Are the bracelets useless?

[Access]

If the ideal Wonder Woman is as invulnerable as Superman,why would she need a high grade defensive item like the ideal bracelets of submission?

(Disregard DC insistence on the shield)

[7-Love]

I love the bracelets. It's such a cool way for her to deflect back attacks at her enemies.

The creative originality of Wonder Woman is what makes her greatly stand out from the crowd of comic book superheroes. A magic lasso, bracelets that deflect back attacks, an Invisible jet, etc. Out of the billions of comic book superheroes who either have similar superpowers or similar super gadgets only Wonder Woman has these original things.

[Primal Slayer]

As a defense mechanism? to a degree but they can also block omega beams most of the time so that is very big plus. Though I am perfectly fine with WW being in that weird limbo of being vulnerable to smaller, more precise objects.



And sometime they break...



But they should always be there to represent what the Amazons went through so in that sense, no they are not useless.

[Robanker]

But they should always be there to represent what the Amazons went through so in that sense, no they are not useless.

This is the most important quality of them in the modern day. It's a piece of her heritage, kind of like Superman wearing the El Crest. Even when it has no functional purpose, it informs something about the character.

They can be used to absorb blasts she'd rather not take to the face as well as better direct ricochets to safe locations (if she's protecting bystanders, for example).


And most importantly, it just looks a lot cooler. In a visual medium, that counts for a lot. Hell, Ghost Rider pretty much gets by on that alone.

[Frontier]

I mean, it's still cool to watch her deflect stuff with them and it's basically part of the visual of her blast move when she brings them together.

[Bound4olympus]

One of the things I LOVED about the azzarello run was the weapons she was able to produce from them but it got me thinking and ever since I’ve wanted time bracelets to have a very big very specific ability. I think it would be amazing if the bracelets were the way into a pocket dimension where Diana has…basically a huge closet. The dimension is completely created of her mind and operates the way Lions mane operates in the the Steven Universe universe. She could use the spin to transport herself (and potentially others) into that pocket universe and since it exists out of time and space she would appear to spin and transform into other outfits or with whatever weapons she stores. I think it would also be cool if dangerous artifacts were hidden there and could lead to great plot lines both in the Wonder Woman book and the justice league book.

[wonder39]

They're not useless. They're amazing.

1) they're religious iconography for the Amazons. As spiritually important for the Amazons as a Crucifix for Catholics, or Star of David for those of Jewish faith, etc. They represent a hardship that the Amazons endured and rose above. They are a reminder of their fall from their faith, and return to those principles.

2) for Diana, they are the ultimate defensive weapon. I hate the idea of her being " Superman" in the sense of invulnerability. I like her being tougher than a regular human, but not fully bulletproof ( it's comics. Deal with the inconsistency of physics...lol). Her traditional weapons aren't about harm, but defensive ... Deflect bullets, subdue with the lasso.

3) they showcase her amazing abilities, skill, and speed. She doesn't have to just sit there and let crap bounce off of her. It's takes incredible speed and skill to deflect bullets ( et) away from her or those she's protecting. She can also direct them.back towards her enemy to help neutralize them. And it's more amazing than her using a shield, which is just cumbersome and redundant

4) it's freaking visually cool. In media, comics, etc, it's just freaking cool to see.

Much like the lasso ( which no one seems to depict as a lasso anymore, and more like a whip *sigh*) the powers that be seem to want to downplay these things vs sword and shield. It's not to her betterment. Both are infinitely cooler, more unique, and visually more interesting to watch than any alternative.

Edit)and they are indestructible. Period. Point. Done. End of sentence. Anything other than that is writer ignorance...

[Riv86672]

They're not useless. They're amazing.

1) they're religious iconography for the Amazons. As spiritually important for the Amazons as a Crucifix for Catholics, or Star of David for those of Jewish faith, etc. They represent a hardship that the Amazons endured and rose above. They are a reminder of their fall from their faith, and return to those principles.

2) for Diana, they are the ultimate defensive weapon. I hate the idea of her being " Superman" in the sense of invulnerability. I like her being tougher than a regular human, but not fully bulletproof ( it's comics. Deal with the inconsistency of physics...lol). Her traditional weapons aren't about harm, but defensive ... Deflect bullets, subdue with the lasso.

3) they showcase her amazing abilities, skill, and speed. She doesn't have to just sit there and let crap bounce off of her. It's takes incredible speed and skill to deflect bullets ( et) away from her or those she's protecting. She can also direct them.back towards her enemy to help neutralize them. And it's more amazing than her using a shield, which is just cumbersome and redundant

4) it's freaking visually cool. In media, comics, etc, it's just freaking cool to see.

Much like the lasso ( which no one seems to depict as a lasso anymore, and more like a whip *sigh*) the btw seem to want to downplay these things vs sword and shield. It's not to her betterment. Both are infinitely cooler, more unique, and visually more interesting to watch than any alternative.

^^^Great post. Totally agree.
I’ve gotten flack here for not wanting Diana to be Superman in terms of invulnerability (and other powers), but I think it makes her more interesting and puts her in a league of her own, no pun intended.

[bardkeep]

Agree with everyone saying they're part of Amazon culture. It's like the Five Ks in Sikhism or a hijab in Islam. I also don't think she should ever take them off in Man's World, even when she's dressed in civilian clothes.

I'm honestly more interested in them as iconography than as armor or weaponry, but regardless of her vulnerability, functionally they block/absorb heavier energy attacks plus she's got the whole concussive blast thing. I prefer her being invulnerable, but I'm also cool with us just never finding out because she's so good at blocking attacks - I just don't think she should ever get seriously hurt by a regular bullet.

You've also got your writers who make them power suppressors and give her Super Saiyan mode when she takes them off but I'm pretty neutral on that.

[Gaius]

This will always be more visually interesting and unique to WW





than dime-a-dozen stuff I could see any Superman-pastiche comic.

They're not useless. They're amazing.

1) they're religious iconography for the Amazons. As spiritually important for the Amazons as a Crucifix for Catholics, or Star of David for those of Jewish faith, etc. They represent a hardship that the Amazons endured and rose above. They are a reminder of their fall from their faith, and return to those principles.

2) for Diana, they are the ultimate defensive weapon. I hate the idea of her being " Superman" in the sense of invulnerability. I like her being tougher than a regular human, but not fully bulletproof ( it's comics. Deal with the inconsistency of physics...lol). Her traditional weapons aren't about harm, but defensive ... Deflect bullets, subdue with the lasso.

3) they showcase her amazing abilities, skill, and speed. She doesn't have to just sit there and let crap bounce off of her. It's takes incredible speed and skill to deflect bullets ( et) away from her or those she's protecting. She can also direct them.back towards her enemy to help neutralize them. And it's more amazing than her using a shield, which is just cumbersome and redundant

4) it's freaking visually cool. In media, comics, etc, it's just freaking cool to see.

Much like the lasso ( which no one seems to depict as a lasso anymore, and more like a whip *sigh*) the btw seem to want to downplay these things vs sword and shield. It's not to her betterment. Both are infinitely cooler, more unique, and visually more interesting to watch than any alternative.

*presses like button*

[Stanlos]

If the ideal Wonder Woman is as invulnerable as Superman,why would she need a high grade defensive item like the ideal bracelets of submission?

(Disregard DC insistence on the shield)

She's an Amazon and it used to be that bullets and bracelets were one of their games. WTF knows if they are that fast these days or no. The bracelets have also been significant culturally. But my favorite thing about them are the strategic and tactical advantages they provide. You daren't fire at her or an Amazon in general lest she uses your weapons fire against you. That is FAR from useless. This is increased even more if they are the volume 2 versions which boasted some amazing properties outside of indestructibility (which the 52/rebirth/whatever versions appear not to have)

[Stanlos]

Something that always puzzled me is why WW not being absolutely bullet proof is a problem but people way less durable like Wolverine get to be Billy Bad@$$ all day regardless.

[Micabe]

As a defense mechanism? to a degree but they can also block omega beams most of the time so that is very big plus. Though I am perfectly fine with WW being in that weird limbo of being vulnerable to smaller, more precise objects.



And sometime they break...



But they should always be there to represent what the Amazons went through so in that sense, no they are not useless.

Can someone please tell me the title(s) and the issue(s) these pages are from, thanks...

[Perseus]

Something that always puzzled me is why WW not being absolutely bullet proof is a problem but people way less durable like Wolverine get to be Billy Bad@$$ all day regardless.

Look at EVERY instance of Diana taking a bullet, it is incredibly rare that it ends with her not virtually dying.

[Guy_McNichts]

Something that always puzzled me is why WW not being absolutely bullet proof is a problem but people way less durable like Wolverine get to be Billy Bad@$$ all day regardless.

Because when Wolverine gets shot, he immediately shrugs it off and heals. When Diana gets shot, creators have her drop like a stone:



To answer the OP, Wonder Woman isn't/shouldn't be invulnerable the way Superman is. She can still be wounded and hurt, so she does need her bracelets to defend against attacks she can't just tank.
That's the practical, in-universe reason anyway. Everyone else pointed out the symbolic and "it's just cooler" reasons.