Wonder Woman – Volume 5 – 50

Synopsis

The story is told as a flash-back during a conversation between Wonder Woman and Steve as he prepares to take some time away at sea on a mission.

He feels guilty leaving her at a time when she is still mourning the loss of Jason but she says she will be fine though right now the memories of recent events is still all too vivid.

We then go back in time as Jason and the Dark Gods attack the unprepared Wonder Woman, still stunned by her brother’s betrayal. As chaos continues to spread across the world and the with the Justice League incapacitated, the few remaining heroes left trying to contain the situation, she knows she must battle and defeat her foes or Earth is lost.

But Jason uses all his powers and seemingly filled with rage and hatred towards her, punches her so hard she sends her flying hundreds of miles away. She crashes to the ground and as she struggles to her feet groggily, Jason lands and advances towards her. But instead of landing another blow he helps her up and reveals that he is just pretending and that he is using the power of the God of Lies, Dolos, to deceived the Dark Gods into thinking they have turned him. He had to make the fight look real however and punched her away so they had a chance to talk in private.

He tells her that The Dark Gods fear Wonder Woman and she agrees, adding that when she had been on Zamaron, the God Karnell had said something similar. She suspects that had purposely created the situation that lead to her being summoned by the Star Sapphires so that she was not on earth when the Dark Gods first arrived and were at their weakest.

He agrees with her hypothesis and says that Athena’s wisdom had revealed to him how they can stop the Dark Gods, but they will need to carry on the fight charade for a while longer.

And so a few moments later the Dark Gods see a triumphant Jason return with the lifeless form of Wonder Woman whom, unknown to the Dark Gods, he has used to power of the God Morpheus to put into a deep sleep feigning unconsciousness.

He tells them that she is now theirs to absorb and they do so. Once inside their subconsciousness, where the Justice League are still trapped in a coma, Jason wakes Wonder Woman and the Dark Gods – now vulnerable – find the full wrath of the Amazon Princess is unleashed upon them.

As she fights the other Gods, Jason addresses King Best. He tells the God that whatever they try and do to stop her, they will fail. She is a power they fear and she will never falter. So what are Gods once they’ve been defeated and fade away? Jason then offers King Best a way out. He will give himself to them so they can use all the combined powers of the Olympic Pantheon inside him to help them travel back to their realm.

Hearing this Wonder Woman cries out “No” as Jason adds that there are conditions to his offer. They must return the Justice League, cease all the madness they have brought to the planet and never return again. King Best agrees that this is indeed the only option left to the Dark Gods and Jason and Wonder Woman suddenly find themselves returned to the real world.

She sheds tears as she tells him that she does not want to lose him after only just discovering him. He will have a living death like the Justice League had just experienced, entombed inside the Gods. But he replies that this is the only option according to Athena’s wisdom. It is a sacrifice he must make because that’s what heroes do. And today he gets to be that hero.

They hug each other one last time – brother and sister – before Jason is taken by the Dark Gods in a flash of light. At the same instance the Justice League are returned and the world becomes a peaceful place again. Wonder Woman futilely tries to chase after the Dark Gods as they begin to fade out but it is too late. They – and Jason – are gone.

Back in the present day Steve tells Diana that he has never been quite sure about Jason but in the end he proved himself a hero. Wonder Woman then tells the still tentative Steve to be on his way and that she is not some China Doll. It has been rough but she will prevail. He nods and says that he knows she will – but he cares deeply for her and hates seeing her in pain.

They kiss before he joins the waiting Oddfellows on board the chopper. She in turn flies away from the deck of the Aircraft carrier and as she catches a glimpse of her reflection in the waters below, she thinks to herself that this is not who she is – dark and forlorn. She has Steve, friends and allies and out there – somewhere – she still has Jason too.

So, as she has always done in her life, she will look to tomorrow…with hope.