I fell in love with Wonder Woman when I went to see her 2017 film. I saw the movie a month after it came out, but never saw any trailers or read any reviews. The only thing I knew going into the movie was what my mother told me as I exited the house; a lot of women were reportedly crying in the theaters. I found it hard to believe. At the time I assumed Diana of Themyscira was just the boring, old-school, Superman-esque hero, but I quickly learned that a traditional hero was exactly what I didn’t know I wanted.  

As she passes through the trenches of World War I, Diana is grabbed by a woman who explains the complete destruction of her town. The Germans seized their homes and food, and those who couldn’t escape were made slaves. With tears in her eyes Diana desperately tries to explain to her traveling companions why they must aid the people of Veld. When they oppose her, she takes matters into her own hands, climbing out of the trenches and taking on the entire opposing army by herself. As I watched her shield herself from German fire, music swelling in the background, I was drowned in emotion. At the time I had no idea why, but after my second viewing I understood: I had never seen a female superhero presented like that.

Female superheroes have been minor characters in most comic house flicks. Black Widow, for example, has been in countless Marvel movies but has yet to star in her own film. Additionally, most female superheroes/villains that make it to the big screen don’t have powers. Black Widow, Harley Quinn, and Catwoman, although incredible characters in their own right, are proficient with weaponry and hand to hand combat, but lack the superpowers some of their costars employ. So to see a virtually invincible woman take on an entire army on the big screen made me emotional. Little boys grow up with dozens of heroes they can point to and say they want to be, but it’s harder for little girls to do the same. Additionally, it’s becoming harder and harder to find a hero that simply wants to do what’s right. Batman fights crime to avenge his dead parents. Deadpool started as a mercenary. Peter Parker becomes a vigilante because of his guilt over his Uncle’s death. These backstories add incredible dimension to their respective characters, but after a while it feels like every superhero has a tragic past. Superheroes were created to bring light and hope into a dark world, and the return of characters who are unequivocally good is not a bad idea in the current world climate. Wonder Woman gave me something I didn’t even know I was missing, an old-school female superhero.

Wonder Woman is smart, compassionate, and kind. Everything she does is from a place of love, and she feels a duty to defend and protect those in danger. Her heroism doesn’t come from a place of vengeance or fear, she just wants to protect people, and in the current state of the world, I don’t think that’s a bad message to send to kids or adults. We need more characters like Wonder Woman to teach young girls they can be their own heroes, to teach compassion and kindness, and to show that power should be wielded responsibly and benevolently. I fell in love with Wonder Woman because I was stuck projecting myself onto complicated heros and heroines, and I needed to be reminded that you can be strong and powerful but still just want to  do good. I like Harley Quinn, Deadpool, and Spider-Man as much as anybody else, but my favorite superhero will forever be Wonder Woman, the old-fashioned hero.