Lights shining on Wonder Woman
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There’s a long and vivid history of comics and the music world colliding in strange ways. Remember when Marvel published KISS comics? Or when R. Crumb drew the cover for the ‘Cheap Thrills’ album by Big Brother and the Holding Company? How about that sleek John Byrne artwork on Joe Satriani’s ‘Surfing with the Alien’ cover? Those popped into my mind when Warner Bros Records sent me a copy of an EP by the Canadian singer who calls herself Lights as well as her bio, which told a fanciful version of her life in comic-book form.
The 21-year-old Lights drew the comic and the album cover herself and is a passionate comics fan, as proven by the tattoo on her back that is modeled on the cover of a Wonder Woman issue. In the EP booklet she drew a white-winged space girl with a tapered laser pistol that Flash Gordon would admire. The caption: ‘Our struggles is not against flesh and blood but against the forces and powers of a dark world.’ Well, clearly, this is a singer who needed a visit to the Hero Complex blog, so I was happy when she agreed to write up a post on her 10 favorite Wonder Woman battles, which you can find below. You can check out her music at her My Space page, her official website or in the music video for twinkling ‘February Air’ at the bottom of this post. Thanks again to Lights and happy holidays everyone.
-- Geoff Boucher
10) Wonder Woman vs. Cheetah
Cheetah, once a beautiful and rich but desperate woman who was turned into a cheetah-woman as a result of a curse from a lusty situation with an African god, is insanely jealous of Wonder Woman. One prominent battle between the two occurred while Wonder Woman was incarcerated (by choice of course! She turned herself in for the murder of Max Lord. Obviously goddesses don’t need to stay incarcerated if they don’t want). Cheetah stalked Wonder Woman in her cell, waiting for everyone to clear out before jumping her in the dark. The battle was vicious and filled with claws, but cheetah left with her tail between her legs as usual.
9) Wonder Woman vs. Zoom
Wonder Woman’s battle with Zoom (an insane reverse version of the Flash) who can travel in and out of time to achieve incredible speed, took them from Boston to the Great Wall of China, all the way to Wonder Woman’s home of Paradise Island in a matter of seconds. Zoom can fight at the speed of light, thus putting up a good fight for Wonder Woman. Though, he pushed his luck when he punched one of Wonder Woman’s Amazon sisters over 200 times in one second! In the end Zoom escaped, so there was no clear winner in this battle, but it was a good one to see go down! P.S.: Wonder Woman was blind for this whole battle!
8) Wonder Woman vs. Darkseid
Darkseid is a looming threat all throughout the DC Universe, and with his god-like powers he is certainly a force to be reckoned with. With ambitions to obtain control over the universe, Darkseid summoned his minions from planet Apokolips to invade Themyscira in hopes of finding the location of the Olympian gods to steal their power. The Amazons, alongside Wonder Woman, were hurled into an intense battle against him and his vast army of semi-demon warriors. He ceased wreaking his havoc only once he discovered he would not find what he was looking for there, and withdrew his troops leaving Paradise Island with more than half of its population dead. This was a battle that Wonder Woman and the Amazons actually lost. It brings anger to my heart against Darkseid, passionate anger! And that is why I have included it in my list of sweet battles.
7) Wonder Woman vs. the White Magician
The White Magician is an insane super-sorcerer who utilizes high powered spells and can morph into his extremely powerful demonic form with huge horns and giant claws. In one gruesome battle, neither Circe (disguised in a mortal form, typically an immortal sorceress) nor Artemis (a fellow Amazon of Wonder Woman) could take down the White Magician in his demonic form. After many body slams and gnashing of claws, Wonder Woman prevailed -- though badly hurt -- despite his immense power!
6) Wonder Woman vs. Hades
Hades is the lord of the underworld who has power over all the dead and dark spirits. He dresses very classy with a top hat and cane. Most of his battles involve much less one-on-one action and more mind manipulation and scaring through the use of his spirits. When Wonder Woman was commissioned by Athena to fetch Hermes from the dead, she entered into Hades (Hades’ realm, the underworld) blinded and lost and tormented by spirits and fears for 117 days, but in reality it was only mere minutes! This particular drawn-out battle ended in the healthful restoration of Hermes and the death of Hades by the axe of his nephew, Ares (not necessarily on Wonder Woman’s side, but was promised he could gain power over the underworld if he killed Hades). Wonder Woman won with the help of others in this battle. Teamwork!
5) Wonder Woman vs. Silver Swan
Silver Swan was once a homely and badly mutated girl who struck a dark deal with Ares (Mars) for incredible beauty (as the Silver Swan) in exchange for destroying Wonder Woman! She uses hypersonic powers to stun those around her, and puts up a decent fight against Wonder Woman. It wasn’t the most intense battle Wonder Woman has fought, but it was certainly a beautiful one -- both beauties winging it into the sky for a face-off filled with supersonic action!
4) Wonder Woman vs. Decay
Decay (daughter of Medusa) put up a pretty outrageous fight with Wonder Woman. Since her touch causes rapid aging, Wonder Woman aged considerably during the fight, as well as lost possession of her tiara to the beast for a brief moment! It looked terrible on Decay though, much prettier on Wonder Woman. The fight ravaged the city of Boston, rotting and decaying parts of the city as they battled by. Once Wonder Woman defeated Decay and sent her spirit away, her youth was returned.
3) Wonder Woman vs. Medusa
Wonder Woman takes on Medusa (an evil goddess with snakes for hair) in the middle of a stadium broadcast on live television with the whole world watching. Half way through the battle, when her helmet comes off, we find out that Wonder Woman had been fighting the whole time with a blindfold on (because one gaze into Medusa’s eyes will turn you to stone)! The entire battle was fought gladiator style, and Wonder Woman finished by taking off Medusa’s head even while blinded (by one of the severed snake’s venom).
2) Wonder Woman vs. Giganta
Giganta has the ability to grow from 6-feet-6 to hundreds of feet in height, possessing immense strength but still able to maintain the mind of a brilliant scientist. Though she is a recurring thorn in Wonder Woman’s side, one of the finest battles between these two was one that became a massive city-destroying battle. Wonder Woman wins in the end but doesn’t kill her; Giganta is simply reduced to mortal size again. She’s left to be roused to rage and height some other day. The tattoo on my back is based on the cover art depicting this battle.
1) Wonder Woman vs. Superman
Wonder Woman’s fight with Superman was arguably one of the most intense battles in the history of comics! Two of DC’s strongest and most prominent figures (as well as love interests at one point) went head to head in a battle that seemed almost unwinnable for both sides! Superman and Wonder Woman once worked side by side for Justice, but Maxwell Lord managed to work mind control on Superman and turn him against his friends and companions. As a result, Wonder Woman ended up killing Max Lord (though he was evil, he was a great humanitarian and leader in the eyes of America) and the entire world seemingly turned against her even though it was her only way of restoring Superman to his normal state of mind and ending his rampage of destruction. This was definitely a monumental battle in not only Wonder Woman history, but also the history of comics.
Here’s that music video, which has Lights rocking the tiara and metal bracelets just like her favorite Amazon ...
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Canadian singer Lights. Credit: Lights and Warner Bros Records. Insets: Wonder Woman. Credit: DC Comics. Bottom: Beyonce Knowles. Credit: Kevork Djansezian / Associated Press
UPDATE: An earlier version of this post said that Lights is 22, which is technically wrong I guess (she’s 21) but in my defense I’d like to point out that I’m often ahead of my time.