7 Things You Might Have Missed in ‘Wonder Woman’

Finally, after 75 years and many variations, ret-cons, and reboots, the first ever live-action ‘Wonder Woman’ movie has come. Taking place in the shared DC Expanded Universe, ‘Wonder Woman’ shows us the origins of the character as she confronts the darkness that now consumes the world in the grip of war. Laying down the foundation for her recurring appearances throughout the upcoming projects, it’s a refreshing change of pace that might be what these movies needed to regain the respect of its fans, despite the long list of missteps so far. Already raking in a staggering $228 million worldwide, ‘Wonder Woman’ is already on track to be one of the highest-grossing films of the year. With the amazing combination of humor, action, and superheroic spectacle, it’s likely you may not have been so eagle-eyed in spotting all the subtle nods throughout the movie. These are seven things you might have missed in ‘Wonder Woman’:

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Clay Origins

The origin story of Wonder Woman was explained by saying she was sculpted from the earth and breathed to life by Zeus. This is actually one of the many very different variations on her tale. She’s been depicted as being the direct descendants of Zeus, Aphrodite, and even Ares respectfully. There have even been pockets of lore where she has no idea where her true lineage lies, bringing her to seek it out.

The Great War

The primary conflict in which Diana finds herself is The Great War, aka World War I. This change to the lore may have been lost on some, but Wonder Woman’s first appearance was actually in All-Star #8, released in 1941, almost 30 years later. It’s pretty obvious certain parallels would have been made to ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ had they kept things in WWII as it was, so it was a necessary alteration.

The Godkiller

Diana’s designated anti-Ares weapon was the legendary blade, The Godkiller. While the movie depicted it as a sword the entire time with no other significant attributes, this weapon actually has a pretty versatile trait. In the comics, The Godkiller has the power to assume the form of whatever the wielder requires for the strategic advantage, even making the wielder tactically smarter in the heat of battle.

Ice Cream

The moment with Diana enjoying her first ice cream cone was a bit more iconic than some might realize. The first time we see this exchange with an ice cream vendor is for the start of ‘New 52’ taking place in modern day. The moment was also recreated in the WB Animation movie, ‘Justice League: War’, so it seems this is a scene that has resonated with fans and we’ll likely be seeing again in future versions of the story.

The Alley Fight

You probably remember the scene where Diana saves Steve Trevor from the Germans chasing him down. The shootout in the alleyway in which they find themselves results in her extending her arm and deflecting the bullets with her indestructible bracelets. This was a clear reference to the scene in the original 1978 ‘Superman’ starring Christopher Reeve where virtually the same thing took place.

Dr. Poison

The villainous Dr. Poison has taken a few forms in the comics, but her one recognizable trait was altered slightly for the film, giving us a slightly new aesthetic. Normally, we see Dr. Poison with a stretched out, creepy grin, not unlike the Joker. This version needed to be more sympathetic so the grin was covered by a porcelain mask thanks to some apparent chemical damage she’s suffered…not unlike Joker’s girlfriend in 1989’s Batman.

Secretary

While in London, Steve Trevor hides the identity of Diana by claiming she is his secretary. This was a nod to the fact that Wonder Woman actually did become secretary for the Justice Society of America, which took place during a period when even female superheroes were regarded as second class. The jokes throughout the movie at the expense of that seem pretty well founded now.