Which of the one-hit Wonder Woman villains have the most potential?

[WonderScott]

Genocide was supposed to be Knockout, which I think was still pretty lame.

On the other hand, had the editorial mandate caused Gail Simone to change her identity to Devastation, that would have been awesome AND explained her special relationship with the lasso [as she was made from the same clay as Diana].

What was the whole story with this in terms of the character supposedly being Knockout? Was she supposed to be resurrected from Death of the New Gods? (I think that storyline was going on before this one.)

IIRC, I think Simone got screwed over in her use of the gods too, because of the dreadful Countdown weekly series. At least I remember the gods appearing briefly in some Battlestar Galactica-ish jumpsuits emerging from a spacecraft in one issue, but the storyline never went anywhere.

[The I.A.D.C.]

Hahaha... OMG, I need Doctor Domino to return!

Where is this panel from? I'm trying to remember if I've ever heard of them before.

Wonder Woman #205 from 1973. His first and only appearance... so far.

[kjn]

IIRC, I think Simone got screwed over in her use of the gods too, because of the dreadful Countdown weekly series. At least I remember the gods appearing briefly in some Battlestar Galactica-ish jumpsuits emerging from a spacecraft in one issue, but the storyline never went anywhere.

That almost seems like a theme for Gail Simone: she got to pick up the pieces after the Amazons Attack, had to handle the erasure of Babs-as-Oracle, and then what you mention above. The editors need to give her some creative freedom, dammit.

[Gaelforce]

What was the whole story with this in terms of the character supposedly being Knockout? Was she supposed to be resurrected from Death of the New Gods? (I think that storyline was going on before this one.)

IIRC, I think Simone got screwed over in her use of the gods too, because of the dreadful Countdown weekly series. At least I remember the gods appearing briefly in some Battlestar Galactica-ish jumpsuits emerging from a spacecraft in one issue, but the storyline never went anywhere.

She began the story with the 'reveal' being that they used the body of Knockout, one of the new gods. However, in mid-story, DC was killing off all of the new gods and, as I understand it, barred them from use in any books. By then, Gail was well into the story and had to come up with a different 'reveal' that would somehow fit the story and still be a surprise.

I would have liked to have seen where it would have gone.

[Phoenixx9]

She's not really a one-hit Wonder Woman villain (as I don't this she ever appeared in the Wonder Woman title in the main continuity), but I have a love for the Earth 3 doppelgänger, Superwoman.

She always seems to be a more of a supporting character to Ultraman or Owlman in any Crime Syndicate story, but I think she has so much potential. I'd really like to (and have in my own thing I'm working on) dig into her background on the world of Earth 3 and develop some great motivation for her animosity towards Diana, Hippolyta, and the Amazons.

I'm definitely jettisoning the Morrisonian aspects of tying her into the Superman mythos with the pseudonym "Lois Lane" and making her origins wonderfully evil and Amazon-ily malevolent.

I hope whenever Doomsday Clock concludes or however the Multiverse reboots itself, we get a new Earth 3, because I think she's "mostly" dead post-Darkseid War.

Know ya know I got to get into this WonderScott---I too love Superwoman!

I agree with you, she is not a one-hit wonder and I also hate the "Lois Lane" take!

I want to learn more of her background. Was she the Princess or just a commoner? How did she come to be the most powerful Amazon on Damnation Island? Which gods/goddesses are her patrons? Was there ever a tournament? Did she win? Who created her lasso and how did she win it?

[Frank]

While I'm most inclined to choose Devastation, I think her origin lacks "oomph" now that Diana's origin has changed. Devastation really was created to be the dark mirror image of Diana, and with the "clay & blessing of the gods" origin gone, so too is the character's main impact.

I think the White Magician, with the backstory of a hero in the 50s whose made the switch but no one knowing, has a lot of potential for revival. I wouldn't want him to be another Circe - perhaps a lower level magician who is brilliant and relies on his intellect as much as his skills. And am right in remembering he had mob connections?

[WonderScott]

Wonder Woman #205 from 1973. His first and only appearance... so far.

Thank you. His visual/design is very Bat-villain. Which I'm not opposed to having as a zany foe of Diana's.

[WonderScott]

Know ya know I got to get into this WonderScott---I too love Superwoman!

I agree with you, she is not a one-hit wonder and I also hate the "Lois Lane" take!

I want to learn more of her background. Was she the Princess or just a commoner? How did she come to be the most powerful Amazon on Damnation Island? Which gods/goddesses are her patrons? Was there ever a tournament? Did she win? Who created her lasso and how did she win it?

Those are great quests P9, and definitely ones I've been asking myself while I've been working on her development.

[Mutant God]

Thank you. His visual/design is very Bat-villain. Which I'm not opposed to having as a zany foe of Diana's.

Well with WW his origin can be very mystical/magical: he was cursed to look like that by some God or Sorcery, or hes a demonic/Lovecraft like creature with madman personality who was born to look like that.

[Vaffrey]

She began the story with the 'reveal' being that they used the body of Knockout, one of the new gods. However, in mid-story, DC was killing off all of the new gods and, as I understand it, barred them from use in any books. By then, Gail was well into the story and had to come up with a different 'reveal' that would somehow fit the story and still be a surprise.

I would have liked to have seen where it would have gone.

It seemed so unnecessary to have to use anyone's body -- whether Knockout's or the future corpse of Diana -- when it was already established that she was formed from clay taken from the sites of genocides around the world. She was, like Diana, clay made flesh. Enough, if you ask me.

[Vaffrey]

Dark Angel is my favorite of the bunch but with DC negating Hippolyta's time as the World War II Wonder Woman, she doesn't make much sense at the moment so I went with Grail. .

Tweakable, though. Suppose Dark Angel was a demonic force Hippolyta led the Amazons against before they left Man's World for Paradise Island? That would explain Dark Angel's enmity right there and set the stage for her capture of Diana's mirror twin.

(And you don't need adult Diana rescuing the mirror twin from Man's World. Just tweak the story so that there's some other way Donna is rescued and raised on Paradise Island, and we're back in business with Donna, too.)

[Gaelforce]

It seemed so unnecessary to have to use anyone's body -- whether Knockout's or the future corpse of Diana -- when it was already established that she was formed from clay taken from the sites of genocides around the world. She was, like Diana, clay made flesh. Enough, if you ask me.

Not knowing what the full plot was intended to be, we can't say if the 'just clay' origin would work. For example, if Diana's success in the original plot depending on her being able to reach Knockout's true self in order to stop Genocide? Or if somehow being a new god gave Genocide powers or insight of some sort?

I doubt we'll ever know.

[Phoenixx9]

Those are great quests P9, and definitely ones I've been asking myself while I've been working on her development.

I would love to hear what you have developed!

[Thor2014]

The Morrigan because they were rooted in myth and had an interesting premise. Nice to see Eric Luke (Devestation) get some love, as I feel his run doesn't get the attention that it deserves.

[Frank]

Nice to see Eric Luke (Devestation) get some love, as I feel his run doesn't get the attention that it deserves.

While they've both evolved into excellent artists since, I think part of the reason Luke's run doesn't get much attention is that it was drawn by what was then unknown artists who hadn't reached their potential. Both Matthew Clark and Yanick Paquette have really grown into their own, but when they worked on WW, they were essentially neophytes who had far to go. I'm not saying that Luke's run was perfect, but I think it was hampered a bit by the art.