Wonder Woman

And now here's another DC Comics character who is well known in the world of comicbook superheroes. This is Wonder Woman, who not only appeared in her own comics, but has often crossed paths with Batman, Superman, and various other DC superheroes in the various crossovers imaginable. Most notably in Hanna Barberra's Super Friends, and Warner Bros' Justice League. Wonder Woman was created by William Moulton Marston, and the first issue was released in 1942.

Wonder Woman is a warrior princess of the Amazons (based on the Amazons of Greek mythology). Known in her homeland as Diana of Themyscira, her powers include superhuman strength, flight (even though the original incarnation of Wonder Woman did not have this ability), super-speed, super-stamina, and super-agility. She is highly proficient in hand-to-hand combat and in the art of tactical warfare. She also possesses animal-like cunning skills and a natural rapport with animals, which has been presented as an actual ability to communicate with the animal kingdom. Her signature weapon is her Lasso of Truth, which she uses to force those bound by it to tell the truth. She also wears a pair of indestructible bracelets which she uses to not only guard herself against attacks, but can also be used to reflect laser blasts, and a tiara which can be used as a projectile. In the past, Wonder Woman had an invisible jet plane. But this was replaced with the ability of flight as seen in later issues and TV shows.

Created during World War II, Wonder Woman was initially depicted fighting the Axis military forces, as well as an assortment of supervillains. As the decades went by, some writers maintained the World War II setting, with many of its themes and story arcs, while others updated the series to reflect the present day. Wonder Woman has also regularly appeared in comic books featuring the superhero teams Justice Society (from 1941) and Justice League (from 1960). Arguably the most popular and iconic female superhero in comics, Wonder Woman is also considered a feminist icon. She was named the 20th greatest comic book character by Empire magazine. She was ranked sixth in Comics Buyer's Guide's "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.

In addition to the comics, she 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 has yet emerged from development hell. An animated film was released in 2009, with Keri Russell voicing the title role. In 2011, Adrianne Palicki starred in a failed pilot for a would-be series about the character. In May 2011, Wonder Woman placed fifth on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time.

Wonder Woman belongs to DC Comics.
Illustration by MDTartist83.