People who are familiar with Wonder Woman should be able to recognize the Lasso of Truth, which is her most iconic possession. Like its name states, it is a lasso that looks as though it has been made out of some golden material, which is why it is also sometimes called either the Magic Lasso or the Golden Lasso. Regardless of its exact name, the Lasso of Truth possesses a number of powers, with examples ranging from it being impervious to harm to the power to make someone who has been captured by the lasso to tell the truth and nothing but the truth.
How Has the Lasso of Truth Changed Over Time?
The Lasso of Truth has existed since the earliest Wonder Woman stories. In brief, Wonder Woman was created at a time when comic books were receiving ferocious criticism for the violent nature of their content, which is why an American psychologist named William Moulton Marston suggested the creation of a superheroine who would show that love, truth, and beauty could redeem and rehabilitate criminals. As a result, the Lasso of Truth can be considered a sort of metaphor for how feminine charm can induce compliance in people, which is connected to Marston’s belief in the need for people to submit to loving authorities.
On a related note, it should be mentioned that a lasso makes an excellent choice of weapon for an Amazon from a historical perspective. This is because some scholars believe that the ancient Greek belief in Amazons was inspired by how both Scythian men and women are said to have fought as warriors. The Scythians were a horse-riding people, which is relevant because some horse-riding peoples are known to have fought with lassos. This sounds strange, right until one realizes that being dragged across the earth behind a running horse tends to be rather detrimental for a person’s health. Fortunately for Wonder Woman’s enemies, her use of the Lasso of Truth is much less brutal in nature, if no less effective for its intended purpose.
Like a lot of DC content, the Lasso of Truth has seen significant variation over time. Sometimes, it is a magical item that possesses capabilities that near on the miraculous, as shown by its power to raise the dead. Other times, it is more of a focus, meaning that its supposed powers are innate to Wonder Woman. Furthermore, while the Lasso of Truth is invulnerable in most of its appearances, there are times when it has broken, with a stand-out example being when Wonder Woman’s doubt in the truth that it revealed broke the universe because it was an embodiment of the concept that it championed.
On a final note, the Lasso of Truth should not be mistaken for the other magical lassos that have shown up in the DC comic books. For example, one such lasso had the power to electrocute people, which becomes much more understandable when one learns that it was presented to its owner by Ares, the God of War. Likewise, another such lasso could force people to do the user’s bidding so long as the user had more willpower, which was actually rather reminiscent of how the Lasso of Truth could force people to follow orders in some of the depictions.
Follow Us
