Top 11 Dream Assignments

I can't help it. Try though I might to be an independent writer with my own creations and maintaining some sort of dignity, I spend a lot of time thinking about how I'd write other people's comic books, usually Marvel or DC. Often it isn't even characters I like or read. They are often comics I would avoid, but that's part of the challenge.

Like they say in theater, there are no small parts, only small actors. Writers have a similar expression. There are no bad characters, only bad interpretations. From the right angle, almost anything is interesting.

So without further ado... here are my top eleven dream assignments, in no particular order. Why eleven? Because I had one more than ten.

Superman: The Early Years

This is a concept I'm working on right now. This is about Clark Kent's first days in Metropolis. It's about moving from a small, happy town where everyone knew everyone to the big, exciting city where no one knows anyone. It is before Clark learns how to fly, before he knows he's an alien, before the costume.

This is a story where I hope to illustrate that Superman aren't two different personas, but the same person seen through different circumstances. When he is saving a bus full of people, it is easy for him to look heroic. The powers make this easy for him. When he is interviewing for a job or trying to help someone with relationship problems, he is very weak and ineffectual... or at least he feels that way, and acts that way... and hence people under estimate him, especially Lois. When she enters a room, everyone shuts up; when Clark enters a room, no one notices.

I also want to play up the idea that Superman is a great person simply because he cares about the people around him and has such small town values. He won't let the big, intimidating city desensitize and dehumanize him. He will obstinately behave as though he were still in a small town, introducing himself to everyone he meets by name and becoming genuinely interested in their problems.

Too often Superman is portrayed as saintly or Christ-ly while Clark Kent is portrayed as a clownish disguise, but I want to try to make both of them more human and relateable. Try to appeal to our better nature.

X-Men: Chapter One

Another concept going back to the original days. Again, I want to draw out the original themes of the X-Men with a focus on characterization. If you read the original comics, it is easy to miss the strongest elements of the story due to a lot of hackneyed writing (sorry, Stan. Much love).

I'd like to focus on the relationships of the characters, particularly how Scott became the leader of the X-Men and the original love triangle between Scott, Jean, and Warren. This love triangle is often forgotten due to the more popular Scott/Jean/Logan love triangle, but I think the symbolism is brilliant. Scott is self-repressed and has poor self-esteem, conflicted by his desire for love and his fear that he will destroy it. Jean's telekinesis manifests almost like a poltergeist symbolizing her own insecurities and an unwillingness to accept her own power. When presented with an actual angel (who is also rich and beautiful), she leaps into a relationship, but soon questions if that is actually what she wants. Warren, on the other hand, simply wants the best and most beautiful, but this too is wrapped up in his own insecurity and the feeling that he must prove himself to his father.

Although I'd like to do a faithful interpretation of the original comics, I would like to add a few more characters, particularly Moira MacTaggert as a foil for Xavier and female role model as well as Storm, since it might be fun to see her character before she grows into adulthood. I'd like to retell classic tales like the first meeting with the Brotherhood of Mutants, the discovery of the Savage Land, and the invention of the Sentinels all as very contemporary science fiction stories.

Batman & Robin

If you read a Batman comic, you get the distinct impression that Bruce Wayne has no life. He seems to spend the majority of his time in the Batcave investigating crimes. Occasionally, he will attend a social function and play the part of the billionaire playboy, but like the clownish Clark Kent, it often feels like an act. I've often thought that if Bruce Wayne was serious about stopping crime, he would use his business empire rather than his fists. Money is the greatest superpower, after all.

This story would focus on the day-to-day lives of Bruce Wayne and Tim (Robin) Drake. In Bruce Wayne's story, we would find Bruce realizing that Wayne Industries does not have the sterling reputation he believed when he is forced to confront their history military weapons development, unethical drug testing, and sweatshop labor. As he struggles to reform the company's business practices, he starts to realize that he is being strategically attacked by an unknown enemy.

In Tim Drake's story, we follow his life in high school as he makes friends and begins to carve out his own territory in Gotham. He sets up the "Bird's Nest," his own treehouse version of the Batcave, hidden in a broadcasting tour. He falls for a charming, blind redhead destined to be a new Batgirl and fights off an invasion from an evil parallel version of himself. The goal would be to focus more on the relationships of the characters, their day-to-day life, and broad adventures rather than the brooding, serious crime dramas we normally get.

Fantastic Four

I have a strange fascination with the Fantastic Four. There are a couple marvelous characters, but mainly the tone is somewhere between Leave It To Beaver and The Brady Bunch. It's incredibly white and incredibly wholesome. But despite this, the eccentric genius of Mr. Fantastic is extremely compelling as is his counterpoint in the friendly, grounded, but often brooding character of the Thing. Furthermore, you get the sense that the Fantastic Four is nothing but a private scientific research agency whose scientific accomplishments never amount to any actual change or progress.

When I look at the Fantastic Four, I see Reed Richards creating the kind of technology we see in Star Trek and I want to see the social progress that comes with it. In my Fantastic Four, the team would be refocused as a scientific institute for study, exploration, and most importantly development. I think they've gone a little more in this direction with the Future Foundation (see pic above), but I think this can be expanded dramatically.

The Fantastic Four would be less of a team and more of a brand name for academics, brainstorming, exploration, and practical scientific application. Rather than being the story of a small family unit exploring the cosmos, it would be the story of a small family unit running a complex, state of the art organization with hundreds of employees ranging from scientist and students to lawyers and military personnel... all of whom are not only exploring but colonizing the cosmos. Sue would run the business, Reed would head the think tank, Ben would command the troops, and Johnny... well, Johnny would finally have to face how directionless his life is.

The first story would be about building a gateway for intergalactic travel through the Negative Zone. Trouble abounds from monsters in that dimension and greedy investors who want to use the gateway for exploitative purposes.

Alpha Flight: Socializing Superheroes

I always found Alpha Flight to be a funny concept: Canada's Avengers (particularly because Canada has a much lower crime rate than the US). Or the nefarious government agency overseeing Alpha Flight, Department H, as if Canada could compare with the US when it comes to shadowy, invasive black ops.

The problems of Canada simply don't compare to the problems of the US... and that is all to their credit, yet it makes it difficult to take seriously when the US is so much more dangerous. But that alone is a very interesting idea. A team of superheroes, sponsored by a government without any militaristic or tyrannical intentions, overstaffed, marvelous benefits and very little in the way of actual threats to deal with. Sure, the problems may not be as epic, but they can be weird, twisted and personal. Because the team is government run, you can have a cast of dozens spread across the provinces and focus more on their interpersonal relationships.

I also think it would be fun to have a guest appearance by Spider-Man early on to make relentless Canadian jokes all while being unnerved by the general cleanliness and politeness of Toronto.

Wonder Woman

Regular readers of this blog will know that I have an obsession with Wonder Woman. She's the most recognizable female superhero, extremely popular, but she has never had a quality comic. Her fans may disagree, but its hard to argue when there has never been a Wonder Woman comic that is anywhere near as popular as the character herself.

I've made some detailed descriptions of how I'd revamp Wonder Woman, but mostly what she needs is a secret identity to contrast her heroic personality, a city to call her own, a good supporting cast, and a villain makeover.

In my interpretation, Wonder Woman has her life redrawn by the mythic Greek Fates and is reborn as Diana Prince, a psychology professor at the University of Opal City. She has dreams of being Wonder Woman, but psychoanalyzes it as fantasy based on a perceived hopelessness about her job and life. She gradually realizes who she is, but both her Gods and her home are gone. Eventually, she realizes that there is a chance that all of them, like her, were reborn in another form and seeks to restore them. This would mythologize WW stories of the past so they would still be canon, but the story and all characters would be recast in a modern contemporary "wish fulfillment scenario."

Her supporting cast would be constructed from students, colleagues, and existing DC characters. Enemies and allies would also be reborn. The big villain of the series would be Vandal Savage, the immortal warlord, in the attempt to create a true arch-nemesis who contrasts Diana properly. The stories would largely revolve around gender, control, and alternative lifestyles, thereby playing into the prominent themes of the original stories and avoiding the familiar elements of Greek myth that (for me) weigh Wonder Woman down and make the comic less approachable.

Doctor Strange

Another character who has always interested me, but his stories have always disappointed. Marvel isn't very good at developing a cohesive magical world, at least not as good as DC. It is very hard to figure out what Dr. Strange can or cannot do, so you don't really get a sense of peril. He's also burdened by a bland, emotionally flat cast consisting of himself and his loyal manservant, Wong.

I'd like to add some depth to his story by making him a caretaker for all things magical, particularly people who have been adversely effected by magic. As a doctor, healing the sick and troubled should be his first priority, but with as serious a character as the good doctor, you have to have some characters who are more emotional to contrast with.

I would start by including new characters who have a vague relationship to magic who could benefit from Strange's help. First on this list is Scarlet Witch who was recently written to have unchecked magic potential without the wisdom to utilize it. This would be a good contrast to the always wise and controlled doctor. Next would be Juggernaut, a character whose magic-based powers have always been an awkward fit in the X-Men. Since Juggernaut receives his powers from Cyttorak and Dr. Strange is often evoking the same source, he may be able to provide help that Professor Xavier never could. Finally, I would also want to add Hawkeye, since his bow-wielding skills would be much better suited to the fantasy environment, and his brash attitude would also be a necessary contrast to the doctor.

The story would center largely over Strange's attempt to expand his services to those in need as well as a search for his lost child by his wife, Clea.

Avengers

Although I am not an Avengers fan, I'm attracted to the idea of writing for the best of the best. The problem I've always had with the Avengers is that their roster has always seemed awkward and their threats are usually hackneyed superhero fair. Just another megalomaniac, alien, or vague entity...

My Avengers would incorporate classic elements with the Invaders (the original Marvel superhero team) and new members, characters who deserve wider recognition and fit within the team dynamic. This would include Captain America, Iron Man, Namor, Human Torch, Black Panther, Vision, Storm, Scarlet Witch, Longshot, and Valkyrie.

The story would focus largely around Doctor Doom forming an alliance with other nations to bring about a third world war. His first target is the Avengers and he hits their every weak spot, targeting them individually and dividing them by their separate interests, and by placing a spy in their roster to hit them at their weakest.

Another story would be about the robot Vision evolving beyond a simple machine, detaching from biological concepts like gender, and becoming akin to a technological Hindu god. As he finds other AI striving for their own sense of identity, he becomes a reluctant messiah figure only to find his counterpart in his "father," Ultron, as he seeks to conquer the world for AI. This would lead directly into my next idea.

X-Men: The Third Race

With the X-Men, I often think about how I would write two books at once, since there are far more X-Men characters than one book can handle. This title would focus on the X-Men in San Francisco as a mutant rights and relations agency. The team would consist of Cyclops, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Sentinel Omega, Emma Frost, and Multiple Man.

The first story revolves around a set of terrorist bombings committed by robots disguised as people. While tracking down the culprits, the X-Men find that there is a revolution taking place by AI which is objecting to the way they are being used - usually for military, dangerous labor, or even sexual purposes. The X-Men have to decide whether to support or stop this revolution. This becomes complicated when they realize that there are Sentinels who have joined the movement. Eventually, this revolution becomes their own race of sorts and which conflicts with mutants as both races are poised to usurp the planet from the human race.

Uncanny X-Men: The New School

The other X-Men title I'd like to write is a throwback to the original idea of the X-Men as a school. We've seen enough of Xavier running the school, Cyclops and Emma Frost were no good at it, so I'd like to see a new headmaster and headmistress. My choice would be Storm and Beast. Storm has the evolved sensibilities and wisdom that made Xavier so effective while Beast has intellect and humor well suited to the job. Add to them the combination of Kitty Pryde and Colossus as student advisers and you have a team of classic members comprising an actual school.

As for the students themselves, you would need a class that actually feels deserving of the X-Men title, so I would go with a few new creations and a couple members from previous classes like X-23, Hellion, Penance, Pixie, Surge, Mercury, Petra, or Prodigy. I'd like to create a new telepath character for this series, since telepaths seem to be a necessary part of the X-Men.

For the story, I'd like to focus on recreating a classic feel but without relying on overexposed villains, so the first story arc would focus on the character who took Professor Xavier's legs coming back to destroy his dream.

WildStorm Revival

Finally, the last major property I would like to work on is the WildStorm line currently owned by DC. This was my favorite comic franchise before DC drove it into the ground and I would love to have a chance to streamline it with a series of interlocking stories introducing the history of the world.

The story would begin with two alien races, the Kherubim and Daemonites, crashing to Earth thousands of years ago and continuing their war on our isolated planet. Although they wage their war largely in secret, the manipulations of the alien races alters the natural development of our species. Through civilization, war, and religion, the human race become unknowing pawns in an alien conflict. We follow a lone Kherubim warrior, Zannah, as she fights the war through the millennia, often creating or destroying empires in her hubris. For this reason, she deservingly earns the nickname "Zealot."

The Kherubim/Daemonite war comes to the forefront during World War II when advances in communication, record keeping, and intelligence reveal the Daemonite influence on the Third Reich. In response, the Allied forces form their own team of superhuman operatives including Jenny Sparks (the foul-mouthed Brit with powers of electricity), Marc Slayton (an assassin who can disappear in a puff of smoke), and John Colt (a genetically engineered soldier based on a long-dead Kherubim warrior).

Flash forward the 1970s, an Kherubim scout probe bonds to a Russian cosmonaut over Earth's atmosphere and lands in war-torn Cambodia. The event is referred to as a "wild storm" due to the cosmic energy fluctuations in the atmosphere. The American black ops company known as International Operations send their foremost wetworks group, Team 7, to investigate. They are the best soldiers the nation has to offer and they are only used in the worst circumstance. Upon retrieving the woman/probe, they find themselves gifted by incredible telepathic powers, driving many insane, and causing the others to question their loyalties.

In the late 80s, children who were in utero during the "wild storm" are born with powers, most of which do not manifest outside of extreme stress. These potentials are found and recruited by the United Nation's StormWatch program, enlisted to deal with superhuman phenomena. They are this world's premiere superhuman response team.

In the late nineties, the hidden children of Team 7 are found and recruited by International Operation and enlisted in the Gen13 program to find out how their parent's exposure has manifested in them. This leads to the rescue of the alien probe called Void.

Uniting with the remaining Kherubim on Earth, Void prepares for the coming of the Kherubim which they quickly realize is not the beginning of a renaissance, but possibly the beginning of an invasion.

The idea would be to streamline WildStorm continuity to include storylines that were previously in continuity while creating a fresh jumping point for original content. Ideally, I'd want this series to continue in real time (e.g. characters age a year for every year of publication), but of course, this decision would not be up to me.

So that's it! Of course, there are other ideas I've had for stories, but these are the big ones. There are actually fewer than I thought and I think this exercise has helped me focus my ambitions a bit. Next, I'll do rough outlines of all of the original projects I would still like to work on. Until then, your comments and criticism are always welcome.

Wonder Woman concept art

This early Wonder Woman concept art was just released with notes by artist Harry Peter and writer William Moulton Marston.

Archvillains for Wonder Woman

I read an interview today from a director who said that the problem with Wonder Woman is that she has no perfect, recognizable arch-villain. She has no Joker or Lex Luthor. I have said the same thing many times myself, but this leads to the question... who could be or should be Wonder Woman's arch-nemesis? So here is my analysis of some of Wonder Woman's current villains or other villains from the DC universe who might make a good match for her.

First, a few of the best examples from her current rogue's gallery:

Cheetah

Who is she? In her original incarnation, Cheetah was Priscilla Rich, a debutant and socialite who suffered from a deep-seated inferiority complex. After having an emotional breakdown, she starts dressing as a Cheetah and then... I don't know. Steals things? Tries to kill people?

This character was changed in the eighties to Barbara Ann Minerva, a British heiress and archeologist who is ambitious, greedy, and neurotic. She goes to Africa and finds a tribe who worship the cheetah and grant her with "cheetah powers." Whereas the original Cheetah was a woman in a Cheetah costume, the current version is a bit more of a "were-cheetah."

What works? I like the idea of that she is a product of upper-class society. She seems trapped by it and in that way, she is a caged animal, much like a cheetah in a zoo. This idea of domestic captivity in supposed luxury really resonates from a feminist stand point, so I like the original interpretation because it makes Cheetah sympathetic.

What doesn't work? The latter interpretation, by making her greedy and ambitious, she isn't sympathetic. She is just a bitch and there is nothing fun about that. But the big reason why I think Cheetah doesn't make a good arch enemy is because her symbolism does not contrast well with Wonder Woman. As an animal-themed villain, Cheetah seems like she should be fighting some animal-themed hero. As a mythological hero, Wonder Woman seems like she should be matched with a similarly mythic villain.

What could work better? I think the current Barbara Ann Minerva version of Cheetah should be set aside and the Priscilla Rich version should be reintroduced. She has a strong origin in her character, but no one has really explored the causes and unique nature of her psychosis. A delusional woman would make a really good counterpoint to the "spirit of truth." Can even the golden lasso help cure self-delusion? Early Wonder Woman comics had a theme of criminal reform and Cheetah could be the focus to explore that again.

Circe

Who is she? The chick in the Odyssey who turned Homer's crew into pigs. She is an immortal enchantress in the DC universe with a fetish for turning people into animals.

What works? She has a similar theme in common with Wonder Woman in that they are both mythic women of power with connections to the Greek pantheon. Unlike Cheetah, Circe is not deluded but quiet intelligent, so you will often see her as the master planner behind the stage.

What doesn't work? She was ripped wholesale from the Odyssey. There is a big difference between characters who were inspired by historical mythology and those who come straight out of it. Wonder Woman was inspired, but she clearly fits in the superhero world. For me, Thor never quite made the leap into the superhero world, but at least his costume and origin were given a uniquely superhero slant. Circe is just... well, Circe.

What could work better? Basically, Circe just needs more character definition and motivation. I'm imagining a story where she is punished for her hubris by the Gods and loses her powers, then we watch the extraordinary and brutal methods she has of regaining her power. It seems like her character is routed in her need to exert power over people. We've always seen her with power, but it would be more interesting to see how she handles powerlessness. It also works with the themes of submission and domination in Wonder Woman. Maybe we see Circe submit to a dark God or demon, only to usurp their power.

Ares

Who is he? Speaking of dark gods, Ares is the incarnation of war in the Greek pantheon. The original comics didn't clearly distinguish between Greek and Roman gods, so he was originally known as Mars, but in the eighties revamp, Wonder Woman's pantheon was clearly made more traditionally Greek.

What works? As a symbol of war, Ares contrasts Diana's mission of peace. Of course, they also have the commonality of being based in Greek mythology.

What doesn't work? Like I said before, when you just take a character from mythology wholesale, it doesn't work in a superhero context. Ares is the god of war, but what is his motivation? He doesn't need one. He is the incarnation of war. This works for broad metaphorical tales of myth where gods stand for certain ways of living or being. As a symbol of war, Ares is not malevolent, but simply a fact of life. This is the way Greek mythology is interpretted, but superhero confrontations are always about overcoming the enemy. Simple put, you can't just personify war and have Diana beat him into submission because it makes for a very awkward and confusing metaphor; beating war through violence...

What could work better? Again, its tough to say. I think the gods work best when they are not the hero or villain, but rather a state of being that people appeal to. If the gods are scheming, plotting, and then their plots are ruined by the hero, it makes them seem incompetent and less than godly. I think it works better if mortals appeal to the gods for their favor, but then are unable to deal with the consequence. Therefore, it becomes more of a cautionary tale. I don't think Wonder Woman should literally fight Ares. She should hate him, but fighting him is pointless. Her struggle should be with those who beseech him and his power.

Those were the three characters who are currently the contenders for Wonder Woman's arch-nemesis, but here are a few more notable adversaries.

Dr. Psycho

Who is he? Edgar Cizko is a mad dwarf with powers of mind control and an extreme sense of misogyny.

What works? I really like this character. The dwarf (excuse me for not being PC, but I think the word suits this individual character) with wild hair and big eyes seems like he just leaped out of someone's subconscious. As a symbol of misogyny, it also works because he is a small, angry man who feels the need to control women in order to make himself feel powerful. You just position him next to Diana's tall, beautiful, confident Amazonian figure and you can see the self-worth issues radiating off of him.

What doesn't work? The problem with Dr. Psycho is that he just isn't impressive or imposing enough to become a genuine threat to Wonder Woman. In a way, that is good. It allows you to tell the story in a different way, but he is too psychotic to be an intellectual threat to her and too weak to be a physical threat. He works well as an emotional threat, but you need a bit more than that in an arch-nemesis. Furthermore, he is more of a... well, freak than a supervillain.

What could work better? I'd like to see Dr. Psycho as more of a supporting character than an outright villain. I'd love to see him in a more legitimized and untouchable position in Wonder Woman's life so that he is more of a constant threat, much like Lex Luthor is to Superman.

Dr. Poison

Who is she? Originally called Princess Maru (for some reason), Dr. Poison was a fairly simple character whose hooded mask made people mistake her for a man. I'm not sure what the significance of her "crossdressing" was. Probably something about unattractive women gaining power by being more male. Oh, and she poisons people.

What works? The name works and the bondage theme in the outfit really works. The bondage theme calls up associations with the original bondage themes in Wonder Woman. Since it is still not socially acceptable to talk about sexual bondage in mainstream comics, Dr. Poison allows you to explore the psychology of the lifestyle through a villain. The eccentric nature of villains can be useful for exploring complex and uncomfortable ideas. The "poison" aspect of her character makes me imagine her as a frequent drug experimenter, but only with custom designer drugs. It is the extreme nature of this character that really appeals to me.

What doesn't work? She has no other character to speak of. The current incarnation doesn't even have an alter-ego, she is just the granddaughter of the original. The writers haven't really explored her motivation. Her look is frequently haphazard. I don't care for the hideous Joker grin or the black medical scrubs. They seem to be taking the "doctor" part a little too literally.

What could work better? I would go more for the "sexy chemist gone mad" angle. Ben Caldwell did a version of Dr. Poison as a sexy Japanese bondage girl. I'm imagining a story about a brilliant young pharmacologist who likes to take drugs, dress up like a fetish doll, then go cause some trouble. With a little work, this could be a popular spin-off character.

Giganta

Who is she? In the original incarnation, Giganta was a gorilla who was artificially evolved into a beautiful red-headed strongwoman. In the modern incarnation, she was a woman with a blood disease whose mind was put into a gorilla and then later into a woman with size changing powers. Pretty dumb, huh?

What works? The 50 Ft. Woman. Don't ask me why it is a cultural phenomenon, but it is. There is just something incredibly interesting about giant human beings. When it is a giant woman, there is this connotation of a reversal of power that I think we find attractive on a deeply subconscious level.

What doesn't work? The whole origin is dumb... and size changing is a pretty simple trick. There are not a lot of different things you can do with it. Giganta will never be arch-nemesis material, but again, it could work if the audience understands and sympathizes with her more.

What could work better? I would rewrite her origin from scratch. I'm imagining her as a shy, awkward girl whose accidental exposure to something causes her to become powerful, confident, and big. The bigger she gets, the bigger her ego gets and the more entitled she feels. Again, it works because there is strong symbolism there.

I think to find a true arch-villain, it will be necessary to either create a new one (very difficult to do) or appropriate one from elsewhere in the DC universe. Here are a few I would recommend.

Poison Ivy

Who is she? Pamela Isley is a popular Batman villain since the sixties. She is an eco-terrorist with a twisted obsession with plant life. She wants to return the Earth to the control of mother nature. She has no compassion for humans, but is genuinely hurt when witnessing any harm toward plant life... even so much as picking a flower.

Why does she fit Wonder Woman? Like Diana, Poison Ivy is a social activist at heart, but unlike Diana, she lacks compassion and so decends into terrorism. She also has a prominent sexuality including implied lesbianism which should play well against Diana's own sexual ambiguity. Furthermore, her powers over plant life makes her transcend her human roots into virtual godhood. This runs perpendicular to Diana's own arch. Diana is an outsider trying to educate the world while Poison Ivy is an insider corrupted by the world and set to destroy it.

Vandal Savage

Who is he? Vandal Savage was a caveman fifty thousand years ago. After being exposed to a mysterious meteor, he gained superior intellect and immortality. He has since fought to accumulate power and control. He helped to sink Atlantis and formed the Illuminati out of its demise.

Why does he fit Wonder Woman? The main reason is that Vandal Savage is a fantastically imposing character with a rich history, but he doesn't have a heroic counterpart. He was originally created in a Green Lantern comic, but has since appeared in the Justice League, Flash, Superman, and virtually every title. I think it would be the easiest thing in the world to attach him to Wonder Woman. Because he is an ancient, powerful male, he represents and symbolizes patriarchy past and present.

This is the only character I've seen who I can imagine becoming a true arch-nemesis to Diana. Physically, intellectually, and emotionally, he is a challenge to her. He represents something she has been fighting for her entire fictional life... female empowerment versus paternalistic control. Even better, he already has a history and respect within the DC universe, so you wouldn't have to build him up. The only trick would be seamlessly tying him to Wonder Woman in a way that makes him seem like he's always been there.

Six things Wonder Woman needs to compete with Superman and Batman

Ahhh, Wonder Woman. I love to pick on you. There is just something about a character with an unwarranted degree of popularity... By this I mean that Wonder Woman is undoubtably a major superhero icon and the yard stick by which all superheroines are measured, but she really has never really taken off with a popular comic or movie or cartoon. The best she's had is the campy TV show that helped young boys realize they were gay.

But I firmly believe that there are no poor characters, only poor writers. The fact that Wonder Woman has survived and thrived this long without quality material just goes to show that there is something about this character that people gravitate toward. The trick is to keep them there. Usually they just leave disappointed...

So what does Wonder Woman need to receive the same cred as her closest counterparts? Below are six things that are essential to making Wonder Woman a success.

6) A better secret identity

No, I don't mean the fact that "Princess Diana" goes by the alias of Diana Prince, although it's a worse cover than Clark's glasses. What I mean is that the princess needs to get a life.

Why do we identify with Superman? Because he was raised by a loving family on a farm in Kansas. He's as American as apple pie... literally. Why do we identify with Batman? Because if we were rich and lost our only family as a young child, we may have ended up just like him.

But there is nothing to identify with about Diana. She was raised on an island of ancient Greek warrior women worshiping Greek gods and living in a Greek sapphic paradise! Not that there is anything specifically wrong about this aspect of her character; it is pretty much essential to her character, but it marks her as being culturally alien. While Superman may be literally alien, his values and upbringing are solidly American.

Furthermore, a secret identity is used to contrast the heroic identity of the protagonist thereby creating a depth of character. The god-like Superman is mild-mannered Clark Kent. The dark, brooding Batman is playboy, billionaire Bruce Wayne.

But Diana Prince (in the latest incarnation) is a secret agent... Why? What does secret agent contribute to the character? That's like Thor's alter ego being James Bond. My recommendation: make her a college professor. First of all, it establishes her as an intellectual and accomplished professional woman. Second, it is a job that pretty much no other superhero has. Third, it gets her involved with a wide variety of people. Fourth, it creates an environment where you can comment on your themes directly (i.e. class discussion).

What should she teach? Women's studies and mythology? Too obvious and limiting. How about psychology? She was created by a psychologist and many of her themes fall into the realm of psychology (i.e. gender and truth).

5) Her own city

What else do Superman and Batman have that Wonder Woman doesn't? Their own city.

While the Marvel universe keeps all of their heroes in one overcrowded city, DC tends to invent a fictional city for each of their heroes. The advantage to this is that they wear their city like a second pair of tights. Gotham City defines Batman. It is dirty, violent, and corrupt, but with a good heart deep down. She is a whore with a heart of gold. Metropolis, on the other hand, is the city of the future just as Superman is the man of tomorrow. It represents the best and brightest of America, much like he represents the best and brightest of Americans.

But Wonder Woman has never had her own city. For a brief time, she was located in Gateway City. Apparently created for Mr. Terrific and the Spectre in the golden age, this city was a stand-in for San Francisco and was never distinct enough to hold anyone's interest, so Diana continued bouncing around to places like New York and Washington DC, but she never really had a home except for Themyscira. Consequently, when she "goes home," it isn't like Superman going back to Kansas or to the Fortress of Solitude. It's more like weekend trips back to Krypton; that is, completely unrelatable.

Personally, I would put Diana in Opal City. First of all, it has a beautiful art deco cityscape with Parisian influences in the architectural design. Second, it is a bit mystic and odd, much like Diana herself. It is a city that just sort of popped up in the middle of nowhere and it has no suburbs. Third, a lot of fans love it and since Jack Knight left it at the end of Starman, it's up for grabs. I say Diana should put down some roots there.

(Note: Pictures are of Opal City.)

4) A stable supporting cast

Along with Diana not having a city or a real alter ego is the fact that she doesn't really have a supporting cast. Except for her Amazonian mother and sisters, no one has been a constant presence in Diana's life. In the original comics, she had her romantic interest, Steve Trevor, and her chubby best friend with the appropriately inappropriate name of Etta Candy, but these were mere ciphers who only really made sense when Diana's alter ego was a military secretary... which only made sense during World War II. She has had a few main supporting characters since, but no one really stuck around. And it isn't surprising since nothing about Diana has remained consistent.

Superman has Lois Lane, Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, and Ma Kent not to mention interesting minor characters like Bippo (his biggest fan), Cat Grant, and Steve Lombard. Batman has Alfred, Commissioner Gordon, Robins 1-5, Oracle/Batgirl, Lucius Fox, and even kindly Dr. Leslie Thompkins.

No woman is an island, Diana. You need to get out more. Find a city to call home, make a life for you there, and surround yourself with interesting people. That's all any of us wants and we live vicariously through these comic book adventures.

3) Better villains

Who is Batman's arch-nemesis? What about Superman? Now what about Wonder Woman?

If you answered Cheetah or Circe, you are not only a geek, you are wrong. Superman and Batman have chemistry with their antagonists. They are perfectly incompatible figures. Where Superman is selfless, Lex is self-obsessed. Where Batman is relentlessly serious, Joker doesn't take anything seriously. In seeing these heroes battle their ideological counterpoint, the themes of their stories take on shape and develop a symbolism all their own.

Perhaps the one Wonder Woman villain who almost fits this definition is Ares. He is the god of war to Diana's princess of peace, but really, Ares isn't all that interesting and he certainly isn't original. Any fight between them will be little more than the usual examples of pure good versus pure evil.

There is no easy answer here. Old villains should be retooled and new ones should be introduced, but a good superhero comic depends on good villains. It's no surprise that the best comics have the best villains (Batman, Spider-Man, X-Men).

2) A personality

Oh sweet god in heaven, Wonder Woman needs a personality! I mean, Superman is bad, but Wonder Woman is worse. Superman is a boy scout, but Wonder Woman is bipolar. Her two states are maternal nurturer and hardened warrior. She will hold you while you cry, then snap your neck if you turn evil.

Seriously, does any one really believe this character? When a writer starts to write Wonder Woman, do they just think "warrior" and "woman" then start typing? Who is she? I don't even know. What TV shows does she like, or does she watch TV? Does she read? If so, what? What are her stances on feminist issues like abortion, pornography, and prostitution? Does she like Hillary Clinton or hate her?

Speaking of feminism, what type of feminist is she? Paglia or Steinem? If I use the word "bitch" around her, will she get mad? Does she get upset over objectification of women? In that outfit, I would think it somewhat hypocritical.

Even if every writer has their own interpretation of the character, there still should be enough consistency so that when the next writer comes in, they aren't just thinking "warrior woman" and starting from scratch.

1) One great comic

Ultimately, what Wonder Woman really needs but has never had is one great comic. If you want to make any superhero succeed, you need to have at least one definitive comic that I can hand to someone and say, "This is who [blank] is!" It needs to require absolutely no previous knowledge, illustrate the characters defining principles, and leave the reader eager for more.

The best comics featuring Wonder Woman are not Wonder Woman comics. Mostly, they are Justice League comics like JLA, Kingdom Come, or New Frontier. While these certainly help, Wonder Woman needs to learn to stand on her own if she is ever going to be in the same league with DC's leading men. While Wonder Woman may have a handful of good stories (maybe even really good stories), she has nothing that comes close to modern classics like Batman: Year One, All-Star Superman, The Dark Knight Returns, or Superman: Birthright.