Wonder Woman And Her Feminist Past

I don’t usually reblog about comic books, but this short essay on Wonder Woman and her pacifist past fit in so well with discussions I have been having with friends on popular heroines in literature and the comic book world, I thought I would share. It comes from my brilliant friend Nick Pumphrey over at the always wonderful Feminism and Religion blog. Enjoy!

What would a superhero comic be without Pow, wham!,Zap, and even a Boom!(insert your own campy sound bites from Batman).  Oddly enough, when psychologist William Marston created the character of Wonder Woman, he did not intend for her to be a violent character.  When villains shot their mere bullets, she simply would deflect them with her indestructible bracelets.  Instead of stooping to the level of her attackers, she would wield the lasso of truth, capture her foes, and force them to admit their malevolent deeds.  Meanwhile, creator William Marston was actually developing the first polygraph using changes in blood pressure as exemplified in Wonder Woman’s lasso.  Wonder Woman was not the first female superhero; however, she was the first non-violent one.  While other writers like Siegel and Shuster (Superman’s creators) were using their religion as inspiration, Marston drew on the women of his life…

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