Every Classic DC Villain Featured in Absolute Wonder Woman

is a reimagined version of a classic hero, part of DC Comics’ new Absolute Universe. This alternate universe offers fresh takes on well-known DC characters, while still keeping some familiar aspects. A key element of these new stories is the villains the heroes battle, and Wonder Woman is no different in this regard.

Kelly Thompson’s Absolute Wonder Woman is offering fresh perspectives on Wonder Woman’s well-known adversaries, even presenting one as more of a friend than a foe. The story is also subtly building future plotlines, featuring one enemy who has only appeared as a normal human so far. Among the most unexpected additions is a notably unpleasant character who debuted during comics’ Golden Age, and another whose destiny could be linked to a key Justice League member.

Circe Isn’t Exactly a Villain In the Absolute Universe

Circe initially annoyed the Amazing Amazon before the Crisis on Infinite Earths, but she became a definitive Wonder Woman enemy later on. Inspired by the witch in Homer’s The Odyssey, this wicked sorceress has fought Wonder Woman for various reasons, and her hair often changes color between red and purple. Besides powerful magic, she can also physically enhance herself to battle Wonder Woman. Considering her frequent alliances with villains like Lex Luthor, Doctor Psycho, The Cheetah, and even The Joker, she seems undeniably evil. However, that isn’t entirely true in the Absolute Universe, where Darkseid’s reality-altering powers have surprisingly turned a major enemy into a mother figure.

In the Absolute Universe, Circe is actually Wonder Woman’s adoptive mother. The witch is imprisoned in Hell, and the god Apollo entrusted her with the infant Amazon, Diana. As a result, Diana’s upbringing focused more on magical training than combat, although she still has considerable powers. This version of Circe doesn’t trust the gods-except for a few, like Hecate-and is generally less evil than her typical portrayal. Oddly, a secret surrounding the Amazons has resulted in a situation where, because of the gods’ actions, Circe is unable to even speak the word “Amazon”. This is somewhat ironic, considering Circe has essentially taken the place of Queen Hippolyta. Before the Flashpoint event, Circe named her daughter with Ares, Lyta, as a malicious reference to Diana’s mother, Hippolyta.

Cheetah Has Yet to Get Her Claws In the Absolute Universe

Cheetah is widely recognized as Wonder Woman’s greatest foe, and the most well-known version is Barbara Ann Minerva. Typically an archaeologist, Minerva is often more focused on building her personal collection than on contributing to the world’s understanding of history. Through interactions with various deities and mystical forces-most commonly the African god Urtzkartaga-she transforms into The Cheetah, a creature possessing both animalistic and human characteristics. Her speed, strength, and claws allow her to challenge Wonder Woman in combat. The character has been established within the broader DC Universe and has met Wonder Woman, but she hasn’t yet fully transformed into her animalistic form.

Currently, Barbara Minerva is simply a historian living in Gateway City. She hasn’t yet transformed into The Cheetah or developed any supernatural powers. Interestingly, she’s depicted as an American from Gateway City, a departure from her usual British background. While she’s fascinated by the legendary Wonder Woman – her research heavily focused on the Amazons – she isn’t particularly heroic. This sets the stage for her eventual transformation into The Cheetah, although she’ll require intense, animalistic fury to challenge the might of Absolute Wonder Woman. Curiously, a brief shot reveals a tail belonging to a different character, hinting at a possible, unrelated Cheetah connection.

Veronica Cale Will Play a Big Part in the Absolute Universe

Veronica Cale first appeared in Greg Rucka’s highly praised Wonder Woman comic book series, and she was designed to be a modern counterpart to . Similar to Lex Luthor (specifically, as reimagined by writer/artist John Byrne), Cale is a highly successful and brilliant businesswoman whose achievements don’t alleviate her envy of Wonder Woman. She has even interacted with Luthor, as well as other prominent DC villains (like Doctor Psycho, another of Wonder Woman’s enemies), and her intelligence and wealth allow her to embody both the characteristics of a corrupt businessperson and a crazed scientist.

Up until now, Veronica Cale’s involvement in the Absolute Universe has been largely suggested, but it’s been established that she advises the President of the United States. This position of influence and prestige puts her in a similar category to the ethically questionable Amanda Waller, and she already views Wonder Woman as a significant danger. Preview covers for upcoming issues depict her battling Diana, implying there’s more to her than we currently know. Interestingly, in the main DC Universe, Cale is the CEO of companies like Cale-Anderson Pharmaceuticals, so this version of the character might have increased physical abilities thanks to her own pharmaceutical creations. She’s also expected to be a member of the , working alongside villains like Ra’s al Ghul and the Absolute Universe Joker.

The Toxic Doctor Poison Is In the Absolute Universe

Doctor Poison is a long-standing enemy of Wonder Woman, and she used to represent a curious aspect of the heroine’s adventures. The first Doctor Poison was Princess Maru, an Asian woman who disguised herself as a man during World War II. Back then, Wonder Woman would lose her abilities when restrained by a man, making Doctor Poison’s gender somewhat important to the story. The villain wasn’t featured much for a while, but she was reintroduced after the Crisis event by writers like Eric Luke and Wonder Woman expert Phil Jimenez, who is both a writer and artist. Doctor Poison first appeared in live-action in the 2017 Wonder Woman film, and she was also present in the New 52 comics. Additionally, she was reimagined by Greg Rucka during his run on Wonder Woman’s comics as part of the DC Rebirth initiative.

Typically, she’s portrayed as a troubled scientist with expertise in gases and toxins, a background that proved valuable during her time as a saboteur in her Golden Age. But in the Absolute Universe, she’s received a significant power boost. Now known as Absolute Doctor Poison, she’s still a scientist, but she exists primarily as a dangerous gas. She sustains a human-like form using a containment suit that loosely echoes her original outfit (similar to Johann Kraus from ), and although she works for Veronica Cale and the GATES Agency, she secretly pursues her own, currently unknown, goals.

Absolute Queen Clea Is Actually an Atlantean

Usually, the stories about Atlantis in the DC Universe center around the hero Aquaman, but there’s one classic villain who also has a connection to it. Queen Clea was an enemy of Wonder Woman from the Golden Age, and she’s kept that Atlantean link in her few appearances in recent comics. Often, writers like Phil Jimenez, who really loved Wonder Woman’s original stories, included this detail. Now, she’s shown up in the Absolute Universe, and it’s possible that Diana of the Wild Isle will later wish she hadn’t given Clea this new freedom.

I’m really fascinated by Queen Clea! She’s presented as the last Atlantean, and it’s so sad that she and her people, the Mer-Men, were trapped in the Maze, connected to this minotaur named Ferdinand. I love her look – it’s classic, with that Golden Age-style headdress – and she even fights with an Atlantean trident! Even though she seems a little tough and maybe even ruthless, it was awesome to see Wonder Woman step in and free her and everyone else, letting them finally swim away. Diana’s so hopeful, and she really believes that Clea won’t become the kind of monster she seemed to be while she was imprisoned. It makes me wonder what this all means for the Absolute Universe, especially since she’s supposedly the last of her kind. And it’s even more interesting considering she might be holding onto the trident that was originally meant for him.

Giganta Made a Small Appearance In the Absolute Universe

Giganta is a well-known villain from the Wonder Woman comics, and despite not featuring in many major storylines, she remains one of the most recognizable foes of the Amazons. Interestingly, Giganta’s size-changing ability first appeared in the Super Friends cartoon, not in the comics themselves. Since John Byrne’s work on Wonder Woman, Giganta has been depicted as a scientist – often a primatologist – named Doris Zuel. Through a complex series of events, she gains the power to alter her size, and in her gigantic form, she possesses the strength to battle powerful heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman.

Within the Absolute Universe, there’s a good chance Giganta’s real name will be surprisingly ironic. So far, she’s appeared in a very minor role – a tiny subject kept in a glass container in Area 41, labeled as “Zuel.” This is an exceptionally small woman, almost like a doll, and her red hair clearly identifies her as Giganta. It’s highly probable that this small form represents only a fraction of her potential size, and she will eventually far surpass Absolute Wonder Woman in power and stature.

2025-10-05 01:45