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UN drops Honorary Ambassador Wonder Woman

Although former title holders include the red Angry Bird and Tinkerbell, Wonder Woman was considered too risque for the role.

Michelle Starr Science editor
Michelle Starr is CNET's science editor, and she hopes to get you as enthralled with the wonders of the universe as she is. When she's not daydreaming about flying through space, she's daydreaming about bats.
Michelle Starr
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Not even two months after her appointment as United Nations Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls, the agency has dropped the superhero like a hot potato, Reuters reports.

The move follows an online petition that called for the removal of the DC Comics icon after her October 21 appointment, citing her costume and body as reasons for her inappropriateness as a figurehead of empowerment for young girls.

The petition, which gained 44,520 supporters, read, "the character's current iteration is that of a large breasted, white woman of impossible proportions, scantily clad in a shimmery, thigh-baring bodysuit with an American flag motif and knee-high boots -- the epitome of a 'pin-up' girl." It also took exception to her status as the IP of a for-profit company.

The campaign was intended to extend into 2017, with DC Comics producing a special Wonder Woman comic that supported it. However, like all of the UN's fictional Honorary Ambassadors -- which include the red Angry Bird, Winnie the Pooh and Tinker Bell -- it was always intended to be a temporary appointment.

"From the UN's side, there was no plan for it to be much longer than this," UN spokesman Jeffrey Brez said, according to The Guardian.

Of all these, Wonder Woman always seemed the most fitting appointment. She made her debut in 1941, created by William Moulton Marston as a role model for young girls. "Frankly," he wrote in a 1945 letter to Coulton Waugh, "Wonder Woman is psychological propaganda for the new type of woman who should, I believe, rule the world."

Wonder Woman has also, in her 75-year history, operated as both an ambassador for the Amazons, and a translator and agent for the United Nations.

Nicola Scott, who created the art for DC Comics and the United Nations, and who has been working on the recently rebooted Wonder Woman comic book with Greg Rucka, expressed her disappointment in a Facebook post.

"Real life women can and should hold roles for female empowerment and equality for the UN. But the "honorary" embassador role is strictly created for fictional characters. Why can't we have both?

Fictional characters have the ability to cross borders and boundaries that real people can't. They're universally accessible and can be reformed as needed," she wrote.

"I created the art for the UN with a full understanding of who she is and how much reach she has and what she means to millions of people. The purpose of this initiative was so incredibly positive, with the best of intentions and knowing how perfectly Diana fit into this role. Personally I find it a shame, but I'm really disappointed we won't get the full rollout of the plan."

DC Comics' comic supporting the campaign is still scheduled to go ahead in October.

"Wonder Woman stands for peace, justice and equality, and for 75 years she has been a motivating force for many and will continue to be long after the conclusion of her UN Honorary Ambassadorship," DC Comics' Courtney Simmons said.