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  1. #1
    Mighty Member Slowpokeking's Avatar
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    Default Did Marston give Wonder Woman for dark fantasy elements in the beginning?

    I know it might be sensitive to talk, but it's still something interesting to talk about.

    Wonder Woman has long been the symbol of feminism and the leading star of superheroine in comics, but did Marston create her from some dark fantasy reason? Especially bondage, I read some of the materials and think Marston did intend to create a powerful heroine. However his reason was not to show feminism, but gave the male readers some reason to enjoy the comic.

    Maybe this had affected the character's "attractiveness" and "popularity" a little bit after she became the symbol of feminism and to take these elements away? Especially on villains, it's very reasonable that both good and bad ppl found WW attractive, as it happened in many of the male hero's story. But it's not allowed in WW's comic other than a few weak and ugly baddies(Dr. Psycho maybe is the most famous one).

    Some of the WW adaptions had also shown such elements to attract ppl. Even the TV series has a few episodes which gave ppl long time fantasy. Many people are not clear of Wonder Woman's story other than a little bit from the TV show and the movies. But at the same time she is many ppl's most fantasized fictional character, it can be proven by the large amount of fanfics, more than any other fictional woman I've seen.

    So maybe from the beginning, part of Wonder Woman's success has something to do with her attractiveness and fantasy dark elements?

  2. #2
    Mighty Member Slowpokeking's Avatar
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    Also according to me and many of my friends, we do like to see action heroines meet trouble, get caught then break out. Without such setback there are something missing.

  3. #3
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    I'm not sure entirely what you are saying, but I don't know if I would find dark fantasy elements in Marston's run.

  4. #4
    Mighty Member Slowpokeking's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Agent Z View Post
    I'm not sure entirely what you are saying, but I don't know if I would find dark fantasy elements in Marston's run.
    The bondage.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Slowpokeking View Post
    The bondage.
    I don't think that in and of itself would qualify as dark.

  6. #6
    Mighty Member Slowpokeking's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Agent Z View Post
    I don't think that in and of itself would qualify as dark.
    Yeah, I think I should use my word more accurately.

    Kinky, maybe.

  7. #7
    Extraordinary Member kjn's Avatar
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    That Marston had a kinky streak a mile wide is probably well-established by now. However, the attempts to bring that forward has generally crashed and burned, and the mainstream comics industry in the USA has a hard time handling anything that's any real engagement with sexuality.

    There are creators who I think could do a good job at modernising some of Marston's ideas and themes (some others are probably left by the wayside), but it'd require writers willing to approach themes of sexuality and bondage as something fun. Simone and Sejic would be a great team, but I really doubt DC has it in their culture right now to go there.
    «Speaking generally, it is because of the desire of the tragic poets for the marvellous that so varied and inconsistent an account of Medea has been given out» (Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History [4.56.1])

  8. #8
    Astonishing Member Electricmastro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Slowpokeking View Post
    Wonder Woman has long been the symbol of feminism and the leading star of superheroine in comics, but did Marston create her from some dark fantasy reason? Especially bondage, I read some of the materials and think Marston did intend to create a powerful heroine. However his reason was not to show feminism, but gave the male readers some reason to enjoy the comic.
    Yep, you can read feminism into it as much as you want, but I don't think it can be denied how the concept of "good girl art" basically "stimulated" readers into buying more books with attractive ladies on them. This can be evidenced by jungle ladies, which I'm sure was a concept Wonder Woman was meant to touch on considering her Amazonian background, as well as other superheroines introduced in 1941 such as Wildfire.


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