10 Things Everyone Forgets About The Justice Society Of America
2. Wonder Woman Was The Secretary
Wonder Woman appeared as an honorary member of the Justice Society in All-Star Comics #8 in December 1941/January 1942 and as of issue # 11, she was made the team’s official secretary. Despite the fact that she was easily more powerful than everyone in the room save The Spectre, Diana, and in some retcons, a time-traveling Queen Hippolyta, is taking the minutes of the meetings for her male teammates. This eventually changes with the War and the addition of more female heroes.
The “real world” reason for Wonder Woman’s secretarial status has to do with an odd editorial decision from the higher-ups. Apparently, no hero that had their own solo comic could be a regular member of the team book. That is why Superman and Batman were only honorary members, why the Flash became an honorary member and why Johnny Thunder did the same in issue # 6. Only the Hawkman appeared in every JSA adventure during its All-Star run.
Today, we look at those stories as quaint at best, and insulting and chauvinistic to not only the character of Wonder Woman but women everywhere, at worst. But the sad truth is that was life at that time and, even though Diana could have hefted their huge marble meeting table over her head, she had no business out there on the battlefield. Fighting was men’s work, after all. It’s an outmoded idea that some comic readers and even a few creators still hold, even in the 21st Century.