The Sovereign is Working to Destroy Wonder Woman and Everything She Stands For

The Sovereign makes his first appearance in Wonder Woman #800 in the story “Trinity” by King and Sampere. The story is set in the future and sees Wonder Woman’s future daughter Trinity venture to the most secure prison on Themyscira. With the assistance of her allies, Jon Kent and Damian Wayne, Trinity makes her way to the prison’s cells, where the Sovereign is being held. Trinity asks that the Sovereign tell her her origin story as Diana has refused to do so. This sets the stage for Wonder Woman, which is narrated by the Sovereign.

Wonder Woman #1 begins with Emelie’s attack on the pool hall after a man inappropriately touches her, which leads to the United States banning Amazons from the country. Wonder Woman stays behind and interrogates a high-profile commander named Sarge Steel, who reveals that the Sovereign is behind the campaign of hate and bigotry towards the Amazons. It’s in the issue’s final few pages when the Sovereign reveals that he was the secret ruler of America and that his family has been in control of the country for generations.

The Sovereign’s narration also revealed the secret of his family’s iron rule over the country. Just as Wonder Woman has the Lasso of Truth, the Sovereign is in control of the Lasso of Lies. The magic relic once belonged to the women tribes of central Virginia until it was stolen by the Sovereign’s ancestor. With the Lasso’s power, the Sovereign’s family made people believe in their lies until they held the highest authority possible. The Sovereign even demonstrates the Lasso of Lies’ power in Wonder Woman #3 when he convinced a soldier to kill himself to further stir up outrage against Wonder Woman.

The Sovereign is Wonder Woman's Thematic Opposite

As mentioned earlier, the Sovereign is telling Wonder Woman’s story to Trinity after he’s been defeated and locked away. But in the present day, the Sovereign is still around and is secretly waging a war against the Amazons. While Emelie was responsible for the pool hall murders, the Sovereign is responsible for orchestrating the United States’ response. But the Sovereign’s actions go well beyond just creating things like the Amazon Safety Act. The Sovereign has been intentionally skewing public perception of Wonder Woman to destroy her image.

But why is the Sovereign trying to make the public turn against one of its most beloved icons? The answer to that is touched upon in Wonder Woman #2. As Diana fights the United States Army, the Sovereign mentions how much of himself he saw in Wonder Woman; someone who was also more of a myth than mortal. However, the Sovereign doesn’t speak out of fondness, but contempt. The Sovereign makes it clear in his narration that he wanted Wonder Woman to recognize and submit to his authority.

The concepts of submission and authority are ideals woven into the core of Wonder Woman's character. Her co-creator William Moulton Marston unequivocally made Diana to communicate his beliefs that people are happiest when submitting to loving authorities. Wonder Woman and her earliest adventures with the Amazons and her enemies reflected this theory. The Sovereign, on the other hand, is counter to Marston’s ideals. The secret king cares not for the desires of those submitting to him, just that they obey his will and acknowledge his superiority. Writer Tom King mentioned he desired to give Wonder Woman her own ‘Joker’, someone who exists as her total opposite. With the Sovereign and his fascistic outlook, its safe to say she finally has that.

What the Future Holds for the Sovereign and Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman and the Sovereign haven’t met as of the series' fifth issue. Diana has been too busy fighting off the United States military to investigate who the Sovereign is. Meanwhile, the Sovereign has been pulling out every resource he has to destroy Wonder Woman’s public image. He’s almost succeeded too, as he used the suicide he staged to deepen the public’s anger towards Diana, anger that only worsened once the Sovereign had the President of the United States condemn Wonder Woman in a speech.

That said, despite the immense uphill battle she's facing, Wonder Woman is ultimately going to beat the Sovereign. Thanks to the short story in Wonder Woman #800, readers know that the Sovereign is going to not only be stripped of his rule, but that he will be imprisoned in the most secure facility on Themyscira. The Lasso of Lies also won’t be a concern as it will eventually fall into Trinity’s possession (as will her mother’s golden lariat and a third, unnamed lasso).

But just because Wonder Woman is destined to win against her foe, that doesn’t mean things are going to be easy. The Sovereign has done serious damage to the Amazons’ image in the United States. He’s fostered an environment of paranoia and hatred that isn’t going to suddenly go away just because Wonder Woman's foe is defeated. While removing him from his position of power and taking the Lasso of Lies away will be a good start, the real hard work is going to be undoing the toxicity the Sovereign’s kingdom was built on.

The Sovereign Has Potential to be Wonder Woman's Greatest Opponent

Wonder Woman has fought dozens of powerful enemies, from mighty magic-s to literal gods. And though she’s never shied away from a challenge, the Sovereign is a different kind of threat. He’s not physically strong, and without his Lasso of Lies, he’s no more intimidating to Diana than any other man. However, the Sovereign, like Wonder Woman, is a symbol. The symbol of an institution that is built on falsehoods, oppression, privilege.

The Sovereign stands for everything that Wonder Woman is opposed to. Hatred instead of love. Tyranny instead of autonomy. The Sovereign and the things he represents is everything Wonder Woman was created to fight. Rarely has a villain presented such a personal and meaningful challenge to Diana, nor one has a foe affected her world this much. America's secret king may reign for now, but it’s going to be a victorious sight when Wonder Woman finally deposes the Sovereign.