Wonder Woman!

As a kid I was disappointed that this was not a comic book

This is the real life story about how comic book Amazon princess Wonder Woman had her super powers restored by feminist icon Gloria Steinham. In 1972 Gloria was waiting to publish Ms. Magazine and wanted to use Wonder Woman, whom she considered to be a symbol of female empowerment, on the first cover. Of course she asked DC Comics for permission only there was one problem; DC had depowered Wonder Woman and took her out of her uniform and put her into mod clothing! 

As a kid I was disappointed that this was a comic book

The mod Wonder Woman was an attempt to make Diana relevant to the late 1960’s so editor Carmine Infantino tasked writer Denny O'Neil and artist Mike Sekowsky with changing the Amazon into a secret agent. Wonder Woman was made over into an Emma Peel type, and that was arguably the most controversial period in the hero's history. 

An illustration by DC Comics artist Murphy Anderson had been commissioned to make art for a story Ms. was planning to write on Wonder Woman but then it was decided that this would be an ideal cover for the first issue of the magazine. Here are some more examples of Murphy Anderson’s work.

Was Murphy Anderson inspired by this cover?

And the rest is history. DC comics rebooted Wonder Woman in 1973 by restoring her powers and, for the most part, her original appearance.

However, her appearance on MS  encouraged  the use of Wonder Woman as a symbol for feminism and empowerment. In 1973, a year after the MS. Magazine cover, Carol Clement drew a speculum wielding Wonder Woman for the Los Angeles Women's Center newsletter that instructed women on how to do their own vaginal exams. 

William Moulton Marston

William Moulton Marston was the creator of Wonder Woman. He lived an unconventional  lifestyle, living with his wife and mistress at the same time, fathering children with both. In 2017 there was a movie about the life story of Dr. William Marston, Harvard psychologist and inventor, He, along with his wife, invented a crucial component  of lie detector tests, however this movie is about the relationship between his wife and his lover, who became her lover after his death and how they both inspired the iconic super heroine Wonder Woman. Marston could be considered one of the few feminist men of his era.

Wonder Woman addressed the UN in her comic book too

But Wonder Woman’s involvement with the real world  was not over! Wonder Woman was made a UN ambassador in 2016, which was also her 75th anniversary! Her time as a UN ambassador was short lived though. Current Wonder Woman Gal Gadot and 1970’s Wonder Woman Lynda Carter appeared together at the UN but make no mistake, the fictional Wonder Woman was considered the ambassador. She lost her job in response to a petition, “Reconsider the Choice of Wonder Woman as the UN's Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls” signed by 30,000 UN employees. Wonder Woman always seems to court controversy even in real life!

Is the future of Wonder Woman filled with bondage? Wonder Woman often relied upon her golden lasso to tie people up. What if the situation were reversed? Wonder Woman: Bondage By Frank Miller And Bill Sienkiewicz. Here at the Strangest Adventures, we hope not but who knows these days? Sometimes the world is a dark place. We continue to think of Wonder Woman as a fictional hero and symbol that inspires millions of people every day.

Wonder Woman's first uniform included a skirt!