What defines YOUR Wonder Woman mythos?

[Fuzzy Mittens]

I can't help but notice that more than a few people here have their own views and interpretations and ideas that go into their own personal canon or fannon for Wonder Woman. Since its always endlessly fascinating to hear someones views or timelines or ideas of how to approach the many elements of Wonder Womans mythos, I was wondering if anyone wanted to talk about their respective ideas.

Personally im still working on my own somewhat. As I really like the movie concept of Wonder Woman being a century old, and im trying to ponder a means of connecting Wonder Womans disparate history into something that would account for a century of superheroing.

[My Two Cents]

The first two (and soon to be three) Golden Age Wonder Woman omnibuses define who Wonder Woman is to me.

[Agent Z]

The Perez, Jiminez, Simone and Rucka runs.

[CRaymond]

For me, I like to start with a little preherstory, and recontextualize widely-known myths with little-known truths. Like:

Penthesilea is the name given at birth to the woman would earn the name Hippolyte. Stillborn, she came to life upon hearing the wailing of her father. In defiance of her gender and station, she fled to the Temple of Hera in Argolis rather than marry, and learned the language of animals from Melampus while there.

Adulthood brought adventures to young Penthesilea, including: subduing the Matron of Lydia, hatching the eagle of Ararat, defeating the Sphinx of Siwa, and slaying the Empusa of Dacia.

Along the way, she joined Jason and the Argonauts, learned the secrets of Cyclopean metalsmithing, travelled through time and space with warriors old and new, stole immortal gold from the Fates, and was asked to assist the hero Heracles in his eighth labor.

It was Penthesilea’s hand that freed the Mares of Diomedes and turned them on their master. While this earned her the name ‘Hippolyte’, credit was taken from her, and she was denied fair bounty.

Following that betrayal, Hippolyte and the Mares of Diomedes, both the four man-eating fire-breathing horses and Diomedes’ harem of women, tore through Achaean, Thracian and Anatolian lands, and liberated women, slaves, and beasts on their way east to the northern shores of Pontos.

Calling this new monarchy Amazonia, Hippolyte swiftly sent diplomatic emissaries to throughout the ancient world, and asked for emissaries to visit her new capital.

Penthesilea’s liberated younger sister Kalliope, called Antiope by those with whom she argued, returned to Amazonia with Heracles and Theseus. Under orders to subdue the new Amazonian Queen, Heracles entered the capital under the pretense of abject apology. Recalling their shared affection, Hippolyte received Heracles’ army.

Within a week, Amazonia was destroyed, its queen in shackles, and her immortal gold in the hands of her enemies. Pleading to her goddesses for freedom, vengeance, and revolution, Hippolyte overthrew her captors and rallied her people to march on*Argos.

Favored by half of Olympus, aided by the Furies, and with the rage of three hundred warrior women at her back, Hippolyte easily sacked*Argos*and hung the son of Zeus in the Temple of Hera. Just as Heracles took his last breath, the sky broke open and all of Olympus appeared in the Temple.

A deal was struck: Olympus would belong to Hera’s faction, Earth and its people would be Zeus’. Hippolyte and her people would retreat and be forgotten from history, and Heracles would be revived and live out his days as a hero of Greek people. If Hippolyte chose not to accept, she and all her people would be killed. The Queen chose life.

The exiled Amazons arrived at the magical islands of Themyscira and quickly reestablished the Amazonian capital, complete with emissaries sent to the centaurs, cyclops, sirens and harpies also settled on the island. In accordance with their patrons, the Amazons tended the orchards of divine fruit and maintained everlasting peace.

Within the first hundred years on Themyscira, the Amazons were forced to deal with considerable changes to their bodies, thoughts, and feelings. Due to the celestial vegetation in their diet, Amazons gained a cumulative sense of time that increased reaction speed in most women, and prophetic visions in very few. They would practice and refine this skill by deflecting arrows.

All Amazons learned the language of the animals, the First of the Three Wonders. Some artisans learned the Second Wonder: Cyclopean metalsmithing, weaving metals with spellcraft to make magical jewelry, armor, and weaponry. Only the most elite and trusted Amazons learned the Third Wonder: the song of the Underworld —a solemn dirge that opened a magical gateway into the realm of the dead.

Sadly, decades of immortality was too much for some Amazons to bear. A few killed themselves, a few went mad, and many longed for children they could never have on an island full of women. To address the risk to their population and bring purpose to her people, Hippolyte instituted the Contest. Every thirty years, all Amazons would compete in a series of games. The winners would venture to the Outside World, return with the technology of the age, and life in her womb.

The Amazon people grew strong, noting advancements in the Outside World and matched their expansion with exploration. Contest winning Amazons had returned with Chinese fireworks, a printing press, and tame kangaroos. But when one winner returned from California with a Colt Service Pistol, it caused a crisis that nearly destroyed the Amazon people.

Retro engineering the handgun resulted in an accidental discharge that critically wounded Queen Hippolyte. With no appointed successor, factions arose to challenge the leadership of the Queen’s consort Niobe, called General Philippos. Luckily, the Queen convalesced and decreed that with the next cycle of the Contest, she would venture out and return with a Princess.

Queen Hippolyte arrived at the Salonica Front in 1915.

[SiegePerilous02]

The first two (and soon to be three) Golden Age Wonder Woman omnibuses define who Wonder Woman is to me.

Yep, same for me. As strange and (naturally) very dated as they are, they are by far the best and most interesting Wonder Woman.

My idea WW canon would be like 85-90% modernized Marston, with the last bits being some of Rucka's elements like Ares being imprisoned on the island, Barbara Ann's history and characterization, Cale and Godwatch, etc. Maybe Azzarello and Chiang's versions of the Gods as well.

[The Dying Detective]

Unusually what defines my idea is a quarter the Perez stuff, Rucka's Rebirth run and his first run, and finally the Wonder Woman movie which I feel was more successful in creating supporting characters that are dynamic and actually play off each other well even Etta although she didn't get much screen time than certain other runs.

[VonHammersmark]

- The world-building and origin story of Wonder Woman: Earth-1
- The New 52 supporting cast + Cheetah, Veronica, Dr.Cyber + the movie’s Steve and Doctor Poison + Earth-1 Etta Candy
- Gail Simone’s/Azzarello’s voice for Diana

I'd smash all these elements together and build on that

[SiegePerilous02]

- The world-building and origin story of Wonder Woman: Earth-1
- The New 52 supporting cast + Cheetah, Veronica, Dr.Cyber + the movie’s Steve and Doctor Poison + Earth-1 Etta Candy
- Gail Simone’s/Azzarello’s voice for Diana

I'd smash all these elements together and build on that

Yes, Etta should always resemble a modernized take on her Golden Age self, like in Earth One or LoWW. I wouldn't even have her be part of the same professional field as Steve. She's around so much because she's Diana's best friend, and loves adventure. She can have another occupation. I like Rucka's Etta, at least much more than Perez's, but I would lean more towards Marston's, Morrison's or DeLiz's.

So basically, for the core supporting cast:

Amazons: The bizarre attitudes and beliefs of the Golden Age/Earth One, but balanced out with some of the more progressive ideas of the Rebirth ones
Steve: DCEU
Etta: Golden Age (Earth One or LoWW)
Donna: Pre-Crisis Wolfman/Perez
Barbara Minerva: Rucka
Gods: Azzarello

[DrNewGod]

Like Superman and Batman, there have been enough interpretations of Wonder Woman that it's hard to say who she is.

I prefer an updated version of Marston's vision: an exceptional product of a hidden matriarchy that is super advanced, physically, intellectually, and psionically. The Amazonian way is to live in harmony with others and with nature, which has not prevented them from biulding technologies that seem like magic, or from training in case they should ever need to defend their home. Their religion venerates the Greek gods of their origins, but mainly as metaphors for the forces of nature.

Wonder Woman's mission is to demonstrate that there is a better way, and to inspire women to find their own power; it's just these nutbags keep interrupting her. She maintains an identity as Diana Prince in order to not just observe, but experience life in Patriarch's World.

ETA: The Amazons live for about 200 years, with normal rates of maturation, very extended primes, and fairly rapid geriatric declines (Diana is so perfect a specimen, her prime may be indefinite). Diana is Hippollyta's natural daughter. For a few centuries, the Amazons kept a small population of men on a nearby island, but learned to harvest chromosomes from one another for a form of artificial insemination nearly a thousand years ago, and the men were allowed to die out. Being chosen to carry a child is a great honor awarded to only the most promising young Amazons, and genetic material is harvested from only the most accomplished of elder Amazons. No one is ever told whose genes were used to seed the mothers.

Diana's decision to postpone motherhood to pursue her mission is simultaneously seen as heroic, tragic, and sometimes, a little odd.

[The Dying Detective]

Yes, Etta should always resemble a modernized take on her Golden Age self, like in Earth One or LoWW. I wouldn't even have her be part of the same professional field as Steve. She's around so much because she's Diana's best friend, and loves adventure. She can have another occupation. I like Rucka's Etta, at least much more than Perez's, but I would lean more towards Marston's, Morrison's or DeLiz's.

So basically, for the core supporting cast:

Amazons: The bizarre attitudes and beliefs of the Golden Age/Earth One, but balanced out with some of the more progressive ideas of the Rebirth ones
Steve: DCEU
Etta: Golden Age (Earth One or LoWW)
Donna: Pre-Crisis Wolfman/Perez
Barbara Minerva: Rucka
Gods: Azzarello

Having seen the George Perez version of Etta in action while later having seen the Golden Age version I agree there was nothing really broken about Etta personality wise. Not sure what he was smoking when he went along such an underwhelming character who was dead weight for the most part.

[marhawkman]

there's not a whole lot of things I personally consider mandatory aspects of the character and backstory... one of which is the clay origin.... But her living and being raised on Themiscyra is part of it, as well as having Themiscyra be built using Greco-Roman architecture.

[Largo161]

Clay origin
Brought to life by female patron (or predominantly female patrons)
Themyscira as an idyllic place and the Amazons a force for good (but with flaws)
Steve Trevor
The contest

I think this makes it obvious why I don’t rock with the movie.

ETA: How could I neglect the one and only Etta Candy? She should be a hoot and a half—a la Marston.

[kjn]

I'm focusing on the Amazons here: they are the daughters of Demeter, and were charged by her and Artemis, Hestia, Aphrodite, and Hermes to teach mankind about justice, civilisation, and loving authority. They founded the first city of Themyscira by the river Treme in modern Turkey, but they also traveled the world to teach and learn.

The first generation of Amazons were very long-lived, but they also gave birth to daughters who they raised. The boys were given in the care of their fathers. Themyscira was otherwise closed to men, except that they were allowed to live there for a limited time in certain quarters. The Amazons turned into outstanding scholars and artisans, and many of them had talents as seers.

After Theseus and Heracles conquered Themyscira, and the Amazons freed themselves, this also had repercussions with the gods of the Olympos. Athena, who earlier had been neutral to hostile to the Amazons, was angry over the behaviour of Heracles, while Zeus was angry at them over killing/defeating/humbling Heracles. The Amazons were charged with protecting a several important artifacts and retreated to their current island, also named Themyscira, where they built their new city.

Many of the Amazons were pregnant when they arrived at their new island, including Hippolyta. The daughters they raised, while the boys were given in the care to Hermes and Artemis. That included Hippolyta's son, her first-born child. She prayed to the goddesses for help, and they told her to sculpt a daughter from clay. Thus Diana was born as the youngest of the children born on the island, though by less than a year than the next youngest one. Unbeknowst to her mother, Diana was also blessed by the goddesses with different powers and abilities.

While on the island, the Amazons who arrived there were sworn never to leave the island or face Zeus' wrath. However, the Amazons born on the island were free to leave it. While on the island, the Amazons are immortal, but if they leave it they become mortal though aging slowly.

The Amazon society is small and nurturing, but not without tension. Some of the Amazons broke away from the deal with the gods, and formed the Bana-Mighdall; they were pursued by the wrath of Zeus until they could reach a refuge in a far-away country. Those Amazons who were away from away from the first Themyscira when it was conquered were cut off, most integrating with Man's World, but some managed to join the Bana-Mighdall. Within Themyscira, there are different opinions on the view of men, on theology, but also based on simple personal animus.

Most of the time, Themyscira is magically shielded and inaccessible from the world, but at times it connects with different places, leading to the island having a very varied flora and fauna. It is always possible to leave the island, however, but often with little control where you end up. At times shipwrecked men have ended up on the island, they have been brought to a small island just off the main one, nursed back to health and released back to the world to tell fantastic tales.

When Steve Trevor crashed on the island, he however told tales that Man's World was a very different place, and the Amazons received omens that it was time for them to take a more active role in the affairs of men. Thus the choice to hold a contest to choose their emissary. Meanwhile, Amazon artisans repaired Steve's plane, turning it invisible in the process. Diana took part in the contest, against her mother's wishes, and won it. She was charged, according to the old tradition of the Amazons, to teach and learn in Man's World. To get back to Themyscira one of the pegasi living on the island is charged with seeking her out when the island becomes accessible, and bring her and her new-found knowledge back.

I'd also make Steve Trevor a gay man, partly because of the humour value of having a gay man on a fantasy island populated by women, partly to give Diana greater freedom in seeking relations. Also, somewhere in Man's World Diana might have a half-brother that she doesn't know about, that is an old and painful memory to her mother and several other Amazons.

[Largo161]

I'm focusing on the Amazons here: they are the daughters of Demeter, and were charged by her and Artemis, Hestia, Aphrodite, and Hermes to teach mankind about justice, civilisation, and loving authority. They founded the first city of Themyscira by the river Treme in modern Turkey, but they also traveled the world to teach and learn.

The first generation of Amazons were very long-lived, but they also gave birth to daughters who they raised. The boys were given in the care of their fathers. Themyscira was otherwise closed to men, except that they were allowed to live there for a limited time in certain quarters. The Amazons turned into outstanding scholars and artisans, and many of them had talents as seers.

After Theseus and Heracles conquered Themyscira, and the Amazons freed themselves, this also had repercussions with the gods of the Olympos. Athena, who earlier had been neutral to hostile to the Amazons, was angry over the behaviour of Heracles, while Zeus was angry at them over killing/defeating/humbling Heracles. The Amazons were charged with protecting a several important artifacts and retreated to their current island, also named Themyscira, where they built their new city.

Many of the Amazons were pregnant when they arrived at their new island, including Hippolyta. The daughters they raised, while the boys were given in the care to Hermes and Artemis. That included Hippolyta's son, her first-born child. She prayed to the goddesses for help, and they told her to sculpt a daughter from clay. Thus Diana was born as the youngest of the children born on the island, though by less than a year than the next youngest one. Unbeknowst to her mother, Diana was also blessed by the goddesses with different powers and abilities.

While on the island, the Amazons who arrived there were sworn never to leave the island or face Zeus' wrath. However, the Amazons born on the island were free to leave it. While on the island, the Amazons are immortal, but if they leave it they become mortal though aging slowly.

The Amazon society is small and nurturing, but not without tension. Some of the Amazons broke away from the deal with the gods, and formed the Bana-Mighdall; they were pursued by the wrath of Zeus until they could reach a refuge in a far-away country. Those Amazons who were away from away from the first Themyscira when it was conquered were cut off, most integrating with Man's World, but some managed to join the Bana-Mighdall. Within Themyscira, there are different opinions on the view of men, on theology, but also based on simple personal animus.

Most of the time, Themyscira is magically shielded and inaccessible from the world, but at times it connects with different places, leading to the island having a very varied flora and fauna. It is always possible to leave the island, however, but often with little control where you end up. At times shipwrecked men have ended up on the island, they have been brought to a small island just off the main one, nursed back to health and released back to the world to tell fantastic tales.

When Steve Trevor crashed on the island, he however told tales that Man's World was a very different place, and the Amazons received omens that it was time for them to take a more active role in the affairs of men. Thus the choice to hold a contest to choose their emissary. Meanwhile, Amazon artisans repaired Steve's plane, turning it invisible in the process. Diana took part in the contest, against her mother's wishes, and won it. She was charged, according to the old tradition of the Amazons, to teach and learn in Man's World. To get back to Themyscira one of the pegasi living on the island is charged with seeking her out when the island becomes accessible, and bring her and her new-found knowledge back.

I'd also make Steve Trevor a gay man, partly because of the humour value of having a gay man on a fantasy island populated by women, partly to give Diana greater freedom in seeking relations. Also, somewhere in Man's World Diana might have a half-brother that she doesn't know about, that is an old and painful memory to her mother and several other Amazons.

Totally down with this take! (Except for the Steve being gay part. ��)

[7-Love]

- Advanced Amazon society
- Transformation Island
- The Holliday Girls
- The Bana Amazons
- Greg Rucka's version of the Olympian Gods from his 1st run
- A few elements and characters from the Lynda Carter series included in the comic continuity