Wonder Woman Rogues Gallery Appreciation 2023

[WonderScott]

It's such a shame that Diana has such a verity of compelling and powerful villains, yet most oncoming writers refuse to use them. While Batman, the Flash and Superman's main rouge gallery keeps popping up. And no, Diana's villains are no more silly than those other ones. Sure, a writer can create their own villain during their run, but they should build up her backlog of adversaries too - even the Golden, Silver and Bronze aged ones.
And by the way, I'm not talking about using an old, barely seen villain only one time, just so Diana can bet them up in a few panels at the beginning of an arch either. That's how they are seen as jokes and silly - not viewed as worth her time or energy.

I absolutely agree. Similar to Batman’s villains, all of them could be and (at times) have been silly. There’s a real joy (to me) in rethinking GA, SA and BA villains and what their concept might/could be now. There just seems to be a reluctance to do it with Wonder villains despite some strong and silly concepts that could be revitalized in a contemporary context.

[WonderScott]

The upcoming World's Finest #20.

Don't get excited. The Flash defeats all of them the very next page in a single panel.


I...hate you, Mark Waid.

That’s massively annoying.

[Fuzzy Mittens]

Out of curiosity, what lesser known rogues are people fond of? I mean the ones in Wonder Womans rogues gallery who are much lesser known or even one shot-ers

[WonderScott]

Out of curiosity, what lesser known rogues are people fond of? I mean the ones in Wonder Womans rogues gallery who are much lesser known or even one shot-ers

I’ve got a bunch of favorites that I think could work with some reimagining and updating, FM.

Doctor Cyber
Eviless
Zara
Inversion
Doctor Domino
Anton Unreal
Captain Wonder
Crimson Centipede
Lady Lunar
C. O. Lector

[Nyssane]

Cheetah and Giganta are in the Godzilla/Kong issue. Giganta in particular is pretty sassy, and I love it.

Out of curiosity, what lesser known rogues are people fond of? I mean the ones in Wonder Womans rogues gallery who are much lesser known or even one shot-ers

My favorite D-Listers:

• Sharkeeta - duh
• Tigra Tropica - Golden Age foe who uses trained tigers as her butlers
• Barremargox - cosmic horror from Messner-Loebs' run
• Dreadnought - himbo in cat armor from Messner-Loebs' run
• Dalma - my favorite of the renegade amazons
• Sontag Henya - Golden Age Venturian henchwoman of Queen Clea

Expanding to C-Listers:

• Decay - she was in my first ever WW comic and gurl, she scared me
• Zara - I love all the Villainy Inc. gals but while Blue Snowman has been promoted to B-List, I'm hoping Zara is next
• Osira - I love her aesthetic and her pink energy pyramids
• Eviless - After Zara, naturally

[Nyssane]

I'm so confused by World's Finest. I asked Mark Waid on Bluesky if it was Priscilla Rich, and he replied, "It was really whoever from the Bronze Age you want it to be."

I read somewhere that World's Finest is supposed to take place in the past... but like, when? During the Bronze Age? When is the Bronze Age in this continuity? Gawd, this is why I was so reluctant to get into DC so many years ago, and I'm not even a huge continuity stickler.

Realistically, he probably didn't put any thought into it and just had Dan Mora draw whatever looked cool.

[Frontier]

I'm so confused by World's Finest. I asked Mark Waid on Bluesky if it was Priscilla Rich, and he replied, "It was really whoever from the Bronze Age you want it to be."

I read somewhere that World's Finest is supposed to take place in the past... but like, when? During the Bronze Age? When is the Bronze Age in this continuity? Gawd, this is why I was so reluctant to get into DC so many years ago, and I'm not even a huge continuity stickler.

Realistically, he probably didn't put any thought into it and just had Dan Mora draw whatever looked cool.

So like a mutated Deborah Domaine then ?

But yeah, I doubt Waid put any thought into it beyond just throwing them in there, especially the way he dealt with them.

WF is in this weird nebulous phase between the Silver and Bronze Age, continuity-wise.

[Gaius]

Out of curiosity, what lesser known rogues are people fond of? I mean the ones in Wonder Womans rogues gallery who are much lesser known or even one shot-ers

Probably Osira.

[SiegePerilous02]

I'm so confused by World's Finest. I asked Mark Waid on Bluesky if it was Priscilla Rich, and he replied, "It was really whoever from the Bronze Age you want it to be."

I read somewhere that World's Finest is supposed to take place in the past... but like, when? During the Bronze Age? When is the Bronze Age in this continuity? Gawd, this is why I was so reluctant to get into DC so many years ago, and I'm not even a huge continuity stickler.

Realistically, he probably didn't put any thought into it and just had Dan Mora draw whatever looked cool.

And in the current continuity, it's just so supposed to be Barbara as the only Cheetah.

And of course, Villainy Inc never showed up in the Bronze age

[The I.A.D.C.]

Out of curiosity, what lesser known rogues are people fond of? I mean the ones in Wonder Womans rogues gallery who are much lesser known or even one shot-ers

DOCTOR DOMINO! Only made one appearance back in 1973 but I will go down swinging on this one and the amount of potential that's there if a talented writer took the time to make an effort. Yes, the costume is silly and campy, but dammit, he could be one of the DCU's top arms dealers!

QUEEN ATOMIA! The 1986 "Legend of Wonder Woman" mini-series is a criminally overlooked and underrated story having the misfortune of being published right before the George Perez reboot launched. Queen Atomia is an obscure Golden Age villainess who is unrepentantly evil and I'd like to see more of that. Not all villains need tragic backstories and redemption arcs. Some people just want to watch the world burn!

DOCTOR CYBER! In her ORIGINAL incarnation as the leader of an underground criminal organization. Whenever she's shown up lately (I'm looking at you, Greg Rucka) writers have really played with the "Cyber" part of her name and incorporated computers into persona. I don't know if they're trying to make her WW's equivalent to Brainiac, but right now she comes across more like the lady in Superman III that gets turned into a computer. You know, the most disturbing scene in that movie! Cyber works best as James Bondian type villainess plotting world domination and using covert operators to carry out her orders. Hell, make her WW's equivalent to Ra's Al Ghul... only without the constant resurrection and Lazarus pit stuff.

[The I.A.D.C.]

I'm so confused by World's Finest. I asked Mark Waid on Bluesky if it was Priscilla Rich, and he replied, "It was really whoever from the Bronze Age you want it to be."

I read somewhere that World's Finest is supposed to take place in the past... but like, when? During the Bronze Age? When is the Bronze Age in this continuity? Gawd, this is why I was so reluctant to get into DC so many years ago, and I'm not even a huge continuity stickler.

Realistically, he probably didn't put any thought into it and just had Dan Mora draw whatever looked cool.

And yet another reason, in his own words, why Mark Waid should be kept as far away from the WW "sandbox" as possible! He clearly has no regard or interest in WW and her world. He's Mr. "Superman is the all-time greatest comic book character ever." Fine, let him write Superman stuff and keep him the hell away from Diana her cast. Ultimately, the problem lies with the editor who should have told Waid that he can't have the Flash come in and take out WW's villains in one panel. But he seems to be able to get away with whatever he wants to these days.

[Dr. Poison]

Out of curiosity, what lesser known rogues are people fond of? I mean the ones in Wonder Womans rogues gallery who are much lesser known or even one shot-ers

My top 5:

Osira
Zara
The Mask
Human Firework
Armageddon

[WonderLight789]

I'm so confused by World's Finest. I asked Mark Waid on Bluesky if it was Priscilla Rich, and he replied, "It was really whoever from the Bronze Age you want it to be."

I read somewhere that World's Finest is supposed to take place in the past... but like, when? During the Bronze Age? When is the Bronze Age in this continuity? Gawd, this is why I was so reluctant to get into DC so many years ago, and I'm not even a huge continuity stickler.

Realistically, he probably didn't put any thought into it and just had Dan Mora draw whatever looked cool.

Where did you ask him?

[HestiasHearth]

Out of curiosity, what lesser known rogues are people fond of? I mean the ones in Wonder Womans rogues gallery who are much lesser known or even one shot-ers

My top five:

1-Queen Clea
2-The Adjudicator
3-Devastation
4-Dr. Cyber
5-Angle Man/El Gaucho/Tezcatlipoca three-way tie

[WonderScott]

DOCTOR DOMINO! Only made one appearance back in 1973 but I will go down swinging on this one and the amount of potential that's there if a talented writer took the time to make an effort. Yes, the costume is silly and campy, but dammit, he could be one of the DCU's top arms dealers!

QUEEN ATOMIA! The 1986 "Legend of Wonder Woman" mini-series is a criminally overlooked and underrated story having the misfortune of being published right before the George Perez reboot launched. Queen Atomia is an obscure Golden Age villainess who is unrepentantly evil and I'd like to see more of that. Not all villains need tragic backstories and redemption arcs. Some people just want to watch the world burn!

DOCTOR CYBER! In her ORIGINAL incarnation as the leader of an underground criminal organization. Whenever she's shown up lately (I'm looking at you, Greg Rucka) writers have really played with the "Cyber" part of her name and incorporated computers into persona. I don't know if they're trying to make her WW's equivalent to Brainiac, but right now she comes across more like the lady in Superman III that gets turned into a computer. You know, the most disturbing scene in that movie! Cyber works best as James Bondian type villainess plotting world domination and using covert operators to carry out her orders. Hell, make her WW's equivalent to Ra's Al Ghul... only without the constant resurrection and Lazarus pit stuff.

I co-sign this post.