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DC Comics

Wonder Woman 1984 brings one of comics’ most iconic, least plausible looks to life

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Most superheroes are famous for changing up their looks, and one of Wonder Woman’s legendary outfits is front and center in the new trailer for Wonder Woman 1984.

Sure, the Champion of the Amazons has changed up her duds — from culottes, to skirts, to hot pants, to pants, and back — but we’re not talking about the usual star spangled armor. Wonder Woman 1984 is bringing the golden eagle armor to the big screen:

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Warner Bros. Pictures

Sharp-eyed fans of the Amazonian guessed that the new suit of gold armor seen on the first poster for Wonder Woman 1984 might be the eagle armor, sans wings or helmet, but now we know. The final shots in the trailer feature Diana in the full outfit, which apparently has easily sheddable wings. Here’s a look at it with the wings attached:

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Warner Bros. Pictures

Though rarely worn, Wonder Woman’s eagle armor has appeared in multiple DC Comics, where it looks almost exactly like the version in the movie: Bright gold, big metal wings, and a helmet shaped like the head of a bird of prey. For something so seemingly gaudy and impractical, its origins can be traced back to an artist primarily known for his photorealistic style: Alex Ross.

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Mark Waid, Alex Ross/DC Comics
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Alex Ross/DC Comics

Ross designed the look for he and Mark Waid’s Kingdom Come miniseries, set in a potential future of the DC Universe. The design was so striking that it just had to make its way into the comics, of course. While the look is intended to have ceremonial or diplomatic applications (impressing the shit out of your enemies), it is not a tin suit by any means.

The wings are designed to stand up to other Amazon warriors, and, in settings where Wonder Woman doesn’t have an innate flight power (which often fluctuates), the armor allows her to soar like an ... well, you get the idea.