Future State’s Wonder Woman, Yara Flor is a fresh departure from what’s come before but one marvelous reimagining predicted DC’s new arrival.
DC’s Future State introduced an all-new Wonder Woman in the form of Brazilian Amazon Yara Flor. While Yara is about to make her way into the main DC Universe a Wonder Girl, the coming of the Amazon hero was predicted by one of DC’s most experimental universes. In the early 2000s, Marvel released Stan Lee from a decades-long contract that allowed him to work with other companies. Lee went to DC, collaborating with some of their top artists to reimagine its biggest heroes in a series titled Just Imagine… One of the heroes Stan Lee reimagined, with Jim Lee, Scott Williams and Alex Sinclair, was Wonder Woman, and that version of the iconic hero was shared many qualities with Yara Flor.
Yara Flor was created by writer/artist Joëlle Jones and starred in a number of “Future State” titles that showcased who this new Wonder Woman was. Unlike Diana Prince, Yara Flor did not hail from Paradise Island but from a tribe of Amazons from the Amazon Rainforest. Her bold, brash tactics immediately set her apart from Diana Prince, but not as much from Just Imagine‘s Wonder Woman, Maria Mendoza.
Both characters share more than just South American heritage, with each being similarly bold and outspoken. Both characters share an interest in activism, which plays a role in how Maria comes to acquire her powers. Her interest in protecting the Cuzco ruins from the destructive excavation of industrialist Armando Guitez leads her to the rune of light, which transports her to the Incan sun god who grants Maria her powers. Joëlle Jones’s Wonder Girl story in Infinite Frontier #0 shows Yara before Future State as an ordinary girl seeking out her lineage, seemingly unaware of the role she’ll soon play, not unlike Maria.
Despite the ordinary lives both characters lead before becoming Wonder Woman, the origins of their powers differ greatly. Maria gains her powers from the Incan sun god, but Yara’s remain closer to Diana’s. Yara may not come from Themyscira, but she is still of Amazonian descent, with her ancestors being of a tribe of Amazons that broke away from Themyscira and established themselves in the Brazilin rainforest. Also, while Diana and Yara’s powers are present at birth, Maria’s come entirely from her golden staff (which additionally grants Maria telekinetic powers). Even with these differences though, both characters’ powers originate from the gods.
Neither Yara nor Maria’s powers entirely line up with Diana Prince though. Both of these versions of Wonder Woman exhibit their own unique abilities on top of the normal strength, speed and flight associated with the mantle. This is passed down to tools that add to the iconic imagery of the lasso of truth. Maria has a shield that launches out ropes with metal attachments on the end which can be bound together to form a lasso, although it can be used in more traditional ways as well. Similarly, Yara has her own golden bolas with more versatility and functionality than Diana’s lasso. According to Joëlle Jones, Yara’s bolas can compel others to follow Yara’s commands as well as tell the truth.
Another big difference between the two is their training. While the Yara Flor of “Infinite Frontier” may be untrained like Maria Mendoza, the Yara Flor of “Future State” has been trained by the Amazons. Yara’s skill in archery, swordsmanship and equestrianism lets her lean into her brash headstrong nature. Maria on the other hand has to navigate her newfound abilities without any of the sisterhood shared by Yara and Diana.
Yara Flor’s journey towards becoming Wonder Girl is still largely unknown. In her ongoing Wonder Girl series launching on May 18, Yara’s origins could still show striking similarities to those of Maria Mendoza. With the similarities already shared between the two characters, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume Yara’s story could continue to mirror Maria’s journey.
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