Giganta makes her debut in Wonder Woman #9 (May 1944), as a female ape that had been evolved through “hyperatomic energy” to a giant aggressive woman. In this story, she has no other powers except for being tall and strong and a bit of a jerk.
Read More »
Wonder Woman encounters a different version of Atlantis than the one introduced in Aquaman stories in Wonder Woman #8 (February 1944). In this version, Atlantis is rules by giant woman who have no respect for men, treating them as second-class citizens. As if to punctuate that, Steve Trevor is kidnapped and forced to wear butt-cheek […]
Read More »
Queen Hippolyta leaves Paradise Island for the first time to help out her daughter in Sensation Comics #26 (December 1943). She finds out Wonder Woman is being threatened, prays to Aphrodite to let her leave, and is granted her wish but cannot reveal her identity to anyone – even Diana. I also notice that Wonder […]
Read More »
Wonder Woman’s powers continue to grow as she uses her power of astral projection in Sensation Comics #25 (November 1943) to track down criminals. Speaking of newfound powers, over in Superman #20 (also November 1943), we learn that Superman has super-control over his super-facial-muscles: And so the super-powers arms race continues…
Read More »
Wonder Woman finally gets a recognizable villain in the form of Cheetah in Wonder Woman #6 (August 1943). Priscilla Rich has a split personality and takes it out on Wonder Woman by dressing up in a skin-tight cheetah costume. This is, of course, the Golden Age version of the villain and not the version of […]
Read More »
Steve Trevor suspects that Diana is Wonder Woman for the first time in Sensation Comics #20 (June 1943). He aggressively tries to take her glasses off in anger, but she gets out of by using super-ventriloquism and hopping out a window to meet Steve at the door as Wonder Woman.
Read More »
A new recurring villain for Wonder Woman is introduced in Wonder Woman #5 (May 1943): Doctor Psycho. Doctor Psycho is a misshapen mysogynist dwarf with abilities to hypnotize and can shape ectoplasm into human forms. An equally grotesque villain, The Duke of Deception, enlists Doctor Psycho to prevent women from helping with the war effort.
Read More »
All-Star Comics #15 (December 1942) features Wonder Woman rallying all the girlfriends of the men of the Justice Society of America to save them. It’s a far cry from A-Force or the Birds of Prey… Wonder Woman is still just the “secretary” of the Justice Society, for crap sakes.. but it’s a start, at least!
Read More »
In December 1942, Wonder Woman #3 features the first time a recurring villain character goes through a reform and becomes an ally of a superhero. Baroness Paula von Gunther is revealed to have become a villain after Nazis kidnapped her child. Having restored her child, Wonder Woman sets out to reform her. And she stays […]
Read More »
One of the uglier Wonder Woman nemeses is introduced in Wonder Woman #2 (October 1942): The Duke of Deception! He was one of several generals that the God of War, Ares / Mars kept around. His demigod peers were the Lord of Conquest and the Earl of Greed.
Read More »