Wonder Woman: A Surprising Superhero

The Wonder Woman premiered on June 1st, directed by Patty Jenkins, recently known for her work in television series. Although Wonder Woman is not the most popular heroine in the DC universe – which features heroes such as Superman, Batman and even Flash – it may be the key to success in changing the failure of the latest DC films. This may not be a surprise , the heroine’s story tends to amaze.

Wonder Woman was created by William Moulton Marston, a famous psychologist and inventor who helped create the polygraph, the lie detector. By 1940, Marston had been glimpsed in the conception of a new type of hero, one who won battles with his heart and not with the violence of his fists. His wife, also the psychologist Elizabeth Holloway, liked the idea, but suggested to her husband that this hero was a woman, and so the famous heroine appeared.

The character began as an Amazon warrior who would eventually join the Justice League, a group formed by all the heroes of the D.C. universe. However, its inclusion in the league was with the role of secretary of the group, which left its creator furious. It was only decades later that Wonder Woman not only acquired the same status as the other heroes, but became a demigod.

The ’80s gave the world the version of Wonder Woman we know today, although modifications still occur today. Diana Prince, the heroine’s real name, is the daughter of Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons, and Zeus. Also called Princess Diana of Themyscira, name of the island in which she lives. Influenced by Greek mythology, its weapons are forged by the gods and have powerful bracelets and still the indestructible bond of truth, which was created by the goddess Hestia and makes their prisoners speak the truth, perhaps being inspired by Marston’s polygraph.

The heroine not only became one of the main characters in the justice league, but also became a feminist, pacifist and LGBT icon. Even more surprisingly, she was appointed honorary ambassador to the United Nations, making the fictional character the emblem in the fight for gender equality (months later being “fired” from office for still being considered “woman object” by more radical feminists , to the fans’ disappointment).

Now, after being part of comic, drawing, television series (played by Lynda Carter), and UN ambassador, Wonder Woman comes to the big screens. The film, played by the Israeli Gal Gadot in the role of superhero, tells the story of Diana, an Amazon warrior who discovers the world outside her island after an airplane crashed into it, and after a survivor told the story of a war. Diana, who does everything for peace, decides to help in this war that promises to end all wars. The plot is based on the first stories of the character, still influenced by Marston.

Unlike other films in the DC universe – which take themselves too seriously to displease audiences – the film mixes action with humor and drama, a formula that has not only worked well in the past, but still appeals to superhero fans ( as for example what you see in the films of the Marvel universe, responsible for Spider-Man). So, previously a secretary, now Wonder Woman promises to save the other heroes of her universe, like Superman, after the company’s latest movie failures.

(article translated from the original version in portuguese, by Google Translate)

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