Magic lasso

Amazons using their magic lassos.

A Magic lasso was the Amazons' primary tool and weapon. Wonder Woman had one of her own.

It was a magical golden lariat that forced anyone it captured to obey and tell the truth.

Background Information

Pre-Crisis: Earth-Two / Golden Age

Wonder Woman's being given the Lasso of Truth.
Image from Wonder Woman, #159 (January, 1966).

In the original continuity (before her first Golden Age retcon) Wonder Woman received her magic lasso sometime after being gifted with her costume, bracelets and her Invisible Plane.

Queen Hippolyta had her craftswomen take Aphrodite's Magic Girdle (which made it indestructible and its magical properties were granted by the Goddess herself) and remove some of the chain links within it and turn them into a powerful, unbreakable lasso. After giving it to her daughter, Wonder Woman then prayed to Aphrodite and Athena. The goddesses then visit her and reveal that they have given her lasso a special property -– anyone bound by it must obey Wonder Woman!

Eventually, Diana coated it in special Amazon chemicals that allowed it to transform her civilian clothes into Wonder Woman's garb. Diana demonstrated a remarkable level of skill with the lasso, performing such feats as twirling it to create air currents (upon which she could float) and spinning it to emit certain frequencies that disrupted Felix Faust's spells.

Pre-Crisis: Earth-One / Silver Age

During the Silver Age of comics, after Marston death in 1947, the writer who took over from Marston, Robert Kanigher, was not nearly as interested in bondage as Marston was. Further, the Comics Code Authority went into effect in 1954 and clearly, some of the bondage aspects of the series would likely run afoul of the new Comics Code standards. The result was toned down effect concerning the way the lasso was used. It was rarely used in the way it previously had been. Now, the use of the magic lasso focused on compelling bound people to tell her the truth and not “make people obey her” power. During the Silver Age, the magic lasso retained its ability to transform her civilian clothes into her Wonder Woman outfit.

Pre-Crisis: Earth-1A

The lasso possessed the ability to follow the telepathic commands of Wonder Woman, physically moving on its own to accomplish tasks. Wonder Woman typically used the lasso as a tool for accomplishing feats of strength, leaving it unclear to what extent Wonder Woman herself possessed great strength or the lasso itself performed the feats. In addition, its truth compelling power was used to free Wonder Woman when she was under the mind control of space pirates. Superman found himself snared by the lasso, but managed to tie the controlled Wonder Woman as well. In that situation, Superman forces her to confess if he is her enemy or friend and the truth of her friendship with him forced from Wonder Woman broke the pirates' power over her.

Notes

• The Golden Lasso was created by William Moulton Marston and Harry G. Peter.
• It made its debut in Sensation Comics, #6 (June, 1942).
• Wonder Woman's proteges, Donna Troy and Cassie Sandsmark, also used lassos.
• Diana's evil counterpart, Superwoman, used a lasso, the 'Lasso of Submission'.

Gallery

The Lasso of Truth.

Queen Hippolyta explains how the lasso was made.

Magic Lasso Rocket

See Also

• Bracelets of Submission
• Magic Girdle
• Wonder Woman's Tiara
• Magic Sphere
• Wonder Woman's Invisible Jet