"Wonder Woman"- The Amazon Princess' Exploits (40's to 70's)

Wonder Woman made her very first appearance in "All Star Comics"#8 (Dec.-Jan. 1941). She was created by William Moulton Marsten (who scripted the stories), and was drawn by Harry G. Peter. Her first cover shot was for "Sensation Comics"#1, which she was featured in until she gained her own title in the summer of 1942. Wonder Woman joined the "Justice Society of America" in 1941, and appeared with them in "All Star Comics". (Note: The Golden Age Wonder Woman of the 40's was later considered to be the Earth 2 version, while the 60's and beyond version  was considered to be  the Earth 1 version).

Diana of Themyscira (Wonder Woman) was born on Paradise Island, which was populated by a race of women, called Amazons. When the ruler of the island, Queen Hippolyte decided she wanted a daughter, she crafted a statue of an infant girl. The statue was transformed into flesh and blood,by the goddess Aphrodite, and given the ' breath of life'. This was Princess Diana. Since there were no men allowed on the island, the Amazons had to resort to their own method of having children.

When Diana was a young adult, an American fighter pilot named Steve Trevor crash-landed on Paradise Island, after a sky battle with Axis forces.Diana nursed him back to health, and fell in love with him in the process. Steve would then have to be taken back to America by a chosen Amazon, who would have to compete for the task. Diana was told by her mother that she couldn't compete, but she entered anyway (wearing a mask) and won the competition. Hippolyte had to allow Diana to go, so she gave her a costume adorned with American colors; red, white & blue (the top was red and had an eagle across the front; the skirt, which would later become shorts, was blue and covered with white stars. Diana was also given an invisible plane, indestructible bracelets (that could repel bullets), Lasso of Truth (which made anyone encircled by it tell the truth), and a tiara (which she would occasionally use as a weapon, too)! Thus, Wonder Woman was born!!! She took Steve back to the U.S., and adopted the secret identity of Diana Prince, a military nurse, so that she could stay close to Steve. As Wonder Woman, she helped the U.S. fight the Axis,as well as battling other criminals like---The Cheetah,Ares, and Baroness Von Gunther, to name a few.

Her abilities consisted of---super-strength,speed agility, reflexes,stamina, endurance,and (after 1960) flight.

The 1960 version of Wonder Woman (Earth 1 version) joined the "Justice League of America", which she continues with to this day. In "Wonder Woman" #179 (Nov. 1968), she gave up her powers, so that she could stay in "man's" world, when her people had to move to another dimension. She gave up her costume for regular women's clothing.. She gained an elderly blind Chinese mentor (a man) named ' I Ching', who trained Diana in the martial arts, as well as other skills. In issue #204, 'I Ching' is killed by a sniper; Diana re-gains her powers, gets back into costume again as Wonder Woman. In the final issue of what is called Volume#1, Diana marries Steve Trevor.

"Wonder Woman got her own live-action TV show in 1975. Lynda Carter filled the role beautifully, and played Diana Prince / Wonder Woman to perfection. The show lasted for 3 seasons (1st season set during W.W. 2; 2nd & 3rd seasons set in modern day). Wonder Woman has also been in several animated series', such as "Super Friends", "Justice League of America", and "Justice League Unlimited". She was also in a Warner Premiere animated movie (well voiced by Keri Russell).

Wonder Woman has gone through many other changes during the decades since I collected comic books, but she remains to this day---The #1 Super-Heroine of all time!!!