By The Gods
While Wonder Woman’s origin has changed and evolved as it has been retold over the years, one thing that remains constant is that she is a product of the gods. Whether she was molded out of clay by Amazon Queen Hippolyta and given life by the Greek pantheon or if she’s the illegitimate child of Zeus and Hippolyta, she is a demigod with divine power flowing through her veins. The Gods of Olympus bestowed blessings upon her, providing her with enhanced strength, longevity, speed, durability, senses, beauty and intelligence. Her godly nature also provides her with a natural defense against magical attacks, something that comes in handy when fighting all manner of sorcerers, witches, and supernatural monsters.Also, it turns out that Wonder Woman’s iconic bracelets actually keep her true abilities in check, and taking them off unleashes an immense power within her that sends her into rage mode. Taking them off for the first time made for one of the most badass exchanges in all of comic book-dom:The New 52 saw Wonder Woman kill Ares and take his place as the new God of War, giving her all the powers of arguably the most dangerous of the gods. Another notable upgrade came at the end of Blackest Night where she was chosen to wield the power of the Star Sapphire. Although both of these power increases were temporary, they demonstrate that she's capable of harnessing even more power than she already possesses.
Special Weapons
She’s formidable enough by nature, but Wonder Woman also makes regular use of a wide variety of special weapons.In terms of defense, she does sometimes rely on Amazonian armor and shield, but she always wears her unbreakable bracelets, also known as the Aegis of Athena or the Bracelets of Submission, capable of deflecting bullets, lasers, heat vision and pretty much anything else that comes her way. That’s not to say they can’t be used offensively: she can precisely deflect projectiles back at her enemies like a Jedi or slam the bracelets together to generate a concussive blast. One version of the bracelets could magically produce edged weapons for her to use at a moment’s notice. And another gave her the ability to wield the lightning of Zeus.
She also has a tiara that provides her some protection against telepathy and gives her the ability to contact her Amazon sisters back home. She can also throw it like a razor-edged boomerang, one sharp enough to slice Superman’s throat.Although if she wants to do some serious cutting she can always rely on her enchanted sword, forged by the god Hephaestus with a blade so fine it can cut the electrons off an atom, if you're going by the Kingdom Come continuity.
The Lasso of Truth, also known as the Lariat of Hestia or the Golden Perfect, is Wonder Woman’s most iconic and unique item: a virtually unbreakable lasso made of golden thread. While she does use it as a weapon in battle to whip and capture enemies, it’s magical abilities are where its true value lies. Anyone ensnared in the lasso must speak the truth, which is helpful when you need to get crucial information out of the bad guy you just defeated.
And finally, Wonder Woman has the ability to fly. Usually this is one of her gifts from the gods, but we’ve also seen her wear the Boots of Hermes to take to the skies. Either way, it allows her to attack from any angle to get the upper hand on her enemies.
Combat Training
Of course, all of those weapons would mean little if she didn’t know how to use them. Wonder Woman has incredible combat prowess thanks to the Amazon warrior training she received growing up on Themyscira, most notably from General Antiope, the most fearsome of all Amazon warriors. On top of that, the goddess Athena blessed her with the gifts of military strategy and proficiency in armed and unarmed combat.Batman himself said that Wonder Woman is the "best melee fighter in the world.” And given that he’s Batman -- one of the best fighters and smartest minds in DC lore -- it’s hard to think of any higher praise.
To his point, after Wonder Woman blinded herself in order to defeat Medusa, the Justice League decided to test her in order to make sure she was still fit for duty. She beat Martain Manhunter, Flash, Black Canary and Plastic Man. All at once. While blind.
Villains
If you want a real indicator of a hero’s power, just look at their villains. Not taking anything away from the heroes that fight robots and aliens that are a global threat, but Wonder Woman takes on Gods. Yes, Superman does often square off against the evil god Darkseid, but he’s a god with a little “g” whereas Wonder Woman must bring down literal, actual Gods like Ares and Hades who wield immeasurable power and control aspects of reality at a whim.On the flip side, Batman considers Wonder Woman herself as a threat with no real counter. He keeps a collection of boxes that hold the special secret to taking down each member of the Justice League should they ever go rogue or get mind-controlled, like a piece of Kyrptonite for Superman. But Batman reveals to Superman that there is nothing inside Wonder Woman's box, and that were she to become compromised, only Superman would stand a chance against her.
Heroic Inspiration
Even after taking all of that into consideration, there’s an x-factor that makes Wonder Woman even more formidable: her heroism. As an ambassador from Themyscira to the outside world, she’ll do whatever she can to make peace if there’s peace to be made. But if her enemy crosses the line, she won’t hesitate to do what’s necessary to ensure the world stays safe. Batman and Superman (usually) have strict no-killing policies, but Wonder Woman was raised as a fighter and doesn’t play by their rules.She’s a warrior for peace, a contradictory label to be sure, yet it speaks to the core of her character. Wonder Woman is the most compassionate and loving person on the planet, but that doesn’t mean she’ll go easy on you if you’re an evil villain who goes about corrupting and murdering to get their way. If an evildoer wreaks havoc and won’t listen to reason, she sees it as her duty to put them down like a dangerous animal. It's her maternal instinct that compels her to cross that line so others don't have to.
She once explained that there’s a reason she doesn’t have a list of villains as long as Batman's or the Flash. Quote: "When I deal with them, I deal with them."
Still, it’s those complex moral ideals that make her a beacon of justice in the DC Universe. She values truth above all else and practically radiates warmth and confidence. Yes, Superman is strong and Batman is smart, but Wonder Woman is the one you want leading an army into battle because inspires those around her with her strength and kindness. When Wonder Woman walks into a room, she exudes, “I got this.” And that, above any other weapon or ability she may have, is what makes her so powerful.Joshua is IGN’s Comics Editor. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.