I represent the Wonder Woman of the new world – Gal Gadot
Every hero has a weakness, it’s part of the mythology that allows the reader to identify with them by exposing their humanity and rejecting the idea of absolute perfection.
By understanding that even the mightiest warrior can be toppled by the most unexpected, and often mundane, everyday things, we’re taught that flaws are part of what it means to be mortal and that if our heroes can accept their flaws, and fight on despite them, then we can too.
Fables are stories, are, after all, the armor that prepares us for, and ensures that we’re ready and able to deal with whatever life throws at us.
From Achilles to Superman, and Green Lantern to Samson, every hero throughout history whether they’re gifted with superpowers or not, has a weakness that can be, and is often, exploited by the enemies in an attempt to tilt the odds of battle in their favor.
Some heroes have more than one weakness, but it seems odd that the demi-god Diana, Princess of Themyscira, more commonly known as Wonder Woman, one of the fiercest warriors in color history, is burdened by eleven weaknesses that her enemies can exploit and use to vanquish her.
And in the interests of fairness, and just in case you ever come face to face with Woman Woman, and need a way to level the playing field, we’re going to tell you about eleven so that maybe, just maybe you’ll live to tell the tale of the time that you fought and defeated Wonder Woman…
It’s common knowledge that Wonder Woman’s creator William Moulton Marston had some incredibly bizarre ideas about sexuality and that his personal life was a little unconventional for the era that he lived in.
Marston wanted to educate his readership about alternative lifestyles and used his interest in bondage as one of Wonder Woman’s weaknesses.
If she was ever bound, or tied up by a man, Diana would have to acquiesce to his will, which seems like an incredibly dated and sexist idea to us.
DC probably thought the same, which is undoubtedly the reason why it’s since been written out of the character’s mythology.
Bracelets Of Submission
Made from Eight metal, one of the strongest known metals in the DC Universe, Wonder Woman’s bracelets aren’t just for show.
Diana wears them as they allow her to channel and control her incredible power and without them, she wouldn’t be able to focus and would be overcome by rage and pure unadulterated fury, which would gradually transform her from hero to villain.
It explains why, after her bracelets are shattered in a fight with Cheetah in Wonder Woman #750, she’s so desperate to replace them, before she can be overcome by her own power.
It’s a Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s…
When DC decided to change their whole Universe with the launch of The New 52 they recreated the backstories of their main characters, disposed of Lois Lane, and made Wonder Woman and Superman the power couple for a new generation.
It was Batman who initially pointed out to Clark Kent that he was Wonder Woman’s primary weakness and the one thing that any determined villain could exploit in order to control the most powerful woman alive.
With This Poison…
Moving away from four-color lore for a moment, in the full-length animated feature Justice League: Doom, Cheetah uses poison to change Diana from a full-throttle hero into a raging, savage monster who attacked anyone in sight. Just like us mere mortals, Wonder Woman can be felled by the right combination of chemicals.
Fear Is The Key
And while we’re on the subject of chemicals, Wonder Woman, like Batman and any other superhero with a drop of mortal blood in their veins, can be waylaid and brought to heel by the Scarecrow’s fear gas.
Her Childhood
In the recent DCU film Wonder Woman, Diana is unaware of the outside world until Steve Trevor crashlands on Themyscira, and her innocence and lack of knowledge about the outside world could easily be exploited to turn a warrior into a weapon.
The Truth Won’t Set You Free
Diana is just as susceptible to the power of her own lasso as anyone else caught in it is.
It’s a weapon of the gods that was gifted to her by Olympus, and even though she’s a demi-god, Diana is unable to resist the effects of her lasso and would be forced to tell the truth if she were to become entangled and wrapped in it.
William Marston really does have a lot to answer for.
The Eyes Are The Windows To The Soul
A person’s eyes can often tell you everything that you need to know about them, but they’re just another weakness that Diana’s enemies can use against her.
Anyone who could get close enough to Diana could gouge her in the eyes, temporarily blind her, and then…
With This Knife
She may be a demi-god, but Diana’s skin is vulnerable to edged weapons and arrows, and a combined attack that left her blind, and then stabbed multiple times could be enough to ensure that one of the DC universe most powerful characters could fall to the most innocuous of history’s weapons, the humble knife.
Getting close enough to actually stab her though, could prove to be more than a little problematic.
A Hail Of Bullets
If you can’t get close enough to stab her with a knife, you could always try shooting her. She’s been shot before, and she’ll almost definitely be shot again, but you’ll have to be quick and accurate, or she’ll deflect the bullets with her bracelets and you’ll just end up making her angry.
Andjust like the Hulk, you wouldn’t like Wonder Woman when she’s angry.
Time’s Winged Chariot
Diana may be a demi-god and she may age far slower than mortals do, but she isn’t immortal, and one day, far off in the future, old age will catch up with her and she’ll have to submit to its embrace just like every other living thing does.
