Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The oath is half schoolgirl exclamation and half coded wink: Marston's Amazons swear by Greek goddesses and poets, and Sappho is the one that tells a knowing reader who is in this world. Its camp theatricality is why fans quote it, and the comics-scholarship afterlife, from Wertham to later queer readings of Wonder Woman, is why it matters. It reads as joy and as a small act of defiance.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Wonder WomanShow the scene
Wonder Woman first appeared in All Star Comics #8 (October 1941), with her own feature starting in Sensation Comics #1 (January 1942), created by psychologist William Moulton Marston, writing as Charles Moulton, with artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's Golden Age stories gave the Amazon a set of mock-Greek exclamations, and "Suffering Sappho!" was one of the best known. It is a recurring cry of surprise or dismay, not tied to one scene, and it names the ancient Greek poet Sappho of Lesbos, whom Marston's stories and later fans treated as a nod to the lesbian subtext that ran through his early work.
Sources (2)
- Wikipedia: Wonder Womanlead and LGBTQ icon sectionReference checked
- DC Database: Sappho (New Earth)OverviewReference checked
Context reviewed