Should Wonder Woman be arrested?

[Nothere]

I was thinking about Wonder Woman's origin the other day when something occured to me that I hadn't though of before. Wonder Woman should be in jail. Now this assumes that given her superpowers and invisible jet she can convince the authorities that she really is a clay statue brought to life by the Greek Gods who lives on an island with a group of immortal amazons that is completely undetectable. If she can't, they would stick her in the looney bin.

 

But lets go on the basis that she convinces them. Then what we have is the agent of a foregin power that refuses to communicate or introduce itself, except through said agent. One who openly declares her intention to subvert the nation's social order, and is carrying a weapon of mind control which she can use to learn any government secret she wants.

 

Of course when she was first introduced she was helping the army smash Nazi's so a lot could be forgiven. But If she were to show up today wouldn't the goverment's first impulse be to throw her in jail?

[Andrew_A]

You still haven't explained why. I get that it's weird to claim you're an amazon, but that's all it is. Weird. Not illegal or a threat to public safety.

 

Also, you haven't explained how. The government decides she should be locked up. Well you're talking about a person who (depending on the version) can lift cars at the very least and mountains at best. Putting someone like that in jail is going to be very difficult.

[Nothere]

I haven't explained why because I'm not sure if it would be done at all, let alone why. You might have noticed the word should at the very beginning. Still illegal entry into the country would be my first thought as to why, if I had to give one. But as she was returning a member of the mi\litary I find that line of reasoning questionable. I haven't explained how because there is no how. Marvel's Civil War notwithstanding when has the star of a comic book every stayed in jail for an extended period?

[Zen Archer]

Inevitably, I see a variation of the "diplomatic immunity" process being used here.

[Andrew_A]

I haven't explained why because I'm not sure if it would be done at all' date=' let alone why. You might have noticed the word should at the very beginning. Still illegal entry into the country would be my first thought as to why, if I had to give one. But as she was returning a member of the mi\litary I find that line of reasoning questionable. I haven't explained how because there is no how. Marvel's Civil War notwithstanding when has the star of a comic book every stayed in jail for an extended period?[/quote']

 

Sorry in advance. My mother is an English teacher and my grandmother was both a teacher and a writer. As a result, I'm a little anal-retentive about language. Again: sumi masen.

 

Your sentence shouldn't have started with "should", as that asks whether or not it's the right thing to do. The sentence should have started with "would" as in "Is this a possibility".

 

Apologies again. I hope I haven't given offense.

 

Either way: No I don't think she would be arrested. As I said above, you can't arrest someone for having weird beliefs. You could probably arrest her for entering the country illegally, maybe, but that's about it. Even then, assuming that she's telling the truth, she's visiting royalty from an unknown foreign power. Unless you're talking about the average city cop, I think most agents of Uncle Sam would be very careful around her.

 

Also, you mentioned the mind control lasso. AFAIK, the U.S. government doesn't have laws against mind control devices. There are probably laws that cover using mind control devices, but as far as I know, nothing against possessing one.

 

[Greywind]

Technically Superman is an illegal alien. Would you like to deport him?

[Clonus]

Superman as a foundling found on American soil is an American citizen. The Golden Age Wonder Woman was a spy and covered by laws against espionage.

[Greywind]

Maybe "Clark Kent" is, but Superman is a self-avowed Krytonian.

[dmjalund]

...but Superman is a self-avowed Krytonian.

 

Whose home address in on international waters

[Escafarc]

The golden age version would enjoy being bound in hand cuffs....

[Escafarc]

The golden age version might enjoy being bound in cuffs

[psyber624]

Technically almost any Comic Book Superhero without stated government sanctions would be arrested on ANY number of violations during their superheroing careers. And WW's origin story is not the first or only one to add additional reasons why a hero might be illegal. It's just one of the things that comics generally ignore unless the authors feel like trotting it out for a plot or two.

[Nothere]

Andrew- No problem. Sorry for my grammatical confusion

 

Greywind -For the third and absolute final time, I am not expressing an opinion on the subject, As to the point you raised it's flawed on two points, First it completely ignores the question I asked. Second the comparison is flawed. On at least two points, and arguably a third. You would be better served comparing Diana to Martian Manhunter. Which would also be a flawed comparasion but it would be closer. The flaws as I see them are these. First Diana is not the last of her species. Second Clark never claimed to be the ambassador or Krypton, The third is debatable. Jumping ahead as you appear to want to do Diana and Clark are arrested and there is talk of deporting them. There is no where to deport Clark too as Krypton blew up. Though I'm not so sure this counts as much of a difference. Sure there is someplace to deport Diana to, but what good is that if you can't find it?

 

Clonus- Actually that's what started me thinking about this. I've always dismissed any legal problems Diana would have as either the hero she just saved our lives leave her alone rule, or as he diplomatic immunity. But the thought occurred to me about her immunity status in real life.If we start from the basis she can convince people that she isn't just some dangerous crazy person, and really is who she says, we have to consider what she says. And that is hello I'm the ambassador of a country you never heard of and can't find, you may not contact or visit my country, but I'm going to teach you how your society is wrong. Now when she originally appeared she added, and stop the Nazi war machine. Which went a long way in her support. But without that I can't se people just accepting the situation calmly. Or maybe they would I'm not sure.

[Clonus]

In the United States it isn't illegal for people to show up and tell everyone that they should change how they live and how things are run, even if those people are foreigners. Themyscera was not a hidden place in the Wonder Woman universe. They actually invited foreign dignitaries there to show how how awesome their utopia was. Didn't work out very well but Wonder Woman was a fully accredited ambassador. Now in the Bronze Age, things were a little more ambiguous. It was no longer a secret that Paradise Island existed, but the precise location was concealed and men were forbidden to go there. But Wonder Woman was a member of the Justice League and the Justice League operated on a world wide basis with permission to come and go granted by all but a few rogue nations. But in World War II or right after, if it was revealed that she was a foreign agent posing as an American, there would have been real trouble.

[Greywind]

Andrew- No problem. Sorry for my grammatical confusion

 

Greywind -For the third and absolute final time, I am not expressing an opinion on the subject, As to the point you raised it's flawed on two points, First it completely ignores the question I asked. Second the comparison is flawed. On at least two points, and arguably a third. You would be better served comparing Diana to Martian Manhunter. Which would also be a flawed comparasion but it would be closer. The flaws as I see them are these. First Diana is not the last of her species. Second Clark never claimed to be the ambassador or Krypton, The third is debatable. Jumping ahead as you appear to want to do Diana and Clark are arrested and there is talk of deporting them. There is no where to deport Clark too as Krypton blew up. Though I'm not so sure this counts as much of a difference. Sure there is someplace to deport Diana to, but what good is that if you can't find it?

 

Clonus- Actually that's what started me thinking about this. I've always dismissed any legal problems Diana would have as either the hero she just saved our lives leave her alone rule, or as he diplomatic immunity. But the thought occurred to me about her immunity status in real life.If we start from the basis she can convince people that she isn't just some dangerous crazy person, and really is who she says, we have to consider what she says. And that is hello I'm the ambassador of a country you never heard of and can't find, you may not contact or visit my country, but I'm going to teach you how your society is wrong. Now when she originally appeared she added, and stop the Nazi war machine. Which went a long way in her support. But without that I can't se people just accepting the situation calmly. Or maybe they would I'm not sure.

For the first time, since at no point prior did you address me, during the Perez run Diana was a recognized ambassador to the US, and as such had diplomatic immunity.

[bigbywolfe]

Andrew- No problem. Sorry for my grammatical confusion

 

Greywind -For the third and absolute final time, I am not expressing an opinion on the subject, As to the point you raised it's flawed on two points, First it completely ignores the question I asked. Second the comparison is flawed. On at least two points, and arguably a third. You would be better served comparing Diana to Martian Manhunter. Which would also be a flawed comparasion but it would be closer. The flaws as I see them are these. First Diana is not the last of her species. Second Clark never claimed to be the ambassador or Krypton, The third is debatable. Jumping ahead as you appear to want to do Diana and Clark are arrested and there is talk of deporting them. There is no where to deport Clark too as Krypton blew up. Though I'm not so sure this counts as much of a difference. Sure there is someplace to deport Diana to, but what good is that if you can't find it?

 

Clonus- Actually that's what started me thinking about this. I've always dismissed any legal problems Diana would have as either the hero she just saved our lives leave her alone rule, or as he diplomatic immunity. But the thought occurred to me about her immunity status in real life.If we start from the basis she can convince people that she isn't just some dangerous crazy person, and really is who she says, we have to consider what she says. And that is hello I'm the ambassador of a country you never heard of and can't find, you may not contact or visit my country, but I'm going to teach you how your society is wrong. Now when she originally appeared she added, and stop the Nazi war machine. Which went a long way in her support. But without that I can't se people just accepting the situation calmly. Or maybe they would I'm not sure.

Point to Greywind.

[Trebuchet]

Maybe "Clark Kent" is' date=' but Superman is a self-avowed Krytonian.[/quote']

 

This being the USA, Clark Kent is as American as any other immigrant child legally adopted by an American family and is good to go as long as he doesn't run for president.

[Greywind]

Maybe "Clark Kent" is' date=' but Superman is a self-avowed Krytonian.[/quote']

 

This being the USA, Clark Kent is as American as any other immigrant child legally adopted by an American family and is good to go as long as he doesn't run for president.

Or be the enemy of one...

[assault]

The impressive thing about Golden Age Wonder Woman is that she was able to get a job in military intelligence under a false identity.

 

Of course, Diana Prince was a real person whose identity she had taken over, so there was a paper trail, but it was still a bit of a failure of the vetting process.

[Dr Archeville]

Maybe "Clark Kent" is' date=' but Superman is a self-avowed Krytonian.[/quote']

 

This being the USA, Clark Kent is as American as any other immigrant child legally adopted by an American family and is good to go as long as he doesn't run for president.

Post-Crisis (the first one), Superman was officially recognized as being an American Citizen, because the ship that brought him to Earth was essentially an artificial womb (altered to become a rocket) and he was technically 'born' when his ship opened up after coming to rest on Kansas soil.

[GhostDancer]

Also, there are real examples of foreign nationals being members of the U.S. military. One of my Coast Guard shipmates was an Aussie.

[Trebuchet]

Also' date=' there are real examples of foreign nationals being members of the U.S. military. One of my Coast Guard shipmates was an Aussie.[/quote']

 

My best friend's dad was Welsh and joined the US Army to gain his US citizenship; he ended up with a 20 year career in the Army.

[wcw43921]

Technically almost any Comic Book Superhero without stated government sanctions would be arrested on ANY number of violations during their superheroing careers. And WW's origin story is not the first or only one to add additional reasons why a hero might be illegal. It's just one of the things that comics generally ignore unless the authors feel like trotting it out for a plot or two.

 

That's why you have superheroic identities. Change into costume, beat up the bad guys, save the girl reporter (or boy intelligence agent if you're a girl), leave her (and again, or him) to explain things to the police, then dash off and revert to your everyday clothes, leaving everyone to wonder who you really are.

 

The Secret Identity--more useful than anyone realizes.

[GhostDancer]

Not really related, just fun. http://stuckattheairport.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/East_sideGal_April1Spoof_WonderWomanPlane1.jpg Preview below.