New Comic Leak: Amazons Attack

[HestiasHearth]

I always assumed (understood? Misremembered?) that all amazons (including Diana) were excellent, Olympic-level athletes due to their Themysciran training, but only Diana had superhuman strength, durability, stamina, agility, speed and reflexes due to the gifts her divine aunties bestowed upon her. I kinda like that better, to be honest.

[Fuzzy Mittens]

I always assumed (understood? Misremembered?) that all amazons (including Diana) were excellent, Olympic-level athletes due to their Themysciran training, but only Diana had superhuman strength, durability, stamina, agility, speed and reflexes due to the gifts her divine aunties bestowed upon her. I kinda like that better, to be honest.

There would have been little point to the contest if there was such a clear difference. Wonder Woman has had empowerment as a theme since the very beginning. So saying she is wholly unique and no matter what anyone does they would never measure up flies in the face of the whole "Any Woman can be a Wonder Woman" message.

[John Venus]

Yeah, that's something that has come up before on this forum. I think in Golden Age it was psionics (?) and any Amazon could become as powerful as WW if they wanted and I think the subtext was that Diana was powerful because she was the product of an all female society and that she became weaker when bound by a man. Then you had Priscilla whose self loathing and inferiority complex manifested in the form of the Cheetah.

I've seen suggestions ranging from:

-Diana gaining powers after winning the contest.

-Diana wearing the Amazon equivalent of power inhibitors for the contest.

[marhawkman]

Also, the core idea of the contest was to see who is most powerful. Yes, that only makes sense if you don't have an obvious favorite, but it doesn't require all the Amazons to be approximately equal. Maybe only a few of them are super?

[Primal Slayer]

Also, the core idea of the contest was to see who is most powerful. Yes, that only makes sense if you don't have an obvious favorite, but it doesn't require all the Amazons to be approximately equal. Maybe only a few of them are super?

It isn't so much powerful as it is skill isn't it? Diana can be the most powerful one but the least skilled out of her fellow sisters

[WonderLight789]

There would have been little point to the contest if there was such a clear difference. Wonder Woman has had empowerment as a theme since the very beginning. So saying she is wholly unique and no matter what anyone does they would never measure up flies in the face of the whole "Any Woman can be a Wonder Woman" message.

So far. There is a very big difference between the power shown by WW. And all the other amazons. If you want all amazons to be close. DC better start giving them big upgrades. Because so far based on feats and everything, none of them are close to WW's stats, and that includes the likes of Nubia and Artemis. That have done nothing big to suggest they are anything but your average super human stats warrior.

[Phoenixx9]

It isn't so much powerful as it is skill isn't it? Diana can be the most powerful one but the least skilled out of her fellow sisters

Except Diana trained from a youngster and wanted to prove herself even at a young age as an Amazon. So besides being strong, Diana is one of the most skillful too.

[Frontier]

Maybe this is what Trial of the Amazons should've done more with.

[Primal Slayer]

Except Diana trained from a youngster and wanted to prove herself even at a young age as an Amazon. So besides being strong, Diana is one of the most skillful too.

Depending on the continuity, she was born 100s of years after the Amazons were around so they honed their skills. She's always behind them in years of training BUT like you said, her determination is what helped her be the victor.

[Phoenixx9]

Depending on the continuity, she was born 100s of years after the Amazons were around so they honed their skills. She's always behind them in years of training BUT like you said, her determination is what helped her be the victor.

I remember an old WW comic where Diana was a toddler and she ripped a tree up in front of Mom Hippolyta. It seems she always had the strength.

[Perseus]

There comes a point where skill doesn't mean squat if your opponent can benchpress worlds.

[Primal Slayer]

There comes a point where skill doesn't mean squat if your opponent can benchpress worlds.

If skill didn't mean anything than WW would never be able to beat those who are more powerful than her.

Being strong doesn't mean you can hit a bullseye or beat a skilled fighter who knows how to counter you.

[DABellWrites]

Yeah, that's something that has come up before on this forum. I think in Golden Age it was psionics (?) and any Amazon could become as powerful as WW if they wanted and I think the subtext was that Diana was powerful because she was the product of an all female society and that she became weaker when bound by a man. Then you had Priscilla whose self loathing and inferiority complex manifested in the form of the Cheetah.

I've seen suggestions ranging from:

-Diana gaining powers after winning the contest.

-Diana wearing the Amazon equivalent of power inhibitors for the contest.

Marston never had a grounded idea about how Wonder Woman can do what she can do. It went from being divine strength channeling brain power, rigorous Amazon training, to just believe in yourself. In my opinion, just have them born that way. Amazons are born super-human (or woman according to Martson), but only through their rigorous training can an Amazon can they tap into their full potential. Boom.

If you want to keep the divine gifts trope, how about each Goddess give Diana a gift. Like, Athena Goddess of Wisdom and war allows Diana to have the ability to call forth her own army of spirits.

[WonderLight789]

If skill didn't mean anything than WW would never be able to beat those who are more powerful than her.

Being strong doesn't mean you can hit a bullseye or beat a skilled fighter who knows how to counter you.

When the raw power difference is massive. No amount of skill will save you. Unless you think batman survives hits from angry WW, aquaman etc like he has more than once, because of his skills, and nt plot armor.

Also WW hasn't beat an opponent stronger than her in ages. She can't even overpower Aquaman physically, and has never beat him through skills either in all the battles they have had in the last 12 years. Name one opponent where she was weaker asnd won through skills. Suerman has destroyed countless times. So has Mongul, Darkseid, Mary Marvel, Shazam in pre 52, Martian Manhunter, Green Lanterns(even no name onces), Flash, White Martians, etc. Let's see the amazing trackrecord of WW winning against stronger foes because of skills. Her so called amazing skills don't make any difference in 99% of her battles.

[Largo161]

Marston never had a grounded idea about how Wonder Woman can do what she can do. It went from being divine strength channeling brain power, rigorous Amazon training, to just believe in yourself. In my opinion, just have them born that way. Amazons are born super-human (or woman according to Martson), but only through their rigorous training can an Amazon can they tap into their full potential. Boom.

If you want to keep the divine gifts trope, how about each Goddess give Diana a gift. Like, Athena Goddess of Wisdom and war allows Diana to have the ability to call forth her own army of spirits.

What you’ve written here is the way I’ve always interpreted Marston’s original version. Although I haven’t read enough Golden Age to know how inconsistent he may have been with his handling of it.