Wonder Woman Proves Why She’s The Greatest Superhero, Period

Warning: Spoilers for Wonder Woman #775 ahead!

Wonder Woman isn’t just a superhero, she’s a god with strength beyond measure, but she’s got another power under her belt which tends to be rare in her demographic: she doesn’t have parental issues. In DC’s Wonder Woman #775 Diana came face to face with her estranged father and king of the gods, Zeus; but their relationship, or lack thereof, doesn’t play a role in her life.

Not having any parent-related trauma is a rarity in the world of comics (and Greek mythology). In fact, it’s something comic book heroes tend to have in common in Marvel and DC alike. From Batman losing both of his parents and being wracked with an early desire for revenge; to Iron Man having a genius father who didn’t give him the attention he needed (in turn searching for it elsewhere); to Superman never even knowing his real parents and having to struggle with his identity because of it; and so on, it’s rare to see one of Earth’s heroes so unaffected by what boils down to daddy issues. But this most recent issue of Wonder Woman is proving that Diana’s greatness as a superhero, and as a goddess, isn’t just due to her innate abilities, but to her lack of psychological familial trauma as well.

Most of Wonder Woman’s storylines center around her relationship with her mother Hippolyta, rather than Zeus, whenever they regard her upbringing or family. A lot of this has to do with the fact that Diana once believed she had been brought to life by her mother’s will and a bit of clay, and not due to the fact that Hippolyta had an affair with Zeus. Nevertheless, her complicated family dynamics and lack of a father figure have never seemed to be a source of weakness for Diana. That’s probably why, when it came time to face her father in Wonder Woman #775, after almost single-handedly saving the gods of Olympus, she wasn’t the least bit affected by his lack of verbal gratitude or appreciation for what she’d accomplished. She didn’t expect it from him, nor did she need it.

The creators of this issue (Michael W. Conrad, Becky Cloonan, Andy MacDonald, and Nick Filardi) did a fantastic job of showing fans why Wonder Woman is the greatest superhero. She’s not motivated to compensate for a hole left by an evil or absent father figure; she’s motivated entirely by her own moral compass. She fights for herself, for humanity, for justice, and for truth. She doesn’t fight in the name of Zeus. She never has and never will. Even Zeus himself points out that she is her own god, unable to be controlled or reasoned with. Her destiny is her own, and she won’t let it be influenced by something as trivial as her father’s opinion: this includes her decision to go after Janus, the Roman god whose actions put her in this position in the first place.

Diana Prince has the unique ability to remove from her life the shackles of expectation, in regards to her father. She’s never disappointed by his absence or neglect because she’s never expected anything from him to begin with. She doesn’t allow herself to hold onto any trauma related to him or to her upbringing, at least not when it comes to her mission in life; not when it comes to her role as a superhero. It provides her with a certain type of psychological freedom that her comrades don’t tend to have the luxury of. Wonder Woman is not looking for her father’s approval; her motivations are her own, not to be influenced by extraneous forces.

About The Author