WONDERLAND • The Ultimate Wonder Woman Site

	"When I was a kid, I was gawky, skinny and tall," she remembered. "In the seventh grade I was 5'5" tall, weighed 100 pounds and wore a size 12 shoe. The other kids called me'Gunboats."

	Today those same kids might call her "Queen Mary" after the elegant ocean liner because that gawky, skinny girl has stretched out to 5"81/2" and has become the beautiful Lynda Carter. Most people know her as Wonder Woman, the superheroine of comic books who has taken her magical powers to the land of television.

	It isn't surprising that Carter, a childhood klutz should play the part of the confident, intelligent and self-reliant heroine. Carter is similar to Wonder Woman in attitude and action and believes strongly in the ideals Wonder Woman presents.

	"Frankly, I've always felt I was MEANT to play this part," she said. "I've identified with her since childhood. It was a wonderful fantasy to imagine having all those special powers, to be independent, strong and brave, and to help people."

	It was Wonder Woman's combination of strength and bravery, beauty and wisdom that young girls like Lynda Carter could relate to. Back then, there were countless heroes for boys, from athletes to astronauts, scientists to statesmen; but there were few real-life heroines for girls, so Wonder Woman filled a real void.

	The comic book character did well by Carter, who said the heroine gave her the emotional strength to withstand the good-natured teasing of her friends. But she was doubly lucky. Not only did she have Wonder Woman to fall back on, she had her family as well. "My parents were always there to support me," she said. "They encouraged me to stay involved in athletics. They told me to ignore the taunt of my friends."

	It's that kind of encouragement that Carter, as Wonder Woman, hopes to pass on to other girls. "I think the character's important," she said, " because it shows a positive woman doing positive things for people in a non-passive way. That's why I won't play her as a cartoon."

The original Wonder Woman may hav been in a comic book, but she was hardly cartoon. In fact, her origins are as interesting as her adventures. It's easier to understand this unique character's appeal to girls once you know the reasons behind her creation. Wonder Woman is a rich blend of psychological research, ancient mythology, democracy and war propaganda.

Psychologist William Moulton Marston shrewdly developed his character, thanks partly to experiences with the lie detector, which he invented. In the early 1940s Marston used the polygraph to gauge the true feelings that men and women held for each other. Women, he found, believed that women and men have about the same number of favorable and unfavorable traits. Not so with men, who attributed 25 good virtues to themselves and only nine negative ones. Women, the men said, possess 29 unfavorable characteristics but only 12 favorable ones. Men considered women lazy, fickle and weak, but they saw themselves as aggressive, brave and dependable.

Marston discovered that the more men were attracted to women, the more inclined they were to degrade them. He concluded that men said these things because they felt vulnerable around women. Marston believed men were uncomfortable with this feeling because it undermined masculine traits like strength, courage and aggressiveness.

Other Marston research centered around women's mental ability. He had mock juries, comprised either of all men or all women, judge the same court cases. Time and again, the women came up with the most rational and deliberate decisions.

Attitudes about women that further aided Marston's research popped up in unusual places, like mythology. The ancient Greeks gave their gods and goddesses equal and important roles. The Amazons, a legendary race of superwomen who ran their own society, did not escape Marston's eyes.

Six months after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Wonder Woman first appeared in a continuing comic book series. Written by Marston until his death in 1947 under the pen name of Charles Moulton, the comic book was based largely on his research and his belief in American democracy.

In every comic, Wonder Woman is described as "beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, stronger than Hercules and more swift than Mercury." The first story introduced a distinct set of characters. A plane carrying Captain Steve Trevor of the U.S. Intelligence Service crashes on the uncharted Paradise Island, home of the Amazons. Trevor is hospitalized and comforted by Princess Diana, daughter of Queen Hippolyta.

Paradise Island boasts of no wars, no poverty, no hatred and no men. Eons ago, the Amazons had escaped from the cruel subjugation of men to live by themselves, although how they reproduce is never explained. Trevor's appearance causes shock and concern. The situation worsens when Hippolyta learns her daughter is falling in love with Trevor.

Hippolyta consults Aphrodite and Athena, the guiding goddesses of the Amazons. They tell her Trevor was fighting against "the forces of hate and oppression for America, the last citadel of democracy and of equal rights for women." Hippolyta must send one of her superwomen to America to help fight. A contest is held to determine the winner. Of course, it is Princess Diana, or VIP, Diana Prince in America. Marston knew his ideas wouldn't sell if put in a ponderous book. Wisely, he wrote a comic book, with fantasy to appeal to everyone. He gave Wonder Woman bracelets, a lasso, invisible plane and tiara. The good guy became a good girl. After Marston's death in 1947, other writers took over the comic, yet retained the strength of the Wonder Woman characterization.

As long as there have been women, there has been a women’s movement in one for or another. Marston gave women scientific research to back up their beliefs. But he did not see women as complete equals to men. He personally believed that women could not think clearly when emotional. Thus Wonder Woman could not fall in love, lest she lose her strength.

Lynda Carter, who's happily married, is concerned that people might miss the real message behind Wonder Woman. "She has a lot of gadgets that aid her," Carter said, but the best weapons in her arsenal are her dignity and integrity.

"I think it's healthy that young men and women look up to people they admire, regardless of sex," Carter continued. "Wonder Woman is such a figure."

Comic book characters do far more than entertain. They present superhuman role models, the leaping-off point for a young person I s personal fantasies. Yet they also present popular stereotypes, reinforcing positive and negative assumptions about the way people are, or should be.

The Wonder Woman story offers a chance to discuss sex role stereotypes in popular culture. As Gloria Steinem, feminist leader, says of the traditional image: "The trouble with comic book performers of such superhuman feats is that they are almost always heroes. Literally. The female child is left to believe that, even when her body is as grown up as her spirit, she will still be in the childlike role of helping with minor tasks, appreciating men's accomplishments, and being so incompetent and passive that she can only hope some man can come to her rescue. I'm happy to say that I was rescued from this plight at age seven, rescued by a woman."

Steinem's rescuer was Wonder Woman. She tells how this character's phenomenal feats inspired her fantasies and belief in achievement. Lynda Carter, current Wonder Woman in the television series, also says she identifies with the character's positive role model.

In an age of women's liberation, are role models still needed? A classroom discussion can help explore that question. Such a discussion may be heated, and emotions could carry the conversation, so you'll have to be part sociologist, psychologist, biologist and historian to direct the class.

To begin, ask the boys what they believe are attributes of strengths and weaknesses of girls. Are their attitudes any different from those of the Marston subjects? In the Marston survey, men labeled themselves as strong, brave, dependable, good-natured, faithful and loyal. Women, they said, were mentally lazy, fickle, weak, petty, childish and tricky.

How do the girls respond? Ask them about their childhood heroes and heroines -as well as present ones. What were their dreams and aspirations? Did they feel their dreams were realistic? Were their aspirations attainable?

Lynda Carter said, "Boys must learn to respect girls as people. They should respect girls for their talent." How do the boys feel about that statement?

Discuss the historical reasons that explain why society has determined certain roles for men and women. Insights can be gained by studying older cultures that were agricultural and hunting-oriented. The growth of industrialism in the last 150 years had a dramatic impact in making more and better jobs available for women.

Marston was interested in the Greek goddesses and legendary Amazons. Ask the students why they think the Greeks attributed so many fine and worthy characteristics to their goddesses. Does this represent attitudes Greek men held for women? What explains the Amazon legend? Have some students research this to explain how it evolved and why it remains popular.

To put the current women's movement in perspective, have some students research feminists from centuries past. Lucretia Coffin Mott, 1793-1880, fought for equality in pay for New York's men and women teachers. Frances Wright, a Scot, 1795-1852, preached against repression of women. And Englishwoman Mary Wollstonecraft wrote the first major book that asserted women, like men, are human beings and should be treated as such. Published in 1792, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman debated the sexist views of French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau.

Still, many people regard the opposite sex as just that, opposite in every way, shape and form. And, of course, in shape and form at least, men and women are different. But are there psychological differences? What are the biological and psychological similarities and differences between men and women? Can a man be masculine and emotional or a woman feminine and athletic? What determines a person's emotional makeup, biology or culture?

William Marston addressed many of the sexist attitudes in society. Wrapping his philosophy in a popular cultural medium -the comic book-he tried to hammer home his point that women were the equal, if not the superiors, of men.

At times, he went too far. In fact some people, like Gloria Steinem, have said that, at times, Wonder Woman was as sexist as any man. This is reverse prejudice, but it isn't typical of Wonder Woman's purpose. Ask your students if they think Wonder Woman is anti-male.

When classroom discussion is over, hopefully you'll have knocked down some of the walls of bias and misunderstanding, and the students, boys and girls, will be able to see each other for what they really are.