Wonder Woman comic books from the Bronze Age (1970-1983) are a peculiar sight. They seem to boil down to two simple categories: Wonder Woman kicking ass and Wonder Woman getting ass kicked. While this can probably be said for most any superhero comics, digging a little deeper, we find some really interesting similarities on the covers.
One begins to wonder whether they were running out of ideas in the 1970s. Wonder Woman had become somewhat stale by the end of the 60s, so they reinvented her at the start of the new decade with new costume, new story arcs, and new mojo. Yet, as you’ll see, it’s still the same old stuff, repeated over and over (and, I suppose, we wouldn’t have it any other way). Here, for your viewing pleasure, is a motherload of side-by-side views of the recurrent themes of Bronze Age Wonder Woman covers!
A final note: Before anyone points out that I could do the same for any superhero comic – I think you’re probably right. In fact, be on the lookout for a sequel to this article. Who should be next? Spider-Man, She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, Hulk, Batgirl…? Stay tuned.
Wonder Woman’s sword is broken and an evil female knight has her pinned at the point of a sword – what will she do? Well, hopefully, she does the exact same thing as before when her sword broke and a female knight had her at the point of a sword.
In one issue, the Dark Knight invites us to watch as Wonder Woman gets her ass knocked backwards. In the next issue, The Phantom Stranger invites us to watch as Wonder Woman…. well, gets her ass knocked backwards again.
Is it just me, or does it seem like Wonder Woman has to fight herself an awful lot?
Evidently, fighting herself was a “thing” with Wonder Woman for quite some time (the comic at right is from 1958).
Green Arrow says, “Have I freaked out or is Wonder Woman really in the soup this time?” You’re not freaking out, Green Arrow. Wonder Woman is indeed being probed by giant hands….. as she is in the next issue.
Wonder Woman appears to have issues with phallic missiles whilst bound.
She also apparently has issues with entering dome barriers.
Wonder Woman must fight off a band of 4 guys with superpowers whom she calls “Outlaws” in big bold red letters. Next, Wonder Woman must fight off a band of 4 guys with superpowers whom she calls “Assassins” in big bold red letters. So, I guess there was a little difference.
Her face-off against Supes was okay (moderated by Uncle Sam, apparently). The real battle was against her black sister, Nubia, trying to cut each other’s heads off with swords (Moderated by another big head in the background like Uncle Sam’s)
Looks like our Amazon Princess has a habit of getting trapped under glass. Note that, when trapped under pyramidal shaped glass, she likes to make bizarrely suggestive poses.
No matter the masked baddy, Wonder Woman will still get a beat down (in a curiously similar frozen point of the beating).
In which our heroine gets drug to by her hair by the bad guy on two occasions. Perhaps, a shorter haircut might solve things.
Apparently, it wasn’t too uncommon for Wonder Woman’s corpse to be carried by masked superheroes. I’m not exactly sure how Hawkman is carrying her (his right arm is where?), but he’d better watch that brazier.
As I said – Wonder Woman had a nasty habit of dying in the 1970s.
Of course, Wonder Woman’s death count is nothing compared to Lois Lane. For more on this, read a previous article.
In 1970 we find Wonder Woman in a new (and awful) costume… which had a tendency to get ripped to shreds whilst in being tortured in bondage.
Did I mention that Wonder Woman had a tendency to get chained up and tortured? Damn. These early 1970s Wonder Woman issues were like bondage fetish comics.
Like I said – bondage comics. (Note that the one on the left is the “Women’s Lib Issue”)
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