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This issue sees the start of Simone's "event" storyline, during a
time when both the two other members of the "trinity" had had their
own recent "event" issues. Simone had indicated that much of her run
to date had been building up to this six part epic, in which Diana faces one
of her most deadliest foes yet and also has to deal with the return of the Greek
Gods.
This issue comes with a limited distribution alternative cover.
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Plot Summary: |
The
Ichor (seen in issues 18 and 19)
enters our solar system, returning it's godly passengers to a world they had
left a few years ago. On a Themysciran beach, Hippolyta looks up into the night
sky and senses their return.
The Ichor vessel approaches the island and touches down in the once glorious Amazon capital, now ruined and vandalised by Darkseid's minions (see Final Crisis). The doors open and out walk the Olympian Pantheon, led by Zeus. They stare in horror at the scene before them and Athena asks what has happened. Zeus is equally confused and after Hermes performs a lightning speed reconnaissance of the city he confirms it is empty - and that someone has even had the audacity to use the throne room as a toilet! A distraught Athena begins to cry, asking what has happened to the Amazons and where is her Champion?
Meanwhile at the Department of Meta Human Affairs, Diana Prince briefs her squad on a forthcoming mission. She explains to the eager young squad that there has been a metahuman disturbance reported at a downtown shopping mall. After giving them their standing orders, Diana, accompanied by Tom and Etta, order them to board the chopper but just as they are about to disembark Sarge Steel approaches and orders them to belay the order. He tells Diana that there is an emergency and he needs Tom for a special mission. Diana protests that it leaves her squad a man down but he insists and she sees something in his eyes that convinces her that Steel is lying. She asks what the nature of the emergency is but is told bluntly that it is classified and she is overstepping her authority. Tom assures Diana that things will be OK and he follows Steel back into the complex. Diana tells Etta that she knows something is wrong but Etta places a hand on her shoulder and says that Tom can handle things.
Elsewhere
at the Gotham HQ of the Secret Society, a desperate Dr. Magnus Morrow is telling
Barbara Minerva that although the project he was working on was all his own
work, he had no idea what he was creating. He always knew that by using soil
collected from the sites of numerous massacres and atrocities that have occurred
throughout history, he was creating something that was bad...but they
must recall the creature before it's too late. He grabs Minerva and
pleads with her, adding that she has no idea just how the creature makes people
feel just looking at it...the shame...the terrible guilt...and all the unreasoning
lust for blood. She pushes him away and snaps back that he should get a grip.
She had chosen Morrow to head the Society's science division and had given him
every license and support. The Society needed a JLA killer and Morrow and his
team had succeeded. She then reminds the scientist that this creature had been
his idea in the first place. He nods, replying that he recognises that
fact but that he thinks the idea may have come from Satan himself! Minerva says
that it is too late now as the creature has already been let loose...
Back
in Washington D.C. the chopper approaches the location of the mall and as they
get nearer Diana and Etta look down in horror at the carnage below. Half of
the mall is in ruins and hundreds of cars have been piled up around the complex,
sealing it off. As they touch down and disembark, they feel death...no, not
death...shame...in the very air itself. As the team inspect the wall
of cars they see that the vehicles are leaking blood. They realise that whatever
did this wanted to ensure that the people trapped inside the mall could not
get out - and the rescue vehicles could not get in. Diana muses that their quarry
clearly relishes the sadism and enjoys the thrill of massacre.
She instructs her squad that this has now become a rescue operation. No team is to engage whatever did this and all efforts should go to getting civilians out of the area. She instructs them to blow a hole in the parking lot walls and clear a point of egress. She quietly adds to Etta "I'm going to need a moment of privacy".
Inside the mall, the creature known as Genocide stalks the thoroughfares. An injured girl tries to crawl away but it smashes her head in with its boot! Suddenly it hears a voice and turns to see Wonder Woman walk towards it, lasso unfurled. She advises that as a ranking diplomatic emissary of Themyscira, she declare that they are now at war! With that the creature streaks up through the roof and disappears!
Back
at the Department of Meta Human Affairs HQ, Tom demands to know why he is here
instead of helping his team in a crisis situation. A furious Sarge Steel shows
him a folder containing photos of Tom riding on the Sea Shell vessel, hand in
hand with Wonder Woman. Steel rages that he had given Tom an order to observe
the saboteurs not screw around with them! Tom is clearly with them
and is a traitor! He then orders Tom to be taken away for strip search and incarcerated
for questioning later.
Three armed guards force Tom to walk to the brig and once there he is ordered to remove his uniform. As he takes his top off one of the guards notices the nectarine around his neck that Diana had given to him as a token of their love. As the guard inspects it Tom warns him not to touch it. Tom is ordered to take it off but he refuses and is told that he will be shot if he does not do as ordered. "Is that damn thing worth your life" he is asked? "Yes. It absolutely is" Tom calmly replies.
Just before the guard pulls the trigger though Tom grabs his arm and the blast strikes the face of one of the the other guards. Tom then knocks out the other two and taking the gun, makes a swift exit from the complex - now effectively a fugitive.
At the mall Wonder Woman flies up through the hole in the roof and surveys the area as rain starts to lash down. Too late she realises that the creature has some sort of teleporter as it reappears behind her and digs its fingers into her shoulder, drawing blood. She senses it's incredible power and recognises that of a god! It then hurls her with incredible force back down through the roof and into the mall. She slams into the floor and struggles to her feet as Genocide touches down in front of her. She quick removes her razor edged tiara and uses it to slice across the creatures neck, drawing blood.
Meanwhile Tom races to the scene on a stolen bike as Etta organises the squad to get the civilians as far away from the area as possible. Inside, the battle continues as Genocide raises it's powerful fist and brings it down on Wonder Woman, who manages to use her bracelets to defend herself. But it grabs her by the hair and lifts her off her feet, before using its other hand to punch her. As Wonder Woman struggles to push his fist away she feels something preying on her psyche. Some psychological weapon of the creature's.
On Themyscira, Zeus is advised that Athena is bemoaning the fact that her last champion has abandoned her and is going to fall. There is no reason for the Goddess to go on anymore. Athena is apparently giving back her immortality and is already fading fast. "She's going to die Lord Zeus. She's half there already!".
Back at the mall Wonder Woman punches Genocide away but it manages to grab a civilian who is trying to escape. It lifts the woman into the air by her head and commands that Wonder Woman gets to her knees. The Amazon only has the innocent's life in mind and does as she is told, asking if this is supposed to somehow give her a sense of defeat? But the monster replies "No. A better view" before crushing the woman heads like a peach. Enraged and horrified, Wonder Woman can only feel a bloodlust as she charges at Genocide screaming ""I'll kill you! I'll kill you for that!". But she is sent flying by another powerful punch and she realises that her foe is using her hate and lust for blood against her. For some reason her arms, legs and mind feel sluggish and she is unable to stop blow after blow raining down upon her. Genocide bellows "Suffer!" as he grabs her by the head and slams her down face first into the concrete floor....
Tom, who has now joined Etta, make their way inside the mall trying to find Diana by heading towards the sound of the battle. They turn a corner and stare in shock and horror at the sight before them. a battered and bleeding Wonder Woman has been strung up by one arm and bound with a steel rod. She weakly asks if they can see it. Obviously punch drunk from her beating, it takes a moment for her to finally remember that Genocide has taken her lasso!
To be continued...
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