Steve Trevor sacrificed himself in the Wonder Woman movie to save the day, later temporarily resurrected in Wonder Woman 1984 to say goodbye. But when he attempted his heroic act in the comics, his fate was very different. In Sensation Comics #1, Steve used his skills as a pilot to save lives while coming close to sacrificing his own. He was a hero ready to make that sacrifice, but the writers (largely William Moulton Marston) were far more merciful with him - and with Diana's heart.
Like Wonder Woman, Steve Trevor debuted in All-Star Comics #8 in 1941. Diana's love interest is as old as she is, proving how much of a package deal they truly are. Wonder Woman #180 in 1969 was Steve's first comic death, though he would soon return. The character has since died and returned numerous times, but he was consistently present or at least alive from 1941 until 1969. This is a far cry from failing to last through even his very first DCEU appearance in 2017's Wonder Woman.
Created by William Moulton Marston, Harry G. Peter, and M. C. Gaines, Sensation Comics #1 (1942) placed Diana and Steve into a situation similar to the film. It is war-time and Steve Trevor is a soldier. There's a plot to crash a bomber plane into a nearby base, and he focuses on stopping the plane, knowing he may not return from the attempt. Indeed, the only way Steve can do it is to crash his own plane into it - which is exactly what he does, though unlike in the movie, he bales out before the fateful explosion.
Thanks to a last-minute rescue by Wonder Woman, Steve actually survives this incident. When his parachute is ripped away, he's resigned to his fate - Wonder Woman, however, is not. She maneuvers her invisible jet and lowers a ladder, allowing herself to reach him just in time. Afterwards, she and Steve go on to foil a deadly gas plot, fight movie villain Doctor Poison, and have many more adventures together, all while she hides the truth of her dual identities from him. At the time, Wonder Woman was a nurse with her usual alias of Diana Prince. She considered herself to be her own rival for Steve's affection, hiding that she was actually both girls.
While loss typically defines heroes, as in the cases of Spider-Man and Batman, Wonder Woman was not initially defined that way in her Golden Age days. The 2017 film makes this a defining point in her life, before using the sequel to put her through the resurrection and secondary loss routine that comics have been pulling for years. Although Steve's sacrifice in the film fuels Diana's continued pursuit of truth, love, and the safety of humanity, it is a significant change from the comic origin - and earliest adventures - of Steve.
Considering how many adventures they had in the comics and the staggering abilities Wonder Woman has, it's a shame she didn't also save Steve in the movie. Sure, he likely wouldn't have survived to Justice League, but he wouldn't have needed to. Leaving Steve in the picture a little longer would have left room to tell more Wonder Woman stories inspired by the comics that involved him for the next twenty years of publication. Steve Trevor is a true hero, willing to sacrifice his life to save others, but in the comics at least, Wonder Woman saved his life, and the two went on to have many, many more adventures.