Is Donna Troy Related to Wonder Woman?

DC Universe presented us with many great characters, especially during the Silver Age of Comics, which marked a new era and superheroes who will eventually take over from their more experienced peers. Enter Donna Troy, the supposed heir to the throne of Wonder Woman mantle, who we know better as Wonder Girl. Since her first appearance in 1965, Donna Troy has been impactful, and her role in establishing notable superhero groups like Teen Titans and Titans is what brought her success among comic book readers. However, like any DC character from the early days of DC, Donna’s origins story has been changed multiple times, and it got us wondering – is Donna Troy related to Wonder Woman in any way?

Pre-Flashpoint Donna Troy was created by the sorceress Magala to be a playmate to young Princess Diana. However, the sorceress used the magical mirror to create a carbon copy of Diana with its own personality. The girl became known as Donna Troy, and after the hard truths and lies she experienced in her life, she took on the mantle of Wonder Girl. She was later considered a sister by Wonder Woman. After the Flashpoint event and DC Rebirth, it is established that Donna Troy was created from magical clay by the Amazonian sorceress Derinoe to destroy Wonder Woman. However, the Amazonians discovered the ill-advised plan and gave Donna false memories – that she was a normal girl saved from a fire and brought to Themyscira by Wonder Woman to raise her. Currently, Donna Troy is considered Wonder Woman’s adoptive sister.

Donna Troy is an iconic character in DC comics whose lore has been changed multiple times in the comics, but that didn’t erase her impact as the young superhero who founded Teen Titans and Titans. Her bond with Wonder Woman is special, so let’s see what it is that makes it so important.

Donna Troy is not Wonder Woman’s daughter

One of the biggest misconceptions about Donna Troy and her mantle Wonder Girl is that she is Wonder Woman’s daughter. However, Princess Diana of Themyscira has no children, meaning Donna Troy isn’t her daughter. But they are connected more than most of the superheroes since Donna was supposed to be an alternative or simply the younger version of Diana.

In the 1950s, a few Wonder Woman flashbacks showcase young Princess Diana, who was fondly called Wonder Girl, and since then, the DC writers decided that they would create another similar character to Wonder Woman.

At the time of her introduction, Donna Troy was part of the original cast of Teen Titans in ‘The Brave and the Bold’ comic book in 1965, and since the team consisted of young superhero sidekicks of Batman, Flash, and Aquaman, Donna Troy seemed as a perfect fit for the young team.

And frankly, it really was because fans liked the addition of Donna Troy to DC Universe. She was mysterious and had quite an interesting origin story that sometimes confused many people. Despite that particular setback, Donna took over the mantle of Wonder Girl and became the focus of most Teen Titans stories in DC Comics.

The Silver Age of Comics saw Wonder Woman and her mother Hippolyta referring to Donna as their family, in other words, as Diana’s sister. It seemed like it stayed that way, as Wonder Woman thought of Donna as her sister. Donna Troy isn’t a daughter of Wonder Woman, but her carbon copy eventually became an older sibling.

How is Donna Troy related to Wonder Woman?

With that being said, we can confirm that Donna Troy was essentially Wonder Woman’s copy and eventually her sister, who Queen Hippolyta adopted on Earth One and New Earth.

Her really complicated origin story doesn’t stop there since her initial background changed so many times. Marv Wolfman’s comic book issue of ‘Teen Titans’ established that the little girl was rescued from a burning apartment, and after unsuccessfully trying to find her family, Wonder Woman brought the infant to Themyscira to be raised by her mother, Queen Hippolyta. Eventually, little Donna was given powers by the Amazon scientist Paula, and since then, the little girl gained powers as Wonder Woman.

George Pérez and Marv Wolfman change Wonder Girl’s origin story again in the 1980s when we learn that Donna was a victim of a child-selling racket that almost died in the fire and her teen mother, who died since then. The ‘Crisis’ event retcons many characters, including Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl, and we learn that Titan Rhea rescued young Donna and that she was raised on the New Cronus by Titans.

These retcons continued, and fans got more and more confused. We got the ‘carbon copy of Wonder Woman” origin story Post-Crisis, which remained until New 52 and DC Rebirth. The post-Crisis Donna was accepted as a “sister” to Wonder Woman in the 1990s, so in some way, they were related.

After New 52 and DC Rebirth, Donna’s background was revised once again, and this time, she was created by the sorceress Derinoe from magical clay to send her to kill Wonder Woman. The Amazonians stopped the evil sorceress and took the child as their own – they gave Donna false memories to think she was a young girl saved from the fire by Wonder Woman and eventually brought to Themyscira to be raised as one of them.

This is the current origin story, and it suggests that Donna Troy is still in some way related to Wonder Woman; her being the “adoptive sister” confirms that despite major changes to the origin story, Diana still thinks Donna is her younger sibling.

Nevertheless, although Donna Troy had a complicated origin story that was revised many times in DC Universe, she became one of the most important characters for Titans and other “younger” superhero groups.

What are your thoughts on Donna Troy? Let us know in the comments below.

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