Recently, Donna Troy has been put in the spotlight thanks to the help of DC's Titans TV show. While some may be unfamiliar with Donna as a character, she still has a very extensive backstory and history as a member of the DC universe. Learning about her can also be a bit confusing, as she is constantly being changed and rebooted in relation to Wonder Woman herself. Though Donna may not be as big as Wonder Woman, it is still nice to see her get some appreciation as a character. In preparation for Donna's upcoming role in season 2 of Titans, here is our list of 10 facts about Donna Troy that every DC fan should know.
10 She is the Original Wonder Girl
Most people know Donna Troy as simply by her name. However, the character has a very long history as Wonder Woman’s original sidekick, Wonder Girl. Originally donning a very similar costume, Donna would eventually wear a red costume with stars on it as a way to help distinguish her from Diana. From there, Donna would graduate into her own solo hero, drop the name “Wonder Girl,” and set out as her own independent individual. Donna’s extensive history has led her through some interesting adventures, especially during her time as a Teen Titan and a Titan, giving the Titans TV show a lot of material to pull from and adapt going forward.
9 She Was Originally Created by a Magic Mirror
Like with Wonder Woman herself, Donna Troy’s origin gets very convoluted and changed to fit the writer’s need for the story. Donna has gone from being born to being sculpted of clay like Diana. Her original origin, however, is that she came about due to a magic mirror that was shown to Diana. Donna then popped into existence, and the two began their adventures as crime-fighting superheroines. Eventually, Donna’s origin would take a darker turn as it is eventually revealed that she was created as a trap to be used against Wonder Woman.
8 She is Diana’s “Sister”
Regardless of whatever her current origin is, Donna is always viewed as Diana’s sister. As a result, the two always have a rather interesting relationship. Unlike the Batman and Robin or Superman and Superboy dynamic, Diana and Donna are on much more equal ground with each other. The two have always had a mutual respect for each other and acted like sisters towards one another. In actuality, the only reason that Diana ranks above Donna in any form is only because she is older. While being older has given Diana certain advantages in regards to combat training and wisdom, Donna has the potential to easily be as good as Diana one day.
7 She Was Once Married
For a time, Donna Troy was actually married. After meeting college professor Terry Long, the two quickly fell in love and eventually got married. Donna would become pregnant soon after and give up her powers due to a warning that her son would grow up to be an all-powerful villain. After gaining her powers back—it is a comic series, after all—Terry would divorce Donna as he felt her presence endangered the whole family. Terry took their son, and the two would, unfortunately, die in a car crash a while later.
6 She is a Founding Member of the Teen Titans
Like the other popular DC sidekicks, Donna Troy would find herself as a founding member of the Teen Titans. Though she’s not part of the team during their first appearance, Donna would find her way by the time the team launched their own solo title. Furthermore, Donna’s influence on the Teen Titans was felt long after she departed from the team. As a member of the Teen Titans, Donna would go on many wacky, fun, and dangerous adventures. Her time on the team led her to develop some very strong relationships, making her perfect for the reformation of the original team with the launch of Titans.
5 She Has Died and Come Back To Life
Like many comic book characters, Donna Troy has died and come back. Donna and her teammate Omen would both fall victim to an attack by a superbot after it went rogue due to the android, Indigo. The loss of Donna especially was a major blow towards members of both the Teen Titans and Young Justice. However, Donna would return after discovering that she had unique ties to the multiverse. To put it as simply as possible, Donna was resurrected from every other possible version of herself that existed within the multiverse. While there is a lot more to her triumphant return, Donna has remained a part of the DCU going forward.
4 She Served as Wonder Woman
Following the events of Infinite Crisis, the world saw Donna take the mantle of Wonder Woman while Diana was away. After murdering Maxwell Lord, Diana took time off from the Justice League and from being Wonder Woman in order to sort out who she truly felt she was. Thus, Donna took over the role and served in her absence. While Donna wasn’t Wonder Woman for very long, it was still interesting to see her in that role. As Wonder Woman, Donna proved that she was up to the challenge and was able to make just as large of an impact on the legacy as Diana had.
3 She Served on the Justice League
Her time as Wonder Woman aside, Donna Troy herself served as a member of the Justice League. Following the Blackest Night event, Donna happened to involve herself in a mission that caught the Justice League’s attention. After everything was said and done, Wonder Woman invited Donna into the league as a full member. Donna would accept, and she even brought Cyborg and Starfire into the mix as well. However, Donna’s time with the league would be short-lived as DC would launch the new 52 event shortly thereafter. Donna would play no major role again in the DCU until the launch of Rebirth in 2016.
2 Her Biggest Foe is an Alternate Version of Herself
Dark Angel is a name in the DCU that many people have likely never heard. However, the antagonist would eventually be revealed as Donna Troy’s Earth 7 counterpart. After several battles between Donna and Dark Angel, this served as quite a shock. During Donna’s resurrection, Dark Angel somehow avoids being combined with the other versions of herself, meaning that the real Donna has no evil version of herself inside of her. Unfortunately, it also means that Dark Angel will continue to be a threat. While Dark Angel hasn’t been seen in quite some time, a similar version of her character has been a part of the recent Titans storyline.
1 Titans
Currently, Donna Troy has been a member of the newly reformed Titans since the title of the same name launched as part of DC Rebirth. Though the book is no longer putting out new issues, Donna remained on the team until the very end. Furthermore, it is very likely that the team will reform in the near future as DC has hinted toward the return of Dick Grayson’s memory and the redemption of Wally West. In the meantime, however, it appears that Donna is going to have a much more involved role in season 2 of DC’s Titans TV show.