Warning: The following contains spoilers for Wonder Woman: Black and Gold #1 by Becky Cloonan, John Arcudi, Amy Reeder, Nadia Shammas, Aj Mendes, Ming Doyle, Ryan Sook, Morgan Beem, Pat Brosseau, Michael Heisler, Ariana Maher, Gabriela Downie and Becca Carey - on sale now.
Since her creation in 1941 by William Moulton Marston, Wonder Woman has become one of the most iconic heroes in the DC Universe. The new anthology Wonder Woman: Black and Gold #1 gives creators an opportunity to explore various elements of the hero's 80-year career. "The Wager," by Becky Cloonan and Pat Brosseau, revisits the origins of perhaps the most powerful part of Princess Diana's arsenal: The lasso of truth.
In "The Wager", Wonder Woman interrogates a smug criminal who seems unwilling to cooperate. Rather than putting her lasso to good use, the Amazon decides to tell the man the story of her iconic rope. She tells him that the rope was weaved from the wool of the Golden Fleece. She had to fight a gigantic bull to attain the mythical material, which she then took to the three fates in the underworld who weaved her the lasso of truth. Diana goes on to explain that the lasso does more than just making it impossible to lie. She explains that when it is wrapped around a person it actually "lays bare the truth of their own life before them." She warns him that it will show him everything, including some potentially painful truths about himself.
After hearing all of this, the man Wonder Woman is interrogating decides to confess before being subjected to the harsh reality of her lasso. Later, Batman asks her if the story was true. Her reply is enigmatic and notably noncommittal which makes sense seeing how the DC Universe has presented readers with multiple origin stories for Diana of Themyscira's golden lasso.
The earliest explanation of the Lasso, which differs from Diana's story considerably, can be found in William Moulton Marston and Harry G. Peter's 1942 Sensation Comics #6. In this version of the story, Wonder Woman's mother asks Themyscira's craftswoman Metala to make Diana a lasso using chain-links from her own indestructible girdle, which she then gives to her daughter to aid her in her work as a hero in the land of men. This first version of the lasso was made of chain, not wool and has its origins on Themyscira instead of the underworld.
Much like the original Marston story, 2016's Wonder Woman #4 by Greg Rucka, Nicola Scott and Romulo Fajardo Jr. links the lasso's origins to the island of the Amazons. In Rucka's version, Diana wins the lasso in a contest to determine which Amazon is strong enough to become the champion of Themyscira and lead Steve Trevor back to the land of men. Diana becomes champion and is granted the powerful lasso also known as "the golden perfect." The golden perfect is an heirloom on Themyscira that was given to the Amazons by the gods of Olympus.
Of course, the lasso of truth is the stuff of legend, so it is fitting that there may still be some debate over its exact origins. But, Becky Cloonan's "The Wager" provides a myth fit for a princess that establishes a more personal connection between Wonder Woman and her trusty tool. In their discussion, Wonder Woman asks Batman if he believes her story and he responds "It's not the truth of the tale, but what you take from it." If Bruce Wayne, Earth's greatest detective, is comfortable with a certain degree of inconsistency surrounding the lasso's origins - then surely audiences can accept multiple stories as well.