She’s been best friends with Wonder Woman since World War 2. She’s impressed the Amazons with her skills. She’s able to stand side-by-side with superheroes. She knows the healing power of candy. Who is she? The Hero of Holliday College, Etta Candy! How did she get to be so cool and friends with Wonder Woman? Let’s find out!
Etta Candy is the daughter of Hard and Sugar Candy. Her brother is Mint Candy. When she first meets Wonder Woman she is small and sickly, when next they meet, Etta has embraced her namesake and become big and strong. She heads the Beeta Lambda sorority at Holliday College but when Wonder Woman needs her help she heads to war on the Western front to fight Nazis. She’d help unite one hundred women along with Wonder Woman to overtake a prison camp. Known for shouting the Beeta Lambda holler of “Woo! Woo!” In combat and rescues, Etta’s cry became a rally of hope and legend during the war.
So impressive was Etta during the war, she rescued children from a concentration camp armed with nothing but a box of candy. There’s a reason the Amazon consider her one of their own. When back home, she and Diana would visit her family’s ranch and have all sorts of cowboy adventures. They’d also visit Holliday College and get into strange adventures with the more scientifically minded of Etta’s sorority sisters.
Something happened as time went on with Etta. She was either pushed to the side entirely, or her entire personality was rewritten. Not be monsters and supervillains, by the writers. Gone was Etta’s confidence in herself and pride in how she looked, now she was insecure and self conscious. No longer a leader but a follower, even when she became military, she was still more of a second.
It’d take a few decades to get an Etta more like the golden age. She’d even become Wonder Woman for a brief time. One reason for this was that her boyfriend at the time saw Etta as his Wonder Woman and through magic, reality agreed with him. Etta would be kidnapped and trapped in Hell, comatose until Wonder Woman could save her.
After the Crisis of Infinite Earths, Etta was Steve Trevor’s aide and love interest, instead of Diana. The two would fall in love as they teamed up with Wonder Woman to fight Ares. After Ares’ defeat, Etta and Steve would marry, but not before Etta developed an eating disorder, which Diana would help her deal with.
Around the time of the Infinite Crisis, Etta would become an intelligence officer who worked with Diana on strange missions, including trips to outer space. In the New 52, Etta would be Steve Trevor’s secretary and his confidante. Rebirth has had Etta promoted in rank as Commander Candy, let’s hope that title sticks.
There you have it folks! Etta Candy is pretty much the epitome of the greatness that was the golden age of comics. She was a shining example of everything Wonder Woman could find to love about man’s world. Etta Candy reminded her of home in a sea of strangeness. As time went on she became less bombastic and I honestly hope she returns to that. Wonder Woman needs a woman she herself can wonder at. Etta is a wonder woman all her own. See you next time!
Suggested Reading
Sensation Comics #2
Wonder Woman
Dr. Bustos
drbustos@c0micattack.net
