Margaret Sanger proposed that “woman free from sexual domination would produce a race spiritually free and strong enough to break the last of the bonds of intellectual darkness.” The Amazons of Paradise Island epitomize this idea.
Hercules’ violation of Hippolyte’s trust created in her a feeling of terrible foolishness and deep shame, which destroyed her faith in her own instincts. Only after she re-connected with Aphrodite, the embodiment of Divine Love, and thus her self-respect, could Hippolyte reclaim sovereignty over her life and her family, and rediscover the strength to break her chains and lead her sisters to freedom.
As it turns out, secret identities were more than merely comic book fictions in the Marston household. Olive Richard was a pseudonym taken by Olive Byrne, who was had not only been his research assistant, but was also the mother of two of his children.
As an immortal embodiment of the indomitable feminine spirit, Wonder Woman’s character lends herself to the exploration of big ideas. Fortunately writer Steve Orlando really likes to play with big…
In 2016, the year leading up to the release of her eponymous movie, Wonder Woman was named the United Nations’ Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls. The…
Marston knew that they were dancing at the edge of social acceptability, but as a promotional image by Peter plainly declared, Wonder Woman came to Man’s World to combat not only “man’s superiority” and “prejudice,” but also “prudery!”
Sadie Elizabeth Holloway was a wonder among women. Born in 1893, she emigrated with her parents from the Isle of Man, an island situated in the Irish Sea between Ireland…
One Comic Book Writer’s Extraordinary Résumé Wonder Woman’s creator, Professor William Moulton Marston, was a peculiar figure in the comic book industry. The creators of Superman (Jerry Siegel and Joe…
The Magic Girdle as a gift from Aphrodite adds another dimension to the mythology. Hanley correctly identifies the girdle as a zoster, but it is also something more, a specific artifact from the boudoir love goddess herself.
“The truth does seem to change according to who is looking for it — and why.” Phyllis chesler In the pages of Wonder Woman, Marston took the story of Hercules’…
Wonder Woman’s real-world origin begins in World War II America, but elements of her backstory can be traced to ancient Greek tales of the mighty hero, Hercules. Famous for his incredible strength, Hercules was the son of Zeus, king of the gods, and the mortal Alcmene.
Every version of Wonder Woman’s origin contains certain common elements. Nearly every variation can be boiled down to this: Princess Diana is the greatest champion of the mythic Amazons, a tribe of immortal women who had abandoned Man’s World for a hidden island, where they founded an all-female utopian civilization. After proving herself the strongest and most capable among them, Diana leaves Paradise Island for Man’s World where she becomes the world’s greatest superheroine.