"Fixing" Wonder Woman('s costume) - Win Letters from me!

[Katherine Kane]

Kay_Challis

I love you all, but if you put a young bisexual bloke in this who's "not being able to commit himself to one lifestyle or the other" because of his "issues with where he views himself sexual orientation wise" I may have to hunt you down and kill you all.

But Kay, all the gay superheroes are way too comfortable with themselves!

[Crimson Ankh]

Yeah, besides it's fun to see how Diana's views would affect someone who isn't totally commited to gay or straight, or even bi-sexual. So someone on the fence that needs one good push in one direction would work better.

[Kay_Challis]

RichardGraysonNightwing

So someone on the fence that needs one good push in one direction would work better.

Here. You may need this...

[Katherine Kane]

This is why I can't have nice things.

[Querl Dox]

And thusly is the problem of Wonder Woman and sexual politics demonstrated.

[bingleebongaloo]

I'd love to see Wonder Woman as a pro-Earth heroine. Not as in humanity, but the planet itself. Clark and Bruce are both focused on people, and they occupy their niches, brains and brawn; Wondy is kind of like, brawn-lite at this point and that's about it. She needs to have something ideological that sets her apart (besides her inconsistent moral differences), and that would be one that writers could stick to as a major part of her character.

Plus, then she could fight with Poison Ivy, who'd have the same general goal but would be going about it the wrong way. And I think everybody agrees that Wondy needs better villains.

[ScottyQuick]

Just regarding Pinder's bit about how if you're writing Diana like Hercules, it seems like you're making a big statement about women - why not make the Big Three into the Big Four? Bring in Renee Montoya, or maybe Barbara Gordon, both of whom are very different then Diana, both have very different places and abilities then the other Three, and that way Diana doesn't have to helm every gender issue by her lonesome.

[d. morris]

A big four is a bad idea. It just convolutes things further and what would be the point? You would just be adding redundant characters that are in the end variations on Batman and/or Superman. The best thing is to make the three of them play off each other more. They need each other as a system of checks and balances. Superman is the example that all heroes follow; the gold standard most heroes strive to become. Batman is the other extreme; a hero that people fear.

So what role does Wonder Woman play with these two? Wonder Woman clearly needs to be the middle ground. She's an individual that is clearly an example for others but she's also one to be feared, someone who knows that hard decisions have to be made. She has to be the one who grounds Superman in reality but tempers Batman from going out of control.

I'm going to try this a second time and try to make this less rambling. Really the best thing to do to fix Wonder Woman is to determine "What makes Wonder Woman unique?" instead of trying to come up with "well let's writer her like such and such character." Trying to write her in the manner of another dilutes what makes her special as her own unique character. Two it probably won't work because what works for one character may not work for her and in fact may work against her.

So what we need to do is ask this question; what makes Wonder Woman unique?

1) She's a warrior princess
Diana is the epitome of a strong female character. She's smart. She's sexy. She's a character that will stand her ground. She can use her sexuality to her advantage but she's not defined by it. Diana defines who she is and does not let the fact that she's a woman do that. She's a mother figure through and through. Someone that will mediate when it's necessary but will fight for her beliefs. Diana is an authority figure in every sense of the word. She's a warrior that should be the hand to hand combat equivalent of Batman (maybe greater). She commands respect by her very presence when she's in a crowd. Diana stands on equal ground not because she's simply the female equivalent of Superman but because she's earned her place there.

2) The Greek Mythological Background
I think it might have been misunderstood in my last post but I was asking to lose the made from clay origin (which I still think needs to be dropped) not the Greek Mythology background. Diana is a character who comes from a mythological background without actually being a real mythological figure. I think that her connection to Mythology and Hellenistic culture should be used but shouldn't be all that defines her. Again it's where she comes from but it's not entirely who she is. Diana is a modern link to old philosophies and idea but philosophies and ideas that clearly have had time to develop in a completely different way thanks to being shielded from Modern Society. Themiscrya needs to be a way that society might have developed had the Roman Empire, Christianity, the Renaissance, etc not occurred but not look entirely like Ancient Greece. If she fights Greek mythological deities it should be in a way we haven't seen before or in a way that takes those old ideas and brings them into the twentieth century. These gods clearly should have developed as well but not as much as say the Amazons. If the gods are used then they should be used in a way that doesn't seem like something we've seen.

3) The Invisible Jet
Yes, I am bringing up the Invisible Jet. I did a little research on Wonder Woman before writing this and looking back at her villains and her past, Wonder Woman fought some pretty crazy people and things. When Wonder Woman isn't indulging in Greek related escapades, Wonder Woman should be handling things straight out of the pulps and 50s Sci-Fi; mad scientists, Nazi Baronesses, monsters from other dimensions, evil monkeys etc. There is a lot of craziness involved with this character and clearly people are not utilizing the crazier elements that do not revolve around bondage. Yeah bondage is there and it's going to be an unavoidable subtext so I say just either flat out ignore, make fun of it, or do something interesting with it. Again I bring up that Diana is a woman unafraid of her sexuality so if that's a part of it then why not acknowledge it? The comic doesn't have to become a straight up bondage comic but I am sure there are clever and subtle ways that it can be used in a story for serious or humorous effect.

Also there totally needs to be an Invisible Jet.

[iMethuselah]

Ugh, I hate the invisible jet. I never understood why she had an invisible jet. It just doesn't make sense, with her being related to greek mythology and all. Give her a pegasus or a griffin instead.

I like the idea of her being the middle ground between Bruce and Clark (or rather Batman and Superman).

I'd bring up more about the Gods and how I think they should be more like spirits or an essence and not actually have a physical form, but my computers hard drive is fried, my boot-up discs are in storage, and I'm currently writing all of this on my phone and hate the tiny keyboard.

[d. morris]

iMethuselah

Ugh, I hate the invisible jet. I never understood why she had an invisible jet. It just doesn't make sense, with her being related to greek mythology and all. Give her a pegasus or a griffin instead.

The thing is though that is one thing that everyone associates with her. I say make it part of the revision of Themiscrya. Maybe it's some sort of technological advance that they've had and use to show off to outsiders. I am sure something interesting can be done with an invisible jet.

iMethuselah

I'd bring up more about the Gods and how I think they should be more like spirits or an essence and not actually have a physical form, but my computers hard drive is fried, my boot-up discs are in storage, and I'm currently writing all of this on my phone and hate the tiny keyboard.

See the idea of them of being non corporeal takes away from them as individuals. I like the idea someone else here mentioned of them being more like the myths and being very, very flawed. I think that's a good direction to go into and also I did more research and apparently Diana fought things from other Pantheons. Why doesn't anyone do anything with that idea?

[Doreen Green GLI]

Because Hindu anti-defamation groups were not pleased with how their actively-worshipped gods were portrayed.

[bingleebongaloo]

I have to say I'm not a huge fan of the invisible jet either. I mean, people def. associate it with her, but I kind of group it in with Krypto the Superdog in "things that are kind of embarrassing and don't need to exist."

[iMethuselah]

bingleebongaloo

I have to say I'm not a huge fan of the invisible jet either. I mean, people def. associate it with her, but I kind of group it in with Krypto the Superdog in "things that are kind of embarrassing and don't need to exist."

Wrong. Krypto is awesome.

If someone ever made the invisible jet work, I'd have to follow their writing for all time. It's not that I'm opposed to a magic vs. Technology theme, but why would someone with gifts from the Gods need a jet? And the image in my head of her flying around in an invisible one just seems too campy.

I think the Gods as more of an essence and making them individuals can work together, though. I just had this whole idea of the Gods having their own avatars and as I type this I realize how much that complicates things and does more damage than good, really.

[bingleebongaloo]

iMethuselah

Wrong. Krypto is awesome.

Your mom is awesome.

[Linda Lee Danvers]

Folks, folks, folks....


Both Krypto AND my mom are awesome! biggrin