tough monsters. The Bracelets of Submission are forged from Zeus’ shield Aegis. They are all but indestructible and create shockwaves when slammed together.
When these aren’t enough, Wonder Woman turns to her lesser used weapons. She has a magic sword forged by Haephestus with an edge sharpened at the atomic level. This blade can even cut Superman. Wonder Woman’s tiara doubles as a razor sharp boomerang. For truly desperate fights, she has a set of eagle-themed golden armor that enhances her powers.
Wonder Woman’s newest weapon is her strangest. During the series Dark Knights: Death Metal, she was brainwashed into serving the genocidal Batman Who Laughs. She was freed from the mind control and decided the Batman Who Laughs was too dangerous to spare. Wonder Woman dismantled her invisible jet and used the parts to create the Chainsaw of Truth. You read that right. An invisible chainsaw that Wonder Woman used to kill the Batman Who Laughs.
#3 Goddess Incarnate
[Wonder Woman has found someone in her room]
Justice League: Unlimited “The Balance” (Season 2, Episode 5)
Wonder Woman: “Flash?!”
Hermes: “No, no, the original speedster. [walks into the light] Hey Diana, let myself in.”
Wonder Woman: “Hermes! How may I serve the messenger of the gods?”
Hermes: “Don’t be so formal, Diana. You’re practically a member of the family.”
Wonder Woman’s powers originated from the goddesses of the Greek pantheon: wisdom from Athena, power from Hera, beauty from Aphrodite, so on and so forth. But what if she didn’t need to borrow their powers? Our third Wonder Woman secret is how she became a god, several times over.
Wonder Woman was struck down during a battle. Athena wanted to resurrect her champion, but the other Olympians forbade her being brought back as a human. Undeterred, Athena used the Lasso of Truth to transform Wonder Woman into the goddess of truth.
Wonder Woman’s reign as the goddess of truth didn’t last long. She used her divine powers to help humans without forcing them to worship her. The Olympians weren’t happy with that and ousted her from the role. At least they allowed her to come back to life as a human.
A new Wonder Woman origin was created for DC’s New 52 imprint. She was retconned as a daughter of Zeus, making Wonder Woman a demigod. She later became a full god by killing Ares and taking his domain as god of war.
#2 The Mod Era
Diana: “He’s right, Ching. I’m only a human now. What chance do I stand against a god?”
Wonder Woman #183
Every hero eventually gets the Modernization Treatment. Sometimes it can make them better, other times it fails miserably. The penultimate Wonder Woman secret is how she lost her title, powers, and spent time as a spy.
In 1969, DC Comics cashed in on The Avengers‘ popularity by turning Wonder Woman into an Emma Peel ripoff. The Amazons had spent too much time on Earth and their magic was fading. They left to recharge in an alternate universe, but Diana refused to leave her friends. She abandoned the title of Wonder Woman, her Amazonian heritage, and gave up her powers to remain in Man’s World.
Diana became a spy alongside her lover, Steve Trevor. After he was injured and left comatose following a fight with Doctor Cyber, Diana swore vengeance. She studied martial arts under the blind, ancient I-Ching to add those techniques to her former superhero experience.
Fans were unhappy with this new direction and demanded it be reversed. DC complied, bringing back the Amazons, the powers, and the Wonder Woman name. This era is mostly ignored except when talking about Diana’s fighting skills. I-Ching sporadically reappears for martial arts-themed stories, recently becoming the mentor of an Asian hero called New Super-Man.
Despite being unpopular, this version of Wonder Woman was almost adapted into a television series. A TV movie starring Cathy Lee Crosby was made in 1974, but didn’t impress the networks. Then Lynda Carter stepped into the role a year later, and they were off to the races.
#1 The Secret of Themyscira
Wonder Woman: [wrapping the Lasso of Truth around her arm] “What am I?”
Wonder Woman: Rebirth #1
Lasso: “You are many to many. Peace-maker and war-fighter. Supplicant, aspirant, penitent. The true friend and the boon companion, the trusted soul and the truth-speaker… And you have been deceived.”
Many fans were unhappy about how Wonder Woman’s portrayal in the New 52. The Amazons were bloodthirsty rapists and slavers. Wonder Woman had grown too powerful and cruel as the god of war. Rather than retcon these changes away, DC used them as the launching point for a new story. Presenting Wonder Woman’s final secret, the truth of her homeland, Themyscira.
Wonder Woman began having trouble remembering her past. Attempts to find clues only exposed more errors and manipulation. Desperate to find the truth, Wonder Woman wrapped herself in her lasso and learned that she had false memories. Themyscira, the Amazons, even her gods had never existed. So who was she?
Wonder Woman struggled to cope with the revelation that her past was a lie, wondering if anything she experienced was real. She grew desperate enough to turn to her enemy, the Cheetah, for help uncovering what happened. The duo searched the world for clues, eventually finding themselves on the real Themyscira.
Themyscira was revealed to be a prison for Ares, the god of war. His domain had driven him mad, leading him to try plunging the world into endless war. Aphrodite calmed him, and he was imprisoned in Themyscira. The Amazons had always been his guards and wardens.
The fake Amazons, gods, and Themyscira were decoys meant to distract Phobos and Deimos, Ares’ children, who wanted to free their father. Wonder Woman was given false memories and left behind because she was one of the few beings that could defeat Phobos and Deimos.
What is your favorite Wonder Woman Secret? Is there one better than these? Tell us in the comments.
Jared Bounacos has written for Movie Rewind since 2016.
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