Back during Blackest Night, Wonder Woman became a deputized member of the Star Sapphires, with Carol Ferris explaining that it’s because nobody on Earth loves the world more than Wonder Woman does. And we see that reinforced throughout all three issues of the Blackest Night: Wonder Woman mini series, where every attempt made by the Black Lanterns to emotionally manipulate her into a vulnerable state fails because while they’re experts at harvesting emotions, they don’t actually understand emotions, and see love as something fragile that can be taken away, while Diana knows the truth: love is a source of strength, and it can only be given. The only time they actually pose a threat to her is when a Black Lantern ring lands on her finger, dominating her free will, and forcing her to become a passenger in her own body, watching as she’s unable to stop herself from violently attacking the people she loves the most. But even then, Diana is so attuned with the power of love that Aphrodite, goddess of love, comes to support her in her lowest moment, and keep her from sinking any deeper into despair.
…and revisiting this story made me realize, I’ve never actually understood why this intense love was a part of Wonder Woman’s story. I’ve talked about her time as a Star Sapphire before, but even then my understanding of her relationship with the power of love came from understanding its place in her mission. I never actually realized why she felt that love in the first place. So I started reading every Wonder Woman comic I could find and didn’t stop until it finally hit me: I was ignoring the most important part of her backstory. I thought it was all about her mission, but really, it’s about her home. The island of Themyscira, a literal paradise, where people live long and peaceful lives without war, without sickness, where every day is a joyous gift to be shared with those you love. It’s an entire society built on the idea that love and togetherness make us stronger, happier, and able to make the world around us better than when we found it. This is the world Diana lived in, grew up in, it’s what her beliefs are based on. And for her, they’re much more than just beliefs…they’re facts, they’re the truth. Diana was raised in a utopian society, and based on her own life experience she believes that every single one of us has it within ourselves to treat each other with love and respect, making the whole world as blissful as Themyscira. That has always been her mission, it’s the reason she wanted to leave the island in the first place: why confine utopia to one island when you can spread its teachings and change the world? So she travels the world, helping whoever she can however she can, showing every single person the same love and patience she would give her sisters back home on Themyscira, confidant that we’ll all understand and follow her example.
And in all her travels, never once does she doubt her mission. No matter what obstacles are put in her way, or what opponents threaten to beat her down while denouncing her beliefs, it never shakes her, for one very simple reason: Wonder Woman is empowered by the truth. Her primary weapon is a lasso magically imbued with the literal power of truth. Just by touching it, a person’s true nature, their heart, comes fully into view. Diana has seen what’s inside us, she knows our truth. It’s why she loves us. Living on Themyscira made Diana believe that Human nature is a thing of peace and love, and traveling the globe with her lasso of truth confirmed it.
So it’s no wonder that a Sapphire ring would find its way to Diana, and that Carol Ferris, arguably the greatest of all Star Sapphires, would admit that Wonder Woman’s affinity for love greatly outclasses even her own. There’s something so pure and selfless about Diana’s love, and thanks to the ring, she finally has a tool that physically embodies that concept the same way her lasso embodies the truth. And when she combines them, the result is an expression of honesty that goes far beyond anything either are capable on their own. Some feelings are rooted so deeply within us that even a lasso woven by the Gods or a ring from beyond the stars can’t untangle them…but when both are in the hands of someone who sees the world the way Wonder Woman sees it? Anything is possible.
It’s important to remember that how powerful a ring makes you is directly based on how strongly you resonate with the specific emotion used by the ring. We not only know that Diana’s love for the entire world is unmatched, but that her love is rare even among the Star Sapphires, and I don’t think it’s that big of a leap to say that after a little training, Diana would quickly become the most powerful Star Sapphire ever to wear the ring. And for that matter, if Diana had chosen to keep the ring, adding it to her existing abilities, she may in fact have become the most powerful DC super hero. But despite that, she’s chosen to leave the ring behind twice now. Because while the ring has proven both useful and necessary in certain situations, it represents power that Diana doesn’t actually need. Her battle won’t be won by shining her light and changing your heart. She has to talk to people, lead by example and inspire them them to be better. She doesn’t need more power to succeed in her mission, just empathy, just conviction. She has the love in her heart, she has the truth…and that’s enough.
If, like me, the release of Wonder Woman 1984 has you in the mood to consume some more Wonder Woman content, I highly recommend reading Wonder Woman Year One by Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott. This is one of the best creative teams working in comics, and it’s their portrayal of Diana’s origin that really made the character click for me.
The other reading recommendation I’ll leave you with is Wonder Woman: Agent of Peace, a digital-first series where every issue is a completely self-contained one-shot, which enables them to tell a series of well done stand-alone short stories that get at the core of what Wonder Woman is all about. Each issue is around 17 pages and sells for a dollar, which works pretty nicely with the fact that you can just jump around and read whatever issues you want in whatever order, with no obligation to read everything. If the movie has you in the mood for a Wonder Woman vs Cheetah fight, check out issue #8. If you’re looking for something a little more scifi and campy, issue #3 teams Diana with the army of Gorilla City as they hunt an alien who’s been picking them off at night. Then there’s issue #2, where Wonder Woman has to go rescue Lois Lane, who’s plane crashed in the mountains and is about to get eaten by the ancient mythological horror that dwells there.
But my favorite issue so far is #16, by the stellar creative team of Andrew Wheeler, Paul Pelletier, and Norm Rapmund. It’s about love, acceptance, and the power of stories, bookended with two amazing fight scenes, bringing it all together to send an important message by embracing everything that makes Wonder Woman great. If I didn’t tell you this comic was only 17 pages, you’d never know, the storytelling is just that perfectly tuned. It’s one of my favorite single issues I’ve read all year, and I’d say it’s a great place to start if you’ve been wanting to see what the big deal is about Wonder Woman.
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