For fans who grew up watching Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman and Super Friends, the image of Wonder Woman piloting an Invisible Jet is iconic. She’s often pictured navigating through the skies in this transparent aircraft, complete with an unseen console and controls. But this raises a question: Can Wonder Woman fly on her own? Why would she need a plane at all? And where did this Invisible Jet even come from? Let’s delve into the history of Wonder Woman’s flight and her famed Invisible Jet.
Wonder Woman piloting her iconic Invisible Jet, as depicted in DC Comics, raising the question: Do Wonder Woman fly on her own?
The Early Days: The Invisible Jet Before Flight
Interestingly, for a significant portion of her comic book history, Wonder Woman could not fly unaided. Many heroes known for flight today actually gained this ability later in their development. Initially, having the power of flight alone was a notable superpower, as seen with Hawkman. When Wonder Woman debuted in 1941 in All-Star Comics #8, the Invisible Jet was already an integral part of her mythos. It was her means of transportation from Themyscira to the world of man. Beyond supersonic and silent travel, the jet comfortably accommodated passengers like Steve Trevor on its first journey. Crucially, and often forgotten, the jet could emit a rainbow beam to penetrate Themyscira’s concealing mists, which otherwise made the island virtually inaccessible. A later comic, DC Comics Presents #41 from 1981, clarified the visual representation of Wonder Woman in a plane silhouette: it was a narrative device for readers, while in the story, both the jet and its occupants were entirely invisible.
Origins of the Invisible Jet: From Aphrodite to Amazonian Ingenuity
The Invisible Jet’s origin story has varied over time. Early accounts offered two possibilities: either it was a gift from Aphrodite, or Wonder Woman constructed it herself. During the Golden Age of comics, under the guidance of her creator William Moulton Marston, Wonder Woman was frequently portrayed as a skilled inventor and engineer. Wonder Woman #80 (1955) reconciled these origins by depicting Diana undertaking three labors to gather the components of the Invisible Jet as part of her preparation to leave Paradise Island, assembling it herself for her mission.
Early depiction of Wonder Woman using limited flight powers, relying on air currents, before gaining full flight capabilities in DC Comics.
Gaining Flight, But Still Reliant on the Jet
It wasn’t until 1958, in Wonder Woman #98, that Wonder Woman started to fly on her own. However, this initial flight ability was limited. She could only glide on air currents, similar to a bird, making it unreliable for consistent travel. The Invisible Jet remained her primary mode of transportation. She could summon it telepathically from anywhere using her tiara.
The Silver Age and Pegasus Jet: A Mythological Twist
Wonder Woman #128 (1961) introduced a new, more fantastical origin for the Invisible Jet during the Silver Age. This version revealed that the jet was actually Pegasus, the winged horse from Greek mythology. Wonder Woman had rescued Pegasus from a perilous situation on Paradise Island. Out of gratitude, Pegasus pledged eternal service to Wonder Woman. Adapting to the human world, Pegasus magically transformed into a jet outside of Themyscira and could become invisible at will. However, given that this story emerged during the “Impossible Tales” era, featuring multiple Wonder Women (Woman, Girl, and Tot), this origin is often disregarded in favor of other interpretations.
Wonder Woman in action, highlighting the evolution of her powers from the Invisible Jet to independent flight in comic book history.
Post-Crisis Flight and the Jet’s Return as a Morphing Crystal
The Crisis on Infinite Earths event in 1985 effectively retired the Invisible Jet for a period. In George Pérez’s 1987 reboot of Wonder Woman’s origin, she was finally granted full, independent flight. For a while, the need for the jet seemed obsolete.
However, the Invisible Jet was reintroduced by John Byrne in 1996’s Wonder Woman #115 with yet another unique origin. Byrne reimagined the jet as a semi-sentient extraterrestrial artifact called a Morphing Crystal. These crystals, naturally shaped like translucent eggs, were separated from their family, and one landed on Earth, discovered by the sub-Antarctic Lansinarians. They refined it into a Morphing Disk. As thanks for Wonder Woman’s help, the Lansinarians gifted her this Disk, capable of transforming into any vehicle, from carriages to spaceships.
The WonderDome, an ultimate form of Wonder Woman’s Invisible Jet, showcasing its evolution and importance in Wonder Woman’s lore.
WonderDome and the ARGUS Stealth Craft
In Wonder Woman #140 (1998), the Morphing Disk evolved into the WonderDome, an invisible, mobile fortress akin to Batman’s Batcave or Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. The WonderDome made its final flight in Wonder Woman #201 (2004), sacrificing itself to protect Themyscira from destruction.
The Invisible Jet reappeared in the New 52 era (starting in 2011) as an experimental ARGUS stealth aircraft. This version is primarily piloted by Steve Trevor, who uses it to transport the Justice League of America.
Steve Trevor and the ARGUS Invisible Jet, a modern interpretation of Wonder Woman’s classic vehicle in the New 52 DC Comics era.
Rebirth and the Wonder Woman 1984 Interpretation: Simplicity Reigns
Perhaps the most straightforward and elegant origin for the Invisible Jet comes from the recent Wonder Woman: Year One storyline and graphic novel, part of the Rebirth era. This 2016 origin story posits that the jet originally belonged to Steve Trevor, who crash-landed on Themyscira. The Amazons repaired his plane and enchanted it with invisibility as a means for him to return to the world of man without revealing their island’s location. This concept is echoed in Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 1984, where Diana makes a conventional jet invisible using Amazonian magic, the same magic that conceals Themyscira.
Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor in Wonder Woman 1984, showcasing a modern cinematic take on the Invisible Jet’s origin and use.
In conclusion, while Wonder Woman eventually gained the power of flight, the Invisible Jet remains a vital and fascinating part of her history. From divine gifts to alien technology and repurposed human aircraft, the many origins of the Invisible Jet reflect the evolving nature of Wonder Woman and her enduring appeal across decades of comics and media. Sometimes, as recent interpretations suggest, the simplest explanation truly is the best.
Relive the adventures with Wonder Woman’s Invisible Jet in Wonder Woman 1984, available for purchase and rental on digital or disc.
