You might think it is strange that a story about technology would start off talking about Wonder Woman. When you realize the technology in question is a lie detector, you might think, “Oh, that’s right. Wonder Woman had the lasso of truth, so this is just a lame association.” You might think that, but you’d be wrong. Turns out, Wonder Woman and real life polygraphs have a much deeper connection; both the polygraph and Wonder Woman share a common creator.
It makes a good story to say that William Marston — an internationally famous psychologist — created the polygraph, but as you might expect it wasn’t the result of a single person’s effort. However, Marston played a key role and also was behind promoting the technology. So, too, even though he is credited as Wonder Woman’s sole creator, the truth is probably a bit more complex.
The real wonder of Wonder Woman is that she exists at all. In 1942, a powerful female superhero was a pretty bold marketing risk. The fact that she was “not sufficiently dressed” (as one critic reported) didn’t help, either. Comic books were still relatively new media in 1942. Superman dates back to 1938 and Batman to 1939. Some would argue there weren’t any modern comic books before 1933 when Maxwell Gaines devised the first four-color saddle-stitched newsprint magazine. Like all new media, the old media was not amused. Respected newspapers called them “sex-horror serials” and a “national disgrace.”
Granted, in the 1940’s comics did have a lot of things that were objectionable. Female characters were often relegated to the “Damsel in Distress” plotline. Tied down to railroad tracks or at threa ..
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