Wonder Woman is a comic-book character, superhero, and feminist icon (symbol). A feminist is someone who promotes women’s rights. Also known as Princess Diana and Diana Prince, Wonder Woman is a highly skilled warrior with superpowers, including super strength, flight, and accelerated healing. Her bracelets can stop bullets, her tiara (royal headband) doubles as a boomerang, and her lasso forces people to be truthful. She flies an invisible jet.
Wonder Woman was created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston and the American artist Harry G. Peter. Marston took inspiration for the character from his wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, and his research assistant Olive Byrne. Wonder Woman first appeared in 1941 in All Star Comics #8, a comic book published by DC Comics . In 1942, she was featured in DC’s “Sensation Comics” and “Wonder Woman” comic-book series. Noteworthy creators who have worked on Wonder Woman comics include the American writer and illustrator George Pérez and the American writers Greg Rucka and Gail Simone.
According to the story developed by Marston, Wonder Woman began her life as Princess Diana on the fictional island of Themyscira, also called Paradise Island. Themyscira is inhabited by Amazons , an all-female warrior race. Diana’s mother, Queen Hippolyta, sculpted the baby Diana from clay, and the Greek goddess Aphrodite gave her life. Later comics changed Diana’s origin, making the Greek god Zeus her father, which made her part goddess. Diana entered Man’s World—the world outside Themyscira—after United States intelligence officer Steve Trevor crashed his plane on the island. Diana then entered a contest with her fellow Amazons and won the right to return Trevor to Man’s World, where she became a crime fighter and ambassador for her people in America. In her ordinary work life as a U.S. Army nurse, intelligence officer, and other roles, she is known as Diana Prince.
Wonder Woman’s close relationships in the comics include those with her aunt Antiope; sister Nubia; best friend, Etta Candy; and pupils Wonder Girl (also known as Cassie Sandsmark) and Donna Troy. She has romances with Steve Trevor and Superman . Notable villains in the comics include Cheetah, Doctor Psycho, Giganta, the Nazis , and such figures from Greek mythology as Circe .
Outside of comic books, Wonder Woman has appeared in a number of American television programs and motion pictures. These have included the TV movie Wonder Woman (1974) and a “Wonder Woman” TV series (1975-1979) starring the American actress Lynda Carter. From the 1970’s to the early 2000’s, the superhero appeared in a number of animated TV series, including “Super Friends” and “Justice League.” Wonder Woman starred in the direct-to-DVD animated film Wonder Woman (2009), but her first big-screen movie appearance was in the animated feature The Lego Movie (2014). The Israeli actress Gal Gadot played Wonder Woman in the movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). Gadot also starred in the movies Wonder Woman (2017) and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), both directed by the American Patty Jenkins. The 2017 movie set a U.S. opening-weekend box-office record for films directed by women.
