The Pre-Crisis Wonder Woman Respect Thread

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bluewaterrider
Dawsey28 has a wonderful respect thread devoted to post-Crisis Wonder Woman.

However, the Wonder Woman character has about 40 years of history prior to 1985 that people are unaware of.

I got interested in the idea of showcasing her immediately after someone posted the cover to what I eventually discovered is Sensation Comics #26.

I was astonished to see that an artist from before 1960 would draw a woman with such an impressively strong-looking physique, to say nothing of the fact that the cover of SC26 features WW stopping a locomotive in its tracks.

I'm an infrequent poster. I still have considerable trouble getting posts to "work" right in this forum. Nevertheless, I hope to make a thread that is eventually as well organized as something Dark Crawler might create. Hopefully DigiMark will help me out after a certain point with retro-editing. The only real option I have given my time limitations for now, unfortunately, is to post what I have readily available, hoping I can make adjustments later...

bluewaterrider
Wonder Woman's creator envisioned her to be a heroine of great physical power.
This is an integral part of the character, so I'll begin with showing images where Wonder Woman is displaying strength, moving gradually from the feats a strongwoman from her era might perform on up the scale.

In general, I'll cite book and writer info for every submission I can.
If I miss a citation on the first go around, I'll try to get it at a subsequent opportunity.


Powers free from rope-binding, delighting a young fan...
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/000ah0qq.jpg


Easy log break, followed by the LITERAL hand-carving of surfboards for a waterski race.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/WW%20mightiest%20only%20etc/WonderWomanv1057p02.jpg


Bending Bars.
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/WW%20mightiest%20only%20etc/tangent010.jpg


Catching a car. In the alternate civilian guise of "Jane Case".
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/Page_04.jpg
Source: Wonder Woman #51, volume 1.

bluewaterrider

bluewaterrider

bluewaterrider
"All the strength of Superman."


Moulton was quite serious when he wrote the above.
Hence, the early 1940s features Wonder Woman doing everything Big Blue can do.

And more.


For instance, thanks to the popular radio show of this era, nothing is more synonymous with Superman's great strength than the famous "more powerful than a locomotive" tagline.

Strangely enough, I don't think I've seen an actual image of Superman in earlier years confronting such a thing. Unless I miss my guess, therefore, it's quite possible the first person to actually perform directly against one was... well...


http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/WW%20mightiest%20only%20etc/supermancannotdobetter.jpg

Source: Sensation Comics #26
Writer: William Moulton Marston (a.k.a Charles Moulton)

bluewaterrider
Considering how women were generally drawn in comics before the 1980s, the following image, the aforementioned cover of Sensational Comics #26, STILL strikes me as a remarkable physique rendition --
for the 1940s or any age:



http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/WW%20mightiest%20only%20etc/Sensation026_01_fc.jpg

Source: Sensational Comics #26
Artist: H.G. Peters

bluewaterrider
I include the following to compare with that Sensation Comics cover above.

Technically it is depicting a pre-Crisis Wonder Woman in that this is from a storyline that takes place before the 1980s.

It is probably the hardest physique rendition I have ever seen for Diana.
Even so, and I may add a side-by-side shot of the 2 images later on to let viewers see more clearly, you'll note that SC featured Diana with a thicker build, at least as far as upper body is concerned.


Again, major respect was given the physicality of Wonder Woman in her early years...


http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/WW%20mightiest%20only%20etc/hardswiftstronglt9th9.jpg


Source: Amazonia , DC, 1997, William Messner-Loebs, Paul Kupperberg and Phil Winslade

bluewaterrider
DC is reintroducing elements of the Silver Age into their current run.

Remember the old Superfriends TV show?

They've adapted that into a comic of sorts which is a unique but fun blend of past and present.

I will explain why what you're going to see conforms to the pre-Crisis Wonder Woman and not post-Crisis Diana later on in this thread.


For now, I merely hope you enjoy:


http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/WW%20mightiest%20only%20etc/superfriendssteelbendingBelle.jpg

DC Source: Superfriends #6
Creative Team: Dario Brizuela & Sholly Fisch

bluewaterrider
This will probably be my last submission for the evening.
Just want to give a taste of things to come...



Little known fact: Pre-Crisis Wonder Woman could not fly.


Even after 35 years in comics, Wonder Woman had to obey the same laws of physics as the rest of us.


Or...did she?


Thanks to a certain handy piece of rope, amazing speed, great ingenuity, AND absolutely ridiculous
physical strength, Diana could make people forget she was earthbound in a hurry.

I'll be very impressed if anyone presents a hero flight with grander imagery than the following scene:

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/Wind%20Rider/010waterspoutcreation.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/Wind%20Rider/020tornadowhirlrider.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/Wind%20Rider/030nickoftimeaquariumdropin.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/Wind%20Rider/040batmansafebutnotimefortalk.jpg


DC Source: The Brave and the Bold v1 #140 (1978)
Creative Team: Bob Haney and Jim Aparo

bluewaterrider
One of the first things I was surprised to learn was that, unlike Marvel, DC comics history is divided into more than 2 "canon" eras. Marvel has a continuous line now called 616. It has a 2nd variant which is referred to as it's "ultimate" line. 2 running storylines.

Similarly, I thought, DC has "pre-Crisis" Universe and "post-Crisis" Universe, which should also be 2 running storylines.

In other words, I thought Marvel had a 1960 to present day running story (616), and a year 2000 to present day story (Ultimate), and I thought DC had a 1938 to 1985 (pre-Crisis) as well as a 1985 to present day (post-Crisis) storyline.


Actually, it's a lot more complicated than that, at least at DC, though perhaps now for both companies.

Strangely, it is more complicated the further back you go with DC, whereas nearly the reverse is true for Marvel.

I learned after reading an interview with a famous comic writer named Mark Waid that this was due to the original Marvel storyline being largely the vision of one man, namely Stan Lee, creator of the Fantastic Four, Spider-man, Hulk, etcetera.

DC, by contrast, was the vision of multiple talents, each separate from another, essentially thrown into a shared universe by company mergers and acquisitions. If I'm lucky enough to chance upon it again, I'll post that interview here...

bluewaterrider
At any rate, I discovered that what DC fans call the "pre-Crisis" era is actually an era divided roughly into 3 periods:

1) Golden Age (1938-1958)*

2) Silver Age (1958-1972)*

3) Bronze Age (1972-1985)*

* Dates are approximate, and may well vary for each character.

--------------------------------------------------------

Thanks to a friend, I currently have access to a great deal of Wonder Woman material from these time periods. My current plan is to put up roughly 10 scans or posts every 10 days or so. I can't promise my access to material will continue, but, for as long as it does, I'll share it as systematically as I can think of within the confines of respect thread protocol. Please note that I'll be learning some stuff along WITH you guys, suggestions for presentation/improvement, etcetera, are welcome.

bluewaterrider
Now I'll present part of Diana's Silver Age origin.

You might think it would be most logical to start with her Golden Age origin story, but, as far as I can tell, there wasn't one.

More precisely, there wasn't a Golden Age origin story that was actually written in the Golden Age. In real time, the Silver Age origin story was actually the first.

As I progress, I'll again try to return and give citations for anything that needs it, along with filling in "extras".

For instance, I actually read Diana's origin in a book released a few years ago.

It looks like so:


http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/diana%20s%20silver%20age%20origin/010covertosecretorigins.jpg

... and opens with the following

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/diana%20s%20silver%20age%20origin/SASecretOriginsSerpentineWhale.jpg

bluewaterrider
Despite the crediting to Charles Moulton in this story, I'm fairly certain Diana's origin was actually crafted by a man named Robert Kanigher.

There is a key difference in the concept of Silver Age Wonder Woman versus her Golden Age incarnation which I'll outline later.


At any rate, the 1st birth scene of Diana of Themyscira, outlining precisely what and who is responsible for her being super-powered:


http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/diana%20s%20silver%20age%20origin/030part1oforigin.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/diana%20s%20silver%20age%20origin/040part2of2oforigin.jpg

bluewaterrider
I've made a major error in this thread already.

Apparently there was an origin early on in the Golden Age.

I missed it because I don't have the very first title that featured Wonder Woman. This was All-Star, and Wonder Woman debuted in Issue #8 of that title.

And when Moulton decided to have a regular series of Diana's solo adventures, that title was called Sensation Comics, and Diana was the marquee attraction.

So the first title I don't have, and the 2nd title, which I DO currently have, doesn't feature a "from birth" origin, only the intro of Diana into our world following the misadventures of one Steven Trevor.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/diana%20s%20silver%20age%20origin/Sensation001_01_fc_repr.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/diana%20s%20silver%20age%20origin/Sensation001_03_WW_repr.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/diana%20s%20silver%20age%20origin/Sensation001_04_WW_repr.jpg

Relatively shortly after this scene, Diana comes across the person who inspired both her civilian identity and original occupation.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/diana%20s%20silver%20age%20origin/Sensation001_10_WW_repr.jpg

The reader discovers that the recovering pilot is acting in haste to thwart a major poison gas assault by the enemy.

Although he heroically acts to thwart the plot and even saves Diana with a spare filtration mask, he finds himself put out of commission again, whereupon Diana takes a still more involved role in his care to end the first Sensation Tale:

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/diana%20s%20silver%20age%20origin/endingforsensation1forkmcwwprecry.jpg

bluewaterrider
As mentioned a few posts earlier, I'm going to try to keep an average of 10 scans every 10 days here.


Hmm... I see I'm one short...


I'll correct that with the following.

As stated before, Wonder Woman's creator was surprisingly progressive.

It might not seem so now, but Wonder Woman's very costume was considered revolutionary by the standards of the day.

(Actually, her manner of dress then might seem a little risque even now, depending on your background.)

Back in the 1940s, when women were often covered head to toe, it was probably a minor shock to the system, as the following panel from Sensation Comics itself suggests:

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee182/bluewaterrider/diana%20s%20silver%20age%20origin/progressivestreetware.jpg

bluewaterrider
Young woman from Belarus started a Miss Martian thread earlier this month. Great beginning to it.

Then, a few days later, all the links got wiped out.

Reason: The poster had relied on 1 image hosting provider (IHP), in this case Picamatic.com. Picamatic had gone out some weeks before temporarily, this latest outage seems to be permanent.

I empathize. I experienced the exact same thing with ImageHoop.com a few years ago, Picamatic on other message boards, and, most disconcerting of all, AllYouCanUpload.com (AYCU) just a little before that. (My but Aycu was a good IHP... even months after it could no longer accept new images to host, it faithfully allowed retrieval, with NO advertising, of all previously loaded material, and that with size parameters 3 times greater than most...)

The only guard against such, unfortunately, is to upload and/or re-upload using several IHPs for any particular image. So, I might as well resume with KMC's own program...

bluewaterrider
There is something that feels inherently more magical about Diana's experiences as a young teenager in the early Silver Age than any other period of her history. Even the style of drawing reflects the beliefs of ancient myth. Notice that the whale in this picture is more serpentine than mammal, and that it has the type of vertical tail fin you would see on a shark as opposed to another whale.

bluewaterrider
Planet Slinging Adventure 01

bluewaterrider
Planet Slinging Adventure. 02

bluewaterrider
Planet Slinging Adventure. 03

bluewaterrider
Planet Slinging Adventure. 04.

bluewaterrider
Planet Slinging Adventure. 05.


Source: Wonder Woman # 38 volume 1
Writer: Robert Khanigher
Artist: HG Peters

bluewaterrider
Moon Tow. 01.

bluewaterrider
Moon Tow. 02.

bluewaterrider
Moon Tow. 03.

bluewaterrider
Moon Tow. 04.

bluewaterrider
Moon Tow. 05.

bluewaterrider
Moon Tow. 06.

bluewaterrider
Moon Tow. 07.

bluewaterrider
Moon Tow. 08.



Story Title: "The Mystery of the Missing Moon"

Source: Wonder Woman #73, Volume 1
Writer: Robert Kanigher
Artist: H.G. Peter
Year: 1955

bluewaterrider
Golden Age Wonder Woman

Source: William Franklin Collection
Artist: Jamal Igle
Year: 2009

Prep-Man
Good stuff. WW had some crazy feats back then.

bluewaterrider
Pre-Crisis Wonder Woman DID have some awesome feats to her credit, even, perhaps especially, in her Golden Age.
Strangely, the reasoning for her ability to perform these was fairly egalitarian: she trained hard.

Inasmuch as the famous King Syndicate figure Popeye encouraged youth to eat their vegetables, Moulton used Diana to try and inspire young women to discipline themselves to be their best, as the next series of images should show:

bluewaterrider
marston and the idea of empowerment for young women.

image 2 of 4

bluewaterrider
marston and the idea of empowerment for young women.

image 3 of 4

bluewaterrider
marston and the idea of empowerment for young women.

image 4 of 4.

bluewaterrider
Source: Wonder Woman #6, Volume 1
Writer: William Moulton Marston
Penciller: Harry G. Peter
Date: Fall 1943

bluewaterrider
One misconception many people have is that Diana, as Wonder Woman, was the strongest of the Amazons. Perhaps strongest AND most skillful.

Actually, she wasn't, and this conclusion derives naturally from the concept of her original power source, which, again, was training.

Diana trained harder and longer than almost anyone, she should have the results of one who trained harder and longer.
And Diana did, for the most part.


Except there was one person who disciplined herself to an even greater extent. To deserve the privelege of rulership entrusted to her.


Good thing for Diana - Mom really DID know this stuff best...!

bluewaterrider
Gold Standard of Female Empowerment. Marston's Hippolyte

Image 2 of 10

bluewaterrider
Marston's model of empowerment. Hippolyte.

Image 3 of 10.

bluewaterrider
Marston's model of empowerment. Hippolyte.

Image 4 of 10.

bluewaterrider
Marston's model of empowerment. Hippolyte.

Image 4b of 10.

bluewaterrider
Marston's model of empowerment. Hippolyte.

Image 5 of 10.

bluewaterrider
Marston's model of empowerment. Hippolyte.

Image 6 of 10.

bluewaterrider
Marston's model of empowerment. Hippolyte.

Image 7 of 10.

bluewaterrider
Marston's model of empowerment. Hippolyte.

Image 8 of 10.

bluewaterrider
Marston's model of empowerment. Hippolyte.

Image 9 of 10.

bluewaterrider
Marston's model of empowerment. Hippolyte.

Image 10 of 10.

bluewaterrider
Source: Sensation Comics #26
Writer: William Moulton Marston
Penciller: Harry G. Peter
Date: February 1944

Q99
During the 13 Labors of Wonder Woman story:

http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/632/ww21410.jpg
http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/9526/ww21411.jpg


Diana contains two nukes at once with her lasso

kakuzu
Originally posted by Q99
During the 13 Labors of Wonder Woman story:

http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/632/ww21410.jpg
http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/9526/ww21411.jpg


Diana contains two nukes at once with her lasso

Thats pretty hardcore, usually you seen some one survive one but contain two very rarely seen lol. Most impact attacks should have very little effect on her or they hit really hard.

Q99
Here's a really good one of her human form, also from the 13 labors of Wonder Woman story:

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/7448/ww21505.jpg

Take a look at the size of those dogs (they were made huge) and she doesn't even need to use her powers to deal with them smile

Q99
More trials! This time vs Felix Faust.

http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/7185/218b07.jpg
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/4512/218b08.jpg
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/6366/218b09.jpg

Figures out a way to cancel a special type of spellcraft with her language abilities, then when he tries to go old-fashion blasty, beats him there too!

Zack Fair
thumb up Great thread. Keep it up.

Q99
Ok smile

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/17/22004m.jpg

Wonder Woman uses her lasso to calm down thousands of panicked people in a building (UN building).

Q99
From her last trial:
http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/456/22210.jpg

Slices through energy bonds with the lasso.

http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/2006/22213.jpg

Blocking acid from a fake volcano with a net made out of the lasso.

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/363/22214.jpg

And of course, notices Batman spying on her.

Endless Mike
Has she done anything crazy comparable to PC Supes?

Q99
Lassos a big chunk of Infinity Inc:


http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/583/wondy04.png

Q99
Pulls the Sun.

http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad214/prepman005/ww.jpg

bluewaterrider
Here, Q.

Your scan above probably suffered the fate I described to you of some of MY Photobucket materials awhile back. S'why I never try to move anything from folder to folder in a Photobucket account anymore, just let it stay where it is ...

abhilegend
Originally posted by bluewaterrider
Here, Q.

Your scan above probably suffered the fate I described to you of some of MY Photobucket materials awhile back. S'why I never try to move anything from folder to folder in a Photobucket account anymore, just let it stay where it is ...
That's because it wasn't from his own photobucket account.

bluewaterrider
Abhi, you don't understand. If the problem is that Q's attempt to use someone else's link resulted in image deletion, that's even WORSE.

I WANT people to be able to use my scans if they like them!
I don't want Photobucket boobytrapping them so no one else can ever display the pictures I post.

Moreover, unless I miss my guess, a poster named Prep-Man was the KMC poster who DID Photobucket that scan, and it's gone from everywhere HE posted that image, too!

Here, I isolated the page where Prep-Man used it in one of the threads. Copy and paste it as a URL and you can find the place, too.
Same "image moved or deleted" message as Q's.

http://www.killermovies.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=562949&pagenumber=2


By the way, I visited TurboImageHost for use as another possible Image Host Provider (IHP), as you suggested.
Unfortunately, Turbo requires registration AND, apparently, the downloading of a dotEXE file to work.
I avoid THOSE like the plague.


But thank you once again for the suggestion.

I sincerely appreciate anyone who takes time to offer me help.

biensalsa
Originally posted by bluewaterrider
Abhi, you don't understand. If the problem is that Q's attempt to use someone else's link resulted in image deletion, that's even WORSE.

I WANT people to be able to use my scans if they like them!
I don't want Photobucket boobytrapping them so no one else can ever display the pictures I post.

Moreover, unless I miss my guess, a poster named Prep-Man was the KMC poster who DID Photobucket that scan, and it's gone from everywhere HE posted that image, too!

Here, I isolated the page where Prep-Man used it in one of the threads. Copy and paste it as a URL and you can find the place, too.
Same "image moved or deleted" message as Q's.

http://www.killermovies.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=562949&pagenumber=2


By the way, I visited TurboImageHost for use as another possible Image Host Provider (IHP), as you suggested.
Unfortunately, Turbo requires registration AND, apparently, the downloading of a dotEXE file to work.
I avoid THOSE like the plague.


But thank you once again for the suggestion.

I sincerely appreciate anyone who takes time to offer me help.

You can create a photo bucket account, don't move the folder and the images around, this will change the links.

Other option you have is to create a respect site for WW and you can do this for free, the only think is if you have enough time to do it.

As long as you create a photobucket account, DO NOT MOVE THE FILES AROUND, post a link of your photobucket account on a respect thread, you will be able to accomplish your goal.

Q99
You know how pre-Crisis WW did the 'bracelets and bullets' thing a lot?

Sometimes she likes to show off smile

http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj614/auggie1989/tumblr_m9v754DRA91rz1rzuo1_500_zpsb54ac206.png

Tiara, Bracelets, shoes, and bullets!

Mr. Jogga
Are there any more feats like this? I recall she pulled a moon to another dimension that one time.

Text-only Version: Click HERE to see this thread with all of the graphics, features, and links.