Wonder Woman Admits Her Biggest Weakness in Official DC Continuity

Summary Isolation is taking a toll on Wonder Woman's mental health and well-being, weakening even the strongest hero.

The Sovereign's plan to break Wonder Woman by cutting off human contact is surprisingly effective and psychologically damaging.

Wonder Woman draws strength from her connections with others, highlighting the importance of human relationships for resilience.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Wonder Woman #9!Not much can get to Wonder Woman, but she's finally revealing something that is capable of doing great harm to her. After spending months fighting the military, Wonder Woman is being held captive by the Sovereign, America's secret king.

The Sovereign wants nothing more than to break Wonder Woman and destroy everything she stands for. But as one of the greatest heroes in the DC Universe, there's not much that can weaken her. But as time goes on, Diana admits that one technique the mad king has that is working and it's causing serious distress to the Amazing Amazon.

Isolation is Hurting Wonder Woman More Than Anything

In Wonder Woman #9 by Tom King, Daniel Sampere, Tomeu Morey. and Clayton Cowles, Diana is still being held captive by the Sovereign. After his failed attempts to brainwash her with the Lasso of Lies, the king has isolated Wonder Woman and is keeping her in a cell with virtually no human contact. To keep her wits about her, Diana talks to an imaginary version of Steve Trevor. As time passes, Wonder Woman continues to retreat into her mind and imagines her and Steve doing various activities.

...being isolated from everyone is taking a very real toll on Wonder Woman's well-being and mental health.

Wonder Woman has no idea how long she’s been imprisoned. She keeps up her discussions with Steve to hold onto her sanity, but things aren’t going well for Diana. Wonder Woman talks of the Sovereign as she imagines snapping his neck like she did Maxwell Lord so long ago. While lost in a space-based fantasy, the Amazon reveals that Sovereign’s people stopped bringing Diana food, forcing Wonder Woman to eat a rat that had ventured into her cell and refused to leave.

More time passes, and during a dream where she and Steve are practicing martial arts, Diana reveals she knows this is the Sovereign’s way of trying to break her. Diana also admits that this is a much better plan than his last attempt because Sovereign has figured out that Wonder Woman thrives when she is around people. In frustration, Diana body slams her sparring partner and tells Steve that being isolated from everyone is taking a very real toll on Wonder Woman's well-being and mental health.

The Sovereign Has Been Planning to Break Wonder Woman for Months

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According to the Sovereign, his family has been secretly ruling the United States for centuries, all thanks to their family heirloom, the Lasso of Lies. Though Sovereign was content to reign in the shadows, he secretly feared Wonder Woman and the things she stood for. Sovereign waited for the perfect time to bring down Diana, and the opportunity arose when a rogue Amazon named Emelie killed a pool hall full of men. Using this incident, the Sovereign began a campaign to destroy Wonder Woman’s public image.

The Sovereign makes his first appearance in the story "Trinity" in Wonder Woman #800 (2023)!

The Sovereign fomented a wave of anti-Amazon bigotry and paranoia among the population. Americans responded by banning Amazons from U.S. soil and creating the Amazon Extradition Entity (or A.X.E.) to deport Amazons who didn’t comply with the law. Once A.X.E. began spilling blood, Wonder Woman began actively fighting back. Diana fought A.X.E. agents and the United States military before Sovereign decided to up his game. The king recruited some of Wonder Woman’s greatest enemies to apprehend her, which they succeeded in doing.

Wonder Woman was taken prisoner by the Sovereign, who bound Diana with the Lasso of Lies. He attempted to brainwash her by installing visions of her living a domesticated life with Steve Trevor, and reading her Bible passages that encouraged submission. But Wonder Woman’s fortitude was too strong to fall to the Sovereign’s reconditioning. She resisted his words and eventually, Wonder Woman broke the bonds of the Sovereign’s lasso. However, Wonder Woman remained a prisoner while Sovereign searched for another way to break his most hated enemy.

Wonder Woman's Weakness is Painfully Real

It comes as no surprise that isolation has such a devastating toll on Wonder Woman. Solitary confinement is often used in prisons as an extreme form of punishment, and its critics have called it out as torture. Studies have shown that those who are placed in solitary confinement for extended periods can experience negative impacts on their mental health and overall well-being. Other studies have pointed out a correlation between prolonged isolation and self-harm. Though solitary confinement doesn’t physically hurt those detained, it can be quite psychologically harmful.

This issue reveals that Wonder Woman dealt with this torture for over two months...

While there’s no doubt that Wonder Woman is indeed strong, even she admits that the Sovereign’s plan is surprisingly effective. Diana is someone who loves people deeply and thrives on connecting with others. Cutting out all human contact and leaving her with nothing but the comfort of darkness, rats, and her own mind succeeds in hurting Wonder Woman on a level most of her other villains can’t match. This issue reveals that Wonder Woman dealt with this torture for over two months, and though she doesn’t break, she freely admits how painful this is for her.

Wonder Woman is a strong and resilient hero who can fight the gods any day of the week. But she, like the majority of humanity, is a social creature. People need people. Even if Diana was molded by clay, Wonder Woman is one of the most human superheroes ever created. She might have Amazonian might at her disposal, but under the right conditions, a cruel and vindictive person like the Sovereign can formulate an attack on Wonder Woman's psyche that preys on her need for connection with others.

Wonder Woman Draws Strength From the People in Her Life

There’s no doubt that Diana went through absolute hell while in solitary confinement. Her repeated fantasies with Steve are a good reminder that people and the connections she shares are what give Wonder Woman her strength. While Diana held on in prison long enough to survive, the experience is a somber reminder that even someone as strong as an Amazon can have an Achilles’ heel. For Diana, being removed from people for way too long isn’t just a distressing event, it’s a weakness that could leave a long-lasting impression on Wonder Woman’s mind.

Wonder Woman #9 is available now from DC Comics.

Wonder Woman #9 (2024) Writer: Tom King

Artist: Daniel Sampere

Colorist: Tomeu Morey

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Cover Artist: Daniel Sampere