Top 10 Things You Missed in Wonder Woman 1984

Spending the night at the “Handsome Man’s” apartment, Diana and Steve raid his closet for some fresh clothes. Since Steve steals the spotlight with his disastrous fashion show, audiences probably missed the significance of Diana’s wardrobe choice. It might not be a designer dress, but Diana still looks flawless in a button-down white shirt, blue vest, and grey suit. The style is reminiscent of the outfits that Lynda Carter wore as Diana Prince, particularly one from a Season 2 episode. In the 70s TV series, Diana often concealed her secret identity under modern ensembles like pants suits, although she could pull off a costume change in a literal spin. Also, much like Carter’s Wonder Woman, Diana’s tiara is much more than a fashion accessory here.

Studying the wish-granting Dreamstone, Barbara mentions that the mysterious artifact is made of citrine, a member of the quartz family. It might not seem especially important, but if you do a little research, you’ll come to understand why citrine ties into the movie’s themes of desire, greed, and corruption. There’s a superstition that citrine is a source of prosperity. Therefore, it has been called the “merchant’s stone,” the “money stone,” and the “success stone” throughout history. As the characters come to discover, the stone does indeed bring great fortune, but it comes at a hefty price. Behind the stone’s alluring golden-yellow appearance, there’s a smoky cloud of deception wrapped around every wish.

Taking a page from the New 52, 2017’s “Wonder Woman” established Diana as the daughter of Hippolyta [HI]+[POL]+[I]+[TUH] and Zeus. As a child, Diana is told that Zeus used his remaining power to create a “god-killer,” which turns out to be his offspring. While her mother and fellow Amazons raised Diana, she still possesses some of her father’s signature hallmarks. During the final act of “Wonder Woman 1984,” Diana soars into a lightning storm. Rather than dodge the lightning bolts, Diana uses them to lasso her way through the dark clouds. Being the god of the sky and thunder, Zeus is known for throwing bolts of lightning. So, it only makes sense that his daughter would be able to utilize lightning to awesome effect.

Outside of “Superman II” and Tim Burton’s “Batman,” the 80s wasn’t exactly the best decade for comic book adaptations. Coming out in 1987, “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” was arguably the bottom of the barrel. It marked the debut of Nuclear Man, who unsurprisingly hasn’t been in another movie since. “Wonder Woman 1984” seemingly pays homage to the infamous villain, though. On the floor at the Southfields Mall, there’s a sun-shaped symbol with eight triangles surrounding a circle, sharing a striking resemblance to the emblem on Nuclear Man’s costume. Granted, the “N” is missing, although that may’ve been a bit on the nose. Considering that this film and “Superman IV” have a nuclear war theme in common, we doubt the similar design was coincidental.

The Invisible Plane served as Wonder Woman’s preferred choice of transportation in the early comics. In 1958, during the Silver Age, the character was depicted gliding on air currents. Through “Crisis on Infinite Earths” in 1985, Diana was retooled with Hermes’ power of flight. Thus, the plane was largely phased out going forward. “Wonder Woman 1984” mixes elements of pre-“Crisis” and post-“Crisis.” The iconic aircraft makes its long-awaited DCEU debut when Diana turns a jet invisible, allowing her and Steve to elude the authorities. After bidding Steve another tearful goodbye, Diana lassos herself into the sky, learning to soar like an eagle. Balancing innovations of the Golden and Modern Ages is no easy task, but this movie makes it look so easy.

In the film, Maxwell Lord plans to use a satellite system to grant every viewer’s wish and take what he wants in return. In the “The OMAC Project” limited series, Lord uses Brother Eye (an AI satellite developed by Batman) to transform people into cyborgs that can challenge superheroes. While the cyborg angle is dropped here, the satellite still allows Lord to manipulate a mass audience. Diana ultimately helps Lord to see the light, finding a more peaceful resolution than in the comics where she broke his neck. Brother Eye derives its name from “Big Brother,” the totalitarian figure in George Orwell’s novel, “Nineteen Eighty-Four.” Just as Big Brother gains a cult of personality, Lord wants nothing more than to be recognized for his “greatness.”

Although Barbara Minerva doesn’t become Cheetah until the climax, it is foreshadowed throughout the film that she will become a literal apex predator. Of course, there’s the stuffed jungle cat in the room full of artifacts. What’s interesting, though, is how every major character hints at Barabara’s inevitable transformation. First, there are Diana’s animal-printed shoes, which Barbara takes an immediate liking to. At the Handsome Man’s apartment, Steve tries on a shirt with a cheetah print design, which he clearly can’t pull off. In Maxwell Lord’s office, you can spot a cheetah blanket decorated on his couch. Then there’s Barbara herself, who dons a fur ensemble not long before going into beast mode. Don’t you love it when clothing tells a story?

Diana’s apartment possesses several treasured mementos, from Steve’s watch to a photo of her World War I buddies. In another photo, Diana can be seen posing with an elderly woman. You might not have recognized her at first, but if you take off a few decades, you’ll see the clear resemblance to Etta Candy. Actress Lucy Davis made her debut as Etta in the previous film, which was set in 1918. Since this sequel picks up 66 years later, it was always unlikely that Etta would play a major role here. “Wonder Woman 1984: The Junior Novel” confirms Etta has passed away, but her friendship with Diana would endure until the very end. The two would even move from London to the U.S. together.

Being set in the 80s, the filmmakers had to work in a few nostalgic nods, one of which is specific to the Washington neighborhood of Georgetown. Early on, we see a couple of kids shoplifting at Commander Salamander, an actual punk boutique that was recreated for the movie. During the mall set piece, you can spot several defunct chains, including Chess King, Waldenbooks, and Tape World. The highlight is the Time Out Arcade where kids are playing “Operation Wolf”... even though that game wouldn’t come out until 1987. Steve also gets his first whiff of modern air travel upon seeing a Trans World Airlines plane. TWA would be acquired by American Airlines in 2001, reminding us just how much times have changed.

For the final battle, Diana suits up in her golden eagle armor. Earlier, she told Steve that the armor once belonged to a great Amazon warrior known as Asteria, who seemingly sacrificed herself in battle. The armor possesses a different origin in the comics. Wonder Woman was first seen wearing the armor in the “Kingdom Come” miniseries, which was an Elseworlds story. The armor would later enter the mainstream continuity in Wonder Woman Vol 2 #144. The film makes no mention of Pallas, who is credited for creating the armor on the printed page. Asteria, meanwhile, has never been a prominent player in the comics, but all that matters is that we got an epic cameo. We need more Lynda Carter in “Wonder Woman 3!”