Next year, Wonder Woman will finally get her own long-overdue live-action movie. Starring Gal Gadot, There are plenty of things from her long history that we cannot wait to see in the film – her lasso, her bracelets, her mythology, and so much more. There is one thing, however, that we probably won’t be seeing on screen anytime soon – her Invisible Jet! A staple of Wonder Woman’s earlier adventures, this invisible plane has become a punchline as much as a legitimate comic vehicle, but there’s a lot more to it than you might expect.

15. The Invisible Plane Was Introduced In The 1940s

Wonder Woman’s jet has been with her since the very beginning. Diana made her first appearance in December 1941, as a ing character in an 'All Star Comics' story. However, she made her first full appearance as the lead character in January of 1942 (in a 'Sensation Comics' story), and her invisible jet was right there with her. In fact, it was an integral part of the story. First, she uses it to fly Steve Trevor back to the US, then to follow him when he sneaks out of the army hospital to go shoot down a Nazi plane, then to save him when his plan goes wrong, and finally to fly to a secret Nazi base, save the day, and return Steve to hospital again. The plane remained part of Wonder Woman’s arsenal throughout her history, although she used it less and less as time went on. The invisible plane still exists in the DC comics universe, but Wonder Woman no longer flies it – after decades, it was given to A.R.G.U.S. in the Post-Flashpoint universe.

14. The Plane Has Had Several Names

Over the years, much has changed about the Invisible Plane – how it works, what it does, how Wonder Woman uses it (and why), and even what it’s called. When it was first introduced, it was called the Transparent Plane – a straightforward description. It was also called an Invisible Plane, with the two being used concurrently at times, until “Invisible Plane” became more common. As it became more powerful, and as planes in the real world did as well, the Plane was often called a Jetplane or even just a Jet, to emphasize its incredible speed and power (and to make it sound more advanced). The plane has also been referred to as the Invisible Robot Plane, but this didn’t stick, especially as it is actually Diana who controls it – it’s not technically an entirely robotic plane at all. However, almost any variation on Invisible Plane is considered correct, even if some are less common than others.

13. The Original Jet Was Amazonian Technology

The Invisible Plane, like many characters and items in comics, has multiple backstories. In fact, the Plane has a whopping five different fully formed backstories, which have appeared at different points in the DC Universe. According the very first Golden Age version of the origin story, the Plane was simply built by the Amazons of Themyscira. The Amazons are known for their advanced technology, so the creation of an invisible plane was no great stretch of the imagination. This first origin also explained perfectly why the Invisible Plane was on Themyscira to start with, and how it came to be given to Diana (who was chosen to take Steve Trevor back to our world, and given the plane as a way to get there). The original plane has also been said to have been something that Diana worked on in her younger years on the island (so she knew it inside and out), improving the planes that the Amazons already had to make them invisible.

12. The Second Jet Was A Reward

In a separate Golden Age origin, the Invisible Plane was the reward for Diana completing three tasks. Each task was set, and once a challenger completed the task, they would be rewarded with a part of the plane. Upon completing all three, Diana was able to combine them in order to form the full plane. There was quite a bit of magic and mythology to this version of events – not only did three smaller parts combine to form an entire plane with the help of a little magic, but the story bears a strong resemblance to that of the labors of Hercules. Although this was only rarely mentioned, and quickly faded out of comic book memory, the reward-based jet was a clear reference to Wonder Woman’s place in Greek mythology. Despite the fact that there were actually two Golden Age origins for the Invisible Jet, this second story is usually superseded by the better known Amazon-tech version.

11. The Third Jet Was Related To Pegasus

In the Silver Age, the origin story of the Invisible Plane was re-worked once again. Like the second story, this third origin was closely related to Greek mythology – specifically, Pegasus, the winged horse. The original Pegasus came into being when Perseus slew Medusa, and went on to aid the Gods and heroes of Greek mythology. Later, Pegasus (along with other creatures of Greek myth) were kept on Themyscira as part of Wonder Woman’s menagerie. The Amazons bred the winged horse to create flying steeds that they would ride into battle in the air. In one little known storyline, Wonder Woman had to tame a Pegasus (another task to prove her worthiness), and when she succeeded, the horse became the Invisible Plane, able to fly her through the clouds and off the island. In the majority of comics, however, Diana has both the Invisible Plane and a Pegasus, and uses them for different purposes.

10. The Fourth Jet Was Alien Technology

Post-Crisis, the Plane’s history was altered again – and this time, all connection to Greek mythology was removed. The new Plane wasn’t actually a plane at all, but a Lansanarian Morphing Disk, a gift to her from the alien Lansinarians. The tech was a small disk/orb type object that could turn into a number of invisible objects, including a plane when needed. This new version made several changes to the plane, most notably that it would make the engers invisible as well (previous planes would allow anyone else in the sky to see the engers seemingly suspended in mid-air!). The disk also made it easier for Diana to use the jet in a pinch, as she could carry the disk easily and transform it in an instant (rather than calling the jet to her from wherever it was parked. This plane was sentient, and could talk to Diana, and even eventually sacrificed itself to save her.

9. The New 52 Jet Doesn’t Belong To Wonder Woman

In the New 52, Wonder Woman no longer really has need of her Invisible Plane, although Batman did provide her with a jet that had Stealth Technology at one point. However, the Invisible Jet didn’t disappear entirely from the DC Comics Universe. Instead, it reappeared as a jet designed and built by A.R.G.U.S., the branch of Homeland Security that deals with superhuman activity and was founded by Steve Trevor. In this new continuity, the jet is the main form of transport for the Justice League that answers to A.R.G.U.S.. Because Wonder Woman is still a member of this team, she is able to continue to use the jet when a mission calls for it. However, the jet no longer belongs specifically to her, nor does it have a history with Themyscira or the Amazons. This jet is also rarely used – Wonder Woman’s flying ability is now such that she never needs it for herself, and so it only comes into play to transport others in the League who cannot fly (or who are civilians).

8. The Invisible Plane Is Packing Heat

Early versions of the plane were used solely for transport, and the only real defense that the jet had was its invisibility. As time went on and the jet developed, this began to change. By the time of the Post-Crisis Morphing Disk Plane, Wonder Woman’s transport came with a full array of weaponry. However, Wonder Woman rarely used the plane’s various missiles and projectiles in battle. For one thing, she has other weaponry that she prefers to use, and generally uses the jet for transport rather than for fighting. The main reason that she doesn’t often use the on-board systems is that these deplete the plane’s energy sources (as they are formed out of the morphing disk itself at times). The more that the weapons are used, the harder it is for the Invisible Plane to maintain its Invisibility. The jet can be destroyed, so it is more important for Diana to keep it safe and invisible than it is to use the jet’s weapons in the majority of cases.

7. It Is Destructible (But Can Re-Form)

Earlier jets, being no more than high-tech invisible planes, can be destroyed and damaged like any other. This is where the invisibility came in so useful – it’s difficult to destroy what is impossible to see. In fact, this has been said to be the reason that Diana upgraded the Amazonian technology to make their planes invisible to human eyes (and radars) – so that they could not be shot down by enemy aircraft. Pre-Crisis, Wonder Woman even crashes the jet at one point. Post-Crisis, however, the morphing ability of the alien jet allows it to regenerate and repair itself when damaged. This obviously came in very handy, as the jet could be damaged and still recover (along with her home, the WonderDome). However, Diana still wouldn’t want to be careless with the Invisible Plane, as regeneration is time consuming, and difficult for the sentient ship. Because of this, she continues to avoid attacks, rather than rely on the jet’s ability to re-form.

6. The Invisible Plane Can Fly In Space

Unlike our pedestrian airplanes (and even the average military jet), Wonder Woman’s plane can fly into outer space. This applies primarily to the Post-Crisis Lansanarian Morphing Disk version, which makes perfect sense – alien technology would presumably have the ability to travel in outer space. While in space in the jet, Wonder Woman could also temporarily use the jet’s oxygen to breathe, although this wasn’t something that could be maintained for long periods of time. She has stayed in space in her Invisible Plane (breathing normally) for up to twenty minutes – potentially this could be possible for longer. Because this version of the plane also morphs, it may be possible for Wonder Woman to ask the plane to morph itself some kind of equipment to create a longer-lasting oxygen supply, but she has had no occasion to do this, so we don’t know for sure. Still, space travel is potentially incredibly useful, especially if it comes to battling many of the inter-galactic villains in the DC universe.