WONDER GIRL
STATS:
Real Name: Cassandra Sandsmark
Occupation: Student
Super Hero
Base Of Operations: Gateway City
Marital Status: Single
Family: Helena Sandsmark (mother)
Height: 5'1''
Weight: 89 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
First Appearance: Wonder Woman
#105 {february 1996}
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How to become a sidekick
Cassie Sandsmark first met Wonder Woman when the Amazon moved to Gateway City and started a job with Cassie's mother Helena in the Gateway City Museum of Cultural Antiquities. She soon became good company for Diana as a sort of substitute for Vanessa Kapetelis whom Diana had left when she'd moved away from Boston. (This attention from the Amazing Amazon would later be the source of a rivalry between the two teens.) Cassie began to idolize Diana who on one occasion allowed the precocious teenager usage of the Sandals of Hermes. After this initial gesture Cassie on two seperate occasions 'borrowed' the Sandals along with the Gauntlet of Atlas and an old wig of Dianas to become 'Wonder Girl' and fought both Decay and Doomsday clones alongside Wonder Woman. Thus- in some shape of form a super-hero was born.
A Favour from a God
After acquiring the Wonder Girl moniker Cassie stole a moment of time from Zeus on a visit to Olympus (oh yes she did!). She asked the God to grant her the abilities of flight and superspeed for real, without need of the Sandals or Gauntlet. Zeus, impressed with her courage decided to grant her wish and she was returned to Earth a true super-hero.
As Wonder Girl Cassie trained under the guidance and influence of Artemis to become a true Amazon while Diana advised her how to use her new powers. At the same time Cassie joined the group Young Justice; a band of various other super-hero teens including Superboy who Cassie quickly developed a crush on. An enchantment placed on her by Zeus did limit her super-hero acticity, as it meant that one touch from her mother at any time would be enough to relieve Cassie of her powers for up to an hour.
Evolution
Under Artemis guidance and the influence of her teammates Cassie began to blossom into a competent young woman, a cooperative teammate and an asset to the Wonder Girl title. To echo her changing personality Cassie began to experiment on her home-made costume and wig; encouraged with the thought of impressing Superboy. At one point the orignal Wonder Girl, Donna Troy, granted Cassies her own original Wonder Girl costume, but she has yet to build the confidance to wear it into battle.
She got rid of the wig but retained the goggles for a long period to protect her identity. She also began a romance with Superboy. Then Vanessa Kapetelis; the new Silver Swan decided to air her grievances against Cassie by attacking her school.
Forced to act to protect her friends Cassie had to reveal her identity as Wonder Girl to battle the Swan. Shortly after her identity became public and Cassie was able to shed the goggles and settle for a more mature look. Cassie's conflict with the Swan led to many brutal encounters, one leaving Cassie's schoolmate dead at the swan's hands. The rivalry came to a head in a battle in Brazil, where Cassie loosed her temper on the Swan. Only Diana's intervention would stop Cassie from doing something she might later live to regret.
Lately Cassie has ceased training with Artemis; arguably being in no more need of it. She was also elected the teamleader of Young Justice, and shows signs of being the DCU's most promising new heroine. Her quest to locate her father has also been successful. For awhile things seemed to be quite bright.But then tragedy struck when Donna Troy was killed in a battle that had involved both the Young Justice and Titans teams. The shock of the event caused the two teams to dissolve, and Cassie in particular became dissillusioned with the entire super-hero gig. At school her lifestyle, particularly her belief in the Greek Gods had caused much turmoil, and her place in the world seemed far less secure than before. She was invited to join a new team, the Teen Titans, alongside an assortment of past Young Justice and Titans memebers. She accepted the place, but remains largely unsure of herself and the mission ahead. whether or not she will ever truly get over Donna's death, remains to be seen.
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