Wonder Woman – Volume 3 – 37

Synopsis

Diana is asleep in her apartment when she suddenly becomes aware of a presence in her room. She sits up and sees Ares sitting at the bottom of her bed! She tries to reach for her lasso on her bedside cabinet but sees that the War God already has it in his possession. She sees that he sports a huge scar where the hole she had cleaved in his head has been sown together. He tells her that he has always wondered what the lasso tasted like and licks it, saying it tastes coppery…like a woman’s blood.

She says that she is obviously dreaming but he responds that perhaps it is he who is dreaming – has she thought of that? Perhaps it was him who had killed her on that day. Perhaps he had wrung her pretty neck and as a last parting gift granted her the illusion that it was she who had murdered him on the beach. But no. It is most definitely Ares who had fallen.

He stands up and continues to explain that he has gone to where Gods go in death and that the millions he has touched now torment him. Diana replies that he had been set to slaughter her sisters but pauses. He says that of course Diana no longer has any sisters after disowning the Amazons. It was worth dying just for him to see that event! She asks what he wants and he tells her that he will break her heart by destroying the innocent. Now, as forever. “You will be mine. And you will suffer.” He continues to taunt that she and all her sisters will die in combat. For all her struggles it is Ares that she loves and serves best. “And I am not done with you Princess.” In fact, one of his best agents is betraying her as they speak. “Achilles? she asks. “No. Not Achilles” he replies.

He places his broken helmet by her side and says that he is leaving it as a gift. As Themyscira…her sisters….her mother falls, will she do nothing. Be nothing?”. With that he leaves her alone with her thoughts…

On Themyscira meanwhile Hippolyta and Phillipus visit one of the pregnant Amazons. Alkistis tells them that she not had any congress with a man and that her baby boy is a gift from the gods themselves. As the Amazon Queen and her Captain make their way back to the palace through a raging rain storm Phillipus says that Zeus shows his disfavour. Hippolyta replies that he has been doing that a lot lately. Suddenly a rider appears and advises them that Artemis has returned to the Island with the missing Bana-Mighdall Amazons who had been being held in captivity on a prison island.

At the palace Achilles and Alkyone are sparring with each other. The Amazon taunts her “mate” until he loses his cool and slaps her. She then asks if he had done as she had instructed. He replies that he had informed Diana that her mother would suffer if she interfered with their duties again. She had retreated but he does not believe that this will last for long. “Because she doubts your mettle” replies Alkyone. “You confuse honour with strength.” They must show Wonder Woman that there are consequences if she breaks the truce. She then instructs a reluctant Achilles to kill the three Gorillas that Diana had left behind on the island to protect the queen and hang their skins on the beach. And then bind Hippolyta and cut her!

Back in Washington Diana puts on her costume with new resolve. Her enemies were all right. They had seen her weakness. She cannot bear the pain of innocents. But her enemies only see her love as a defect in her armour. It took Ares to remind her that it is also what gives her her strength.

She sets forth for Themyscira and as she approaches the island Achilles, Alkyone and Jason await her arrival on the beach. Jason asks whether they should summon their warriors? Achilles asks in turn what difference would it make? Wonder Woman touches down before them and says that she has come for her mother. “I’ve beaten you twice before Achilles” she warns him .He replies that this time it is not he who will be her opponent. Too late Wonder Woman hears a sound behind her before she is slammed into by Donna Troy! She is carried out into the ocean and driven under the water.

As an almost maddened Donna pummels Wonder Woman, the Amazon Princess remembers how Genocide had created some sort of psychic blowback in Donna – causing her sister to blame Diana for the death of her family. Donna punches Wonder Woman so hard that she is sent flying back out of the water and high into the air. Wonder Woman is impressed with her fighting prowess but uses her lasso to ensnare Donna. Her opponent screams in agony though and concerned for her safety, Wonder Woman immediately releases Donna fearing the lasso will kill her sister.

Donna continues her attack and uses her own lasso to ensnare Diana’s boot. She hurls the surprised Amazon Princess down into the ground but Diana quickly sees Donna’s tactic as she comes around behind for a follow up attack. “Using the same tactic twice in one fight? I thought I taught you better than that!” Wonder Woman prepares a punch and catches the attacking Donna totally by surprise. Diana then slams her bracelets against Donna’s ears and knees her in the face, while trying to explain how she loved Donna’s family and is not responsible for their deaths. But Donna is clearly deranged and retaliates with another powerful punch before grabbing Wonder Woman around the neck.

“You killed them” Donna screams but Wonder Woman calmly replies that she had died that day inside, knowing Donna’s pain. As she speaks she unhooks her lasso and throws it into the ocean, suspecting that whatever hate filled bomb Genocide had placed in Donna’s brain is reacting to proximity with her lasso. A stunned Donna watches it fall and asks “You’d give up the lasso, the power of all truth…for me?”. Wonder Woman turns to face her confused sister and hugging her, replies that while it is a glorious thing it is still merely a possession whereas Donna is her sister. “And all the gifts from the Gods that have ever been aren’t worth a strand of your hair.”

Reunited, Diana and Donna return to the beach and tells the waiting opponents that their plan had failed and that they want Hippolyta. Just then the Amazon Queen steps forward, shackled, and tells her daughter that if she truly loves her then she will understand her choice here. If her discomfort or imprisonment or even execution holds her people together, it is a small price for the blood spilled in her name by the Amazons.

Alkyone removes the tiara from a stunned Wonder Woman and says that it is time for Diana to surrender. Hippolyta begs Diana not to resist, adding that Achilles was chosen as king by the Gods and this morning married Alkyone as his queen. “This is her island now.”