The Dark Way That The Powers Of Wonder Woman's Lasso Can Backfire
Wonder Woman is one of the most iconic and powerful DC Comics superheroes, pursuing justice, love, and empathy for humankind. Her true name, as most know, is Diana, the Princess of Themyscira. Although her origins are sometimes altered slightly, Wonder Woman is a demigod (via DC Database). Her mother is Hippolyta, and in most cases, including in 2017's "Wonder Woman," starring Gal Gadot as Diana, her father is Zeus. She grew up with her mother on Themyscira as one of the best Amazonian warriors the island had ever known, ultimately leaving it to use her abilities to protect and assist humanity.
Nearly all iterations of Wonder Woman have a few things in common, but nothing is more notable than her costume and gear. Two things stand out a little more than others: her Bracelets of Submission, which are worn to symbolize Amazonian freedom from the rule of Hercules, and of course, the Lasso of Truth (via DC Database). The Bracelets of Submission are nearly indestructible, able to deflect anything from bullets to missiles and various projectiles. The Lasso of Truth is supposed to be indestructible as well (via DC Database). It is infinite in its length and elasticity, but most importantly, if a person is caught in it, they must speak the truth at the demand of the bearer.
The Lasso of Truth is certainly Wonder Woman's signature weapon, assisting her and the Justice League on many occasions. However, its powers can be manipulated and backfire in rare instances. Here's what we know about the ways the Lasso of Truth can fail.
The truth can be so unbearable that it becomes fatal
As with any weapon so powerful as to be wielded by a demigod, it must be done with wisdom and care. Diana is full of these two qualities, which is why the Lasso of Truth has most often been hers to do with as she pleases — although she has lost the weapon to others before. In one DC Comics storyline, the Wonder Woman mantle is held by Artemis, an Amazonian of Bana-Mighdall, for a short period (via DC Database).
Artemis is different from Diana in many ways, more violent and inexperienced. As Wonder Woman, she wielded the Lasso of Truth in battle, having to use the sacred relic on a few separate occasions to get people to tell the truth. However, one man was so affected by the truth that he had revealed to Artemis and himself that he committed suicide. Although Artemis could have not foreseen the victim taking his own life, nor the truth he revealed, it proved a reckless use of the lasso.
Sometimes, the truth that those under the lasso's powers reveal are things that they haven't yet faced themselves. From this encounter alone, it's clear that it can be incredibly dangerous and costly to use the Lasso of Truth on certain individuals. Fortunately, Diana was able to become Wonder Woman again and make sure something like this was avoided moving forward.
The Lasso of Truth can be tricked and manipulated
Although the Lasso of Truth is undeniable in its effect, it has actually been tricked and manipulated before. According to information from fans like Roman Jackiewicz on Quora, a version of Cassie Sandsmark, aka Wonder Girl, was once able to trick the Lasso of Truth by convincing herself in her mind that a particular thing was true. This means that if someone were to fully believe something to be true, even if it is false, they could essentially speak lies under the influence of the Lasso of Truth. This hasn't happened that often since one has to have considerable mental fortitude to convince themselves under the lasso's influence.
On another occasion, the Lasso of Truth has been manipulated in a similar way by none other than Batman himself. When the trio of Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman first meet in a DC Rebirth retelling and place their hands on the lasso, Wonder Woman states that she is "Diana, Princess of Themyscira, daughter of Queen Hippolyta" (via DC Database). Superman notes that he is both Clark Kent and Kal-El. However, Batman merely says, "Batman." As we know, Bruce Wayne is the man in the cowl, and on the surface, it would seem that he defeated the Lasso of Truth. However, his saying this simply means that Bruce truly believes himself to be Batman in full — Bruce Wayne is merely the mask he wears. Classic Batman.
Clearly, the Lasso of Truth is in the safest hands with Diana. Gal Gadot is set to make her next appearance as the character in "Wonder Woman 3" sometime in the near future.