This four issue mini series was published under DC’s Black Label brand, which was originally launched as a more mature, adult themed imprint. It allowed creators to push the boundaries with their takes on some of DC’s iconic characters.
‘Wonder Woman: Dead Earth’ was the first story published under the Black Label imprint to feature Wonder Woman and depicts Diana in a post Apocalyptic world following a nuclear war.
Diana asks for Theyden’s assistance in helping her lead his people to the safety of Themyscira.
As the caravan makes their way across the wastelands they are confronted by another hideous beast who they can barely hold back until Diana manages to slay it. As they survey the corpse they notice that the internal organs appear humanlike?
They finally arrive at the shoreline and Diana tells them to wait for her as she, Dee and Tal take a boat out to sea. When they arrive at the location of Themyscira however, Diana is shocked to see it in ruins. Her old mentor Nubia stands guard in full armour and when Diana asks to see her mother, Nubia silently points the way.
In the ruins of the palace Diana is overjoyed to see her mother standing there in the halflight and they embrace. But as Hippolyta emerges fully from the darkness Diana is horrified to see she is half mutated. The Amazon Queen explains how the humans had rained down nuclear missiles on the island and although the Amazons’ god given abilities meant they were not killed in the holocaust, they were instead all mutated by the subsequent radiation. Hippolyta had then sent the mutated Amazons out into the world to wreak revenge.
Diana realsies with sorrow that the creatures she has been slaying have all been her Amazon sisters. Dee suddenly intervenes however, seeing Diana with what she believes is another mutant monster and uses her sword to cut through the Queen’s hands. Nubia then attacks, revealing herself to also be a mutant now and kicsk Diana across the room as she tries to protect Dee. Increasingly weakened by her encounter with her mother, Dee has to drag the sagging Diana away as Nubia gives chase and manages to kill Tal.
Trapped with nowhere to go, Dee tries to make a final stand and protect the slumped Diana as Nubia advances, but they are both saved by Cheetah, who flies down riding Pegasus and spirits them away to safety.
Back on the mainland Diana says that she is not returning with Dee to the others, now that she knows the truth about what humans did to her people. She departs with Cheetah, leaving a crestfallen Dee.
