DC Special was an anthology series mostly focused on reprinting stories from DC’s Golden Age. The issue is also known as “Super-Heroes Battle Super-Gorillas” and Wonder Woman appears in the second story, which is a reprint from “Wonder Woman” #170.
On Paradise Island, Wonder Woman and her mother, Queen Hippolyta, watch the other Amazons joyfully engaged in competitive events as part of an annual Festival. The Amazon Queen says that none of them would be merry if they ever disobeyed Aphrodite’s strict law that no Man may set foot on the island. If this happened the Amazons would lose their powers and ultimately perish.
The mighty Amazon Princess decides to join her sisters and tells them they have five minutes to pin her shoulders to the ground. As they accept the challenge Wonder Woman uses her dazzling agility to dodge their attempts to grab her. She moves like lightning and uses her lasso to ensnare her laughing sisters who recognise that they have lost the challenge.
A little later on the other side of the island Wonder Woman prepares to take a dip in the cooling waters when she suddenly spots an alien craft approaching in the sky. The saucer touches down and she is staggered to see Gorillas in spacesuits disembarking! The lead creature tells her that they are from a highly civilised planet beyond the sun. But they are lonely and they have come here to take her back as his Queen! His other subjects will choose from the other Amazons. Wonder Woman realises she must get them off the island before the Amazons lose all their powers!
At first, the patient Amazon princess appeals to them. She begs them to leave or else they will cause the Amazons to suffer dire penalties caused by the visitors setting foot on the island. But the Gorillas laugh back at her and she resorts to force. She hurls herself at the leader and knocks him down but he instantly reacts by using his legs to juggle her in the air like a human ball! He kicks her clear and as she lands back on her feet she tells him she will never consent to be his queen.
Again she hurls herself at the invader, thinking to herself that she must prove herself stronger then him and force the Gorillas to leave the island. Time after time the valiant Amazon pits herself against the laughing space creature but her strength has no effect on him. He knocks her flying again and again and in desperation she uses her magic lasso on him. But to her consternation it has no effect on him and he simply yanks on it, pulling her over.
He then points a ray gun at her and zaps the helpless Amazon Princess. The strange beam transforms her into a Gorilla but when the leader sees the result of his handiwork he is not impressed. Before the beautiful Amazon Princess has looked unique – someone to treasure – but now she just looks like one of them. He had not crossed space for this! Wonder Woman suggests he changes her back and then he will not be disappointed. He agrees and using the beam on her again she is changed back to her normal gorgeous self.
Ingeniously, she then argues that nowhere in the world do unlikes share a throne. Since he does not like her as a Gorilla why does he not change himself into a man so they can be similar? He finds her idea appealing as it will make him unique on his home planet. He turns the ray gun on himself and as Wonder Woman watches his features change to that of a human being, she hopes her desperate plan will work before the Amazons are all doomed. As soon as the Gorilla has completed turning himself into a man she uses the lasso again and orders him to return in peace from whence he came and take his crew with him. He unable to refuse and turning himself back into a Gorilla he and his crew board their craft. He tells her he will never forget her beauty and she replies that while it is very sweet of him to say, fate had not meant for them to be together. She thanks hear as the craft lifts off and zooms away.
She returns to the Festival and her mother again thanks the Gods that no men have ever set foot on their island. She casually asks if her daughter has seen anything that might threaten the status quo and Wonder Woman replies that all is well on Paradise Island.
