Everything You Need To Know About Wonder Woman Before The Movie.

Wonder Woman finally has a stand-alone feature that everyone is talking about. If you want to be involved in the hype, but don’t know much about her, here is a basic guide to one of the most popular icons in comic book history.

Wonder Woman is celebrating her 76th anniversary.

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Wonder Woman debuted in October 1941 in All Stars Comics #8, and took over the front page of Sensation Comics #1 in January of 1942, making her one of the longest running DC heroes. She became a founding member of the Justice Society in 1941 and the Justice League in 1960, playing a vital role in popularizing DC comics.

She was created by renowned psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston.

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Marston advocated for comics to be used as an educational medium. In 1940, Marston was brought on as a consultant to All-American Publications, where he pitched the idea of a superhero that defeated their enemies with love rather than violence. After mentioning the idea to his wife, Elizabeth Holloway, she famously stated, “Fine. But make her a woman.”

Marston met his wife while working on his PhD in Psychology at Harvard University. His research postulated that women were more honest than men and worked more efficiently as a result. He cleverly workshopped that principle into the foundation of Wonder Woman’s character by making her mission to fight for truth. Marston and Elizabeth chose to model Wonder Woman’s appearance after a fellow student, Olive Byron.

After the success of her character, Marston claimed, “Wonder Woman is psychological propaganda for the new type of woman who should, I believe, rule the world.”

She's the Princess of the Amazons.

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Wonder Woman hails from the capital city of Themyscira located on Paradise Island, the haven of the Amazons. Marston wanted to illustrate an environment that evoked the safety women felt at home, as opposed the discomfort women felt in the male-dominated workforce of 1940. Wonder Woman was sculpted from clay wrought from the ground of Paradise Island by her mother Queen Hippolyta. She was breathed into life by the Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, and imbued with superhuman abilities by the pantheon of Greek gods.

In 1985, her origin was changed after the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, a storyline that altered the continuity of the DC universe. In her new timeline, Wonder Woman became the daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta, changing her from an Amazonian to a demigod.

She's a World War II superhero.

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Her adventure begins with U.S. Airforce Captain Steve Trevor crashing into Paradise Island. Trevor is found by the Amazons and explains the global crisis of WWII to Queen Hippolyta. Hippolyta declares a competition takes place to decide who will escort Trevor back to “Man’s World.” Wonder Woman’s desire to serve a greater good prompts her to enter the competition against her mother’s wishes. Proving victorious, she leaves Paradise Island with Trevor, vowing to fight for truth and peace.

Wonder Woman gains her civilian alias from a French nurse she encounters in Man’s World. The nurse, named Diana Prince, is desperate to return to her fiancé. Wonder Woman provides the nurse with money in exchange for her name, credentials, and rank. Keeping her true identity a secret, Wonder Woman served the Allied Forces as a Nurse Lieutenant and personal secretary to Steve Trevor.

After 1985, Wonder Woman’s timeline was adjusted to take place after WWII. She enters Man’s World as a U.N. ambassador from Themyscira, encountering villains from Greek Mythology that threaten the fate of humanity.

She's the goddess of love and war.

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As a natural born combatant Wonder Woman never backs down from a challenge, but doesn’t seek to escalate conflicts. She acts quickly and decisively in combat, but shows concern and temperance towards her enemies. As a warrior, leader, healer, and diplomat, Wonder Woman’s nurturing and sensitive qualities never undermine her fierce strength and power.

Many generations of writers have refined the complex motivations that drive the Amazonian princess, but her overwhelming compassion has remained a consistent character trait. Her empathy for others has evolved into her greatest strength and weakness. Wonder Woman is a character rooted in duality, crafting a message that every woman is unique and multifaceted.

She's the most powerful woman in DC comics.

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As an Amazon warrior, Diana received advanced training in martial arts from an early age. She is dexterous enough to stop bullets with her indestructible bracelets and strong enough to go punch-for-punch with Superman. Batman has praised Diana as the “best melee fighter in the world.” Her mastery of combat is a combination of rigorous training and abilities inherited from Ares, the god of war. Her intimidating fighting power is only matched by her beauty, a gift passed down by Aphrodite.

In later years, her powers were expanded to an even more formidable collection. Supersonic speed, telescopic vision, super-hearing and a heightened intelligence are just a few of the amazing powers at her disposal.

The distinguishing factor that makes Wonder Woman so strong is her resistance to magical and supernatural enemies. She can take on the entire magical firepower of the Justice League, a feat even Superman cannot commit.

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The Lasso of Truth.

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Wonder Woman’s signature weapon is the Lasso of Truth. There are two versions of the Lasso in Wonder Woman’s storyline. The first Lasso was crafted by Aphrodite and gave the user the power to control the mind of anyone trapped in its coils. The second Lasso was forged by Hephaestus and compelled its victims to speak the absolute truth.

The latter version of the Lasso was inspired by Marston’s role in the invention of the lie detector. Both forms of the Lasso are indestructible and allow Wonder Woman to defeat her enemies by forcing them to submit to her will.

The Bracelets of Submission.

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The Bracelets of Submission were inspired by garments worn by Olive Byron, Dr. Marston's student. Every Amazonian receives a pair of indestructible bracelets from Aphrodite as a reminder of a time when their race was enslaved. A drawback of the bracelets was the loss of strength whenever a man chained them together, in accordance with a pledge known as “Aphrodite’s Law.” This attribute set up conflicts where Wonder Woman would rescue herself from male bondage, shattering the “damsel in distress” trope prevalent in comics.

After the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Amazonian bracelets no longer have any weakness or drawbacks. Furthermore, Wonder Woman’s bracelets are unique in that they are formed by Athena’s magical shield, a gift she received by acting as the goddess’s champion.

The classic uniform.

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While Wonder Woman’s costume design has received multiple revisions, her image consistently showcases American iconography. As her character developed, more symbolism was added to her armor that tied into her Greek birthright. For example, the red star on Diana’s tiara was converted into a symbol of her royal status on Paradise Island.

Wonder Woman’s presence extends far beyond the comics.

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She has become one of the most recognizable pop culture icons in contemporary history. Since the 1970’s she has been placed on the front page of several major publications. Ms. Magazine was one of the first publications to showcase Wonder Woman as a feminist icon.

She received a hit TV show starring Lynda Carter from 1975-1979 that helped revive her character’s popularity. From 2001-2006, Wonder Woman was voiced by Susan Eisenberg in the Justice League animated series, where her journey in the Justice League was expanded upon. The animated series helped solidify her role as a main character in the DC universe.

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Wonder Woman is the first female superhero to receive a stand-alone feature film that is shattering the box office, already accumulating over 400 million dollars in the first week of its release. Gal Gadot, an Israeli supermodel and actress known for the Fast and Furious franchise, stars as the titular Amazonian superhero.

Director Patty Jenkins had only helmed one large feature prior to directing Wonder Woman. She pitched her vision of a Wonder Woman feature in 2010, wanting to adopt different aspects of Wonder Woman’s origin into a unique narrative.

You're all caught up! Now go enjoy the movie!

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