Known as one of the three pillars of the DC universe, Wonder Woman (along with Superman and Batman) is one of the most classic characters ever to grace the page of a funny book. As we get closer and closer to Wonder Woman’s 60th Anniversary, I think we could all use a little bit of a refresher on who she is and what she has meant to the development of comics, sci-fi and culture. This week’s edition of Get To Know Your Superhero focuses on Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman was created by Willian Moulton Marston in 1941 for DC’s All Star Comics.

Wonder Woman’s origins are with a fictional society called the Amazon Women loosely based on Greek mythology.

The Amazon Women live on an isolated island without any men.

Wonder Woman’s powers include super speed, super strength and the ability to fly.

She also flies an invisible jet.

She carries with her the Lasso of Truth that when touched, forces one to speak only the truth.

She also wears a pair of indestructible bracelets she often uses to deflect enemy fire.

Wonder Woman came to our society after US pilot Steve Trevor crash landed on the Amazon’s island.

Princess Diana opposes her mother’s request and wins the right to return Trevor to the land of men.

Upon leaving the Amazon Women for the first time, Diana dawns the name Wonder Woman.

According to Athena, Wonder Woman is, “as beautiful as Aphrodite, as wise as Athena, swifter than Mercury and stronger than Hercules.”

When Wonder Woman first arrived in our world she had trouble adjusting to the male dominated society.

After meeting other super heroes and learning more about the compassion of individuals and not just the gender, she slowly began to accept men.

After a successful run of comics, Wonder Woman is now seen as a symbol of female empowerment.

She is also one of the original members of the Super Friends and Justice League.

Wonder Woman was voiced by Kerri Russel in a 2009 animated feature.

She has been featured in video games, television shows and producers have made numerous attempts to bring a live action Wonder Woman to the big screen.

From 1975-79, Lynda Carter played Wonder Woman for the TV series.

The ongoing saga to try and bring a live action Wonder Woman to the big screen will probably never end. Unlike Batman and Superman, the Wonder Woman franchise has had a ridiculous time finding the right people to create such a project. Big name directors like Joel Silver and Joss Whedon have tried to get the project off the ground, but to no avail. Even with names like Sandra Bullock and Catherine Zeta Jones expressing interest in a Wonder Woman project, studios have yet to take any substantial action. Wonder Woman as an icon might be too important to try and bring to the big screen, but with movie execs looking everywhere for the next big blockbuster moneymaker, I wouldn’t be surprised if a Wonder Woman feature film went into production within the next few years. Until then, enjoy these fast facts about Wonder Woman and I’ll be back next week.

Alright, so usually this spot is reserved for a super “hero,” or at the very least someone who possesses some good qualities, but this week is much different. In fact, this week’s post will focus on one of the most ultimate evils that has ever graced the inside of a funny book. This week’s Get To Know Your Superhero will focus on Doomsday. Sit back and enjoy the ride as some of you will be enlightened by facts about the “thing,” that killed Superman.

Doomsday was created by DC Comic writer and artist Dan Jurgens in 1992.

According to DC mythology, Doomsday was actually created on Superman’s home planet of Krypton long before the Kryptonian race existed.

During this era, Krypton was overrun by violent creatures and only the strongest would be able to survive.

The surface of Krypton served as a scientific breeding ground for Bertron who sent an infant being there to be slaughtered.

The remains of the slaughtered infant were then harvested on the planet in hopes that through generations of natural selection, this being would prove to be the strongest alive.

Although Bertron’s plan worked and Doomsday was eventually created, the memories of thousands of deaths were burned into the genes of this being creating an unstoppable angry force.

Originally characterized simply as “The Ultimate,” this being destroyed everything on the planet including Bertron.

Doomsday first left Krypton when he stowed away on a supply ship and went on a killing spree throughout the universe.

During his killing spree, Doomsday was confronted by a team of Green Lanterns all of whom he disposed of.

Eventually Doomsday landed on a planet and was stopped, but because of his ability to become reborn with the memories of death, he was able to return.

Knowing this, the inhabitants of a planet called Calaton sacrificed their own planet to encase Doomsday in shackles and a mask for all of eternity, then shot him back into space.

Eventually the ship containing Doomsday crash landed on Earth but the force of the crash drove Doomsday and the ship deep into the Earth’s surface.

When Doomsday awoke and broke free from his grave, he destroyed many members of the Justice League until Superman was called upon.

Doomsday also contains the ability to sense Kryptonians so he goes on a global hunt for Superman that concludes in a climactic battle in the middle of Metropolis.

In a last ditched effort to save humanity, Superman sacrificed himself and struck a final blow with his remaining energy that destroyed Doomsday.

The aftermath of Superman’s death revealed that 2 people that claimed they were the real Superman. One of these men was a cyborg who strapped Doomsday’s body to an asteroid and launched him back into space.

But Doomsday was not gone, in fact he wakes up on a familiar planet.

At this time the real Superman has returned and become obsessed with defeating Doomsday once and for all.

Superman travels to meet Doomsday for a final battle, only to discover that Doomsday grows stronger with defeat.

Eventually Superman realizes that Doomsday will never “die,” so he traps Doomsday at The End of Time.

Later, Brainiac devised a plan to combine his own genius with the strength of Doomsday so he went to The End of Time to combine with him.

Brainiac’s plan failed as he was unable to combine with Doomsday, but he did learn how to create similar monster to stop Superman.

Brainiac then traveled to Earth and tried to possess the infant child of Pete Ross and Lana Lang only to be stopped once again by Superman.

Superman trapped Brainiac’s Doomsday clone on the moon where he will never again fully exist in one universe.

The real Doomsday was eventually visited by some of Lex Luthor’s men in an attempt to control him to defeat another ultimate enemy, Imperiex.

Imperiex proved to be too much for even Doomsday as he was blasted until only a skeleton remained.

Doomsday was then brought back to full strength on Earth for the anniversary of his original battle with Superman only to be defeated once and for all by Superman who imprisoned him on another planet.

Doomsday is the closest thing to a perfect evil DC has ever gotten to with regards to enemies of Superman. He proved his strength by destroying Superman once, then his drive by constantly coming back to life and even his psychological power as Superman became obsessed with defeating him. He’s literally an unstoppable force created for the sheer purpose of death and destruction. Doomsday may not ever “die,” but DC has made numerous attempts to send him away only to bring him back when there is a good reason to do so. You can check out a watered down version of Doomsday’s battle with Superman with the DVD version of Superman/Doomsday, but I would suggest picking up a trade paper back version of the original story. It’s quite gruesome and shows a lot of Superman’ own vulnerability.

Known to many simply as “The Fastest Man Alive,” The Flash is one of comics’ most famous superheroes. His history dates all the way back to the creation of DC Comics and continues to grow with each new incarnation of the character. Although he’s mostly known for his speed and his quick wit, The Flash has a deep, rich history in comics and pop culture. Read on to find out more about The Flash in the latest version of Get To Know Your Superhero:

The Flash was created by Gardner Fox and Harry Lampert and first appeared in comics in 1940.

It should be noted that The Flash is simply a title dawned by a few people who embody the power of super speed.

The first Flash was a man named Jay Garrick and his original superhero name was The Scarlet Speedster.

Jay Garrick’s Flash gained his powers through inhaling water vapors and absorbing the power.

The very first Flash costume included a helmet with tiny wings attached.

In the 1940’s The Flash became a prominent member of the Justice Society of America.

DC Comics as a whole took a big hit after the war and needed to re-invent a lot of their heroes, thus in 1956, Barry Allen was created as the new Flash.

Barry Allen gained his powers when he was soaked in chemicals that had been struck by lightning.

The new Flash became a staple in comics and he soon joined the Justice League of America along with Superman, Batman and a host of other legendary characters.

The next incarnation of the Flash actually happened before Barry Allen began to phase out. Allen’s nephew Wally West became Kid Flash after a similar accident involving lighting infused chemicals.

Kid Flash and Flash worked together for a few years until Barry Allen was killed in the Crisis on Infinite Earths story line. Wally West then dawned the Flash costume.

The next incarnation of The Flash involves time travel. Bart Allen, the grandson of Barry Allen and his wife Iris was born with accelerated aging many years in the future.

With the help of a virtual reality machine, Bart traveled back in time and met with Wally West. This also slowed his accelerated aging.

Bart is the youngest rendition of the Flash and is currently in the works to make a major com back in the DC Universe.

The Flash once had a television series on CBS that lasted one season starring John Wesley Shipp as Barry Allen.

The Barry Allen version of Flash is one of the members of the Justice League animated series.

The Flash has been featured in the television series Smalleville.

The Flash actually does more than simply run really fast, the molecules in his body are moving at such a fast rate that he is able to vibrate through some physical objects.

So those are some raw facts about The Flash. A few years ago there were rumours of a live action Justice League feature film, but they have since faded away. Probably a good idea considering movie franchises like Batman and Superman are quite different. So now, the next time you see that overweight guy walking around with the faded red T-shirt with the lightning bolt in the middle, you’ll be able to strike up an interesting conversation.

Never is a dangerous term to use.  Just like I’d never thought I’d be into this DC Comics New Era fitted.  Amazingstore has the Dark Knight fitted in four outstanding colorways.  Most of the caps are 2 toned with the crown being the ying and the bill, the yang.  Aside from the oversized embroidery, a batman insignia and New Era flag can also spotted on an otherwise clean fitted.  Sizing starts at  6 7/8 and goes all the way up to 8 1/4.  Get yours here.  On a side note, I can’t figure who did the initial penciling for this Batman.  Anyone know?

Image Source: Amazing Store

Before we begin the latest class I just want to make sure everyone interested in this post remembers that TODAY IS FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!!!! Head to your local shop for all the goods.

The first time I read an issue of the Green Lantern, I have to admit, the idea of creating a super hero out of a ring seemed a bit… Crackerjack Box. But since that first issue, I’ve been somewhat hooked on the John Stewart (not the famous guy on Comedy Central) storyline. So before you dismiss the Green Lantern make sure to check out some facts and learn a little bit about his history. How about right now?

Green Lantern should be thought of as a title, and not a person.

The very first Green Lantern was published by DC and created by Bill Finger and Martin Nodell in 1940.

The very first “ring” possessed magical powers, but as time went on it was revealed that the “ring” was in fact a manufactured technological advancement bestowed upon individuals worthy of wielding the “ring.”

The ring gives the wearer complete control over the physical world enabling them to create and manipulate any object no matter the size.

The title of Earth’s Green Lantern has been given to 5 main DC characters (Alan Scott, Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart and Kyle Rayner).

Alan Scott was the original Green Lantern who crafted the magical ring from a magical lamp.

Hal Jordan was later introduced as Green Lantern when he was given the ring by a dying alien.

Guy Gardner was actually the second choice behind the dying alien Hal Jordan saved.

John Stewart came into play when he was chosen to replace Guy Gardner who went into a coma.

Kyle Rayner was chosen to wear the final Green Lantern ring for his knowledge of fear.

The universe consists of many Green Lanterns chosen by the Guardians of the Universe. As a whole, all of the Green Lanterns are referred to as the Green Lantern Corp.

Green Lantern has been involved with The Justice League since its inception.

Green Lantern is not Green Arrow (although they did have a few cross-over issues) or Green Hornet.

Alan Scott’s daughter Jade once wielded the ring, but was killed in a battle with Lex Luthor Jr.

Hal Jordan once turned evil in the form of Parallax where he destroyed a lot of the DC Universe. He was later returned to his true self with the help of Spectre.

After rising from a coma, Guy Gardner became an unstable Green Lantern. He is currently in charge of Green Lantern training.

A lot of this can get confusing with the constant changing of titles and multiple ring bearers, but some of the Green Lantern’s stories are really good reads. He was heavily involved in Infinite Crisis as well as playing a huge role in a lot of the JLA story lines. There have been rumors about a Green Lantern movie, but nothing is confirmed at this point. Not sure which character they would focus on, but they’ve got plenty to choose from.

She’s the wholesome side to DC comics, she’s the anti-Catwoman and she’s always striving to prove herself in a super hero universe dominated by dudes. Its Batgirl. It has come to my attention that the origins and back story of Batgirl are actually quite unknown so for those of you who would like a bit of an education, hang on cause here we go:

The persona of Batgirl was created by Bob Kane and Sheldon Moldoff in Batman #29 back in 1961. Back then she was referred to as Bat-Girl.

Batgirl was originally conceived because Kane and the publishers at DC were concerned about the rumors of Batman and Robin being gay. Batman was given a counterpart in the character of Bat-Woman back in 1956, Robin’s counterpart was introduce a few years later as Bat-Girl, the kid sister of Bat-Woman.

The Batgirl suit has been worn by 4 major characters in the DC universe: Babara Gordon, Helena Bertinelli, Betty Kane and Cassandra Cain.

The most popular Batgirl stories involve Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Gordon’s daughter.

In 1988 DC released The Killing Joke where Barbara Gordon was raped and paralyzed by the Joker as part of his plan to drive Commissioner Gordon insane.

Barbara Gordon went on to become Oracle, an information database used in the DC universe by many superheroes and leader of the Birds of Prey.

On screen Batgirl has been portrayed by Yvonne Craig and Alicia Silverstone as well as a slew of animated renditions.

In most comic renditions Batgirl does not have any super powers.

DC will be bringing back Batgirl as a featured character at some point in 2009.

So there are some facts about Batgirl you can add to your repetoire. Although the mythology gets cloudy with the different universes and renditions of Batgirl, I think the most steady and most interesting is the development of Oracle and the Birds of Prey from the Brabara Gordon character.

She moves like a stripper, purs like a phone sex operator and carries a whip like an experienced dominatrix. She’s Batman’s on-again-off-again, sometimes lover, sometimes enemy – it’s Catwoman. Lets pretend that Halle Barry didn’t do what we all know she did and go back to the root of the feline felon. Here are some facts about Catwoman that you should know before you talk to the 10,000th girl dressed up as her for Halloween.

DC comics have created a web of histories for Catwoman, but the most common theme has her developing a criminal mind from being abused as a child.

Catwoman’s first appearance came in Batman #1 in 1940.

She was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane.

Catwoman’s background story lines include Selina Kyle being a flight attendant suffering from amnesia who turns to a life of crime and Selina Kyle as prostitute-turned burglar.

Over the years the Catwoman costume has been worn by 2 women: Selina Kyle and Holly Robinson.

Catwoman does not have any super powers – she is a trained gymnast.

Selina Kyle has a child – a daughter named Helena.

Batman has admitted his true identity to Catwoman twice.

Catwoman is neither a super hero or a super villain, she is what one would refer to as a thief who is morally gray…

In TV and movie adaptations, Catwoman has been played by Julie Newmar, Ertha Kitt, Michelle Pfeiffer and that is all (please refer back to the first paragraph for an explanation).

In only one storyline (The post Hush issues of Batman) have Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle ever had sex.

Catwoman has nothing to do with, nor will she ever have anything to do with Black Cat. Black Cat is a Marvel character associated with Spiderman.

So there you have it. Some intersting facts about Catwoman that you should arm yourself with before you go and try to impress someone. Yeah she’s probably one of the biggest teases in comic history but its part of her appeal. Until next time…

Rock-N-Jocks brings you the latest in the Comic Super Hero world of New Era fitteds. First up is the Superman New Era fitted, this hat is all black with the embroidered “Superman “S” logo in red”. The back of the hat features an embroidered “DC Comics” logo also in red. Next is the Punisher New Era fitted that’s murdered out in all black with the embroidered skull “Punisher logo” on the front in white. The back of the hat also has the embroidered skull “Punisher logo” in white. Lastly is the comic strip Fantastic Four New Era fitted. This hat has different comic scenes of Fantastic Four all over the hat. On the front, back and sides, also on the top and bottom of the bill.The back of the hat also has the embroidered “Marvel Comics” logo in red, yellow and outlined in black. Go pick up all three of these at www.rocknjocks.com.

Diane von Furstenberg’s Wonder Woman Holiday 2008 Collection released a limited edition comic book by DC Comics.  

All proceeds from the comic book, Be The Wonder Woman You Can Be: The Adventures of Diva, Viva and Fifas, will be donated to a non-profit organization, Vital Voices.  This collection includes a fitted graphic t-shirt and cute tote bag.  I see flashes of my childhood coming back ladies!

Image Source: DVF

Batman is back and bigger than ever and Rock-n-Jocks is dropping two fitteds in anticipation of the movie release. The first is a Gotham Police Department New Era 59Fifty fitted hat. This hat is all dark navy blue, with the front of the hat embroidered with the “Gotham Police Department Badge” in dark navy blue, yellow, white and grey. The back of this hat has embroidered “GCPD” in yellow. GCPD standing for Gotham City Police Department.

The second fitted that they’re dropping in anticipation of the movie is one that features the face of The Joker. This New Era 59Fifty fitted is white with embroidered Joker face’s eyes in black, nose in black and mouth in red. The bill is all purple. The sides and back of the hat are hunter green. The back of the hat has the embroidered saying, “LETS PUT A SMILE ON THAT FACE,” in lime green, black, white, and red. Get yours before they dissapear. Both of these joints are limited to 20 pieces so hit up www.rocknjocks.com to cop yours now. Hit the jump for an image of the Joker New Era 59Fifty fitted.

Rock -N- Jocks
2757 Cleveland Ave. NW
Canton, OH 44709
www.rocknjocks.com

Rock-N-Jocks just got in this Flash New Era “DC Comics” 59/50 Fitted hat. Rocknjocks.com got a total of 25 pieces in. This hat is all red with the embroidered “flash” logo in white, yellow and outlined in black. The back of this hat has the embroidered “DC Comics Original” logo in red, yellow, white and black. Get yours while you can at www.rocknjocks.com.