Philippus
Encyclopedia
Philippus is a fictional character
owned by DC Comics
. She made her first appearance in February 1987 as an Amazon character in the Wonder Woman
comic book. The character was created by writer/artist George Pérez
.
, which included Artemis
, Athena
, Hestia
, Demeter
and Aphrodite
, took the souls of women slain throughout time by the hands of men and sent them to the bottom of the Aegean Sea
. The souls then began to form bodies with the clay on the sea bed. Once they reached the surface the clay bodies became living flesh and blood Amazons. Philippus was one of these new race of women. The first to break surface was Hippolyta and thus she was titled as Queen of the new race. The second Amazon to break surface was Hippolyta's sister Antiope and she ruled as a second to Hippolyta in all affairs. Each of the goddesses that created the Amazons blessed them with personalized gifts: hunting skills (Artemis), wisdom (Athena), warm homes (Hestia), plentiful harvests (Demeter), and beauty inside and out (Aphrodite). The Amazons eventually founded the city of Themyscira
in Anatolia
and became known as fierce warriors of peace in Turkey
, Greece
, and Rome
.
soon after tried to discredit the Amazon's name by having his half-brother demi-god Heracles
invade the Amazons and demean their standing by stealing Hippolyta's symbol of power: the Golden Girdle of Gaea
. When Heracles first approached the Amazons seeking battle, Hippolyta met him outside the city gates and tried to reason with him for peaceful negotiations. When this did not work Heracles attacked the Amazon Queen using his strength to his advantage. Hippolyta easily turned the tables on him by using her wisdom and battle skills to subdue him. Still wishing peace, Hippolyta invited Heracles and his men into their city to celebrate a potential friendship with a feast. Hiding his anger, Heracles accepted the invitation.
Once in their stronghold, Heracles and his men drugged the wine the Amazons were drinking and took them prisoner. After the theft of Hippolyta's Golden Girdle and abuse and rape of the Amazons, Hippolyta cried out to Athena to help them escape their bonds. Athena said that she would only aid them on the condition that the Amazons not seek retribution against Heracles and his men as that would be beneath the ideals the Amazons were created to stand for. Hippolyta hastily agreed and the Amazon's bonds were broken and the drugs given wore off. Once out of their drugged state the Amazons were filled with hate and revenge. Breaking Hippolyta's oath to Athena, the Amazons began slaughtering their captors but were upset to find that Heracles and his general Theseus
had returned to their homelands. Philippus was especially affected by the abuse as she no longer truly trusted the male species since.
After the slaughter Athena reprimanded the Amazons for disobeying her orders. She demanded the Amazons serve penance for their actions. Though Hippolyta agreed to the goddess' wishes, her sister Antiope
scoffed at Athena for being angered at them for killing their rapist captors. Antiope then denounced all ties to the Olympian gods and said goodbye to her sister Hippolyta, giving Hippolyta her Golden Girdle of Gaea to replace the one stolen by Heracles. She left for Greece, along with half of the Amazon Nation who supported Antiope in her new quest to battle Heracles and Theseus out of vengeance and to replace Antiope's girdle with Hippolyta's. Antiope's tribe later became the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall.
told them their punishment for going against their ideals. They were to be given immortality so that they would forever safeguard a doorway to the underworld called Doom's Doorway. Not only must they protect anyone from entering, but they must also vanquish any evils that try to escape. The doorway was on a far-off isolated island and it would take some time to get there. To guide their way, the god Poseidon
cleared a pathway for them across the seas. Once they arrived at the island the Amazons created a new city and named their new home Themyscira, after their previous fallen city. This way of life continued for 3,000 years.
After the Captain of the Guard named Egeria was killed while stopping a monster from escaping from Doom's Doorway, Philippus was promoted to the rank of Captain in her place. Philippus took the job very seriously and later became General of Hippolyta's armies. Though Philippus has always respected and reveared her Queen, over time Philippus' feelings for Hippolyta grew into love. Weither that love became physical at all over the 3,000 years on the island has never been revealed.
Philippus was constantly at odds with Hippolyta's personal bodyguards known as The Circle
: Alkyone, Myrto, Charis, and Philomela. While Hippolyta saw their devotion as endearing, Philippus saw through their insanity and gave them little respect. They in turn showed the same hostility toward Philippus. When Hippolyta was given her daughter Diana
as a gift from the gods Philippus openly loved the new Princess as did most of the Amazons on the island. She could see though that the child's presence greatly disturbed the Queen's bodyguards and took it upon herself to watch them at all times. When Philippus suspected Alkyone was going to kill Diana while Hippolyta slept, she attempted to stop them beforehand but was overwhelmed by them instead. When she regained her physical composure Philippus called for the royal guard and had them imprison Hippolyta's bodyguards forever.
In the 1980s Steve Trevor
, the son of Diana Rockwell Trevor, crash landed on Themyscira. Resentful at the presence of a man on the island due to her previous rape and slavery at the hands of Herakles' men thousands of years prior, Philippus was openly vocal about wanting Steve killed. Hippolyta felt otherwise and called for a Contest to have the most skilled Amazon escort the man back to his homeland. A disguised Diana became the Contest winner, which caused heartache to both Hippolyta and Philippus. As the last trial of the Contest, Philippus used Diana Rockwell Trevor's hand gun on Princess Diana to see if she was skilled enough to deflect the bullets. The Princess was able to deflect each one and went into Man's World with Steve.
Diana returned to the island on several occasions. During one visit the Olympian god Zeus
attempted to rape Diana. When Hippolyta defied the Olympian Philippus advised the Queen not to put the rest of the island at risk. For defying the gods Diana was ordered to go into Doom's Doorway to defeat the creatures there on her way to an ultimate truth. Even though no one was allowed to aid Diana on this mission Hippolyta defied the gods again and attempted to enter behind her. With tears in her eyes Philippus begged Hippolyta not to enter. Hippolyta refused causing Philippus to tell her that her heart was breaking as she felt obligated to stop her even though she felt anguish in battling someone she loved so dearly. Hippolyta defeated Philippus and aided Diana on her mission anyway. The two later forgave each other.
arranged for the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall to ambush the Themyscirian Amazons and sabotage their mission by creating chaos in their name. The plan worked and Philippus was seriously injured. Seen as a dangerous terrorist, Philippus was hospitalized under strict armed guard. Diana as Wonder Woman was able to clear things up but the event left a scar on the trust the Amazons had offered the outside world. The Amazons eventually returned to a life of isolation on Themyscira.
Some time later the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall were magically transported to Themyscira by the witch Circe. Once there the Egyptian Amazons attacked the Themyscirian Amazons in order to claim the island as their own. During the battle Circe double-crossed the Banas and sent the entire island of Themyscira into a demon dimension along with both tribes of Amazons. The two tribes put aside their rivalry in order to defend themselves against the demons. Once the island was returned to its original setting the Bana Amazons were given a small portion of the island to dwell while the remaining Themyscirian Amazons lived in the city walls. Hippolyta received visions during this period that Wonder Woman would die. Because of this she had Philippus arrange for a new contest for the title of Wonder Woman. Philippus was instructed to place deadfalls along the contest route in order to slow down Diana so that others might have a chance at winning. Philippus was appalled at Hippolyta's wishes but followed her Queen's orders. Because of these actions the Bana Amazon Artemis
won the title to be the new Wonder Woman.
Diana had a huge falling out with her mother and left the island in anger. Because of this Hippolyta fell into depression and went mildly insane. Philippus took a more active role in overseeing the island because of this. Later, when Hippolyta discovered her plotting caused the death of Artemis her shame grew to the point where she felt she couldn't lead her people anymore. Hippolyta officially gave rule of Themyscira over to Philippus and banished herself in a small one person-sized boat. Philippus took her rule seriously but later admitted to Diana that she was more comfortable guiding the Amazon armies at war time than she did the day-to-day rule of an entire nation. When Diana refused to take over rule of the island Philippus reluctantly continued to serve as regent
Queen.
and Archon
Eponym
ous, whereas Artemis was given the title of Polemarch
. It is explained that Archon Eponymous equates to the Civic Office of a Presidential title, whereas the position of Polemarch translates to War Leader, similar to the position of Commander-In-Chief. During their official rule they opened the island to outworlders, both on Earth and alien worlds. When the alien being Imperiex
invaded Earth during the Our Worlds at War
storyline the Amazons joined in the battle which lead to Hippolyta's death. This devastated Philippus who took greater ferocity in ending the battle. It was here that Philippus admitted her feelings for Hippolyta.
Diana stayed on as the island's Ambassador. Because of the Goddess Hera
a large tsunami
was close to landing on America's shores. It was stopped by Wonder Woman but the event caused the U.S. to suspect the Amazons to have ill will towards them. The U.S. President, Jonathan Vincent Horne, had Naval battleships position themselves around Themyscira in defense. Wishing to ease tensions, Philippus, Artemis and Diana met with the U.S. President. He agreed to remove the battleships if the Amazons agreed to transfer blue prints on how to create their own Purple Ray
. Believing the U.S. would use the Purple Ray as a weapon, the Amazons gave a firm "no" in response. Because of this political tensions remained between the two nations.
Through the machinations of an A.I.
satellite
called Brother Eye, a military strike was made against Themyscira in an attempt at Amazon genocide
. A large swarm of OMAC units were sent to the island and began to attack the Amazons as part of the events of Infinite Crisis
. Because of this, as well as the many previous attacks against the island since Diana had become Wonder Woman, it was decided by Philippus and Artemis that the entire island of Themyscira and all of its inhabitants (sans Diana) would be transported to a hidden dimension via the Olympian and Bana-Mighdallian goddesses. Philippus and the remaining Amazons thrive in this dimension for a year's time in peace.
. Because of this, the Amazons agreed to give Hippolyta her royal title back, and followed her instructions to invade Washington, D.C.
which brought about the events of Amazons Attack. Artemis and Philippus were assigned to oversee the battle, but soon lost faith in Hippolyta when they discovered some of her actions against Man's World proved to be less honorable. Due to their failure to follow-through in stopping Hippolyta during the war, a disguised Granny Goodness
cursed all of the Amazons by erasing their memories and scattering them across the globe with false personas.
With the return of the Olympian gods, Zeus revives the Amazon's memories several months after their memory wipes and has them return to Themyscira. With the creation of the Gargareans
, Zeus had these new male Amazons live on both the island of Thalarion
and Themyscira. Their leader Achilles was given rule over both his people and the original Amazons. To add insult to injury Achilles chose Philippus' old rival Alkyone to become his Queen. This infuriated Philippus who continued to refer to Hippolyta as her Queen. Once the Amazon Artemis returned to the island she helped to organize a coup against the mad Queen Alkyone. Joined by Achilles and his people, the coup was successful and Hippolyta was re-crowned as Queen of the Amazons.
Philippus, in addition to all the Themyscirian Amazons, also possesses the ability to relieve her body of physical injury and toxins by becoming one with the Earth's soil and then reforming her body whole again. The first time Diana does this she prays to her god Gaea saying: "Gaea, I pray to you. Grant me your strength. You are the Earth who suckled me, who nurtured and bred me. Through you all life is renewed. The circle which never ends. I pray you, mother Gaea, take me into your bosom. Please, let me be worthy." During writer John Byrne's time on the comic it was stated that this is a very sacred ritual to the Themyscirians, only to be used in the most dire of circumstances.
event, Philippus is protection of Wonder Woman. Later, she mistakely killed Garth
, who had been himself framed by Artemis
for the murder of Queen Hippolyta. Later, Philippus is found killed by the Atlanteans, before Artemis has bombs dropped on Themyscira.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
owned by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. She made her first appearance in February 1987 as an Amazon character in the Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
comic book. The character was created by writer/artist 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:...
.
Amazon origin
3,000 years ago a select few of the Olympian godsOlympian Gods (comics)
The Olympian Gods are mythological deities who appear in the Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel and Aquaman comics.-Ancient Times:When a Godwave spilled forth from the creation of the Fourth World, the Earth was seeded with great power. It first manifested in the form of old gods, then of metahumans...
, which included Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
, Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
, Hestia
Hestia
In Greek mythology Hestia , first daughter of Cronus and Rhea , is the virgin goddess of the hearth, architecture, and of the right ordering of domesticity and the family. She received the first offering at every sacrifice in the household. In the public domain, the hearth of the prytaneum...
, Demeter
Demeter
In Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains, the fertility of the earth, and the seasons . Her common surnames are Sito as the giver of food or corn/grain and Thesmophoros as a mark of the civilized existence of agricultural society...
and Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
, took the souls of women slain throughout time by the hands of men and sent them to the bottom of the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
. The souls then began to form bodies with the clay on the sea bed. Once they reached the surface the clay bodies became living flesh and blood Amazons. Philippus was one of these new race of women. The first to break surface was Hippolyta and thus she was titled as Queen of the new race. The second Amazon to break surface was Hippolyta's sister Antiope and she ruled as a second to Hippolyta in all affairs. Each of the goddesses that created the Amazons blessed them with personalized gifts: hunting skills (Artemis), wisdom (Athena), warm homes (Hestia), plentiful harvests (Demeter), and beauty inside and out (Aphrodite). The Amazons eventually founded the city of Themyscira
Themyscira
Themyscira is a fictional island nation in the DC Comics universe that is the place of origin of Wonder Woman and her sister Amazons. Known as Paradise Island since Wonder Woman and the island's first appearance in All Star Comics #8 , it was renamed "Themyscira" with the character's February...
in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
and became known as fierce warriors of peace in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Downfall
The jealous and vengeful god AresAres (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...
soon after tried to discredit the Amazon's name by having his half-brother demi-god Heracles
Hercules (DC Comics)
Hercules is a fictional Olympian god in the DC Universe based on the Greek demigod and hero of the same name....
invade the Amazons and demean their standing by stealing Hippolyta's symbol of power: the 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:...
. When Heracles first approached the Amazons seeking battle, Hippolyta met him outside the city gates and tried to reason with him for peaceful negotiations. When this did not work Heracles attacked the Amazon Queen using his strength to his advantage. Hippolyta easily turned the tables on him by using her wisdom and battle skills to subdue him. Still wishing peace, Hippolyta invited Heracles and his men into their city to celebrate a potential friendship with a feast. Hiding his anger, Heracles accepted the invitation.
Once in their stronghold, Heracles and his men drugged the wine the Amazons were drinking and took them prisoner. After the theft of Hippolyta's Golden Girdle and abuse and rape of the Amazons, Hippolyta cried out to Athena to help them escape their bonds. Athena said that she would only aid them on the condition that the Amazons not seek retribution against Heracles and his men as that would be beneath the ideals the Amazons were created to stand for. Hippolyta hastily agreed and the Amazon's bonds were broken and the drugs given wore off. Once out of their drugged state the Amazons were filled with hate and revenge. Breaking Hippolyta's oath to Athena, the Amazons began slaughtering their captors but were upset to find that Heracles and his general Theseus
Theseus
For other uses, see Theseus Theseus was the mythical founder-king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, both of whom Aethra had slept with in one night. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were...
had returned to their homelands. Philippus was especially affected by the abuse as she no longer truly trusted the male species since.
After the slaughter Athena reprimanded the Amazons for disobeying her orders. She demanded the Amazons serve penance for their actions. Though Hippolyta agreed to the goddess' wishes, her sister Antiope
Antiope (comics)
Antiope, is a fictional character owned by DC Comics and is based on the mythological character Antiope. In the comics she was the Amazon sister of Queen Hippolyta, and aunt to Wonder Woman...
scoffed at Athena for being angered at them for killing their rapist captors. Antiope then denounced all ties to the Olympian gods and said goodbye to her sister Hippolyta, giving Hippolyta her Golden Girdle of Gaea to replace the one stolen by Heracles. She left for Greece, along with half of the Amazon Nation who supported Antiope in her new quest to battle Heracles and Theseus out of vengeance and to replace Antiope's girdle with Hippolyta's. Antiope's tribe later became the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall.
Godly penance
Philippus and the remaining faithful Amazons then went to the sea shore where the Olympian GodsOlympian Gods (comics)
The Olympian Gods are mythological deities who appear in the Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel and Aquaman comics.-Ancient Times:When a Godwave spilled forth from the creation of the Fourth World, the Earth was seeded with great power. It first manifested in the form of old gods, then of metahumans...
told them their punishment for going against their ideals. They were to be given immortality so that they would forever safeguard a doorway to the underworld called Doom's Doorway. Not only must they protect anyone from entering, but they must also vanquish any evils that try to escape. The doorway was on a far-off isolated island and it would take some time to get there. To guide their way, the god Poseidon
Poseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
cleared a pathway for them across the seas. Once they arrived at the island the Amazons created a new city and named their new home Themyscira, after their previous fallen city. This way of life continued for 3,000 years.
After the Captain of the Guard named Egeria was killed while stopping a monster from escaping from Doom's Doorway, Philippus was promoted to the rank of Captain in her place. Philippus took the job very seriously and later became General of Hippolyta's armies. Though Philippus has always respected and reveared her Queen, over time Philippus' feelings for Hippolyta grew into love. Weither that love became physical at all over the 3,000 years on the island has never been revealed.
Life on the island
During the 1940s while guarding Doom's Doorway yet another creature attempted to escape. Unbeknowest to the island's citizens an American woman named Diana Rockwell Trevor crash landed on the island. While exploring the island she discovered the Amazons battling the creature. She used her hand gun to temporarily stop the monster from killing Philippus. The creature was able to kill Diana though but her distraction allowed the Amazons to finally defeat the creature and seal the doorway again. The Amazons held the stranger in high regard once things settled. Philippus perticularly felt indebted to Diana and later learned how to use the hand gun.Philippus was constantly at odds with Hippolyta's personal bodyguards known as The Circle
The Circle (comics)
"The Circle" is a four-issue comic book story arc written by Gail Simone with art by Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson. Published in issues #14-17 of Wonder Woman "The Circle" is a four-issue comic book story arc written by Gail Simone with art by Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson. Published in issues...
: Alkyone, Myrto, Charis, and Philomela. While Hippolyta saw their devotion as endearing, Philippus saw through their insanity and gave them little respect. They in turn showed the same hostility toward Philippus. When Hippolyta was given her daughter Diana
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
as a gift from the gods Philippus openly loved the new Princess as did most of the Amazons on the island. She could see though that the child's presence greatly disturbed the Queen's bodyguards and took it upon herself to watch them at all times. When Philippus suspected Alkyone was going to kill Diana while Hippolyta slept, she attempted to stop them beforehand but was overwhelmed by them instead. When she regained her physical composure Philippus called for the royal guard and had them imprison Hippolyta's bodyguards forever.
Diana
Philippus took an active role in the raising of the Princess. Over the years she helped Hippolyta teach Diana the ways of the Amazons. When Diana grew to an age where she used her gods given powers too off-handedly it was Philippus who went to Hippolyta to ask if she could teach Diana the lesson of humility. She arranged for a series of physical tests for Diana. In one situation she had a group of masked Amazons ambush Diana. When Diana used her powers to defeat the attackers soundly instead of more gently disable them Philippus had Diana remove the masks from the unconscious victims. Diana was horrified to discover that the attackers were in fact Diana's most cherished Amazon "mothers". Philippus then arranged for a large boulder to roll toward a group of unaware Amazons. When Diana went to hold back the boulder with her strength Philippus shot Diana in the leg with an arrow. Both these situations taught Diana to use her mind instead of her fists when confronted with a dilemma.In the 1980s 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:...
, the son of Diana Rockwell Trevor, crash landed on Themyscira. Resentful at the presence of a man on the island due to her previous rape and slavery at the hands of Herakles' men thousands of years prior, Philippus was openly vocal about wanting Steve killed. Hippolyta felt otherwise and called for a Contest to have the most skilled Amazon escort the man back to his homeland. A disguised Diana became the Contest winner, which caused heartache to both Hippolyta and Philippus. As the last trial of the Contest, Philippus used Diana Rockwell Trevor's hand gun on Princess Diana to see if she was skilled enough to deflect the bullets. The Princess was able to deflect each one and went into Man's World with Steve.
Diana returned to the island on several occasions. During one visit the Olympian god Zeus
Zeus
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...
attempted to rape Diana. When Hippolyta defied the Olympian Philippus advised the Queen not to put the rest of the island at risk. For defying the gods Diana was ordered to go into Doom's Doorway to defeat the creatures there on her way to an ultimate truth. Even though no one was allowed to aid Diana on this mission Hippolyta defied the gods again and attempted to enter behind her. With tears in her eyes Philippus begged Hippolyta not to enter. Hippolyta refused causing Philippus to tell her that her heart was breaking as she felt obligated to stop her even though she felt anguish in battling someone she loved so dearly. Hippolyta defeated Philippus and aided Diana on her mission anyway. The two later forgave each other.
Changes
Hippolyta declared that Princess Diana was to act as Themyscira's Ambassador. Because of Diana's actions with the outside world Hippolyta also decided to open their borders to outsiders as a gesture of peace. Philippus and several other Amazons escorted Hippolyta to the U.S. for a promotional tour. The witch CirceCirce (comics)
Circe is a fictional character, a villainous sorceress and a major adversary of Wonder Woman appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Based upon the Greek mythological character of the same name who imprisoned Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey, the comic book incarnation of Circe first...
arranged for the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall to ambush the Themyscirian Amazons and sabotage their mission by creating chaos in their name. The plan worked and Philippus was seriously injured. Seen as a dangerous terrorist, Philippus was hospitalized under strict armed guard. Diana as Wonder Woman was able to clear things up but the event left a scar on the trust the Amazons had offered the outside world. The Amazons eventually returned to a life of isolation on Themyscira.
Some time later the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall were magically transported to Themyscira by the witch Circe. Once there the Egyptian Amazons attacked the Themyscirian Amazons in order to claim the island as their own. During the battle Circe double-crossed the Banas and sent the entire island of Themyscira into a demon dimension along with both tribes of Amazons. The two tribes put aside their rivalry in order to defend themselves against the demons. Once the island was returned to its original setting the Bana Amazons were given a small portion of the island to dwell while the remaining Themyscirian Amazons lived in the city walls. Hippolyta received visions during this period that Wonder Woman would die. Because of this she had Philippus arrange for a new contest for the title of Wonder Woman. Philippus was instructed to place deadfalls along the contest route in order to slow down Diana so that others might have a chance at winning. Philippus was appalled at Hippolyta's wishes but followed her Queen's orders. Because of these actions the Bana Amazon Artemis
Artemis of Bana-Mighdall
Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is a fictional Amazon superheroine, a comic book character published by DC Comics. She debuted in Wonder Woman Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is a fictional Amazon superheroine, a comic book character published by DC Comics. She debuted in Wonder Woman Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is...
won the title to be the new Wonder Woman.
Diana had a huge falling out with her mother and left the island in anger. Because of this Hippolyta fell into depression and went mildly insane. Philippus took a more active role in overseeing the island because of this. Later, when Hippolyta discovered her plotting caused the death of Artemis her shame grew to the point where she felt she couldn't lead her people anymore. Hippolyta officially gave rule of Themyscira over to Philippus and banished herself in a small one person-sized boat. Philippus took her rule seriously but later admitted to Diana that she was more comfortable guiding the Amazon armies at war time than she did the day-to-day rule of an entire nation. When Diana refused to take over rule of the island Philippus reluctantly continued to serve as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
Queen.
Chancellor Philippus
Hippolyta eventually returned to Themyscira and took back her crown. Civil war then broke out between both island tribes due to the fluctuating rule and growing tensions. In order to end the war Diana and Hippolyta denounced their crowns and gave over the island to Philippus and a resurrected Artemis to act as co-rulers. Philippus was given the title of ChancellorChancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
and Archon
Archon
Archon is a Greek word that means "ruler" or "lord", frequently used as the title of a specific public office. It is the masculine present participle of the verb stem ἀρχ-, meaning "to rule", derived from the same root as monarch, hierarchy, and anarchy.- Ancient Greece :In ancient Greece the...
Eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous, whereas Artemis was given the title of Polemarch
Polemarch
A polemarch was a senior military title in various ancient Greek city states . The title is composed out of the polemos and archon and translates as "warleader" or "warlord", one of the nine archontes appointed annually in Athens...
. It is explained that Archon Eponymous equates to the Civic Office of a Presidential title, whereas the position of Polemarch translates to War Leader, similar to the position of Commander-In-Chief. During their official rule they opened the island to outworlders, both on Earth and alien worlds. When the alien being Imperiex
Imperiex
Imperiex is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman #153 , and was created by Jeph Loeb and Ian Churchill...
invaded Earth during the Our Worlds at War
Our Worlds at War
"Our Worlds at War" was a comic book crossover, published by DC Comics during the summer of 2001. OWAW was written by Jeph Loeb, Joe Casey, Mark Schultz, Joe Kelly, Phil Jimenez, and Peter David...
storyline the Amazons joined in the battle which lead to Hippolyta's death. This devastated Philippus who took greater ferocity in ending the battle. It was here that Philippus admitted her feelings for Hippolyta.
Diana stayed on as the island's Ambassador. Because of the Goddess 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...
a large tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
was close to landing on America's shores. It was stopped by Wonder Woman but the event caused the U.S. to suspect the Amazons to have ill will towards them. The U.S. President, Jonathan Vincent Horne, had Naval battleships position themselves around Themyscira in defense. Wishing to ease tensions, Philippus, Artemis and Diana met with the U.S. President. He agreed to remove the battleships if the Amazons agreed to transfer blue prints on how to create their own Purple Ray
Purple Ray
The Purple Ray is a fictional healing device featured in the Wonder Woman comics.-Pre-Crisis:Prior to the comic book storyline Crisis on Infinite Earths, Diana invented the Purple Ray in order to heal Steve Trevor from injuries he sustained when his plane was shot down and he was left adrift in the...
. Believing the U.S. would use the Purple Ray as a weapon, the Amazons gave a firm "no" in response. Because of this political tensions remained between the two nations.
Through the machinations of an A.I.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
called Brother Eye, a military strike was made against Themyscira in an attempt at Amazon genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
. A large swarm of OMAC units were sent to the island and began to attack the Amazons as part of the events of Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
. Because of this, as well as the many previous attacks against the island since Diana had become Wonder Woman, it was decided by Philippus and Artemis that the entire island of Themyscira and all of its inhabitants (sans Diana) would be transported to a hidden dimension via the Olympian and Bana-Mighdallian goddesses. Philippus and the remaining Amazons thrive in this dimension for a year's time in peace.
Amazons Attack
The witch Circe later entered the Amazons' protected dimension and revived Queen Hippolyta from death. Circe informed the Amazons that Diana was being illegally detained by the U.S. government and tortured until she gave them the secrets of the Purple RayPurple Ray
The Purple Ray is a fictional healing device featured in the Wonder Woman comics.-Pre-Crisis:Prior to the comic book storyline Crisis on Infinite Earths, Diana invented the Purple Ray in order to heal Steve Trevor from injuries he sustained when his plane was shot down and he was left adrift in the...
. Because of this, the Amazons agreed to give Hippolyta her royal title back, and followed her instructions to invade Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
which brought about the events of Amazons Attack. Artemis and Philippus were assigned to oversee the battle, but soon lost faith in Hippolyta when they discovered some of her actions against Man's World proved to be less honorable. Due to their failure to follow-through in stopping Hippolyta during the war, a disguised Granny Goodness
Granny Goodness
Granny Goodness is a fictional character, a deity and supervillain published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, Granny Goodness was modeled on comedienne Phyllis Diller and first appeared in Mister Miracle vol...
cursed all of the Amazons by erasing their memories and scattering them across the globe with false personas.
With the return of the Olympian gods, Zeus revives the Amazon's memories several months after their memory wipes and has them return to Themyscira. With the creation of the Gargareans
Gargareans
In Greek mythology, the Gargareans were an all-male tribe. They had sex with the Amazons annually in order to keep both tribes reproductive. Varying accounts suggest that they may have been kidnapped, raped, and murdered for this purpose, or that they may have had relations willingly...
, Zeus had these new male Amazons live on both the island of Thalarion
Thalarion
-H. P. Lovecraft:Thalarion is a fictional location in H. P. Lovecraft's Dreamlands. The name refers to one of the largest cities in the Dreamlands, known as "the City of a Thousand Wonders", where all knowledge that humans have been unable to understand resides...
and Themyscira. Their leader Achilles was given rule over both his people and the original Amazons. To add insult to injury Achilles chose Philippus' old rival Alkyone to become his Queen. This infuriated Philippus who continued to refer to Hippolyta as her Queen. Once the Amazon Artemis returned to the island she helped to organize a coup against the mad Queen Alkyone. Joined by Achilles and his people, the coup was successful and Hippolyta was re-crowned as Queen of the Amazons.
Powers and abilities
Philippus has 3,000 years of combat experience providing her expertise in both hand-to-hand combat as well as with hand-held weapons. As a Themyscirian Amazon she also possesses immortality that allows her to live indefinitely in a youthful form, but does leave her open to potential injury and death depending on her actions. Philippus, as a Themyscirian, also possesses enhanced strength and intelligence. As shown by fellow members of her tribe, she has the capability to break apart steel and concrete with her bare hands, jump over 12 feet from a standing position, has a high durability factor, enhanced healing, and the ability to absorb and process a vast amount of knowledge in a short period of time.Philippus, in addition to all the Themyscirian Amazons, also possesses the ability to relieve her body of physical injury and toxins by becoming one with the Earth's soil and then reforming her body whole again. The first time Diana does this she prays to her god Gaea saying: "Gaea, I pray to you. Grant me your strength. You are the Earth who suckled me, who nurtured and bred me. Through you all life is renewed. The circle which never ends. I pray you, mother Gaea, take me into your bosom. Please, let me be worthy." During writer John Byrne's time on the comic it was stated that this is a very sacred ritual to the Themyscirians, only to be used in the most dire of circumstances.
Flashpoint
In the alternate timeline of the FlashpointFlashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
event, Philippus is protection of Wonder Woman. Later, she mistakely killed Garth
Garth (comics)
Garth is a fictional character, a superhero in publications from DC Comics, originally known as Aqualad, and later known by the codename Tempest. As Aqualad, he is the teen sidekick and protege to his guardian, the super-hero known as Aquaman, bearing the same super-abilities as his mentor that...
, who had been himself framed by Artemis
Artemis of Bana-Mighdall
Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is a fictional Amazon superheroine, a comic book character published by DC Comics. She debuted in Wonder Woman Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is a fictional Amazon superheroine, a comic book character published by DC Comics. She debuted in Wonder Woman Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is...
for the murder of Queen Hippolyta. Later, Philippus is found killed by the Atlanteans, before Artemis has bombs dropped on Themyscira.
Television
- Philippus appeared in 2002 as a minor character in Justice LeagueJustice League (TV series)Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
. In the episode "Paradise Lost," Philippus appeared as a victim of the evil sorcererMagic (paranormal)Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
Felix FaustFelix FaustFelix Faust is a fictional character and supervillain who appears in stories published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in 1962 as an adversary of the Justice League of America...
. She, along with her fellow Amazon sisters, are discovered to have been turned to stone. Members of the Justice LeagueJustice LeagueThe 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....
team join together to revert the Amazons back to their normal state. Philippus re-appears in the episode "Fur." She is shown as part of a small group of Amazons attempting to capture HawkgirlHawkgirlHawkgirl is the name of several female fictional superhero characters, all owned by DC Comics and existing in that company's universe. The character is one of the first costumed female superheroes...
due to her trespassing on the Amazon island.