Wonder woman


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Just a question. Why does Wonder Woman (aka Diana the Amazon) have two breasts if she is an Amazon?


For the same reason her costume looks as if designed by sex-starved certain banner fetishist :)

Regards,
Ruemere

RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8

Wikipedia, emphasis mine wrote:
Among Classical Greeks, amazon was given a popular etymology as from a-mazos, "without breast", connected with an etiological tradition that Amazons had their right breast cut off or burnt out, so they would be able to throw their javelins;[7] there is no indication of such a practice in works of art, in which the Amazons are always represented with both breasts, although the left is frequently covered (see photos in article).

Here are some classical images which back this up.

As Wonder Woman is also an artistic depiction of an Amazon, she would appear--with obvious contemporary modifications--to continue this ancient artistic tradition.


Because the character's creator pictured her to be the feminine ideal.

The Exchange

DeathQuaker wrote:
Wikipedia, emphasis mine wrote:
Among Classical Greeks, amazon was given a popular etymology as from a-mazos, "without breast", connected with an etiological tradition that Amazons had their right breast cut off or burnt out, so they would be able to throw their javelins;[7] there is no indication of such a practice in works of art, in which the Amazons are always represented with both breasts, although the left is frequently covered (see photos in article).

Here are some classical images which back this up.

As Wonder Woman is also an artistic depiction of an Amazon, she would appear--with obvious contemporary modifications--to continue this ancient artistic tradition.

Funny I thought they had their breast cut off so they cold shoot a bow. Frankly a leather cover for one boob seems better protection from an angry Bowstring.


Better question, and dangerous topic for a PG rated forum, "Why did she have those 'bracelets'?"

RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8

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Terquem wrote:
Better question, and dangerous topic for a PG rated forum, "Why did she have those 'bracelets'?"

a) Amazons at least at some point in some version of DC Continuity, who the hell knows what is true now, were the reincarnated souls of women who had lived their lives as slaves (or something like that; I'm going off a distant memory here). The bracelets were reminders of the shackles they wore in their previous lives.

b) Deflecting bullets with indestructible gauntlets is cool.

c) Wonder Woman knows how to accessorize effectively.

d) William Moulton Marston was into bondage.

e) All of the above.

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8

Well C and D definately, WMM's third wore similar bracelets.

(And in a world of IP and celebrity lawsuits, I find it romantic that they lived together, long after WMM died, for the rest of their lives).

It also used to be that if she was tied up by a man she'd lose her powers.

I had a broad strokes outline of a wonder woman series some time ago.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
yellowdingo wrote:
Just a question. Why does Wonder Woman (aka Diana the Amazon) have two breasts if she is an Amazon?

1. Amazons as you're thinking about them, did not exist.

2. The various writers of greek stories about Amazons made their stuff up as they went along and they did not collaborate. The breastless interpretation was far from universal, one meaning of the word translates out to "Moon Maiden". Most depictions of them in art and statuary have in fact two breasts per Amazon.

3. Women shoot bows just fine with two breasts.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
DeathQuaker wrote:


d) William Moulton Marston was into bondage.

He also was the inventor of the polygraph.


Actually in the original DC continuity she was molded out of clay, so she was never a "person" to begin with.

In the "New 52" she is a demi-god, so still not a person.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Lochmonster wrote:

Actually in the original DC continuity she was molded out of clay, so she was never a "person" to begin with.

In the "New 52" she is a demi-god, so still not a person.

DemiGods are People Too!

Paid for by the Committe Of Divine Suffrage.


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I assume that it's because the comic book Amazons were, unlike the creators of the myths referenced, smart enough to realize that having breasts does not prevent a person from shooting a bow or throwing a spear.

I wonder: If ancient Greek society had been dominated by women, would they have come up with an equally laughable story about a society of warrior men that castrated themselves so that they could ride horses?

RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8

LazarX wrote:
DeathQuaker wrote:


d) William Moulton Marston was into bondage.
He also was the inventor of the polygraph.

<nitpicking>

Technically, he invented the blood-pressure stress indicator thingy that became a major part of the polygraph, but not the entire polygraph itself, IIRC. </nitpicking>

Lochmonster wrote:

Actually in the original DC continuity she was molded out of clay, so she was never a "person" to begin with.

In the "New 52" she is a demi-god, so still not a person.

Actually, in the original original original DC continuity, she was an "ordinary" Amazon (still superhuman) whose abilities were purely from Amazon training. This is when she could maybe only lift a car and not a train, and she couldn't fly. This is where the legend of the contest comes from -- Diana gifted with the powers of the gods could easily beat other Amazons. Diana who was just like the other Amazons actually had to prove she was the best of them via her abilities, not by god given gifts.

Interestingly, the 70s TV series used this original Golden Age vision of WW as well, even though otherwise the made of clay version became dominant in comics continuity for a long time once it was introduced (I think post World War II).

Although it is a less super-powerful vision of Wonder Woman, I actually like the "best of the Amazons" version of her quite a lot because she earned her title, she wasn't just born with her amazing abilities.

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8

I had forgotten about the 'best of the Amazons' bit.

From pre-boot, I love Jeanette's ripping of the Amazons in Secret Six which is what got me thinking of my 'how I'd do Wonder Woman series' bit.


'how I'd do Wonder Woman...'

only with permission


DeathQuaker wrote:

Actually, in the original original original DC continuity, she was an "ordinary" Amazon (still superhuman) whose abilities were purely from Amazon training. This is when she could maybe only lift a car and not a train, and she couldn't fly. This is where the legend of the contest comes from -- Diana gifted with the powers of the gods could easily beat other Amazons. Diana who was just like the other Amazons actually had to prove she was the best of them via her abilities, not by god given gifts.

Interestingly, the 70s TV series used this original Golden Age vision of WW as well, even though otherwise the made of clay version became dominant in comics continuity for a long time once it was introduced (I think post World War II).

Although it is a less super-powerful vision of Wonder Woman, I actually like the "best of the Amazons" version of her quite a lot because she earned her title, she wasn't just born with her amazing abilities.

Actually, IIRC she was STILL formed from clay even in the original continuity. It's where the 'child on an island of women' came from. But YEAH, she didn't have any 'gifts' until much later. I THINK there was somethign about the costume that gave her powers... but my memory is fuzzy on that one. That MAY have been the shows... maybe the cartoons... I'm not sure.

All I know is that when on the island, she had to EARN her title as Wonder Woman and the contest wasn't 'rigged by the gods'...

A story I like a LOT better.


Tangent from the OP....
The new WW reboot has been excellent so far. This will go down among my favorite DC runs, like Mark Waid's Flash and Keith Giffen's Legion.

RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8

phantom1592 wrote:
Actually, IIRC she was STILL formed from clay even in the original continuity. It's where the 'child on an island of women' came from. But YEAH, she didn't have any 'gifts' until much later. I THINK there was somethign about the costume that gave her powers... but my memory is fuzzy on that one. That MAY have been the shows... maybe the cartoons... I'm not sure.

I just looked this up to double check: Wonder Woman was not said to be made of clay until Wonder Woman (Vol 1) #105, which was published in 1959, 18 years after her debut. Very early issues of WW and her stories in All Star and Sensation Comics just portrayed her as an Amazon just like the other Amazons; references to her childhood likewise did not come until later.

I am not sure about in the original comics, but in the TV series, WW's golden girdle allowed her to keep "the strength of Paradise Island" with her when she traveled to Man's World. The idea was that on Paradise Island, everyone was super strong and immortal, but I guess away from the island they became ordinary humans without an artifact that carried Paradise Island's power with it. Hence why Wonder Woman was only superstrong in her Wonder Woman persona, and did not have special abilities as Diana Prince.

And of course she does have a lot of "accessory based" powers (I think it was actually Lynda Carter who used something akin to the turn of phrase) -- the indestructible bracelets, the lasso of truth, the tiara that acts as a boomerang.

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8

My Wonder Woman concept (which I started wrting about on my blog) kind of mixed all three.

Spoiler:
The basic plot is that Paradise Island is a storehouse of mystic artifacts. They get stolen, revealing the island to the world. The Amazons can't leave the island because the artifacts are stolen. If they do then they'll age and die. Dianna is sent to be their 'Ambassador' (and find the artifacts, with her sidekicks' help) The girdle, tiara, lasso, and bracelets are 'the last artifacts' that will allow her to keep her Amazon powers in Man's world.

About the seventh episode Dianna gets captured and all her toys taken away. She escapes and demonstrates the Amazon strength/agility/healing factor all my Amazons have before she gets the artifacts back. It's commented on but not followed up with.

Towards the end of season one, an Amazon comes to the embassy with a desperate message. Dianna, thinking quickly, puts her gear on the dying Amazon. After all, she knows she won't wither and die like the Amazon is doing, so she can use the 'island enhancing artifacts' to save the woman's life.

It fails.

In later seasons we find out that while the gear does enhance her reflexes and speed (which is why she can deflect with the bracers), her not losing her powers comes from the 'shaped from clay' origin. Basically she can't 'leave the island,' because she's part of it.


I liked the Greg Rucka era where she was an ambassador to the United Nations and all the stuff with the medias:
-Are you for Death penalty?
-Yes but not in the sense that...
-And homosexuality?
-Well, I live on an island where we're only women...
Are you lesbian?
-No, but...
And she couldn't punch them in the face!


yellowdingo wrote:
Just a question. Why does Wonder Woman (aka Diana the Amazon) have two breasts if she is an Amazon?

She wouldn't be an iconic heroin, she's be Whoa from Kung Pow.


DeathQuaker wrote:

a) Amazons at least at some point in some version of DC Continuity, who the hell knows what is true now, were the reincarnated souls of women who had lived their lives as slaves (or something like that; I'm going off a distant memory here). The bracelets were reminders of the shackles they wore in their previous lives.

This was the Perez/Post-Crisis Reboot. When Hippolyta (and the Themiscirans) and Orythia (and the forebears of the Banu Tribe)escaped from the clutches of Herc and company, they hacked off the chains. But Hippolyta decreed that they would all retain the shackles as a remembrance. Diana - the only child born on Themiscira, and her mirror-clone Donna, adopted this tradition.

I don't recall atm, if Artemis and the Banu also wore them.

DeathQuaker wrote:
Although it is a less super-powerful vision of Wonder Woman, I actually like the "best of the Amazons" version of her quite a lot because she earned her title, she wasn't just born with her amazing abilities.

This is probably why the DCAU had all Amazons be as powerful as Kryptonians (minus the Laser Eyes and Flying) and Atlanteans (minus the waterbreathing). And then didn't use the contest at all.

When Artemis was the WW, she wore a Girdle, Bracers, and Sandals to simulate Diana's powers.

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