Wonder Woman Rogues Gallery Appreciation 2023

[WonderScott]

I feel like Silver Swan should be a more emotional foe for Wonder Woman.

The common thread through the various Swans is they're all woman who have their insecurities exploited so they can be turned into living weapons of war. The "Silver Swan"--regardless of who wears the mantle--is an affront to pretty much everything Diana stands for. Like, she should be offended by the very idea of a Silver Swan.
And then when Vanessa of all people becomes one...that's the ultimate low-blow that should shake Diana to her core. Even more than good friend Barbara becoming Cheetah.

This isn't a particularly bold insight...and some writers have acknowledged it...but I feel like the gravity of the Silver Swan and what she would mean to Wonder Woman--whether it's Vanessa or not--has been lost in recent years.

At first I felt Vanessa being transformed into the Silver Swan was too on-the-nose and Spider-man-y villainous, but I grew to appreciate the story quickly. But I think Vanessa’s redemption and healing, physically and her relationship with Diana, were really powerful. I wished that remained for Vanessa and I’d like to see a new character take up the Silver Swan identity.

If we had more titles and page time, it’d give us a chance to see what is next for Vanessa and enjoy a new type of story with the Silver Swan character.

[WonderScott]

It definitely has in Vanessa's case. Both Rebirth and Bloodlines were lesser versions of the original storyline because they tried to speed run the process with none of the actual in-universe years of Diana and Vanessa being surrogate sisters and lacking the out-of-universe context of Jimenez using the Kapatelis women being replaced by the Sandmarks to give Vanessa feelings of abandonment.

In hindsight, I like Bloodlines would have been better off adapting one of WW more standalone stories like Hiketeia or League Of One.

All of this matches my thinking about Vanessa as Silver Swan.

[WonderScott]

Bryan Mon.

Attachment 128148

Very nice! Get it Deborah!

[Gaius]

[Guy_McNichts]

I've been seeing on Twitter people discussing how Spider-Man has four characters who can be legitimately considered his arch-nemesis.
Green Goblin, Doc Ock, and Venom make up three...as would be expected...and the fourth is usually a gag choice but some people have actual suggestions.

It got me thinking...we're always talking about who is or should be the ARCH-nemesis of Wonder Woman. But is it so bad she has three fairly distinct characters who can fill the slot of arch-nemesis?

Also, in keeping with the original Twitter post, who would be your fourth candidate?

Me, I'd go with Devastation or maybe Dr. Psycho...though I'd like to see Queen Clea rise the ranks.

[Primal Slayer]

I'd choose Devastation or Circe join the likes of Cheetah/Ares/Gigantia.

[Gaius]

I've been seeing on Twitter people discussing how Spider-Man has four characters who can be legitimately considered his arch-nemesis.
Green Goblin, Doc Ock, and Venom make up three...as would be expected...and the fourth is usually a gag choice but some people have actual suggestions.

It got me thinking...we're always talking about who is or should be the ARCH-nemesis of Wonder Woman. But is it so bad she has three fairly distinct characters who can fill the slot of arch-nemesis?

Also, in keeping with the original Twitter post, who would be your fourth candidate?

Me, I'd go with Devastation or maybe Dr. Psycho...though I'd like to see Queen Clea rise the ranks.

Hmm, Paula Von Gunther might have a decent-ish claim. Dates back to the Golden Age, was a big deal in those stories, and has had some decent-ish appearances since post-Crisis even if she's largely confined to WW2-adjacent stuff. And fwiw she was one of the only WW villains who was adapted in the 70s show, even her "redemption arc" was loosely adapted in the Fausta episode.

Giganta if only going by she's used a lot but I still think many don't even think of her as a WW villain.

Personally I'd go with Veronica Cale. Has a lot of stuff that made Paula Von Gunther and Golden Age Cheetah interesting but none of the baggage of the former and Priscilla's largely also been replaced by Barbara.

[Frontier]

I'd go with Giganta just for pure iconography.

[Dr. Poison]

I'd go with Giganta just for pure iconography.

I'll second this.

[Access]

There are four main villains spots in a superhero rogue gallery,but only three reach the required level of public awareness most of the time and we already have them

I would put giganta in the same tier as metallo and penguin,they have the public awareness and are a threat but not quite to the level of the big three

[Primal Slayer]

Birth of the Silver Swan

[SiegePerilous02]

Hmm, Paula Von Gunther might have a decent-ish claim. Dates back to the Golden Age, was a big deal in those stories, and has had some decent-ish appearances since post-Crisis even if she's largely confined to WW2-adjacent stuff. And fwiw she was one of the only WW villains who was adapted in the 70s show, even her "redemption arc" was loosely adapted in the Fausta episode.

Giganta if only going by she's used a lot but I still think many don't even think of her as a WW villain.

Personally I'd go with Veronica Cale. Has a lot of stuff that made Paula Von Gunther and Golden Age Cheetah interesting but none of the baggage of the former and Priscilla's largely also been replaced by Barbara.

Yeah I'd probably go with Cale or Psycho. Cale has the appeal of being another woman, plus has taken on Paula's role. Psycho has been around way longer and the theme he represents resonates with the themes of the IP.

[Gaius]

Yeah I'd probably go with Cale or Psycho. Cale has the appeal of being another woman, plus has taken on Paula's role. Psycho has been around way longer and the theme he represents resonates with the themes of the IP.

Oh yeah, completely blanked on Psycho. Actually pretty strong claim, pretty much unchanged since the Golden Age in terms of appearances and modus operandi. And most notable WW runs have touched on him; Marston, the Bronze Age, Perez, Rucka, Simone, Cloonrad.

[bardkeep]

Yeah I'd probably go with Cale or Psycho. Cale has the appeal of being another woman, plus has taken on Paula's role. Psycho has been around way longer and the theme he represents resonates with the themes of the IP.

I was gonna say Psycho as well. He definitely needs some reworking if they want to use him in the live action movies (i.e. maybe don't make him a dwarf...) but I'd honestly guess that he's the most frequently used villain in the character's history. He's also gotten a popularity boost from the Harley Quinn show, though tbh I'm not sure most viewers would even know he's a Wonder Woman-specific baddie.

Veronica Cale has only ever worked under Rucka's pen. In an ideal world she'd have a case for being one of WW's chief baddies but she's as much a Rucka character as the gorilla knights are Gail Simone characters.

[Agent Z]

I've been seeing on Twitter people discussing how Spider-Man has four characters who can be legitimately considered his arch-nemesis.
Green Goblin, Doc Ock, and Venom make up three...as would be expected...and the fourth is usually a gag choice but some people have actual suggestions.

It got me thinking...we're always talking about who is or should be the ARCH-nemesis of Wonder Woman. But is it so bad she has three fairly distinct characters who can fill the slot of arch-nemesis?

Also, in keeping with the original Twitter post, who would be your fourth candidate?

Me, I'd go with Devastation or maybe Dr. Psycho...though I'd like to see Queen Clea rise the ranks.

Veronica Cale, Zeus or Devastation.