The 11 Wonder Woman Super-Powers You Might Not Be Aware Of
Yes, we all know Wonder Woman is the result of Greek-based divinity, imbued with incredible strength, endurance, flight, and an expertise in any and all fighting methods and any and all combat strategies. Hell, even Batman called her “the best melee fighter in the world,” and if that isn’t a shining endorsement, I need to rethink my understanding of the colloquial phrase, “shining endorsement.” Regardless, Wonder Woman is an astonishing figure in the DCU with a respectable set of super-powers allowing her to go toe to toe with Superman on the occasions he’s under the psychic influence of Maxwell Lord.
But, Wonder Woman is much more than a female Superman counterpart. As a classic character with a veritable bushel of multiple histories, and as a beneficiary of magical, god-bequeathed enhancements, Wonder Woman is far more powerful, interesting and capable than one might initially believe. So, delving into that deep history, or skimming the more shallow bodies of current continuity, and in an effort to celebrate the character’s historical uniqueness, I present the 11 Wonder Woman super-powers you might not be aware of! Because there are quite a few, and universes literally bled to purposely ignore some, and reassert others.
NOTE: I have these categorized under Pre-Crisis and Post-Crisis. Wait, what’s Crisis? *Scroll down to the very end for my completely reductive explanation!
Pre-Crisis
1. Brain Power!
Wonder Woman wielded an interesting selection of psychic abilities, including ESP, astral projection, telepathy, mental control over the electricity in her body, and the Amazonian ability to increase muscle strength through a higher concentration of brain energy.
2. Super-Breath!
Kind of self-explanatory…
3. Berserker Rage!
Removing her bracelets increased her strength tenfold, but drove her completely insane, so yes, she utilized this ability…sparingly.
4. A Bond with All Creatures Big and Small!
Thanks to intense Amazonian training and the gifts of four Greek and Roman gods (the Olympian Deities), Wonder Woman could speak every language known to man and beyond, including “caveman,” Martian, and all animal languages.
Post-Crisis!
After the continuity-pruning event, Wonder Woman still received her gifts from the 4 Olympian Dieties, but with some noticeable changes and upgrades.
5. A Woman of the World!
Thanks to the blessings of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and fertility, Wonder Woman derived her strength from Gaea, the Earth Spirit. And, in cases of extreme physical harm, Wonder Woman could merge with the Earth in order to heal.
6. Superior Wisdom!
Thanks to Pallas Athena, goddess of wisdom and war, Diana received enhanced wisdom and superior combat skills!
7. Astral Projection!
She can project her astral form into various, fantastical lands. However, any harm done to the form is experienced by the body, and vice versa.
8. Talk to the Animals!
Artemis, Goddess of the hunt, granted Wonder Woman a unity with all animals upon the Earth, and an ability to communicate with said animals.
9. The Eyes of the Hunter!
Another blessing from Artemis, Diana was granted the ‘Eyes of the Hunter’ ability granting her a full range of enhanced senses, including telescopic vision and super-hearing!
10. She’s the Daughter of Freaking Zeus!
Meaning…she can channel the thunderbolts!
11. She’s the Goddess of War!
After killing her former mentor due to a conflict with her evil half-brother, she inherited Ares’ unique power-set. Although she hasn’t fully expressed his unique power-set, she does have the ability to telepathically control and communicate with the world’s soldiers.
So, any Wonder Woman powers I’m missing? HELP ME EXPAND THE LIST!
*Crisis– short for Crisis on Infinite Earths – was a DC maxi-series that set out to explain how characters created in the 1940s were forever in their 20s or 30s, and how multiple origins and character arcs told throughout the elaborate, dense history of DC comics could co-exist in what was apparently the same timeline. So, the explanation? A multiverse; a veritable infinity of different worlds where alternate versions of your favorite characters experienced these somewhat conflicting adventures. The Crisis dealt with the destruction of these additive existences and the creation of a new, singular, “modern” Earth with updated origins and a more focused, overall continuity. WHEW!