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War of the Gods (comics)
Encyclopedia
War of the Gods was an American four-issue comic book
mini-series
published by DC Comics
in 1991
.
Primarily centered on the character Wonder Woman
, this storyline was intended to celebrate the character's 50th anniversary. It was written and drawn by George Pérez
, who would leave the Wonder Woman (vol. 2) title following this storyline with #62.
has been behind the scenes watching Diana's every move. Circe is responsible for a series of brutal murders that have occurred where various artifacts have been stolen. The Amazons are framed for these crimes and public hysteria is whipped up against them. With the disappearance of Queen Hippolyta, General Phillipus wounded by gunfire and the death of Hellene, some Amazons are taken into custody. Steve Trevor is forced by General George Yedziniak to attack Themyscira; an oncoming war is about to begin.
wage war with the Olympian gods
, the Egyptian
, African, Norse
, Babylonian and Thanagar
ian gods each want to recreate the world in their own images, and attack the superheroes who stand in their way. Unknown to them, it is in fact the sorceress Circe
who has led each of them to wage war on each other, so she can destroy the Earth goddess Gaea. With the threat of Wonder Woman stopping her, Circe makes sure she has her hands busy fighting Captain Marvel
, under the influence of the Roman Gods, before he destroys the Greek Gods. Son of Vulcan
was originally asked to be the Roman God's champion, but he declined.
Meanwhile, Black Adam
recruits the Suicide Squad
to help him launch an attack on Circe's fortress. The fight leads Circe to Themyscira
, where after a confrontation, she kills Wonder Woman by turning her back into clay. While this happens, New Olympus is moved to Earth, where it ends up threatening Earth and all of existence. The superheroes convince the gods of every mythology to lay down their arms and join them in facing the true enemy manipulating them, revealed to the gods to be Circe. After Captain Marvel is freed from the Roman gods' influence and Wonder Woman is brought back to life, Gaea regains her strength and the fight leads to Circe. In the battle, Circe is taken from Olympus to the Tomb of Cronus where she faces Wonder Woman and Donna Troy
. Using the Talisman, Circe (who is blasting energy at Wonder Woman, who channels it into the dimensional star field material of Donna's costume) is absorbed and in turn her power fails causing her body to die, which in turn sets free Hecate's disembodied soul. Hecate tries to take possession of Diana, but is apparently destroyed by the Lasso of Truth. In the end, the War of the Gods is finally over, but at the price of Hermes
', Eris
', Son of Vulcan
, and Harmonia
's life, as well as Circe herself (although she would return later by unknown means). Eris would also return later, albeit briefly during Phil Jimenez
's tenure as writer and artist on Wonder Woman.
Queen Hippolyta and Wonder Woman, mother and daughter, hug over how wonderful things turned out in the end. The Amazons rebuild their home and now they have sisters and brothers from Man's World. The world announced an apology for the blaming against the Amazons as Themyscira is such an ally the world needs. The same innocence goes for Steve, since he was revealed not to be under his own actions, but under General Yedziniak's. The fallen Amazons lay and are ignited in a ritual as those fallen can now go on their final journey to the Afterlife. Wonder Woman goes to the military hospital where General Philippus is recovering, and helps out with herbs to heal her. Later, Wonder Woman meets with Julia Kapatelis
for Vanessa's graduation, where what is said at the graduation is the same on Themyscira and the world: the future awaiting them is about to take its first step for the new journey to start.
was having editorial problems that caused troubles and problems writing the storyline even from its inception. He felt that DC Comics
was not doing enough to celebrate Wonder Woman's anniversary that in turn would promote the story. Also, DC did not plan the story for newsstand distribution, but for retail stores only. Originally, the final issue was going to have Steve Trevor
and Etta Candy
marry, an event he had been building up to since the series was relaunched. DC stopped it so the next writer following Pérez, William Messner-Loebs
, would do it instead. Because of this, Pérez would separate himself from DC for several years.
crossover which caused last minute changes to which tiles and characters would be involved and to what degree. An extra issue of Captain Atom
and Hawk and Dove
's final issue were added after promotional materials were produced and shipped out to retailers, Justice League Europe
#31 was not bannered as part of the crossover and numerous parts shipped late and out of order.
Part 1: War Of The Gods #1
Part 2: Wonder Woman v2 #58
Part 3: Superman: The Man of Steel
#3
Part 4: Hawkworld
#15
Part 5: Starman
#38
Part 6: L.E.G.I.O.N.
#31
Part 7: Hawk & Dove #28 (not originally announced as part of crossover)
Part 8: Captain Atom #56 (not originally announced as part of crossover, not cover bannered, part number left off cover)
Part 9: Doctor Fate
#32
Part 10: Flash
v2 #55
Part 11: Wonder Woman v2 #59
Part 12: Doctor Fate #33
Part 13: War Of The Gods #2
Part 14: Justice League Europe #31 (not cover bannered as part of crossover, part number left off cover)
Part 15: Batman
#470
Part 16: Hawkworld #16
Part 17: Animal Man
#40
Part 18: Captain Atom #57
Part 19: Suicide Squad #58
Part 20: Wonder Woman v2 #60
Part 21: War Of The Gods #3 (part number left off cover)
Part 22: Demon #17
Part 23: New Titans #81
Part 24: Wonder Woman v2 #61
Part 25: War Of The Gods #4 (part number left off cover of some editions)
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...
mini-series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
published 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...
in 1991
1991 in comics
-January:* Checkmate is canceled by DC Comics with issue #33.* El Diablo vol. 2 is canceled by DC with issue #16.* Count Duckula is canceled by the Marvel Comics imprint Star Comics with issue #15....
.
Primarily centered on the character 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....
, this storyline was intended to celebrate the character's 50th anniversary. It was 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:...
, who would leave the Wonder Woman (vol. 2) title following this storyline with #62.
Prologue
As shown in the Wonder Woman (vol. 2) issues #51-57, after the Amazons announced themselves to the world in #50, 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...
has been behind the scenes watching Diana's every move. Circe is responsible for a series of brutal murders that have occurred where various artifacts have been stolen. The Amazons are framed for these crimes and public hysteria is whipped up against them. With the disappearance of Queen Hippolyta, General Phillipus wounded by gunfire and the death of Hellene, some Amazons are taken into custody. Steve Trevor is forced by General George Yedziniak to attack Themyscira; an oncoming war is about to begin.
Main story
Worldwide, ancient gods suddenly begin trying to destroy the Earth and each other. While the ancient Roman godsRoman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans...
wage war with the Olympian gods
Olympian 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...
, the Egyptian
Egyptian mythology
Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex system of polytheistic beliefs and rituals which were an integral part of ancient Egyptian society. It centered on the Egyptians' interaction with a multitude of deities who were believed to be present in, and in control of, the forces and elements of nature...
, African, Norse
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
, Babylonian and Thanagar
Thanagar
Thanagar is a fictional planet in the . Thanagar is the original home of the humanoid Thanagarian race, noted for the discovery of gravity-defying Nth metal...
ian gods each want to recreate the world in their own images, and attack the superheroes who stand in their way. Unknown to them, it is in fact the sorceress Circe
Circe (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...
who has led each of them to wage war on each other, so she can destroy the Earth goddess Gaea. With the threat of Wonder Woman stopping her, Circe makes sure she has her hands busy fighting Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel (DC Comics)
Captain Marvel is a fictional comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2...
, under the influence of the Roman Gods, before he destroys the Greek Gods. Son of Vulcan
Son of Vulcan
Son of Vulcan is the name of two comic book characters, one created by Charlton Comics in 1965, the other by DC Comics in August 2005. Son of Vulcan was one of the characters DC Comics purchased from defunct Charlton Comics in 1983.-Charlton Comics:...
was originally asked to be the Roman God's champion, but he declined.
Meanwhile, Black Adam
Black Adam
Black Adam is a fictional comic book character, created in 1945 by Otto Binder & C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. Originally created as a one-shot villain for Fawcett Comics' Marvel Family team of superheroes, Black Adam was revived as a recurring supervillain after DC Comics began publishing Captain...
recruits the Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
to help him launch an attack on Circe's fortress. The fight leads Circe to 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...
, where after a confrontation, she kills Wonder Woman by turning her back into clay. While this happens, New Olympus is moved to Earth, where it ends up threatening Earth and all of existence. The superheroes convince the gods of every mythology to lay down their arms and join them in facing the true enemy manipulating them, revealed to the gods to be Circe. After Captain Marvel is freed from the Roman gods' influence and Wonder Woman is brought back to life, Gaea regains her strength and the fight leads to Circe. In the battle, Circe is taken from Olympus to the Tomb of Cronus where she faces Wonder Woman and Donna Troy
Donna Troy
Donna Troy is a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in The Brave and the Bold vol. 1 #60 , and was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani...
. Using the Talisman, Circe (who is blasting energy at Wonder Woman, who channels it into the dimensional star field material of Donna's costume) is absorbed and in turn her power fails causing her body to die, which in turn sets free Hecate's disembodied soul. Hecate tries to take possession of Diana, but is apparently destroyed by the Lasso of Truth. In the end, the War of the Gods is finally over, but at the price of Hermes
Hermes
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...
', Eris
Eris (mythology)
Eris is the Greek goddess of strife and discord, her name being translated into Latin as Discordia. Her Greek opposite is Harmonia, whose Latin counterpart is Concordia. Homer equated her with the war-goddess Enyo, whose Roman counterpart is Bellona...
', Son of Vulcan
Son of Vulcan
Son of Vulcan is the name of two comic book characters, one created by Charlton Comics in 1965, the other by DC Comics in August 2005. Son of Vulcan was one of the characters DC Comics purchased from defunct Charlton Comics in 1983.-Charlton Comics:...
, and Harmonia
Harmonia (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Harmonia is the immortal goddess of harmony and concord. Her Roman counterpart is Concordia, and her Greek opposite is Eris, whose Roman counterpart is Discordia.-Origins:...
's life, as well as Circe herself (although she would return later by unknown means). Eris would also return later, albeit briefly during Phil Jimenez
Phil Jimenez
Phil Jimenez is an American comic book writer, artist and penciller, known for his work as writer/artist on Wonder Woman from 2000 to 2003, as one of the five pencilers of the 2005-2006 miniseries Infinite Crisis, and his collaborations with writer Grant Morrison on New X-Men and The...
's tenure as writer and artist on Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman #62
Issue #62 was the final issue of George Pérez' run of Wonder Woman, as the tagline on the cover states An Era Ends for... Wonder Woman. The issue was not advertised as an aftermath to War of the Gods, but it takes place and was released following after the event's end.Queen Hippolyta and Wonder Woman, mother and daughter, hug over how wonderful things turned out in the end. The Amazons rebuild their home and now they have sisters and brothers from Man's World. The world announced an apology for the blaming against the Amazons as Themyscira is such an ally the world needs. The same innocence goes for Steve, since he was revealed not to be under his own actions, but under General Yedziniak's. The fallen Amazons lay and are ignited in a ritual as those fallen can now go on their final journey to the Afterlife. Wonder Woman goes to the military hospital where General Philippus is recovering, and helps out with herbs to heal her. Later, Wonder Woman meets with Julia Kapatelis
Julia Kapatelis
Julia Deneiros Kapatelis is a DC Comics fictional character created by writer/artist George Pérez for the Wonder Woman comic book series.-Childhood:...
for Vanessa's graduation, where what is said at the graduation is the same on Themyscira and the world: the future awaiting them is about to take its first step for the new journey to start.
George Pérez' disputes with DC
Around the time of this story, George PérezGeorge 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:...
was having editorial problems that caused troubles and problems writing the storyline even from its inception. He felt that 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...
was not doing enough to celebrate Wonder Woman's anniversary that in turn would promote the story. Also, DC did not plan the story for newsstand distribution, but for retail stores only. Originally, the final issue was going to have 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:...
and 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...
marry, an event he had been building up to since the series was relaunched. DC stopped it so the next writer following Pérez, William Messner-Loebs
William Messner-Loebs
William Messner-Loebs is an American comic book writer and artist from Michigan, also known as Bill Loebs and Bill Messner-Loebs...
, would do it instead. Because of this, Pérez would separate himself from DC for several years.
Crossover titles
In addition to Perez's troubles with the promotion of the crossover, there were editoral problems as well, involving the upcoming Armageddon 2001Armageddon 2001
"Armageddon 2001" was a 1991 crossover event storyline published by DC Comics. It ran through a self titled, two issue limited series and most of the annuals DC published that year from May through October...
crossover which caused last minute changes to which tiles and characters would be involved and to what degree. An extra issue of Captain Atom
Captain Atom
Captain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero that has existed in three basic incarnations. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33 . Captain Atom was created for Charlton Comics but was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for...
and Hawk and Dove
Hawk and Dove
Hawk and Dove is the moniker given to two superheroes when they team up to fight crime. Hawk and Dove describes each character's attitude or approach to fighting crime. The hawk represents aggression, and the dove representing pacifism.-Hank and Don Hall:...
's final issue were added after promotional materials were produced and shipped out to retailers, Justice League Europe
Justice League Europe
Justice League Europe was a DC Comics book run that was a spin-off of the comic book Justice League America ....
#31 was not bannered as part of the crossover and numerous parts shipped late and out of order.
Part 1: War Of The Gods #1
Part 2: Wonder Woman v2 #58
Part 3: Superman: The Man of Steel
Superman: The Man of Steel
Superman: The Man of Steel is the title of a monthly American comic book series that ran 136 issues from 1991 to 2003. published by DC Comics, featuring Superman. As a consequence of introducing this series alongside its already existing titles, DC Comics was able to publish a new Superman comic...
#3
Part 4: Hawkworld
Hawkworld
Hawkworld is a comic book series that was published by DC Comics. The initial story line was published as a three-issue mini-series and then, based on the high sales and interest level generated by this limited series, launched as an ongoing monthly book...
#15
Part 5: Starman
Starman (comics)
Starman is a name used by several different fictional DC Comics superheroes, most prominently Ted Knight and his sons David and Jack.Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Jack Burnley, the original Starman, Ted Knight, first appeared in Adventure Comics #61...
#38
Part 6: L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N., is a team of fictional extraterrestrial superheroes, a science fiction comic book published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Invasion! #1, and were created by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo and Todd McFarlane...
#31
Part 7: Hawk & Dove #28 (not originally announced as part of crossover)
Part 8: Captain Atom #56 (not originally announced as part of crossover, not cover bannered, part number left off cover)
Part 9: Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
#32
Part 10: Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
v2 #55
Part 11: Wonder Woman v2 #59
Part 12: Doctor Fate #33
Part 13: War Of The Gods #2
Part 14: Justice League Europe #31 (not cover bannered as part of crossover, part number left off cover)
Part 15: Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
#470
Part 16: Hawkworld #16
Part 17: Animal Man
Animal Man
Animal Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . As a result of being in proximity to an exploding extraterrestrial spaceship, Buddy Baker acquires the ability to temporarily “borrow” the abilities of animals...
#40
Part 18: Captain Atom #57
Part 19: Suicide Squad #58
Part 20: Wonder Woman v2 #60
Part 21: War Of The Gods #3 (part number left off cover)
Part 22: Demon #17
Part 23: New Titans #81
Part 24: Wonder Woman v2 #61
Part 25: War Of The Gods #4 (part number left off cover of some editions)
George Pérez' letter to Wonder Woman
The final page of Wonder Woman #62 features a letter from Pérez addressed to Wonder Woman herself:Dear Princess Diana,
I just wanted to let you know just how grateful I was that you allowed me to document your adventures, and it is a great sadness that I must now announce my retirement from the Wonder Woman series.
I've learned a lot these past few years and I'd like to think that I'm a better person for having followed your adventures and hope I did your exploits justice.
As so often happens in life, it's time to move on to start working on that new chapter in the book of life (a recurring image you'll notice in my final issue.) I leave you in the capable hands of one William Messner-Loebs, about you might want to ask your new friend Dr. Fate, and the talented Jill Thompson.
Well, that's it for me. I'm glad your current troubles are over and hope your current troubles will prove less hazardous. In your line of work I know that seems unlikely, but there’s no harm in hoping.
Take care, Princess Diana. And as they said over at Themyscira: The Glory of Gaea be with you.