Iconic superhero Wonder Woman has been given a queer romance in the latest series from DC Comics, “Dark Knights of Steel.”
In the second installment of the series, Lois Lane arrives at the island of the Amazons, Themyscira, to inform Zala-El – the sister of Superman and a new hero in the DC canon – that her father has been killed.
Wonder Woman, a.k.a. Diana Prince, who had been in a sparring session with Zala when Lane delivered the news, tells Zala that she will always support her, before pulling her into a embrace and passionately kissing her.
Although the encounter is brief, it’s the first explicit appearance of Wonder Woman’s queerness in the DC comics. “Wonder Woman” writer Greg Rucka confirmed in 2016 that the superhero was queer, and that she had “obviously” been in relationships with women, as the (sadly) mythical Themyscira is populated only by women.
“‘How can they not all be in same sex relationships?’ Right? It makes no logical sense otherwise” he said in an interview with Comicosity at the time. “It’s supposed to be paradise. You’re supposed to be able to live happily. You’re supposed to be able – in a context where one can live happy, and part of what an individual needs for that happiness is to have a partner – to have a filling, romantic and sexual relationship. And the only options are women.”
However, until “Dark Knights of Steel,” Wonder Woman’s queer relationships had never been depicted in the comics. Her most prominent and long-running romance was with U.S. operative Steve Trevor.
In an appearance on “Saturday Night Live” in 2017, Gal Gadot, who plays the superhero in the recently-released feature film series, did kiss Kate McKinnon in a skit that involved McKinnon and Aidy Bryant playing two lesbian hopefuls who’d washed up on Themyscira. However, in the rendition, the kiss only confirmed Wonder Woman’s non-queerness, with Gadot deadpanning, “I’m sorry, I feel nothing.”
Wonder Woman is expected to return in later installments of “Dark Knights of Steel,” and certainly there are plenty of fans out there eager to see more of her relationship with Zala.
