The Best in Fictional Weaponry: The Arsenal of Wonder Woman

*Originally published on 2/27/12



Superman has his heat vision and Batman may have his batarangs, but Wonder Woman (the third in DC's big superhero trinity) has an array of weapons at her disposal. It's fitting as she is an Amazon warrior.

Perhaps her most iconic weapon is her lasso of truth. No being bound by it can escape its grip and the rope itself is unbreakable. Well, OK, it's broken in the comics, but very bad things tend to happen as a result and those circumstances are incredibly rare. More than that though, whoever comes into contact with the lasso is magically compelled to tell the truth. This comes in handy when trying to get information regarding the latest super villain plot. It used to also grant the bearer the power of mind control over those who were bound by it, but this ability was phased out over time.

In addition to the lasso, Wonder Woman wears two gauntlets on her wrists that allow her to deflect bullets, lasers, and the like. She even uses them to protect herself when being attacked by someone wielding a bladed weapon. Despite being leveled up to be on par with Superman, she still keeps them as, while she can take a lot of punishment in a super powered fist fight, she is still vulnerable to certain weapons and can be harmed by them.

Interestingly enough, the gauntlets have some offensive capabilities as well. If Wonder Woman slams them together, they will create a concussive wave that is capable of making Superman's ears bleed.

For a while, Wonder Woman used her trademark tiara as a weapon, but that was more in the Golden and Silver Age. She used to throw it like a boomerang to knock out enemies and could also use it like a dagger when the situation called for it. She will occasionally still use it, though it is usually intended as a throwback. Really, once she started wielding a sword forged by Hephaestus capable of shaving the electrons off of an atom, the tiara became a bit obsolete.

Wonder Woman also has her own invisible jet. Contrary to popular portrayal, Wonder Woman herself is also rendered invisible when sitting inside it. You don't just see a sitting Wonder Woman hovering around the planet. It was thought that the jet would be phased out as Wonder Woman was later given the power of flight, but she still uses it for longer trips and the stealth capabilities do come in handy.

For a time, Wonder Woman also utilized other mystical knick knacks, such as the sandals of Hermes, which granted her great speed and flight and the gauntlets of Atlas, which gave her enhanced strength. She later passed these on to Wonder Girl (presumably because she acquired these abilities outright, making them redundant).

While none of these weapons on their own may stand out as particularly impressive compared to other weapons discussed, when put together, the sum becomes greater than its parts. Wonder Woman is a formidable hero in her own right, but having these resources at her disposal certainly helps a great deal.