10 Weaknesses You Didn’t Know Wonder Woman Had
Wonder Woman has been around since the 1940s, using her incredible powers and god-forged weapons to fight evil and injustice in all its forms. The Amazonian warrior is known for her strength and strong morals, but like any hero, she has her weaknesses.
Even the sometime daughter of Zeus makes mistakes, and some have managed to use Wonder Woman’s most famous attributes against her. Diana may be a demigod, but she’s never been all-powerful. With such a long history, it’s not a surprise that some of her enemies have found some clever ways to turn her weaknesses against her.
10 Wonder Woman Can’t Be Bound By A Man
Wonder Woman’s creator, William Moulton Marston, had some unusual ideas for his heroine, some of which included themes of bondage. In her original stories, and up until the 1980s, Diana’s main weakness was being bound by a man.
If captured and bound by a man, Wonder Woman couldn’t access her powers. If a woman tied her up, however, Diana remained as strong as ever. To a modern audience, it seems strange to have a hero intended to be a feminist icon weakened by a man in this way. Thankfully, this weakness has been left to history.
9 Her Bracelets Restrict Her Powers
One of Wonder Woman’s most recognizable weapons is her Bracelets of Submission, but these actually function as a weakness. Based on certain origin stories, Wonder Woman is a demigod, making her immensely powerful.
Wonder Woman’s bracelets were made to help her control her powers. Most fans link the bracelets to Diana’s ability to deflect bullets and other attacks, but the bracelets actually limited Wonder Woman’s powers. It seemed a strange thing, but without them, her powers and her rage could get out of hand. Diana willingly accepted lesser powers if it helped her exercise control.
8 Her Lasso Of Truth Can Be Used Against Her
Diana’s other iconic weapon is the Lasso of Truth. Anyone bound by this unbreakable lasso was forced to tell the absolute truth. Wonder Woman often used the lasso to find out important information or to defeat her foes. The lasso was certainly powerful, but it sometimes proved a hinderance for Wonder Woman, too.
If someone else was to use the Lasso of Truth against Diana, she’d be compelled to tell the truth. In Superman/Batman #15 by Jeph Loeb, Carlos Pacheco, Jesús Merino, Laura Martin, and Richard Starkings, Superman used the lasso to strangle and kill Wonder Woman.
7 Wonder Woman Is Vulnerable To Firearms
A lot of readers may think someone as powerful as Wonder Woman is invulnerable to bullets. She’s close to immortal, has regenerative abilities, and is famous for her ability to deflect bullets. However, gunshot wounds can harm and even kil her.
Luckily for Wonder Woman, she heals from non-fatal wounds, although her healing power isn’t nearly as fast as other heroes known for their healing factor. It’s a lucky thing she’s so handy with those bullet-deflecting bracelets. Without medical assistance, a critical wound will harm Wonder Woman like it would anyone else.
6 The Gods Gave Her Powers And Can Take Them Back
Whether Zeus is her father or the one who brought to life a clay statue, he and the other Gods of Ancient Greece have always been closely linked to Diana’s origin story. The Gods gave her powers to protect and lead the Amazons. This meant the Gods could also take those powers away from her.
Both in their own myths and in their depictions in DC Comics, these Gods quickly take offense and become angry. Diana has crossed the Gods on a few occasions, so it’s not unreasonable to think she’s risked punishment. Zeus can return Diana to a powerless state any time he feels like it.
5 The Joker Brainwashed Wonder Woman
The Bind of Veils is an Ancient Greek artifact, that has been likened to Superman’s Kryptonite. Appearing in comics only once, Joker found it and used it on Wonder Woman. The Bind of Veils brainwashed Wonder Woman, causing her to think Batman was her enemy and attack him.
Wonder Woman also believed she had killed the Joker. Batman managed to subdue her, and Wonder Woman finally broke free of the brainwashing. This powerful artifact hasn’t been seen since, but another villain could easily use it to turn Wonder Woman against her friends.
4 Batman Planned To Poison Wonder Woman
Batman created plans to defeat every member of the Justice League, just in case any of them turned evil. He analyzed Wonder Woman’s biology and came to the conclusion that the best way to defeat her would be to poison her.
Even though she’s half god, Diana’s human side remained vulnerable to toxins and poisons, making it possible for an attacker to get a poison into her bloodstream. One time, Wonder Woman’s old enemy Cheetah used a special poison on the Amazon warrior, causing her to think everyone around her was Cheetah and sending her into a rampage.
3 Her Upbringing Can Make Her Cold
Wonder Woman grew up on Themyscira, an island populated entirely by Amazon warriors. Raised to be a warrior, Diana knew nothing of what the Amazons called the “Man’s World” until she was called upon to save it. This separation and training from a young age sometimes made it hard for Diana to understand and relate to humans and their concerns.
Wonder Woman deeply cared about humanity, especially her friends, but her struggles to relate could make her appear distant and cold. She’s been known to say the wrong thing in delicate situations, and it cost her friendships in the past.
2 She Can Be Injured By Piercing Weapons
Wonder Woman favors the classics when it comes to weapons, choosing things like swords and arrows. She’s been trained to use weapons like these, like any skilled Amazon, but her training also revealed she can be injured by piercing and edged weapons like these.
Wonder Woman’s stronger than average, but she can be injured, and several comics portray her with wounds or bleeding. Diana’s not immortal and even died, although she’s always returned. Wonder Woman’s own armor can cause her a problem in this area, as it leaves her arms and legs completely exposed to incoming attacks.
1 Superman Could Defeat Her
Wonder Woman and Superman have worked alongside each other on the Justice League for a long time. They’ve been friends, colleagues, and even DC’s ultimate power couple. As part of Batman’s need to know how to fight all his teammates, he concluded that the only hero strong enough to stop Diana was Superman.
According to Batman, Clark Kent was the only one who could match Wonder Woman’s power and defeat her. Besides his strength, it’s possible the Man of Steel could exploit his romantic connection with Diana, convincing her to let her guard down.