Wonder Woman is one of the most popular comic book characters of all time. She is considered one of the big three in the world of DC, alongside the likes of both Superman and Batman. She is an icon of hope and female empowerment. Her original origin story relates that she was sculpted from clay.
She became an Amazon, but was gifted with extraordinary powers by the Greek gods themselves. But, Wonder Woman's origin has changed over the years. In some versions, she is the daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta. However, fans of Wonder Woman, you might be surprised to know a few interesting facts about her that you never considered before.
10 The man who helped create Wonder Woman also made the first lie detector
William Moulton Marston is a fascinating man for many reasons. He created Wonder Woman, who was based on two women in his life. If you've watched the movie Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, then you know he was involved in a polyamorous relationship with Elizabeth Holloway Marston and Olive Byrne.
He was also a renowned inventor who created the first lie detector prototype. It's interesting to consider this since we know Wonder Woman carries the Lasso of Truth with her, you have to wonder if his invention inspired this comic book addition.
9 Wonder Woman doesn't wear skirts in costume
Did you know that Wonder Woman has never worn a skirt? She has worn outfits that look somewhat similar to skirts, especially in some of the original incarnations, but in actuality, they were a garment called culottes. They look similar to skirts, but are actually shorts.
They're not dissimilar to what we know as "skorts." Wonder Woman has also donned gladiator skirts in some of her costumes over the years, but she has never worn a traditional skirt as part of her costume like the ones we have seen on other female superheroes.
8 She has a sister named Nubia
Nubia is a sister and ally to Wonder Woman. She first debuted in issue #204 back in 1973. She was supposedly Wonder Woman's long-lost twin sister. In the original comics, Nubia was also molded from clay. Hippolyta had supposedly formed both a light and dark baby from clay and then had them brought to life by the gods.
However, Nubia wound up being kidnapped by Mars, the god of war. Nubia is raised to become a weapon against the Amazon. Diana eventually manages to rescue Nubia from Mars' mind control. Nubia has appeared in various Wonder Woman media over the years.
7 There is a surprising history of bondage in the world of Wonder Woman
If you've read a lot of Wonder Woman comics over the years and watched the cartoons starring Diana Prince, you may have noticed a familiar theme. Wonder Woman is often getting tied up, wrapped in ropes, or even shoved into chains. Superman's weakness is kryptonite and Diana's appears to be ropes. There is a reason for this.
Going back to her creator, William Moulton Marston believed the ropes would represent how women were often tied down by the patriarchy and more. Again, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women is a fascinating film because they talk in detail about Wonder Woman and the history of bondage in the story.
6 Wonder Woman is worthy of wielding Mjolnir
Any fan of Thor, Marvel comics, or even the Marvel Cinematic Universe, knows what a big deal it is for someone other than Thor to be worthy of wielding the mighty Mjolnir. Thor's hammer has always been a hot topic of debate, with fans wondering which characters might be worthy of the honor.
Well, aside from Steve Rogers, did you know that Diana Prince herself once used the hammer? In an old crossover event between Marvel and DC, Wonder Woman was given the high honor of wielding Thor's hammer.
5 Cobie Smulders once voiced Wonder Woman
Did you know that Maria Hill once lent her voice to Wonder Woman? Before Gal Gadot was cast, many people liked the idea of Cobie Smulders playing the role of Diana Prince on the big screen if it ever came to fruition. Well, she sort of has. Smulders voiced Wonder Woman in The Lego Movie.
Outside of the Marvel Universe, you'll also recognize Smulders as Robin from the long-running CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. Next, Smulders will star in the ABC series Stumptown, which is based on the graphic novels of the same name.
4 Diana Prince isn't the only Wonder Woman
While Diana Prince is the most popular version of Wonder Woman, she is not the only person who has ever donned the moniker. It's pretty common in the comic book world for multiple characters to portray the same hero. There have been multiple Thors, Captain Americas, Batmans, and more over the years.
Usually only one main character sticks out, but that doesn't mean the other versions aren't cool in their own way. Wonder Woman's mother, Queen Hippolyta, took over the mantle at one point. Other characters such as Nubia, Donna Troy, Orana and Cassandra Sandsmark have also become Wonder Woman at different points in time.
3 She and Superman had a thing for a while
When you think of epic romances in DC comics, you may recall Clark Kent and Lois Lane or Steve Trevor and Diana Prince. But did you know that Superman and Wonder Woman had a romance that went on for a while?
When DC rebooted their comic continuity with New 52, they decided to experiment a little bit with a potential romance between Superman and Wonder Woman. It was pretty well-received too. In the live-action films, there is more of a flirtation between Diana and Bruce Wayne, which is something that the comics have also toyed with.
2 She was the first major female superhero
It is common knowledge that Wonder Woman is one of the most iconic heroes in the DC lexicon, but did you know she was literally the first major female superhero? That includes Marvel too. DC beat Marvel to including a female superhero in their comics. Wonder Woman was first introduced way back in 1942.
Wonder Woman's reception paved the path for future female superheroes like Captain Marvel, Batgirl, Supergirl, Black Canary and more. Black Canary came next a few years after and then even more women were introduced down the line. But Wonder Woman started it all.
1 She has a best friend and sidekick named Etta Candy
If your only experience with Wonder Woman is through the films or television series, then you might have thought Etta Candy was just a fun creation of the writers for the live-action Wonder Woman film, where she was portrayed by Lucy Davis. The 2017 version was Etta's first live-action appearance.
But Etta Candy was a very important person to Wonder Woman in the comics. She has become an endearing fan favorite character thanks to her plucky attitude and the fact that she's a plus-sized woman always proud of her full figure. Batman had Robin and Wonder Woman had Etta!