The New Donna Troy?

I've been thinking about someting that someone, I think it might have been Mark suggested about Donna Troy.

Basically that the Donna we saw in the History of the DCU segments and the one from WW were not the same character. Ultimately, that would-be Harbinger Donna is to the new Donna what Power Girl is to Supergirl.

The more I think about it the more I love this idea.

Because honestly, I think Donna Troy is ruined. I think that as likeable as she can be sometimes, the constant retcons, the shifting origins have ruined her character.

I don't necessarily mind retcons in general, especially if they're interesting, but there are certain core events that need to remain to help define who the character is. Nature versus Nuture I suppose. A character who was saved from a burning building and chose to emulate Diana is not going to have the same mindset and formulative experiences as a mirror-twin of Diana cursed to many lives.

They're not the same character. They're not going to see things the same way. As a correlation, what would become of Bruce Wayne if they'd never seen Mask of Zorro that night?

See, Power Girl...her retconning of origins worked for one reason. She didn't remember them. Thus it didn't matter if she was Clark's cousin or Arion's granddaughter, or the Earth-2 Kara returned. The formulative point of her personality was established at her post-crisis introduction.

But Donna's not amnesiac. She's supposed to remember those pasts...all those pasts. But tacking them on just blurs who she is more.

And it causes missed opportunities.

I mean think about the potential inherent in Diana having a mirror sister. A girl created solely to be Diana's playmate and forgotten about. You know, in my mind, that would make a fascinating villain. She'd be angry and resentful of course, but with some justification. She'd be just sympathetic enough that a later writer could redeem her into a tentative ally or a tragic death.

It'd be neat. But could never happen. Because Donna had a set personality. A slightly tragic heroine. And turning her evil would be very hard to make plausible.

Anyway though, the character's been reformed and re-envisioned so much she's like overused clay. Eventually it just doesn't hold a shape anymore. Ruined.

But Wonder Woman's Donna...she doesn't feel like Harbinger Donna. She feels fresh and new. Inexperienced, determined, with no sign yet of solemn tragedy. She seems to have a simple backstory (referred to as Diana's sister, which works fine for me, I can buy another animated clay baby. Or maybe born from a foray of Hippolyta in Man's World. Ooo, that could actually be really interesting.

Maybe if Hippolyta (a.k.a Pre-Crisis Diana, pretty much) did end up in the JSA, maybe she conceived Donna there. Sure she'd have to be older than she looks, but they ARE supposed to be immortal.

Ooo, Wildcat could be her *dad*! That'd be perfect! She'd get a legacy to play with without messing with Diana's uniqueness!

Anyway, I'm enthusiastic about this Donna. And I've realized why. She really hasn't seemed at all like the Donna in 52. She feels like a totally different character with some similar early experiences.

I could really really go for that. Make it a PG-Supergirl thing. The old Donna fans can keep Harbinger Donna while Diana's sister Donna can have the chance to win over the rest of us.

It'd be neat!