Gods and Mortals - Post-Crisis Alterations To Wonder Woman's History

Post-Crisis Alterations To Wonder Woman's History

• Wonder Woman first leaves Themyscira and arrives in the United States during the events of the 1986 Legends crossover rather than at the dawn of the Silver Age. Within the DC Universe timeline, this has Wonder Woman appear in the DCU several years later than Superman, Batman, Green Lantern Hal Jordan, et al., as well as several years after the formation of the Justice League, invalidating her status as a founding member despite her presence in the original series. This retcon also erased virtually all Wonder Woman stories and appearances from the Golden Age, Silver Age, and up through the Crisis on Infinite Earths from canon continuity. In order to compensate for her absence from Justice League continuity, Black Canary was retroactively inserted into the roster in Wonder Woman's place as a founding member.

• In her updated origin, Wonder Woman arrives in the United States with absolutely no knowledge of the English language, having been raised in a society secluded from the rest of the world for some 3,000 years. This differs from all previous Wonder Woman origin stories in which Diana arrives in the United States already fluent in English. A fast learner, Diana picks up a solid proficiency in the language with the help of Julia Kapatelis by the time of her first confrontation with Ares in Gods and Mortals, and is fluent within a few months of living in America.

• Steve Trevor, who was previously seen as a younger man of comparable age to Wonder Woman and who had acted as a romantic interest for Wonder Woman throughout her entire comic's history since her first appearance in 1940 (including all television adaptations and even in the 2009 animated movie), was re-written to be in his forties, some twenty years older than Diana, and, rather than a suitor, would come to act as more of a brotherly figure to Diana. He later marries Etta Candy.

• Pre-Crisis, the name "Wonder Woman" was a title by the Amazons for the greatest Amazon warrior. Post-Crisis, the name was given to Diana by the U.S. media shortly after her first public appearance after a reporter takes note of her breastplate insignia resembling a double-W.

• In her pre-crisis origin, Wonder Woman's star-spangled American-themed costume is deliberately designed by the Amazons to mimic the American flag in order to aid her in gaining the trust and support of the American people. In her post-crisis origin, revealed in Challenge of the Gods, the costume was created years before Diana's birth as ceremonial armor inspired by WWII U.S. Air Force pilot Diana Rockwell Trevor, who by an ironic twist of fate happened to be the mother of Steve Trevor. Diana Trevor had crash landed on Themyscira decades before Diana's birth and sacrificed her life to save her Amazon sisters who were being attacked by the Cottus, who had broken through Doom's Doorway, the barrier jailing numerous mythical monsters beneath Themyscira. In order to pay tribute to the unknown woman who had saved their lives, the Amazons created two costumes based on the patches and badges worn on Trevor's jacket - one that was worn by Trevor at her cremation, and the other which would only be worn by a champion worthy of the armor. This would be given to Diana after she won the contest to go face Ares in 'Man's World'.

• Pre-Crisis, Diana had the standard compunction against killing as most superheroes of the DC Universe. This version is a classically trained warrior with an corresponding practicality in battle and is perfectly willing to use deadly force when the situation calls for it.