Wonder Woman Annual – Volume 5 – 2

Synopsis

Wonder Woman is transported to Zamaron, the home world of the Star Sapphire core. She can instantly see there has been a battle and that the world is dying. She asks why they have brought her here as she has a crisis of her own back on Earth with the arrival of the Dark Gods.

They explain that she is the only one who can save them and that the threat they face is also a Dark God named Karnell, the God of Love. But he destroys anybody who had a slight flaw in their love. There is something about Karnell’s fractured idea of what love is – when in contact with the pure ideals they are supposed to bear – that can destroy them.

Wonder Woman realises that if this is another Dark God she is responsible for its arrival and owes them her support. She asks them to transform her into a Star Sapphire and then flies up to confront the monolith and a figure emerges attacking her, Karnell himself.

He tells her he has been expecting her as he knew the Sapphires would seek her assistance. As they fight she asks what he wants with her and why he has attacked the Star Sapphires. He replies that he wants Earth free of the Amazon Princess’ interference, so that his brethren can change Earth to a semblance of their world without the interference of the one who had summoned them in the first place. He reminds her that at the conclusion of the Dark Metal crisis she had wished for the return of the Gods, and they had been summoned against their will.

She responds that she had meant the Greek Pantheon, but he in turn replies that he and his kind had been contented in the Dark Multi-verse where they were worshipped by their followers. They now seek the same on Earth.

She asks that love should be unconditional but he calls her a naive romantic and that all love comes with conditions. He then blasts her with his energy and reveals how he had been a small boy who had lost his mother in tragic circumstances after they had both been abandoned by the father. He ran away, feeling love for his deceased mother and hatred for his father. These feelings of love and hated burned bright enough to draw the attention of the mighty King Best. Their world was still young then and King Best was gathering his pantheon. He was chosen by King Best to become the God of Love.

King Best and the other chosen Gods reigned supreme over their domain until the day five of them were ripped away against their will. The seven who remain but without the might of King Best he fears they will be unable to keep control of the worshippers.

The Star Sapphires then arrives and help free Wonder Woman but as they return to the ground she explains that they cannot defeat Karnell and only she can take him down. She ask them to all channel their love into her and she then confronts the God again and pierces him with her sword made of unconditional love and she says that she pities and loves him for what he is.

As he fades he tells her to enjoy her victory and that although she had won this round, she will see him next on Earth when she will have to face all five of them.

The Star Sapphires thank her for saving them and offer their assistance in the forthcoming fight if she needs it. As they return her to Earth however she sees carnage around her and as a Dark God looms over her she knows that round two is already about to start!