Every Wednesday I will be sharing a story of an inspirational woman, who has either changed the world for women or is just simply a credit to womankind, in a piece called ‘Wonder Woman Wednesday’. To set the scene…
In 1940 William Moulton Marston, an American psychologist, inventor, and comic book writer approached All-American Publications, later to become DC Comics, with his idea for a new kind of superhero.
Marston wanted to create a new era of superhero, which would open the medium of comic book writing to a new wave of educational potential. He dreamt of a character who would triumph not with fists or fire-power, but with love. ”Fine” said his wife Elizabeth, ”But make her a woman”.
And so came into being the super-heroine that is Wonder Woman. At a time when comic book pages were dominated with powerful male figures such as Superman and Batman, Wonder Woman stepped on the scene in her red go-go boots set to shake the comic book world up forever. An Amazonian warrior princess who could steal any man’s heart, but also kick their ass!
Marston, working with his wife Elizabeth, wanted Wonder Woman to represent the eras unconventional, liberated woman. He stated, “Wonder Woman is psychological propaganda for the new type of woman who should, I believe, rule the world”.
The creator of systolic-blood-pressure-measuring apparatus (in later incarnations we know it as the lie detector test), Marston’s experience showed him that women were altogether more honest and reliable than men. He wanted his heroine to show this, to have the loving and caring characteristics of a woman mixed with all the power and might of Superman. Believing that women’s strong characters had become diluted with weakness, he wanted to show the comic book reader a heroine who possessed both strength and emotion.
Sure Wonder Woman had her mishaps, like that time in the 60s when she surrendered her powers in order to remain in ‘Man’s World’ and opens a mod boutique under her alias of Diana Prince. But hey, it was the swinging 60s and a girl can’t be blamed for wanting a little fun, she already had the go-go boots after all!
Thankfully, she returned to her superhero roots in the 70s and after a few outfit changes she began to once again, rise to the role which her creator had intended. Paving the way for female superheroes, up to modern day she continues to represent the powerful female force in a male dominated world.
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