The Invisible Plane and Zack Snyder's Justice League

William Moulton Marston a.k.a. Charles Moulton, primary creator of Wonder Woman, was still alive when Superman began to fly.  Wonder Woman flew an Invisible Plane to travel across vast distances.  When Marston died, Wonder Woman’s feminism flew away with him and turned invisible across generations.  Nevertheless, Wonder Woman a.k.a. Diana was never shown to be weaker than Superman or other male superheroes when he was alive.

Wonder Woman’s battle with Superman in the 1978 “Superman vs. Wonder Woman” special resulted in a draw.¹

Years after, non-canonical comic books emerged blatantly making Superman superior to Wonder Woman, e.g., Superman: Red Son (2003).²  Even Bizarro is superior to Wonder Woman in Trinity (2003), which is also not considered canon.³

The non-canonical Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Four (2015) issue numbers 8 and 9 saw Wonder Woman defeating Superman in front of other superheroes.^{4, 5}

In Alan Moore’s canonical “The Man Who Has Everything” in Superman Annual #11 (1985), Moore’s sexism shone through by making Wonder Woman inferior to Mongul.  I concede to the possibility that Mongul may be stronger than Wonder Woman (if he is stronger than Superman), but to treat Wonder Woman like that (throwing her about and carrying her around by the hair, like a battered wife defenseless against her tyrannical husband)⁶; that’s sexism ingrained through the ages in a supposedly brilliant writer.  This blatant insult was repeated in an episode of Justice League Unlimited, written by J.M. DeMatteis (shown on TV in 2004).⁷  The TV version is a little bit better, though.

I expect many people are familiar with athletes.  A weightlifter can bench press hundreds of pounds the way a martial artist can not.  However, a weightlifter who is not a martial artist is not likely to win in a fight against a martial artist.  Luck happens though.  A lucky punch can turn the tide against someone favored to win – Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao, in their final match, come to mind.⁸

In JLA #2 (1997), Grant Morrison clocked Wonder Woman’s flight speed at Mach 3.⁹  Someone faster than Mercury can do better than that.  A Mach speed of 2 means twice the speed of sound; Mach 3 means three times the speed of sound.  The Space Shuttle, a human-made vehicle, “must accelerate from zero to a speed of almost 28,968 kilometers per hour.”¹⁰  The speed of sound is “about 330 m/s or 760 mph”¹¹ or 1,223.1 kilometers per hour.  That means Space Shuttle speed is more than 23 times the speed of sound or above Mach 23 (28,968 divided by 1,223.1 = 23.68).

In Wonder Woman #105 (1959), Robert Kanigher wrote that the baby Diana moved “swifter than thought.”¹²  George Perez, in Wonder Woman #27 (1989), made it clear that no human-designed vehicle (aircraft or otherwise) can outrace Wonder Woman.¹³  

The Space Shuttle program has been in existence¹⁴ since before JLA #2 (1997).

Greg Rucka’s treatment of Wonder Woman in the “Sacrifice” storyline was just a bit better because Wonder Woman was able to stop Superman.  However, making Superman fracture Wonder Woman’s wrist is something I never welcome.  And, Wonder Woman killed the villain Maxwell Lord,¹⁵ something I doubt Marston would ever allow.  Phil Jimenez’s “Girl Frenzy” gave Wonder Woman a dislocated shoulder discourtesy of Superman.¹⁶  Again, not welcome.  I console myself with the fact that in real-life martial arts (like karate) matches between evenly matched opponents, fracture is not far-fetched.  I did like – yes, I liked – Phil Jimenez’s run on Wonder Woman.  Phil Jimenez became Wonder Woman writer ahead of Greg Rucka.

Greg Rucka’s return to Wonder Woman in the DC Universe Rebirth¹⁷ in 2016 was somehow good.  I like that he made Wonder Woman almost impervious to bullets (bullets pass through her and she heals quickly) in Wonder Woman #21 (2017).¹⁸  It’s curious how Wonder Woman gets affected by bullets when the explosion of a nuclear missile does not even singe her eyebrow (in Wonder Woman #31, 2009) during Gail Simone’s run.¹⁹

Gail Simone is one of a handful of writers who got Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman right.  I love the line she made Diana articulate in Wonder Woman #25 (2008), “Why is it that people feel that a belief in women equals a hatred of men?”²⁰

Wonder Woman during William Messner-Loebs’ run was actually feminist in its own way, although I was not enamored of Messner-Loebs during his term.  Trina Robbins wrote to Wonder Woman #85 (1994)²¹ in the unnamed letters-from-readers column to praise Messner-Loebs for issue #81.  Ironically, Mike Deodato began pencilling Wonder Woman in issue #85 where Trina’s letter was printed.  Deodato is known for turning Wonder Woman and the Amazons into sex objects through his art.  Trina is a feminist, and objectification of women – and men – is something a feminist opposes.

Messner-Loebs started his run by making Deathstroke go head-to-head with Wonder Woman in Wonder Woman Special #1 (1992).²²  The issue gave the impression that Wonder Woman and Deathstroke are evenly matched.  Wonder Woman’s skill or power level is way above Deathstroke’s.

Messner-Loebs focused on Wonder Woman’s strength of character while reducing her strength level way below any incarnation of Wonder Woman before, which reminded me of the powerless Wonder Woman in the “I Ching” era.²³  I thought then, “Why don’t you just revive I Ching and strip Diana of her abilities while you’re at it?”

In Wonder Woman #96 (1995) penned by Messner-Loebs, Diana had to ask the Cheetah for help to pull a rock monster down.²⁴  In Wonder Woman #43 (1950) written by Kanigher, Wonder Woman pulled a cruise ship out of harm’s way (using just one hand) with the lasso and parked it safely on the water.²⁵

In fairness to Messner-Loebs, he did show what a fighter’s skill can do to opponents who are much stronger.²⁶  In Wonder Woman #71 (1993), Diana stopped Julia, a Daxamite and an ally, from killing somebody.²⁷  The fight ended because Julia changed her mind, but the fight scenes showed Diana having the upper hand.  Daxamites are as powerful as Kryptonians, and Diana’s victory was made the brighter because of Messner-Loebs’ dialogues that emphasized Diana’s lesser strength in comparison with Julia’s.

Also, Messner-Loebs created a character that I found endearing: Camille Sly.  Camille was an elderly woman who “ran a rooming house for young girls” (Wonder Woman #85, 1994).²¹  Diana was her tenant.  When two cyborg men (also in issue #85) looking for “the broads we’re supposed to snatch” attacked her house, Camille bested and killed them.  There was no Camille followup after that.  Camille was an old woman who was too highly skilled even for two super men.  No writer after Messner-Loebs made her a part of Wonder Woman’s life.

I may not be enamored of Messner-Loebs, but I can not discount the feminist aspects of his portrayal of Wonder Woman.  Messner-Loebs used women’s strength in synergism to highlight strength of character.  Alan Moore, in Superman Annual #11 (1985),⁶ showed that a woman’s strength is inadequate and only drags a hero’s (Superman’s) journey.

William Messner-Loebs, Greg Rucka, et al., think that by showing Wonder Woman’s strength of character, they are being feminist.  Not enough, not to me anyhow.  Not recognizing Wonder Woman’s strength as equal to Superman’s is not feminist.

Wonder Woman was every bit the superwoman that she is in the Marston era.  Misogyny and sexism allowed Superman to evolve, but Wonder Woman was left behind.

John Byrne’s run saw Wonder Woman fighting Darkseid, and Darkseid said Wonder Woman is second in power only to Superman in Wonder Woman #103 (1995),²⁸ something editor Paul Kupperberg repeated in the letter column in issues #115 (1996),²⁹ #116 (1996)³⁰ and #121 (1997).³¹

Years later, when Byrne wrote JLA #96 (2004), he made Superman say that he and Wonder Woman may be evenly matched in raw power.³²  Evenly matched (2004) or second in power (1996)?  Did passage of time give Byrne a change of heart?

DC’s The New 52 in 2011 made Wonder Woman quite powerful that no superhero seems to be stronger than she is (at least in her own comic book).  New 52 Wonder Woman scribe Brian Azzarello inserted Zeus, a man, into Wonder Woman’s origins.  Zeus was revealed as Diana’s biological father in Wonder Woman #3 (2012).³³ 

Including a phallic figure (Zeus) is not in consonance with Marston’s vision of an all-female utopia. 

Set down by Marston in Wonder Woman #1 (1942), Ares, god of war, declared, “My men shall rule with the sword!”  Aphrodite replied, “My women shall conquer men with love!”³⁴

It is also in issue #1 where Aphrodite breathed life to the statue molded by Queen Hippolyte under the direction of Athena, goddess of wisdom.  Diana was born of women, a triumfeminate* of loving feminine authority.

Wonder Woman began wielding swords (a lot more often than she used to) in the New 52 which annoyed many readers because of the sword’s association with Ares and the sword’s phallic symbolism.  I do not mind the sword,³⁵ but it is better to see the lasso in action more since the lasso is a yonic symbol and “carries Aphrodite’s power to make men and women submit” (Queen Hippolyte in Wonder Woman #1, 1942).

Marston viewed women as capable leaders because of their love.  In Greek mythology, Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty and is a feminine source of power in Marston’s utopian version of the Amazons.

In Wonder Woman #23 (2013), Wonder Woman turned into the god of war, taking the place of Ares whom she killed.³⁶  What an odyssey: from divine parthenogenesis to physical birth, from love to sword, from loving authority to symbol of violence.  Marston must be turning in his grave.

Marston appropriated the Amazon myth and turned the women warriors into able “love leaders.”  Azzarello reduced the Amazons to man-hating savages; something at odds with Marston’s ideal.  During his reign as Wonder Woman writer, Azzarello showed that patriarchy is right and that freedom from the shackles of patriarchy is a fantasy.

During Marston’s time, Wonder Woman would go berserk, uncontrollable, if her bracelets were removed.³⁷  Gerry Conway reminded readers of that³⁸ years later during his tenure.  Azzarello turned this around and made Wonder Woman fully in control even with the bracelets off while, at the same time, making the star on her tiara and her eyes glow.³⁹  The glow was supposed to imply Zeus-like powers which were not fully revealed in the New 52.  A woman not losing control of great power is an empowering message.  Hooray for Azzarello.  The DC Universe Rebirth Justice League #1 (2016) shows Wonder Woman holding and using a bolt of lightning,⁴⁰ something not shown in Wonder Woman Rebirth to date.

The canonical “Superman Doomed” story arc showed Superman becoming Doomsday after destroying Doomsday.  Superman in Doomsday form went head-to-head with Wonder Woman.  Wonder Woman would have killed Doomsday-Superman with a sword if not for Superman transforming back to his real self.⁴¹

In the same storyline, in Superman/Wonder Woman #11 (2014)⁴² continued in Superman Doomed #2 (2014),⁴³ Wonder Woman singlehandedly subdued Mongul and Non.

Mongul and a warrior Kryptonian were subdued by a female warrior… nice.  This victory – two men against a woman (with no bloodshed and very few action panels) – reminded me of the much more violent “two cyborgs versus Camille Sly” in Wonder Woman #85 (1994)²¹ by Messner-Loebs.

Non became popular in the film Superman II starring Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel.  He is also one of Supergirl’s nemeses in the TV series Supergirl starring Melissa Benoist in the title role.

In the still canonical Superman/Wonder Woman #17 (2015), Wonder Woman clearly defeated Superman at the height of his power in a brief fight.⁴⁴

In the 2017 Justice League movie helmed by Zack Snyder,⁴⁵ Superman and Wonder Woman literally butting each other’s heads with Wonder Woman falling to the ground on her back registered to me as Snyder flagrantly rejecting Wonder Woman as “a feminine character with all the strength of a Superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman” (Marston 42-43).⁴⁶

Noah Berlatsky, writing for NBC News, got it right when he said Justice League reduced Wonder Woman to a sidekick.⁴⁷

In the film, Superman is the subject, and everyone else is the object to be toyed with, the other to be sidelined or steamrolled as needed.  Notice how Superman’s arrival facilitates the termination of the villain.  Superman is the focus which encourages viewers to identify with him more than with anybody else.  The “S” shield emblem on Superman’s chest inadvertently shines as a symbol for sexism, as a shield against feminism.  Let me be clear: Superman is not the sexist here but the ones who make Superman appear superior to Wonder Woman.  Sexists make Superman trump all other powerful female superheroes.  Sadly, Superman is not the only male superhero or character used to commit atrocities against Wonder Woman and other female characters.  Wonder Woman has more losses than wins mentioned here.  I refer not only to the fights but also to how she and other female characters are portrayed.  One has to follow DC Comics for years – with luck, with just an issue – to get a feel of the company’s mindset.

I am saddened by the fact that Justice League even reached $500 million at the box office.⁴⁸  Not exactly the big blockbuster film the producers hoped it would be.  Nevertheless, it still means a lot of people have seen Snyder’s erection of Superman as the only superhero in the DC Universe as a force to reckon with.

Should Wonder Woman have won?  No.

I expect – utterly wish – for a draw every time they fight.  While Superman is not an expert martial artist, he is a capable streetfighter.  In all his years of superheroics, he has had sparring sessions with Batman and Wonder Woman and has learned from them.

Superman and Wonder Woman have the same level of strength.  In a battle of skill, Superman will almost never win, so writers will have to find a way for the fight to end in a draw.  Circumstances preventing them to go on fighting should work.

Writers always find a way for Superman to defeat General Zod who happens to be a Kryptonian warrior.²⁶  In a battle of skill, Superman will almost never win against Zod.

I would like to – though I really do not – think that Wonder Woman held back because she knew Superman was not himself in the Justice League movie.  It is clear to me that in 76 years of her continuous publication, Wonder Woman still has a long way to go before America can accept a woman as a love leader.  The United States of America, for all its feminism and technological progress, can not accept a woman as president.  Hillary Rodham-Clinton won the popular but lost the electoral vote.  Why is that?  Long way to go… a very long way.  I hope to see a woman American president soon.

Does DC or Snyder think of the biblical Adam and Eve when they put Wonder Woman down?  Eve came from Adam.  Superman’s first appearance in Action Comics #1 in 1938 spawned the superhero genre and elevated the comic-book industry to new heights.  All superheroes, male or female, are in some way derived from Superman⁴⁹ (who is undoubtedly derived more from Philip Wylie’s Gladiator⁵⁰ than from anyone else).

I do not see anything wrong with DC imposing on all its writers and artists that Wonder Woman should not be denigrated in favor of any man or any other superhero.  Superman and Wonder Woman are fictional characters.  We derive ideas from fiction as well as from real life.  What is wrong with giving or sharing the idea that women and men are equal?  Or specifically, that Superman and Wonder Woman are equal?  There are rules in every workplace.  Why can’t DC make that rule?  Violation of the artistic license or human rights of the writer?  Yet, it is not a violation of human rights to portray women as objects, as others to be raped over and over.  Yet, it was legal and not a violation of human rights to enslave and kill people because of their color or religion.

Reporters do not report on news the network deems untouchable, or they will suffer the consequences.  Some producers threaten writers (and others involved in the production) with a life of suffering if they do not deliver a script according to specifications.  These are not violations of artistic license or human rights?  Again, there are rules in every workplace.  Why can’t DC take a stand?  DC apparently can and has.

We can argue about sexism, feminism, etc., until the day we die, but whether we agree or not, people will be using the film against Wonder Woman (and the other members of Justice League) in fan pages and elsewhere.  And, the film’s fight scenes will be more memorable than the comic books.  Goodness, I hope not.

I can gripe and gripe and gripe and gripe.  But, Wonder Woman (with a few others) has been a permanent fixture in my life.  In all of Wonder Woman’s incarnations (even when I found the treatment detestable), I never stopped collecting.  Hooray for DC (the bank is happy).

William Marston created the Invisible Plane possibly as a metaphor for good deeds by kind people who prefer to remain anonymous.⁵¹

Wonder Woman remains unseen while inside her Invisible Plane.  Marston possibly was also saying that no matter how powerful a woman is, no matter how high she flies, she remains invisible to society.  That is why Marston made Wonder Woman’s adventures outside the Plane most of the time, in Man’s World, so that Diana’s (and women’s) efforts may bring about change and become visible someday.

There have been changes.  Women are no longer as invisible as they used to be.  DC is no longer consistently sexist.  Jenette Kahn, DC Comics’ first female president, contributed to writers and artists getting royalties for their works.⁵²  The list goes on.

Marston hoped for greater changes.  And, I am with him.

I am old enough to know that change, great or otherwise, does not happen easily.  I am also old enough to know that hope is a wonder to behold.

No matter how long the way ahead is, I remain hopeful.  I hope Snyder redeems himself in the Justice League sequel.  I hope for DC Comics to continue to evolve for the better.  I hope for a woman American president.  I still dream, and I will always wonder.

Notes

¹Gerry Conway (w), Jose Luis Garcia Lopez and Dan Adkins (a).  “Superman vs. Wonder Woman.”  All New Collectors’ Edition #C-54 (1978), DC Comics.

²Mark Millar (w), Dave Johnson, et al. (p), Andrew Johnson, et al. (i).  Superman: Red Son #1-3 (2003), DC Comics.

³Matt Wagner (w, p, i).  Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman: Trinity #1-3 (2003), DC Comics.

⁴Brian Buccellato (w), Mike S. Miller (a).  “Broken.”  Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Four Chapter 8 (2015), DC Comics.

⁵Brian Buccellato (w), Bruno Redondo (p), Juan Albarran (i).  “Willpower.”  Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Four Chapter 9 (2015), DC Comics.

⁶Alan Moore (w), Dave Gibbons (a).  “For the Man Who Has Everything.”  Superman Annual #11 (1985), DC Comics.

⁷“For the Man Who Has Everything.”  Writ. J.M. DeMatteis.  Dir. Dan Riba.  Justice League Unlimited.  Cartoon Network.  7 Aug. 2004.  Television.

⁸Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez IV.  “Fight of the Decade.”  MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada.  8 Dec. 2012.  Boxing Match.  HBO Television.

⁹Grant Morrison (w), Howard Porter (p), John Dell (i).  “The Day the Earth Stood Still.”  JLA #2 (Feb. 1997), DC Comics.

¹⁰Kim Dismukes (curator).  “Space Shuttle Basics.”  Human Space Flight.  National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 16 Mar. 2005.  Web.  17 Dec. 2017.  <https://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/basics/launch.html>.

¹¹Nancy Hall (editor).  “Mach Number.”  Glenn Research Center.  National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 5 May 2015.  Web.  17 Dec. 2017.  <www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/mach.html>.

¹²Robert Kanigher (w), Ross Andru (p), Mike Esposito (i).  “Secret Origin of Wonder Woman.”  Wonder Woman #105 (Apr. 1959), National Comics Publications [DC Comics].

¹³George Perez (w), Chris Marrinan (p), Will Blyberg (i).  “From Day into Night.”  Wonder Woman #27 (Feb. 1989), DC Comics.

¹⁴Erik Johnson.  “Space Shuttle Historical Timeline.”  National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 22 Nov. 2011.  Web.  17 Dec. 2017.  <www.nasa.gov/pdf/587715main_Timeline_Text_Based_v3.pdf>.  [NASA posts the article as PDF.  If you use Adobe Acrobat Reader to open PDF files, click “ctrl D” after opening to see date and author details.]

¹⁵Greg Rucka (w), Rags Morales, et al. (p), Mark Propst, et al. (i).  “Sacrifice Part 4 of 4.”  Wonder Woman #219 (Sep. 2005), DC Comics.

¹⁶Phil Jimenez (w, p), Brandon Badeaux (p), Lanning Stucker Marzan Jr. and Conrad Alquiza (i).  “The Witch & the Warrior Part 2: Girl Frenzy.”  Wonder Woman #175 (Dec. 2001), DC Comics.

¹⁷DC Comics restructures its fictional world, the DC Universe, now and then.  In 2011, DC introduced The New 52 where superheroes had their histories rebooted and issued 52 titles, all beginning with #1.  Wonder Woman, originally a statue given life by Aphrodite, became a daughter of Zeus.  Brian Azzarello is the first writer of Wonder Woman in The New 52.  In 2016, DC had another reboot called the DC Universe Rebirth.  Greg Rucka is the first writer of Wonder Woman in Rebirth.

¹⁸Greg Rucka (w), Liam Sharp (a).  “The Truth Part Four.”  Wonder Woman #21 (June 2017), DC Comics.

¹⁹Gail Simone (w), Bernard Chang (a).  “Rise of the Olympian Part 6: Uprising.”  Wonder Woman #31 (June 2009), DC Comics.

²⁰Gail Simone (w), Bernard Chang (a).  “A Star in the Heavens Scene 2: Personal Effects.”  Wonder Woman #25 (Dec. 2008), DC Comics.

²¹William Messner-Loebs (w), Mike Deodato (p), Terry Beatty and Kevin Conrad (i).  “Black, Blind Destiny.”  Wonder Woman #85 (Apr. 1994), DC Comics.

²²William Messner-Loebs (w), Jill Thompson (p), Jay Geldhof (i).  “Operation: Cheetah Part One.”  Wonder Woman Special #1 (1992), DC Comics.

²³I Ching is a blind martial arts master who taught Diana how to fight when Diana relinquished her powers.  He first appeared in Wonder Woman #179 (Nov.-Dec. 1968).  Diana was powerless from #179 up to Wonder Woman #203 (Nov.-Dec. 1972).  I Ching was killed by a sniper in Wonder Woman #204 (Jan.-Feb. 1973) before Diana regained her powers in the said issue.  DC Comics wanted to make Wonder Woman in tune with the changing times, to make her dependent on herself and not on her powers.  The intention was good.  The execution was problematic.  Diana played second fiddle to the men in her own comic book.  She fawned over one man after another.  The feminist movement, led by Gloria Steinem, took notice and campaigned for the return of the super-powered Wonder Woman.  Diana was returned to her Amazon roots in issue #204 and the cover announced “New Adventures of the Original Wonder Woman.”

²⁴William Messner-Loebs (w), Mike Deodato, Jr. (a).  “Joker’s Holiday.”  Wonder Woman #96 (Apr. 1995), DC Comics.  [issue #85 does not append “Jr.” to Deodato’s name.]

²⁵Robert Kanigher (w), Harry G. Peter (a).  “Nuclear Returns.”  Wonder Woman #43 (Sep.-Oct. 1950), National Comics Publications [DC Comics].

²⁶That’s what writers do to Superman and other superheroes anyhow.  Writers make heroes think, and highly adaptable, to overcome greater forces.  If strength is all there is, then there will be no conflict, no story to tell.  Nevertheless, recognition of Wonder Woman’s strength is important.

²⁷William Messner-Loebs (w), Paris Cullins (p), Romeo Tanghal (i).  “Home Again.”  Wonder Woman #71 (Feb. 1993), DC Comics.

²⁸John Byrne (w, a).  “Second Genesis Part Three.”  Wonder Woman #103 (Nov. 1995), DC Comics.

²⁹John Byrne (w, a).  “The Men Who Moved the World.”  Wonder Woman #115 (Nov. 1996), DC Comics.

³⁰John Byrne (w, a).  “The Men Who Moved the World Part Two.”  Wonder Woman #116 (Dec. 1996), DC Comics.

³¹John Byrne (w, a).  “Stone May Grow.”  Wonder Woman #121 (May 1997), DC Comics.

³²John Byrne (w, p), Chris Claremont (w), Jerry Ordway (i).  “The Tenth Circle Part Three: The Heart of the Matter.”  JLA #96 (Early June 2004), DC Comics.

³³Brian Azzarello (w), Cliff Chiang (a).  “Clay.”  Wonder Woman #3 (Jan. 2012), DC Comics.

³⁴Charles Moulton (w), Harry G. Peter (a).  “Wonder Woman: Who Is She?”  Wonder Woman #1 (Summer 1942), Wonder Woman Publishing Company [DC Comics].

³⁵I expressed my non-objection to the sword as Wonder Woman’s weapon in “Wonder Woman’s Origins and Other Occurrences” (Web address in note no. 49) where I mentioned that the Amazons of Greek myth are known for their skill in archery.  However, Marston did not include bows and arrows or swords as Wonder Woman’s go-to weapons in her adventures in Man’s World.  Marston specifically chose the lasso to convey his views on submission to loving authority.

³⁶Brian Azzarello (w), Cliff Chiang (a).  “God Down.”  Wonder Woman #23 (Oct. 2013), DC Comics.

³⁷Charles Moulton (w), Frank Godwin (a).  “The Unbound Amazon.”  Sensation Comics #19 (July 1943), J.R. Publishing Co. [DC Comics].

³⁸Gerry Conway (w), Jose Delbo and Vince Colletta (a).  “A Power Gone Mad.”  Wonder Woman #259 (Sep. 1979), DC Comics.

³⁹Brian Azzarello (w), Cliff Chiang (a).  “Birth Right.”  Wonder Woman #12 (Oct. 2012), DC Comics.

⁴⁰Bryan Hitch (w), Tony S. Daniel (p), Sandu Florea (i).  “The Extinction Machines Part One.”  Justice League #1 (Mid-Sep. 2016), DC Comics.

⁴¹Charles Soule (w), Ed Benes, et al. (p), Jaime Mendoza, et al. (i).  “Superman Doomed Chapter 3: The Promise.”  Superman/Wonder Woman Annual #1 (Sep. 2014), DC Comics.

⁴²Charles Soule (w), Thony Silas (a).  “Assimilation.”  Superman/Wonder Woman #11 (Oct. 2014), DC Comics.

⁴³Greg Pak and Charles Soule (w), Ken Lashley, et al. (a).  “Superman Doomed Chapter 4: Evolutions.”  Superman Doomed #2 (Oct. 2014), DC Comics.

⁴⁴Peter J. Tomasi (w), Doug Mahnke and Ed Benes (p), Jaime Mendoza, et al. (i).  “Casualties of War.”  Superman/Wonder Woman #17 (May 2015), DC Comics.

⁴⁵Justice League.  Dir. Zack Snyder.  DC Films, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2017.  Film.

⁴⁶William Moulton Marston.  “Why 100,000,000 Americans Read Comics.” The American Scholar 13.1 (1943-44): 35-44.

⁴⁷Noah Berlatsky.  “The ‘Justice League’ Movie’s Greatest Sin Is Reducing Wonder Woman to a Sidekick.”  Opinion.  NBC News, 17 Nov. 2017.  Web.  25 Nov. 2017.  <www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/justice-league-movie-s-greatest-sin-reducing-wonder-woman-sidekick-ncna821671>.

⁴⁸As of 15 December 2017, the film has grossed $626,046,347 worldwide.

“Justice League.”  Box Office Mojo, 16 Dec. 2017 (8:01 a.m. Pacific Time).  Web.  17 Dec. 2017.  <www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=dcfilm1117.htm>.

⁴⁹Wonder Woman had been conceptualized prior to Superman’s debut in Action Comics #1.  She was derived from heroes that came before Superman and was initially created in 1937 as Diana, a female version of Tarzan.  Superman’s appearance and success necessitated retooling Diana from a jungle queen to a superwoman.

See

(1) Trina Robbins.  The Great Women Superheroes.  Northampton, MA: Kitchen Sink Press, 1996.  2-14.  Excerpt reprinted in The Superhero Reader.  Eds. Charles Hatfield, Jeet Heer and Kent Worcester.  Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi, 2013.  53-60.

(2) Robert Baytan.  “Wonder Woman’s Origins and Other Occurrences.”  Rēs (pronounced like rays).  Blogger, 5 Feb. 2017.  Web.  27 Nov. 2017.  <https://robertbaytan.blogspot.com/2017/02/wonder-womans-origins-and-other.html>.

⁵⁰Philip Wylie.  Gladiator: The Enduring Classic That Inspired the Creators of Superman!  New York: Dover Books, 2015.  Reprint of Gladiator.  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1930.

⁵¹The Invisible Plane is usually mentioned as part of Diana’s armory.  Google and other search sites list “invisible” metaphors in general, including Wonder Woman’s “invisible jetplane” and “invisible jet” as symbols for possibilities, other objects or situations.  “Invisible” novels of the 19th and 20th centuries certainly have contributed to the “invisible” symbolisms.  Invisible planes used for stealth now populate films and comics.  Stealth jets are also used for surveillance in real life.  The usefulness of stealth is congruent with the original integration of the Plane in Wonder Woman’s adventures.  Apart from the Web searches, I have a considerable collection of superhero books and comic books, and I do not recall (memory impairment setting in?) reading stuff about the metaphor of the Invisible Plane in direct relation to Diana’s purpose, to what Diana stands for; hence, this article.

⁵²Larry Tye.  Superman: The High-Flying History of America’s Most Enduring Hero.  New York: Random House, 2012.  214.

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*This article originally used the word “triumvirate.”

“Triumvirate” is “triumvir” or “triumviratus” in Latin.

“Tres” means the number 3 in Latin.

“Trium” is tres in the genitive (possessive) case translated “of three.”

“Vir” means man.  “Homo” also means man.  The scientific name “Homo sapiens” for humans literally means “wise man.”

Latin triumvir or English triumvirate literally means a three-man board.

“Femina” means woman.  “Mulier” also means woman.  ‘Triummulierate” sounds like something ameliorated three times.  “Virgo” means a maiden or a woman who is sexually intact.  I can not use “triumvirginate” since neither Aphrodite nor Hippolyte is a virgin.

Latin “triumfemina” translates to English “triumfeminate.”

I do not know of a classical source that uses the word “triumfemina.”  The word is an invention of present-day folks like me who try to subvert the masculine focus of Latin.

Robert Baytan
9 December 2018 

 

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It turned out that the version of Justice League in this post is helmed by Joss Whedon.  Zack Snyder originally directed but had to leave the project.  Whedon stepped in to finish the film, so it’s Whedon’s vision, not Snyder’s.

A Snyder cut will be released on HBO Max in a couple of months (March 2021).  I sure hope for Snyder’s version to be better.

Robert Baytan

8 January 2021