Wonder Woman Wednesdays: Sensation Comics #12

Wonder Woman Wednesdays

Sensation Comics #12

In Sensation Comics #12, we stay in the world of ridiculous. The ridiculous world of Hollywood. However, instead of being an off-world tale, we have the second resurrection of Baroness Paula Von Gunther. We all missed her and her wacky Nazi antics very much. This also is the last issue in Wonder Woman Archive Edition Volume 1.

Colonel Darnell receives a letter from Supreme Pictures saying they want to produce a film about Wonder Woman. The film’s for patriotism you see. However, Wonder Woman doesn’t exactly have a P.O. Box or phone number. So Diana calls Etta, who then uses the metal radio to signal Wonder Woman.

At first, Wonder Woman refuses to star in the picture. But then Darnell reminds her how the film will serve America (and Steve’s already in Hollywood on a case), and she agrees. On one condition, that Diana Prince, Etta, and Beeta Lambda Sorority accompany her to California.

Immediately, Diana recognizes the chain marks on the studio’s maid, Yvette, which must mean she’s one of Paula’s spies. Diana pretends that her bracelets are her chains and that she too is Paula’s spy. However, this doesn’t work so well when Yvette tries to poison Wonder Woman and recognizes those bracelets. Finally, someone figured out Diana’s oh-so-mysterious secret identity. (Seriously, Diana, you don’t even have a face mask or a pair of glasses.) But then Yvette takes some poison herself to die rather than betray Paula to the Americans.

Sensation Comics #12 Yvette and Diana
Yvette is the first person to figure out that Wonder Woman = Diana. Does this make her the smartest person in this comic?

The next day, on set, Wonder Woman allows herself to be tied up, put in a trunk with an explosive, and sunk under water. While her hands are being bound, as she’s still on the boat, she realizes the entire thing’s a trap. But she goes through with it anyway.

Sensation Comics #12 Wonder Woman
Tied in a trunk. With a bomb. Going to the bottom of the ocean. Willingly.

Luckily for her, everything works out in the end. Wonder Woman safely escapes, manages to trigger the bomb under water, and the ship’s only bounce on a large wave. The director, Ben Black, decides that they can take the day off from shooting.

Sensation Comics #12 Wonder Woman and Director Ben Black
Wonder Woman rides the rocket. It's like a giant shower head.

Meanwhile, Steve’s on the trail of Nazi spies. He and another office discover a mysterious island. The enemy’s boat just disappeared on it, but they can’t find a trace of it. When he phones Wonder Woman later, she suggests that he take some men and go back to that island. She thinks that’s where Paula is hiding out.

Racism alert: Steve goes to a Chinese-run laundry mat. Yes, it’s as bad as you think.

But since Steve is sometimes a bone-head like that, he ignores Wonder Woman’s advice and takes off on his own. At night. Not surprisingly, Paula’s forces almost immediately capture him. They take him down to the secret island/submarine thing.

Sensation Comics #12 Steve captured by Nazi spies
At least the damsel in distress realizes he should've listened to Wonder Woman.

Since coming to Hollywood, Wonder Woman’s had many female fans or stalkers. On her day off, she jumps the fence to escape the studio undetected. But a bunch of women fans find her and drag her off to a yacht. However, it’s a Nazi plot. The women tie Wonder Woman up with flowers, which the aroma knocks her out. No mention on how Paula’s slaves managed to not be knocked out by it themselves as they tied Wonder Woman up with it.

On her day off, Etta receives a letter and a package from Wonder Woman. The note says that Wonder Woman believes Director Black is a Nazi spy and the package contains Wonder Woman’s lasso. She instructs Etta to use it on Black to make him confess his crimes and find the hideout. Etta drags Black around by the rope, which is tied around Black’s neck. Even underwater.

Sensation Comics #12 Etta, Beeta Lambda Sorority, and Black
Etta takes Black for a little dip in the ocean.

Paula knows that Wonder Woman can escape. So she’s tied Steve up to one of her electrical machines and threatened to kill him if Wonder Woman doesn’t do what she demands. But Etta and her sorority sisters show up in time to take out Paula’s guard and save Steve.

Sensation Comics #12 Wonder Woman, Etta, Paula, and Steve
Etta saves the day. With the power of candy.

In the end, Paula’s recaptured, and Wonder Woman retires from motion pictures. She says that her stunt double can finish the picture, but to pay Etta and her sorority sisters double what they were supposed to make.

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