birth date	March 23, 1976
birth place	Fountain Valley, California, United States
birth name	Keri Lynn Russell
occupation	Actress/Dancer
years active	1991–present
spouse	}}

Keri Lynn Russell (born March 23, 1976) is an American actress and dancer. After appearing in a number of made-for-television films and series during the mid-1990s, she came to fame for portraying the title role of Felicity Porter on the series ''Felicity'', which ran from 1998 to 2002, and for which she won a Golden Globe Award. Russell has since appeared in several films, including ''Mad About Mambo'' (2000)'', We Were Soldiers'' (2002), ''The Upside of Anger'' (2005), ''Mission: Impossible III'' (2006), ''Waitress'' (2007), ''August Rush'' (2007), ''Bedtime Stories'' (2008) and ''Extraordinary Measures'' (2010).

Early life [link]

Russell was born in Fountain Valley, California, the daughter of Stephanie (née Stephens), a homemaker, and David Russell, a Nissan Motors executive. She has an older brother, Todd, and a younger sister, Julie. The family lived in Coppell, Texas; Mesa, Arizona; and Highlands Ranch, Colorado, moving frequently because of the father's employment. Although Russell is best known for her acting, she studied at Starstruck dance studio in a suburb of Denver. She earned a spot on the ''Mickey Mouse Club'' show by her dancing.

Career [link]

1991–2002 [link]

Russell first appeared on television at age 15 as a cast member of the ''All-New Mickey Mouse Club'' variety show on the Disney Channel. She was on the show from 1991 to 1993 and co-starred with future actor Ryan Gosling and future pop stars Chasen Hampton, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake.

In 1992, she appeared in ''Honey, I Blew Up the Kid'' alongside Rick Moranis and in 1993, had a role on the sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' as Mr. Feeny's niece. Russell appeared on ''Married with Children'' in a 1995 episode ("Radio Free Trumaine", production 9.24). She subsequently starred in several film and television roles, including the 1996 made-for-television film ''The Babysitter's Seduction''. That year she also had a role on the short-lived soap opera series ''Malibu Shores.'' In 1994, she appeared in Bon Jovi's music video "Always" with Jack Noseworthy. In 1997, she appeared in two episodes of ''Roar'' alongside Heath Ledger.

From 1998 to 2002, Russell starred as the title character on the successful WB Network series ''Felicity''; she won a Golden Globe for the role in 1999. Russell's long and curly hair was one of her character's defining characteristics. A drastic hairstyle change at the beginning of the show's second season was thought to cause a significant drop in the show's television ratings.

During the show's run, Russell appeared in the films ''Eight Days a Week'', ''The Curve'', and ''Mad About Mambo'', all of which received only limited releases in North America. Her next role was in the film ''We Were Soldiers'' (2002), playing the wife of a United States serviceman during the Vietnam War. The film was released two months before the end of ''Felicity'''s run.

2003–present [link]

When ''Felicity'' ended, Russell took a break from acting. She moved to New York City and took two years off to avoid the business of Hollywood, spending time with friends. Russell subsequently made her off-Broadway stage debut in 2004, appearing opposite Jeremy Piven, Andrew McCarthy, and Ashlie Atkinson in Neil LaBute's ''Fat Pig''. In 2005, she returned to television and film, beginning with an appearance in the Hallmark Hall of Fame television movie ''The Magic of Ordinary Days'', theatrical film ''The Upside of Anger'' (alongside Kevin Costner, Joan Allen and Evan Rachel Wood), and the television miniseries ''Into the West''.

Although a number of her ''Felicity'' co-stars went on to appear in producer J. J. Abrams' series, ''Alias'', Russell declined invitations to be part of the show. In a seminar at the Museum of Television and Radio, Abrams said, "I've asked Keri if she would ever do it, and I usually get this, sort of like, giggle — and then she hangs up". In 2005, Abrams asked Russell to join the cast of ''Mission: Impossible III'', a film he directed, and she accepted. The film was released on May 5, 2006. In the summer of 2006, Russell was chosen to be a celebrity spokeswoman for CoverGirl Cosmetics. Before she was in ''Mission Impossible: III'', she was screen tested for the role of Lois Lane in ''Superman Returns'' but lost the role to Kate Bosworth.

She taped two episodes as a guest character on the NBC show ''Scrubs'' in 2007. She played Melody, a sorority sister and good friend of Elliot Reid played by Sarah Chalke. The first episode aired on April 26, and the second on May 3. She starred in ''Waitress'', a well-reviewed independent film in which she played Jenna, a pregnant waitress in the American South; it was the fourth film in a row in which Russell had played a pregnant woman. The film opened on May 4, 2007 and Russell's performance was positively received by critics, with Michael Sragow of ''The Baltimore Sun'' writing that Russell's performance had "aesthetic character" and "welds tenderness and fierceness with quiet heat". In the summer of 2007, Russell appeared in ''The Keri Kronicles'', a reality show/sitcom sponsored by CoverGirl and airing on MySpace; the show was filmed at Russell's home in Manhattan and spotlighted her life.

Russell next appeared in ''August Rush'', a drama released in November, 2007. She also appeared on the cover of the ''New York Post'''s Page Six magazine on November 11, 2007. She has completed roles in ''Butterfly: A Grimm Love Story'' (titled ''Rohtenburg'' for its German release), in which she plays Katie Armstrong, a graduate student who writes a thesis paper on an infamous cannibal murder case, and the thriller ''The Girl in the Park'', opposite Sigourney Weaver, Kate Bosworth and Alessandro Nivola.

Russell later appeared in ''Bedtime Stories'', with Adam Sandler playing the lead. In an appearance on ''The View'' on December 15, 2008, Russell said she got the part because Sandler's wife Jackie had seen Russell in ''Waitress'' and suggested her for the movie.

Russell portrayed Wonder Woman in a direct-to-video animated feature released March 3, 2009. She starred alongside Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford in the Tom Vaughan-helmed ''Extraordinary Measures'' for CBS Films. The drama, which started filming on April 6, 2009 and was released on January 22, 2010, was the first film to go into production for the new company. Russell played Aileen Crowley, a mother who tries to build a normal home life for her sick children while her husband, John (Fraser), and an unconventional scientist (Ford) race against time to find a cure.

Russell played Emmy Kadubic in the premiere season of ''Running Wilde'', a Fox comedy series cancelled in May 2011.

Personal life [link]

Russell and Shane Deary, a carpenter she met through mutual friends, became engaged in 2006 and were married on February 14, 2007 in New York. The couple have two children: son River Russell Deary (born June 9, 2007) and daughter Willa Lou Deary (born December 27, 2011).

Filmography [link]

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1991–1993		Various	Television series
1992	''Honey, I Blew Up the Kid''	Mandy Park	Debut film performance
1993	''Boy Meets World''	Jessica Feeny	TV, 1 episode: "Grandma Was a Rolling Stone"
1993	''Emerald Cove''	Andrea McKinsey	Television series
1994		Phoebe	TV, 3 episodes: "Pilot", "American in Paris... Cool" and "Keep Your Business Out of My Business"
1995	''Married with Children''	April Adams	TV, 1 episode: "Radio Free Trumaine"
1995	''Clerks.''	Sandra	Television film
1996	''The Babysitters Seduction''	Michelle Winston	Television film
1996		Felice Dunbar	Television film
1996	''Malibu Shores''	Chloe Walker	TV, 10 episodes
1997		Erica
1997	''When Innocence Is Lost''	Erica French	Television film
1997	''7th Heaven''	Camille	TV, 1 episode: "Choices"
1997		Claire	TV, 2 episodes: "Pilot" and "Banshee"
1998		Emma
1998–2002			TV, 84 episodesGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Breakout Performance Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress – Drama
1999	''Cinderelmo''	Princess	Television film
2000	''Mad About Mambo''	Lucy McLoughlin
2002	''We Were Soldiers''	Barbara Geoghegan
2005	''The Upside of Anger''	Emily Wolfmeyer
2005	''The Magic of Ordinary Days''	Olivia 'Livy' Dunn	Television filmNominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
2005		Naomi Wheeler	TV, 1 episode: "Manifest Destiny"
2006	''Mission: Impossible III''	Lindsey Farris
2007	''Grimm Love''	Katie Armstrong
2007		Jenna Hunterson
2007		Melody O'Hara	TV, 2 episodes: "My Turf War" and "My Cold Shower"
2007	''The Girl in the Park''	Celeste
2007	''August Rush''	Lyla Novacek
2008		Jill Hastings
2009			Voice
2009		Janet
2010	''Extraordinary Measures''	Aileen Crowley
2010	''Running Wilde''	Emmy Kadubic	TV, 13 episodes
2011	''Goats''	Judy	Post-production
2012	''Austenland''	Jane Hayes	Filming

References [link]

External links [link]

Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:People from Fountain Valley, California Category:Actors from California Category:American child actors Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (television) winners Category:Mouseketeers

ar:كيري روسل de:Keri Russell es:Keri Russell eo:Keri Russell fa:کری راسل fr:Keri Russell id:Keri Russell it:Keri Russell he:קרי ראסל nl:Keri Russell ja:ケリー・ラッセル pl:Keri Russell pt:Keri Russell ru:Расселл, Кери simple:Keri Russell fi:Keri Russell sv:Keri Russell tr:Keri Russell zh:凱莉·羅素

publisher	DC Comics
debut	''All Star Comics'' #8
debutmo	December
debutyr	1941
creators	William Moulton MarstonHarry G. Peter
alter ego	Princess Diana of Themyscira
alliances	Justice LeagueAmazons of ThemysciraDepartment of Metahuman Affairs
partners	Steve TrevorTrevor BarnesNemesisSupermanBatman
aliases	Diana Prince
species	AmazonDemigod (2011 relaunch)
powers	*Superhuman strength, speed, agility, and endurance Flight (only after 1960) Superior hand-to-hand combatant Empathy Healing factor Resistance to Magic Lasso of Truth Access to Magical Weaponry
cvr image	Wwoman1.jpg
cvr caption	Cover for ''Wonder Woman'' #1 (1942). Art by Harry G. Peter.
schedule	Monthly
ongoing	Y
fantasy	first
superhero	y
multigenre	y
pub series	DC Comics
1stishhead	vol. 1
1stishyr	1942
1stishmo	Summer
endishyr	1986
endishmo	February
1stishhead1	vol. 2
1stishyr1	1987
1stishmo1	February
endishyr1	2006
endishmo1	April
1stishhead2	vol. 3
1stishyr2	2006
1stishmo2	August
endishyr2	2010
endishmo2	July
1stishhead3	vol. 1 cont.
1stishyr3	2010
1stishmo3	August
endishyr3	2011
endishmo3	October
1stishhead4	vol. 4
1stishyr4	2011
1stishmo4	September
endishyr4	Present
issues	(vol. 1): 329(vol. 2): 228 (+ 8 Annuals, 1 Special)(vol. 3): 44 (+ 1 Annual)(vol. 1 cont.): 15(vol. 4):
main char team	Princess Diana of Themyscira
writers	(vol. 1)William Moulton Marston, Mike Sekowsky, Robert Kanigher, Martin Pasko, Gerry Conway, Dan Mishkin(vol. 2)Len Wein, George Pérez, Mindy Newell, William Messner-Loebs, John Byrne, Phil Jimenez, Greg Rucka(vol. 3)Allan Heinberg, Gail Simone(vol. 1 cont.)J. Michael Straczynski(vol. 4)Brian Azzarello
pencillers	(vol. 1)Harry G. Peter, Ross Andru, Mike Sekowsky, Dick Giordano, John Rosenberger, Jose Delbo, Gene Colan(vol. 2)George Pérez, Chris Marrinan, Mike Deodato, John Byrne, Phil Jimenez(vol. 3)Terry Dodson, Aaron Lopresti(vol. 1 cont.)Don Kramer(vol. 4)Cliff Chiang
inkers	(vol. 1)Mike Esposito, Dick Giordano, Vince Colletta(vol. 2)Bruce Patterson, Andy Lanning(vol. 3)Rachel Dodson, Matt Ryan
colorists	(vol. 2)Carl Gafford(vol. 3)Alex Sinclair
cat	super
subcat	DC Comics
hero	y
sortkey	Wonder Woman
sort title	Wonder Woman
addcharcat1	All-American Publications characters }}

Wonder Woman is a fictional character, a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston and H. G. Peter. She first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' #8 (December 1941). The ''Wonder Woman'' title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986.

Wonder Woman is a warrior Princess of the Amazons (based on the Amazons of Greek mythology) and was created by Marston, an American, as a "distinctly feminist role model whose mission was to bring the Amazon ideals of love, peace, and sexual equality to a world torn by the hatred of men." Known in her homeland as Diana of Themyscira, her powers include superhuman strength, flight (even though the original Wonder Woman did not have this ability), super-speed, super-stamina, and super-agility. She is highly proficient in hand-to-hand combat and in the art of tactical warfare. She also possesses animal-like cunning skills and a natural rapport with animals, which has been presented as an actual ability to communicate with the animal kingdom. She uses her Lasso of Truth, which forces those bound by it to tell the truth, a pair of indestructible bracelets, a tiara which serves as a projectile, and, in some stories, an invisible airplane.

Created during World War II, the character was initially depicted fighting the Axis military forces, as well as an assortment of supervillains. In later decades, some writers maintained the World War II setting, with many of its themes and story arcs, while others updated the series to reflect the present day. Wonder Woman has also regularly appeared in comic books featuring the superhero teams Justice Society (from 1941) and Justice League (from 1960). Arguably the most popular and iconic female superhero in comics, Wonder Woman is also considered a feminist icon. She was named the 20th greatest comic book character by ''Empire'' magazine. She was ranked sixth in ''Comics Buyer's Guide's'' "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.

In addition to the comics, the character has appeared in other media; most notably, the 1975–1979 ''Wonder Woman'' TV series starring Lynda Carter, as well as animated series such as the ''Super Friends'' and ''Justice League''. Although a number of attempts have been made to adapt the character to live-action film, none has yet emerged from development hell. An animated film was released in 2009, with Keri Russell voicing the title role. In 2011, Adrianne Palicki starred in a failed pilot for a would-be series about the character.

In May 2011, Wonder Woman placed fifth on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time.

Publication history[link]

Creation[link]

In an October 25, 1940 interview published in ''Family Circle'' titled "Don't Laugh at the Comics", William Moulton Marston described what he saw as the great educational potential of comic books. This article caught the attention of comics publisher Max Gaines, who hired Marston as an educational consultant for National Periodicals and All-American Publications, two of the companies that would merge to form DC Comics. At that time, Marston decided to develop a new superhero. ''Family Circle'' published a follow-up article two years later from issue of the Boston University alumni magazine, it was Marston's wife Elizabeth's idea to create a female superheroine:

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Marston introduced the idea to Gaines, co-founder of All-American Publications. Given the go-ahead, Marston developed ''Wonder Woman'' with Elizabeth, whom Marston believed to be a model of that era's unconventional, liberated woman. Marston was also inspired by Olive Byrne, who lived with the couple in a polygamous/polyamorous relationship. Both women served as exemplars for the character and greatly influenced the character's creation. Wonder Woman debuted in ''All Star Comics'' #8 (December 1941), scripted by Marston and with art by Harry G. Peter.

Marston was the creator of a systolic-blood-pressure-measuring apparatus, which was crucial to the development of the polygraph (lie detector). Marston's experience with polygraphs convinced him that women were more honest and reliable than men and could work more efficiently.

"Wonder Woman is psychological propaganda for the new type of woman who should, I believe, rule the world," Marston wrote. Although Gloria Steinem placed Wonder Woman on the first standalone cover of ''Ms.'' in 1972, Marston, writing in an earlier time, designed Wonder Woman to represent a particular form of female empowerment. Feminism argues that women are equal to men and should be treated as such; Marston's representative of femininity is a 6-foot-tall Amazon wielding a golden lasso that forces obedience on those it encircles. In Marston's mind, women not only held the potential to be as good as men but to be superior to men.

In a 1943 issue of ''The American Scholar'', Marston wrote:

During this period, Wonder Woman joined the Justice Society of America as the female member, albeit as the group's secretary, since the custom was that characters who had their own comic books would hold only honorary membership.

Evolution of the character[link]

Initially, Wonder Woman was an Amazon champion who wins the right to return Steve Trevor — a United States intelligence officer whose plane had crashed on the Amazons' isolated island homeland — to "Man's World" and to fight crime and the evil of the Nazis.

During the Silver Age, Wonder Woman's origin was revamped, along with other characters'. The new origin story increased the character's Hellenic and mythological roots: receiving the blessing of each deity in her crib, Diana is destined to become "beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, stronger than Hercules, and swifter than Mercury."

At the end of the 1960s, under the guidance of Mike Sekowsky, Wonder Woman surrendered her powers in order to remain in Man's World rather than accompany her fellow Amazons to another dimension. Becoming a mod boutique owner, the powerless Diana Prince acquired a Chinese mentor named I Ching. Under I Ching's guidance, Diana learned martial arts and weapons skills and engaged in adventures that encompassed a variety of genres, from espionage to mythology.

Because of the popularity of the ''Wonder Woman'' TV series, the character later returned to her superpowered roots in ''Justice League of America'' and to the World War II era in her own title.

Following the 1985 ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' series, George Pérez, Len Wein, and Greg Potter relaunched the character, writing Wonder Woman as an emissary and ambassador from Themyscira to Patriarch's World, charged with the mission of bringing peace to the outside world.

In August 2010 (issue #600), DC Comics replaced the character's iconic stars-and-stripes singlet with a blue jacket (later discarded), red and gold top and dark pants, retaining only her tiara and lasso.

In 2011, DC Comics relaunched its entire line of publications to attract a new generation of readers. In this new continuity, Wonder Woman wears a costume similar to her original costume. Also, her origin is significantly changed and she is no longer a clay figure brought to life by the magic of the gods. Instead, she is a demigod, the natural-born daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus.

Powers and abilities[link]

Pre-Crisis[link]

Originally, Wonder Woman owed her abilities to the goddess Aphrodite creating Amazons superior to men, with Diana being the best of their kind.

The Golden Age Wonder Woman was later updated by Marston to be able to will a tremendous amount of brain energy into her muscles and limbs because of her Amazon training, endowing her with extraordinary strength and speed. According to her first appearance, she is stronger and more agile than a hundred of the best human athletes. In ''Sensation Comics'' #6 (June 1942), she is able to tear a steel door off its hinges. In one of her earliest appearances, she is shown running easily at 60 mph. In the same comic, she jumps from a building and lands on the balls of her feet. She can even type at a rate of over 160 words a minute during a test given to her. It was implied, and ultimately confirmed, that ''any'' woman who underwent Amazon training would gain superhuman strength. The TV series took up this notion, and in the first episode of ''Super Friends'', Diana states to Aquaman, "...the only thing that can surpass super strength is the power of the brain." In early ''Wonder Woman'' stories, Amazon training involves strengthening this ability using pure mental energy.

Her powers would be removed in accordance with "Aphrodite's Law" if she allowed herself to be bound or chained by a male. However the effects of this varied.

In the television series, her magic belt allowed her to retain her powers when she was not on Paradise Island; removing it weakened her. Also, she had no powers when she was her alter ego Diana Prince; there was no given explanation for this.

In the comic books, with the inclusion of Wonder Girl and "Wonder Tot" in Diana's back-story, writers provided new explanations of her powers; the character became capable of feats which her sister Amazons could not equal. ''Wonder Woman'' (vol. 1) #105 reveals that Diana was formed from clay by the Queen of the Amazons and was imbued with the attributes of the Greek and Roman gods by Athena — "beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, swifter than Hermes, and stronger than Hercules." and Martian.

Depending on the writer, Diana's invulnerability and power varied greatly according to the needs of the story. Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, Robert Kanigher, for example, portrayed Wonder Woman as being so strong that she, after standing atop her hovering plane and lassoing it with her magic lasso, was able to effortlessly lift Themyscira out of the way of an approaching tsunami using just one hand. She was able to make a coin into a bridge with her strength, or drill through a mountain within seconds, as well as hurl spaceships with enough accuracy she could bowl over a whole fleet. Her fingernails could cut through a steel door. She was even able to flip straight over while nearly paralyzed, and split a tree falling on her with her Amazonian boots. Kanigher showed Wonder Woman as a preteen able to lift whales, push a ship away from a whirlpool, and also as a toddler able to blow so hard on her birthday cake that she sent it into orbit.

In the Silver and Bronze ages of comics, Wonder Woman was able to further increase her strength. She was unable to remove her bracelets without going insane. In times of great need, however, she would do just that, in order to temporarily augment her power tenfold. Since she would become a threat to friend and foe alike, she would use Amazonian berserker rage only as a weapon of last resort.

Before ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' there were two Wonder Women: the first one lived on Earth-Two; the second, on Earth-One. The first canonical appearance of the Earth-One Wonder Woman is ''Wonder Woman'' (vol. 1) #80 (February 1956). Their first published meeting is ''Justice League of America'' (vol. 1) #100 (August 1972); however, their earliest meeting within the DC continuity is ''Wonder Woman'' (vol. 1) #228 (February 1977), which takes place in 1943, prior to the events of the ''Justice League of America'' story.

Post-Crisis[link]

Wonder Woman's body is a mystical creation made from the clay surrounding Themyscira. Through divine means, her disembodied soul was nurtured in and retrieved from the Cavern of Souls. Once the soul was placed into the body, it immediately came to life and was blessed with metahuman abilities by six Olympian deities.

Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and fertility, blessed Diana with strength drawn from the Earth spirit Gaea, making her one of the physically strongest heroes in the DC Universe. She has been observed assisting in preventing large chunks of the Moon from crashing onto the Earth, supporting the weight of bridges, or hefting entire railroad trains. Although stated as possibly being physically weaker and slower than, for example, Power Girl, Diana's superior warrior training more than makes up for it, along with strength drawn from the earth itself, she is able to overpower either Kara, or her counterpart Supergirl., and hold her own against beings such as Superman and Captain Marvel. Furthermore, unlike most of her contemporaries in Man's World, Diana is willing to use deadly force, which gives her more options to deal with opponents as circumstances dictate.

While not invulnerable, she is capable of withstanding great concussive force, shrugging off high-powered rifle fire with some pain but little injury, being knocked through a building, and even surviving a warp-core explosion. She is durable enough to survive the rigors of space until she runs out of breath. While her superhuman strength affords her great resistance to blunt-force trauma, her skin can be cut by weapons if they are sharp enough. Her muscles do not produce lactic acids, giving her great stamina. This allowed her to once battle a clone of Doomsday.

Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, blessed Diana with great beauty and a loving heart.

Pallas Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war, granted Diana great wisdom, intelligence, and military prowess. Athena's gift has enabled Diana to master over a dozen languages (including those of alien origin), multiple complex crafts, sciences and philosophies, as well as leadership, military strategy, and armed and unarmed combat. She can mimic voices, although it is more difficult for her to mimic a man's voice. More recently, Athena bound her own eyesight to Diana's, granting her increased empathy.

Artemis, goddess of the hunt, animals, and the Moon, graced Diana with the Eyes of the Hunter and Unity with Beasts. The Eyes of the Hunter ability gives Diana a full range of enhanced senses, including enhanced sight and hearing. Unity with Beasts grants her the ability to communicate with all forms of animal life and to calm even the most ferocious of beasts.

Hestia, goddess of hearth and home, granted Diana "sisterhood with fire, that it might open men's hearts to her." This power has been shown to control the "Fires of Truth," which Diana wields through her lasso, making anyone bound by it unable to lie. This ability also grants her resistance to both normal and supernatural fire.

Hermes, the messenger god of speed, granted Diana superhuman speed and the ability to fly. By concentrating, Diana can mystically defy the laws of gravity and propel herself through the air to achieve flight. She is capable of flying at speeds approaching half the speed of light. She is swift enough to deflect bullets, lasers, and other projectiles with her virtually impenetrable bracelets. Her brain can process information at an incredibly fast rate.

Diana possesses the ability to relieve her body of physical injury and toxins by becoming one with the Earth's soil and then reforming her body whole again. During John Byrne's run, it was stated that this is a ritual so sacred that it is used only in the most dire of circumstances.

She is able to astrally project herself into various lands of myth. Her physical body reacts to whatever happens to her on the mythical astral plane, leaving her body cut, bruised, or sometimes strengthened once her mind and body are reunited. She can apparently leave the planet through meditation, and did this once to rescue Artemis while she was in hell.

Skills[link]

All versions of Diana depict her as a masterful athlete, acrobat, fighter and strategist, trained and experienced in many ancient and modern forms of armed and unarmed combat, including exclusively Amazonian martial arts. In some versions, her mother trained her, as Wonder Girl, for a future career as Wonder Woman. From the beginning, she is portrayed as highly skilled in using her Amazon bracelets to stop bullets and in wielding her golden lasso. She is a superior warrior who has beaten Batman, Big Barda, and Black Canary in sparring matches. The modern version of the character is known to use lethal force when she deems it necessary.

Weapons[link]

Diana has an arsenal of powerful god-forged weapons at her disposal, but her signature weapons are her indestructible bracelets and the Lasso of Truth.

Her bulletproof bracelets were formed from the remnants of Athena's legendary shield, the Aegis, to be awarded to her champion. The shield was made from the indestructible hide of the great she-goat, Amalthea, who suckled Zeus as an infant. These forearm guards have thus far proven indestructible and able to absorb the impact of incoming attacks, allowing Wonder Woman to deflect automatic weapon fire and energy blasts. Diana can also slam the bracelets together to create a wave of concussive force capable of making Superman's ears bleed.

The Lasso of Truth, or Lariat of Hestia, was forged by Hephaestus from the golden girdle of Gaea. It is virtually indestructible; the only times it has been broken were when truth itself was challenged, such as when she confronted Rama Khan of Jarhanpur, and by Bizarro in Matt Wagner's non-canonical ''Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity''. In ''Sensation Comics'' #6 (June 1942), Hippolyta claims that not even Hercules can break it. The Lasso burns with a magical aura called the Fires of Hestia, forcing anyone within the Lasso's confines to be truthful. It also at one time had the power to force anyone caught to obey any command given them, even overriding other kinds of mind control; this was effective enough to defeat strong-willed beings like Captain Marvel. Diana wields the lasso with great precision and accuracy and can use it as a whip or noose.

As early as the 1950s, Wonder Woman's Golden Tiara has also doubled as a dagger and a throwing weapon, returning to her like a boomerang. Its sharpness and mystical nature proved enough to cut even Superman.

Toys[link]

Wonder Woman has been released in numerous forms by Mattel including Barbie Dolls, Polly Pockets, and DC Universe Classics action figures in Traditional Costume and Blackest Night Star Sapphire Costume.

See also[link]

Alternative versions of Wonder Woman for ''Elseworlds'' and other characters to bear the title

Amazons (DC Comics)

Darna

Diana Prince

List of Wonder Woman enemies

List of Wonder Woman supporting characters

Orana (DC comics)

Portrayal of women in comics

List of female action heroes

Woman warrior

Wonder Woman in literature

References[link]

External links[link]

Wonder Woman Official website at DC Comics.com

Origin story of Wonder Woman at DC Comics.com

Carol A. Strickland's Wonder Woman site

AmazonArchives.com

Wonder of Wonders

Wonder Woman Wiki

Category:All-American Publications characters Category:Atlantis in fiction Category:Characters created by William Moulton Marston Category:Comics characters introduced in 1941 Category:DC Comics Amazons Category:DC Comics characters with accelerated healing Category:DC Comics characters with superhuman strength Category:DC Comics martial artists Category:DC Comics titles Category:Fictional aviators Category:Fictional diplomats Category:Fictional empaths Category:Fictional Greek people Category:Fictional immigrants to the United States Category:Fictional princesses Category:Fictional women soldiers and warriors Category:United States-themed superheroes

da:Wonder Woman de:Wonder Woman es:Mujer Maravilla fa:زن شگفت‌انگیز fr:Wonder Woman gl:Wonder Woman ko:원더 우먼 it:Wonder Woman he:וונדר וומן la:Mulier Mirabilis hu:Wonder Woman nl:Wonder Woman ja:ワンダーウーマン pl:Wonder Woman pt:Mulher-Maravilha ru:Чудо-женщина simple:Wonder Woman sh:Wonder Woman fi:Ihmenainen sv:Wonder Woman tl:Wonder Woman th:วันเดอร์วูแมน tr:Wonder Woman uk:Диво Жінка zh:神奇女俠

Claire M. Fraser-Liggett (1955 - ) is an American microbiologist and the current head of the Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore

From 1998-2007 Fraser served as President and Director of The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) in Rockville, Maryland. Fraser led the TIGR teams that sequenced the genomes of ''Mycoplasma genitalium'', the spirochetes ''Treponema pallidum'' and ''Borrelia burgdorferi'', and two species of ''Chlamydia''. She is now overseeing several research projects, including the genomic sequencing of Bacillus anthracis, and is a member of National Research Council committees on countering bioterrorism and on domestic animal genomics. She also has served on review committees of the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and the National Institutes of Health.

Fraser has published more than 160 articles in scientific journals and books. She has been a reviewer for nine scientific journals, currently serving a second term on the editorial board of the ''Journal of Biological Chemistry''. Before becoming TIGR's president in 1998, Fraser was the Institute's Vice President of Research and Director of its Microbial Genomics Department. She has received many academic and professional honors, including professorships in both microbiology and in pharmacology at George Washington University.

Education [link]

Fraser received her B.S. degree in Biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1977 and her Ph.D. degree in Pharmacology at the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1981. She was inducted into Rensselaer's Alumni Hall of Fame in 2011.

Personal life [link]

Fraser was married to Craig Venter.

Footnotes[link]

External links[link]

The Institute for Genome Sciences

The Institute for Genomic Research

Biographical Information

Faculty Profile on the University of Maryland website

Category:Women biologists Category:Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute alumni Category:Living people Category:University at Buffalo alumni

name	Adrienne Shelly
birth date	June 24, 1966
birth place	Queens, New York, USA
death date	November 01, 2006
death place	Manhattan, New York, USA
birthname	Adrienne Levine
spouse	Andrew Ostroy
yearsactive	1989–2006 }}

Adrienne Levine (June 24, 1966 – November 1, 2006), better known by the stage name Adrienne Shelly (sometimes credited as Adrienne Shelley), was an American actress, director and screenwriter. Making her name in independent films such as 1989's ''The Unbelievable Truth'' and 1990's ''Trust'', Shelly transitioned to a writing and directing career in subsequent years. She wrote, co-starred in, and directed the 2007 film ''Waitress'', which won five awards, including the Jury Prize at the Sarasota Film Festival for narrative feature, and the Audience and Feature Film awards at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

Early life [link]

Of Russian Jewish descent, Shelly was born Adrienne Levine in Queens, New York, to Sheldon M. Levine and Elaine Langbaum. She had two brothers, Jeff and Mark, and was raised on Long Island. She began performing when she was about 10 at Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center. She made her professional debut in a summer stock production of the musical ''Annie'' while a student at Jericho High School in Jericho, New York. She went on to Boston University, majoring in film production, but dropped out after her junior year and moved to Manhattan.

Career [link]

Shelly's career breakthrough came when she was cast by independent filmmaker Hal Hartley as the lead in ''The Unbelievable Truth'' (1989) and ''Trust'' (1990). ''Trust'' was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, where Hartley's script tied for the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award.

She appeared in a number of films during the 1990s, and as she segued toward a behind-the-camera career she wrote and directed others, including 1999's ''I'll Take You There'', in which she appeared along with Ally Sheedy. She won a U.S. Comedy Arts Festival Film Discovery Jury Award in 2000 for direction of the film, and Prize of the City of Setúbal: Special Mention, at the Festróia (Tróia International Film Festival) held in Setúbal, Portugal for best director.

Shelly also guest-starred in a number of television series including ''Law & Order'', ''Oz'' and ''Homicide: Life on the Street''. She played major roles in over two dozen off-Broadway plays, often at Manhattan's Workhouse Theater. In 2005 she appeared in the film ''Factotum'' starring Matt Dillon. Her last known work was writing, directing, co-set- and costume-designing, and playing a supporting role in the film ''Waitress'', starring Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion, which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Shelley's daughter, Sophie has cameo at the end of the film.

Personal life [link]

Shelly, who took her professional surname after her late father's given name, was married to Andrew Ostroy, the chairman and CEO of the marketing firm Belardi/Ostroy. They had a daughter, Sophie (born 2003), who was two years old at the time of her mother's death. Shelly described herself as an "optimistic agnostic."

Murder [link]

The 40-year old Shelly was found dead at approximately 5:45 p.m on November 1, 2006. Her husband, Andrew Ostroy, found her hanging by a bed sheet from a shower rod in the bathtub of the Abingdon Square apartment in Manhattan's West Village that Shelly used as an office. It initially appeared to be a suicide. Ostroy had dropped her off at 9:30 a.m. that day, and the building's doorman told journalists that he had accompanied Ostroy at his behest after Ostroy had not heard from Shelley that day. Upon reaching the apartment, they found that the front door was unlocked.

An autopsy was performed the following day. The New York City Police Department was suspicious of sneaker prints in the bathtub that did not match Shelly's shoes (she was found wearing only socks). Shelly's husband also indicated that there was money missing from Shelly's wallet. He denied allegations that she would have committed suicide.

Press reports on November 6, 2006 stated that police had arrested construction worker Diego Pillco, a 19-year-old Ecuadorian illegal immigrant who confessed to killing Shelly after she complained about the noise he was making in the apartment below hers. Pillco said that he "was having a bad day". Police said Pillco had made a taped confession implicating himself in the murder.

Diego Pillco entered his guilty plea on February 14, 2008. He said that, contrary to his original story, Shelly had not complained about noise, but had in fact caught him stealing money from her purse after he slipped unnoticed into the apartment. When she tried to call the police, he grabbed the phone and covered her mouth as she began to scream. After Shelly fell, Pillco tied a bed sheet around her neck and decided to strangle her. Originally, Pillco claimed he didn't know Shelly was still alive when he hanged her, but in court he admitted to choking her with a sheet, tying it around her neck and stringing her up to make it look like she committed suicide. The medical examiner determined that Shelly was still alive when hanged. Pillco was sentenced to 25 years in prison without parole on March 6, 2008.

At Pillco's sentencing on March 13, 2008, Shelly's husband, along with family members said that they would never forgive him. Andy Ostroy said of Pillco "...you are nothing more than a coldblooded killer" and that he hoped he would "rot in jail".

In remembering Shelly, Ostroy said that "Adrienne was the kindest, warmest, most loving, generous person I knew. She was incredibly smart, funny and talented, a bright light with an infectious laugh and huge smile that radiated inner and outer beauty... she was my best friend, and the person with whom I was supposed to grow old".

Suit against construction company [link]

Shelly's husband sued contractor, Bradford General Contractors, which had hired Pillco. The complaint alleged that Shelly would still be alive if the contracting firm had not hired Pillco. Ostroy also sought to hold the owners and management of the building liable for Shelley's murder. According to a ''New York Post'' article, among other allegations, the complaint stated that Pillco was an undocumented immigrant...' as were his co-workers, and that "it was in Bradford General Contractors' interest not to have 'police and immigration officials [called] to the job site' because that would have ground their work to a halt". On July 7, 2011, the lawsuit was dismissed by Judge Louis York. The court determined that Ostroy had not established legal grounds to hold the contractor liable, writing "While this court sympathizes with [Ostroy's] loss, plaintiffs have not presented sufficient legal grounds upon which to hold Bradford ... liable for Pillco's vicious crime", and that there was likewise insufficient evidence presented to find that either the building's management agents or its owners "had reason to believe that Pillco was a dangerous person who should not have been allowed to work at the premises" in order to find them vicariously liable. Ostroy is considering an appeal.

Legacy [link]

Following his wife's death, Ostroy established the ''Adrienne Shelly Foundation'', a non-profit organization that awards scholarships, production grants, finishing funds and living stipends through its partnerships with academic and filmmaking institutions NYU, Columbia University, Women in Film, IFP, AFI, Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute and the Nantucket Film Festival. One of its grant recipients, Cynthia Wade, won an Academy Award in 2008 for ''Freeheld'', a short subject documentary which the Foundation helped fund. As part of its annual awards, the Women Film Critics' Circle gives the Adrienne Shelly Award to the film that "most passionately opposes violence against women".

On February 16, 2007, the NBC crime drama series ''Law & Order'' broadcast an episode, "Melting Pot", that was a thinly-veiled dramatization of Shelly's murder. Shelly herself had guest-starred on the show in the 2000 episode "High & Low".

Shelly's film, ''Waitress'', had been accepted into the 2007 Sundance Film Festival before her murder. The film, starring Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Cheryl Hines, Jeremy Sisto, Andy Griffith and Shelly herself, was bought during the festival by Fox Searchlight Pictures for an amount between $4 million and $5 million (news accounts on the actual amount vary), and the film realized a final box-office draw of more than $19 million. ''Waitress'' maintains an 89% "fresh" rating and a 97% "Top Critics" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

''Waitress'' and its cast have together won five film awards and received other nominations in various categories, including a Chlotrudis Award for best performance by an ensemble cast; Audience award for a feature film at the Newport Beach Film Festival, where cast member Nathan Fillion also received a Feature Film award for his role in the film; the Jury Prize at the Sarasota Film Festival for narrative feature; the Wyatt Award by the Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards; and nominations for a Humanitas Prize and an Independent Spirit Award for best screenplay.

Ostroy produced ''Serious Moonlight'', a film written by Shelly and directed by Hines. The film stars Meg Ryan, Timothy Hutton, Kristen Bell and Justin Long. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2009 and was released later that year in December. In one scene of the film, a married couple are robbed and tied up with duct tape by a gardener.

Ostroy also spearheaded a move to establish a memorial to his wife. On August 3, 2009, the Adrienne Shelly Garden was dedicated on the Southeast side of Abingdon Square Park in NYC at 8th and 12th. It faces 15 Abingdon Square, the building where Shelly died.

Filmography [link]

+ Acting
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1989		Audry
1990		Maria Coughlin
1990	''Lonely in America''	Woman in Laundromat
1992	''Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even''	Stephanie
1992		Dannie
1993	''Hexed''	Gloria O'Connor
1994	''Opera No. 1''	Fairy #2
1994	''Sleeping with Strangers''	Jenny
1994	''Homicide: Life on the Street''	Tanya Quinn
1994	''Teresa's Tattoo''	Teresa / Gloria
1994	''The Road Killers''	Red
1994	''Sleep with Me''	Pamela
1995	''Kalamazoo''
1997	''The Regulars''
1997	''Sudden Manhattan''	Donna
1997	''Grind''	Janey
1997	''Early Edition''	Emma Shaw	Episode: "Phantom at the Opera"
1998		Sarah	Episode: "Ancient Tribes"
1998	''Wrestling with Alligators''	Mary
1999	''I'll Take You There''	Lucy
2000	''Dead Dog''	Mrs. Marquet
2000	''Law & Order''	Wendy Alston	Episode: "High & Low"
2000	''The Shadows of Bob and Zelda''	Zelda
2001	''The Atlantis Conspiracy''	Samantha	TV movie
2001	''Revolution #9''	Kim Kelly
2004	''Tiger: His Fall & Rise''	Terry
2005		Jerry
2007		Dawn

+ Other
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1994	''Urban Legend''	Writer & Director	26-minute short film
1997	''Lois Lives a Little''	Writer & Director
1997	''Sudden Manhattan''	Writer & Director
1999	''I'll Take You There''	Writer & Director
2000	''The Shadows of Bob and Zelda''	Writer & Director
2007		Writer & Director
2009		Writer

References [link]

External links [link]

The Adrienne Shelly Foundation

Biography for Adrienne Shelly at Yahoo! UK & Ireland

Jones, Malcolm; "An ‘Unbelievable’ Talent"; ''Newsweek''; November 10, 2006.

Beyond Belief (TCM Movie Morlocks)

Category:1966 births Category:2006 deaths Category:Actors from New York City Category:American agnostics Category:American film actors Category:American murder victims Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent Category:Boston University alumni Category:Deaths by strangulation Category:English-language film directors Category:Female film directors Category:Jewish agnostics Category:Murdered entertainers Category:People from Nassau County, New York Category:People from Queens Category:People murdered in New York

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