A definitive A-to-Z guide to the action-packed history of Wonder Woman, high-flying feminist icon and twenty-first-century movie star She’s as wise as Athena and as beautiful as Aphrodite, stronger then Hercules and swifter than Hermes. Blessed at birth by the gods themselves, Princess Diana left an idyllic island paradise ruled by wise and brave women to bring the peace, love, and nobility of the Amazons to the tumultuous world of humankind. In January 1942, Wonder Woman took the world of comics—and its pantheon of superpowered males—by storm. Wielding her impervious silver bracelets and golden Lasso of Truth, she’s battled forces of evil from the Axis powers to a slew of super-villains worldwide, teamed up with the likes of Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, and the Flash, and transcended comics and film to become a pop-culture superstar. It’s all here in more than 400 fact-filled pages: • Wonder Woman’s origins, as imagined and reinterpreted by generations of comics writers—including her groundbreaking creator, William Moulton Marston  • biographies of every major character in Wonder Woman’s universe, including her mother, Hippolyta; sister, Donna Troy; and mortal ally Steve Trevor—as well as such classic foes as Ares, Cheetah, Hades, and the members of Villainy Inc. • classic black-and-white comic book artwork throughout • two sixteen-page full-color artwork inserts—plus a dazzling original cover illustration by fan-favorite artist Adam Hughes Written by veteran Wonder Woman artist and writer Phil Jimenez and comics historian John Wells,  The Essential Wonder Woman Encyclopedia  is the ultimate archive, proving that her die-hard devotees don’t have to visit Paradise Island for a taste of heaven on earth. Phil Jimenez was born and raised in Los Angeles, and later Orange County, California. He moved to New York City to attend college at the School of Visual Arts, where he now teaches a life-drawing course as part of the undergraduate cartooning program. He is well known for his run as writer/artist on Wonder Woman from 2000 to 2003. John Wells is a comics historian best known for his research into the history of DC Comics and its characters. He maintains a massive privately-held database documenting the appearances of DC's heroes, villains, and a multitude of other categories that has served as a resource for writers and editors such as Kurt Busiek, Bob Greenberger, Phil Jimenez, and Mark Waid. John has explored comics history both online, as part of Bob Rozakis' cyberspace "Answer Man" column, and in print, for publications such as Alter Ego, Amazing Heroes, Back Issue, The Comic Buyer's Guide, and DC Comics' Batman in the Eighties.  ABERNATHY, SENATOR RUSSELL  In the pre-CRISIS universe of EARTH-1, a retired US senator and chair of the Foreign Relations Committee who rented an apartment in his Georgetown brownstone to DIANA PRINCE II, the civilian identity of WONDER WOMAN II, and her roommate ETTA CANDY II.  Soon after, Abernathy was blackmailed by crippled industrialist OSCAR POUND, who once provided the former senator with classified documents he leaked to the press for political gain. Abernathy let Pound kidnap Etta Candy without knowing that the industrialist planned to sacrifice her to the demon BAAL-SATYR in exchange for the use of his legs. Wonder Woman destroyed Baal-Satyr, freed Etta, and captured Oscar Pound, releasing the repentant Abernathy from his deadly pact. Later, after Abernathy suffered a debilitating heart attack, Wonder Woman and STEVE TREVOR II uncovered a plot to undermine peace talks between the United States and Russia masterminded by the senator's former aide Howard Kohler.  Abernathy's daughter Lisa was a reporter for GBS News and the mother of his granddaughter Eloise.  First appearance: Wonder Woman [first series] #273, November 1980 ABU-GITA An ape queen from Gorilla City and a member of the Inner Circle of the Simian Scarlet, a terrorist faction of warmongering gorillas. In the post-CRISIS universe, Abu-Gita and her ape army once tried to invade the island home of the AMAZONS OF THEMYSCIRA and WONDER WOMAN III. Abu-Gita intended to breach the so-called TARTARUS Gate beneath Themyscira and use the RIVER STYX to access the tributary to MOUNT RAVANA, the home of their gods, the RAKSHASAS. During a great battle in the Temple of the Rakshasas, Wonder Woman used her LASSO OF TRUTH to capture Abu-Gita, who subsequently discovered that her intense faith in her gods and her culture had been manipulated by her people and based on dozens of lies. Unable to reconcile her existence with the truth, Abu-Gita was mystically transported off the Holy Mount and back to Gorilla City, while her aide-de-camp Luk-Nutt, who first deduced the reality of Gorilla City's doctored history, remained with CHARON THE FERRYMAN in the underworld.  First appearance: JLA Annual #3, 1999 ACADEMY OF ARCH-VILLAINS, THE  In the pre-CRISIS universe of EARTH-1, a trio of villains who once join