Episode Review: Fausta The German Wonder Woman

September 14th, 2022 by DustyLoft Leave a reply »

The below blog post is a slightly dramatized episode review of an episode from the 1970’s television series Wonder Woman, Season 1, Episode 2: Fausta The Nazi Wonder Woman.
 
 

During WWII, in Germany, Fausta, a powerless, yet very strong German Wonder Woman, also a former German Olympian, met with a high ranking German commander to discuss the capture of the American Wonder Woman, a capture potentially resulting with the balance of the war shifting in favor of the German’s.

The two comrades viewed video footage of Wonder Woman using her superpowers, evaluating her superpowers, looking for weaknesses.

During the video session, German intel spoke of Wonder Woman’s Magic Lasso. Disagreements occurred between Fausta and the commander as to the legitimacy of the Magic Lasso’s powers. Fausta believed the Lasso of Truth did possess the power to make others tell the truth. The commander expressed doubts.

Regardless, German officials formulated a plan to send Fausta to America to capture the American Wonder Woman. Soon thereafter, Fausta secretly flew to the United States in a two seater single wing German fighter plane.

After arriving in the U.S. Fausta wanted to see Wonder Woman using her strength in person, she wanted to personally witness the powers of the Lasso of Truth.

Knowing Wonder Woman worked for Steve at the IADC, Fausta took Steve as her hostage, then used him to lure the American superheroine to a warehouse.

When Wonder Woman entered the warehouse German soldiers attacked her. Wonder Woman easily defeated them, subsequently, successfully rescued Steve.

However, Fausta was hiding, watching the superheroine use her superpowers to battle the soldiers. Being a former German Olympian Fausta wasn’t impressed with Wonder Woman’s strength or speed, expressing to German officials sometime thereafter, Wonder Woman didn’t do anything I can’t do.

After Wonder Woman defeated the soldiers, she used her Lasso of Truth to force them to tell her where Steve was hidden. The German soldiers immediately gave her his location. Fausta was very impressed with the Magic Lasso’s.

From there, Fausta decided the best way to capture Wonder Woman was to impersonate her, then challenge her to a strength competition. To do so, Fausta needed American citizens to believe she was the American Wonder Woman.

Fausta set up a press conference to display her strength on stage in front of an audience of locals and reporters to raise money for a charity where Fausta would pretend to be the American Wonder Woman, dressing and looking just like the American superheroine.

Knowing she was a fake Wonder Woman, she knew the real Wonder Woman would show up at the press conference to confront an imposter in front of the reporters .

At the beginning of the press conference, looking just like Wonder Woman, Fausta stood on stage with a set of very heavy weights speaking to the crowd.

The real Wonder Woman stood within the crowd of reporters, interrupting Fausta as she spoke to the crowd, saying she was an imposter, challenging Fausta to see who could lift the heaviest weights to prove to these in attendance she was the real Wonder Woman.

Fausta agreed to the challenge. Wonder Woman went up on stage. The two Wonder Woman looked very similar, now standing next to each other, about to see who’s the stronger woman, who’s the real Wonder Woman. The American Wonder Woman motioned to Fausta to lift the weights first.

Fausta walked over to the weights. The crowd oohs and aahs. The barbell was long. Heavy weights were positioned on both sides. Fausta grabbed the weights with two hands, slowly, lifting them from the platform, lifting them above her head.

The crowd let out loud cheers, impressed with the feat of Wonder Woman, now thinking Fausta, the German Wonder Woman is the real Wonder Woman.

The American Wonder Woman shook her head, seemingly in disbelief of the strength of her foe, disappointed as the crowd cheered an imposter Wonder Woman for her accomplishment.

The American Wonder Woman walked over to the weights.

Wanting to look much stronger than her foe, Wonder Woman decided to show off her superstrength, wrapping only one hand around the center of the barbell, trying to lift the very large, heavy weights with only one arm.

The crowd quieted, thinking, lifting the weights with one arm was impossible.

A few seconds later, Wonder Woman lifted with all her strength. The weights didn’t budge.

The crowd let out loud gasps, ooh’s and aah’s, as the superheroine struggled, now thinking she’s the fake Wonder Woman.

Seconds later, while still trying to lift the weights, a trapdoor built into the floor of the stage beneath Wonder Woman opened. Wonder Woman fell through the floor, disappearing from the crowd, landing under the stage having failed to lift the weights. A German soldier was waiting below.

At the same time, above the stage, Fausta stepped forward. The crowd cheered, now believing Fausta was the real Wonder Woman.

When Wonder Woman landed beneath the stage she felt to the ground. The German soldier immediately grabbed the unsuspecting, somewhat disoriented, superheroine’s Magic Lasso, wrapping the Lasso of Truth around Wonder Woman, placing a chloroform soaked handkerchief over her mouth at the same time.

Seconds later, he removed the handkerchief. Wonder Woman was severely weakened, her body resting in the grasps of the German soldier, needing all her strength just to keep her eyes open, wrapped within her own Lasso of Truth.

The German soldier began interrogating the superheroine, asking if the chloroform will keep her knocked out, render her superpowers useless. Weekly, wearily, Wonder Woman answered, yes. The soldier asked Wonder Woman if she got her superpowers from her belt. Wonder Woman tried to resist telling him the truth. She couldn’t, answering, yes, without my belt I don’t have any superpowers.

When the German Soldier was satisfied, he placed the chloroform handkerchief back over Wonder Woman’s face. Immediately thereafter, the superheroine passed out.

After the press conference ended, Fausta took custody of Wonder Woman, taking her to the secret location where she had her plane hidden. With the help of German soldiers, Fausta loaded the unconscious superheroine in the plane before taking off to Germany with Wonder Woman as her prisoner of war.

When Fausta’s landed in Germany Wonder Woman awoke. Her hair was a mess, she wasn’t sturdy on her feet, dazed, wrapped, trapped, in her own Magic Lasso without her belt, without her superpowers.

Fausta escorted the superheroine towards the German barracks, meeting The German commander who helped plan Wonder Woman’s capture just outside the entrance.

Proud of her capture, having witnessed the Magic Lasso’s powers, Fausta told the commander of her accomplishments.

During WWII, females weren’t treated at as equals, regardless of their ranking or accomplishments. The German commander didn’t believe a woman could obtain better intel about the American superheroine than the higher ranking male officials.

Dispite Fausta’s verification of the powers of the Lasso of Truth, the German commander showed little regard to the powers of the superheroine, seeming offended by Fausta, still in disbelief of the legitimacy of a Magic Lasso capable of making anyone tell the truth.

Nevertheless, the two comrades took Wonder Woman into the barracks to question her, arguing with each other as they questioned her. Wonder Woman was tied up with her Magic Lasso. The superheroine had to answer all her questions honestly, saying the Magic Lasso forces her to tell the truth, saying she is powerless without her belt.

The German commander only grew more disgruntled as Wonder Woman spoke, accusing Wonder Woman of lying about the Lasso of Truth, lying about her belt.

The commander decided to take Wonder Woman to a German torture chamber to force her to tell the truth.

In the torture chamber, German soldiers bound Wonder Woman to a rotating plank with thick leather belts. The commander took Wonder Woman’s Magic Lasso and Belt from Fausta, holding both in front of the bound superheroine, yelling at Wonder Woman, demanding she tell him the truth about her superpowers.

Wonder Woman’s answers were the same, causing the Commander to become even more frustrated, throwing Wonder Woman’s belt in anger. The belt landed within superheroine’s reach, allowing her to, regain her superstrength, almost instantly breaking free from the thick leather straps.

Wonder Woman quickly grabbed her Magic Lasso, fended off a few German soldiers before escaping the German barracks, confiscating a German fighter plane to fly back to the United States.

While Wonder Woman was a prisoner of war, Steve learnt of her capture. While the superheroine was held captive, Steve flew to Germany in an attempt to rescue Wonder Woman from the German prison. During his attempt, German soldiers captured Steve.

When Wonder Woman arrived in the United States, she learnt of Steve’s capture, learning Steve was now held at the same prison she was held.

In an attempt to rescue Steve, Wonder Woman flew to Germany in her invisible jet. After arriving, infiltrating the German barracks where Steve was held.

Knowing Wonder Woman was going to return, Fausta used Steve to capture the superheroine a second time.

Wonder Woman found Steve within the German prison. While attempting to rescue him, Fausta trapped both Wonder Woman and Steve.

The two American’s, now at the German’s mercy, standing in a room filled with a foot of water. Power cables attached to a power lever dangled into the water. If the lever is pulled, electricity runs through the cables, electrocuting the two American’s.

The German commander and Fausta stood above the room with the commander’s hand atop the lever, threating to pull the lever if Wonder Woman didn’t answer his questions.

Wonder Woman refused to speak to the commander, previously having formed a repour with Fausta. Wonder Woman said she’ll only speak to Fausta, the woman who captured me.

The superheroine’s response irritated the commander. Though true he vehemently denied the accusation. Fausta defended herself, saying if I hadn’t trapped Wonder Woman they would have escaped.

Fausta’s response irritated the commander even further. He belittled Fausta accomplishment due to his insecurities, commanding German Soldiers to put Fausta into the water trap with Wonder Woman and Steve.

Seeing how the German commander was treating her, knowing rescuing Wonder Woman was her only chance to save herself, Fausta quickly threw Wonder Woman a rope, allowing her and Steve to escape the water trap.

Fausta, now an enemy of the German’s escaped the barracks with the Americans.

After escaping, Wonder Woman tried to convince Fausta to accompany them to America. Fausta didn’t want to leave her homeland. She knew of a lady within the German underground, knew of a place where she’ll be safe from the German Soldiers. Soon thereafter, Wonder Woman and Steve arrived in America.

Additional Thoughts:

With a storyline of significant importance to Woman’s Equal Rights and World War II, Fausta, The Nazi Wonder Woman was the second episode of the 1970’s television show Wonder Woman, and possibly the most memorable, influential episode of all the episodes,

The episode exposes some of Wonder Woman’s vulnerabilities. Fausta tricked, outwitted the superheroine numerous times throughout the episode, showing Wonder Woman’s human side, showing her weaknesses, just like all humans have.

Even though Fausta was portrayed as the villain, Wonder Woman and Fausta possessed many things in common. Both women were held in high regard within their countries, both held high ranking positions during a time when women weren’t treated as equals. Fausta was a female soldier fighting for her country, as was Wonder Woman, fighting for her country, thought in a different way. As a result, each seemed to show an admiration towards the other at times throughout the episode.

Fausta was one of Wonder Woman’s toughest foes, having successfully impersonated Wonder Woman, defeating her in front of the American Press and citizens. Then, transporting her to Germany as a Prisoner of War. Due to a lack of diligence by higher ranking male German Officials, Wonder Woman escaped. Nevertheless, Fausta captured Wonder Woman a second time before deciding to free the American superheroine.

Written by George Farina, www.GeorgeFarina.net

Written by George Farina: GeorgeFarina.net

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