The burning summer heat washed over her soft skin and a cool breeze ruffled her deep blue, star spangled skirt and ringlets of raven curls. Her scarlet boots, high heeled with a streak of white down the center, sank slightly into the soft soil. Rays of sunlight shown flickered against the bold golden eagle displayed across her chest.
Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, strolled through the garden surrounding the palatial mansion that served as the headquarters of the Justice Society of America. It was beautiful, but it seemed almost dull when compared to the gardens on her homeland of Themescria, or Paradise Island as most of the tropical utopia's inhabitants called it. Long ago, Hippolyta may have commented upon this, but her centuries on that island had taught her to appreciate the beauty in all things.
It was a lazy summer day. The JSA had taken a break. That didn't change the fact that Hippolyta was bored. She was the only person at the JSA mansion.
My comrades have their own lives away from their life as members of the JSA. Their own lives . . . that's it!
Hippolyta smiled to herself. She would go into the city for the day. She had never really been in it and actually looked around leisurely. She had always been pursuing some villain or preparing the civilians to evacuate.
The queen of the Amazons turned towards Washington, her slim body turning into a blur as she sped towards the city.
Meanwhile, in Germany . . .
A large, voluptuous woman clad in glittering golden armor stood haughtily before a throne. Her long blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, under a silver helmet from which two wings viciously curved upward. In her hand was clutched a long spear.
<"You must kneel before the Fuhrer!">* a soldier insisted. Around his upper arm was a scarlet band, a swastika displayed boldly in the center.
*(translated from German)
<"Why?"> the tall woman responded. <"He is naught but a man, while I am Gudra, champion of the Valkyries!">
<"Kneel, woman!"> the Nazi soldier ordered, swinging his gun towards her face.
<"I say thee nay,"> Gudra replied, the tips of her mouth curling into a wicked smile. Before he could react, the soldier found the long spear jutting into his stomach. It didn't break the skin, but the Nazi felt his insides freeze. He screamed, a shrill, pathetic sound that resounded through the walls of the castle. A thin tendril of pale gray mist snaked from the man, twisting like a serpent around Gudra's spear. The man collapsed to the ground.
<"Impressive, Lady Gudra, but I do wish that you would not demonstrate your powers on my soldiers!">
The figure on the throne stood, walking from the shadows into the light, revealing him to be Adolf Hitler, leader of the Axis powers.
<"Thou art the much admired Adolf Hitler, nay? I would be honored to stand in thy presence, if I had not served the wicked Queen of Death, Hela, for centuries since my accursed younger sister slew me! Tell me mortal man, how hast thee summoned me from dim Niflheim?">
Hitler narrowed his eyes. <"I will forgive your presumptuous attitude, Valkyrie, for I need your power. I used the magic of a mortal man to bring you back to life.">
<"He must be quite a sorcerer to defy Hela herself!"> Gudra commented. <"Never mind that. What is thy whim? I suppose I owe thee something for bringing me from Niflheim!">
<"You seem to know something of me and my mission; the final solution to purge the world of all the evil upon it. Unfortunately, one nation above all others troubles me, and they are aided by a host of mighty heroes. One hero is a warrior woman who claims to have been created by gods of some sort or another. I assumed that you, a creature of mythology yourself, would be well suited to the task of eliminating her!">
Gudra's eyes lit up in interest. <"And this woman . . . she would be . . . ?">
<"Wonder Woman.">
Perhaps this was not the best course of action . . . Hippolyta thought for the fiftieth time as she signed another autograph. She'd sign an autograph, listen to the fan's comments, and then another would replace them from the unending throng of humanity. The teenage girl in front of her, a tall, willowy redhead, smiled enthusiastically at her.
"Thanks, Wonder Woman! You're my favorite member of the JSA!" she blabbered enthusiastically. "I'm so glad to finally meet you in person!"
A tall man in a brown business suit elbowed the girl out of the way, thrusting a pad of paper towards Hippolyta's chest. The redhead turned on him.
"I wasn't done yet, buster!" she growled, showing surprising strength as she pushed him roughly away.
"Watch it!" he snapped. Hippolyta sighed and began to intercede, when a loud explosion tore through the air, followed by a volley of gunfire.
Wonder Woman didn't hesitate a moment as she hurled herself over the heads of the astonished and excited civilians.
Back in Germany . . .
His head drooped forward, causing his colorful top hat to tall from his dark head and drift slowly to the damp prison floor. He was a tall man, and would have been very handsome if not for his sickly complexion and sullen look, which were products of his imprisonment. A gaudy performer's suit clung to his body and heavy iron shackles and chains bound him to the stone wall.
Suddenly, he was bathed in a rosy light. He looked up, and his senses went wild.
An intoxicating scent of lilacs and honeysuckle permeated his nostrils. He could almost hear a heavenly music, and the very air around him vibrated with the universal powers of love and beauty. He almost tasted something far sweeter than any candy.
But his sight was the most pleasured scent. Before him stood a tall, curvy woman . . . no . . . a goddess, for nothing mortal could be so beautiful. Curls seemingly spun of gold flowed unbidden across skin smoother than silk and softer than velvet. Sparkling eyes, bluer than the sky had ever been, gazed over him, twinkling with laughter and mischief. The rosy pink tunic that floated over her tanned limbs wrought with golden jewelry seemed almost a sin. She was the living embodiment of beauty.
"Hello. You are Giovanni Zatara, correct?" the goddess asked. Her voice was incredible; like the music of Apollo's lyre as his divine fingers swept gracefully over the strings.
"Y-yes . . . " he stammered. His tongue felt numb, and he cursed himself for his inability to speak.
She smiled, and Giovanni was glad that he lay on the ground, for he was unsure if his knees could support him. "I am Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. I am pleased to make your acquaintance! I am sure that you are wondering why I am here."
"S-something like that . . . " Zatara replied, still struck dumb by her impeccable beauty.
"Well, as you know, your magical powers were used to pull in a creature from another plane of existence."
Zatara nodded. "Hitler strapped me to this machine that drew the magical energy out of me. He used it to power some odd device that opened a portal. How did you . . . "
"I am a goddess; I know many things," Aphrodite replied. "That plane is Niflheim, the place where the dead of the Norse faith journey when they pass on. The being he drew forth was Gudra, a powerful warrior goddess."
"I'm guessing that's bad."
"Very much so," Aphrodite smiled. "The mortal called Hitler plans to use Gudra to kill someone very dear to me. You may know her as Wonder Woman!"
Zatara laughed. "You don't need to worry about her! She's one of the most powerful members of the JSA!"
Aphrodite's radiant expression turned serious. "Aye, that she is, but Gudra is more powerful even than Hippolyta. Even before she was slain, Gudra could defeat Thor himself in combat. Her centuries in Niflheim have done naught but strengthen her. I believe Hippolyta shall need an ally, especially one with your magical finesse!"
"But she's got Doctor Fate on her side!" Zatara said. "I'm nowhere near as powerful as he is!"
"Doctor Fate has personal affairs, Giovanni," Aphrodite explained. "And you have an added bonus; you are very handsome."
Zatara would normally have responded with a similar comment, but he was too pleased to have this goddess say such things about him.
Aphrodite turned towards a humming machine, shaped like a small cube, in the corner. Her face creased in a frown. "Hmmm . . . I sense a flow of magic in the direction of this device. It seems to be absorbing any magical energy in here!"
The goddess raised a slender arm, as sparkles of light danced around her finger. She pointed that arm towards the machine, and a thin beam of golden light struck the machine. It exploded in a shower of sparks.
It was like taking a breath after being underwater for a long while. Zatara felt his magical energy rush back into him, and the void he had felt ever since Hitler and his Nazis ambushed him outside his dressing room had vanished.
"Sniahc nrut ot retaw!"* he cried. The heavy metal binding him to the wall slowly melted away, dissolving into cool, refreshing water that soaked into the thick fabric of Zatara's suit. "Yes! It's back!"
*("Chains turn to water!" - for those who can't read backwards)
Aphrodite smiled at his happiness. "I shall leave you to your own devices now. Farewell, and do not dawdle to assist Hippolyta!" She turned, fading from view with a flash of pink energy.
Zatara nodded, raising his hands. He would go help Hippolyta, but first he would go home, eat, shower, and change.
"Tropelet em ot emoh!" he cried. In a flash, he was gone.
*("Teleport me to home!")
Hippolyta carefully surveyed the scene. A group of five women, all college aged girls clad in striped suit-like dresses and hats. They all clutched Tommy guns, and kept the police at bay with sprays of bullets. Behind them was parked a large, black car. It appeared heavily armored, and two more women appeared from within the rubble that was once the front of a jewelry store, each holding a heavy sack filled with precious gemstones. Guns were slung over their backs.
"Back off, coppers!" one girl, a stout brunette snarled. Her words were punctuated with gunfire as she unleashed another fusillade into the police force. A man cried out, and Wonder Woman grew alarmed as she saw crimson blood blossom against the uniform blue of the policeman's shirt.
"That cannot be allowed to go on any longer!" Hippolyta scowled. She pulled the shimmering lariat from her waist and tied its end. With a flick of her wrist, she sent it sailing towards the mob girls. The golden loop wrapped around the entire group. Wonder Woman tugged, jerking them from their feet with ease.
"It's Wonder Woman!" one of the girls cried. Her voice held awe, astonishment, and fear.
"Dammit!" one of the untied girls snarled. She tossed her sack to the side, and thousands of dollars worth of jewelry spilled out over the pavement. The muzzle of her gun was raised towards Wonder Woman, and bullets flashed through the air towards the brilliant eagle emblazoned across her chest. "Get in the car, Lori! Take the jewels and get outta here! I'll hold this bimbo off!"
"Whatever you say, Jane!" the girl called Lori replied. She hefted her bag into the trunk of the car and crawled in.
"You should know that doesn't work by now!" Hippolyta commented. Her wrists were silver blurs as they diverted the deadly bits of biting metal into the pavement. "Your stupidity misrepresents us women!"
Before Jane could fire again, Hippolyta had yanked the gun from her hands and crushed it like paper.
"Aaaahhh!" Jane, determined not to fail, swung a fist towards her Amazonian attacker. Hippolyta caught her wrist in an iron clamp and twisted, flinging Jane towards the police force. They converged on her, managing to bind her hands behind her back despite her fervent fighting.
"Thanks Wonder Woman!" a young officer chirped. He was a little on the gawky side, red splotches of acne still covering his boyish face. "They're from Julia Sazia's gang. She only lets dames in, and she's got all these weird weapons an' stuff."
Wonder Woman turned towards the fleeing car. "Thank you for the information. Wait one moment, this should not take too long!"
Suddenly, there was an eerie humming noise. Bluish energy seemed to pour from the bottom of the getaway car, and it rose into the air, hovering meters above the ground.
"Suffering Sappho!"
On the Grecian isle of Crete . . .
The defiant woman hurled herself at the stout man before her. Adolf Hitler did not even blink at the raging Greek before him, even as she lunged in an attempt to tear his throat out. A sharp blade thrust from nowhere, jabbing the woman in the side. She cried out, shaking wildly as a sparkling mist was drawn from her body. She crumpled to the ground as the mist wound around the spear before dissipating. Her lifeless eyes stared up at the tall blonde woman that held the spear, glimmering in the sunlight that filtered through the holes in her roof.
<"Impressive!"> Hitler murmured, his eyes alight with sadistic glee.
<"Disgusting,"> Gudra of the Valkyries replied. Her cold eyes regarding the Nazi leader with unmistakable steel. <"The slaughter of weaklings art appealing to thou? ‘Tis a cowardly deed, to kill those that cannot defend themselves against thee!">
Hitler chuckled, a disturbing, horrible sound. <"Dear Gudra, I thought you were evil!">
<"Evil, aye, a coward, nay!"> Gudra responded coldly.
<"I suppose you have proven yourself sufficient,"> Hitler replied, surveying the devastation around him. Gudra had destroyed an entire Greek town. He nodded to Gudra. <"Transport us home!">
Gudra nodded curtly, waving her spear in the air. In a flash of light, they were gone. They failed to notice as a slim, blonde girl in tattered clothes wept amidst the rubble of her home. They failed to notice as she swore that they would not escape her vengeance. They failed to notice as a dark, arcane energy began to crackle around her. They failed to notice as three ancient, monstrous goddesses granted her the power to fulfill her vow.
The cars around her seemed to be moving in reverse, so high were Hippolyta's speeds. The ancient myths claimed that the Amazons were as swift as Hermes himself. Three thousand years ago, that was untrue. Hippolyta and her sisters were certainly stronger and swifter than ordinary mortals, but back then they lacked the centuries of advanced training that in present times made them every bit as quick as the messenger god.
The pedestrians on the sidewalks and behind the wheels of cars saw no more than a shining blur as Hippolyta sped by. But she was still not swift enough to catch the floating car that raced ahead of her, only a few feet in front of her powerful fingers.
<"Hermes give me speed . . . "> Hippolyta prayed in Classical Greek, the native language of the Amazons. The jovial God of Speed must have been listening, as Wonder Woman felt strength surge through her legs. She pushed forward until she sprinted alongside the flying car. Leaping upward, she dug her fingers into the car door. Hippolyta knew that if she simply tried to stop the car, it could fall apart in her hands, killing whoever was inside. She tore a handhold in the car wall, before forcing the door open. The metal screeched in protest as she forced herself in. She was in the back seat. In front of her a terrified girl screamed, swerving. Hippolyta grabbed the steering wheel to avoid colliding with a tall building. She whipped her golden lasso around the mobster, shrouding her mind with magic.
"Bring this car to a slow halt," Hippolyta commanded evenly. The girl visibly resisted, but the lasso was too strong, and she reluctantly complied. "Very good, now, please exit the car calmly."
The girl stepped out of the car, scowling. Hippolyta reached forward, and gripped a nerve cluster above the girl's brow. She crumpled lifelessly, and Hippolyta walked to the sidewalk and laid the prone gangster on the bench. Suddenly, Hippolyta heard the sound of metal scraping against pavement. She whirled, just in time to escape a metal tendril whipping towards her neck.
"Gaea!"
Before the Amazon Queen stood a woman covered from head to toe in shining metal. Her mask was the silver countenance of a feline, and twin ears tapered from her chrome skull. The tendril was her tail, twisting like a silver snake around her long legs. Tipping each finger was a wickedly curved talon. All were bared threateningly, and could have torn through Hippolyta's flesh like knives through warm butter.
Which, Wonder Woman realized, they were probably made to do!
"Prepare to go straight to Pluto's realm, Amazon!" the robotic cat woman hissed. "At the claws of . . . Cyber-Cat!"
Her hands gripped the reins of her horse tightly, as its many legs pounded thin air. The cold wind lifted her mane of blonde hair behind her like a golden cape.
<"Now where for art thou, Queen Hippolyta?"*> she murmured.
*(Translated from Nordic)
Eyes the color of the arctic sea through which the goddess's worshippers sailed millennia hence scanned the towers of Washington.
"We Amazons worship Lady Persephone and Lord Hades, not Lord Pluto or Lady Proserpine! You have us confused with the Romans!" Wonder Woman leapt away from the slashing silver claws of Cyber-Cat. "If you're to base your dialogue off of your adversary's faith, at least make sure you use the correct deities!"
Hippolyta caught Cyber-Cat by her wrists in an iron grip. The mobster struggled valiantly, but Hippolyta held her easily. "No! Impossible! This suit increases my strength tenfold!"
"Only tenfold? My strength is one thousand times that of a normal man!" Hippolyta claimed, before smashing her fist into Cyber-Cat's jaw. She gurgled weakly, before collapsing to the ground. There was a flash of lights and a blare of sirens as police cars came screeching around the corner.
Wonder Woman waved to the surrounding crowds with a dazzling smile, before leaping into the air and bounding across rooftops.
Unbeknownst to her, two cold eyes glared down at her from miles in the air.
Next issue: A Valkyrie attacks Wonder Woman, but who is more at risk: the combatants, or the city around them?