Challenge of the Gods (comics)
Encyclopedia
"Challenge of the Gods" was a seven issue comic book
story arc
written and drawn by George Pérez
, with co-writing by Len Wein
. It is the second arc of the Wonder Woman (Vol. 2) title that was, at the time, recently relaunched.
This arc picks where Gods and Mortals
left off, treating this as a part two to the previous arc.
, Etta Candy
, Vanessa Kapatelis, and Myndi Mayer; Diana had been hard at work promoting her message of peace, but was sad that some countries won't even listen to the words of a woman, and even Russia protested her uniform and her mythological aspects. Diana met the other heroes (see Legends
) but didn't join the new Justice League
. The Pentagon, thanks to Diana, announced the Ares Assault was true and Diana talked to the widow to Colonel Michaelis where she learned loss of loved ones. Stores nationwide kept on getting sold out on merchandise of her with the profits going to the Wonder Woman Foundation. The end of every narration has the person saying that they will all miss her when she leaves to go back home.
has arrived in Boston
, and in her apartment; her and her man servant, Chuma, perform a ritual with Barbara naked on Cheetah fur and Chuma making a cut on her wrist. Recently, a letter from Barbara came to Myndi and Julia, stating that she had a second Golden Girdle of Gaea
. Diana and Myndi meet Barbara and before they can discuss the Girdle, Barbara asks if Diana brought her lasso. When Barbara touches it, and Diana asks for the Girdle, the lasso makes Barbara tell the truth that there is no Girdle. Betrayed, Diana wants to know why a woman would betray another and Diana leaves. Later, the last phase of the ritual occurs and with a drink of her now cursed blood; Barbara transforms into an animal; the Cheetah! As Diana stands alone, Cheetah appears and attacks her. The fight heads to the woods and Diana realizes the Cheetah is a human. Julia shoots the Cheetah with a rifle to the water, and Diana doesn't want her foe to die and searches for her with no luck. Seven days later, Diana is ready to leave. On Gay Head Cliffs, sobbing Julia and Vanessa say their goodbyes to Diana. Afterwards, Diana flies off until she can't be seen again.
calls for Diana from the skies overhead, and she goes to talk to him. Zeus tells her that she is invited to visit Mount Olympus
, but then adds he wants her to experience the ultimate sharing of flesh. When Diana tells Zeus that she won't surrender her virginity and pleads with him to understand her choice, Zeus gets angry and unleashes his lightning on her. Hippolyta having heard Zeus' summons to Diana arrives on the scene and angrily demands Zeus release her daughter. Enraged, Zeus prepares to turn his attention to Hippolyta, but is forcibly returned to Mount Olympus by Hera
, who acted on the request of her fellow goddesses who are furious at the god treating the Amazon colony as his personal harem
. Later, Diana is summoned to Mount Olympus again and a vengeful Zeus tells her that he has brought her to be judged; Diana must enter the gateway to the Demon lair beneath Themyscira to face several challenges. Diana clothes herself in armor and heads inside the cavern. Suddenly, hands appear and grab Diana from every direction, revealing to be the last of the Hecatoncheires: Cottus. Pulled down, Diana uses her spear to kill the creature's heart. Regaining her feet, Diana comes face to face with a Seven Headed Hydra...
clothes herself in armor to help her daughter, and defeats General Philippus who stops her. Diana finds two patrols she must choose only to be attacked by Echidna
, a She-Serpent. Diana frees herself before she is injected by venom and slams the serpent on a rock face. Diana heads towards a light and then sees a jet plane believed to be Steve Trevor
’s, and then falls into the ocean and then appears on land with the crashed jet, learning it is not the same plane Steve used. Hearing a woman's voice, she looks up to see a woman wearing armor similar to hers speaking English. She says her name is Diana....
, Steve watches his late father rest in peace while Diana is talking to the spirit of Diana Trevor and learns she was named her and is Steve Trevor’s mother. Diana Trevor explains that forty years ago, her plane was damaged during a lightning storm and she crashed on Themyscira. Hearing women’s voices and savage fighting, she found herself at the cavern where the Amazons were fighting against the demons who were trying to get out. Helping, Diana faced the demons herself and she died in the process. Hippolyta gave her a warrior's grave, and her patriot markings would become the warrior's grab that Diana would later wear. Diana has learned that her heritage is being the living embodiment of all hope of two different worlds. Back at the cavern, Diana is told by the god, Pan
, that her next challenge relates to the Manhunter
invasion, and she heads off. Elsewhere, Hippolyta faces similar challenges Diana had faced. Then, she finds herself seeing a man made out of stone holding the cavern from below: Hercules
!
finds Diana with other heroes, telling her about Pan, before returning her back into the cavern. A Cyclops
grabs Hippolyta, to be his dinner, only to be stopped by Diana. After saving her, the Cyclops attacks again only to be tied by Diana's lasso and then begs to be killed. They then head back to where Hercules is and Hippolyta tells Diana that she doesn't want him to suffer like he is, despite what he did to her, and asks Diana to help her free him. But then a Minotaur
, a Chimera
and a Echidna
appear and attack them, but the Cyclops appears again to defend the women. With them gone, including the Cyclops, Harmonia
, daughter of Ares
, gives Diana the talisman from the previous arc as Diana and Hippolyta frees Hercules and every demon tries to escape. Diana then captures them with the Talisman, with Ares taking it as his new pets.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
written and drawn by George Pérez
George Pérez
George Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...
, with co-writing by Len Wein
Len Wein
Len Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men...
. It is the second arc of the Wonder Woman (Vol. 2) title that was, at the time, recently relaunched.
This arc picks where Gods and Mortals
Gods and Mortals
"Gods and Mortals" is a seven issue comic book story arc plotted and drawn by George Pérez, with scripting by Greg Potter and Len Wein.Released in 1987, this was the first arc of the relaunched Wonder Woman series.-The Princess and the Power:...
left off, treating this as a part two to the previous arc.
Time Passages
Narrated by Julia KapatelisJulia Kapatelis
Julia Deneiros Kapatelis is a DC Comics fictional character created by writer/artist George Pérez for the Wonder Woman comic book series.-Childhood:...
, Etta Candy
Etta Candy
Etta Candy is a fictional character from the DC Comics Wonder Woman series.-Golden Age:In her 1940s introduction, Etta Candy is a sickly malnurished woman Wonder Woman discovers at a local hospital. When next she is seen Etta is transformed into a spirited, rotund young woman who has a great love...
, Vanessa Kapatelis, and Myndi Mayer; Diana had been hard at work promoting her message of peace, but was sad that some countries won't even listen to the words of a woman, and even Russia protested her uniform and her mythological aspects. Diana met the other heroes (see Legends
Legends (comics)
"Legends" was a comic book crossover story line that ran through a six-issue, self titled limited series and various other titles published by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987...
) but didn't join the new Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
. The Pentagon, thanks to Diana, announced the Ares Assault was true and Diana talked to the widow to Colonel Michaelis where she learned loss of loved ones. Stores nationwide kept on getting sold out on merchandise of her with the profits going to the Wonder Woman Foundation. The end of every narration has the person saying that they will all miss her when she leaves to go back home.
Blood of the Cheetah
Barbara MinervaCheetah (comics)
The Cheetah is a fictional character, a super-villainess appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Popularly regarded as the archenemy of Wonder Woman, the Cheetah first appeared in 1943 in Wonder Woman #6 , written by Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston...
has arrived in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and in her apartment; her and her man servant, Chuma, perform a ritual with Barbara naked on Cheetah fur and Chuma making a cut on her wrist. Recently, a letter from Barbara came to Myndi and Julia, stating that she had a second Golden Girdle of Gaea
Golden Girdle of Gaea
The Golden Girdle of Gaea is a fictional object depicted in the DC Comics book Wonder Woman. It is based on the mythological girdle stolen by Heracles as part of his Twelve Labors.-Comic book history:...
. Diana and Myndi meet Barbara and before they can discuss the Girdle, Barbara asks if Diana brought her lasso. When Barbara touches it, and Diana asks for the Girdle, the lasso makes Barbara tell the truth that there is no Girdle. Betrayed, Diana wants to know why a woman would betray another and Diana leaves. Later, the last phase of the ritual occurs and with a drink of her now cursed blood; Barbara transforms into an animal; the Cheetah! As Diana stands alone, Cheetah appears and attacks her. The fight heads to the woods and Diana realizes the Cheetah is a human. Julia shoots the Cheetah with a rifle to the water, and Diana doesn't want her foe to die and searches for her with no luck. Seven days later, Diana is ready to leave. On Gay Head Cliffs, sobbing Julia and Vanessa say their goodbyes to Diana. Afterwards, Diana flies off until she can't be seen again.
Paradise Lost!
On Themyscira, the Amazons gather to discuss the gifts and records brought back from Man's World; the response is mixed. While she and her fellow Amazon and friend, Euboea are out horseback riding, ZeusZeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
calls for Diana from the skies overhead, and she goes to talk to him. Zeus tells her that she is invited to visit Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
, but then adds he wants her to experience the ultimate sharing of flesh. When Diana tells Zeus that she won't surrender her virginity and pleads with him to understand her choice, Zeus gets angry and unleashes his lightning on her. Hippolyta having heard Zeus' summons to Diana arrives on the scene and angrily demands Zeus release her daughter. Enraged, Zeus prepares to turn his attention to Hippolyta, but is forcibly returned to Mount Olympus by Hera
Hera
Hera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Her counterpart in the religion of ancient Rome was Juno. The cow and the peacock were sacred to her...
, who acted on the request of her fellow goddesses who are furious at the god treating the Amazon colony as his personal harem
Harem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
. Later, Diana is summoned to Mount Olympus again and a vengeful Zeus tells her that he has brought her to be judged; Diana must enter the gateway to the Demon lair beneath Themyscira to face several challenges. Diana clothes herself in armor and heads inside the cavern. Suddenly, hands appear and grab Diana from every direction, revealing to be the last of the Hecatoncheires: Cottus. Pulled down, Diana uses her spear to kill the creature's heart. Regaining her feet, Diana comes face to face with a Seven Headed Hydra...
Fire And Torment
Protecting herself with her shield, the Hydra's engulfs Diana into a fireball, landing on volcanic ash to take out the fire. Diana then smashes one of the massive columns that supports the cavern's ceiling and it stucks the Hydra ande Diana finally kills it. Worried, HippolytaQueen Hippolyta (comics)
Queen Hippolyta is a fictional character and DC Comics superhero, based on Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons in Greek mythology. She is also the mother of Wonder Woman and Donna Troy.-Golden and Silver Age versions:...
clothes herself in armor to help her daughter, and defeats General Philippus who stops her. Diana finds two patrols she must choose only to be attacked by Echidna
Echidna (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Echidna was half woman half snake, known as the "Mother of All Monsters" because most of the monsters in Greek myth were mothered by her...
, a She-Serpent. Diana frees herself before she is injected by venom and slams the serpent on a rock face. Diana heads towards a light and then sees a jet plane believed to be Steve Trevor
Steve Trevor
Steve Trevor is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics, as the primary love interest of Wonder Woman. He first appeared in All Star Comics #8 .-Golden Age:...
’s, and then falls into the ocean and then appears on land with the crashed jet, learning it is not the same plane Steve used. Hearing a woman's voice, she looks up to see a woman wearing armor similar to hers speaking English. She says her name is Diana....
Echoes of the Past
In OklahomaOklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, Steve watches his late father rest in peace while Diana is talking to the spirit of Diana Trevor and learns she was named her and is Steve Trevor’s mother. Diana Trevor explains that forty years ago, her plane was damaged during a lightning storm and she crashed on Themyscira. Hearing women’s voices and savage fighting, she found herself at the cavern where the Amazons were fighting against the demons who were trying to get out. Helping, Diana faced the demons herself and she died in the process. Hippolyta gave her a warrior's grave, and her patriot markings would become the warrior's grab that Diana would later wear. Diana has learned that her heritage is being the living embodiment of all hope of two different worlds. Back at the cavern, Diana is told by the god, Pan
Pan (mythology)
Pan , in Greek religion and mythology, is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music, as well as the companion of the nymphs. His name originates within the Greek language, from the word paein , meaning "to pasture." He has the hindquarters, legs,...
, that her next challenge relates to the Manhunter
Millennium (comics)
"Millennium" was a comic book crossover story line that ran through an eight-issue, self-titled, limited series and various other titles cover dated January and February 1988 by DC Comics. The limited series was published weekly, which was a departure for an American series...
invasion, and she heads off. Elsewhere, Hippolyta faces similar challenges Diana had faced. Then, she finds herself seeing a man made out of stone holding the cavern from below: Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
!
Demon Plague
Hippolyta wonders, even though she hates him, what Hercules must have done to become what he is. Zeus finds out that Pan is dead and was impersonated by an impostor, who made Zeus act the way he did toward Diana, and Diana was sent somewhere else. HermesHermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
finds Diana with other heroes, telling her about Pan, before returning her back into the cavern. A Cyclops
Cyclops
A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
grabs Hippolyta, to be his dinner, only to be stopped by Diana. After saving her, the Cyclops attacks again only to be tied by Diana's lasso and then begs to be killed. They then head back to where Hercules is and Hippolyta tells Diana that she doesn't want him to suffer like he is, despite what he did to her, and asks Diana to help her free him. But then a Minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
, a Chimera
Chimera (mythology)
The Chimera or Chimaera was, according to Greek mythology, a monstrous fire-breathing female creature of Lycia in Asia Minor, composed of the parts of multiple animals: upon the body of a lioness with a tail that ended in a snake's head, the head of a goat arose on her back at the center of her...
and a Echidna
Echidna
Echidnas , also known as spiny anteaters, belong to the family Tachyglossidae in the monotreme order of egg-laying mammals. There are four extant species, which, together with the platypus, are the only surviving members of that order and are the only extant mammals that lay eggs...
appear and attack them, but the Cyclops appears again to defend the women. With them gone, including the Cyclops, Harmonia
Harmonia
-Art:* Harmonia , an outdoor sculpture by Achim Kühn in Turku, Finland-Antiquity:* Harmonia , the Greek goddess of harmony and concord* Harmonia -Art:* Harmonia (sculpture), an outdoor sculpture by Achim Kühn in Turku, Finland-Antiquity:* Harmonia (mythology), the Greek goddess of harmony and...
, daughter of Ares
Ares (DC Comics)
Ares is a fictional character, a supervillainous God appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Based upon the Greek mythological figure of the same name, he is the god of War and one of the major adversaries of Wonder Woman. He first appeared in Wonder Woman #1, volume 1, published in...
, gives Diana the talisman from the previous arc as Diana and Hippolyta frees Hercules and every demon tries to escape. Diana then captures them with the Talisman, with Ares taking it as his new pets.
For the Glory of Gaea
Diana returns to find Heracles holding Themyscira on his shoulders with an unconscious Hippolyta below. Hercules tells Diana to leave with Hippolyta, but when she says her place is with her mother, Hercules realizes Diana is Hippolyta's daughter. Just then, Zeus appears with the gods and goddesses behind him, telling Hercules that he has awoken from his ignorance and to all of them that the ordeal is over as are Diana’s challenges. Diana takes Hercules and her mother to the surface where the Amazons are shocked to see Hercules again. Hercules comes forth and addresses the Amazons; he tells them how much he betrayed their trust and did this under the idea that it made him a man, but now that he has changed, he begs for their forgiveness. Proven to them, the Amazons approve and they all forgive him. In Oklahoma, Etta reveals to Steve hat she loves him, only to be shock when Steve says the same thing and they embrace. After the Amazonian festivities, Hercules kisses Hippolyta before he departs. The Amazons discuss Man’s World; even though they are cautious, they see the outside world hopeful now than they thought before. They want to learn more and Hippolyta tells Diana to return as their Ambassador. Back in Man's World, Vanessa and Julia see Diana has come back and they run up and hug her. Julia say Welcome home, Diana. Welcome home!Continuity
- In another difference from the pre-Crisis incarnation of the character; Diana’s wardrobe was expanded so it was not just her official costume. In this arc, Diana wore a battle armor version that included a spear, shield, and other weapons.
- This made the first appearance of the post-Crisis version of the CheetahCheetah (comics)The Cheetah is a fictional character, a super-villainess appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Popularly regarded as the archenemy of Wonder Woman, the Cheetah first appeared in 1943 in Wonder Woman #6 , written by Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston...
. Whereas the pre-Crisis version was a woman in a cheetah-like costume; a more mystical note was added as the character would actually morph into a powerful cat-human hybrid with superhuman abilities, making her a very, challenging opponent to Wonder Woman in battle. - References are made toward two major events at the time of its publication; LegendsLegends (comics)"Legends" was a comic book crossover story line that ran through a six-issue, self titled limited series and various other titles published by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987...
and MillenniumMillennium (comics)"Millennium" was a comic book crossover story line that ran through an eight-issue, self-titled, limited series and various other titles cover dated January and February 1988 by DC Comics. The limited series was published weekly, which was a departure for an American series...
. While Legends notes Diana meeting the other DC superheroes, Millennium occurred while this story was happening. Only #12-13 of the issues crossovered with the event, but it didn’t affect the story in any way that would require anyone to read the event to understand the remaining issues.