Well, I love being complimented—especially by women readers, and in this case by one who is herself the head of a female-led family. But I have to confess that I am a recent convert. I avoided Wonder Woman comics growing up, in favor of Batman, Superman, Captain Marvel and, inevitably, MAD.
I even dialed away from Lynda Carter’s TV incarnation as Diana Prince in the late ‘70s. Until, by great good fortune, I encountered this larger-than-life Hollywood superheroine in person.
My then-girlfriend, a sometime studio photographer, invited me to the taping of a TV variety show, which headlined Steve and Eydie, Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey (from Cabaret) and Lynda Carter. Okay, I said, trying to be cool.
I loitered and kibitzed on the cavernous soundstage, tried not to look starstruck, which wasn’t too hard, as there was a great deal of waiting and setting up shots compared to a few moments of “Action!” I really wasn’t starstruck until I found myself standing directly in the path of Ms. Carter as she emerged from her dressing room. She was caparisoned in some kind of dazzling, spangled outfit, striding right toward me to begin rehearsing her musical number.
I estimate that she passed within a foot of me, at perigee. I can’t recall if I merited even a
For those few moments, my girlfriend ceased to exist. And I went into total eclipse. I believe I felt my soul vacuumed right out of me by the electromagnetic force of her near planetary passage.
The most appropriate response on my part, it occurred to me, would be to fall to my knees in dumb, worshipful obeisance. I resisted that impulse, but only just.
Now, all these decades later, I recall my magical moment with Wonder Woman. And here, for the edification of all her admirers, is a scatter page of Wondrous Women from the web, featuring Lynda Carter and other raven-haired goddesses (can you name them all?), including some favorite renderings by comic artist par excellence AdamHughes.
All hail, WW!