Wonder Girl named new Wonder Woman

Diana Prince hands off her tiara to Donna Troy.

Published June 13, 2006 12:30PM (EDT)

Wow, anyone else get vivid flashbacks to super-powerful, bullet-repellent wrist cuffs and a rapidly spinning Lynda Carter when they hear the name "Diana Prince"? Anyone else picture her as the first-ever newsstand cover girl for Ms. magazine?

Well, Diana Prince's days in the heavily starched, red, white, blue and gold strapless onesie are over. Wonder Woman's civilian alter ego for the past 65 years is turning over the keys to the invisible jet to sidekick Donna Troy, aka Wonder Girl.

DC Comics is relaunching the "Wonder Woman" series, starting with issue No. 1, in which Diana steps down from her superhero throne because she's having trouble with her reputation as a heroine after having killed an enemy earlier in the year. The new series will be written by television scribe Allan Heinberg, who told the Scripps Howard News Service that "it's safe to say that Donna is Wonder Woman throughout my run."

The kid in me who was regularly forced by my older best friend to be Wonder Girl instead of Wonder Woman applauds this power handoff. But I've got to admit loyalty to Diana Prince and some concerns about her successor's chops. Apparently, this Donna character is going to be wearing armor in addition to that bathing suit get-up. Even with the added defenses, Donna gets to keep the bulletproof bracelets and golden lasso. It's unclear if she also retains rights to Diana's foxy longtime boyfriend, Steve Trevor.

It has been a big month for pen-and-ink heroines: This Wonder Woman news comes on the heels of the introduction of a lesbian Batwoman character.


By Rebecca Traister

Rebecca Traister writes for Salon. She is the author of "Big Girls Don't Cry: The Election that Changed Everything for American Women" (Free Press). Follow @rtraister on Twitter.

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