Some superheroes rely mainly on their special powers, like Superman. Others, like Batman, rely entirely on their kit to help them fight bad guys. He has to. He has no superpowers. And then there are others who combine their powers with weapons to devastating effect. Step forward Wonder Woman. She wields a whip like a badass. Technically, it’s a lasso, but whatever – it’s magical, and she’s got super powers which means with the two combined, she’s just formidable.
But the lasso isn’t the only weapon in her considerable cache – the Amazon princess comes armed with a veritable arsenal of weapons and defensive gear that make her arguably the most tooled-up superhero in the DC Universe. As Wonder Woman gears up to hit the big screen, here’s a run-down of Diana Prince’s most prominent and powerful gear.
Sword of Athena
You will have seen Diana first set eyes on this magical sword from the Gods in the Wonder Woman trailers. In the footage we’ve seen, her mother, Queen Hippolyta, tells her about the gifts that have been bestowed upon the Amazons by the gods. They’re all kept in some kind of impenetrable tower by the looks of it, and Hippolyta takes her daughter to show her.
She’s immediately entranced and makes it her mission to one day make that sword hers, even though she’s told “only the fiercest” among the Amazons could wield it. Of course, we see Diana as a grown-up claiming it as her own, and later in the film we’ll see her wield it on the island of Themyscira where she was raised and also in World War I London and beyond.
Not only is the sword presumably imbued with magical powers, and not only does Diana possess superpowers herself, but she’s also been trained to fight with melee weapons. Ten times harder than anyone else has had to train, at that. Imagine being on the business end of that sword. No, thanks.
Finally, in the DC Extended Universe, the sword comes engraved with a quote from the book Goddesses: Mysteries of the Feminine Divine by Joseph Campbell. In a fictional language developed for the film, it reads: “Life is killing life all the time and so the goddess kills herself in the sacrifice of her own animal”. Fearsome.
The Lasso of Hestia
We’ve seen footage from the film of Diana using her glowing lasso. But before Wonder Woman, we saw her use it in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, against Doomsday, no less.
The lasso is a remarkable bit of kit. Its powers include an ability to not only whip and wrangle bad guys with ease – assisted by Diana’s considerable skills of course – but it’s also very long. And strong. Oh, and it’s not alternatively referrred to as the Lasso of Truth for nothing: it forces people to tell the truth.
Two Types of Body Armour
The metal bodice we’ve seen her wearing in battle shots might look a bit restrictive, but Diana seems pretty comfortable in it. She seems more worried about the clothes regular women wore in the early 1900s in footage we’ve seen. And she has a point.
And anyway, it is a God-supplied armoured outfit, and therefore it’s highly likely that the metallic substance it’s fashioned from may well have different properties that could allow for more freedom of movement.
We also see Diana wearing an alternative, although not dissimilar, get-up on Themyscira – a copper-coloured affair with leather strapping. Is this her comic book War suit? Possibly, although the version from the comics comes with a helmet, and there are wings that sprout from the back as well as shoulder plates and a chest plate. We’ve seen no sign of these additions in any of the footage released to date.
Those Boots Are Made For More Than Walking
While we’re all still in recovery after seeing Supergirl sporting Wonder Woman’s famous armoured legwear in that promo video, our thoughts turn to their properties.
The thing about Wonder Woman is that she has mad jumping skills, and can even fly a bit. Do her boots help her in this? Possibly. And while the glimpses we’ve seen of Diana in Wonder Woman show her to be an independent woman apparently previously unexposed to the patriarchy – and therefore presumably unaffected by centuries of patriarchal values bestowed upon women – it’s also interesting to see her conforming to notions of femininity in some way. Those boots have a heel. Albeit a relatively sensible wedge.
They also seem magical – you can definitely see sparks fly off them in one scene.
Her Crowning Glory
Wonder Woman wears her tiara when she’s in full battle gear. It’s not yet known whether we’ll see her use it to its full potential in the film but it can be used as a throwing weapon. It’s also known to acts as a boomerang and returns to Diana after she’s thrown it.
If it’s made from the same material as her arm cuffs, it will also most likely deflect bullets. Win.
Bracelets of Submission
Now, these are impressive. Silver and gold coloured, they’re supposedly forged from the shield of Zeus. They’re indestructible. Wonder Woman frequently uses them defensively, to deflect bullets and other forms of attack. They also form a shield when she crosses them in front of her that is able to withstand explosions. They will also absorb energy and deflect attacks from supervillains like Doomsday.
She can even use them as an offensive weapon, creating a shockwave to disarm her opponent.
The Shield
We’ve seen plenty of footage of Wonder Woman using her shield to block attacks – it was invaluable against the force of Doomsday in Batman v Superman. And she’s certainly rarely without it when we’ve seen her in battle mode in footage from the new Wonder Woman film.
It’s also magical, withstanding all manner of attacks, from the relentless fiery electric blasts of Doomsday to short-range melee attacks. It keeps others safe behind it too – including Superman who she protects from a sustained strike in Batman vs Superman. She even uses it as a weapon, giving Doomsday a good clonk on the calf at one point.
It protects her from a car that’s hurled, and flying debris, too. So while you might at first think the shield unnecessary if she’s wearing her bracelets, it actually gives her more options so is a worthwhile part of her kit.
Rifling through the comics reveals a batch of other equipment up Wonder Woman’s sleeve, but it’s unlikely we’ll see much if any of these additional items in Wonder Woman. Director Patty Jenkins has already dismissed the idea of the Invisible Jet appearing for one thing, saying that the film’s events take place so early in Wonder Woman’s story that it wouldn’t have been the plane they wanted. In the comics, the plane is customised with alien tech as her story progresses.
With that in mind, can we expect to see more of Wonder Woman’s arsenal in future films? Let’s hope so.
Wonder Woman is out in the UK on June 1 and US on June 2.