Wonder Woman No. 159: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

"Wonder Woman issue No. 159 was published by DC Comics in January 1966. The cover art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito depicts the titular superhero gripping a hand held over her mouth and saying “Let me go!- I must tell the truth!” This issue was an attempt by DC to return to the “Golden Age” origins of Wonder Woman introduced in the 1940s.

The story "The Golden Age Secret Origin of Wonder Woman" was written by Robert Kanigher and pencilled by Ross Andru, who also provided the cover. The book also contains the story "Doom Island," written by Robert Kanigher and pencilled by Andru.

Wonder Woman is a superhero created in 1941 by noted psychologist William Moulton Marsten (as Charles Moulton) and artist Harry G. Peters. An Amazonian princess possessing incredible strength and armed with magical devices, the character has made a profound cultural impact as the best known and longest lasting female superhero.

Moulton claimed Wonder Woman to be "psychological propaganda for a new type of woman" that he believed "should ... rule the world." Introduced in DC Comics All-Star Comics #8, the character was an instant hit with readers, with early Wonder Woman stories featuring thrilling messages of female empowerment. The first, and for some time, only woman in All-Star Comics' super team "The Justice Society of America," the red, white and blue clad heroine soon helmed her own title, becoming one of the few characters to have survived continually from comic's early "Golden Age" to the present.

Wonder Woman continues to inspire generations with her powerful combination of compassion and might. In addition to her genre-defining comic book appearances, the character has become a multi-media juggernaut and a symbol for women's rights across the globe.

Appearing on scores of merchandise, the star-spangled superhero has been featured in video games, television and the big screen. In the 1970s television series ,"Wonder Woman" was portrayed by actress Lynda Carter, and in the 21st century Warner Bros. film series, she has been depicted by actress Gal Godot.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1966
• maker: D. C. Comics, Inc.
• Object Name: comic book
• Physical Description: paper (overall material)
• Physical Description: ink (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 10 1/4 in x 7 in; 26.035 cm x 17.78 cm
• place made: United States: New York, New York City
• Associated Place: United States: New York, New York City
• Subject: Comics
• Subject: Wonder Woman
• ID Number: 2017.3021.044
• nonaccession number: 2017.3021
• catalog number: 2017.3021.044
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.