Comments
This was an anthology title that allowed up and coming writers and artists to showcase their skills using DC’s iconic characters as material. Wonder Woman is featured in the final story.
As an aside, in my humble opinion, this nicely written and pitch perfect tale made G Willow Wilson, the main writer of the Wonder Woman title at that time, look like a third rate amateur!
Synopsis
A strange device located on a mountain top in Montana has appeared from nowhere and has not only been causing violent storms and earthquakes, but has robbed Wonder Woman of her god given powers.
On her way up the mountain to stop the device she comes across a young girl named Connie who is being confronted by an armed group of young thugs. As the Amazon Princess puts herself between the girl and the gang, it’s leader draws his gun, bragging that Wonder Woman has no powers and cannot stop them. But as he opens fire she deflects the bullets and they run away.
But unknown to Diana one of the bullets has ricocheted off her bracelet and gravely wounded the girl. Normally, with her powers, Wonder Woman would simply have flown the girl to the nearest hospital but without her abilities, she tells Connie that they have no choice but to continue up the mountain. As soon as the device has been disabled she’ll be bale to take the girl to get treatment.
As they make their way up the mountain the girl gets weaker and weaker however, and tells Wonder Woman she cannot go on. Diana then tells her a take from her childhood, when an archaeologist named Doctor Alma Clark has wanted to study Themyscira, but the Amazons has refused her entry saying the island was sacred. This annoyed Clark and when one day she found a powerful artifact that was the source of Greek Fire, she used it to attack the Amazon homeland, calling herself The Archaean.
Wonder Woman had tried to stop her but she was still young and her powers and skills not fully developed yet. She was felled by Clark but she found the resolve to try again and this time defeated The Archaean.
Connie is inspired enough to pick herself up and continue up the mountain but she flags once more and Wonder Woman carries her on her back to the top, where they find an abandoned weapon from Apokolips. Even without her super strength, a determined Diana rips the casing off and destroys the device.
A few hours later things are returning to normal as Wonder Woman helps with the clean up of the damaged town and brings the gang of thugs to justice. And when Connie wakes up in her hospital bed she finds Wonder Woman sitting by her side and smiling, understands that everyone has the power of Greek Fire inside them.