Originally Posted by
Robanker
Just Skynet trying to subtly break friendships. Pay it no mind, man. All good vibes here.
Sure, but just like Superman was created to be the biggest bully in the room (who conveniently was always in the little guy's corner and only directed his aggression to people who deserved it), the minute interconnected universes are introduced, the game of give-and-take begins. Should Diana always be in the upper echelon of power, skills and competence? Absolutely. Is it a disservice when she loses a fight to other characters designed to be the apex figure of their own IP? I would argue no, it just has to make sense given the context of the story or world. It has to be well-written. I agree that Arthur is beneath Diana on any given Sunday, but I don't think he's a pushover either. I normally give her a 70-30 edge over Superman in fights (and that's accounting for his plot armor) but literally none of those fights would ever be one-sided. Each of the Big Seven are designed to be world busters in their own way (yes, even Batman, though arguably he should lose to all of them on any given Sunday). But the way people seem to want Diana portrayed when she has to fight her friends is essentially just asking a disservice be done to those characters as well. It's like how salty Superman fans (and yes, I can be one from time-to-time) just want Clark to slap Bruce around and give him a wedgie to remind him he's not all that. Is it cathartic? Yeah. It's also not good writing.
Diana in the JSA movie is not her jobbing. It took everyone down to "golden age" power levels where they're more in-line with very early golden age Superman so the war effort wouldn't feel ridiculous. Diana in DCeased getting one-punched? Diana in both cuts of the Justice League movie getting knocked down effortlessly by Superman? That's real jobbing, son, and that's the problem. Sadly it comes a lot at when she faces Clark, so hopefully that changes or DC needs to put a restraining order on those two until DC can learn to respect both simultaneously.
(This next paragraph isn't directed to anyone in particular but more the general argument that the JSA movie's Diana is in any way even in the upper echelon of problems with that film)
The Diana of the JSA movie is among the strongest figures in that film. Keep in mind Superman is mostly just trashing planes and hopping. Diana is taking out U-Boats underwater and fighting the big bad (another of the Big 7) and destroys Poseidon's Trident. She is treated as the biggest gun in the film. Yes, she gets roughed up. Complaining that she had trouble with her arch rival but still came out on top feels like those Superman fans who complain that Clark in any universe doesn't line-up with All-Star Superman's power levels. It's an Elseworlds. She's treated with dignity and respect as much as anyone else. You mean to tell me in a movie where Alan Scott doesn't exist on the Justice Society of America, Barry Allen has to teach Jay Garrick how to do basic Flash shit and Aquaman is literally a Nazi stooge that Wonder Woman is done the biggest disservice? You guys do realize Aquaman was co-created by Mort Weisinger (who was Jewish), right? It's not even an Overman situation-- it's Aquaman proper. Mind controlled and goose stepping with the Nazis. Yeah bro, tell me more about how Diana kicking his ass with some difficulty is the biggest problem. At worst they did the usual superhero "we fight twice and each win once to appease both parties of fans" nonsense but I'd argue Diana's victory at the end was pretty conclusive. She broke the trident. You don't micdrop any harder on Aquaman than that outside of killing his son. It's like breaking the lasso for reference to Diana's fanbase. It's a big goddamn deal.
She's strong. She's compassionate. She loves and is kind. These are all vital aspects to the character, but much like we've established multiple times that spectacle and raw power alone doesn't make Superman interesting, I'd argue it doesn't make Diana interesting either. I agree, that's how you get Warrior Woman and I find her dreadfully dull-- the poor man's Xena or Red Sonja-- but that doesn't make Wonder Woman.