Wonder Woman – Volume 4 – 12

Synopsis

With Hera having just revealed her plan to trade the throne of Mount Olympus to Apollo for the lives of Zola and her unborn bastard child of Zeus, Wonder Woman and Hermes arrive to rescue their friend.

Apollo’s twin, Artemis is all too eager to face the Amazon again. Arrogantly gloating, she believes that Diana can’t best her, because in her heart, she is too good to do what is necessary. While Hermes and Diana are distracted in fighting Apollo and Artemis, Hera takes the opportunity to drag Zola to the edge of the mount. In her fear, and advanced stages of pregnancy, Zola’s water breaks. When questioned by Strife, Hera explains that she had never intended to honour the deal with Apollo. She is sure that as soon as he tries to take the throne, Zeus will return, just to take it back. Meanwhile, she will use the chaos to dispose of another of his dalliances and her bastard by tossing her into an eternal fall from the edge of the mount.

Spotting the god-queen’s crime, Wonder Woman rushes to Zola’s aid, too late to stop her from being thrown from the edge. Hermes plucks one of the feathers from the wings of his feet, and its quill pierces her thigh, giving her the power of flight. With this, Wonder Woman manages to catch her friend, and return her to the top of the mountain.

In the meantime, though, Apollo takes his seat on the throne. With this, a crack of lightning and thunder strikes the plateau, causing Hera to cry out with joy, thinking Zeus has returned. Unfortunately, this is merely the first change of Apollo’s rule, as he reshapes Olympus in his image. And now, he knows that Hera’s intentions were deceitful. As punishment, he exiles her from Olympus.

With Hera gone, Strife mischievously reminds Apollo that the child in the prophecy he follows – the one who would kill a god to take the throne – could be Zola’s child, and not Diana. Rather than let Apollo consider this, Wonder Woman sends Zola and Hermes back to earth to deliver the child in safety.

Then, Wonder Woman turns to Apollo and Artemis, removing her bracelets. With disbelief, Artemis wonders why Diana would strip herself of her best defence against a god. Wonder Woman responds that the bracelets were Artemis’ best defence against her. Almost effortlessly, Diana dodges Artemis’ charge, and lets loose a series of pointed counter-attacks that render the goddess unconscious. Apollo calls an end to the fighting, and proposes a deal. Wonder Woman bargains that Apollo will leave Zola and her baby alone, otherwise she herself will fulfil the prophecy. This, on the condition that if Zola’s child is the child of the prophecy, Diana will kill the child herself.

Wonder Woman returns to Virginia as Hermes delivers Zola’s baby. Outside the medical centre, Hera cries over her lost place on Olympus, while Lennox tapes his wounds nearby. Zola finally delivers her child, only to have Hermes disappear with the newborn in hand. Her scream alerts those outside, and Hera gloats, reminding that Hermes is the god of thieves as well as the messenger. Angrily, Zola throws a tray at Hera’s head, and to their surprise, the projectile draws blood. Hera has been rendered mortal. Cradling Zola in her arms, Wonder Woman promises that she will get the child back, and bring Hermes to justice.

Elsewhere, Hermes delivers the babe to Demeter. He muses that the child’s future will hold much turmoil; betrayal and death, the fall of Olympus, perhaps new gods.

Somewhere, a wounded man breaks through the layers of ice and snow he had been buried under. He puts on his helmet, and enters his Boom Tube.