Wonder Woman – Volume 4 – 38

Synopsis

Diana has a nightmare whereby the Amazons are being overrun by a huge dragon and as the casualties mount, Dessa orders them to retreat while she tries to hold the line – all the while asking where Diana is and that she is needed here on Themyscira. When Wonder Woman finally arrives she finds the halls filled with injured Amazons and horrified, asks where Dessa is? When she hears that her trusted friend is on the beach, she rushes to the scene only to find Dessa lying, dying on the floor. As Diana watches the Amazon pass away she vows vengeance and heads towards the rampaging dragon. But as she approach the creature it calmly submits to her.

As she looks on puzzled a figure emerges from the shadows dressed in a War God version of her own costume. The figure (presumably a representation of Diana’s true form as the God of War) tells Wonder Woman that the dragon is just another pet from Ares’ Menagerie. She continues that the Amazon Princess really has not given any thought as to what it means to be the God of War. “You are War now. It is your very nature to spread discord wherever you go”.

She tells Wonder Woman that Dessa had been trying to hold the Amazons together in her absence, but Diana had already left her mark as the War God and in the absence of a strong queen, warring factions had emerged. The Amazons had destroyed themselves from within. This dragon had simply been drawn to the battle. Diana’s misguided belief in her own self righteousness had made it impossible for her to even consider the idea that people might not actually do what she told them to do.

“Now you’re in control of nothing. Not even yourself. Your arrogance has been costly. Prepare to pray the price!” With that, the figure draws her own sword and brings it down on a cowering Diana…

At that moment the Amazon Princess wakes up and finds her bed sheets covered in blood.

Looking down upon this from Olympus, Strife smiles and vows to make those blood stains permanent!

Meanwhile as Donna Troy puts on her Amazon armour, Derinoe hands her a sword and kneeling before her, tells Donna that Themyscira needs a savior more than ever before. “All that remains is for you to take you place and fulfil your destiny”.

Later in a cafe in London, Diana is sharing her troubles with Hessia. She tells her friend that she does not understand what the Amazons want from her. Hessia replies that they need a Queen to lead them now that her mother Hippolyta has gone. But Diana responds that this is why she had set up the council to govern, so that they could take more control over their own lives. But Hessia states that it has been too much change too quickly. The Amazons do not know how to cope while Diana tries to change several thousand years of history.

“But our traditions are choking them!” snaps back Diana.

Hessia says that Diana, more than anybody, knows how hard change is and then asks if the Princess has noticed any of the physical manifestations of becoming the God of War yet? Diana tells her that Hessia knows more than anybody that Wonder Woman is not changed or defined that easily. But her friend responds that it will happen and denying it will not stop it. She adds that Diana needs to prepare herself, so that she can shape the God she will become – or else it will shape her until she becomes cruel and hateful. Diana snarls that she is not Ares -but her friend calmly tells her that Ares had used alcohol to numb his pain. What lengths will Diana go to in order to make that pain stop? And how will her friends in the Justice League react?

Just then Diana gets a communication through from the League informing her that yet another village has vanished from the face of the earth. As she prepares to leave, Hessia states that being the God of War is more than just a title. It has consequences. Diana replies that while she may not have known what it meant to be the God of War when she took on the mantle, she will live with her choices….and their consequences.

A short while later in Peru the Justice League are investigating the newly formed volcano that has emerged where the village once stood. As Batman and Wonder Woman monitor things in the bat plane, Superman descends into the crater with a head cam attached to survey the chambers below.

As they watch him enter Batman casually asks Wonder Woman what it means to be the God of War. She replies that she is a member of the Justice League and that is all that matters. But he presses her on the subject, asking if this means she is now a lightning rod for conflict? She tells him that he has known her long enough by now to know that that is not who she is. “I know” he replies. “But the God of War is someone else altogether. Should I be concerned?”

Just then they hear Superman ask if they are seeing the footage from his head cam. Batman says it is too dark and asks him to turn on his built in lights. But as he does so he is suddenly attacked by a swarm of ravenous insect like creatures and his cam feed cuts off….

Meanwhile back on Themyscira Derinoe addresses the council and says that once again their Queen is absent. Dessa relies that she is with her Justice League colleagues and that her responsibilities are bigger than just this island. But the old crone asks what of her responsibilities to the Amazons? Dessa tells her that Diana is here when she needs to be, but the others on the council are unconvinced and state that they have been patient long enough and that Diana’s absence demonstrates that she has made her choice.

They then instruct Derinoe to bring forth her “perfect” Amazon so that they can judge her worthiness themselves. Derinoe replies that she has prayed to Hera for salvation and once again look on them with favour, forgiving the sins of their former Queen, Hippolyta and giving them a new champion. She then presents Donna Troy to the council, whom she describes as an Amazon maiden – a true daughter of no man – the ultimate warrior – and a Queen worthy of the Amazon nation.