It’s not easy being Wonder Woman. There’s a certain standard people hold Diana of Themyscira to, and even that doesn’t compare to the one she holds herself to. But if it’s difficult being the original, it’s even harder to live up to the legend. When Peng Deilan appeared as a member of the Justice League of China, it’s likely that she wouldn’t have chosen to go with the name Wonder Woman herself.
But the Ministry of Self-Reliance, wanting to create a version of acceptable superheroes for their country, patterned all of their heroes after the Justice League’s biggest and brightest heroes. But what does that mean for Deilan? How well does she match up? Where did her powers come from, and what’s the original Wonder Woman think of someone else using her name?
10 Her Lasso Never Misses
It’s not explained exactly where Wonder Woman’s lasso comes from, but what is known is that it’s incredibly powerful. Even with Superman’s super-strength, she’s able to completely restrain him without putting any effort into it. Beyond that, Peng Deilan also explains that her lasso is an extension of herself. She's gone far enough to boast that she never misses with it, which might be an exaggeration, but it's still a dangerous part of her arsenal.
9 First To Make Friends With Superman
Kenan Kong doesn’t exactly make it easy to be friends with him. He’s a bully, and he thinks he’s always right even when he has no idea what’s going on. This makes him impulsive, and nearly gets him harmed when he reveals his secret identity to everyone else. Despite this, Deilan is the first person on the team to try and make friends with him, going out of her way to talk to him and welcome him to the team properly. Largely this was probably out of pity for him after Super-Man was shot by Dr. Omen’s Kryptonite gun.
8 The Conscience Of The Team
In the fourth issue of the New Superman series, the team goes up against the Freedom Fighters of China. During this issue, Deilan reminds Super-Man that it’s against the rules for superheroes to kill.
When Bat-Man mentions it’s not in the rule book that they can’t kill, Deilan also notes that they shouldn’t be seriously injuring anyone either. Deilan offers the team a lot of legitimacy to other super-teams that they might not be able to get if they didn’t have her guidance.
7 Can Transform Into Multiple Forms
Deilan spends much of her time trying to remain in her human form. It isn’t until she’s attacked by Fahai that she’s forced to transform back into her Green Snake form. Frustrated with this, she still tries to serve alongside her allies in the Justice League. She regains the ability to transform into her human form when she focuses on things she loves, and afterwards it seems she’s able to transform between the two.
6 From Another Realm
Peng Deilan’s other name is Green Snake. As the Green Snake, she is a member of one of the six realms of buddhist thought — the realm of the animals. Alongside her friend White Snake, the two of them transformed themselves into humans by mastering their qi energy. This means Deilan is literally a creature of mythology who’s survived into the modern day.
5 Was Turned To Stone
Deilan and her friend White Snake were both transformed into humans, and White Snake began to go after a human boy she’d fallen in love with. Unfortunately for her, a turtle known as Fahai was obsessed with her, and tried to force her back into the realm of animals.
Deilan defended White Snake, but when she defeated him, he cast a spell that turned her into stone. It wasn’t until Dr. Omen found a way to free her that she was finally able to escape and be herself again.
4 Can Use Telepathy
Deilan’s special abilities allow her to use telepathy in a seemingly limited form. It’s not delved into for very long, but it’s shown that she can speak telepathically to convey her thoughts. It’s also shown that she’s able to talk with other beings as well, meaning the upper limits of her powers are currently unknown. She can talk to multiple beings at once, which means she can broadcast her thoughts to a number of people.
3 Her Greatest Fear
The last New Super-Man and the Justice League of China issue shows every member of the team's greatest fear, including Deilan's. Since Baixi's future version talks about being alone, it's obvious that the two of them break up, and she loses her faith in the world of humans. She’s taken on a version of her monster form, giving up on even the desire to be human, which is a surprisingly human concern in the first place.
2 Made Friends With Wonder Woman
When the Justice League of China traveled to America, the team met up with the Justice League almost immediately. Each member of the Justice League of China spoke with the original versions. While Baixi tried to get Bat-Man’s autograph, and Kenan had to explain why Baixi’s Batmobile Robot attacked them, Deilan got to make friends with Wonder Woman. She was even able to lend Diana her weaponry in a battle she had against one of her greatest enemies.
1 Recruited The Aquaman Of China To The Justice League
One of the team’s most powerful members was added because of Deilan’s insistence on doing the right thing. Dragonson, their version of Aquaman, was originally a citizen of North Korea who escaped the country because of the activation of his powers. They were initially meant to take Ahn Kwang-Jo back to his country, but they refused, drawing the attention of the Ministry of Self-Defense. In the end, Deilan’s desire to protect him led to them thinking of a way to “fix” the problem and keep Dragonson on their team.