Summary
- In
Wonder Woman
#12, Diana realizes that there is a power greater than love and fear in the DCU. - Robin and Wonder Woman team-up in Tom King’s
Wonder Woman
#12, an
Absolute Power
tie-in issue. - Both Damian and Diana’s greatest virtues/tactics fail when confronting Captain Boomerang.
WARNING: Contains potential spoilers for Wonder Woman #12!Every Wonder Woman fan knows that Diana Prince is a champion of love, believing it is the power that can conquer all. However, the Amazon Princess recently admitted that something is even more powerful than love—and it’s not Batman’s vengeance or Superman’s compassion, but something that Captain Boomerang has in spades.
Tom King, Tony S. Daniel, and Leonardo Paciarotti’s Wonder Woman #12 is a tie-in issue to DC’s crossover crisis event, Absolute Power, which sees Earth’s metahuman population targeted by Amanda Waller and her power-stealing Amazo robots. In this issue, Wonder Woman and Robin Damian Wayne team up to discover the location of Waller’s secret metahuman prison.
The duo’s investigation leads them to Captain Boomerang, who knows Waller better than anyone else after his years on her Suicide Squad. However, getting the location out of the rogue proves more difficult than Diana and Damian anticipated, as their tactics of love and fear fail them.
Wonder Woman Officially Declares “Stupidity” the Greatest Power in the DC Universe
Captain Boomerang Proves That Stupidity Outranks Both Love and Fear
Wonder Woman #12 features Wonder Woman and Robin taking turns with their interrogation tactics—Diana tries love, while Damian relies on fear. However, neither approach succeeds in getting Captain Boomerang to reveal the information they need. Toward the end of the issue, as Wonder Woman and Robin admit their frustration of being unable to break Boomerang, the rogue starts boasting about his resilience. “You piss-brained @#%@$ thought I’d give up Waller’s prison on Gamorra Island?!” he exclaims, not realizing he’s just given away the location.
This slip-up immediately catches Robin and Wonder Woman’s attention, prompting Diana to say, “There is a power greater than both fear and love. The stupidity of an overconfident Flash Rogue.” While this scene is infused with humor, it also marks a significant revelation—Wonder Woman acknowledges that something surpasses the virtue she has always championed: love. This moment could also suggest that hubris, which often leads to stupidity, is the true power that outranks both love and fear, making it relevant to a wider range of villains.
Will Fans Agree With Tom King’s Take That Stupidity Outranks Fear & Love? (It Low-Key Makes Sense)
Stupidity Accomplished What Fear & Love Couldn’t In Wonder Woman #12
It will be interesting to see if fans agree that stupidity/hubris outranks fear and love, especially since these two virtues have defined Batman and Wonder Woman for decades. Some might argue that this view diminishes the core traits these characters are built on by suggesting that stupidity surpasses both fear and love. However, it makes sense that if a character is exceptionally stupid or arrogant, they might be unable to process situations effectively, rendering the powers of love and fear moot. In this light, Tom King’s Wonder Woman might be right in saying that the greatest power in the DCU is stupidity.
Wonder Woman #12 is available now from DC Comics!
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WONDER WOMAN #12 (2024) |
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Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is the superhero identity of Diana, Princess of the Amazons. Created on the island of Themyscira, Wonder Woman is a super-powered demi-goddess with extreme physical strength who utilizes magical gifts (like her famous Lasso of Truth) to defeat her foes. As mighty as her fellow heroes Superman and the Justice League, Wonder Woman is unmatched in her compassion and virtue.
