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| Wonder Woman v2 | ||||
| Issue # | 1 | |||
| Cover Date | February 1987 | |||
| Previous Issue | Wonder Woman v1 #329 | |||
| Next Issue | Wonder Woman v2 #2 | |||
Synopsis
- 30,000 BCE
A caveman returns to his home after a harrowing day of hunting. Having lost the use of his arm in battle, he feels weak and ashamed. His pregnant mate tries to console him, but her pity only drives him into a fit of rage. Picking up a club, he brutally bashes her across the head, killing her. The dead woman’s spirit leaves her body and travels into the underworld.
- 1,200 BCE
A convocation forms in the palace of Zeus on Mount Olympus. Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt petitions Zeus to create a new race of warrior women – a race that will help to lead mankind back towards faithful worship of the Gods. Ares, the God of War, believes this plan to be pitiful and will only serve to weaken the vitality of the Gods. Zeus has no interest in the idea at all, and leaves the chamber, allowing the other Gods to decide the issue amongst themselves. Artemis addresses Zeus' wife Hera and asks for her blessing in this endeavor. Hera warns her to tread lightly, and to never again ask her to take sides against her husband.
Artemis gathers several Gods sympathetic to her cause together including Hermes, Demeter, Aphrodite, Hestia and Athena. Without Zeus' knowledge, they book passage across the River Styx to the Cavern of Souls. The Cavern of Souls represents the womb of Gaea the Earth-Mother and is a swirling maelstrom of disembodied spirits. The Gods pool their resources, extracting the souls and reincarnating them on Earth. On the shores of Greece and the Aegean Sea, the spirit light of thousands of women are reborn as a warrior race of Amazons. One spirit however, is not reincarnated and remains behind in the Cavern of Souls. Athena notes that this one has a special destiny, and that her time of rebirth has not yet come. Athena addresses these newly born Amazons and tells them that they are a chosen race, born to lead humanity in the ways of virtue. Athena selects Hippolyte to serve as Queen of the Amazons, with her sister Antiope acting at her side. Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth, forges them a great city and the Amazons live in prosperity for centuries.
- Years later
Years pass, until one day the Greek hero Heracles learns about this flourishing community of warrior women. Suffering madness at the hands of Eurystheus, Heracles decides to demonstrate his purported superiority over these chosen warriors. [1] Heracles' anger and savagery does not go unnoticed by the gods however. From his castle stronghold on Areopagus, Ares uses his influence to intensify Heracles' rage. He manipulates him into waging war against the Amazons.
Heracles' army is met by a full compliment of Amazon warriors. Hippolyte herself challenges Heracles to armed combat, and succeeds in defeating him. Impressed with her martial prowess, Heracles decides to call a truce, and declares that there shall be peace between his soldiers and the Amazons. That night, both man and woman alike enjoy each other's company, but as the evening wears on, Heracles' true motives reveal themselves. He viciously attacks Hippolyte and forces her into bondage.
While shackled inside of a dungeon, the image of Athena appears before Hippolyte. Athena chastises her for withdrawing from the outside world when she should have been helping humanity to new heights of enlightenment. She beckons Hippolyte to "bathe in the light" of her wisdom. With renewed courage, Hippolyte breaks free of her prison cell and inspires her fellow Amazons to overthrow their male slavers. While signaling a call to arms, Hippolyte reminds her sisters that although they fight against their oppressors, they should never forget the ways of Gaea. Not all of the Amazons fight with compassion however. Antiope, and many like her, crave only vengeance and brutally rebel against Heracles' soldiers. The Amazons prove victorious, but their ranks are split amongst those who follow the peaceful ways of Hippolyte and those who follow Antiope.
The Gods favor Hippolyte's Amazons, and Poseidon parts the Aegean Sea leading them to a new homeland – an island paradise that will come to be known as Themyscira. As penance for their past indiscretions however, the Amazons are now charged with the safekeeping of an ancient evil that remains locked beneath the island. Centuries pass, and the Amazons create a massive city on this Paradise Island.
Artemis' congregation decide that it is now time for the final spirit trapped within the Cavern of Souls to be reborn. Hippolyte is the reincarnation of the pregnant cave woman who was slain by her husband over 30,000 years ago. The isolated soul in the Cavern is the spirit of the woman's unborn child. The Amazon oracle Menalippe consults with Hippolyte and tells her that she must go to the shore and mold the form of a child out of clay. Hippolyte does as advised and the Gods breath life into the clay figurine, infusing it with the spirit of the final lost soul. This infant female is the first and only child to actually be birthed on Themyscira. Hippolyte names her Diana after a fabled heroine from their past. Diana is raised by all of the Amazons and is trained in every aspect of Amazonian culture.
As Diana grows to adulthood, Hippolyte receives word that Ares has grown in power and has been driven insane. He has been drawn to the world of man by some unspeakable horror. The after-effects of Ares' thirst for war are felt all across Themyscira. Menalippe tells Hippolyte that a champion must be chosen to face Ares. Hippolyte decides to hold a tournament in order to select the perfect warrior. Whomever succeeds in the Trial of Flashing Thunder will be decorated with a hero's raiment and go forth to battle Ares. Diana volunteers to participate in the tournament, but Hippolyte forbids it. She secretly enters the tournament anyway, her identity concealed by a battle helm. Diana overcomes every obstacle and wins the tournament. Hippolyte is horrified to see Diana remove her helmet revealing herself to the assembly. Hippolyte has little choice but to obey the will of the Gods though, and Diana participates in the final challenge – the Trial of Flashing Thunder. She is outfitted with twin silver bracelets – a reminder of her people's years in bondage. An Amazon warrior, Philippus, uses a weapon of Man's world (a handgun) and fires it at Diana. Diana succeeds in deflecting the bullets with her impervious silver bracelets. With the conclusion of the trial, there is no longer any doubt. Diana is destined to become Themyscira's champion.
Credits
- Writers: Greg Potter, George Pérez
- Pencilers: George Pérez
- Inkers: Bruce D. Patterson
- Colourists: Tatjana Wood
- Letterers: John Costanza
- Editors: Karen Berger
Sources
- ↑ In Greek mythology, Eurystheus was king of Tiryns, one of three Mycenaean strongholds in the Argolid. Eurystheus was an opponent of Heracles and forced him to perform twelve labors after the demigod suffered a bout of madness at the hands of jealous Hera and slew his family