How durable and invulnerable should Diana be?

[Gaelforce]

I understand how Aquaman might be bulletproof, because he's half-Atlantean, an entirely different race. Same with the Amazons. But nobody is claiming Batman is now invulnerable, are they? I'm thinking his armored suit deflected the bullets? But if Bruce got shot without suit, he'd react like any other human.

Here's the logic I follow:

If Batman's armor is so tough that he can take an automatic weapon at nearly point blank range and not slow down, what's the difference?

Does it matter if it's his armor? Why in the world should he be that invulnerable? More to the point, why would Diana be running around *without* armor that is that good or better when she has the Blacksmith God at her service?

I hate the entire 'arms race' of superheroes. When even the most powerful/invulnerable of heroes is injured, pretty much every single one of them now heals as fast as Wolverine.

I miss my fallible/vulnerable heroes, but I don't want the premiere woman in the DCU left behind.

[brettc1]

Here's the logic I follow:

If Batman's armor is so tough that he can take an automatic weapon at nearly point blank range and not slow down, what's the difference?

Does it matter if it's his armor? Why in the world should he be that invulnerable? More to the point, why would Diana be running around *without* armor that is that good or better when she has the Blacksmith God at her service?

I hate the entire 'arms race' of superheroes. When even the most powerful/invulnerable of heroes is injured, pretty much every single one of them now heals as fast as Wolverine.

I miss my fallible/vulnerable heroes, but I don't want the premiere woman in the DCU left behind.

Yeah, people judge Iron Man's invulnerability by what stark can do in the suit, not stepping out of the shower.

Part of the problem for batman though I'd advances in technology. 50 years ago bulletproof armour would have stopped him fighting like Bruce Lee and leaping like Spider-Man. Now it is still slightly beyond what can do but has moved into the realm of willing suspension of disbelief.

[brettc1]

The only reason bullets seem silly now is they alterred her origin so all her powers come from Zeus. Powers, not skills.

In the past when her abilities came from various gods or Amazon training her vulnerability to bullets made perfect sense.

[Top Carnivore]

Here's the logic I follow:

If Batman's armor is so tough that he can take an automatic weapon at nearly point blank range and not slow down, what's the difference?

Does it matter if it's his armor? Why in the world should he be that invulnerable? More to the point, why would Diana be running around *without* armor that is that good or better when she has the Blacksmith God at her service?

I hate the entire 'arms race' of superheroes. When even the most powerful/invulnerable of heroes is injured, pretty much every single one of them now heals as fast as Wolverine.

I miss my fallible/vulnerable heroes, but I don't want the premiere woman in the DCU left behind.

IMO it's a big difference if a superhero's powers comes from tech or DNA. And Diana's skillset has always been a combination of magic, training and mystical weapons. But I do get your point about DCU's premier woman getting left behind. On one hand, I want her to be able to consistently beat SM in a fight, but for that to be believable she needs to have an absurdly high level of invulnerability or one Kryptonian punch would kill her. Leaving SM out of the pic, I'd argue that she's so dang good with her bracers that both divine ability and Amazonian tech will ensure she almost never gets struck by a bullet. Btw, assuming the rumors are true of WW's live-action suit being armored, I wonder with new writers coming to her book, maybe her nu52 costume will reflect this and make her virtually bullet-proof.

Lastly, I'm behind on my reading. Read SM/WW #7 last night and getting ready to jump into the 3 latest issues of WW. After almost three years of the reboot, I have to admit I'm unsure what her true level of invulnerability is. She survived the nuclear explosion but was wrapped in SM's cape. Would she have been reduced to ash had she been alone? I dunno. I don't expect to have everything spoon-fed to me in issue #1, but the lack of concrete info is long past ridiculous.

[aegisbearer]

Yep. 100% agree with this.

Unfortunately, you have to scale Diana for the times.

Batman has been shown taking automatic gunfire to the chest at close range without batting an eye.

Aquaman took a bullet to the head with only the slightest trickle of blood and it also didn't slow him down.

She's one of the most powerful heroes in the DCU and yet if you can take her down with a gun? It just doesn't work anymore.

Diana should be 100% bulletproof. Period. Nowadays there's Omega Beams and Heat Vision and lasers and such she can deflect/reflect, but to have every other hero in the DCU run around being bulletproof while Diana isn't just seems silly to me.

She is so powerful that the only plan Batman has is for Superman to stop her.

She has previously taken a swim in lava, flown through a hot nuclear reactor, taken a nuclear weapon at point blank range, etc.

Bullets should be so five minutes ago

[brettc1]

Unfortunately, you have to scale Diana for the times.

Batman has been shown taking automatic gunfire to the chest at close range without batting an eye.

Aquaman took a bullet to the head with only the slightest trickle of blood and it also didn't slow him down.

She's one of the most powerful heroes in the DCU and yet if you can take her down with a gun? It just doesn't work anymore.

Diana should be 100% bulletproof. Period. Nowadays there's Omega Beams and Heat Vision and lasers and such she can deflect/reflect, but to have every other hero in the DCU run around being bulletproof while Diana isn't just seems silly to me.

If she's bulletproof, she just Supergirl.

The most powerful man on the planet can be taken down with a glowing green pebble. I don't see the problem with bullets. The only difficulty is caused by not explaining why.

[Punisher007]

It's always been weird to me that she can demolish tanks and go toe to toe with some of the most powerful villains in the DCU, and yet simple bullets and pointy weapons can hurt her. That's just dumb. If they're magical enhanced, or are specifically designed to harm metahumans, or made of some special material, etc, then fine I can buy that. But just garden-variety bullets, no just no. Soule having Diana being able to fight Zod and Faora as pretty much an equal, I loved that. She should at least be able to give Superman a run for his money, at least.

[coveredinbees]

She should be as strong as she was in JLA: League of One, because she was awesome! I thought tricking Superman was more fun than just beating the snot out of him.

[Punisher007]

If she's bulletproof, she just Supergirl.

The most powerful man on the planet can be taken down with a glowing green pebble. I don't see the problem with bullets. The only difficulty is caused by not explaining why.

No, that's not true at all, not one bit. She and Supergirl are COMPLETELY different characters with completely different origins, completely different personalities and philosophies, etc. Arguing that they're the same because they both can withstand bullets is absurd. Solomon Grundy can also withstand bullets, are he and WW now the same character? Oh and there's a big difference between a vulnerability to a fictional glowing cosmic McGuffin rock (and how vulnerable he is to it differs depending on who's writing at the time) and a vulnerability to a garden variety real world item like bullets.

[AmiMizuno]

How about this magic infused pointed weapons and claws that are magic such has Barbra's. Bullets
That have magic yes but not life threating

[Punisher007]

But wasn't Batman wearing some sort of bullet-proof armor?

I must admit, though, your logic holds up. Diana IS one of the most powerful heroes, and THE most powerful female. On one hand, I want her to be able to beat Superman in a battle. Regardless of what canon says, I believe she's Kryptonian-strong. And of course her lifelong warrior training would give her the edge. I just don't see her flesh as being invulnerable. I also wouldn't give her the ability to fly if it were up to me...but what I REALLY want is consistency. In some mediums she can fly, in others she can't. Can you imagine if they did that with Superman? (I realize Smallville had the no flight rule, but it was always understood his powers were maturing over time). At the end of the day, if WW's bullet-proof, then make her bullet-proof in every incarnation. Oh, one more thing. Joss Whedon might've been onto something: in his WW script, Diana gets shot point blank and it hurts her, but doesn't kill her and she heals quickly. She begins deflecting bullets with her bracelets mainly because the bullets are a nuisance. That works. I just think the bullets & bracelets is so iconic, they have to include it and give a reason why she's doing it.

I've always been fond of the idea that Superman is somewhat stronger on a purely physical level. However, Diana is more skilled, which pretty much evens things out between them.

[Blacksun]

WW being Zeus daughter and God of War should be far stronger than Superman. Skill has a limit when there is too much strenght to be against

[brettc1]

No, that's not true at all, not one bit. She and Supergirl are COMPLETELY different characters with completely different origins, completely different personalities and philosophies, etc. Arguing that they're the same because they both can withstand bullets is absurd. Solomon Grundy can also withstand bullets, are he and WW now the same character? Oh and there's a big difference between a vulnerability to a fictional glowing cosmic McGuffin rock (and how vulnerable he is to it differs depending on who's writing at the time) and a vulnerability to a garden variety real world item like bullets.

Yes there is. Wonder Woman can defend herself against bullets, and if you wave Kryptonite in front of Superman he just keels over.

Lots of Supers take blows from villains that would kill a normal human being. And are still vulnerable to gunfire. Spider-Man has been punched through brick walls - he should have permanent spinal damage at least, but he gets up and keeps fighting, but he still has to duck bullets.

This all arises from the arms race Gael mentioned, compounded with her revamped powers origin. In the past her vulnerability was easily explained - Ares is the god of war, and she has no resistance to his particular favourites, those being blades and piercing weapons. That's why she can take a hit from a laser cannon or a Kryptonian fist, but still be wounded by a .22 slug or a knife.

Making her bulletproof is just another step down the road of making her a generic tank by bleaching away the things which make her distinctive.

[Punisher007]

WW being Zeus daughter and God of War should be far stronger than Superman. Skill has a limit when there is too much strenght to be against

Hence why I said "somewhat" stronger.

[brettc1]

DC will use its covers to advertise the latest Marvel movie before they show Wonder Woman beating Superman in a straight up fight where he isn't holding back, so the point is somewhat moot.