Wonder Woman – Volume 3 – 40

Synopsis

After reports of a giant feathered serpent having devoured an entire DC Metro Train, Wonder Woman makes her way cautiously though one of the tunnels. She finds a large feather lying on the track and knows she is close to her quarry. Suddenly the creature looms out of the darkness and the Amazon Princess engages in combat with the beast. As she is carried backwards into one of the stations she hears a train approaching from the other direction. She quickly decides to take the battle topside and smashes away the serpent’s fangs before looping her lasso around the creature and hauling it up through the ceiling and into the park above.

The serpent, named Quetzlotl, bemoans the fact that she has “castrated him” and she warns that if he does not give in she may just do that next! She punches Quetzlotl into the ground and orders him to regurgitate the train. Reluctantly, the beaten creature obeys and disgustingly spews up the train and it’s passengers who are thankfully unharmed.

Wonder Woman rips open the doors and tells the thankful passengers they are safe and free to disembark. A mother and her two children thanks her for saving them all and a smiling Amazon kneels down as the mother’s little girl holds up her “Wonder Woman” lunch box and tells Diana “You’re so pretty!”.

Not far away hidden in the bushes, five evil looking boys watch the scene menacingly…

Wonder Woman then asks Quetzlotl if he injured and the now calmer serpent says that he is fine and has suddenly lost his appetite. He also has no idea why he has just done this as it is most usual behavior as he normally loathes the taste of flesh. As the serpent departs into the sky to return to its lair Quetzlotl apologizes again for his actions but adds that something made him do this – made him blind with hunger and he fears more may come after him.

As Wonder Woman is left to clear away the mess of the bile covered train the mother and her two children are stopped by the five boys. The boys say how glad they are to see that they are all safe thanks to Wonder Woman. But then, they add that that it seems a shame that she had to destroy this lovely park in the process. And did she not in fact endanger all the passengers by so carelessly fighting the snake? The mother defends Diana, saying that the Amazon Princess had risked her life to save them all. The boys agree, but again slyly add that perhaps she only did it for her own glory? She seemed very “chummy” with the snake afterwards? Perhaps they had both conspired together to get Wonder Woman the attention? Surely not? Not Wonder Woman?

With that they walk away leaving a now doubtful mother and her children suddenly pondering their words and wondering if perhaps there is something to what they say? The little girl, now crying, discards the lunch box and they walk away…

A short while later Wonder Woman arrives at the hospital where Etta has been recuperating. She steels herself for what she will find, still racked with guilt over letting Genocide get near her friend. But as she walks into the reception Etta bounds up to her and gives her a warm hug. Not far away Steve trevor waves as the two women smile in happiness to see each other. Diana gives Etta some flowers and chocolates but Etta can telll by Wonder Woman’s expression that she still feels troubled by what had happened to her friend. Etta asks what is wrong and a sad Diana replies that she should have stayed by Etta’s side and should never have let that creature do what it did.

Etta responds that she is a “big girl” and can look after herself. She then adds that she has not been completely honest with Diana either…

Meanwhile the five boys have manipulated another individual with their sly words, this time persuading a respectable lawyer to firebomb a synagogue while people are still inside. As they watch from a nearby alleyway as the fire crews attempt to fight the blaze, the boys tell the distraught lawyer that the only honorable thing to do is to kill himself. They hand him a gun and leave him to blow his brains out as they move on to a church to stir up some more hatred and vengeance. Before they go one of the TV reporters on the scene ask if they had witnessed the events and one of the boys lies that he had seen a black man shouting horrid abuse before setting alight the synagogue.

As the fire crews continue to desperately fight the roaring blaze they hear a voice from above and see Power Girl floating in the air, offering her assistance and wondering herself how the fire had caught on so quickly?

Back at the hospital Etta explains to a surprised Wonder Woman that she has been a Checkmate Operative under U.N. authority for the last three years, tasked with observing anomalies in the day to day operations of the Department of Meta Human Affairs – and report back to Checkmate HQ. She had been recruited in the middle of the night by Green Lantern and Mr. Terrific and although she has always been proud to be Air Force, when her husband is the Deputy Secretary of Defense and her best friend is an Amazon Warrior, it can make one feel a little inadequate. Being offered the position in Checkmate had given her a chance to be important and make a difference. She had relished the training program and had become a good operative.

She tells an understanding Amazon Princess that she had asked to be in the thick of the action – it was what she wanted. “Trial by fire I guess.” she says. “Genocide or no, hospital or no. It was my decisions that put me here. And I’m not going to have you looking at me with guilty, mopey eyes every time you look at me. You didn’t do this. Genocide did.”

Wonder Woman hugs her friend again and rejoices in the calibre of friends she has found in Man’s World. Just then though they are interrupted by Tamika, the staff nurse, saying that they should take a look at the TV News Report. They see that dozens of fires have broken out and pockets of civil upheaval are occurring right across the city.

Wonder Woman bids her friends goodbye as she races off to assist. As she flies over the smoking city she tries to determine a pattern to the fires. They do not seemed aimed at centres of government. If fact, the biggest fire is at the center of the city almost exactly. Which indicates planning. Suddenly she senses someone approaching ay high speed and only just manages to raise her bracelets in defense before Power Girl strikes them with a mighty blow. The Shocked Amazon asks what Kara is doing but the Kryptonian follows up with another punch across Diana’s chin, sending blood flying as she snarls back “They said you’d lie. You always were good with speeches!”

Wonder Woman clouts Power Girl in retaliation sending her flying, but has to almost immediately go on the defensive again as Kara blasts her with her heat vision. “Never thought you’d sink this low Amazon! I’m taking you down!” and with that, Power Girl punches Wonder Woman so hard she is sent crashing down through the floors of a multi-story parking garage.

Instantly the rubble parts again and Wonder Woman clambers on top of the debris. With a look of determination on her face she replies “I am Wonder Woman. And you’ve managed to make me slightly peeved!”