Wonder Woman #23
Wonder Woman #23 holds a firm place in Golden Age DC history as the first comic to depict a young Princess Diana — the prototype for what would eventually be codified as 'Wonder Girl' — in a flashback story penned by William Moulton Marston in one of his final scripts before his death later that year. The childhood flashback device it pioneered would be revived by Robert Kanigher in 1959 and eventually snowball into an entirely separate character (Donna Troy) and the founding lineup of the Teen Titans. Beyond the Wonder Girl lineage, the issue also delivers the in-universe origin of the Amazons' iconic kanga mounts, retroactively explaining how giant kangaroos arrived on Paradise Island and providing the first pairing of Diana with Jumpa — a piece of Silver and Bronze Age mythology that writers continued to reference for decades.
In "Siege of the Savage War Maidens," Wonder Woman faces a daring rescue mission when Odin’s Valkyries seize Amazons to replace their idle warriors, turning the tide of a war built on false strength. With Steve’s timely arrival creating a crucial opening, the Amazon Princess uses cunning and courage to reclaim her sisters from captivity. Written by Charles Moulton and illustrated by Harry Peter—whose dynamic pencils and inks define the cover and interior—this 1947 classic captures a bold clash of warrior cultures, all rendered in the bold, expressive style of the era.
In a bold clash of myth and might, the Amazon Princess leads her sisters in a daring stand against Odin’s ruthless Valkyries, who seek to turn them into warriors of Valhalla’s elite. With the fate of imprisoned heroes hanging in the balance, Steve’s arrival sparks a chain of events that tests courage, loyalty, and the true meaning of strength.
In this 1947 biography from Wonder Woman #23, the legendary aviator Amelia Earhart is brought to life through her early years, from her childhood in Atchison, Kansas, to her first flights and growing passion for the skies. With her family—her father Samuel "Edwin" Stanton Earhart, her mother Amelia "Amy" Earhart, her sister Grace Earhart (known as Pidge), and her close friend Katherine—by her side, Amelia’s determination and courage begin to take flight. The story captures her journey from a curious young woman to a pioneering pilot, setting the stage for her historic attempts to break records and fly across the globe.
In "The Vanishing Mummy!", Wonder Woman and the Holliday Girls journey to Egypt to stop the resurrected King Aknaten, a villainous pharaoh who has enslaved Professor Ainchent and plans to unleash a deadly gas upon the modern world. With the King’s followers—ancient Egyptian loyalists—rampant and the sands hiding forgotten terrors, the heroes must unravel a mystery older than time itself.
In a rare moment of personal history, Queen Hippolyte shares a home movie with the Holliday Girls, capturing young Princess Diana at just seven years old—already a leader as she unites the Amazons to defend Paradise Island from the skyborne threat of the Sky Riders of Nebulosta, who ride giant, mysterious creatures known as Kangas.
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The issue went on sale March 26, 1947, published by National Comics Publications under the Superman-DC brand, and carries a cover date of May 1947. All three comic stories were scripted by William Moulton Marston writing as 'Charles Moulton' — a credit confirmed by Jill Lepore's 2014 book The Secret History of Wonder Woman after the Grand Comics Database had previously attributed the scripts to Robert Kanigher. Pencils and inks throughout are by H.G. Peter (credited as H. G. Peter), with Sheldon Mayer as credited editor and Kanigher serving as assistant editor; a four-page illustrated biography of Amelia Earhart was drawn by Robert Q. Sale (signing as 'Bob Siege'), and a text story was contributed by John Broome — making this a notably crowded creative slate for a single 1940s issue.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First depiction of a young Princess Diana (age seven): the 'A Story from Wonder Woman's Childhood' segment shows Diana at her seventh birthday repelling the alien Sky Riders of Nebulosta in a home-movie flashback screened by Queen Hippolyte for Etta Candy and the Holliday Girls — the foundational appearance that Wikipedia, Donna Troy's Wikipedia entry, and multiple DC Database sources identify as the genesis of the Wonder Girl concept.
- In-universe origin of the kangas: the childhood flashback explains how the alien Sky Riders arrived on Paradise Island riding giant kangaroos, and how the Amazons subsequently adopted the animals as mounts — resolving a continuity gap that had existed since Sensation Comics #6 (1942), where the kangas appeared without explanation.
- Noted internal continuity inconsistency: the childhood story shows seven-year-old Diana already wearing her silver bracelets, contradicting Wonder Woman Vol. 1 #1, where she was shown receiving the bracelets upon turning fifteen.
- Lead story 'Siege of the Savage War Maidens' is a direct sequel to Comic Cavalcade #17 (Oct–Nov 1946), in which Gundra and the Valkyries made their first appearance fighting Wonder Woman; WW #23 brings Gundra back as Odin attempts to abduct Amazons and transform them into Valkyries to replenish his warriors.
- The childhood flashback story was later retold and expanded in Wonder Woman #209 (DC, 1970s) as 'Attack of the Sky Demons.'
- The issue contains three distinct story features plus a text piece: 'Siege of the Savage War Maidens' (12 pages, Marston/Peter), the Amelia Earhart biography (4 pages, Robert Q. Sale), 'The Vanishing Mummy!' (12 pages, Marston/Peter), and a John Broome text story — an unusually varied anthology package for the title.
- Both the Odin-Valkyrie story and the Egyptian pharaoh story ('The Vanishing Mummy!') end with the villain taking his own life upon defeat — a grim storytelling pattern flagged by the GCD as a notable thematic parallel across the same issue.
- The childhood story was reprinted in Wonder Woman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 3 (DC, 2018/January 2019) and, specifically for its kanga content, selected for inclusion in Tails of the Super-Pets (DC, 2022), a Golden and Silver Age collection centered on superhero animal companions.
Cast · 24 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Wonder Woman: The Golden Age Omnibus #3 (2019), Tails of the Super-Pets #[nn] (2022)
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