Wonder Women of History is a feature that ran in Wonder Woman comics and Sensation Comics from 1942 to 1954. Ranging from one to five pages, each entry tells the story of real women who made a mark on history.
The concept was created by Alice Marble, the book's associate editor, who wrote them until at least issue #17 when she stopped receiving credit. They are told in comic panel form from Wonder Woman's perspective (signed at the end by Diana Prince). At least 71 entries were produced under the Wonder Women of History title.
The final original entry appeared in issue #66, after which time it was replaced by features centered around beauty tips or advice on how to get married, such as "Curious Courtships" and "Marriage à la Mode". On occasion, the material strayed from the superficial replacement and took a focus once again on the achievements of women for additional columns such as "Women in the Air" and "Women of Distinction". These back-ups disappeared entirely by the 1960s.
Amazon Hall of Fame[]
"The Girl Who Saved Paradise Island" from Wonder Woman #36 tells the story of Queen Astra of Infanta, one of several figures celebrated in the Amazon Hall of Fame. Wonder Woman explains that the honor is bestowed upon "the great Wonder Women of History who, by their heroism, imagination, zeal, and unselfishness, have made the world a better place to live in."
Historic figures include Joan of Arc, who led the French armies to victory; Queen Elizabeth, under whose reign England prospered and became a great sea power; Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who triumphed over her ill health to write such immortal poetry as "Sonnets from the Portuguese"; Clara Barton, who founded the Red Cross; Marie Curie, who discovered Radium, the element which has done so much to relieve suffering; and Anna Pavlova, the ballerina who enchanted the world.
Reprints[]
With few exceptions, virtually none of the collected editions of Wonder Woman comics included reprints of Wonder Women of History. As such, they have not been commercially available since their first publication.
The 2021 anthology Wonderful Women of the World is described by editor Laurie Halse Anderson as an "updated version" of Wonder Women of History and acknowledges Marble's contribution during the introduction.
Appearances[]
Wonder Woman v1[]
- Florence Nightingale
- Clara Barton
- Edith Cavell
- Lillian D. Wald
- Susan B. Anthony
- Madame Chiang Kai-Shek
- Joan of Arc
- Sister Elizabeth Kenny
- Jane Addams of Hull House
- Juliette Low
- Julia Ward Howe
- Helen Keller
- Sojourner Truth
- Abigail Adams
- Evangeline Booth
- Madame Marie Curie
- Emma Willard
- Hannah Adams
- Elizabeth Blackwell
- Lucretia Mott
- Annie Oakley
- Sarah Bernhardt
- Amelia Earhart
- Maria Mitchell
- Dolly Madison
- Carrie Chapman Catt
- Sacajawea
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning
- Dorothea Lynde Dix
- Nellie Bly
- Jenny Lind
- Annie Jump Cannon
- Alice Freeman Palmer
- Fanny Burney
- Bethenia Owens
- Hannah More
- Mumtaz Mahal
- Margrete
- Vinnie Ream Hoxie
- Myra Colby Bradwell
- Helene Kottauer
- Harriet Quimby
- Lady Hestor Stanhope
- Anne Dacier
- Emilja Plater
- Ellen Swallow Richards
- Caroline Herschel
- Emma Cons
- Martha G. Kimball
- Mary Kingsbury Simkhovitch
- Sarah Josepha Hale
- Marie Elizabeth Zakrzewska
- Florence Rena Sabin
- Gail Laughlin
- Marie Elizabeth Zakrzewska (reprint from #57)
Sensation Comics[]
- Harriet Beecher Stowe
- Louisa May Alcott
- Mary Lyon
- Rosa Bonheur
- Margaret Brent
- Mary E. Walker
- Clara Schumann
- Ellen H. Richards
- Selma Lagerlöf
- Anna Pavlova
- Kathleen Blake Coleman
- Elisabet Ney
- Ernestine Schumann-Heink
- Charlotte Cushman
- Christine De Pisan
- Sarah Josepha Hale
Honorable Mentions[]
- Women in the Air
- Ladies of the Theater
- Women in Sports
- Women Warriors
- The First Co-Eds
- Women of Distinction! — Hannah Adams
- Volunteer Women Workers
- Women of Courage
- Indian Woman Chief
- Fabulous Females
- The Gallantry of Rebecca Motte
- The Female Robinson Crusoe
- Women in White
- Schoolroom Adventuress
- Woman Steeplejack
- It's a Woman's World
- Modern Women of Ancient Times
- A Message from Sally Townsend
- Samson in Skirts
- Health Heroine
- Women of the Wigwams
- Women on Wheels
- Midnight Ride of Betsy Dowdy
- Woman-of-All-Work
- The Fighting Queen
- Circulation Promotion Stunts — Nellie Bly
- The Women Who Won the West
- Women Who Changed History
- Women with War Wings
- Pre-Historic Women
- Maids of the Manor
- Our American Heritage — Emma Lazarus and Harriet Tubman
- Women of Distinction! — Hannah Adams (reprint from #81)
- Some Unsung Heroines