Warning: Spoilers for Blue Beetle #9!

One obscure DC character has challenged Wonder Woman for the throne of the universe’s most powerful woman: Victoria Kord. On a physical level, Wonder Woman is confirmed to be the strongest female character in the DC Universe. No one is going to dispute that, but strength and power doesn’t always have to do with muscles. Mentally, emotionally, and monetarily, Victoria Kord may be even more powerful.

Victoria Kord suggests that it’s herself, not Wonder Woman, who is the most powerful woman on the planet in Blue Beetle #9 by Josh Trujillo and Adrián Gutiérrez. When recalling the day that she became the CEO of Kord Industries, Victoria remembers telling herself, “From this day, you’re no longer just the smartest woman on Earth … you’re now the most powerful.”

While readers can easily disregard her words as mere hubris, Victoria’s statement also hints at her untapped villain potential, which deserves further exploration in the world of DC Comics.

Who Is Victoria Kord, DC’s Most Powerful Woman?

And What Makes Her More Powerful Than Wonder Woman?

She may not hail from a legion of Amazons like Wonder Woman, but Victoria Kord is the villainous sister of Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle, and the CEO of Kord Industries. Victoria was actually created for the Blue Beetle movie and, around the same time as its theatrical release, was put to the forefront of DC with Blue Beetle: Graduation Day, a minseries by the same creative team as the current title. Most recently, Victoria has created a deadly android named Pinnacle, but as these past couple of issues have shown, she’s wholly underestimated just how dangerous, unstable, and uncontrollable this monster can be.

To Victoria’s credit, which adds complexity to her villainy, she does try to undo the mess she’s made by getting Pinnacle to self-detonate when she recognizes the destruction that Pinnacle unleashes on Palmera City. As she explains to Jaime in this issue, Victoria believes that the heroes of the city can be just as dangerous as the so-called villains, and they need to be policed. From start to finish, despite being reprimanded by Ted and Jaime, she expresses how she’s only trying to help everyone, and she’s in disbelief that the heroes don’t see it her way.

Victoria Kord Is a New-Age Amanda Waller

Victoria Kord’s Villain Potential Could Truly Make Her More Powerful Than Wonder Woman

If Victoria’s motivations sound familiar, it’s because her reasons sound a lot like Amanda Waller’s. Waller is often accused of being abusive with her power, but she genuinely thinks she’s helping the greater good. Even when driven by fear, such human motivations contribute to her quest for absolute power, and consistently, it leads to success. Amanda Waller is one of the few people who rival Wonder Woman in terms of power — not physically, of course, but she’s imposing in ways that Victoria Kord could be if DC continues to tap into her character.

Blue Beetle #9 is available now from DC Comics.