William Moulton Marston (May 9, 1893 – May 2, 1947), also known by his pen name "Charles Moulton", was an American psychologist, self-help author and comic book writer known for inventing an early prototype for the polygraph and, most famously, being the creator of superhero comics' first true superheroine, Wonder Woman.
After graduating from Harvard, he spent the early part of his career teaching at universities. In 1915, he married fellow psychologist Elizabeth Holloway Marston, with whom he had two children. In 1925, they were joined by Olive Byrne, who would become their polyamorous partner, and with whom William would have two more children. William and Elizabeth would eventually develop the systolic blood pressure test, a key component in what would eventually become the polygraph test.
As a result of his work with polygraph tests, William had some unconventional views on how the world should be run for the time he lived in, believing a matriarchy would be superior to the male-dominated world of the 1940s.
In a 1940 interview, William discussed the unfulfilled potential of comic books. This interview caught the eye of Maxwell Charles Gaines, a pioneering figure in the comic book industry, who hired William as an educational consultant for National Periodicals and All-American Publications, two companies that would eventually be part of DC Comics.
While working for Gaines, William eventually got the idea for a new superhero. In contrast with other superheroes of the time, who were rather hyper-masculine and tended to solve their problems with violence first, this new hero would be the polar opposite; a woman, who would triumph with the power of love. And so, Wonder Woman was born, as an allegory for William's ideal of a strong woman; noble, independent, and peace-loving.
He's also notable for being one of the only Golden Age comic creators to receive creator acknowledgement in the credits of his comics, decades before the push for more creator's rights in the comics industry.
Marston's life was chronicled in the biopic Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, which appropriately came out the same year as the Wonder Woman film.
Notable comic book characters he created:
- Wonder Woman (co-created with artist Harry G. Peter)
Works by William Moulton Marston with their own trope pages include:
- Introducing Wonder Woman (with artist Harry G. Peter)
- Sensation Comics:
- Wonder Woman Arrives in Man's World (with Harry G. Peter)
- Wonder Woman (Charles Moulton):
- Wonder Woman (1942) (issues 1-29; with Harry G. Peter)
- Comic Cavalcade
Tropes common throughout this works include:
- Ancient Grome: Typical of the time, Marston freely used Roman and Greek names interchangeably in his stories, ex. Ares going by Mars, Hades by Pluto, etc.
- Author Avatar: Wonder Woman was essentially a mouthpiece for Marston to advocate his philosophical outlook through fiction. It's also a common interpretation Wonder Woman is partially based off his wife, Elizabeth, and mistress, Olive Byrne.
- Bound and Gagged: Or bondage in general. The most well-known element of Wonder Woman under his pen.
- Creator Cameo: Alex Ross snuck him, and H.G. Peter, into a crowd scene in Kingdom Come. Appropriately looking on at Wonder Woman.
- Ghostwriter: Marston gradually handled off writing duties to ghostwriters, mainly his assistant Joye Hummel and even Peters in cases, as his health steadily declined. They were still credited under the "'Charles Moulton" penname however.
- Science Fantasy: Wonder Woman was more much pulpy-space fantasy under his pen than later incarnations of the character which were more straightforward mythic.
- Pen Name: All Wonder Woman stories published in his lifetime are credited as being by "Charles Moulton" note . This was even how he was credited in the Lynda Carter show.
