Superheroes are such an established part of modern entertainment that it's easy to forget just how long a lot of them have been around. For example, Superman and Batman have been around since the late 1930s. The original Captain Marvel (now known as Shazam), Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Green Arrow were all introduced in the early 1940s. The history of superheroes is an extensive one, but it's equally as intriguing.

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One of those classic, popular heroes that we still know and love is Wonder Woman. Although most of us are well-versed in all things Diana Prince, very little is mentioned about the man that brought her to life. Worry not, because we've compiled a list of 10 things you didn't know about Wonder Woman's creator, William Moulton Marston.

10 The Term "Well-Educated" Is An Understatement

William Moulton Marston - creator of Wonder Woman and the lie detector test

William Marston was born in Massachusetts on May 9, 1893. He lived a relatively short life, but he made the most of his 53 years on Earth. After earning a B.A. at Harvard in 1915, he proceeded to obtain an LL.B. in 1918 and a Ph.D. in Psychology in 1921. Higher education would remain a prominent part of his life for over a decade— Marston taught at schools all over the U.S., including American University in Washington D.C., Tufts University in Massachusetts, and the University of Southern California.

Aside from creating the most iconic female superhero of all time, Marston was a lawyer, a psychologist, an inventor, and an author. He also generated the DISC assessment, which broke human emotion down into four classifications: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness.

9 He Invented The Lie Detector

William M. Marston devised an early version of the lie detector machine after his wife Elizabeth mentioned how a rise in blood pressure correlated with her anger or excitement. From there, Marston went on to assume that there was a connection between lying and blood pressure. Olive Byrne, a former grad student of his (who would later play a more personal role in his life), became his research assistant and helped him expand on this hypothesis.

Marston's endeavors led to the invention of the systolic blood pressure test, which involved blood pressure cuffs and a stethoscope. Blood pressure would be taken sporadically during questioning and, surely enough, it was revealed that certain bodily changes did occur when someone was lying. That was considered the first-ever functional lie detector.

8 He Was Really Into Bondage

This isn't too shocking considering Marston explored the concepts of dominance and submission in his psychology studies. However, some Wonder Woman fans might not be aware of the influence these topics had on the creation of Diana's universe. How many times did she find herself tied up, imprisoned, or restrained in one way or another? It wasn't a coincidence and it certainly wasn't because she was too slow to escape from danger.

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All of that bondage was a visual representation of Marston's philosophy in comic book form. He considered mental and physical submission a prerequisite for a stable and peaceful society. Marston used Wonder Woman to shamelessly push this narrative.

7 The Lasso Of Truth Is The Culmination Of Bondage And The Polygraph

The aforementioned points were assembled as the foundation for Diana's iconic "Lasso of Truth". The lasso worked as a form of dominance — anyone captured by it was forced into submission. It was conceived as an allegory for feminine charm and the disarming effect it can have on people.

While some say that the invention of the polygraph had nothing to do with the creation of the lasso, it would be unwise to completely dismiss it as an influence. A man like Marston wouldn't expend so much time and energy on creating the lie detector and not reference it in his comic book work. Also, one of the lasso's main functions is to elicit the truth out of people, which can't be a mere coincidence.

6 He Was Polyamorous

Anyone that watched 2017's Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (or researched the man himself) is already aware of this. However, many fans don't realize that the professor's love life was integral in the creation of an inspirational hero. William Marston was famously married to Elizabeth Holloway while he dated Olive Byrne. The three of them ended up living together and he had two children with each woman.

As if that wasn't riveting enough, Elizabeth named one of her daughters "Olive" and formally adopted Byrne's children. With Elizabeth inspiring the creation of Wonder Woman and Olive assisting his research, Marston had quite the solid female support group at home.

5 He Tried To Change The Law (Kind Of)

In 1923, Marston attempted to change the way that courts determine a defendant's innocence or guilt. He submitted the results of a lie detector test as evidence in the case of Frye v. United States, but the judge dismissed them because they were "irrelevant to the veracity of his testimony". Frye was ultimately convicted of murder despite the test claiming he was innocent.

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Needless to say, the polygraph wasn't integrated in the way that Marston had hoped. To this day, their results are still not admissible in most courts. People continue to question the validity of these tests, where a nervous innocent person could be deemed guilty and an impassive criminal could be determined innocent.

4 He Created Wonder Woman To Fend Off Critics

Maxwell Charles Gaines hired William Marston as a comic book consultant at a time when superheroes were receiving public backlash. In 1940, an editor at the Chicago Daily News referred to comics as a "national disgrace" and called for a ban on the publications. They were viewed as a celebration of masculine violence that would poison the minds of their youth.

Gaines countered this negativity by forming an editorial advisory board and appointing Marston to fend off the critics. The first step was to introduce a female superhero (Wonder Woman) to create a new wave of growth and female empowerment.

3 The Creation Of Wonder Woman Initially Backfired

Wonder Woman made her official debut in 1941 with a look designed by artist Harry G. Peter. These drawings introduced the classic Diana Prince outfit that consisted of a tiara, a red bustier, blue bottoms with white stars, and red leather boots. The ensemble was patriotic and the look should have been considered a massive success.

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However, in March 1942, the National Organization for Decent Literature publicly bashed the Wonder Woman comic books. The reason? Well... she was not "sufficiently dressed". You can't win them all. Who would have thought that bare shoulders and legs would disqualify Diana's fight for equal rights?

2 He Wrote Fanfiction...

... sort of. In 1932, Marston published a history-themed fictional novel titled Venus with Us: A Tale of the Caesar. Set in ancient Rome, the book tells the story of a virgin teenage girl named Florencia and her love for Caesar. It was an erotic fantasy that touched on themes like — you guessed it — submission and dominance.

After Marston's death, the book was re-published as The Private Life of Julius Caesar. Copies of the original Venus with Us can typically be found for sale in the triple digits. It's considered a rare book, which makes it one very limited piece of fanfiction.

1 Wonder Woman's Milestone Made Him Reveal His Identity

Wonder Woman became the first female superhero to get her very own comic book. This happened in 1942 and William Marston, who had been writing her comics as "Charles Moulton", decided to celebrate by dropping his pseudonym. He announced the news with a press release titled, "Noted Psychologist Revealed as Author of Best-Selling 'Wonder Woman'".

By 1944, Wonder Woman's comics had amassed millions of readers and Marston reaped the benefits of his success until he contracted polio, then cancer. His assistant, Joye Hummel, inherited Marston's writing duties during those difficult years. William passed away on May 2, 1947, and he was inducted into the Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2006.

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