Sensation Comics #1 (1942)
by William Moulton Marston & Harry G. Peter
I was only going to talk about this issue because a couple of heroes have their first story there. But it’s also the second Wonder Woman story ever and the true beginning of her first serial, so I might as well talk about her story as well.
And right away we have a first, because the story begins with Wonder Woman bringing Steve Trevor back to America in the Invisible Plane, which we see for the first time.
Well I guess we DON’T see it.
Few readers still really think of the Invisible Plane… or the Invisible Jet as it’s also called… as being an integral part of Wonder Woman’s mythos.
But only the post-Crisis Wonder Woman is able to fly: she used that thing for a looooong time!
I get why that thing doesn’t catch on whenever they try to re-introduce it: it just doesn’t work when it belongs to a Wonder Woman can both fly AND is nearly as strong as Superman.
But even if that wasn’t the case, I never liked the execution… sure an invisible plane SOUNDS like a cool concept, but the fact that whatever is inside it IS STILL VISIBLE is just goofy.
Steve Trevor is immediately smitten, and he’s already using the pet name for Wonder Woman that he’ll use for decades.
But Wondy… I get that you’re flattered, but the fact that he’s the first man to ever call you beautiful is not that impressive considering HE’S THE FIRST MAN YOU’VE EVER MET.
She then drops Steve at the first hospital, to then proceed to something of much higher importance…
…shopping!
I’m sure she would still turn some heads, since Wonder Woman is supposed to be almost supernaturally beautiful, but it is kind of hilarious that by today’s standards her attire isn’t THAT shocking.
But superheroes can’t go anywhere without stumbling into a crime, so there’s a bank robbery right across the street.
She certainly makes a good first impression! Even if the artwork is not exactly good at showcasing action, this one time it kind of works.
Just be glad Harry G. Peter pencils Wonder Woman instead of Flash.
It’s kind of a tradition of the genre for the superhero to be offered to use his powers for personal gain alone…
…and it’s refreshing to see that for once there’s at least one hero who doesn’t find anything wrong with it.
Also, this might very well be the only Golden or Silver Age story I have seen when the hero makes the news and it’s not the first page!
But of course she’s not in it for the money, so as soon as Steve Trevor is released from the hospital she just quits.
Good thing she’s reading this on the pages of the Legally Blind Gazette because holy crap is that a HUGE font!!!
That is especially funny if you’ve ever seen newspapers from the 40s. Just by comparison: since this has a cover date of January 1942 and it’s not on the first page… THIS is the second page of the New York Times on January 1st 1942.
See if you can spot the SLIGHT difference in font size!!!
Wonder Woman might be a naïve newcomer to “Men’s World”, but she’s not dumb.
You’re lucky you got away without a single broken bone, dude, just let it go.
Once Wonder Woman arrives to the hospital, she finds a nurse crying because her fiancé has left for South America.
A nurse that, by SHEER COINCIDENCE, looks exactly like Wonder Woman with glasses…
…and who has the same name. That’s right: this is the origin of Wonder Woman’s secret identity of Diana Prince!
I’m sure everyone not familiar with the Golden Age just assumed it was just a made up name… but nope: Wonder Woman just bought the identity of a real Diana Prince!!!
Just take a moment to consider just how vastly different Wonder Woman’s history would have been if she didn’t randomly meet that nurse!!!
I can buy the idea that Steve doesn’t recognize Wonder Woman… he’s barely seen her once… but nobody at the hospital notices the switch.
So I’m guessing Wonder Woman also has the same voice of the original Diana Prince AND knows enough about medicine to take her place as a nurse.
Superman won’t get the Fortress of Solitude until 1958.
Batman will get the Batcave in September 1942 (although it wouldn’t get its name until later).
But already in January 1942, Wonder Woman has her own secret base… in a barn.
Wonder Woman’s action scenes have been mostly disappointing, but Steve’s aerial battle looks good enough.
Wonder Woman ends up saving Steve. I wonder if this will become a trend.
She might not be able to fly in this period, but even in the air you’re not safe from Wonder Woman!
She doesn’t have the Lasso of Truth yet (that will show up in issue 6), but the bomber still talks.
Wonder Woman relies on her mother’s magic devices WAY too much in this period. She might as well be reading the script!
It’s kind of amazing how many details from this issue made it into Wonder Woman’s movie, but we also need to include that poison gas plays a role!
Yep. Not a trend at all.
And so we end the story with Wonder Woman thinking about he irony of being her own rival.
It’s almost as if she doesn’t have ANY REASON AT ALL for that secret identity.
Historical significance: 7/10
This is where we get both Diana Prince AND the Invisible Plane, both of which used to be a much bigger deal.
I’ve already talked about the diminishing importance of the Invisible Plane, but Diana Prince will get multiple origin stories and will be completely omitted more than once in several origins.
Silver Age-ness: 4/10
Compared to most of the Golden Age Wonder Woman this is INCREDIBLY tame.
Does it stand the test of time? 6/10
Other than the artwork and a couple of VERY convenient coincidences, it holds up remarkably well. Wonder Woman herself feels like a complete character acting, if not exactly a complex one.
A couple of heroes will get their own separate reviews, but there’s even more stuff in Sensation Comics #1.
There’s a pirate story…
…and there’s the Gay Ghost.
He shows up from time to time, having been renamed Grim Ghost for obvious reasons.
Way more embarrassingly, we also have “Little Boy Blue”.
Which incredibly ran continuously all the way up to Sensation Comics #82 in 1948.
Yep. This thing ran for SIX STRAIGHT YEARS.
