The Absolute Universe has been reimagining the nature of some of our favorite DC characters for months now, and it shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. One of the characters who had the most intense changes, and easily some of the best reception, was Wonder Woman. Absolute Wonder Woman reimagined the archetypal superheroine as a warrior witch raised in the pits of Hell, coming to Earth to defend it and uncover the mysteries of her heritage as the last Amazon. It’s a brand new twist on the classic Wonder Woman formula, and while some things have stayed the same, plenty have changed—namely, her enemies.
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In the main DC Universe, Wonder Woman is one of the most powerful heroines around, but there’s one who can challenge her claim to that title. Zatanna is DC’s premier magician, able to wield magic better than just about anyone or anything else. Now, Absolute Wonder Woman is about to clash with Absolute Zatanna, and both of these mages are finally going to settle once and for all who is the strongest between the two of them.
The Two Top Heroines for Sixty Years
Wonder Woman is called the number one superheroine for a reason, being one of the oldest and easily the most successful of her time, first appearing in All-Star Comics #8 in 1942. Zatanna was an early hero herself, but still didn’t debut until over twenty years later in Hawkman #4 in 1964. Ever since their first appearances, the two made waves as popular and powerful superheroes. Wonder Woman obviously defined generations of heroes, with every major superheroine stemming from her archetype, the way all heroes stemmed from Superman. Zatanna was introduced as the daughter of the classic Golden Age hero Zatara, which gave her a perfect spot in the shifting legacy of heroes, especially at that time.
Although Diana would obviously remain more popular and influential in the years to come, Zatanna has her own definite niches that she covers better than anyone else. She is the de facto magic user all heroes turn to when they need help. These two are also close friends, working together whenever Wonder Woman needs magical advice or Zatanna needs muscles, and both manned the magic-focused Justice League Dark (2018). Diana was the official leader, but Zatanna was the clear second in command and the magic expert. They fit together great, and have never actually fought beyond the occasional mind control or imposter. Now, though, these underrated best friends are about to be bitter enemies.
Absolute Witch vs. Absolute Magician
In the main universe, it’s unclear who would win in a fight. Zatanna regularly goes up against cosmic, metaphysical forces in her pursuit of magic and defense of the world, but Wonder Woman has faced literal gods and goes up against powerhouses like Superman with nothing more than her fists and heart. If I had to give it to someone, I’d say Wonder Woman edges Zatanna out with her overwhelming power and own magical know-how, though Zatanna can definitely pull a win out of her hat if she’s tricksy enough. The Absolute Universe, however, changes everything. Here, not only do we have no idea what Zatanna is capable of, but we know for a fact that Wonder Woman practices magic at the level of a master sorceress.
Absolute Wonder Woman has already shown insane capabilities. She’s just as physically capable as her Prime Universe counterpart, and has access to all kinds of spells that can do anything from deafen a city to open portals to other realms. Then there are her three lassos. One can burn a person in accordance with their sins, another can transform Diana into a kaiju-sized Medusa, and the third’s power is still unknown. Meanwhile, Absolute Zatanna is held captive in the government’s Area 41, chained and shackled in a straitjacket, and muzzled. Clearly, she’s just as dangerous in this universe, if not more so.
We can’t begin to speculate what the new Zatanna is capable of, but given that she’s restrained, she’s likely capable of casting magic with more than just her words. Her Prime self only uses backwards speech as a focusing tool, and this Zatanna is probably more adept at causing destruction and slinging spells with any part of her body. In terms of actual magical might, she should exceed Diana at every turn, and maybe even be able to turn Wonder Woman’s own spells against her. Still, even with Zatanna being the better magician, Wonder Woman is a warrior raised in Hell. She has the advantage in speed and strength, and her magic should be at least good enough to hold off Zatanna.
All in all, I fully give this matchup to Wonder Woman, but Zatanna could easily surprise us with an unexpected power or spell. Whoever wins, by the end of their fight, we’ll finally have an answer sixty years in the making. What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Absolute Wonder Woman #12 is on sale now!
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image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
