Summary

• The Sovereign is Wonder Woman's new metaphorical enemy, using mind games and manipulation to defeat her.
• Wonder Woman must defeat the Sovereign to show that individual liberty triumphs over tyranny.
• The Sovereign serves as an oppressive figure, embodying control and submission, contrasting Wonder Woman's ideals.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Wonder Woman #8!While Wonder Woman has had some brutal enemies before, she's finally gotten a metaphorical Joker. The vile king of America, the Sovereign, has been manipulating the world to take the Amazons and Diana down. When the Sovereign finally has Diana in his clutches, he proves that he's everything that Wonder Woman isn't.

In Wonder Woman #8 by Tom King and Daniel Sampere, Diana has been taken hostage by the Sovereign, who uses the Lasso of Lies to try and brainwash Wonder Woman. In Diana's mind, she's become a subservient housewife and married to Steve Trevor, who reprimands Diana frequently.

In reality, Sovereign lectures Wonder Woman while tightening his hold on the Lasso of Lies, quoting the Bible with ages that reinforce his misogynistic worldview. As Diana struggles to escape her bonds, Sovereign compares Wonder Woman to a dog that must be broken and trained and makes her hallucinations darker and more oppressive.

The Sovereign is Everything That Wonder Woman Isn't

When an Amazon killed a pool hall full of men, a wave of paranoia and bigotry began gripping the United States. Legislation was ed, organizations were formed, and Amazons became public enemy number one, including Wonder Woman, who fought back against the hysteria that was hurting her sisters. From the shadows, madness was being fomented by the Sovereign, America's king whose family has been secretly ruling the country for generations thanks to the Lasso of Lies. The Sovereign wanted nothing more than to defeat Wonder Woman, which he did by assembling a team composed of her greatest enemies.

Before he was officially introduced, the Sovereign was billed as a new ‘Joker’ villain for Wonder Woman. The Sovereign might not be a cackling clown, but in the same way that the Joker is Batman’s diametric opposite, Sovereign serves the same role for Diana. In the decades she’s been around, Wonder Woman has served as a powerful symbol of freedom and liberation. The Sovereign’s mind games and chilling words show him to stand for control and submission. Wonder Woman does already have several enemies that technically serve as her opposite, but none as wicked or oppressive as the Sovereign.

Why Wonder Woman Must Defeat Her New 'Joker'

In the same way that Batman fights the Joker to preserve order in the face of chaos, Wonder Woman must beat the Sovereign to show that individual liberty triumphs in the face of tyranny. The Sovereign embodies everything that Wonder Woman stands against and it is imperative that she break the hold the king has on her. If the Sovereign defeats Diana, then she’s falling to the very ideals that she’s spent her whole life fighting. But by beating her Joker, Wonder Woman reaffirms that personal freedom and love are more powerful than any despotic ruler.

Wonder Woman #8 is available now from DC Comics.