Comments
Another two story issue of Golden Age reprints with new artwork.
Wonder Woman – Volume 1 – 209
General Info
Issue No:
209
On Sale Date:
September 1973
Cover Date:
December 1973-January 1974
Era:
Bronze Age
Story Title:
The Planet Plunder Attack of the Sky Demons
Creative Team
Cover Artist:
Rick Estrada, Vince Colletta
Writer:
William Moulton Marston
Penciller:
Rick Estrada
Inker:
Vince Colletta
Letterer:
Not Stated
Colourist:
Not Stated
Editor:
Robert Kanigher
Characters
Main:
Wonder Woman, Wonder Girl
Heroes:
N/A
Villains:
Solo, Sky Riders
Olympians:
N/A
Amazons:
Hippolyta (Hippolyte), Balla
Other:
N/A
Synopsis - First Story
This tale begins with Wonder Woman patrolling the sea lanes in her invisible jet. Suddenly, she receives a telepathic distress call from Balla, who is accompanying a group of her fellow Amazons on a visit to the under water city of Neptunia. The message reveals that the Amazons are being held prisoners together with Una, the female President of Neptunia and her cabinet. Apparently, a man called Solo has held a coup against the women leaders of the city with the aid of his Neptunian slaves, known as Mechanos. Wonder Woman immediately responds to the SOS and heads towards the city.
Meanwhile, Solo is communicating with his superior on the all male planet of Neptune, from which the city of Neptunia had fallen into the sea many years ago. He confirms that he has recaptured the city and his leader advises that a planet pulverising bombing fleet has now been dispatched in order to assist him in the annihilation of Paradise Island.
Suddenly, instruments pick up an approaching plane, although the Mechanos can see nothing on their screens. Solo realises it must be Wonder Woman in her invisible jet and sends out a torpedo squadron. He instructs them to use their air current detectors to help them locate and destroy the Amazon.
As Wonder Woman circles over the underwater city she suddenly finds herself under attack and quickly takes evasive action, causing the Mechano kamikaze torpedoes to head towards each other on a collision course. However, the Amazing Amazon does not wish to kill them and she ensures that the Mechano slaves are knocked safely back into the sea instead of destroying each other.
That done, Wonder Woman dives into the sea with her plane and heads towards the city below. She knows that she has no choice but to enter through the main entrance and she prepares to face whatever traps may lay in store for her. As she enters the city and descends into the labyrinth caves of Neptunia, her rapid progress is monitored by a waiting Solo.
Suddenly, she runs straight into a large metal door which blocks the passageway. Wonder Woman realises that she must be getting close and moves to rip the door from its hinges. But as she tries she is thrown back down the corridor by a blast of antimagnetic energy. She surmises that the door will repel anything within its magnetic reach but she knows she has to find a way to get through. Once more she charges at the door and grasps it with all her might, trying to fight against the massive force trying to push her away. Just as she had calculated, the Amazing Amazon is hurled down the corridor again but this time she takes the door with her, yanking it off its hinges.
Wonder Woman continues onwards only to confront a group of automated Mechano bowmen. She easily disposes of the attackers and presses forward, but this time Solo and his men are waiting to ambush her, and riding on giant flying fish they charge her! As she prepares to confront them, three Neptunians manage to ensnare her legs in their own lassos while a gloating Solo tells her that men are now ruling Neptunia again because they are stronger than any woman – even an Amazon! Wonder Woman responds by using her legs to yank her captors off their mounts, but the momentum carries the Neptunians towards the Amazon Princess. Unable to get out of the way, she is bowled over by their flying bodies and slammed against a nearby rock, knocking her unconscious.
A little later, at the palace of Neptunia, the dazed Amazon finally comes round only to find herself bound with her own lasso and under the complete command of Solo. An aide advises the Neptunian that his fleet of planet pulverises has arrived and he commands Wonder Woman to lead the fleet in her plane, guiding them to their first target – Paradise Island!
Unable to disobey, she is soon airborne with the Neptunian fleet following behind her. Riding onboard with her, Solo again taunts Wonder Woman by telling her that she is living proof that men are superior to women. He gloats that not only does he have her in his power, but that she is actually helping him to destroy her own people without being able to make a single move. The Amazon Princess decides enough is enough and suddenly turns her plane upside down, sending the two occupants plummeting out of the cockpit and earthwards. The result is that the magic lasso is yanked from Solo’s grasp. Free of his will, she instantly commands her plane to level out underneath her and she lands on the wing, from where she catches the shocked Solo.
She informs him that his fleet is next and as he holds on to the wing for dear life, he tells her she cannot take on a whole fleet. But Wonder Woman uses her bracelets to repel the rockets which are being fired at her and then ties up the fleet in her magic lasso! An Amazon squadron then arrives to escort the defeated fleet back to the planet Neptune, while Wonder Woman returns to her aircraft where a cringing Solo awaits his death at her hand. However, she informs him that ‘Amazons use force only for the sake of justice’ and takes him back to the authorities in Neptunia.
Back at the underwater city, the prisoners are freed and President Una is returned to office, vowing never again to be fooled by Solo’s reformed ways. She tells Wonder Woman that next time, he will have to prove his ways have changed before an all women’s parole board. The Amazon Princess replies that as long as Una combines wisdom with loving authority, the seven seas will be a better place to live!
Synopsis - Second Story
This story is set some years earlier on the occasion of Diana’s seventh birthday party. In front of an adoring crowd, young Amazons compete against each other in sporting events and Queen Hippolyta tries hard not to show the pride she has for her own daughter and her amazing feats.
Suddenly, the sky darkens and the Queen quickly runs to her telescope to look up into the darkened sky. She discovers that a huge rock fragment is plummeting towards them! As the fragment’s flaming wake passes over Paradise Island, strange creatures resembling flaming demons descend upon the Amazons, firing ray guns while astride Kangas. As they try to fight against the weakening effects of their attackers weapons, the Amazons are horrified to find that men have landed on Paradise Island!
Acting fast, Queen Hippolyta tells her daughter to run to safety cave, where no enemy can enter and live, instructing Diana to tell other Amazons she meets on the way to do the same. Just as the young Diana sets off she sees Hippolyta struck by one of the rays. However, obeying her mother’s wishes she continues on to the cave.
Meanwhile, the creatures believe they have captured the weakened queen but she tells them that the Amazons cannot be conquered while she still wears Aphrodite’s Girdle, proceeding to throw one of the creatures from their mount. In the midst of the ensuing struggle however, the creature manages to remove the girdle and instantly Hippolyta weakens and succumbs fully to the ray’s effects.
A little later, a dazed Hippolyta recovers to find herself bound and overlooked by the creature who is now wearing her girdle. She asks who they are and why they have invaded Paradise Island. The creature tells her that they are Skyriders from the flaming planet of Nebulosta. The great fires at that world’s core finally exploded hurling them into space but using their Kangas, which can sense land fragments floating in space, they eventually found their way to Paradise Island.
Holding a dagger over the helpless queen, the Skyrider then orders her to instruct any fugitive Amazons to surrender and be slaves – or else she will die!
Meanwhile, Diana and other Amazons hide in the safety cave, which is protected by a powerful Electro Atomic screen. As the Skyriders try to advance on them the fugitive Amazons tell them to stop where they are – or else the Electro Atomic rays will kill them. The Skyriders inform the Amazons that they must surrender or else their queen will die. Inside the cave, an Amazon council discusses their predicament and though they know that captivity under the Skyriders is a high price to pay, they must give themselves up to save Hippolyta Diana has other ideas however and orders the screen to be switched off long enough for her to exit the cave.
The young Amazon charges at the surprised Skyriders who are overwhelmed by her amazing strength and agility. Having dealt with the creatures, she races on to where her mother is being held.
As she approaches she can see that the chief Skyrider is holding a dagger above the queen and Diana throws herself at the unsuspecting creature. However, other Skyriders open fire with their ray guns and stun the young Amazon Princess.
A short while later Diana finds herself trapped inside a cage suspended from a tree branch, while below her mother looks on helplessly. The chief Skyrider informs Hippolyta that their rays can only weaken and bind captives but that it is possible to make them more intense. If she does not order the Amazons to surrender then the rays will rise higher about the cage until her daughter dies!
The queen faces a terrible choice – whether to doom the fugitive Amazons to a life of captivity or condemn her own daughter to death. Yet while she agonises over the decision, Diana begins to swing the cage backwards and forwards behind the waiting Skyrider. Cleverly, she manages to grab the girdle from the surprised Skyrider’s waist and breaks out of the cage.
Diana quickly claps the girdle back around her mother’s waist, instantly restoring her Amazon strength. Hippolyta instructs her daughter to free the others while she holds off the enemy. Diana rips off a piece of cloak from one of the fallen Skyriders and uses it as a glove, so that she can free the other Amazons without having to touch the binding rays and their subsequent weakening effects. As the freed Amazons join their queen to battle the Skyriders, the creatures declare that by their own law, the Amazons should have lost their strength as soon as a man stepped foot on their island.
Suddenly, one of the Skyriders is accidentally unmasked, revealing that they are, in fact, women! Elated, the Amazons realise that they have not broken Aphrodite’s Law and begin ripping off the protective costumes of the other Skyriders. As soon as the impostors find themselves vulnerable to their own weakening rays, they surrender.
The female Skyriders expect a swift execution but Diana tells them that Amazons believe in love – not killing. The Skyriders reply that they have no home left to return to and ask whether they can stay. Queen Hippolyta informs them that they will be taken to Transformation Island, where they will remain prisoners until they learn that love is stronger than violence. Once that lesson is learned, they can then become true Amazons.
As the prisoner are lead away, Diana asks her mother whether she can have a ride on one of the Skyrider’s Kangas. As it is still Diana’s birthday, her mother agrees and as she watches her daughter ride up into the sky she says to herself that “Any girl can be a Wonder Woman – if she realises the true power of women.”
