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"I am Diana, Princess of the Amazons! I won't be denied!"[2]

Wonder Woman, known also as Diana of Themyscira, was the princess of the Amazons and one of the original seven founders of the Justice League. She was exiled after bringing outsiders to Themyscira, but was later welcomed back and made ambassador for her home.

History

Themyscira and Man's World

"These omens don't bode well, mother. Mankind may be facing its darkest hour..."
— Diana[3]

Wonder Woman steals armor

Diana steals Athena's armor.

Diana began life as a clay sculpture. Her mother, Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, breathed life into her so that she might have a child of her own. Diana was later told that she had been sculpted from clay by not just her mother, but also by her mother's lover, Hades. Diana chose not to challenge this information, because she "knew who raised [her]."[4]

Diana grew up as the princess of her people, beloved by everyone on the island. However, when "Man's World" came under attack by the Imperium, she proposed to Hippolyta that they send help. When Hippolyta refused to intervene, however, Diana still felt it was her duty to help. In the dead of night, Diana slipped into the Temple of Athena and took the goddess' magic armor. Urged on by the distress call of the Martian J'onn J'onzz, Diana left Themyscira and traveled to where she felt the summons originating.[3]

Diana arrived in the canyon along with Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, and the Flash and took part in the battle there, even saving Hawkgirl's life from one of the fighter crafts. She was instantly noticed for her beauty and revealing armor, most notably by Flash. However, she was also seen as merely a newcomer to fighting as a hero. Green Lantern even referred to her as the "rookie in the tiara."

Wonder Woman pulls the Imperium down

Wonder Woman prevents the Imperium from escaping.

Diana joined the other six individuals to combat the Imperium, first joining Batman and J'onn to destroy one of the invaders' factories in Egypt. The attack seemingly resulted in Batman's demise, forcing Diana and J'onn to meet Green Lantern and Flash in Metropolis in order to rescue the captured Superman and Hawkgirl. However, they too were captured soon after.

During the Imperium's torture of J'onn, Batman arrived, alive and well, to reverse the effects of the factory. Diana was freed of her bonds and punctured large holes in the building, letting the sunlight in to destroy the invaders. When the Imperium attempted to escape, Diana used her lasso to hold the ship down. After being hit by a laser cannon, Hawkgirl smashed her mace into the shuttle, buying time for Diana to regain control of the ship while the Thanagarian delivered the final blow.

Due to her efforts on behalf of Earth during the invasion, Diana was invited aboard the Watchtower, and she took part in the formation of the Justice League alongside Superman, Batman, Hawkgirl, Flash, Green Lantern, and J'onn.[3]

The Justice League

Diana took on the name Wonder Woman and continued to serve with the League, working on missions such as assisting Aquaman in keeping control of Atlantis from his brother.[5] However, eight months after the League's formation, Diana began to have second thoughts about leaving her mother and sisters. Believing that she at least owed Hippolyta an explanation for her actions, Diana decided to return to Themyscira.

However, when she arrived there, Diana found her home in ruins and her fellow Amazons turned to stone, including her mother. The one responsible turned out to be Felix Faust, who claimed to have come to the island in search of ultimate knowledge. Faust struck a deal with Diana, agreeing to restore the Amazons if she retrieved a series of mystical artifacts scattered across the globe. Feeling she had no alternative, Diana agreed.

Wonder Woman saves Hippolyta

Diana pulls her mother from the fiery pits of Tartarus.

After successfully locating one of the artifacts and destroying much of the museum in a battle with a giant colossus, Diana was confronted by Superman about her behavior. Reluctantly, she agreed to allow him, J'onn, and Flash to assist her in locating the other relics. While they performed this task, however, Batman gathered information on Faust. He revealed that the relics together made a key which would unlock the gates of Tartarus and release the god Hades from his prison.

Despite this information, Diana took the relics and returned to Themyscira. However, just as Faust was about to double-cross her, Superman, J'onn, Flash, and Batman revealed themselves and fought the sorcerer. Faust, however, still managed to escape, taking the key and Hippolyta with him.

After Faust released Hades from Tartarus, Diana and the other League members fought Hades and an army of undead warriors that the god summoned to attack them. Diana freed her mother and then pried the key from its lock. Her actions destroyed it, causing everything to be hurled into Tartarus. Hades attempted to drag Hippolyta through the gate with him, but Diana was able to rescue her while Hades and the remains of Faust were thrown back to the dead world.

Though Diana had saved Themyscira, with the help of the other League members, she had broken the sacred law that forbade anyone from bringing men to the island. Because of her actions, Hippolyta was forced to banish Diana from Themyscira. Diana, though visibly shaken, accepted her exile and departed with the Justice League.[2]

Diana continued to work with the League, assisting on missions such as saving Gorilla City from destruction at the hands of Gorilla Grodd.[6] She would, however, reunite briefly with her mother when Diana's adopted Amazon sister, Aresia, unleashed a poison meant to kill every man on Earth. Diana rescued Hippolyta after she was taken captive by Aresia and Tsukuri when she attempted to stop the rogue Amazon. Diana also defeated Aresia and the other woman was killed when her aircraft plummeted into the sea.[7]

Wonder Woman and Steve kiss

Wonder Woman shares her first kiss with Steve Trevor.

Some time later, Diana would witness the alteration of history at the hands of Vandal Savage, who influenced the events of World War II to his advantage. She traveled back in time with the rest of the League, sans Batman, to stop him. During this time, Diana met a man, Steve Trevor, who gave her her first taste of romance. After successfully stopping Savage and restoring the timeline, she visited an aged Trevor, who still remembered her as his "angel."[8]

Wonder Woman almost kills

Toyman's life hangs in Diana's hands.

Diana continued to work as part of the League, but also began to venture into "Man's World" for reasons other than to protect it. This activity allowed her to befriend international celebrities such as Princess Audrey of Kaznia. She also discovered the identity of her fellow League member, Batman, around this time.[9]

Soon after, when Superman was seemingly murdered in battle by Toyman, Diana very nearly killed the villain in revenge. She was only dissuaded by Flash when he reminded her that Superman would never have advocated murder. Diana attended the memorial service held for the Kryptonian, again briefly seeing her mother again just before the service began. She sat in the Watchtower with the other members of the Justice League when Lobo showed up and announced that he would join the Justice League, she and the others quickly rejected him. She was visibly overjoyed when Superman returned, having actually been hurled forward in time.[10]

Batman and Wonder Woman kiss

Batman and Wonder Woman share their first kiss.

After nearly two years with the Justice League, Diana had come to trust and rely on each of the other members. So when Hawkgirl betrayed the League to the Thanagarian forces, Diana felt particularly let down. Diana was knocked out when the Thanagarians raided the Watchtower, and then subsequently tied up with her own lasso. She was, however, responsible for freeing the captured League as well. When she and the League were forced to go underground after their escape to hide from the Thanagarians, Diana joined Batman, whom she knew to be Bruce Wayne. After saving a pair of civilians from falling debris, Diana and Wayne were forced to hide in an Indian restaurant. While there, they were forced to engage in a deep kiss in order to conceal their faces from the pursuing Thanagarians.[11]

After the League had successfully made their way to the Batcave beneath Wayne Manor in Gotham City, they were confronted by Hawkgirl, now known as Lieutenant Shayera Hol. Diana's bitterness toward her former ally was exceeded only perhaps by John Stewart's, and Diana was more than prepared to deal harshly with the other woman. However, Shayera instead provided them with technical readouts for the Hyperspace Bypass Generator, which had been previously thought to be a shield generator to protect Earth from the Gordanians, as well as returning Stewart's power ring.

Diana joined Superman and Green Lantern in infiltrating Commander Hro Talak's flagship in order to shut down the force field surrounding the Hyperspace Bypass Generator. During her battle with the Thanagarians on board the flagship, Diana stumbled across Shayera, who had been imprisoned for giving information to the League. Although still bitter about Shayera's betrayal, Diana released her.

Wonder Woman fights Thanagarians

Wonder Woman during her attack on Thanagarian Forces.

After the battle, Diana participated in the debate about what to do concerning Shayera's continued status in the League. Still angry, Diana remained against Shayera staying among them, likely even voting to expel her. Diana's grudge against Shayera would continue for some time.[11] The two of them finally reconciled after their shared mission in Tartarus.[4]

Expanding the Team

Diana participated in the expansion of the Justice League, eventually moving on board the new Watchtower.[12] She even acquired an invisible jet for her own use.[13] As the League grew to include over sixty new members, Diana served on the League's founding council and as a mission leader.

Diana remained busy in the wake of the League's expansion. She and Batman battled Mongul within the confines of Superman's Fortress of Solitude, both receiving a vicious beating during the fight. Diana watched as Superman and Batman were given their ideal dreams as the telepathic plant called the Black Mercy was stuck to their chests.[13] She also accompanied Superman, Green Lantern, and Batman when Morgaine Le Fay transformed them into children in order to stop Mordred from taking over the world after he had banished all of the adults.[1]

Another mission that Diana led included her leading Hawk and Dove to stop the god Ares from igniting a civil war in Kaznia through the use of a weapon known as the Annihilator. The weapon had been forged by Hephaestus, the god who had also created Diana's armor.[14]

Wonder pig

Zatanna attempts to transform Diana back to human.

Shortly thereafter, Diana joined Batman on a stakeout to stop Intergang. While on the mission, they were intercepted by the sorceress Circe, who transformed Diana into a pig. Batman was forced to employ the help of Zatanna, but Diana soon broke loose, forcing him to seek the help of B'wana Beast to hunt her down. She wandered into a butchering factory where she was captured by the workers and almost butchered herself. However, Batman had struck a deal with Circe and the spell was reversed before any serious harm was done to Diana.[15]

Diana continued to work on League missions, such as assisting in stopping the Dark Heart.[16] She would, however, be forced to deal with old feelings of betrayal when Shayera returned to the ranks of the League.[17] The relationship between the two women would remain hostile for some time, despite attempts from friends such as Flash to help them patch things up.

At this time, Diana received a command from Hermes, the messenger of the Olympians, to return to Themyscira and restore Hades to the throne of Tartarus, as he had been overthrown by Felix Faust. Knowing that she would be facing powerful magic, Diana broke into Shayera's quarters to steal the Thangarian's magic-resistant mace. Shayera, however, caught Diana and insisted on accompanying her to Themyscira.

Wonder Woman's full power unlocked

Hippolyta unlocks the full-power of Diana's armor.

When she and Shayera arrived on the island, Diana again came face-to-face with Hippolyta. After hearing of Diana's intentions, Hippolyta unlocked the full powers of Diana's armor. These powers included the lasso forcing people to tell the truth when they were wrapped in it, and others which Hippolyta stated that Diana would learn in due time. Diana and Shayera entered Tartarus and soon located Faust, only to be defeated. Choosing a different tactic, they instead sought out Hades and freed him before attacking Faust again. Neither Diana nor Hades were able to bring Faust down, as he had taken control of the Annihilator, but Diana was able to do so through the use of Shayera's mace. It was then that Hades claimed to have had a hand in her creation, but Diana simply dismissed it.

Diana and Shayera left Tartarus and were welcomed by the Amazons. It was then that Hippolyta finally ended Diana's exile from Themyscira, despite the exile being decreed by the gods. Diana and Shayera also finally reconciled with each other stating while they may not be friends they are good teammates.[4]

After Lex Luthor and Brainiac were defeated, the League reformed again, creating the Metro Tower and a new relationship started with the governments of the world in the aftermath of Project Cadmus.[18] It was at this time that Hippolyta requested that Diana become the ambassador for Themyscira. However, Diana proved to be unskilled in diplomacy when she accidentally threatened other nations with a military action from Themyscira if their pollution continued to affect the island during a meeting over an exposed Viking ship due to the effects of global warming.[19]

It was also during this time that Diana warned J'onn against his continued distance from humanity. She recommended that he spend time on Earth instead of staying on board the Watchtower all the time, coordinating League missions. Soon after, the Martian took Diana's advice.[19]

Diana was also an unwitting contestant in Roulette's Glamor Slam. She faced off against four Justice League members: Hawkgirl, Vixen, Black Canary and Huntress. She proved a formidable foe for both Vixen and Hawkgirl, whom she defeated with relative ease. The mind-controlling signal in her communicator was stopped a split second before she bashed her opponents' skulls together.[20]

During Darkseid's invasion of Earth, Diana was one of the many people who stood against him. She traveled to China along with Shining Knight, Vigilante, and Legion of Doom member Star Sapphire. During the battle, Diana was reunited with J'onn, who had in the past months married and taken up residence in the area.[21]

Diana was last seen chasing after the Legion of Doom with the rest of the Justice League.[21] She was still alive and active in some way during the 2040s.[22]

Alternate Timelines

In an alternate future created by Chronos, Justice League Unlimited member Warhawk informed Diana that her future self had been killed during the destruction of the Watchtower, along with many other members of the Justice League.[23]

Powers and abilities

Diana was "blessed by the gods" with amazing speed and strength. She also possessed the power of flight, silver bracelets that could deflect all sorts of projectiles, and an indestructible golden lasso. She wore "armor" created by the Greek god, Hephaestus. Initially, the armor was taken by Diana without permission, and thus it was some time before Diana became aware of its additional potential.[4]

Diana provided additional muscle to the Justice League lineup, besides Superman. In addition, she was adept at providing cover for her allies, utilizing her "bullets and bracelets" routine to deflect artillery fire, lasers, and Green Lantern-style energy beams and constructs.[24] Also of note was her golden lasso, which proved useful on multiple occasions for seizing various objects. It also contained the power to force the truth out of anyone wrapped in it.[4]

Diana has shown herself to be one of the most powerful beings in the Justice League. Though not as powerful as Superman, she gave Superman a sound beating when he realized the illusion after they mistook each other for monsters.[2]

Background information

Some continuity problems exist as Wonder Woman was mentioned by Lois Lane in "Blasts From the Past, Part I" though Diana had yet to begin her crime-fighting career at that time. When Diana made her first appearance in "Secret Origins", she was unknown to the other heroes.

See also

Appearances

Superman: The Animated Series

Static Shock

Justice League

Justice League Unlimited

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Gilroy, Henry (writer) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director) (August 14, 2004). "Kid Stuff". Justice League Unlimited. Season 1. Episode 3 (airdate). Episode 5 (production). Cartoon Network.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Justice League, "Paradise Lost"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Idem, "Secret Origins"
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Berkowitz, Stan (story) & McDuffie, Dwayne (teleplay) & Riba, Dan (director) (May 28, 2005). "The Balance". Justice League Unlimited. Season 1. Episode 18 (airdate). Episode 18 (production). Cartoon Network.
  5. Justice League, "The Enemy Below"
  6. Idem, "The Brave and the Bold"
  7. Idem, "Fury"
  8. Idem, "The Savage Time"
  9. Idem, "Maid of Honor"
  10. Idem, "Hereafter"
  11. 11.0 11.1 Idem, "Starcrossed"
  12. Berkowitz, Stan (writer) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director) (July 31, 2004). "Initiation". Justice League Unlimited. Season 1. Episode 1 (airdate). Episode 1 (production). Cartoon Network.
  13. 13.0 13.1 DeMatteis, J.M. (writer) & Moore, Alan, Gibbons, Dave (story) & Riba, Dan (director) (August 7, 2004). "For the Man Who Has Everything". Justice League Unlimited. Season 1. Episode 2 (airdate). Episode 2 (production). Cartoon Network.
  14. Zimmerman, Ron (story) & Goodman, Robert (teleplay) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director) (August 21, 2004). "Hawk and Dove". Justice League Unlimited. Season 1. Episode 4 (airdate). Episode 3 (production). Cartoon Network.
  15. Dini, Paul (writer) & Riba, Dan (director) (August 28, 2004). "This Little Piggy". Justice League Unlimited. Season 1. Episode 5 (airdate). Episode 6 (production). Cartoon Network.
  16. Ellis, Warren (writer) & Riba, Dan (director) (December 11, 2004). "Dark Heart". Justice League Unlimited. Season 1. Episode 10 (airdate). Episode 10 (production). Cartoon Network.
  17. McDuffie, Dwayne (writer) & Riba, Dan (director) (January 22, 2005). "The Once and Future Thing Part One: Weird Western Tales". Justice League Unlimited. Season 1. Episode 12 (airdate). Episode 12 (production). Cartoon Network.
  18. McDuffie, Dwayne (writer) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director) (July 16, 2005). "Divided We Fall". Justice League Unlimited. Season 1. Episode 25 (airdate). Episode 25 (production). Cartoon Network.
  19. 19.0 19.1 McDuffie, Dwayne (writer) & Riba, Dan (director) (September 24, 2005). "To Another Shore". Justice League Unlimited. Season 2. Episode 4 (airdate). Episode 30 (production). Cartoon Network.
  20. Wayne, Matt (story) & DeMatteis, J.M. (teleplay) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director) (March 11, 2006). "Grudge Match". Justice League Unlimited. Season 2. Episode 9 (airdate). Episode 35 (production). Cartoon Network.
  21. 21.0 21.1 McDuffie, Dwayne (writer) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director) (May 13, 2006). "Destroyer". Justice League Unlimited. Season 2. Episode 13 (airdate). Episode 39 (production). Cartoon Network.
  22. Berkowitz, Stan (writer) & Chele, Vic Dal (director) (January 17, 2004). "Future Shock". Static Shock. Season 4. Episode 1 (airdate). Episode 40 (production). Kids WB!.
  23. McDuffie, Dwayne (writer) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director) (January 29, 2005). "The Once and Future Thing Part Two: Time, Warped". Justice League Unlimited. Season 1. Episode 13 (airdate). Episode 13 (production). Cartoon Network.
  24. Justice League, "Injustice for All" and "Secret Society"

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