Comments
Originally this issue should have seen the commencement of Gail Simone’s run on the title, but due to unforeseen circumstances her debut was pushed back to issue 14 and instead Joseph Torres was asked to provide another fill in issue. In fact, he proves to be adept at doing such issues and once again manages to put together a self contained instalment that captures Diana’s character accurately and serves as a suitable post-script to the “Amazons Attack!” story line.
This issue is also of note as the cover art is incorrectly attributed to Bernard Chang in the credits when it is clearly signed by the Dodsons!
Synopsis
In the aftermath of the attack on Washington DC by Hippolyta and her Amazons, the authorities are left with the task of clearing up the devastation. Some reminders of the war remain, including some of the mythical creatures that had been brought to Man’s World by the Amazon army to bolster their forces.
Wonder Woman finds herself having to wrestle a multi-headed Hydra to the ground as U.S. army troops close in. She punches one of its snake like heads so powerfully that she sends it careering into the next head and so on, like dominos falling. The stunned creature finally topples over and crashes to the ground, allowing the soldiers to capture it.
Back at the head quarters of the Department of Meta-Human Affairs, several operatives including Tom Tresser watch a playback of the events on the main monitor screen. Tom is in awe of Diana’s power as he points out to the others how effortlessly the Amazon Princess had dealt with the terrifying creature. Just then however Sarge Steel enters the room and asks whether his people have any actual work to do! Tom replies that they were just monitoring Wonder Woman, but an unimpressed Steel tells him that they should be making more progress in trying to locate the vanished Amazons.
Tom sarcastically gestures to the image of Wonder Woman on the screen and responds “Doesn’t she count?” but Steel snaps that in fact it should be Wonder Girl he should be monitoring, after her recent wild behaviour. Steel still considers Cassie as “working for the Gods” and he he simply does not trust the Olympians. He then continues to explain that their mission is not to assist in rounding up the remaining Amazon beasts, but to monitor the Meta’s as they help to round up the creatures.
Just then Diana in her Agent Prince guise enters the room with lunch for her and Tom. Sarge brings her up to speed, explaining that they need to keep a close eye on Wonder Girl, as well as Supergirl. Diana replies that the subsequent investigation into their unprovoked attack on the soldiers at the internment camp, as well as the incident with Air Force One, is still ongoing. But Sarge Steel tells her that in his opinion the girls needs some guidance and direction from their mentors.
Tom suddenly brings their attention to another monitor feed which shows a large angry crowd gathering outside the Natural History Museum in Gateway City where Helena Sandsmark works. TV reports indicate that Wonder Girl is also inside and the situation has the potential of turning ugly, as the Amazons are still seen as being the “enemy” by many people who had suffered during the recent conflict. Seeing he might be right, Diana makes her excuses and leaves quickly. She transforms into Wonder Woman and flies towards Gateway City.
Meanwhile inside the museum, Helena looks out of the window down at the mob and the museum’s curator explains that they are circulating a petition, demanding that the Themysciran Exhibit is closed. Helena angrily asks if that also want the German and Japanese artefacts to be removed as well? He replies that it is not just the public below, as three of their biggest corporate sponsors have also asked for the same thing, with other donors even threatening to boycott the museum. An exasperated Helena says they are being persecuted for simply being associated with Wonder Girl. “What next? We remove ‘Amazon’ from the dictionary?”.
Just then she hears a voice reply “We’re not waiting to find out” and turns to see her daughter, Cassie standing there. They hug each other while Helena’s colleague backs away in fear of Wonder Girl. He runs away as she turns to look at him and Helena tells her daughter that he is afraid of her, just like the people outside. Cassie replies that they have no idea what really happened during the recent conflict and only believe what they saw on TV. She suggests she should go outside and “explain” it to them but her mother tells her that she is not thinking clearly. Cassie is simply reacting and the people outside are justified to be wary of Wonder Girl – even Helena herself is afraid of her daughter and what she might do next!
Cassie responds that if her mother was not so busy with work and they spent more time together then perhaps she would understand better. Helena snaps back that she is being unfair and that it is Cassie herself who has not been around, spending more time with the Teen Titans than her own family. The two women hold each others hands, not wanting to turn things into an argument. Cassie apologises for everything and asks her mother to get away somewhere safe until things blow over. She even suggests that her mother takes the Sandals of Hermes and the Gauntlet of Atlas with her from the museum vaults as protection…
Back outside Wonder Woman touches down on the steps in front of the museum. The yelling mob suddenly falls silent as Diana stares at them. She then makes her way up the steps towards the museum entrance and as she goes, a reporter asks whether she is here to persuade the museum to remove the Amazon exhibit and whether the Themyscirans consider her to be a traitor for siding with the U.S. Government? Wonder Woman stops momentarily and turns to look at the reporter with her piercing blue eyes. The crowd scatter in fear leaving the report standing there. She lowers her microphone and sighs “No comment. Got it.”
Once inside the museum, Wonder Woman is greeted by the curator. She says she is here to see Helena Sandsmark and her daughter, Cassie but she is told that they have both just left. She asks if he knows where they went but he shakes his head, adding that he had the feeling they would not be coming back anytime soon…
A short while later Wonder Woman touches down back in Washington DC where the Justice Society are assisting in the reconstruction of one of the city’s damaged hospitals. She is greeted by Jay Garrick, otherwise known as the Flash, and asks how things are going. He replies that the Emergency Room has been fully operational for a week and the maternity ward has seen its third delivery in as many days. Just then Wildcat walks over and says that he thought Diana was supposed to be attending a school reopening ceremony. She nods her head and replies that she should be going, but just wanted to pop by to see how things were progressing.
Ted then asks if she has had any word from Hippolyta but she responds that she has not had a chance to speak with her mother yet. Wonder Woman then bids them farewell and lifts off into the air, telling them that they will be the first to hear once she gets some answers from her exiled mother.
A few minutes later in Georgetown, Black Canary cuts a ribbon and announces that the newly refurbished girl’s school is back open for business. As everyone gives a cheer, three of the girls approach the watching Wonder Woman. Two of the girls introduce themselves to her and say that the third girl has been dying to meet Diana, but has not spoken since her mother died a few years ago. However, she is a huge fan of the Amazon Princess and even wrote an essay about her being a “Global Maternal Figure”. A smiling Wonder Woman kneels down and tells the shy girl she is very pleased to meet her. Amazingly, she hears the girl murmur “Me..too..” and the other two girls are left open mouthed in shock.
Diana places a reassuring hand on the girl’s shoulder and is asked “Promise us you won’t leave us again. That you’ll protect us like you did during the war? That you’re here to stay?”. A touched Wonder Woman hugs the girl and replies “Yes. yes I am”.
A little later Wonder Woman is flying out to sea towards where Themyscira is now located a few miles offshore. She hovers high above the island and places her hand against the invisible force field that has to date kept all and sundry out. She punches it several times but to no avail. The force field holds. She sees far below her mother sitting forlornly on her throne – silent and motionless. Perhaps like the young girl Diana had met earlier, Hippolyta will speak when she has something to say. Her mother had supposedly done it all for Diana. The attack on Patriarch’s World…the war.. and all the ensuing death and destruction…a twisted show of maternal love from a woman resurrected from the dead by evil and then tainted by it.
As Wonder Woman flies back to the mainland she thinks to herself that some people say the daughter does what the mother did. But she must not let anger and sorrow and bitterness cloud her judgement as she searches for answers and set things right. The Gods are testing her again. But she must follow the true way’s of the Amazons and lead by example. And while she must remember that she is the daughter while in her mother’s house, she is the mistress in her own. She is a warrior who fights for what is right…she is a champion of peace…she is an Amazon…but above all…she is Wonder Woman!
