Wonder Woman and Philosophy: The Amazonian Mystique [Paperback]

Wonder Woman and Philosophy: The Amazonian Mystique explores a wide range of philosophical questions surrounding the most popular female superhero of all time, from her creation as feminist propaganda during World War II up to the first female lead in the blockbuster DC movie-franchise.

• The first book dedicated to the philosophical questions raised by the complex and enduringly iconic super-heroine 
• Fighting fascism with feminism since 1941, considers the power of Wonder Woman as an exploration of gender identity and also that of the human condition – what limits us and what we can overcome
• Confronts the ambiguities of Wonder Woman, from her roles as a feminist cause and fully empowered woman, to her objectification as sexual fantasy
• Topics explored include origin stories and identity, propaganda and art, altruism and the ethics of care, Amazonians as transhumanists, eroticism and graphic novels, the crafting of a heroine, domination, relationships, the ethics of killing and torture, and many more.

Acknowledgments xvii

Editor’s Note xix

Introduction: In and For a World of Ordinary Mortals 1
Jacob M. Held

Part I You Are a Wonder Woman 3

1 Becoming a (Wonder) Woman: Feminism, Nationalism, and the Ambiguity of Female Identity 5
J. Lenore Wright

2 The God of War is Wearing What? Gender in the New 52 19
Sarah K. Donovan

3 Wonder Woman vs. Harley Quinn: The Paradox of the Moral Hero 31
Jill Hernandez and Allie Hernandez

4 Great Hera! Considering Wonder Woman’s SupelS,