Why does Steve Trevor fail to recognize Diana Prince as Wonder Woman?

The premise that Steve Trevor fails to recognize Diana Prince as Wonder Woman because of a complex disguise or magical concealment is a common trope in superhero fiction, but in the context of the original Wonder Woman comics, it is presented as a classic secret identity narrative.

Diana Prince adopts her secret identity after bringing Steve Trevor to the United States, where she becomes his assistant. The narrative device functions similarly to a gender-reversed version of Lois Lane’s inability to identify Superman; Trevor simply never realizes that his coworker and the superhero who frequently rescues him are the same person. This dynamic relies on the traditional comic book convention where a simple change in appearance or persona is sufficient to prevent those closest to the hero from discovering their true identity.1