Wonder Woman's stint as a fictional ambassador for the United Nations is coming to an end, less than two months after she became the face of a campaign to empower women and girls.

The DC Comics character will no longer be presented as a special ambassador for the UN, effective Friday, Dec. 16.

"We decided to end (the campaign) just before the holidays," Jeffrey Brez, the UN's Chief of NGO Relations and Advocacy, told CTVNews.ca. He added that the decision to end the campaign was made in collaboration with DC Comics and its parent company, Warner Bros.

"We agreed together with them," Brez said.

The UN and Warner Bros. celebrated the launch of the campaign on Oct. 21, with former and current Wonder Woman actresses Lynda Carter and Gal Gadot on hand for the announcement. The promotion was timed to coincide with the 75th publication anniversary of the character.

But some were critical of the campaign, saying that Wonder Woman's sexualized appearance was ill-suited to a movement meant to empower women and girls. An against Wonder Woman's involvement in the campaign picked up nearly 45,000 signatures since it launched in October.

"It is alarming that the United Nations would consider using a character with an overtly sexualized image at a time when the headline news in the United States and the world is the objectification of women and girls," the petition's organizers, who identified themselves as "concerned UN staff members," wrote online. They described the current iteration of Wonder Woman as a "large-breasted, white woman of impossible proportions, scantily clad in a shimmery, thigh-baring body suit鈥� and knee-high boots."

Israeli actress Gal Gadot is poised to reprise her on-screen role as the character in "Wonder Woman," due out next year.

'Successful' campaign

Brez called the Wonder Woman campaign a success, as it allowed the UN to bring its message to a new audience.

"We definitely reached out to millions of her fans," Brez said. "The messages are very powerful and I think that Wonder Woman's fans appreciated them and responded to them very well."

The UN campaign urges all individuals to stand up for women's rights around the world.

"The women and girls who rise up for a better world, and the men and boys who support and stand with them, are superheroes in their own right," the says.

Courtney Simmons, DC Entertainment's senior VP of publicity and communications, said the company is "extremely pleased" with the awareness spread through its partnership with the UN. "Wonder Woman stands for peace, justice and equality, and for 75 years she has been a motivating force for many and will continue to be along after the conclusion of her UN Honorary Ambassadorship."

Brez pointed out that the Wonder Woman campaign lasted much longer than the UN's last partnership with a fictional character. He said the organization used the character Red from "Angry Birds" for all of one day.

Anger online

Many on social media were up in arms over the end of Wonder Woman's fictional tenure with the UN. Several condemned those who signed the petition, accusing them of focusing too much on the character's appearance.

The character has been portrayed in a variety of ways throughout her 75-year publication history, with alterations to her costume that have included tights or pants at various times in the comics.

Liam Sharp, the current artist on DC's "Wonder Woman" comic, was among the more vocal defenders of the character online. His artwork is shown below.