DC to Debut 'Joker Level' Villain in New Wonder Woman Series

[Largo161]

One of Diana’s best and most enduring foes is…Dr. Psycho. And yet there are worries that Sovereign is too “goofy” looking? Seems short-sighted to me.

Not that I’m making any predictions about Sovereign’s future. Time will tell…but no single arc or run, no matter how celebrated, is going to knock Cheetah off her perch that she spent 80 years climbing. And I don’t say this because I’m a Cheetah stan. It just is what it is.

[Primal Slayer]

One of Diana’s best and most enduring foes is…Dr. Psycho. And yet there are worries that Sovereign is too “goofy” looking? Seems short-sighted to me.

Not that I’m making any predictions about Sovereign’s future. Time will tell…but no single arc or run, no matter how celebrated, is going to knock Cheetah off her perch that she spent 80 years climbing. And I don’t say this because I’m a Cheetah stan. It just is what it is.

Psycho is supposed to be an annoying little knat in Dianas ear. Sovvy is supposed to be Diana's Lex/Joker. Expectations will be different

[king81992]

Sovereign has more in common with Ras thematically than he does with Joker or Lex.

[SiegePerilous02]

Also, does anyone really expect a corporation to make merchandise for kids of a villain whose premise seems to be "we are a nation of lies, the President is evil"?

[marhawkman]

Psycho is supposed to be an annoying little knat in Dianas ear. Sovvy is supposed to be Diana's Lex/Joker. Expectations will be different

That sounds like the same thing TBH. 3 mastermind-ish villains who manipulate others into doing most of the real work for them.

[Largo161]

Psycho is supposed to be an annoying little knat in Dianas ear. Sovvy is supposed to be Diana's Lex/Joker. Expectations will be different

Oh, we’re already calling him by a cozy nickname, are we? He’s off to a good start. Lol

[marhawkman]

Oh, we’re already calling him by a cozy nickname, are we? He’s off to a good start. Lol

I like how it's as diminutive like if he was a child

[Nero]

The way I see it, what's being done with the Sovereign could've and should've been done with Queen Clea. If this is the definite image of the Sovereign, I have to say I'm not impressed. From an aesthetic standpoint, the Sovereign pales in comparison to Cheetah, Circe, Ares, Dr. Cyber, Dr. Poison, Grail, etc. Even Batman's Monarch of Menace had a more marketable look than the Sovereign. At the rate he's going, Sgt Steel may end up stealing the Sovereign's spotlight.

[Will Evans]

The way I see it, what's being done with the Sovereign could've and should've been done with Queen Clea. If this is the definite image of the Sovereign, I have to say I'm not impressed. From an aesthetic standpoint, the Sovereign pales in comparison to Cheetah, Circe, Ares, Dr. Cyber, Dr. Poison, Grail, etc. Even Batman's Monarch of Menace had a more marketable look than the Sovereign. At the rate he's going, Sgt Steel may end up stealing the Sovereign's spotlight.

The hell does Atlantis’s Queen Clea have to do with the US government?

[marhawkman]

The hell does Atlantis’s Queen Clea have to do with the US government?

The idea is that "Sovereign" is a hidden power player in the govt, and is effectively a king... in a country that doesn't officially have one.

If you wanna use a story with an evil monarch... Clea is a monarch, but not in the US. However this story.... could be told about an Atlantean secretly taking control in a similar way. Which is Sovereign's deal, officially he has no power, but he does in fact have a lot of power. he'd be a nobody withoutspoilers:

the Lasso of Lies.

end of spoilers

[Will Evans]

The idea is that "Sovereign" is a hidden power player in the govt, and is effectively a king... in a country that doesn't officially have one.

If you wanna use a story with an evil monarch... Clea is a monarch, but not in the US. However this story.... could be told about an Atlantean secretly taking control in a similar way. Which is Sovereign's deal, officially he has no power, but he does in fact have a lot of power. he'd be a nobody withoutspoilers:

the Lasso of Lies.

end of spoilers

Nah. The story doesn’t work without using the United States.

[Nyssane]

Nah. The story doesn’t work without using the United States.

I'm a HUGE advocate for Queen Clea's return, but this character had to be a new one, and had to be a white dude to really emphasize the corruption this country has experienced.

[marhawkman]

Nah. The story doesn’t work without using the United States.

What I was getting at is that it could be a foreign power infiltrating the US, and not someone actually part of it.

[bardkeep]

What I was getting at is that it could be a foreign power infiltrating the US, and not someone actually part of it.

That kinda misses the point. The whole idea is that the Sovereign has been behind the scenes pulling the strings since the US was founded, creating the illusion of democracy so people wouldn't revolt. It's a heavy-handed statement about the US government's foundational corruption and the power of misinformation. The entire premise falls apart if it's a foreign power invading.

There really wasn't an existing villain who would've fit the role Sovereign plays in this story. Doesn't necessarily mean he's gonna be the next Joker, but he's the villain this story needed.

[Nero]

The hell does Atlantis’s Queen Clea have to do with the US government?

What the hell prohibits a fictional character like Atlantis's Queen Clea from infiltrating the US government and weaponizing it against Wonder Woman? Nothing. It's fiction, any villain can be selected to play puppet master with the US government. I only thought of Queen Clea because of the evil monarch theme that seems to be affiliated with the Sovereign.

Yes, I get the differences between Queen Clea and what's being done with the Sovereign. Obviously, the Sovereign will be more symbolic with the systematic corruption that has historically plagued the US to its present day. A white man who comes from and is corrupted by generational wealth uses and abuses his privileges due to said influence is able to play God with people's lives. I got it. I just think it's an angle that's been overused. Over the years, there's been many evil, affluent white men who weaponized the system with their wealth. I just think that the twist with the puppet master would've been better with someone unexpected like with an Atlantean woman in Queen Clea. But time will tell how well the Sovereign holds up with what Tom King is doing.