The Golden Age

The superheroine's original incarnation might look a little quaint now (the cover shown here is from 1942). Yes, in her secret identity, she worked as a nurse. Yes, as the sole female member of the Justice Society of America, she was made the group's secretary. Yes, she's wearing a skirt. But Wonder Woman was invented by controversial feminist theorist William Moulton Marston, and he layered his creation's mythology with all sorts of intriguing arcana. (Example: Wonder Woman's friendship with a sorority called the Holliday Girls came under fire from anti-comics crusader Fredric Wertham for promoting lesbian themes. Suffice it to say, nobody was accusing Green Lantern of promoting lesbian themes.)