By Ada Fisher for the Salisbury Post

In the 8th century B.C., Homer and Herodotus describe a community of Amazonian women in what is termed Greek mythology during the Bronze Age.

Playing it forward, the evolution of strong women who risked their lives for the betterment of mankind is seen in sheroes like Joan of Arc, Harriett Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, Rosalind Franklin (who brought DNA to light) and so many more.

During WWI, Russian women served as pilots and many were at the front, whipping the German’s behinds. These women were described as large — many being over 5 foot 6 inches, which in pre-70s times was considered tall for women. The Zulus were also known for their height.

But the need for a change in the view of what is a right and proper role for women acknowledges the suffragettes, anti-saloon league legions and other real women — those who weren’t biblical matyrs or lesbian in orientation simply because they enjoyed each others company or chose nontraditional paths.

Enter William Moulton Marston, the 1941 creator of Wonder Woman and inventor of the systolic blood pressure test, which underlies the lie detector test. Comics came and went in that genre, with Lynda Carter playing the television character. All pale in comparison to Gal Godot as Wonder Woman, in what may be one of the best movies ever.

Female director Patty Jenkins and screen writer Allen Heinberg challenge us to rethink the concept of Wonder Woman, placing her in a different religious and mythology light. It is a movie for all sexes which women and their daughters — and their sons — should see.

The major premise of the new movie is, as it should be, that Wonder Woman was not just a super hero but was a god molded from clay and given life by Zeus. It is in her love for mankind, not just a sense of justice, through which her true beauty is unleashed. All along, the plot gets us to appreciate that the only way to combat evil and wrong in the world is to unleash the “god killer,” who unknowingly is Wonder Woman.

The resounding message of her mother, the Queen of the Amazon, resonates: they don’t deserve you.

The fight scenes’ choreography is dazzling. The costumes are captivating, though some would postulate that they are sexist, rather than appreciating the freedom of movement they would allow. The setting of Themyscira, the mystically shrouded homeland of the Amazons, is breathtaking and so fits much of mythology. The transition between myth and reality posits a “what if” mentality in those willing to open their minds.

The glimpses of violent ends are also fascinating. The scenes involving the development of the nerve gas nitrogen mustard is pictured as horrendous — omitting that this allowed the development of methotrexate to be used as an anti-tumor drug, a stark reminder that the search for weapons of mass destruction must not end.

The evolving new interpretation of the creation story, when Zeus breathes life into Wonder Woman, challenges suppositions that Lilith from ancient biblical text may have preceded Eve, and enhances molecular biology in giving primacy to the role of maternal mitochondrial DNA as a determinant of who we truly are.

In the Justice League series, the role of Wonder Woman should be elevated above those of super heroes to reflect her status as a god. She is the Queen Bee and they are drone/worker hybrids. The notion of Wonder Woman as “the god killer” should be a message to women everywhere that we are the key to mankind’s survival, whether in the values we teach, the fetuses we destroy or the men we support.

We should hope that our sons will chose independent women who will fight by their sides as partners and that our daughters will learn to defend themselves — with both seeking to believe in love.

Dr. Ada M. Fisher is a physician, licensed teacher , former school board member, former medical director in a Fortune 500 company, author, public speaker and NC Republican National Committeewoman. She is the author of the book Common Sense Conservative Prescriptions Solutions for What Ails Us. Contact her at DrFisher@DrAdaMFisher.org