Wonder Woman Dumped! The U.N. And DC Comics Ditch Diana Prince

Currently, women are making great strides in bringing equality into the workplace and the home at every turn, but, while Girl Power is on the rise, it seems everyone is turning on one of our society’s greatest female icons. Once dedicated to the ideals, Wonder Woman symbolized, the United Nations has dumped the DC Comics heroine, claiming that Wonder Woman doesn’t embody the ideals they seek to promote, after all. The U.N. isn’t alone, either. DC Comics, the creators of Wonder Woman, also announced the end of a Wonder Woman comic book series.

The U.N. Rescinds Its Honorary Ambassadorship From Wonder Woman

It has only been two months since the U.N. appointed Wonder Woman as an Honorary U.N. Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls, inspiring generations of female fans to look to the DC Comics character as a role model. Now, CBS News reports that, effective this previous Friday, Wonder Woman no longer bears that title.

The decision to rescind the title comes after the U.N. received criticism for their decision to make Wonder Woman a symbol for young women to embody. Feminist groups, diplomats, and even some of the U.N.’s own staff complained about the move, but a petition, which boasted 45,000 signatures, may have been the ultimate force behind Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s decision to retract the honorary title.

Initially, the U.N. had voted to include Wonder Woman in its yearlong campaign on gender equality and women’s empowerment. Joining forces with Gal Gadot and Lynda Carter, the actresses known for playing live action versions of Wonder Woman, the U.N. had hoped to involve the Wonder Woman campaign in their U.N.’s new 2030 global goals.

The reasoning behind the move to rescind Wonder Woman’s ambassadorship was two-fold. First, many took issue with Wonder Woman’s sexual appearance. In a generation where feminists urge society not to slut shame women for their choice of attire, that same society criticized the U.N. for choosing Wonder Woman due to her outfit.

Second, and this may have carried more weight in influencing the U.N.’s reversal, is the idea that choosing a fictional character for such an important title insults the efforts of real activists, many of whom would be honored to carry the title and use her ambassadorship to create change in the world.

DC Comics Ditches The Legend Of Wonder Woman

In a surprising announcement, Paste reveals that DC Comics has discontinued The Legend of Wonder Woman. This move is surprising in its suddenness, but also because the comic book series was just recently honored as one of the best comic books of the year, due to its rich artwork and compelling storytelling. The Legend of Wonder Woman writer and artist Renae De Liz shared the sad news.

“I am surprised & devastated I won’t be able to finish the project.” De Liz announced on Twitter, as she revealed the cancellation of the Wonder Woman comic book series. “I am very grateful to DC for the opportunity to work with such an iconic character over the last few years, that was a joy like none other.”

The writer/artist also shared her disappointment at not being able to complete the story she had begun to tell, revealing that DC hadn’t even offered her the opportunity to wrap up the current story arc.

DC Comics has been keen on promoting the Wonder Woman character through a wide selection of material in anticipation of the Warner Bros. Wonder Woman solo film, so there seems to be some mystery behind the cancellation of The Legend of Wonder Woman. DC Comics have yet to comment on the decision.

Currently, Renae De Liz is offering signed artwork from The Legend of Wonder Woman.

“If anyone is interested in signed/sketch copies of LoWW, pages, or art it would be greatly appreciated,” De Liz announced to her Twitter followers.

[Featured Image by Warner Bros.]