Number 2043: Wonder Woman finds her Amazon plane

A few weeks ago* I promised to show this story of Wonder Woman’s plane. The origin story is unusual, since Wonder Woman has to find the plane in three parts. At least we don’t have to watch how hard it is, even for Wonder Woman, to put together a transparent plane.

We are also left with the question of what fuels this plane? Amazon magic, I guess.  It seems a bit less magical 60 years later in the computer era. The plane has a Siri-like quality of answering to Wonder Woman’s voice and obeying commands. Unlike Siri it doesn’t answer back. My gosh, that would make this tale weird.

H. G. Peter did the artwork and Robert Kanigher both wrote and edited. It is one of three equally bizarre tales in the issue.

From Wonder Woman #80 (1956).

*Pappy's Number 2023

Number 2023: Wonder Woman: Duke of Deception’s Dream Dooms

I don’t know if there was a legal arrangement made after Wonder Woman’s creator, William Moulton Marston, died in 1948. H. G. Peter, who was 61 when he began drawing Wonder Woman in 1941, continued as artist until his retirement in 1957 at age 77. (See link below for Peter’s last job as Wonder Woman’s artist, which appeared in 1958.) For some time when Wonder Woman was a big seller Peter had a studio where assistants were employed to help him with the artwork. I don’t know if he was still using assistants when Robert Kanigher took over editing and writing chores.

Peter’s distinctive artwork seemed more quaint as time went on. “The Dream Dooms” was published in Wonder Woman #81 (1956), the same year the Silver Age was born, with the revival of the Flash in Showcase #4, cover dated October, 1956. Kanigher may have been obliged to use Peter for the art chores until Peter chose to quit, but he chose a more contemporary style for the covers. The cover of #81* was drawn by Irv Novick.

Kanigher used two of Marston’s original characters, Paula Von Gunther, and the Duke of Deception, in this story.

*GCD entry for Wonder Woman #81

H.G. Peter’s last job as Wonder Woman’s artist was Wonder Woman #97 (1958). Just click on the thumbnail.

Number 1646: Wonder Woman’s hot feet

Wonder Woman stories written by her creator, Charles Moulton (William Moulton Marston), seldom disappoint. They have elements that elevate the character above the run-of-the-mill super-doer. This delightfully oddball tale is set in Mexico with a beautiful eight-foot-tall señorita, bandits with bandoleros, Wonder Woman’s invisible plane, chains, bondage, and even Wonder Woman in bare feet walking over hot coals. Wow.

This Mexican melange is drawn by H.G. Peter, and is scanned from Sensation Comics #45 (1945).

More wonderful wacky Wonder Woman. Click on the thumbnail.

The New Yorker for September 22, 2014, had a fascinating article by Jill Lepore on the character and Marston. Click on the thumbnail.

Number 1558: “What in ding-dong goes on here?” Wonder Woman’s costume ruse

I love the crazy, kinky and cool Wonder Woman tales by the original crazy-kinky-cool crew who created her. They would be William Moulton Marston, writing as Charles Moulton, and Harry G. Peter, signing his artwork as H. G. Peter.

Here is a story of switched identities, an exotic spy, and tying up girls. It would hardly be a Wonder Woman story worth reading if it didn’t include the latter.


From Sensation Comics #40 (1945).

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Here are two more Wonder Woman stories, including the last issue H. G. Peter drew, and a Wonder Woman story unpublished until it appeared in The Amazing World of DC Comics #2 in 1974. Just click on the thumbnails.