10 Best Wonder Woman Stories in DC Comics History
First appearing in 1941, Diana of Themyscira, aka Wonder Woman, is one of the greatest superheroes of all time and a trailblazing symbol of truth and feminism. One of the very first heroes DC Comics created, Wonder Woman, has been battling the forces of evil for over 80 years. Hailing from the secret island of Themyscira, Diana is the demigod princess of the mighty and all-female warrior race known as the Amazons. She also stands beside Superman and Batman as a member of DC’s iconic Trinity. Wonder Woman has more than earned her position as one of DC’s top three heroes. Like the Greek myths Wonder Woman is based on, her storylines are filled to the brim with action and drama of mythical proportions.
One of the very first female superheroes, Wonder Woman stands as a paragon of virtue and compassion in a world full of lies and exploitation. Many of her greatest stories involve her trying her best to make the right choices for the sake of both her Amazonian sisters and for humanity.
10) “Paradise Lost”
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A storyline encompassing several great tales, “Paradise Lost,” has Wonder Woman face several major threats. The first crisis is that several of Batman’s most notorious villains, the Joker, Scarecrow, and Poison Ivy, had their abilities significantly enhanced by the cruel Greek gods Phobos, Deimos, and Eris. Diana teams up with the Bat-Family to take on the god-powered villains who are wreaking havoc in Gotham City. Things go from bad to worse, however, when Themyscira breaks out into civil war, and Diana desperately tries to end the conflict. Not only does “Paradise Lost” present a storyline in which the stakes continually escalate, but it also offers a fascinating analysis of who Diana is as a person and her role in the world.
9) “The Circle”
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In this fascinating storyline, “The Circle,” takes Wonder Woman back to her roots and offers an interesting shift in her role as an agent of the Department of Metahuman Affairs, where she meets her new love interest, special agent Tom Tresser. The story presents an intriguing new perspective on the period leading up to Diana’s birth. The titular Circle is an alliance of Amazons who believed that Diana’s creation would doom Themyscira. In the modern day, Diana’s role in the DMA leads to fighting Neo-Nazi who have invaded Themyscira. However, upon returning to her homeland, Diana finds herself confronted by the Circle, who won’t rest until she’s dead. “The Circle” is a wild and captivating ride that examines Diana’s relationship with her mother, Hippolyta.
8) “The Twelve Labors”
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Like Hercules, Wonder Woman herself must undertake twelve impossible labors. After a previous storyline in which Diana lost and eventually regained her powers at the expense of her memories, the Amazon questions if she’s worthy of rejoining the Justice League. Diana asks her former teammates to observe her over the subsequent twelve missions to see if her memory loss has affected her ability to fight crime. What follows is twelve epic challenges in which Diana must use her strength and wits to prove herself to her fellow superheroes while also trying to reclaim her lost memories. It’s a fun story that cleverly modernizes the classic Greek myth in a superhero setting, while also showing off why Wonder Woman is one of DC Comics’ strongest and most determined heroes.
7) “Challenge of the Gods”
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Since Ancient Greece, countless women have fallen victim to Zeus’s lust, and Wonder Woman eventually finds herself the latest target of the god’s depraved affection. Naturally, Diana spurns Zeus’s advances and proposal for marriage, which enrages the King of Olympus. In retaliation, Zeus forces the Amazonian hero to battle all manner of demons and monsters, including the Hydra and Hecatoncheires. “Challenge of the Gods” also introduces the third and greatest Cheetah of all time, Barbara Ann Minerva, who quickly cements herself as one of Diana’s most fearsome adversaries. This storyline has Wonder Woman face her most significant challenges in a battle of mythical proportions that has a long-lasting effect on her lore.
6) JLA: A League of One
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In one of the best stories that emphasizes why Wonder Woman is an integral member of the Justice League, the Princess of Themyscira must battle her friends to save them from destruction. When Diana learns of a prophecy where the members of the Justice League will all die facing a powerful dragon, she takes matters into her own hands. To spare her friends’ lives, she incapacitates them one by one, leaving only herself to battle the dragon. Diana is fully prepared to die fighting the mythical beast if it means that the rest of the Justice League members get to live. It’s a fantastic story of sacrifice that perfectly encapsulates the selfless hero Wonder Woman is.
5) “Eyes of the Gorgon”
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Wonder Woman has faced all manner of gods and beasts from Greek mythology, including the “Eyes of the Gorgon,” which have her battle the fearsome Medusa. On top of that epic premise, the story also features Diana becoming the ambassador of Themyscira, making it a complex political thriller. And of course, while trying to negotiate peace between the United States and the Amazons, Diana must face off against the recently resurrected Medusa. To combat this terrifying threat, Diana is forced to make a terrible sacrifice that has long-lasting ramifications. “Eyes of the Gorgon” perfectly balances political intrigue with incredible battles against one of the most famous monsters of all time.
4) Wonder Woman #750
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This massive 96-page issue, Wonder Woman #750, is the ultimate tribute to Wonder Woman. The comic comprises nine incredible self-contained stories set in the past, present, and future. Many of Diana’s best villains, including Cheetah, Ares, Circe, and Silver Swan, all make appearances and have engaging and thought-provoking interactions with the Princess of Themyscira. Every story shows a different aspect of Diana’s character and what drives her to be a hero. Wonder Woman #750 is an incredible celebration of who Wonder Woman is and how her compassion and empathy make her one of the greatest heroes in comic book history.
3) Wonder Woman: Dead Earth
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Among DC Comics’ finest stories under its Black Label imprint, Wonder Woman: Death Earth takes the Princess of Themyscira in a dark new direction. Awakening after a century-long slumber, Diana finds herself in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Trapped in the irradiated wastelands, Diana must protect the last remnants of human civilization from legions of nightmarish and bloodthirsty mutants. However, not everything is as it seems, as Diana begins to unravel the nature of this desolate future and whether she may have played a role in its creation. One of the darkest Wonder Woman stories ever told, this post-apocalyptic tale is full of heart-pounding action and incredible artwork with a story of hope and redemption at its core.
2) “The Hiketeia”
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In “The Hiketeia,” Wonder Woman fights Batman in one of the most significant superhero clashes in DC Comics. The story revolves around a young woman named Danielle who arrives at Diana’s doorstep and invokes the sacred Hiketeia ritual, which requires the Amazon to protect her. However, the Dark Knight soon reveals that he is tracking Danielle because she’s wanted for murdering the sex traffickers who killed her sister. Because she refuses to give up the woman under her protection, Diana and Batman soon come to blows. “The Hiketeia” does a fantastic job showing how Diana’s honorable and compassionate mindset clashes with Batman’s strict code of justice. Like a Greek tragedy, the story is an exploration of morality and justice, and how they don’t always overlap.
1) “Gods and Mortals”
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The most extraordinary story written by Wonder Woman’s best writer, George Perez, is “Gods and Mortals.” It’s a masterful reinvention of the Princess of Themyscira that would influence all future storytelling involving the character. After Crisis on Infinite Earths, Perez took the opportunity to delve deeper into Diana’s Amazonian origin and her ties to Greek mythology in ways no story had done before. The story is a modern reimagining of the origin of Themyscira, Diana’s upbringing, and her journey to Man’s World, where she must stop Ares from unleashing World War III. What makes “Gods and Mortals” such an iconic storyline is how it takes full advantage of the Greek mythology setting to elevate Diana’s backstory and personality in ways that cements her place among DC Comics’ finest heroes.
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