Guest Author - Travis Belk

The Justice League recently banded back together after breaking up following the actions of Batman and Wonder Woman. Batman's paranoia brought about the existence of the evil Brother Eye. Wonder Woman crossed the line, set by most superheroes, and took a life. Now the question remains, was Wonder Woman in the right? Is she a murderer or a hero?

To shed a little light on the series of events, the government agency, Checkmate, had been taken over by Maxwell Lord. He was a former Justice League ally who had the ability to push people, mentally, to do his bidding. His ultimate goal was to eliminate those he saw as a threat, namely the superpowered community. To achieve his goal, he took over the mind of the world's greatest hero, Superman. With Superman under his control, Maxwell set about causing havoc by having him beat Batman to a pulp. He then turned his Kryptonian weapon towards Wonder Woman. While Superman was recovering from having his throat cut by Wonder Woman's tiara, she caught Maxwell in her Golden Lasso of Truth. She asked Maxwell how to free Superman, and his reply was simple. She had to kill him. Without hesitation, Wonder Woman reached out and snapped his neck. This lead to the heroes and the world at large turning against her for crossing that line.

The fact is, Wonder Woman had no choice. Maxwell Lord was forced to tell the truth while within her lasso. Had she let him live, he would have continued to control arguably the world's greatest weapon. If a genocidal maniac had his finger on the button of a nuclear weapon, would the public care if someone killed him first? They would want someone to take him out. Wonder Woman didn't act out of revenge or evil tendencies. Instead she made the hard decision and took a weapon away from a madman in the only manner that was available to her.

Another thing to remember is that Wonder Woman comes from a much different society than our own. Many of us, Batman and Superman included, were raised in the United States where we are taught all life is valuable no matter what. Wonder Woman, however, was raised on an island of warrior women. In her society, battle is a sport, and to die in battle is an honor. Along with that, is the belief that sometimes killing is a necessary evil. She strove to follow the beliefs of her fellow Justice League members, but when it came to the safety of the greater good, her warrior instincts took over.

Because of these points, Wonder Woman cannot be held responsible for her actions. No more than a soldier could be held responsible for theirs. Superman, Batman, and all the others who shunned her for her actions were wrong. Had she not done it, they would have regretted the atrocities that Maxwell would have committed even more. She should not be thought of as a murderer, but as a hero. She stepped up when it was required and protected the lives of many, even at the cost of her reputation as a superhero. Wonder Woman showed that sometimes the hero has to come before the super.