Wonder Woman is a superheroine from DC Comics, first introduced in December 1941 in the publication “All Star Comics”, Volume 8. The very next summer, in 1942, she received her own comic series. Since then, she has become a cornerstone of the DC Universe and one of the most famous female superheroes in the world.
To recap for those who are new to the franchise, Wonder Woman’s real identity is Princess Diana of Themyscira. She is an Amazonian warrior with superhuman abilities and possessing mythological artefacts such as the Lasso of Truth and indestructible bracelets. She is an iconic symbol of strength, justice and empowerment.
Unsurprisingly, such a formidable heroine requires equally formidable opponents to challenge her and entertain the comics’ audiences. We will explore the top ten female Wonder Woman villains in this article, using their character design, storylines, and power as measurements.
Number 10: Gundra
Character Design: 5
Story: 6
Power: 6
Final Score: 17/30
Gundra was a villain in the very first Wonder Woman solo comic, in 1942. Originally she was a Valkyrie from Valhalla, a warrior maiden whose job it was to escort souls of dead herose to rest there. She initially clashed with Wonder Woman over the soul of her love interest Steve Trevor. Later, her story took a much darker turn when Gundra was summoned by Hitler himself using the Spear of Destiny. Since then, Gundra has repeatedly appeared in the Wonder Woman comics as an ally of the Nazi regime and to this day she serves as a historical reminder of the wartime context within which Wonder Woman emerged.
Number 9: Doctor Poison
Character Design: 6/10
Story: 6/10
Power: 6/10
Final Score: 18/30
Dr. Poison is a mad scientist and chemist obsessed with poisons. While her concept is simplistic, she is visualized very well with a creepy and grotesque appearance, breaking from the stereotype that all women in comics must be sexy to be visually engaging. Her storylines involve many threats to innocent civilians through her poisons. Her vile schemes often challenge Wonder Woman to be in multiple places at once. Doctor Poison is highly intelligent enough make evil use of her weapon of choice.
Number 8: Devastation
Character Design: 6/10
Story: 5/10
Power: 8/10
Final Score: 19/30
Depending on the comics you read, Devastation has two possible origins: a creation of Cronos or a creation of Circe. In both cases, her purpose is to defeat Wonder Woman and she is blessed with many superhuman abilities that make her very dangerous. As such, conflicts with Devastation are often straightforward in their narrative.
Frequently, Devastation is depicted as childlike in both personality and appearance, reflecting her origin. However, she is not to be underestimated. Devastation can appear however she wishes, and she is motivated by malice and chaos.
Number 7: Medusa
Character Design: 7
Story: 6
Power: 7
Final Score: 20/30
Medusa is a villain drawn from Greek mythology. Although her physical portrayal spans from seductively beautiful to terrifyingly alien, she always has her iconic serpents for hair. Her character is malevolent but also sympathetic once you know her tragic origin story, giving her some depth that other villains can lack. Finally, her powers are usually limited to a petrifying stare, physical regeneration, and immortal lifespan; but she is no less dangerous for that fact, even pushing Wonder Woman to gouge out her own eyes in one memorable encounter.
Number 6: Circe
Character Design: 6/10
Story: 6/10
Power: 8/10
Final Score: 20/30
Circe is a powerful sorceress, based on Greek mythology. Her visual design is sexy, eye-catching and well-fitting to her manipulative and mysterious personality. Despite lacking physical abilities, her raw magical power makes her one of Wonder Woman’s stronger opponents, and she is even responsible for the creation of Devastation in some storylines.
Furthermore, Circe has instigated many conflicts in the universe. She enjoys causing misery and humiliations to Wonder Woman. Circe has brainwashed Queen Hippolyta with her power magic. Circe has also stolen Diana’s powers and claimed the title of Wonder Woman on one occasion.
Number 5: Silver Swan
Character Design: 7/10
Story: 7/10
Power: 7/10
Final Score: 21/30
Silver Swan’s design has evolved a lot since her introduction to the Wonder Woman universe in 1982. In all her iterations, however, she is the product of other villains’ transforming or manipulating her. Often, she has unique personal motivations, from a desire to overcome disability to a need for revenge after perceived betrayal. These elements give her interesting stories. Visually, Silver Swan resembles a vengeful angel. In earlier designs, she is simply a woman with wings, enhanced strength and combat ability. In later versions, she becomes biomechanical, with a winged metal exoskeleton, nanotechnology and sonic powers. This version of her is particularly striking and unique.
Number 4: Veronica Cale
Character Design: 7/10
Story: 8/10
Power: 6/10
Final Score: 21/30
Veronica Cale is one of Wonder Woman’s unique villains because she is one of the few villains without superhuman abilities. Nonetheless, Veronica Cale is an evil businesswoman and her circumstances lead her to a dark path. She holds her own using intelligence, technology, vast wealth, and many connections.
As a result, Veronica’s storylines are often unpredictable and interesting because she quickly changes plans to defeat Wonder Woman. Furthermore, Veronica’s main motivation is restoring her daughter, Isdore Cale of her soul . She has her own moral code and agenda. Her visual design complements her sophisticated businesswoman persona. All this has made Veronica a popular recurring villain that many comic fans will recognize quickly.
Furthermore, Veronica Cale’s hatred towards Wonder Woman is due to Phobos and Deimos stealing Isdore Cale’s soul and using Veronica as a tool to defeat Wonder Woman. Veronica Cale blames Wonder Woman, the Amazons, and the gods for her suffering. She will do anything within her abilities to get revenge.
Number 3: Giganta
Character Design: 7/10
Story: 7/10
Power: 8/10
Final Score: 22/30
Giganta’s design, while conceptually straightforward as a giant woman, is even more recognizable than Veronica Cale. Both iconic and visually striking, Giganta has been a part of the Wonder Woman universe since 1944. Her backstory varies from ape-turned-human to her own scientific experiment, and her motivations and feelings towards Wonder Woman vary as she undergoes character development. When Giganta grows in size, so does her strength, making her a formidable physical opponent that can crash through cities and leave carnage in her wake.
Number 2: Genocide
Character Design: 8
Story: 7
Power: 8
Final Score: 23/30
Genocide is a female villain and a living weapon created through both immoral science and dark magic. This villain was create for the solo purpose to defeat Wonder Woman. Using Wonder Woman’s dead body stolen from the future by the god Ares and samples of soil from genocide sites all over the world, the Secret Society of Super Villains created a being with power only matched by its extreme sadism and bloodlust.
Genocide’s character design is inhuman and menacing. The dead body of Wonder Woman and soil from genocide sites created the result of this villain’s inhuman design. Her skin is dead and grey, while her eyes are always obscured. Her motivations are simple, but her origin and power make her one of the strongest foes Wonder Woman has faced, short of the gods themselves.
Number 1: Cheetah
Character Design: 9/10
Story: 9/10
Power: 8/10
Final Score: 26/30
It won’t surprise any fans of the Wonder Woman franchise that Cheetah is the top adversary on this list. Since her early introduction to the comics in 1943 and near-constant appearances since, Cheetah has had various backstories from evil-alter-ego to the victim of a ritual gone wrong. If this wasn’t interesting enough, Cheetah has gone through a lot of character development in her various iterations, and her conflicts with Wonder Woman are always intense and savage.
Cheetah’s iconic design is inspired by a deadly feline predator but her abilities are not limited to her physical prowess. She also has expertise in archeology, knowledge of ancient magic, and leadership within the Secret Society of Super Villains. This has led to her involvement in various villainous scenes, including the creation of the living weapon Genocide. Cheetah’s physical powers include speed, strength, agility, and later on superhuman abilities like regeneration and immortality.
The Final Word:
Wonder Wonder has battled some of the fiercest and most dangerous villains from DC Comics. Many of these female enemies pose a major threat to the world. Cheetah, Circe, and Silver Swan are only three of Wonder Woman’s best villains from DC Comics. They make a major impact in the overall story.
Our list is only our opinion. Your list of the Wonder Woman’s top ten female villains may have differences. Join the conversation on this topic. Post your list of Wonder Woman’s top ten female villains!
