History NightmareFuel / WonderWoman2017

** When Poison points out the mask won't work against her new gas, Ludendorff replies "they don't know that." The two then actually ''giggle'' at this, [[PsychopathicManchild more like a couple of psychotic children than high-ranking military leaders and personnel]]. And there's no hint that Ares was behind ''this'' particular behavior, so this is all them. Worse still, is the idea that many world political and military leaders might be, deep down, no better than sociopathic children.

*** It makes the scene where she and Ludendorff kill the German Generals. She obsessively looks through the window as the gas kills the generals, cooing and marveling at her DeadlyGas. Ludendorff actually has to ''pull her away'' from the window when it starts to crack.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[NewJackSwing That girl is poison...]]]]

* Steve referring to UsefulNotes/WorldWarI by its original name, The War To End All Wars. Any reference to it by that name will always be a small but chilling reminder not only of what a blood bath the war was in hindsight but much more devastating the concept of industrialized war seemed when it was actually happening for the first time in history, so much so that nobody believed a worse war ''could'' break out. Diana's horror at the mere ''fraction'' of the war she sees would be appropriate for anyone who actually saw just how inhumane the so-called "Great" War really was. It's scary to think of how she (along with everyone else) would react to it ''not'' ending all wars after all.
** On a related note:

* Steve referring to UsefulNotes/WorldWarI by it's original name, The War To End All Wars. Any reference to it by that name will always be a small but chilling reminder not only of what a blood bath the war was in hindsight but much more devastating the concept of industrialized war seemed when it was actually happening for the first time in history, so much so that nobody believed a worse war ''could'' break out. Diana's horror at the mere ''fraction'' of the war she sees would be appropriate for anyone who actually saw just how inhumane the so-called "Great" War really was. It's scary to think of how she (along with everyone else) would react to it ''not'' ending all wars after all.

* Steve referring to UsefulNotes/WorldWarI by it's original name, The War To End All Wars. Any reference to it by that name will always be a small but chilling reminder not only of what a blood bath the war was in hindsight but much more devastating the concept of industrialized war seemed when it was actually happening for the first time in history, so much so that nobody believed a worse war ''could'' break out. Diana's horror at the mere ''fraction'' of the war she sees would be appropriate for anyone who actually saw just how inhumane the so-called "Great" War really was. For her and everyone else, it's scary to think of how she'd react to it ''not'' ending all wars after all?

* Steve referring to UsefulNotes/WorldWarI by it's original name, The War To End All Wars. Any reference to it by that name will always be a small but chilling reminder not only of what a blood bath the war was in hindsight but much more devastating the concept of industrialized war seemed when it was actually happening, so much so that nobody thought a worse war ''could'' break out. Diana's horror at the mere ''fraction'' of the war she sees wouldn't be out of place for anyone who actually saw just how inhumane the so-called "Great" War really was and for her and everyone else, the ForegoneConclusion about it ending all wars makes it all the scarier.

* Steve referring to [[WWI UsefulNotes/WorldWarI]] by it's original name, The War To End All Wars. Any reference to it by that name will always be a small but chilling reminder not only of what a blood bath the war was in hindsight but much more devastating the concept of industrialized war seemed when it was actually happening, so much so that nobody thought a worse war ''could'' break out. Diana's horror at the mere ''fraction'' of the war she sees wouldn't be out of place for anyone who actually saw just how inhumane the so-called "Great" War really was and for her and everyone else, the ForegoneConclusion about it ending all wars makes it all the scarier.

* Steve referring to WWI by it's original name, The War To End All Wars. Any reference to it by that name will always be a small but chilling reminder not only of what a blood bath the war was in hindsight but much more devastating the concept of industrialized war seemed when it was actually happening, so much so that nobody thought a worse war ''could'' break out. Diana's horror at the mere ''fraction'' of the war she sees wouldn't be out of place for anyone who actually saw just how inhumane the so-called "Great" War really was and for her and everyone else, the ForgoneConclusion about it ending all wars makes it all the scarier.

* The scene where the Amazons interrogate Steve puts the lasso of truth in a whole new light. When Steve tries to lie he's clearly in pain as he's forced to tell the truth, and feels violated. It shows how much he trusts Diana that he's willing to subject himself to the thing ''again'' later on in the film.
* General Ludendorff is most definitely the stuff of nightmares. While all the other Germans are ready to sign the armistice and lick their wounds, Ludendorff wants to keep the war going forever ''purely for the thrill of it''. He forces teenage boys to fight to the death, allows Dr. Maru to test lethal chemicals on his own troops and shoots them for the most innocent mistakes. During his first interaction with Diana, the way he swoops in and grabs her by the waist gives off a downright predatory vibe.

* Then there's the whole plot involving Dr. Poison in the first place: she wants to create a superior chemical weapon, a hydrogen-based form of mustard gas, one that can break through gasmasks and so give Germany military dominance.
** Oh, and our first glimpse of this in use? Steve's flashback as he is interrogated by the Amazons. Dr. Poison and General Ludendorff have a man chained into a makeshift gas-chamber with a gas mask on as Dr. Poison releases her latest experiment into the room. The leather visibly warps and deforms, the glass cracks, but it holds... barely. Then a furious Dr. Poison pulls on a chain that yanks the mask off of the man in a fit of pique. The scene so horrifies Steve that he disobeys orders and steals Dr. Poison's notebook.
** Then we get to see them perfect it, using this latest variant on, thankfully, an empty gas mask in a sealed chamber. It warps and buckles in the most horrific fashion, assuring us that this new formula is the real deal. This scene was actually used briefly in the second trailer.

** When Poison points out the mask won't work against her new gas, Ludendorff replies "they don't know that." The two then actually ''giggle'' at this.
* When Steve approaches Dr. Poison at the gala, he tries to get on her good side by creepily musing about fire: how it's "a living act of entropy" that exemplifies the violent conflict she and Ludendorff worship, and that it's a "comforting" reminder that everything returns to the ashes it came from. Or, to paraphrase: ''[[Film/TheDarkKnight "Everything burns!"]]''. What makes it even creepier is that it's played as the kind of seduction gambit seen all the time in spy thrillers, and Dr. Poison [[NightmareFetishist is very nearly seduced]] by it.
* Wonder Woman throws herself into UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, which was nothing but a human meat grinder, with millions of men and boys suffering horrific deaths from the latest military technology as their patriotism, dreams of heroism in war and, for many, their lives, were shattered.
* Doubling as TearJerker, Steve's death. The movie plays with the FaceDeathWithDignity that is so common in {{heroic sacrifice}}s. Steve still dies with utter dignity, of course, but the movie nevertheless shows how absolutely [[AdultFear terrified]] he is at the thought of his imminent death and how a real person would have to really prepare themselves before doing such a deed. His face of complete resignation stays with you after the plane explodes.
* TheReveal at the film's climax that Ares is real! Not only that, he was HiddenInPlainSight all along as Steve's seemingly reasonable boss.

** The tone he takes with Diana is remarkably disturbing as well. He seems at once regretful and even empathetic to Diana's feelings. He doesn't seem to be taking any pleasure in completely shattering Diana's worldview and self-worth. He's the personification of War itself and he sounds like an older brother trying to gently let his little sister know that there is no Santa Claus. Which is an apt comparison considering he ''is'' her older half-sibling...

** TheReveal at the film's climax does not disappoint: her nose is warped and melted into an almost porcine snout, whilst the crack-like design in the mask is repeated in a great, teeth-baring rent across Dr. Poison's cheek. Worse, you can tell it was inflicted by a chemical weapon; the edges look ''melted''.
** The horrifying disfigurement only helps to accentuate the fact that Dr. Poison is ''batshit insane''. In all of her scenes there is a twitchy, obsessive, inhuman quality to her that suggests that whatever disfigured her face also knocked her moral compass out of her ear with the force of a sledgehammer.
** Not to mention there's a photo of her in the British intelligence office where her face was undamaged. Meaning not only is her disfigurement likely recent but that she was Dr Poison before she even got injured.
** The movie even gives us a possible explanation of ''how'' she got it: when she and Ludendorff murder German High Command with her gas, Ludendorff actually has to ''pull her away'' from the window when it starts to crack.
** According to WordOfGod, those scars were ''self-inflicted'' when Maru [[ProfessorGuineaPig tested her corrosive gas on herself to see how effective it worked]].

--> '''Charlie:''' (looking at the battle through his scope in horror) Oh my god! What are we going to do?!
--> '''Steve:''' There’s not much we ''can'' do if that’s who I think it is.

* Doubling as TearJerker, [[spoiler:Steve's death]]. The movie plays with the FaceDeathWithDignity that is so common in {{heroic sacrifice}}s. [[spoiler:Steve]] still dies with utter dignity, of course, but the movie nevertheless shows how absolutely [[AdultFear terrified]] he is at the thought of his imminent death and how a real person would have to really prepare themselves before doing such a deed. His face of complete resignation stays with you after [[spoiler:the plane explodes]].
* TheReveal at the film's climax that [[spoiler:Ares is real! Not only that, he was HiddenInPlainSight all along as Steve's seemingly reasonable boss.]]

* Just the fact that at the end of day, World War I couldn't simply be stopped by taking out the people at the top. As it was in the real world, Steve sums it up best in that the whole affair was just one big, terrible mess. Not even Wonder Woman could stop it herself, because as Ares would later say, humans did this of their own will.
** World War II would soon follow and prove to be a far bloodier and more destructive conflict, with the Axis atrocities testing the limits of human depravity, and its aftermath would put [[UsefulNotes/ColdWar the world on the brink of its destruction for a long period of time]]. The worst part? [[spoiler:Ares wouldn't be alive to see it or influence humans in any way. Humans developed nuclear weapons on their own, he did not need to whisper or teach them how to create it]]. It's no wonder this was a CynicismCatalyst for Diana.
** But wait, it gets worse. Ares says [[spoiler:that he just gave humans the ideas and they choose to use them to kill, and that he posed as someone arguing for peace because it would just lead to more war.]] Well, what happened after World War I? The Russian civil war continued until 1922, then the UsefulNotes/SpanishCivilWar, then the UsefulNotes/SecondSinoJapaneseWar that later merged with UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, another civil war in China, the UsefulNotes/ColdWar and all its proxy conflicts, the spread of [[WeaponOfMassDestruction nuclear and chemical weapons]], the Gulf War and eventually UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror. But by the end of the film, [[spoiler:Ares is dead.]] That "century of horrors" Diana referred to in ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' happened [[spoiler:without Ares' influence. Humans did that - ''we'' did that - all by themselves.]] Diana herself accepts that the VillainHasAPoint, but even though she obviously triumphs in the end, in some ways TheBadGuyWins as well.

** The movie even gives us a possible explanation of ''how'' she got it: when she and Ludendorff [[spoiler:murder German High Command]] with her gas, Ludendorff actually has to ''pull her away'' from the window when it starts to crack.

** Oh, and our first glimpse of this in use? Steve's flashback as he is interrogated by the Amazons. [[spoiler:Dr. Poison and General Ludendorff have a man chained into a makeshift gas-chamber with a gas mask on as Dr. Poison releases her latest experiment into the room. The leather visibly warps and deforms, the glass cracks, but it holds... barely. Then a furious Dr. Poison pulls on a chain that yanks the mask off of the man in a fit of pique. The scene so horrifies Steve that he disobeys orders and steals Dr. Poison's notebook.]]

* [[spoiler: Ares's first on-screen appearance as a god]]. He appears out of thin air, completely at ease, and speaks to Diana from behind a window. Diana walks around the window to face him, and suddenly he's on the OTHER side of the window. Up to this point, there has been a legitimate question over whether or not [[spoiler: Ares]] is real, with the audience generally believing Diana that he is, but in this brief moment, a sliver of a doubt is introduced, as he appears like a figment of her imagination. It's a very simple effect, but in a matter of seconds he becomes more disturbing than the DCEU's versions of the Joker and Lex Luthor.
** The tone he takes with Diana is remarkably disturbing as well. He seems at once regretful and even empathetic to Diana's feelings. He doesn't seem to be taking any pleasure in completely shattering Diana's worldview and self-worth. He's [[spoiler: the personification of War]] itself and he sounds like an older brother trying to gently let his little sister know that there is no Santa Claus. Which is an apt comparison considering [[spoiler:he ''is'' her older half-sibling...]]
** [[spoiler: Ares then shows off his sheer ''power'', and it becomes clear humanity is lucky he wants to have humanity destroy themselves rather than just wipe them out by himself. Ares punches in the same weight class as Wonder Woman (who recall, is able to trade punches with ''Doomsday''), can manipulate the weather at will, and literally tears the entire area out apart with his mind to throw at Diana, all without showing any sign of effort. A ''gigantic'' point blank explosion doesn't even scratch him. Ares isn't just ''called'' a god, he's ''literally'' a god]]. A few other movies asked what would happen if someone in Superman's weight class was against humanity, [[spoiler: Ares]] does a good job of ''showing'' it, and the reaction of Steve's team conveys exactly how outclassed humanity would be.

* Just the fact that at the end of day, World War I couldn't simply be stopped by taking out the people at the top. As it was in the real world, Steve sums it up best in that the whole affair was just one big, terrible mess. Not even Wonder Woman could stop it herself, because [[spoiler:as Ares would later say]], humans did this of their own will.

** TheReveal at the film's climax does not disappoint:her nose is warped and melted into an almost porcine snout, whilst the crack-like design in the mask is repeated in a great, teeth-baring rent across Dr. Poison's cheek. Worse, you can tell it was inflicted by a chemical weapon; the edges look ''melted''.

** TheReveal at the film's climax does not disappoint: [[spoiler:her nose is warped and melted into an almost porcine snout, whilst the crack-like design in the mask is repeated in a great, teeth-baring rent across Dr. Poison's cheek. Worse, you can tell it was inflicted by a chemical weapon; the edges look ''melted''.]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/000002.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[NewJackSwing That girl is poison...]]]]

** World War II would soon follow and prove to be a far more bloodier and destructive conflict, with the Axis atrocities testing the limits of human depravity, and its aftermath would put [[UsefulNotes/ColdWar the world on the brink of its destruction for a long period of time]]. The worst part? [[spoiler:Ares wouldn't be alive to see it or influence humans in any way. Humans developed nuclear weapons on their own, he did not need to whisper or teach them how to create it]]. It's no wonder this was a CynicismCatalyst for Diana.