Giant Wonder Woman Annual

To be honest, Wonder Woman didn't have either an 80 Page Giant or an Annual back in the Silver Age, but that was a problem rectified in February of 2003, when DC put out a faux Silver Age Wonder Woman 80-Page Giant....

...containing some great reprints from Wonder Woman's Golden and Silver Ages!


Here are the stories represented in this book...

Wonder Woman #28

First up is Wonder Woman #28 (March-April, 1948) with the three part introduction of "Villainy, Incorporated" by Joye Hummel and  H. G. Peter (though the writing was originally credited to Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston, who passed away on May 2nd, 1947, at least part of the tale was written by Marston's wife, Joye).


Villainy, Incorporated was a Golden Age gathering of the worst of Wonder Woman's villains from previous issues, freed from their prisons on Paradise Island by Eviless (who originally appeared first in Wonder Woman #10 of Fall, 1944) to menace Wonder Woman and her mother, Queen Hippolyte.

Those villains included Cheetah (who first appeared in Wonder Woman #6 of Fall, 1943, and later elsewhere), Zara (who first appeared in Comic Cavalcade #5 of Winter, 1943), Queen Clea (who first appeared in Wonder Woman #8 of Spring, 1944), Giganta (who first appeared in Wonder Woman #9 of Summer, 1944), Hypnota (who first appeared in Wonder Woman #11 of Winter, 1944), Byrna Brilyant (a.k.a. the Blue Snowman, who first appeared in Sensation Comics #59 of November, 1946), and Dr. Poison, who had two appearances, one in Sensation Comics #2 and the other in Sensation Comics #24 (in 1942 and 1943).  Only the Golden Age Cheetah and Queen Clea appeared again after this story (at least these Earth-2 versions of the characters).

Wonder Woman #105

Wonder Woman encountered dinosaurs and more, helping out Steve Trevor, as he checked out missing Mars rockets in Wonder Woman #105 (April, 1959) in the "Eagle Of Space" by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito, finding himself in trouble again (a pretty common occurrence at this time for the Air Force man!).
 



The dinosaurs were alive and well at the moon of Titan (in Saturn's orbit), with Wonder Woman helping out the primitive humans there before Steve and the Amazon Princess left the moon in Wonder Woman's Invisible Jet....

Wonder Woman #108

Under this incredible cover by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito lurked the story of "Wanted -- Wonder Woman" from Wonder Woman #108 (August, 1959) by Robert Kanigher, and art by Andru and Esposito.

Aliens came to take over the world, but first, they used their mind control abilities to take over Wonder Woman and have the Amazing Amazon commit crimes to undermine our nations faith in this powerful princess...

...while they were successful, they didn't count on Wonder Woman following them into space and causing trouble for the aliens while they were away from Earth, thwarting their invasion plans.

Wonder Woman #144

Last, but not least is a tale definitely from the Silver Age, with the "Revolt Of The Wonder Woman" from Wonder Woman #144 (February, 1964) by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito.

This story features Wonder Woman's fear of losing her humanity, as she feels the world only notices her for her fighting prowess, so Wonder Woman gives up rescuing people for a while.

At least until a young blind girl, Mary Jane, finds her, befriending Wonder Woman in her time of need (not knowing that she is Wonder Woman).  Fate conspires to put the girl in danger, with Wonder Woman saving her, but still treating Wonder Woman as her friend, restoring the Princess' faith in humanity!

Wonder Woman Foe The Mask

Sometimes, it's the simplest things that stick in our memory....

...that might be the case with Wonder Woman foe, the Mask, as she menaces Wonder Woman on and off for decades, with little more than a domino mask and a gun!

Golden Age

Nina Close premiered in Wonder Woman #24 (July-August, 1947) with "The Challenge Of The Mask" by William Moulton Marston and H. G. Peter (being one of the last Wonder Woman villains created by Wonder Woman's creator).  Nina was a pilot, rescued by Wonder Woman, getting Wonder Woman involved in Nina's life (with her dominating husband, Brutus, who was a big game hunter).  Their marriage was not a happy one, but it got worse, with Brutus being trapped in a mask rigged with an acid drop by a villain called the Mask, and Brutus' freedom being ransomed off.  Wonder Woman tried to catch the Mask at the drop off, only to find the Mask able to steal her Invisible Plane!  Planning revenge against Wonder Woman, the Mask kidnaps Brutus, along with Etta Candy and the Holliday Girls, with Wonder Woman coming to their rescue...to find the Mask (and black wig)....hid Nina Close (who had a breakdown thanks to her husband, and came up with this scheme to get her revenge against him).  Brutus then tried to get Nina help for her actions....and that was the end of the Mask for an era.

Silver Age

The Mask returned in Justice League of America #35 (May, 1965) in the "Battle Against The Bodiless Uniforms" by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs (though it technically was the Earth-1 Mask, and even then, really only a magical duplicate brought to life by the demons Abnegazar, Rath and Ghast to battle the Justice League (along with Flash rogue Pied Piper, Batman villain Killer Moth, Aquaman menace Dagon and Green Lantern's enemy of Dr. Polaris).   The Mask didn't even make the cover!

More Modern

A more recent version of the Mask debuted in Wonder Woman #4 (February, 2007 by Allan Heinberg with Terry and Rachel Dodson) (making the cover of Wonder Woman Annual #1 of 2007 in the upper right hand corner), along with many other Wonder Woman villains re-imagined for a new age.  As Wonder Woman was struggling with her own identity, Nina Close came back as an empowered woman (in an all black outfit, but keeping the domino mask) using the fortune she got from killing her husband to fight for oppressed women everywhere (though her over-aggressive tactics brought her into conflict with the peace loving Wonder Woman, proving violence in and of itself is not the answer....but must also be tempered with kindness and wisdom).

Superboy's Crazy Mother

To be fair, it seemed both of Superboy's adopted parents, Jonathan and Martha, went crazy in Superboy #100 (October, 1962) with "Ma And Pa Kent's Incredible Delusion!" by Jerry Siegel, Curt Swan and George Klein.

Pa thought he was Jor-El, and Ma thought she was Lara...or at least, that was what Superboy thought for a bit. 

This was a bit of a dirty trick by a couple of Phantom Zone villains (Dr. Xadu and Erndine), all to attempt to free more of the Phantom Zone villains!

Thankfully, it all worked out.....

Bugged By Jack Kirby's Forager

In his saga of the New Gods, Jack Kirby introduced readers to the Forager in New Gods #9 (June-July, 1972)...a member of the "insect-people" population under the Supertown where New Gods like Orion and Highfather lived.  Forager and his people were being manipulated to go to war against the residents of Supertown by Mantis (who was directed by the evil Darkseid of Apokolips).  Mantis took control of the bug Colony, and then transported them to Earth to attack Metropolis, where they were defeated in New Gods #10 (August-September, 1972, also by Jack Kirby) with the help of Forager, Orion and Lightray. 

Forager wasn't like other Bugs, and might even have been one of the New Gods himself, but, sadly, Kirby never had the time to develop that storyline as Kirby's run of New Gods ended with #11.

Return Of The New Gods

Forager did return, as a part of "Conway's Corner", where writer Gerry Conway and artists Don Newton and Rich Buckler, with inkers Dan Adkins, Bob McLeod and Joe Rubenstein continued the battles between the forces of New Genesis and Apokolips, with the Forager working with Orion, Lightray, Metron and a new addition, Jezebelle, to fight against Darkseid and his minions, like Desaad, with Forager being present in issues of New Gods from #12 (July, 1977) to #19 (August, 1978), and for the end of this branch of "the saga" in Adventure Comics #459 and #460 in 1978.

A Battle And Odyssey

Forager did reappear briefly in Warlord Annual #6 (1987), as a part of a battle of the forces of New Genesis and Apokolips in the inner world of Skartaris (home of Travis Morgan, the Warlord), but really came to life during the four issue mini-series of Cosmic Odyssey of 1988, where Jim Starlin, Mike Mignola and Carlos Garzon had a universal battle of Darkseid's forces, with Earth heroes like Superman, Batman, the Martian Manhunter, Adam Strange, Green Lantern John Stewart, Etrigan the Demon and Dr. Fate...

...with dire consequences for the Bug...


...and a new, female Forager (most definitely an insect) replacing him for the 1989/1990s series of New Gods for a time (with the original Bug appearing on the cover of New Gods #28 in 1991).

Return Of The Bug

But, the Bug returns in a Young Animal series called Bug! The Adventures Of Forager by Mike Allred...with this bit player in the saga of the New Gods taking center stage (and maybe some of Kirby's other DC work being explored as well...like General Electric, who premiered in Sandman #1 of Winter, 1974)...

...proving that every insect will have his day!

Wonder Woman Foe Minister Blizzard

When it is cold outside, it might not just be the weather, but instead, it could be this chilly foe of Wonder Woman's....


...Minister Blizzard!

Golden Age

Prime Minister Blizzard premiered in Wonder Woman #29 (May-June, 1948) in "Ice World's Conquest" by Robert Kanigher and H. G. Peter. 


Prime Minister Blizzard was the advisor to Princess Snowina of the Icicle Men, who was afraid of a climate change machine Professor Chemico (from Holliday College) had invented.  So, the Prime Minister decided to steal the machine for himself, attacking the Holliday Girls with it, as well as trying to sink New York with an iceberg.  Quite a few feats for Wonder Woman to handle, but she did, as well as convincing Princess Snowina that people of warmer climates meant no harm, and to take Blizzard into custody....though he was never seen again.

Silver Age

"The Return of Minster Blizzard" happened in Wonder Woman #162 (May, 1966) by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito (though to be fair, this was the Earth-1 Minister Blizzard, facing the Earth-1 Wonder Woman, as the Prime Minister was from Earth-2, facing its Wonder Woman). 

Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor had to deal with a frozen Manhattan, that Minister Blizzard did a number on, though he did capture Wonder Woman with her own lasso, Wonder Woman did get free, and proceeded to thaw out the city and defeat the forces of Minister Blizzard.  This Minister Blizzard even reappeared in Justice League of America #139 (February, 1977), working with Captain Cold, the Icicle and a mystery villain who premiered in Brave and the Bold (search for his identity here!).

Modern Day

Minister Blizzard returned again as an eco-terrorist in Wonder Woman #4 (February, 2007) and Wonder Woman Annual #1 (November, 2007) (along with many other Wonder Woman villains, all reworked for the modern day by Allan Heinberg, Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson, thought he barely makes the crowded cover....behind Wonder Woman's head), and even makes it into an issue of Justice League during the Darkseid War (as well as the 2017 Batman Annual). 


Still, for the decades he's been around, readers seem to give this villain the cold shoulder!

DC Heroes War Against The Giants

It's a giant issue, but not an DC Giant.


It's just an overstuffed (though normal sized) issue of DC Special (#19 of December-January, 1975/1976), with a cover by Ernie Chan....


...and featuring battles of Superman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman fighting some giant menaces!

Action Comics #343

Superman faces "Eterno The Immortal" in Action Comics #343 (November, 1966) in a story by writer Jim Shooter and artist Wayne Boring (under a cover by Curt Swan and George Klein).


The Superman Revenge Squad releases the giant android, Eterno, from his underground prison of the element, absorbium (created by an alien race, the Xan), to bedevil Superman in the city of Metropolis, bringing doomsday to where Superman lives.  The two powerhouses battle, until Eterno finds out he was manipulated by the Superman Revenge Squad, then he attacks them.  Trying to stop him, the Squad makes more absorbium, stopping Eterno (as Eterno stopped them!).

Green Lantern #53

Green Lantern Hal Jordan becomes a "Captive Of The Evil Eye" in Green Lantern #53 (June, 1967), in an issue by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane (with Flash artists, Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson providing the cover for this issue!).  


Hal Jordan found himself a new job (after having given up his time as a test pilot), becoming an insurance adjuster, heading up to the site of a crashing meteor.  When Hal arrives there, he finds the giant alien, Thotan, who was inhaling Earth's oxygen (with the plans to take the air back to his homeworld).  Green Lantern battles the alien, even getting sucked up inside of him, until Hal comes up with the idea of facing his foe on his own terms, using his Power Ring to grow to giant size to face the alien.

Strange Adventures #28

Earth faces "The Indestructible Giant" in Strange Adventures #28 (January, 1953), in a story by writer Jack Miller, penciller Gil Kane and inker Sy Barry, under a Ruben Moreira cover.




For a time, Earth had few super heroes protecting it, and faced strange, alien menaces, and relied on us tricky humans to protect it from threats from beyond! 



There was a little surprise awaiting the people that defeated this monster after all his confused destruction....

Wonder Woman #106

Wonder Woman was just like any other girl, and liked a charm bracelet, until she and Steve Trevor ended up as part of "The Human Charm Bracelet" in Wonder Woman #106 (May, 1959) by writer Robert Kanigher, penciller Ross Andru and inker Mike Esposito (with Andru and Esposito providing the cover to the original issue).


The alien giant Tooroo wanted to impress his girlfriend, the giant Rikkaa, so he got her a charm bracelet...but, it happened to include Wonder Woman, Steve Trevor, Wonder Woman's lasso, tiara and invisible plane!  To get free, Wonder Woman challenges the giant to three contests, and, by winning them, is able to get herself, Steve and her belongings returned to Earth (and a pledge that these aliens would leave Earth alone....).

Wonder Woman Golden Age Vs Silver Age

Wouldn't it be great if the original Wonder Woman met the new and improved one?

Well, that happened in DC Comics, for a few special issues of Wonder Woman (inspired by the TV Show, Wonder Woman, DC was looking to cover adventures of Wonder Woman during World War II, so they came up with an interesting idea....)

Wonder Woman #228

With Wonder Woman #228 (February, 1977), readers were treated to a "Retreat To Tomorrow" by Martin Pasko, Jose Delbo and Vince Colletta, with the then modern Wonder Woman (1977, more or less a "Silver Age" Wonder Woman, who worked with the Justice League of America on Earth-1) facing off against an aerial attack from the Red Panzer in an experimental Nazi plane over New York, and as the two battled, they fell back through the space warp to Washington DC in 1943 (where the Red Panzer was from), and into Earth-2 (an Earth where the world was protected by the Justice Society since just before the start of World War II, and Superman, Batman and Robin had started their adventures in the 1930s, with their own Wonder Woman soon after).   The two Wonder Women met (battled briefly), with the Golden Age Wonder Woman sending the Silver Age Wonder Woman back home in the Panzer Ship, and the battle between the Golden Age Wonder Woman (and Red Panzer) continued until next issue....).

Wonder Woman #243

Wonder Woman's World War II adventures continued in her own title (as well as in World's Finest Comics #244 to #250, and a few other places, as the Silver Age Wonder Woman still adventured in the Justice League of America) until Wonder Woman #243 (May, 1978) with "The Five-Sided Square" by Jack C. Harris, Jose Delbo and Frank Chiaramonte), where the two Wonder Women met again, thanks to the Earth-1 Angle Man (escaping prison, and using his time and dimension spanning weapon, the Angler, to come back to World War II).  The two Wonder Women worked together to defeat the Angle Man, with the stories in the comic following the Earth-1 version back to her own after afterwards (because, after the first season of the Wonder Woman show on ABC, the show moved to CBS for its second and third season, and was in the then modern world of the 1970s!).

More Wonder Women Facts

During the course of these two adventures, the Earth-1 Wonder Woman made the Earth-2 Wonder Woman forget about their adventures (as Earth-2 wasn't discovered by Earth-1 until the Flash of Two Worlds in Flash #123 of September, 1961, with Barry Allen and Jay Garrick).   The two Wonder Woman didn't even look different in these team-ups, but did in their first meeting (a large meeting of the JLA and JSA to free the Seven Soldiers of Victory from traps in the past, with the Golden Age Wonder Woman spotting a classic look, and the JLA's Wonder Woman in her white pantsuit "mod" look as Diana Prince for Justice League of America #100 to #102 in 1972).

A more fulfilling Wonder Woman meeting happened in Wonder Woman #300 (February, 1983), when an older, Golden Age Wonder Woman (married to Steve Trevor, with a daughter named Hippolyta, who later became Fury), met the Silver Age Wonder Woman (who had improved her breastplate from an eagle symbol to the stylized double "W"), as Earth-1's Diana was looking to make some changes in her life.

Still interested in more Wonder Woman?


Well, there was a whole Encyclopedia based on her history out a few years ago, and you can read my interview with one of its authors, John Wells, with Part 1 here and Part 2 here!


Great Hera, there's good reading in the Essential Wonder Woman Encyclopedia!