Wonder Woman: key issues of the original series (1941–1942)

Wonder Woman emerged from an unlikely partnership: psychologist and polygraph inventor William Moulton Marston (writing under the pen name Charles Moulton) and newspaper cartoonist Harry G. Peter, then 61 years old. Marston conceived the character as a deliberate feminist statement — an Amazonian warrior with divine powers, capable of defeating Nazis and embodying compassion in equal measure. Peter gave her the iconic costume, steel bracelets, and a face that would endure for decades. The first episode appeared in December 1941, just weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor, in All Star Comics #8.

This guide sticks to the verifiable: for Golden Age issues, documented auction records (Heritage Auctions, CGC News) are the authoritative reference, since these comics are far too rare for a reliable eBay market. Our eBay estimator does return a "Wonder Woman #1" entry — but with only 5 active listings at a median of €10, that signal blends the 1942 vol. 1 (a six-figure grail) with the 1987 vol. 2 George Pérez relaunch (accessible for a few euros). The distinction is essential; no eBay figure is usable for the 1942 edition.

The three founding pillars (documented values, June 2026)

These three issues form an inseparable narrative and commercial arc — the birth, the first solo cover appearance, then the first standalone title of the only superhero to have survived continuously from the Golden Age to the present day.

Record sources: Heritage Auctions, CGC News. The All Star Comics and Sensation Comics series fall outside the "wonder-woman" parameter of the eBay estimator and must be searched separately.

All Star Comics #8: the birth of an icon

Published in December 1941 (cover-dated January–February 1942), All Star Comics #8 is an anthology of DC's heroes — and tucked at the back, an eight-page story titled "Introducing Wonder Woman" changed the course of comics history. William Moulton Marston presents Diana, Amazonian princess of Themyscira, her origin, her mission in the world of men, and her first weapons — the Lasso of Truth and the indestructible bracelets forged from the aegis of Zeus. This issue is to Wonder Woman what Action Comics #1 is to Superman: the absolute ground zero.

The auction market reflects this without ambiguity:

• All-time record: $1,620,000 for a CGC 9.4 — the sole copy at that grade on the CGC census — sold at Heritage Auctions on June 16, 2022, an increase of over 80% on the previous record.
• Previous record: $936,223 for the same copy in a Heritage sale in 2017 — Heritage brokered both sales.
• Low-grade copies (CGC 2.0–4.0) circulate well below six figures but remain far beyond the casual collector: Golden Age paper scarcity is structural, not cyclical.

Sensation Comics #1: the first cover appearance

One month after All Star Comics #8, DC published Sensation Comics #1 (January 1942): the first time Wonder Woman appeared on a comic book cover, and the first time she was the lead character of an entire issue. Harry G. Peter illustrated a mid-flight Diana in full costume — the founding image that would define the character for decades. The issue launched a monthly series that ran until 1952, sustaining the franchise across the entire Golden Age.

The documented sale record is a Heritage Auctions result from August 2017: $399,100 for a CGC 9.6 NM+ copy, the highest known grade for this issue. An unrestored CGC 8.5 changed hands for $132,000 in November 2019. The range is wide, but the message is clear: any high-grade copy of this issue commands six figures at auction.

Wonder Woman vol. 1 #1 (1942): beware the volume ambiguity

In the summer of 1942, DC launched a quarterly standalone title for Wonder Woman — remarkable at the time, given that Batman and Superman had each waited years before earning their own comic. This Wonder Woman vol. 1 #1, written by Marston and drawn by Peter, retells Diana's complete origin across four chapters and remains the definitive reference for fans of the classic series. The vol. 1 run would continue all the way to #329 in 1986 — 44 years without interruption.

A crucial warning: the "Wonder Woman #1" entry on eBay and most non-specialist tools blends this 1942 issue with Wonder Woman vol. 2 #1 from 1987, George Pérez's relaunch — a comic easily found for a few euros. Our estimator returns only 5 active listings with a median of €10, confirming the signal is dominated by the 1987 edition. The true value of the 1942 vol. 1 is established at auction: the documented record is ~$291,100 for a CGC 9.0, sold at Heritage Auctions in December 2016 — the highest known unrestored grade for this issue.

After the founders: the long run of volume 1

William Moulton Marston died in May 1947; Robert Kanigher took over the title and reshaped it significantly during the Silver Age, with a new origin published in Wonder Woman #98 (1958). The vol. 1 series then weathered its share of controversies — including the divisive depowering of Diana in the "Diana Prince" run (#179, 1968) — before Gloria Steinem publicly demanded the return of her powers. The television adaptation starring Lynda Carter (1975–1979) embedded the character in global popular culture. The major modern relaunch came with Wonder Woman vol. 2 #1 (1987), written and drawn by George Pérez — but that is a different chapter entirely.

On screen, Wonder Woman (2017, directed by Patty Jenkins, starring Gal Gadot) grossed $821 million worldwide, confirming that Marston and Peter's creation remains one of DC's most bankable properties in any medium.