Wonder Woman is unlike any other member of the Justice League. While there are the obvious elements to point out--- she is, after all, the only woman-- the uniqueness of Diana extends far beyond her gender. Wonder Woman is much, much more than the League’s token female member. There are feats that Diana can perform and powers she contains that no other member of the League can match.
For the sake of clarification, this isn’t true for every single hero who has joined the Justice League. Combining all the years of history in the comics and outside of it, the members of the Justice League number in the literal hundreds. Diana does, of course, share more than few powers with that gigantic number.
However, just when looking at the current core six other members (Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Cyborg, The Flash, and Green Lantern) there are things Wonder Woman can do that the boys simply can’t manage. They might not be the flashiest powers or even precisely the most useful.
Yet there are still several things that set Diana Prince apart from her super-powered colleagues. No one really needs a reason why they shouldn't get into a fight with Wonder Woman since she has so many powers and abilities.
With that said, here are the 15 Things Wonder Woman Can Do That The Justice League Can’t.
Telepathy
The times that Wonder Woman has used this power have been few and far between, but every so often comic book writers remember that Wonder Woman can use telepathically. It’s something that’s always been there, especially during her first adventures.
Originally, Diana was able to communicate with her friends and family on Themyscira through a psychic radio. That radio was able to enhance the natural telepathic abilities of the Amazons. In addition to everything the Amazons are trained for, not using their mouths to speak was evidently one of them.
However, the power faded into non-existence as time progressed, especially once Diana was on the League with Martain Manhunter’s primary power included intense telepathy.
In recent years when Martain Manhunter has been demoted from the League and Diana has become the literal God of War, the telepathy has resurfaced ever so slightly. Outside of a single story in the Superman / Wonder Woman series, it hasn’t been used but the unique ability is there.
Resistance to (and Control of) Electricity
Wonder Woman has always had an interesting relationship with electricity and lightning. Yet that connection has always grown stronger since DC decided that Wonder Woman was the biological daughter of Zeus. Becoming the offspring of the god of thunder has had certain benefits.
Diana has a bit of natural resistance to all things electric that none of her super colleagues, not even The Flash who got his powers from a bolt of lightning, can match. More than just (relatively) shrugging off electrocution, Wonder Woman has occasionally been able to summon and control the thunder herself.
As seen in Wonder Woman, Diana can use her bracelets to summon and direct massive amounts of electric energy. While other members of the League have similar powers -- Superman’s heat vision isn’t too terribly different in many regards -- there’s something much aesthetically pleasing about bringing the literal thunder.
Defeat a Speedster... Blind
Obviously Wonder Woman isn't the only member of the Justice League to defeat a speedster in single combat. If nothing else, speed and ability to stand up to super-fast foes is what The Flash is bringing to the table. Superman and Batman have also stood toe to toe with evil speedsters. Diana is just the only one who has been able to face a speedster, while ebing completely blind.
During (one of) Greg Rucka’s run on the Wonder Woman comic, Diana willingly blinds herself to face Medusa and she stays blind for quite some time. During that time, Diana came up against the villainous Zoom, a speedster who existed outside of time.
Despite not being able to see him at all, Diana was able to rope Zoom into her Lasso of Truth and take him out. Taking out Zoom is something that required The Flash to borrow speed from his other allies. Diana did it (literally) blindfolded.
Hunter's Eye
It might not sound the most impressive of powers, but Diana does have the ability to see things better than any other human / Kryptonian or half-Atlantean. The goddess Athena once gave Wonder Woman the ability to see with her “Hunter’s Eye.” In essence, Athena gave Wonder Woman her own godly eyes and all the powers they possessed.
This not only allows Wonder Woman to see in sharper focus and at impossibly long distances, it also means when she will always hit her target no matter what happens. If Wonder Woman is using a bow and arrow or any other projectile weapon, she will not miss.
It’s also been implied that the sight is a of a figurative nature too. Since Athena is also the goddess of wisdom, it’s been hinted that the Hunter’s Eye allows Diana to see things from a bigger and more logically sound perspective.
Astral Projection
The origins of this power are more than little goofy, and to be quite honest, disturbing. Back in the very weird early days of Wonder Woman, “The Golden Age" of comics, Diana established that she had the ability to separate her spirit from her body while sleeping. In other word, she could do astral projection.
This was another one of her Amazon trained abilities and Diana was able to instruct her friend, Etta Candy, to do the same thing. Together, the two women used this power... to spy on a sleeping Steve Trevor. This effectively turned Wonder Woman into the equivalent of every heartsick or creepy Peeping Tom.
Eventually the ability was brought back for a more noble cause. Diana used the ability to descend into the Underworld and save the goddess, Artemis, from imprisonment and death.
Speak Every Language... Even Imaginary Ones
There are several heroes in the Justice League who can speak multiple languages. Superman has learned English and Kryptonian, Batman has a wide array of knowledge when it comes to languages and cultures and Cyborg has access to almost all information ever having bits of a computer inside himself. Wonder Woman is the only hero, however, who can speak any language and do it masterfully.
It’s an element of the character that’s always been present because it quickly established the Amazons as an educated and advanced people. Nothing screams education like multilingualism. Still it’s become borderline ridiculous how many languages Wonder Woman can have a conversation in and do so fluently.
The power even expands to languages that aren’t really languages at all. For example, Diana has spoken “cave man.”
Immortal
Wonder Woman might not look it, but she's old-- incredibly old. It varies, depending on the continuity and the rules of Themyscira, but Wonder Woman is typically around a thousand years old but hasn’t aged a single day out of looking 25.
It’s very true that most superheroes have been around for a very long time and still haven’t grown a single gray hair. This is down more to the weird continuity of comics and everything being reset constantly. Diana is different. It’s the powers she was gifted from the gods that give her the appearance of eternal youth.
Diana is one of the only members of the Justice League who is established as being very old but doesn't noticeably age. Superman can also age at very decelerated rate but he still manages to get nowhere near Diana. (The only real exception being the Elseworld story of Kingdom Come where Diana was depicted as much older and was similar in appearance to Superman.)
Walk And Talk With Animals
After the movie, if not before it, it's very well-known that Diana is princess. As the daughter of the Queen of Themyscira, Wonder Woman shares many traits with other popular princesses, particularly of the Disney canon.
She has a rebellious spirit, a desire to the see the world and extraordinary beauty. Still, Diana shares more with Ariel, Snow White, or Pocahontas than many might think. Diana can commune with and receive timely assistance from the animal kingdom.
It’s been a long established, if rarely used, power that Diana can talk to any animal. Aquaman has a certain affinity for aquatic creatures and can “talk” to them in his way. Wonder Woman’s ability domain extends through land, air and sea.
It’s not the most useful power but it certainly sets Diana apart from most other superheroes.
Bracelet-less Berserk Mode
Wonder Woman is not the strongest member of the Justice League. Superman has her beat, as he does for most of the DC Universe. Yet there are untapped depths of potential to Diana’s power. The bracelets which Diana wears are more than just fashion statement, they also keep in check a raw and rather wild power.
If Diana removes her bracelets she can go into a bit of berserker mode where she greatly increases the amount of damage she can do and the power she wield. It’s a bit like Bruce Banner turning into the Incredible Hulk but with a lot more control.
Other members of the League can do similar things. Superman has his solar flare power that greatly increases his powers for a time but leaves him very weak afterwards. Green Lantern’s ring can be enhanced by increased emotion or the presence of another power ring bearer. Wonder Woman’s braceless power attack though doesn’t come with quite as many downsides or strings attached.
Wield the Lasso of Truth
The Lasso of Truth is, by far, one of Wonder Woman’s most iconic weapons. Outside of the invisible jet, which has become a) a bit of a joke and b) almost entirely erased from canon, it’s the item in Diana’s arsenal that’s most associated with her. Regardless of the link they share in pop culture, the Lasso does also separate Wonder Woman from her colleagues.
It’s incredibly powerful and useful. Batman can study interrogation techniques all he wants but he’s never going to have anything at his disposal that discerns the truth as quickly as Wonder Woman’s rope. It's almost impossible for anyone to lie while touching the Lasso of Truth.
More than just being an accurate lie detector though, Wonder Woman is also one of the few people who can wield the Lasso. It’s been proven time and time again that the Lasso is much more of a burden than a gift, full and absolute truth can crush most people. Wonder Woman is the only one, among the League, who has the training to deal with and wield the Lasso’s power.
Owns a Sword That Cut the Electrons Off An Atom
It’s one thing to wield a weapon in battle, however it’s quite another to be so incredibly precise that you can sever things on atomic level. Diana can do the latter.
It’s true that this feat isn’t something Wonder Woman can do personally but she is the only member of the League to own a weapon that perform the feat. Wonder Woman has a sword, from the god Hephaestus, that is so sharp that it can be used to cut the electrons off an atom.
This means that the sword can slice and dice pretty much any material, no matter how supposedly invulnerable. Superman has plenty of blunt force at his disposal and Aquaman has his trident on hand. Yet both weapons pale into comparison to something so precise and deadly it can sever material on a microscopic level.
Have Amazing Melee Skills
Wonder Woman has many powers that aren’t wholly unique. She has super-strength, speed, flight and a number of other smaller powers she shares with her fellow League members. For all her powers there's an element of Wonder Woman that still makes her special. Even if Wonder Woman didn’t have her most basic powers, she’d still be a threat on the battlefield.
Wonder Woman has been called by Batman, whose is kind of an expert on these things, the “best melee fighter in the world.” Wonder Woman isn’t invincible in combat. Putting her in a hand-to-hand situation or up against a more psyhically powerful threat, Wonder Woman can lose. Yet once a sword and shield is in Wonder Woman’s hand, Diana's a sight to behold.
Most of the Justice League stand as threats or exist as heroes because they have incredible super powers to back up their strong moral code. Even if she wasn’t blessed by the gods, Wonder Woman would still have the melee training to run circle around most other heroes.
Control Any Soldier, Anywhere
This, like a lot of the other powers on this list, is at a dubious state of canon. Wonder Woman’s current comic continuity is in a bit of a tricky spot.
While the New 52 reboot established her as the daughter of Zeus and the new God of War (something the movie followed to an extent) the latest comic reboot has cherry-picked elements from that origin story for their latest event of DC Rebirth. Yet when Wonder Woman was firmly the daughter of Zeus and sister of Ares, she killed the God of War and took his place.
Along with making herself a literal god, that position gave Wonder Woman command and control of entire armies. By becoming War itself, Wonder Woman was able to have any men instantly become her own soldiers.
Aquaman might be the king of Atlantis and Green Lantern might have an entire corps behind him, but Wonder Woman is the only member of the Justice League who has been able to command any army she wanted.
Perform the Mercy of Death
Wonder Woman is far from the only superhero who is willing to kill to get her job done. She’s also hardly the only one on the Justice League to kill her enemies. However, most kills perpetuated by the League have been unintentional or used as a very last resort. Wonder Woman has killed because it was, in her mind, the best course of action, just not the only one. It’s a subtle distinction but a very important one.
Wonder Woman doesn’t live exactly by Batman, Superman, or even Cyborg’s moral code. Wonder Woman understands that there’s some lives that need to be taken, while others can be redeemed.
For example, if Wonder Woman lived in Gotham City it’s very likely that The Joker would be dead ten times over, but Diana might've worked with Harley Quinn to rehabilitate herself. Wonder Woman doesn’t relish the kill but she’ll do it all the same.
It’s this dichotomy between peace-keeper and uncompromising killer that makes Wonder Woman special and truly separates her from the rest of the League.
Always Look Stunning
There are very few examples of ugly superheroes. Nearly everyone who wears tights, a cape, or both can moonlight as a model. Wonder Woman’s no different; almost always being depicted as gorgeous woman. This is more than just the conventions of the genre, however. Wonder Woman has literally been gifted with eternal beauty.
It may not be the case any longer, either in the comics or the movies, but when Wonder Woman was rebooted, post Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC went deep into her creation. It was established that Diana was given life (and accompanying gifts) through the combined efforts of almost all the female Greek gods (and Hermes).
Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, didn’t have much to offer Diana in the way of becoming a warrior. So, she gave the Amazon the gift of always being beautiful and having never-ending love and compassion. Most superheroes are pretty because of genetics, Wonder Woman’s beauty is a literal part of her powers.
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What are some of your favorite Wonder Woman powers and abilities? Did we miss any big ones? Sound off in the comment section!