As part ofDC’s Trinity,Wonder Womanis one of the most important superhero characters, not just in the DC Universe, but in the entirety of comic book history. With over eighty years’ worth of stories, the Amazing Amazon has more than a few fan-favorite moments that stick out more than others.
But with such a long and storied publication history, not all ofDiana of Themyscira’sbest moments get the recognition that they deserve. There aremore than a few underrated Wonder Woman momentsthat are more than worthy of praise, and they need to be remembered by fans and DC creators for many years to come.
10Wonder Woman’s Battle on the Washington Mall
Wonder Woman#6 by Tom King, Daniel Sampere, Tomeu Morey, and Clayton Cowles
Diana may be one of DC Comics’ most compassionate champions, but she’s also one of the universe’s greatest warriors. Few battles showcase just how dangerous the Amazing Amazon can be than her climactic battle with many of her greatest foes in 2024’sWonder Woman#6.
Set against her by the vicious Sovereign,some of Wonder Woman’s most dangerous rogues– Circe, Giganta, Silver Swan, Doctor Psycho, Angle Man, and Grail – launch an all-out assault on the Princes of Themyscira before ultimately falling one by one. This Dawn of DC-eraWonder Womanseries has weathered its fair share of criticism, but it’s hard not to view this battle as one of Diana’s greatest. After all, it perfectly showcases her power, her determination, and even her compassion as she goes out of her way to protect an injured Silver Swan from certain death.
9Wonder Woman Becomes a Cat Therapist
“Fuzzy Logic” by Amanda Conner, Paul Mounts, and John J. Hill fromWonder Woman#600
Wonder Woman has a multitude of amazing abilities that make her more than worthy of her moniker, but one of her more underrated abilities is her ability to communicate with animals – an ability she used to great effect while assisting fellow DC heavy hitter, Power Girl.
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After the duo team up with Batgirl,Power Girl requests Diana’s help with another mission: pet therapy. Returning to Karen’s office at Starrware, Diana sits down with her ally’s cat, Stinky, relaying to the JSA icon that her cat has been acting up due to separation anxiety. Ultimately, Diana gives Karen the advice she needs to become a better pet parent, all while displaying the skills necessary for a potential fallback career as a pet therapist should she ever give up superheroics.
8Wonder Woman Ascends Past Godhood
Dark Nights: Death Metal#7 by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonothan Glapion, FCO Plascencia, and More
Diana is and should be one of the prime figureheads of the DC Universe, and herascension to godhood following the defeat of the Batman Who Laughsplaces her squarely at the center of DC’s cosmology. Upon her climactic conflict with the corrupt Bruce Wayne, a seemingly dead Wonder Woman encounters one of the Hands – the cosmic race behind the creation of all the mutliverses in DC lore.
Taking the form of the being they admire most, the Hand takes onthe appearance of Wonder Womanin her Golden Age attire, telling her that the DC Multiverse will be restored with all its alternate histories intact, with Diana ascending to protect this new creation outside of space and time. Obviously, this “new normal” didn’t last, but the fact that even DC continuity’s highest powers recognize Diana’s greatness makes this a top-tier Wonder Woman moment.
7Wonder Woman Attends Vanessa Kapatelis’ Graduation
“Valedictorian” by Gail Simone, George Pérez, Scott Koblish, Hi-Fi, and Travis Lanham fromWonder Woman#600
Diana has some of the most underutilized supporting characters in DC lore, and her relationship with Julia and Vanessa Kapatelis – highlighted at Vanessa’s high school graduation inWonder Woman#600 – is one of the greatest additions to the Wonder Woman character following her continuity revamp afterCrisis on Infinite Earthsby Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. Initially living with the mother-and-daughter pair after journeying to Man’s World, Diana soon became a part of the family even as the Kapatelis family made fewer and fewer appearances over the years.
The late George Pérez played a major role in revamping Diana and the Amazons in theWonder Womantitle that debuted after the legendaryCrisis on Infinite EarthsDC reboot. Check out his contributions to the character in the collected edition seriesWonder Woman by George Pérez, available now from DC Comics.
Having met Nessie while the young girl was in junior high, Diana quickly became an older sister figure, even helping Vanessa after she was kidnapped, mind-controlled, andmutilated into becoming the Silver Swan. Tragedy and trauma aside, Diana’s emotional interaction with Vanessa at the latter’s graduation truly highlights just how special each woman is to the other and the effect that Diana has on those around her.
6Wonder Woman and Black Canary Get Ready to Join a Fight Club
Superman and Batman are typically portrayed as Wonder Woman’s closest friends within the superhero community, but Diana has more than just the World’s Finest on speed dial. When she needs help infiltrating an underground metahuman fight ring,Wonder Woman turns to none other than the Black Canary for backup.
Dinah instantly leaps at the chance to help out her old friend, helping Diana come up with a suitable disguise and even treating the whole mission as an extended girls’ night. This story may indeed beone of Wonder Woman’s lesser-known adventures, but her initial conversation with Black Canary and the following team-up go a long way towards humanizing Diana and reminding fans that the Justice League and the friendships the team inspires extend past the Trinity.
5Wonder Woman Hugs Polar Bears
Diana’s camaraderie with the animal kingdom is often understated, but when it’s properly portrayed, it’sone of Wonder Woman’s most charming qualities. The Amazing Amazon’s most adorable animal association came at a time when she seemingly couldn’t have been more alone, having only just forsaken the Olympian Gods and her connection to her fellow Amazons.
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Alone in the arctic, Diana happens upon a polar bear and her young cub, immediately striking up a conversation while petting and hugging these cuddly apex predators. Reminded of her own relationship with her mother and the loneliness she feels, Wonder Woman advises the polar bears on the importance of family before setting on her way. While this moment is clearly one of the sweetest in Diana’s history, it also emphasizes how connected Diana is to the Earth as a whole and how she sees every living thing as worthy of love and respect.
4Wonder Woman Relinquishes Her Lasso to Save Donna Troy
Wonder Woman#37 by Gail Simone, Bernard Chang, Hi-Fi, and Travis Lanham
The relationship between Wonder Woman and Donna Troy is not always as emphasized asthe relationships between Batman and Nightwingor even Superman and Supergirl, but the sisters have a truly unique bond within the DC Universe, and Diana herself proved it when forced to face her younger sister in single combat. Psychically manipulated by a villain into blaming Wonder Woman for the death of her family via proximity to the Lasso of Truth, Troia unrelentingly battles Diana with everything she has.
Realizing the only way to snap her sister out of her madness is to prove how much she loves her,Wonder Woman tosses her famed Lassointo the sea, shocking Donna out of the spell as Diana tells her beloved sibling, “You are my sister. And all the gifts from the gods that have ever been aren’t worth a strand of your hair.”
3Wonder Woman Inspires a Grieving Green Lantern
Wonder Woman#19 by Gail Simone, Bernard Chang, Jon Holridge, I.L.L., and Travis Lanham
Swayed into protecting the Khund homeworld from a planetary threat, Wonder Woman finds herself pitted against the alien Green Lantern known as Procanon Kaa when the Guardian’s chosen champion seeks to allow the world’s destruction as vengeance for the violent Khunds’ genocide of his world as well as the death of his daughter.
Wonder Woman has no shortage of superhuman abilities, but her true strength is her ability to inspire.
At first,Diana puts up a fierce fight against the rogue Lanternbefore realizing that there’s more at play and allowing the Lantern to vent his grief without retaliation. Dissuading the Emerald Gladiator, she persuades him to aid her in honor of both his family’s memory and his Green Lantern Oath. Wonder Woman has no shortage of superhuman abilities, but her true strength is her ability to inspire – an ability that this vengeful Green Lantern experienced firsthand.
2Before Becoming Wonder Woman, Diana Saved the Minotaur from Ares Himself
Wonder Woman#0 by Brian Azzarello, Cliff Chiang, Matt Wilson, and Jared K. Fletcher
Diana’s compassion has always beena defining attribute of the Wonder Woman character, and there are few instances that emphasize this trait more clearly than her defense of the fabled Minotaur against the God of War, Ares. Having been taken under the wing of Ares and tutored in the ways of combat and war, Diana’s final challenge was to confront the mythical beast of the Labyrinth.
The young princess ultimately succeeds against her foe, but when Ares orders her to kill the monster, she refuses, instead turning on her beloved mentor to protect her quarry rather than let any further harm befall him. This act soursthe relationship between Wonder Woman and her Olympian benefactor, but Diana’s sense of mercy makes her a true hero, and the trait has been a major part of her character since birth.
1Wonder Woman vs. a Doomsday-Infected Superman
As two of DC’s strongest heroes, Superman and Wonder Woman are frequently pit against one another by fans and creators in contests of strength. But their clash inWonder Woman#175, when the Last Son of Krypton is mutated and mind-controlled by the witch Circe, following the devastating events of the “Our Worlds At War” crossover, is their greatest fight and one of Diana’s defining moments. Slugging it out with the Doomsday-infected Man of Steel,Wonder Woman knows that Superman is simply too strong, but that doesn’t stop her from reaching her friend using the Lasso of Truth.
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In the battle’s aftermath, a Lasso-ensnared Superman weeps over those they failed to save as Diana comforts the normally resolute Man of Steel. This moment reminds readers that even among legends like Superman and Batman, the Wonder Woman stands out from the World’s Greatest Heroes as a beacon of hope and compassion. This moment of tenderness between DC’s strongest champions remains one of the most underrated moments inWonder Womanhistory.
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is the superhero identity of Diana, Princess of the Amazons. Created on the island of Themyscira, Wonder Woman is a super-powered demi-goddess with extreme physical strength who utilizes magical gifts (like her famous Lasso of Truth) to defeat her foes. As mighty as her fellow heroes Superman and the Justice League, Wonder Woman is unmatched in her compassion and virtue.
