Throughout the publication history of DC's Wonder Woman, the Amazonian Princess hasn't been treated with nearly the same respect as iconic heroes such as Superman and Batman. This saw her receive numerous lackluster runs over the years, many of which failed to capitalize on her potential. This all changed, however, when writer and artist George Pérez took Princess Diana to unseen heights in the unparalleled classic Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Revitalizing the powerful character with a true adherence to Greek mythology, epic storytelling, and vastly improved villains, Pérez took a heroine still most remembered for her '70s television show and turned her into a true member of DC's superhero trinity. With the creator's unfortunate passing in the past week, now is as good a time as ever to look at how George Pérez was the hero that Wonder Woman needed.

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Wonder Woman Was Moribund Before George Pérez

Wonder-Woman

Before the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths run on Wonder Woman, the title heroine was a major character at DC only by way of virtue. Ever since the Golden Age stories from her creator William Moulton Marston and artist H.G. Peter (a run now most remembered for its sexualized bondage themes), Wonder Woman was not considered to be a very relevant figure in the overall DC Universe. The closest attempt to upgrade her status came by way of the much maligned run from Denny O'Neil, wherein the heroine was stripped of her powers and turned into a secret agent to chase popular television trends. Likewise, the 1970s Wonder Woman show starring Lynda Carter was the most success that Wonder Woman had seen in years, but DC failed to capitalize on this.

At that point, the monthly Wonder Woman title was an assigned book, wherein titles such as Superman and Batman were coveted. Because of this, bringing the character back post-Crisis was almost an afterthought, as she nearly debuted in the new continuity during the Legends miniseries instead of in her own new monthly title. George Pérez was a hot commodity in the world of comics after providing the art for both Crisis and his legendary run on The New Teen Titans with Marv Wolfman. Somewhat unimpressed with the tentative plans for relaunching Wonder Woman, Pérez volunteered to write the book, creating something legendary in the process.

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George Pérez Vastly Improved Wonder Woman's Mythos

Wonder Woman holds her arts aloft imposed against Ares

Pérez's Wonder Woman was a much different character in the best ways possible, finally taking advantage of what made her different from other major comic book figures. While she had previously been portrayed as a much weaker female counterpart to Superman, Pérez emphasized the mythological aspects of her character, making her much more a character of fantasy. This saw Greek mythology become more important than ever to her storyline, with her powers based upon the Greek gods, who were all given their correct names instead of the incorrect monikers they had traditionally been given in comics.

A good example of this is the war god Ares. Once mainly called by his Roman name Mars, the violent god was previously only a minor villain for Wonder Woman. Now, he was one of her greatest foes, nearly launching humanity into nuclear destruction while clad in a hellish, Pérez-designed armor. Another central foe of Wonder Woman's was also Circe, the witch from Homer's The Odyssey. The Cheetah was also given a radical new design and interpretation, making her a worthy addition to Wonder Woman's rogues gallery. Ever since her debut in the Golden Age, the feline villain was little more than a watered-down version of Batman's Catwoman, and she really shouldn't have been much of a threat to an Amazon. However, Pérez reinvented Cheetah as a sociopathic archaeologist named Barbara Minerva, who was given a bestial form and powers from an African nature god after a bloody ritual.

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The whole affair felt far more epic and full of gravitas than ever before. By doubling down on mythology, the stories within the Wonder Woman title felt bigger and more dramatic than anything the character had ever seen before. Even with all of the magic and myth, there was a stronger sense of realism and modernism to the various characterizations and storytelling. It helped that Diana herself was reimagined in the same way. Now, she was second only to Superman in terms of power, possessing vast strength, speed and flight. Gone was the Invisible Jet and the Clark Kent ripoff Diana Prince secret identity, with even Steve Trevor removed as the love interest to make Diana her own character. Accessorizing old-school cast members such as Steve Trevor, Etta Candy and Diana's mother Queen Hippolyta were new characters like Julia and Vanessa Kapatelis. The interaction of the latter with Diana gave the series a heartfelt, down to Earth quality, even amidst the supernatural happenings.

Even after Pérez stepped down from delivering beautiful art to the monthly title, he remained onboard as the writer of the series, resulting in what is still considered by many to be the all-time best run on Wonder Woman. The magic was finally brought to a close with the crossover event War of the Gods, but that wasn't the end of Pérez's legacy with the Amazon. The Wonder Woman runs from Phil Jimenez and Greg Rucka were essentially narrative and thematic sequels to Pérez's work, with Rucka's DC Rebirth run even restoring some of the elements that the phenomenal creator brought to life. The 2009 animated Wonder Woman film and the 2017 DCEU Wonder Woman film were both inspired by the "Gods and Mortals" storyline written by Pérez, and the updated designs for Ares and Cheetah were clearly inspired by the creator's art. Although he has now departed, George Pérez will forever be in the pantheon of DC Comics legends, and he will always be the creative god who blessed Wonder Woman the most.