WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for WONDER WOMAN #14!
I’ve always been a majorWonder Womanfan, but one thing I could never wrap my head around was why the Amazon Princess was so utterly enamored with Steve Trevor when she literally fought besideSupermanevery other week. However, thanks to Tom King, I finally understand what makes the WonderSteve ship one of DC’s best canon romances.
Witnessing Wonder Woman’s devastating grief offered one of the most profound and moving portrayals of her love for Steve Trevor.
Tom King, Daniel Sampere, Tomeu Morey, and Clayton Cowles’sWonder Woman#14 is by far one of the most impactful and lore-defining issues in Diana Prince’s comic history. This issue navigates the precarious line between life and death with theshocking demise of Steve Trevor—Wonder Woman’s longest-standing and character-defining relationship—alongside the ‘birth’ of their daughter, Elizabeth"Lizzie"Marston Prince.
King’s entire run has illuminated the depth of Trevor and Diana’s connection, but it is this pivotal issue, marked by Steve’s death and Lizzie’s conception, that solidifies him as Wonder Woman’s ultimate love interest, even surpassing the Man of Steel himself.
A Brief History of Wonder Woman’s Romances With Steve Trevor & Superman
Diana Prince & Steve Trevor’s Relationship Began inAction Comics#8, Lasting Over 83 Years
There is no denying that theromance between Wonder Woman and Steve Trevorhas a long and storied past, making it iconic whether you’re a fan of the pairing or not.Their relationship is as old as the characters themselves, beginning in William Moulton Marston and H. G. Peter’sAll-Star Comics#8(1941) when the two meet on Themyscira after Steve’s plane crash-lands on the island. Diana rescues him and nurses him back to health, simultaneously falling in love with his bravery and humanity—marking the beginning of their romance.
In contrast,Superman and Wonder Woman as a romantic pairingdidn’t truly take off until DC’sNew 52—a significant and controversial reboot that introduced a new continuity and attempted to modernize characters by revamping their origin stories and reimagining character relationships.While many of these changes were hated by fans, others embraced the romantic relationship between Wonder Woman and Superman—I was one of them. At the time, their pairing seemed more fitting than Diana being with a relatively boring human man. But boy, has Tom King proven me wrong in the past year.
My Love For the WonderSteve Romance Began inWonder Woman#9 (2024)
Tom King Reveals the True Purpose of Steve Trevor in Wonder Woman’s Story
From the very beginning, Tom King’sWonder Womanrun has put a heavy emphasis on Diana and Steve’s relationship, with Steve being one of the most recurring characters besides Diana herself. While I wasn’t a fan of Steve at the time, I was intrigued nonetheless and willing to accept that this relationship would be a major part of the narrative. However, as the series progressed, I found myself transitioning from a neutral stance on the romance to gaining a deep respect and even adoration for it—withWonder Woman#9 officially beginning to sell me on the relationship.
In this issue,the true purpose of Steve Trevoras a character is revealed: he is Wonder Woman’s strength. This revelation occurs in one of Wonder Woman’s dreamscapes, and while it isn’t outright stated, it is heavily implied through a piece of dialogue that reads somewhat like a riddle:“You are what was given to me—what I always carry. What has now, in these dark days, carried me.”While this line is open to interpretation, to me,it reads as an outright declaration that the colonel is one of Wonder Woman’s greatest pillars of strength.
Some may cringe at the notion of Wonder Woman’s strength being tied to a man, fearing it implies weakness. However, that is not the implication here; rather, Diana’s strength derives from her love for Steve. This sentiment aligns perfectly with what fans have long known about Diana—love is one of her defining virtues and a cornerstone of her character. Thus, Wonder Woman’s relationship with Steve is defined by the strength it imbues her with. This revelation opened my eyes to the depth and authenticity of their bond, but it was ultimatelyWonder Woman#14 that transformed me into a passionate supporter of the WonderSteve ship.
Wonder Woman’s Dark New Twist Made Me Burst into Tears with 1 Image
Tom King has officially broken me with his latest release featuring Wonder Woman. If by some chance you haven’t read it yet, you need to immediately.
Steve Trevor’s Death Convinced Me He’s Wonder Woman’s ULTIMATE Love Interest
King Has Given Steve & Diana One of the BEST Romances in DC Comics
As dark as it may sound,it was ultimately Steve’s death that solidified my belief in him as Wonder Woman’s best love interest.Witnessing Diana’s devastating grief offered one of the most profound and moving portrayals of her love for him, bringing me to tears multiple times as her sorrow resonated deeply with me, thanks to King, Sampere, and Morey’s extraordinary storytelling. It was through these heart-wrenching moments of Diana mourning Steve that I truly felt the depth of their connection. And when Wonder Woman channeled her grief into the creation of their daughter, I realized I could never ship Diana with anyone else.
King’s poignant narrative captured the essence of Diana and Steve’s love during a moment when the Amazon Princess combines the threads of their souls to create their daughter:“There are those who do not understand Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor. They believe the mere soldier unworthy of the powerful princess…What these naifs ever fail to understand is that this very distance between them indeed explains them. For a shadow without a sun dissipates into nothingness, unchallenged and undefined.And a sun without a shadow…this is merely a star far off in the night, shedding its faint light, lost among the forgotten gods.”
This narration struck a chord with me, as my struggle to understand their relationship stemmed from reconciling how someone so extraordinary could be with someone so ordinary. Yet, this poetic explanation of balance, coupled with the heartrending emotions of the issue—including the moving ‘birth’ of their daughter resulting from the merging of their souls—has made me a true believer. I now see not only that Steve is Diana’s best match but also that their love is one of the most profound in DC Comics. So, sorrySuperman, butSteve Trevoris now the only love interest I will accept forWonder Woman.
I’m Literally Crying at How Well the ‘Birth’ of Wonder Woman’s Daughter Redefines Her Origin
Tom King has officially broken me in six different ways with the birth of Wonder Woman’s daughter, and I have never loved the DC writer more.
WONDER WOMAN #14 (2024)
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.
