Make It Work Better: Steve Trevor as Diana's paramour

[John Venus]

Crazy thought but I think that long term:

-Steve and Diana breaks up at some point. Your first love is not always your forever love. Most of the time it feels like the relationship runs it's course after their first meeting and adventure. Maybe Steve hooks up with Etta while Diana goes on to date other people (maybe a woman).

-Steve and Diana gets into polyamorous relationship with Etta Candy (or perhaps others). It makes sense for Themyscirans to have more than one partner and I think Steve and Etta with their current characterizations would be open to it. Given who created WW, the polyamory thing is way too encoded in Diana's character for writers to enforce monogamy into it, imo.

[WonderScott]

Personally, I need more romance and soap opera that keeps challenging them and pulling them apart, only to find themselves back together again, over different story arcs and machinations by other characters and their own weaknesses as humans.

Make Steve the top agent of ARGUS, with assists from Diana Prince and Wonder Woman from time to time. Like Lois Lane or Selina Kyle, Steve is at the top of his game as an intelligence agent in a world of magic, divinity, super science, metahumans, extraterrestrials, extradimensionals, etc. I like to think of Steve as someone who’s at the top of their game and could become a superhero, with a little extra effort, but chooses not to. Start treating Steve as someone with their own goals, needs and agenda and not just a reflection of where Diana’s at in life. Develop his character in relation to other Wonder characters and villains and make him more complex.

Their love is mythic and epic and that includes capricious gods, evil and angry supervillains and vying mortals trying to pull them apart because of the strength and support their relationship gives them.

This can come in a lot of flavors and drama and characterization, but creators have to double down on and build up the uniqueness of the characters together and apart… At least that’s how I’d approach their relationship.

[Mel Dyer]

I really think the Wonder Woman comic should have come out of the Golden Age, with a fuller realization of Dr. Marston (WW's creator). I think the Silver Age should have made Steve just a measure smaller, in his presence in the comic, and more subordinate to Diana ..and to Wonder Woman.

I really wish Robert Kanigher could have got Diana, Steve and Etta, out west in the postwar Silver Age Fifties - maybe, the Great American Southwest! There, ..I imagine her, fearless chief executive of Prince Antiquities, exploring the mountains and deserts and faraway worlds, protecting Holliday City and mankind, from supernatural threats! At her side, ..teen rancher tough-girl Etta, ..disciplined, optimistic Amazon aide Mala, ..fabled, swashbuckling Siegfried, fighter and master of occult knowledge...

And fresh from World War II, Diana's tough, gun-slinging expeditions chief, Col. Steve Trevor! Ready for action!

By being subordinate to Diana, Steve's moments of courage, devotion to Diana and savage brawling take on an epic force, making him seem largest in those moments...giving all of us something to look forward to and reminding us why he's so right for Diana. For that to work, narratively speaking, the other moments, when he's subordinate to her, shouldn't be an accident, ..but his natural state: an employee or agent of this wild, powerful, crusading princess! Col. Steve Trevor might feel just a little stronger to us, if we see him choosing to accept a fixed, lower status, than Diana's, in some agency to her, like a knight to a queen. Further, seeing him trust her to be above him would be inspiring...

Maybe, even beautiful. And it could work, today, as well, as it might've in the Silver and Bronze Ages!

[John Venus]

Personally, I need more romance and soap opera that keeps challenging them and pulling them apart, only to find themselves back together again, over different story arcs and machinations by other characters and their own weaknesses as humans.

Make Steve the top agent of ARGUS, with assists from Diana Prince and Wonder Woman from time to time. Like Lois Lane or Selina Kyle, Steve is at the top of his game as an intelligence agent in a world of magic, divinity, super science, metahumans, extraterrestrials, extradimensionals, etc. I like to think of Steve as someone who’s at the top of their game and could become a superhero, with a little extra effort, but chooses not to. Start treating Steve as someone with their own goals, needs and agenda and not just a reflection of where Diana’s at in life. Develop his character in relation to other Wonder characters and villains and make him more complex.

Their love is mythic and epic and that includes capricious gods, evil and angry supervillains and vying mortals trying to pull them apart because of the strength and support their relationship gives them.

This can come in a lot of flavors and drama and characterization, but creators have to double down on and build up the uniqueness of the characters together and apart… At least that’s how I’d approach their relationship.

I would like to see him as the underdog. He is not the greatest agent but he is not a schmuck either. He has a strong moral compass and admirable qualities but he makes the kind of mistakes any of us would make if we were out there. He breaks his knees if he tried to do a super hero landing, there are situations and enemies that he is hopelessly outmatched against but he maintains his fortitude even though there is nothing he could do.

Have him struggle with others expecting him to be a super spy or the dominant one in his relationship with Diana or being mocked for being 'secondary' to Diana. But Diana accepts him for who he is and his best qualities anyway.

[phonogram12]

If Diana is fine with Superman and Batman having secret identities, I dont see why she'd be against black-ops. I think sometimes people take Diana and truth a little too far. The world revolves around lies, masks, etc..and it'd be something that Diana would learn about Mans World while trying to uphold who she is and accept others for what they do if its for the greater good.

While I do agree that some take the truth-thing a little too far (I, for one, am not opposed to the Diana Prince secret id in the least), with this iteration, I think it would be different with someone in her inner circle. That said, I also think if Steve were involved in black ops type missions, it could potentially be a source of story potential between him and WW if they could never see eye-to-eye on what he does.

[John Venus]

That kind of thing would work better with Tom Tressor.

[phonogram12]

That kind of thing would work better with Tom Tressor.

True, but I was more replying to those that would be cool with Steve being black ops. Like I said, I think being involved in more search and rescue would be a better fit for WW's world.

[John Venus]

I think it would be cool if Steve and Hal Jordan are friends.

[WonderScott]

I would like to see him as the underdog. He is not the greatest agent but he is not a schmuck either. He has a strong moral compass and admirable qualities but he makes the kind of mistakes any of us would make if we were out there. He breaks his knees if he tried to do a super hero landing, there are situations and enemies that he is hopelessly outmatched against but he maintains his fortitude even though there is nothing he could do.

Have him struggle with others expecting him to be a super spy or the dominant one in his relationship with Diana or being mocked for being 'secondary' to Diana. But Diana accepts him for who he is and his best qualities anyway.

I agree with some of this too, especially the parts of being in situations where he’s in over his head, despite his skills, due to super-powered, magical, divine, etc. entities. I see him as a force for good in a world of super-espionage, but that doesn’t mean anything is easy for him. In my development if Wonder Woman and her cast and concepts, you could say I think of him as the anti-Amanda Waller.

[DABellWrites]

I'm a bit corny with this: love at first sight. Bring back Marston's, take the kids to the zoo, take Diana on dates, cooks, etc. Steve and Diana work in sync with each other. I read Superman Famiy #194, "Mr. and Mrs. Superman story," which showed Clark and Lois working very much in sync.
You don't really have to go above and beyond to explain why Diana would love Steve.

[DABellWrites]

Crazy thought but I think that long term:

-Steve and Diana breaks up at some point. Your first love is not always your forever love. Most of the time it feels like the relationship runs it's course after their first meeting and adventure. Maybe Steve hooks up with Etta while Diana goes on to date other people (maybe a woman).

-Steve and Diana gets into polyamorous relationship with Etta Candy (or perhaps others). It makes sense for Themyscirans to have more than one partner and I think Steve and Etta with their current characterizations would be open to it. Given who created WW, the polyamory thing is way too encoded in Diana's character for writers to enforce monogamy into it, imo.

I read an article that Marston was cheating on his wife Elizabeth with his then-student Olivia. Who then moved in with them. Also, where is polyamory encoded in Diana's character? I forgot to mention, that I remember that they kept their relationship very much on the down low. Even hide it from the kids, but I'm not sure I'm right about that.

[marhawkman]

I'm a bit corny with this: love at first sight. Bring back Marston's, take the kids to the zoo, take Diana on dates, cooks, etc. Steve and Diana work in sync with each other. I read Superman Famiy #194, "Mr. and Mrs. Superman story," which showed Clark and Lois working very much in sync.
You don't really have to go above and beyond to explain why Diana would love Steve.

Yeah, simply showing them as starting with a professional respect is a good beginning.

[AmiMizuno]

Another thing. would be more interaction with the Amazons. Like in terms of how the amazons where should. that be? I would like a comic of a Steve and amazons special

[John Venus]

I read an article that Marston was cheating on his wife Elizabeth with his then-student Olivia. Who then moved in with them. Also, where is polyamory encoded in Diana's character? I forgot to mention, that I remember that they kept their relationship very much on the down low. Even hide it from the kids, but I'm not sure I'm right about that.

I haven't heard any story about him cheating. What I have always heard was that he was always in a consensual polyamorous relationship with his wife and another woman and that those two women also contributed heavily to his own Wonder Woman.

By encoded, I meant that even from the beginning, the Amazons were shown as an all female society built on love where everybody practiced bondage with each other. I never got the feeling that enforced monogamy was a thing there and that they were limited to just one partner.

[WonderScott]

I'm a bit corny with this: love at first sight. Bring back Marston's, take the kids to the zoo, take Diana on dates, cooks, etc. Steve and Diana work in sync with each other. I read Superman Famiy #194, "Mr. and Mrs. Superman story," which showed Clark and Lois working very much in sync.
You don't really have to go above and beyond to explain why Diana would love Steve.

Some may say it’s corny or a cliche or a trope (and it can be those things), but the concept of love at first sight has been around thematically as long as long as mythology, folklore, literature, etc. have been. There’s something about it that speaks to humans and it deserves be explored.