Wonder Woman has a fair number of villains. Her first major enemy, and often the main reason for her superhero career, is the God of War Ares (or, earlier, Mars). Other prominent enemies include multiple incarnations of the Cheetah, the sorceress Circe, the misogynist Doctor Psycho and the giantess Giganta. Some of her villains teamed up as Villainy, Inc.
Membership History
Nazi Party
Main article: Nazi Party
The first villains Wonder Woman faced off against after leaving Paradise Island were members part of the Nazi Party of Germany in the 1940's.
- Adolf Hitler:[1] Leader of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler was a key figure in Wonder Woman's early years. Wonder Woman despised Hitler for the atrocities against humanity he committed during World War II.
- Armageddon:[2] A costumed Nazi agent who wielded an axe in battle. There have been three known individuals that have taken the name Armageddon, all related to each other. Armageddon is a woman who was a descendant of a race of Ogres who joined Paula von Gunther's Four Horsewomen.
- Baroness Paula von Gunther:[3] Wonder Woman's first major recurring nemesis, a baroness and high-ranking officer of the Nazi Party. A skilled spy, the baroness was blackmailed into helping the Nazis after her daughter, Gerta was held prisoner. Wonder Woman eventually helped free Gerta. Due to Wonder Woman's influence, Paula sought redemption and, after several years, was invited to join the Amazons. A later incarnation of Paula was Helen Paul. After Leviathan revealed she was descended from Nazis, she took the name Warmaster and formed The Four Horsewomen to attack Wonder Woman and the Amazons.
- Baron Blitzkrieg:[4] A prison camp officer that gained super powers after surgery.
- Fausta Grables:[5] A Swiss Nazi agent who plotted against Wonder Woman.
- Gentleman Killer:[6] A Nazi assassin who tried to kill Steve Trevor.
- Gundra:[7] A Valkyrie from Valhalla who has sided with the Nazi Party. She is often referred to as Gudra. It is later revealed that Paula von Gunther is a descendant of Gundra, who was the only surviving Valkyrie after an attack on the Amazons.
- Mavis:[8] Baroness von Gunther's subordinate. After Paula left the Nazi Party to join the Amazons, Mavis took over her spy operation. She plotted revenge against both Paula and Wonder Woman, but failed on multiple occasions.
- Princess Yasmini:[9] An Indian princess who operates a Nazi spy ring.
- Red Panzer:[10] At least four individuals have taken this codename, and all have been enforcers of the Nazi Party.
- Von Storm:[11] A Nazi agent who is responsible for Steve Trevor crash landing on Paradise Island.
Villainy, Incorporated
Formed in the 1940's, Villainy, Inc. was one of the first villain groups fought by a superhero. The team was comprised entirely of Wonder Woman's deadliest female enemies who refused to obey Paradise Island's demand for reformation. The members of this team have continued to appear individually over the years in varying degrees of prominence.
- Blue Snowman:[12] Byrna Brilyant is a schoolteacher and scientist who used her deceased father's experimental blue snow to extort cash from her neighbors in Fair Weather Valley. In order to hide her identity, Byrna disguises herself in a masculine costume. Most recently, she has worn a power suit vaguely resembling a giant yeti based on Veronica Cale's technology that created Doctor Cyber.
- The Cheetah:
- Priscilla Rich:[13] A wealthy socialite suffering from dissociative identity disorder. Priscilla became the Cheetah after her inferiority complex sparked during an event featuring Wonder Woman. Her Cheetah persona vowed to make Wonder Woman suffer. Although Wonder Woman manged to defeat her on several occasions, the Cheetah refused to reform and continued to plot against the amazon.
- Deborah Domaine:[14] Priscilla Rich's niece and an environmental activist. Deborah was brainwashed by Kobra to become the Cheetah briefly after Priscilla's death.
- Barbara Ann Minerva:[15] A British archaeologist who discovered an ancient civilization that worshiped the plant god Urzkartaga. Barbara Ann was soon corrupted by Urzkartaga after becoming his unwilling bride, finding herself transformed into the monstrous, flesh-eating Cheetah. Blaming Wonder Woman for her curse, Barbara Ann used her demigod powers of strength and speed to lash out at her rival at any opportunity. After joining the Legion of Doom, Cheetah was given the Godkiller, a sword she used to strike down several of the Gods of Olympus.
- Sebastian Ballesteros:[16] An Argentine entrepreneur who briefly stole the powers of the Cheetah from Minerva.
- Doctor Poison:
- Princess Maru:[17] A Japanese princess who donned a masculine disguise and assisted the Nazis during World War II. A master of toxins and poisons, Maru was the first costumed supervillain Wonder Woman ever encountered.
- Maru's Granddaughter:[18] The unnamed granddaughter of Princess Maru. This Doctor Poison took over the mantle after her grandmother reversed her age out of existence. She worked with the modern incarnation of Villainy, Inc. under Queen Clea's leadership.
- Marina Maru:[19] A descendant of the Poison family, Marina is both a trained soldier and skilled scientist. Along with her mercenary group known as Team Poison, Marina has lent her services primarily to Veronica Cale as a member of Godwatch.
- Eviless:[20] A Saturnian slave driver who founded Villainy, Inc. after being stranded on Earth. She was unwilling to submit to her Amazonian captors, and found seven other evildoers to help her escape. In modern times, Eviless has taken the name Saturna, and is the leader of the doomsday militia called the Crimson Men.
- Giganta:[21] Doris Zuel is a brilliant scientist with the power to change her size at will. The original incarnation of Giganta was a gorilla who had been evolved into a beautiful, muscular redhead. This origin was later altered, with Dr. Zuel searching for a cure for her terminal illness. This led to Zuel gaining size-altering powers, growing to hundreds of feet tall with immense strength. Over the years, Giganta has made it on several villainous teams, including the Legion of Doom, the Secret Society of Super-Villains, and the Suicide Squad.
- Hypnota:[22] Hypnota the Great is a sideshow hypnotist who disguises herself as a man in order to trick her audience alongside her brainwashed sister, Serva. In her more recent appearances, Hypnota has adopted the codename Hypnotic Woman.
- Queen Clea:[23] The cruel ruler of Venturia, an Atlantean city where women hold power over men. With her army of loyal female soldiers, Clea tried to conquer her sister city Aurania, led by Queen Eeras. Wonder Woman thwarted her plans on several occasions, despite Clea being a physical match for the amazon. After the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Queen Clea was the original leader of Villainy, Inc. and also led the group's second incarnation.
- Zara:[24] A former child-slave who despised men in power. She used trickery and gadgets to create a cult dedicated to the fictional Crimson Flame. Later versions of Zara depict her with a superhuman ability to create fire.
Gods & Monsters
- Ares:[25] The god of war, Ares (referred to as Mars in the 1940's) is one of Wonder Woman's earliest villains. Over the years, he has empowered many others to become villains to aid him in his attacks against Wonder Woman. However, Ares often plays a neutral role in Wonder Woman's life, as the superheroine has shown that Ares would live a dark and isolated existence without the humanity that he wishes to destroy. During the New 52, Ares served as Diana's mentor.
- Children of Ares: Ares has sired many children, most of whom oppose Wonder Woman and the Amazons.
- Deimos:[26] The god of terror. Originally, Deimos appeared as a muscular man with a beard composed of venomous snakes. More recently, Deimos has appeared as a thin, young redhead and twin to Phobos.
- Eris:[26] The goddess of strife. In the New 52, Eris was referred to as Strife, and often appeared to Wonder Woman simply to provide a sarcastic remark.
- Phobos:[26] The god of fear. Originally, Phobos appeared as a muscular man vaguely resembling a troll. More recently, Phobos has appeared as a thin, young redhead and twin to Deimos.
- Circe:[27] The witch of Aeaea and a powerful, immortal sorceress. Believing Wonder Woman to be the second witch featured in a prophecy by the goddess Hecate, Circe devoted herself to destroying Wonder Woman. She most often uses human servants that she can transform into animal hybrids known as “Bestiamorphs” as her minions.
- Devastation:[28] The champion of the Titans of Myth, created by Cronus to be the antithesis to Wonder Woman. The Children of Cronus have each gifted Devastation with a special power, allowing her to aid in her battles against the amazon.
- Duke of Deception:[29] Ares's righthand agent during the 1940's through the 1980's. A master of illusions, the Duke was often seen alongside the Earl of Greed and the Count of Conquest. His true form was that of a shriveled, small man, though he often made himself appear as a handsome warrior. He was later revealed to be Dolos, the Greek personification of trickery.
- Genocide:[30] A powerful, soulless warrior created by the Secret Society of Super-Villains and empowered by the Lasso of Truth. Genocide was originally left for dead by Wonder Woman, but was later recruited into the Four Horsewomen by Warmaster.
- Grail:[31] The daughter of Darkseid and the amazon Myrina the Black. Grail first fought against Wonder Woman during the Darkseid War. She later helped Darkseid kill several gods, including Zeus, to help the tyrant regain his powers. She later attempted to overthrow Queen Hippolyta as leader of the Amazons.
- Hecate:[32] The goddess of witchcraft. Older than the Olympian Gods, this crone goddess despised the others (except for Zeus) for not giving her the respect she felt she deserved.
- Hera: In the New 52, Hera briefly opposed Wonder Woman as the Amazon princess was a bastard child of her husband Zeus. She later assembled a brand new Villainy Inc. led by Doctor Psycho.
- Hercules:[33] A famous hero from Greek Mythology, Hercules (occasionally referred to as Heracles) is often responsible for the Amazons' relocation to Themyscira after he tricked and violated Queen Hippolyta.
- Medusa:[34] The mythical Gorgon who could turn living creatures to stone with her eyes. Her sisters Euryale and Stheno once recruited Circe to resurrect Medusa. The trio succeeded, though Medusa was later killed by Wonder Woman after a plot to transform everyone watching their televised battle to stone.
- Queen of Fables:[35] Tsaritsa is a powerful, extradimensional sorceress who mistook Wonder Woman for her sworn enemy Snow White.
- Zeus: The king of Olympus. Zeus is a serial rapist who has tried to reshape humanity through mass slaughter. She helped her patron Athena depose the deranged king.
Mortal Threats
- Aegeus:[36] Nikos Aegeus is a warrior empowered by Bellerophon. He originally stole bolts of lightning from Zeus, though a more modern incarnation depicted Aegeus as a merchant of mythical goods for mercenaries.
- Angle Man:[37] Angelo Bend is an Italian thief who uses a special weapon known as the Angler that can alter angles, cause others to lose their balance, and teleport across time and space. Though he has fought Wonder Woman on several occasions since the 1960's, Angle Man is most often seen in crowds with other supervillains. During the New 52, it was revealed that Angelo Bend's father was Vandal Savage.
- Doctor Cyber:
- Cylvia Anita Cyber:[38] A powerful crimeboss who suffered from body dsymorphic disorder after a battle with Wonder Woman left her face scarred. She wore a mask and commanded her own legion of mercenaries.
- Adrianna Anderson:[39] An assistant and close friend to Veronica Cale at Empire Enterprises. When Deimos and Phobos kidnapped Cale's daughter, Adrianna agreed to wear the experimental Cyberwalker suit to help. However, a battle with Wonder Woman left Adrianna physically dead but her mind as an artificial intelligence. Referring herself as a “digital goddess”, Adrianna worked closely with Veronica Cale as members of Godwatch.
- Doctor Psycho:[40] Edgar Cizko is a dwarf with telepathic abilities and a strong hatred of women, particularly Wonder Woman.
- The Mask:[41] Nina Close, a victim of domestic violence who lashed out against her husband and other abusive husbands in a murder spree.
- Maxwell Lord:[42] A businessman with telepathic powers who was killed by Wonder Woman after he mind-controlled Superman into fighting the amazon.
- Osira:[43] An Alien from another dimension who ruled over Egypt for many years with her mate until her people turned on her. After she escaped imprisonment, she found her husband dead. She fell in love with Steve Trevor, who looked identical to her deceased love. Osira had mysterious powers and most often surrounded herself by an impenetrable force in the shape of a pyramid.
- Silver Swan:
- Helen Alexandros:[44] A homely ballet dancer and descendant of Ares who gained supernatural strength and beauty after pledging her life to destroy Wonder Woman.
- Valerie Beaudry:[45] A genetic mutant whose abusive husband transformed her into a beautiful woman only to use her as a weapon.
- Vanessa Kapatelis:[46] Formerly Wonder Woman's best friend, Vanessa was briefly manipulated by Circe into becoming the third Silver Swan. Though Wonder Woman managed to save her friend, she has since returned to the role of Silver Swan.
- Veronica Cale:[47] A self-made millionaire and CEO who, like Lex Luthor to Superman, hates Wonder Woman for being born with the privilege of powers. After her daughter Isadore was captured by the twin gods Deimos and Phobos, Cale formed the team Godwatch who have consistently battled Wonder Woman.
- White Magician:[48] A wealthy madman with knowledge of sorcery. Previously known as “Mister Magik” and “The White Sorcerer”, the White Magician was a superhero for many years until his drive for power drove him to the dark arts. Transformed into a demon, the White Magician was killed by Wonder Woman and Artemis.
Minor Villains
- Adjudicator
- Alkyone: A renegade Amazon who despised Diana and formed the Circle, a group of like-minded Amazon rebels.
- Andres Cadulo: A worshiper of Urzkartaga.
- Anglette: A female athlete who somehow gained the Angler and usurped Angle Man.
- Apollo: While typically neutral to Wonder Woman, Apollo became an antagonist when he wished to rule over Mount Olympus.
- Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt: Sided with Apollo during his attempt to conquer Mount Olympus.
- Astarte: Empress of the Silver Snake.
- Badra: The only survivor from the planet Hator, Badra fought Wonder Woman until the amazon's compassion won her over. She later became a museum curator and kept in touch with Wonder Woman.
- Barremargox and Drax: Demons from a hellish dimension. Drax sought to return his master and bride Barremargox to the material plane and, together with a mortal named Baron von Nostraed, plotted to use Cheetah's body as a host.
- The Batman Who Laughs: He corrupted Donna Troy. He later turned Hades into his own personal prison with Perpetua's help. It is said that he is Diana's opposite, powered by everything she stands against, and her final enemy.[49]
- Blakfu: King of a race of underground-dwelling mole men.
- Briareos: One of the Hecatoncheires and a champion of Zeus who battles Wonder Woman on his master's behalf.
- Cassandra "Cassie" Arnold: Originally a reporter stationed in Boston, Cassie's dealings with her lover, the White Magician, led to her being transformed into a green-skinned hag-like creature enslaved by the sorcerer.
- Cat Eye: A bounty hunter who claimed to be an incarnation of the Egyptian goddess Bast.
- Chaos
- Cottus: One of the Hecatoncheires, a race of giants with a hundred arms. He was a prisoner of Doom's Doorway, and was originally thought to be slain by Steve Trevor's mother, Diana Trevor.
- Cronus: An ancient titan who created Devastation to be his champion, and with his children, attacked and defeated the Greek and Hindu pantheons. It was not until he and his children attacked Heaven were he met his defeat.
- Arch: A god of strategy, Arch has the appearance of a monstrous, nude man whose face is hidden behind a giant helmet.
- Disdain: A goddess of deception, Disdain is depicted as a woman with one side human and the other side a swirl of red and black.
- Harrier: A winged god, Harrier gave Devastation the gift of speed and flight.
- Oblivion: A god of memory, Oblivion is composed entirely of mortal memories.
- Slaughter: A god resembling a centaur, he gave Devastation the gift of the precision to kill.
- Titan: Resembling one of the Hecatoncheires, Titan gifted Devastation with the power to create earthquakes.
- Countess Draska Nishki: A countess whose thrill seeking ways led her to found International Spies, Inc. and carry out assassination and espionage for the highest bidder. She has a past with Phillip Darnell.
- Crimson Centipede
- Cuca: A humanoid alligator who possesses great magical powers.
- Cyborgirl: Niece of Sarah Charles, a former drug addict who had most of her body replaced by cybernetics.
- Dalma: A renegade amazon who was envious of Diana leaving Paradise Island.
- Dark Angel: The Donna Troy of Earth-Seven, a witch whose life goal is to torture Donna and her loved ones for living the life which was stolen from her.
- Dark Fates: A trio of witches from the Dark Multiverse.
- Dark Gods: The pantheon of gods from the Dark Multiverse.
- God With No Name: Dark god of suicide.
- Karnell: Dark god of love.
- King Best: King of the Dark Gods.
- Mob God: Dark goddess of devotion.
- Savage Fire: Dark goddess of war.
- Decay: The offspring of Medusa, used by Deimos and Phobos during Wonder Woman's earliest days in the United States.
- Derinoe: An amazon crone who wanted revenge on Hippolyta.
- Drakul Karfang
- Echidna: The mythical mother of all monsters.
- Egg Fu
- Eirene: Greek goddess of peace who attacked Wonder Woman after discovering her lover, Ares, had been killed by the amazon.
- Emperor of Saturn: The ruler of the Empire of Saturn, who has been having humans abducted and enslaved to work on the infrastructure needed to invade earth. His agents include Mephisto Saturno, Saturnette and Eviless.
- Euryale: A legendary gorgon and sister to Medusa and Stheno. She was first seen alongside Phobos and Ixion as they brought chaos and destruction to the streets of Boston. She was soon beheaded by Hermes's Caduceus, which she and Phobos had stolen. She later returned and coerced Circe to resurrect her sister Medusa.
- Fireworks Man: A being composed completely of fireworks, he formed the Academy of Arch-Villains with Angle Man and Mouse Man.
- First Born: In the New 52, the First Born was the nameless son of Zeus and Hera who tried to take over all of Olympus and eradicate all his fellow siblings for dominance.
- Hades: God of the Underworld, Hades or Pluto is usually portrayed as benevolent but neutral, though he has plotted against Wonder Woman as well.
- Human Tank: A man who used an enamel-based compound to render his skin bulletproof.
- Image-Maker: The ruler of Mirror-World.
- Inventa: A brilliant genius and prisoner on Reformation Island, Inventa and her henchwoman Torcha plotted to escape imprisonment by studying the amazons' Venus girdle.
- Inversion: A scientist who accidentally transformed him into a disfigured creature with his organs on the outside of his body.
- Ixion: An ancient assassin who was imprisoned in Tartarus by Hermes. Phobos later freed Ixion, who rampaged across the streets of Boston. His destructive outing was stopped by Wonder Woman, and he charged to his death rather than being imprisoned once again.
- Janus
- Julianna Sazia: Wife of mob boss Tony Sazia, Julianna took over her husband's business after his death.
- Kung: Japanese samurai shapeshifter.
- Leviathan: He turned Paula into the villain by revealing she was descended from Nazis.
- Liar Liar: Max Lord's daughter.
- Mayfly: A speedster assassin who was compelled to reform after witnessing Wonder Woman's kindness.
- The Merciless: A version of Bruce Wayne that went insane after putting on Ares' mask and killed her counterpart. He attempted to kill her as well.
- Mikos: Circe's primary servant. Leader of the Bestiamorphs, he has the ability to transform into a giant raven-like creature at-will.
- Minister Blizzard: Prime Minister of Iceberg Land.
- Moot and Geof: Moot is a female assassin who has partnered with the android Geof. Both received cybernetic enhancements after joining Ares Buchanan's organization.
- The Morrigan: A triumvirate of war goddesses consisting of Anann, Bellona, and Enyo.
- Mouse Man: A miniature-sized criminal who was part of the Academy of Arch-Villains.
- Nemesis: The goddess of revenge.
- Neser: A figure from Nubia's previous life who resurfaced in the modern age.
- Professor Calculus: A professor at Holliday College who joined Doctor Psycho's incarnation of Villainy Incorporated.
- Queen Atomia: Queen of a subatomic universe, she sought to conquer Earth after growing to human size.
- Queen Mikra: Ancient Egyptian queen who commanded a legion of sphinxes and who bore resemblance to Wonder Woman.
- Sangtee Emperor: The kreel ruler of the Sangtee Empire. Wonder Woman led a revolution that forced the Emperor to abolish their Empire's chattel slavery and outlawing of female citizens.
- Scylla: A monster from Greek Mythology, Scylla fought Wonder Woman after being recruited by the Roman goddess Diana.
- Sharkeeta: Shark mermaid who grew to resent the Amazons for treating her more like a fish than a woman.
- Shim'Tar: Champion of the Bana-Mighdall; while later incarnations were allies, initially they were enemies.
- Sontag Henya: Queen Clea's righthand woman on Venturia; she took over leadership of the city after Clea's capture.
- The Sovereign: The secret king running the United States with the Lasso of Lies.
- Superwoman: Diana's evil Earth-3 counterpart and member of the Crime Syndicate.
- Tezcatlipoca: The Aztec god of darkness.
- Tigra Tropica: A female criminal who uses her pet tigers to do her bidding.
- Trinity: A virus bent on destruction.
- Urzkartaga: A plant god responsible for Barbara Ann Minerva's transformation into the Cheetah.
Recommended Reading
- Wonder Woman (Volume 1)
- Wonder Woman (Volume 2)
- Wonder Woman (Volume 3)
- Wonder Woman (Volume 4)
- Wonder Woman (Volume 5)
See Also
- Gallery of Wonder Woman Villains
- List of Wonder Woman Villains (Alphabetical Order)
Links and References
- ↑ First Appearance: Green Lantern #3
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #234
- ↑ First Appearance: Sensation Comics #4
- ↑ First Appearance: World's Finest #246
- ↑ First Appearance: Comic Cavalcade #2
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #14
- ↑ First Appearance: Comic Cavalcade #17
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #4
- ↑ First Appearance: Sensation Comics #17
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #228
- ↑ First Appearance: All-Star Comics #8
- ↑ First Appearance: Sensation Comics #59
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #6
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #274
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman (Volume 2) #7
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman (Volume 2) #170
- ↑ First Appearance: Sensation Comics #2
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman (Volume 2) #151
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman (Volume 4) #48
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #10
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #9
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #11
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #8
- ↑ First Appearance: Comic Cavalcade #5
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #1
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 First Appearance: Wonder Woman #183
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #37
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman (Volume 2) #143
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #2
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman (Volume 3) #26
- ↑ First Appearance: Justice League (Volume 2) #40
- ↑ First Appearance: Superman Family #218
- ↑ First Appearance: All-Star Comics #8
- ↑ First Appearance: Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #52
- ↑ First Appearance: JLA #47
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #297
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #62
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #179
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman (Volume 5) #5
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #5
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #24
- ↑ First Appearance: Justice League #1
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #231
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman #288
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman (Volume 2) #15
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman (Volume 2) #3
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman (Volume 2) #196
- ↑ First Appearance: Wonder Woman Annual (Volume 2) #3
- ↑ Dark Nights: Death Metal #7