Spotlight On: Wonder Woman

WARNING: HERE THAR BE SPOILERS! 
This Spotlight takes information from all 27 issues of Wonder Woman!
If you are reading this comic and are not up to date, hold off on this article
until you are!

            The Amazon Princess has undergone some changes since the reboot, some so drastic that an argument could be made that she's become a different character entirely. So here as always, to shine the spotlight on the intricacies of these characters, Waynes Comics 101 proudly presents, Wonder Woman.

Background
         Told all her life that she was a gift from the gods, a child formed from clay by her mother's hand, Diana grew up on Themyscira, the Paradise Island, ostracized by her Amazon sisters who mockingly called her "clay". At one point she became involved in guarding a young woman named Zola, who was pregnant with Zeus' child. Hera, Zeus' jealous wife was hellbent on murdering both Zola and her unborn child. While taking refuge on Paradise Island, Hera's daughter Strife told Diana that her true origin had been hidden from her, and that she was actually a demigoddess, a daughter of Zeus. Afterwards Hera attacked Themyscira, transforming Wonder Woman's mother Hippolyta into a clay statue as a cruel irony. Diana went on to engage in a dangerous game with the gods of Olympus, all of whom were intent on becoming king of heaven after Zeus mysteriously vanished.

Powers and Abilities
           This version of Wonder Woman is shown to have significant superhuman strength, able to lift a car with no trouble, though the upper limits of this have not yet been established. She also has reflexes sufficiently fast to block virtually any projectile with her indestructible bracers, forged by Hapheastus. He later modified them so that they cold manifest weapons at will. Recently Diana has used them to create swords and spears. This ability also has not been expounded on. When Hera threw Zola off the side of Mount Olympus, her then ally Hermes plucked a feather from the wings on his ankles and threw it at Diana, pricking her and endowing her with the power of flight. Her flight speed has not been established, though when attacking the First Born, she is shown flying so fast that she is seen as a blur. In addition to these abilities, Wonder Woman's bracers apparently hold back her god powers. She shows reluctance to unleash her power in a populated area, for fear of her own strength. However, on Mount Olympus when Wonder Woman fought Artemis, the goddess of the moon, she removed her bracers and lightning began crackling from her eyes. She displayed superhuman

Diana Unleashes Her Powers

speed and strength in excess of her usual superhuman level. She made quick work of Artemis in spite of the latter's prowess as deity of the hunt. Wonder Woman still carries her trademark golden lariat, which is unbreakable and compels others to speak the truth, although it is implied by Haphaestus that this has as much to do with Wonder Woman's ability to intimidate as it does a mystical charm.
                                                   

 Status On Mount Olympus

        During her fight with her nemesis the First Born,
Wonder Woman's mentor Ares, god of war, engages the First Born in single combat. The First Born then reveals that he plans to kill War and take his place on Mt. Olympus, thereby infiltrating the inner circle of the gods, with the intention of destroying it from the inside. As a result, Wonder Woman skewers War and the First Born on a spear manifested from her bracers. As War is dying, he tells Diana that he is pleased that she was willing to do what was necessary, and that he would have done the same for her. She carries her old mentor away to the River Styx, unwilling to finish off the First Born, saying that there had been enough bloodshed. Hades, there to collect War's body comments that Wonder Woman is going to make an odd god of war. Since becoming the god of war, Wonder Woman has shown herself to be dismissive of the corrupt politics of Mt Olympus.

           If you haven't read any of Brian Azzarello's Wonder Woman run, just grab a copy of the current issue next time you have a chance and give it a shot. I picked up volume one in trade and became a fan for life. Much like Scott Snyder's Batman, I would buy Azzarello's Wonder Woman for as long as its being published. High recommendation. Check out my reviews of the first two trades on WayneTech Reviews. Type Wonder Woman in the search bar. Thanks for reading!