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  1. #1
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    Default Magic In Wonder Woman

    With the first arc of Tynion's Justice League Dark having explored more of Wonder Woman's connection to DC's magic side, I figured we'd have a thread discussing magic in Wonder Woman's world. Anything about it is welcome, from how you think it should be handled to your favorite depictions of magic in a Wonder Woman story any story that featured Wonder Woman heavily.

  2. #2
    Astonishing Member LordUltimus's Avatar
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    Diana should be the big hero regarding magic, in the same way Superman is the big hero regarding sci-fi stuff, and Batman is the big hero regarding non-powered heroes.

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    Ultimate Member Phoenixx9's Avatar
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    I agree that magic is involved with Wonder Woman. But, I don't want to see Diana studying magic, creating mystic bolts, etc. The magic with Diana is her birth and her costume/ weapons.

  4. #4
    Extraordinary Member kjn's Avatar
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    Professor Thorgi's video on Justice League Dark had a good discussion on the nature of magic in DC and the relation to Wonder Woman. (It also discusses the two first issues of Tynion's JLD.)



    I don't know much about DC's magic side, but I do think Wonder Woman should have a strong relation to magic that is different from say Zatanna. Diana grew up immersed in gods and mythology. For her magic should be both natural, familiar, and dangerous. Sort of like the sea.

    I'd say both Hiketeia and A League of One showcases Wonder Woman's relation to magic and how she views it. (And I'd love if Tynion referred back to Hiketeia in JLD, just as he did with ALoO.) She likely includes a lot of simple rituals in her daily life, often integrated into her daily tasks like cleaning herself, returning home, or small household sacrifices. I imagine those make her into a far more challenging target for most magic users, while few really interpret them as magic.
    Last edited by kjn; 01-18-2019 at 08:14 AM.

  5. #5
    Mighty Member Fuzzy Mittens's Avatar
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    An interesting topic. Magic with Wonder Woman is generally summed up as 'the gods gave her this thing' and occasionally prophecy pops up as a thing shes gone by.

    Shes dealt with gods before, dealt with mythological beasts before, delt with sorceresses like Circe and Morganna before, but Diana doesn't really do much actually involving magic per say. The only exception I can think of was Kurt Busieks pre crisis mini where Wonder Woman formed a star out of candles which Paula Von Gunther used to teleport to from Paradise Island.

    When it comes to 'big hero of' stuff, I honestly don't see her as 'the hero of magic' She doesn't really have much association with magic outside of her origin and using the logic that religion=magic is a basis for someone to be a big hero of it would suggest the Spectre would qualify with his whole hand of god stuff.

    Wonder Woman is no more 'the hero of magic' than Superman is 'the hero of sci fi' and Supermans 'the hero of non powered types'
    I mean honestly, when it comes to sci-fi stuff, Green Lanterns traditionally the bigger go to for anything involving the stuff. Likewise, Captain Marvel has a stronger history of being the hero of magic.

    As for JLD, id honestly hesitate to call it magic so much as 'dark horror stuff with some vertigo flair'

  6. #6
    Ultimate Member Phoenixx9's Avatar
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    I think when Wonder Woman is in the presence of any magical item/artifact, such as any of the Marvel Family, she should be able to detect their mystical nature/bodies. This should similarly apply with objects of magic too.

  7. #7

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    She should have a working knowledge but not an expert or really proficient in it.

  8. #8
    Extraordinary Member AmiMizuno's Avatar
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    For me I always thought she and the Amazons should have some knowledge on most magically and gods on different religions

  9. #9
    Astonishing Member WonderScott's Avatar
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    I prefer Diana not having magical abilities, unless it's perhaps her costume spin transformation (simply because that's fabulous.)

    Of course, her lasso is a magical item that I don't mind her using whatsoever - I just don't think she's inherently magical or a spellcaster or has a Spidey-sense around magic or magical items.

    None of this negates her role in JLD, based on her leadership abilities and acuity and adaptability. All those qualities make her a fine leader for any type of team.

    Besides, Shazam and the Shazamily kind of have this covered and it suits them.

    All this said, I don't have a problem with a few of the Amazons having magical abilities alongside all the skills different Amazons have naturally or have honed, just like the relatively small population in Patriarch's World who are learned witches or sorceresses. It'd add complexity and balance to Themyscira...I just don't want to see all Amazons having magical abilities. I think it would get boring fast. Save that for exploring Sorcerer's World or Gemworld.

  10. #10
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    I think there may be a bit of a narrow definition of what constitutes magical characters here. Diana may not be a spellcaster but she is still a creature of magic (either as a clay statue brought to life or a demigod), two of her foes as sorcerers (Circe and the White Magician) and her weapons are magical in nature.

  11. #11
    Astonishing Member LordUltimus's Avatar
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    I don't really get why people keep referring to Shazam as better suited to magic, he's not anymore of a spellcaster than Wonder Woman is.

  12. #12
    Wonder Moderator Gaelforce's Avatar
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    I admit, I was hoping for something to come out of the JLDark storyline where Diana was an embodiment of magic from Hecate, tied to the Tree of Wisdom, etc.

    Considering how other abilities she's had have been ignored/curtailed, I would have loved to see her power set expanded to include something more in the magical sphere of influence.

    I mean if *Batman* can cast spells, I would think Diana would be pretty darned good at using magic in some fashion

  13. #13

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    Seeing as Diana is a character rooted in supernatural mythology with the Greek pantheon she definitely should have a mystical aspect to her universe (similar to Asgardians with magic).

  14. #14
    Astonishing Member WonderScott's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Agent Z View Post
    I think there may be a bit of a narrow definition of what constitutes magical characters here. Diana may not be a spellcaster but she is still a creature of magic (either as a clay statue brought to life or a demigod), two of her foes as sorcerers (Circe and the White Magician) and her weapons are magical in nature.
    To me, her magicalness kind of ends at being transmuted into flesh and blood from clay or benefiting physically from an Olympian father and/or granted gifts from the pantheon that changed her physically, but didn’t endow her with magical powers. Her genetics gave her greater powers or the gifts she received fundamentally changed her physical being.

    Given her tremendous abilities, I quite like that magic, whether from someone as formidable as Circe or as power-craving a dabbler as White Magician, gives her some kind of weakness.

    That said, she can use any magical weapons possibly as well as anyone else who’s not a sorceress, with the exclusion of the magic lasso or lariat of truth which is sometimes being depicted as attuned to only Diana.

  15. #15
    Extraordinary Member AmiMizuno's Avatar
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    I'm curious we have seen some amazons have magically abilities. So I wouldn't mean some amazons being magically users. I mean with certain creatures they have found I don't mind some of them being magically users. I mean if Diana were to have any magically abilities what would it be? I do think it should be something simply. We do know Diana does have a resistance to magic. That while yes she can be killed it's going to take a lot to kill her.

    I will say this, no one should be able to turn Diana back into clay

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