Wonder Woman

Daughter of Mars

by Libbylawrence

Within an elaborate base, four hired thugs stood before their mysterious mistress as she questioned them closely. “Did you equip our feline ally as I requested?” she asked in a stern voice.

The first thug replied quickly. He kept his eyes downcast and stared at her silvery boots as he answered. “The information you provided worked perfectly. She pretended to stumble on their base like some drugged nomad. They thought she was just another shapely flake and allowed her into their cult without any suspicion!”

She nodded but her expression was concealed behind an ornate silvery helmet that masked her features but revealed her long silky black hair as it cascaded out of the back of the helmet and passed her armored shoulders. “Excellent. I am certain she will be able to use her wiles to gain the data she desires. That will of course enable her to serve my cause as well as any mortal!” she replied.

The man replied but never raised his eyes. “Yeah, she is a real looker!” said the man.

The woman in silver and black shouted, “Had she possessed the face of Aphrodite herself, she would have still been of more use to me because of her criminal mind and her unique talents. Do not judge people by their appearances. One graced by the gods themselves may still carry the taint of corruption within her form.”

The men spoke in unison. “Forgive us! We will not anger you again!”

She said, “Be about your duties.”

They nodded and departed in relief. There was something frightening about the masked woman. She was clearly brilliant and cunning but she also had an inhuman manner about her that went beyond her casual ruthlessness.

Across the nation, another ruthless group stood rigidly at attention while their leader lounged upon a throne. He wore robes and thick incense filled the air of the otherwise military styled base. “Great Naga Naga, all goes as planned the stolen parts have been assembled and our rocket is poised to launch at the desired date, ” said one lackey.

The man called Kobra nodded and spoke in a sibilant manner. “Be ccertain of that or prepare to sssurender your very life!” he said as he idly carressed the brown tressed beauty who crouched at his feet. She wore a filmy harem costume and seemed to lull at his feet in a drugged or blissful stupor. He petted her head and said, “Lady Eve, I grow weary. Dismiss my minions.”

She stood up and bowed low. “All of you leave now! The master would seek repose,” she said in a commanding tone. The others filed out in silent respect to their leader’s demands. “I too beg leave!” said Lady Eve.

Kobra nodded imperiously. “Go and refresh yourself!” he said.

She bowed again before exiting the room. She did not go to the chamber in which Kobra’s brides resided. She merely looked back at her master’s back with a look of disgust. “Your weariness will matter little once I use your resources to gain a long desired goal,” she hissed in an almost feline manner. She slipped out of the base by using an inhuman agility along with awareness of the base’s security system that she had gained during her time posing as a mindless follower of the cult leader’s movement. While she pretended to be just another submissive cultist, she concealed secrets and malice all her own.

Around that same time Nubia the second Wonder Woman stood proudly before her mother Queen Hippolyta and her tiny sister Diana in a splendid building on an island called Paradise. “As ever my sword is yours to command, but what was the reason you asked me to come back to Paradise Island so suddenly? My Justice League allies informed me of your urgent broadcast and I swiftly used the teleporter to come first to Science Isle and then to the palace royal, ” said Nubia as she gazed up at her blonde mother who sat regally on her throne as befitted the Queen of the Amazons.

“My daughter, my thanks to your comrades Hawkwoman and Hawkman for their past work in installation of the device on Paula’s Science Isle. That alien device brought you here as rapidly as Hermes himself might have traveled! In part, it is your means of travel that led me to ask you here, “said Queen Hippolyta as Diana watched in interest as a butterfly swooped nearby.

Nubia said, “I know you must refer to the Invisible Plane. Has Paula managed to determine just how it vanished so long ago?”

Hippolyta shook her head. “Fair Paula still only knows it left this earth during the days of Crisis. As you know it could only have responded to the thoughts of one it had been programmed to obey. The only person who possibly met that condition was Diana’s husband Steve Trevor. Donna has since determined that he also disappeared around the same time. I think we may surmise that he took it for some reckless but noble purpose. May he find peace. However, we have a surprise for you. We have ordered the creation of an exact duplicate of the missing plane and it awaits your mental command!”

She smiled and led Nubia outside to where the other Amazons stood at attention along a clear field. “It is made of the exact Amazilikon as was Diana’s original model. It will obey your mental commands and it shall be as proof against harm as the storied Achilles himself!” announced the Queen as Nubia sensed the mental hum of the sentient plane and heard the “voice” of the plane within her mind.

“Remarkable! I sense how it responds to my thoughts! Thank you, Mother! Thank you all!” said a pleased Nubia.

Queen Hippolyta smiled back in pleasure. She had come to respect Nubia’s fierce resolve to follow in the transformed Princess Diana’s footsteps as the embodiment of Amazonian ideals for a benighted Man’s World. She had been reluctant at times to see any of her beloved daughters risk life and limb in the outer world, which was so vulnerable to the evil power of bloody Mars. Still, although the blonde queen looked no older than she had when first she had led her sisters away from their original homeland along the Thermodon River in a land once called Themyscira eons ago, she had experienced much and she knew that it would be an injustice to suppress her children or deny them their individual freedoms. She had battled many monsters herself during her youth in the era now dismissed as one of myth by the Western world. She admired Nubia’s fiery desire to bring justice and peace to the world beyond Paradise Isle. She also knew that Nubia carried within her certain motivations that Diana had lacked.

She recalled the dark scene shortly after the gods and goddesses of Olympus had breathed life into the two infant statutes of clay she had formed at their command. She had felt the natural maternal yearning for a child that any woman, be she Amazon Queen or commoner, would feel. The babies had cried with life and their voices had been like a refreshing clarion trumpet call to Hippolyta since they had signaled something unheard of on Paradise Isle in eons! The baby girls had embodied new life and a new generation on the island of women warriors where no man had ever set foot and thus no new child had been born in eons. Hippolyta shuddered still as she recalled the nightmarish end to the wonderful events.

Her two babies had suddenly been cast into shadow by a looming massive figure who filled the room with his presence and power as he abducted the darker baby who would one day be Nubia. Mars, the god of war and an implacable foe to the peace-loving Amazons, scowled as he claimed the child and left a shocked Hippolyta and baby Diana behind. The very personal glee he had expressed with his every tone and movement still lingered in her memory. Queen Hippolyta had begged Aphrodite and Athena the two patronesses of the Amazon nation for their help but even they could not learn where dread Mars had taken the baby.

Hippolyta would raise Diana, who in turn received all the blessings of the Olympians, as her sole heir. She would grow to equal the lofty claims the Olympians made on her behalf when she was an infant. She became fleeter than Hermes, stronger than Herakles, and lovelier than Aphrodite herself. Eventually, when the Olympians demanded that one Amazon champion go forth to bring their ideals of peace and love to the outer world and to combat the constant war mongering of Mars, Diana herself would excel in the contest and earn the right to become the heroine called Wonder Woman. She had been driven to do so by more than one motive. One of which was her love for Steve Trevor. Trevor had crashed his plane on the isle and she had fallen for the handsome hero in record time. She had found him irresistible while a worried Hippolyta had only looked on him as a threat to the happiness she had found with her remaining child. She had never stopped grieving for the lost Nubia and little suspected that one day a grown Nubia would return to the island as a minion of Mars himself.

Eventually, Nubia would be freed from the magic enslavement with which Mars had held her. She would learn of her true origin and after some difficult years of adjustment she would embrace Hippolyta and her Amazon heritage while she rejected the hold Mars had placed over her.

Still, when Diana was transformed into an infant by the events of the Crisis, Nubia rushed to take her place as Wonder Woman. She had been driven to do so out of a desire to make up for her past deeds when she had served Mars. She had also wanted to prove herself worthy of being the daughter of Queen Hippolyta. This meant being a heroine as well as a warrior. This meant being selfless and not self-centered.

Now, Queen Hippolyta felt pleasure at being able to support and enhance Nubia’s ability to do the job of protecting the outer world as Wonder Woman. Diana’s magical plane had been lost and now she had been able to provide Nubia with a replacement.

Nubia smiled and raised her arm in salute to the Amazons around them. “Hola, sister! Hola!” she said. The other rows of Amazons answered her salute in kind as she relished their approval and their support. “Mother, I thank you all. It is truly remarkable!” she said.

Queen Hippolyta placed one hand on her shoulder. “You are welcome, my dear. Now, for the other reason I summoned you here. As bizarre as this may sound in a realm where all live as sisters in harmonious accord, there has been a theft. I also fear that I know who the thief was, ” she said.

Nubia frowned. “What has been stolen and how could any Amazon leave the Isle without losing something far more precious than any material item? Remember, Aphrodite’s decree that any Amazon who departs these shores will lose her immortality.”

Queen Hippolyta said, “That threat holds little fear to one who was not an Amazon born! I fear our thief is Sophia Constantinas who was born in Man’s World and who must not have embraced our teachings as fully as I had thought! Sophia is missing as is the item I mentioned!”

Wonder Woman said, “What item is missing? Is it something potent in magical power?”

Queen Hippolyta whispered. “Indeed, it is something sacred to our people and peculiarly personal to you and Diana! I speak of the Sword of Artemis!”

Nubia said, “I fear my grasp of Amazon history is still incomplete even after my efforts to become aware of my late discovered heritage. What is this Sword of Artemis? I always thought the goddess favored the bow and arrow?”

Queen Hippolyta said, “That is a reasonable assumption; however, the Artemis in question is not the goddess of the hunt and the moon but rather, she was an Amazon named for our patroness. She was in truth the first Wonder Woman long before Diana or you assumed the title and role.”

Nubia gasped. “Great Hera! I always thought my sister to have originated the role! When did this other Wonder Woman fight her own crusade?”

Hippolyta said, “When I became Queen of the Amazons, Artemis won the right to be a champion of Amazonian ideals to the other city states of the ancient world when we all still dwelt near the Thermodon River before we left the outer world for this island home. She was indeed called Wonder Woman and we were very close; however, strife arose that separated us and led her into corruption by Mars himself. She turned against us as a people and especially against me personally. She defied Athena herself and was destroyed although her spirit was briefly reanimated by one of Diana’s foes a few years ago. The stolen sword was her weapon of choice. It was magical and also carries much power as a talisman. Some might feel such a weapon would entitle the owner to rule over us all or usurp my very throne.”

Nubia said, “I see your reasons for concern. Why would this Sophia take it? I know nothing of her either. You know much of my time was spent on Mars’s isle or Slaughter Isle as you named my former realm. It took much effort on my part to wrest that benighted land from the sway of Mars and only in recent years have I brought my isle into a gradual acceptance and awareness of the modern world.”

Hippolyta said, “You moved them far past their prolonged reliance upon the more elemental forms of society and daily life. You should be proud at how well they have embraced elements of Amazon science to move past their old way of life and actually thrive in what may lead to an industrial development of sorts! But, as for Sophia, her tale is one I would have believed to be a success story until her disappearance. Sophia Constantinas was a militant Greek nationalist who worked for a true villain named Nikos Aegeus. He gained super powers from a bitter demigod named Bellerophon. The name Aegeus came from the mighty shield and armor of Zeus. Athena herself appeared to Sophia and led her to turn against Aegeus. She embraced Amazon ideas and came to live and train among us. She proved most able. She learned our fighting techniques and embraced our philosophy. When the Crisis occurred Sophia fought bravely by the side of our sisters. She was injured and her healing process was slow since Sophia has a rare allergic reaction to our purple healing ray. She wanted to take up Diana’s role as Wonder Woman when she learned Diana could no longer serve as our champion. Needless to say, in light of your own feelings and those of Donna, I refused to allow her to do so. That act created some resentment on her part and I allowed her to dwell apart from us on the far side of the island. I felt time would heal her pain. Recently, she stopped coming to our side of the island entirely and when I sent a party to check on her, they found no trace of her. We also learned that the Archive had been broken into and the Sword of Artemis had been taken. Sophia may not be guilty. Perhaps, she is a victim of some other intruder. Still, I fear the worst!”

Nubia said, “I will find her and retrieve the Sword of Artemis. Never fear!”

Queen Hippolyta said, “Hera preserve you until we meet again!”

Nubia climbed into the invisible plane and ordered it skyward. She smiled as she zoomed away from the island and enjoyed the power she commanded over the marvelous plane. “The most logical place to search for Sophia is among her former allies. Aegeus himself may lead me to her, ” she said.

During the next few weeks, Nubia spent time in a fruitless search for either the missing Sophia or the Sword itself. She also found no trace of Nikos Aegeus. He had escaped from prison and this made Nubia more certain that Sophia had become involved with her former lover once more.

She also was busy with other cases and missions with the Justice League. In spite of her busy schedule, the young woman still found time to brood. She sat alone with one leg propped up against a table during one solitary shift of monitor duty aboard the JLA satellite and stared at the screens with vacant eyes.

“Nubia, a penny for your thoughts? Or should I say a denare?” asked a tall man with decidedly alien features as he emerged from the lab.

“J’Onn, my love! I fear my mind wanders. I have been active as Wonder Woman for sometime now. I have proven my right to the role to the satisfaction of myself, my people, and those I defend. I have also established an accord of sorts with Donna Troy who once resented my use of the name Wonder Woman. I have made good friends on this team. I value them and I certainly love you. You have come to mean so very much to me. Still,…!” she began.

J’Onn said, “I do not need my telepathic abilities to see what is the source of your troubles. You have devoted so much time to becoming Wonder Woman that you have neglected that part of you that is Nubia. Unlike, Diana, you have not taken any civilian role. Perhaps, it would do you good to adopt such a disguise and walk among ordinary people. It helped me greatly when first I came here to interact with peers as plain John Jones. The JLA could easily draw upon our resources to establish a secret identity for you. A place in human society awaits you at your command. ”

Nubia stood up and kissed him. “J’Onn, I know not what Martian culture dictated about such matters, but you would have made a wonderful seer. You see to the heart of me and I appreciate your words of wisdom. I do long to be both more and less than Wonder Woman at times. Before I take more deliberate steps to resolve the matter, I would meet some of those people who called my sister friend in her role of Diana Prince!”

J’Onn nodded. “Excellent idea. Many resided in the Georgetown area.”

Nubia said, “Indeed. I know the locale. By connecting with her past, I may begin to create a future for myself!”

That evening Nubia soared over the country and reached Georgetown. An older brownstone rose up below her as she commanded the robot plane to hover unseen above. She swiftly climbed down the rope ladder to alight gently on the roof. “Diana lived in this structure before her alteration. It is here I should find her former roommate Etta Candy,” mused Nubia.

She used her magic lasso to effect a clothing change and attired in a brown dress and boots, she entered the building and walked down the steps from the roof to the apartments below. She knocked at a particular door labeled Candy/Huckaby and smiled as a plump woman opened the door. “Hi. May I help you?” she said.

Nubia said, “I believe you knew my sister Diana well. May I come inside?”

Etta Candy Huckaby sputtered in surprise. “You’re Di’s sister! But then that means you’re ..I can’t believe it!” she said.

A short man with thick glasses came to the door. He placed one hand on Etta’s shoulder in a protective and comforting manner. “Etta, honey, what’s wrong? Who’s the visitor?” he asked.

Etta led Nubia inside and said, “Howie, this is Diana’s sister. She must be the new Wonder Woman!”

Nubia said, “Forgive my intrusion. I knew you learned Diana’s secret before the end of the Crisis and I knew she loved you dearly as a friend in her Prince role. This man is your husband?”

Howard Huckaby said, “Right and proud as punch of it! Etta and I got hitched not too long after the Crisis. We kept each other going during that scary time and we knew we’d found soul mates in each other!”

Nubia admired the rather cluttered domesticity of the apartment and noticed the obvious and endearing affection they had for one another. “Etta, Howard, I am Nubia. While the news no doubt enabled you to know that I am Wonder Woman’s sister, it could not inform you of more personal concerns. I would like to know more about Diana’s life as Diana Prince. I may create such a role for myself and would welcome your help!” she said hesitantly.

Etta said, “Gosh! I’d be glad to help. Diana was a swell pal. Artemis of the Titans did stop by here after the Crisis and gathered Di’s stuff. She also told us what had happened to her. I appreciated that gesture a lot.”

Nubia nodded abruptly. “Yes, Artemis is a caring woman. Now, could you share some of your memories of Diana with me?” The evening passed quickly as Etta and Howard showed Nubia photos and told her tales about the woman Diana Prince had been.

Finally, around midnight Nubia stood up and said, “I thank you all. Diana was blessed by the gods to have known such friends as you.”

Etta said, “Nubia, we’d be happy to have you back anytime.”

Howard said, “Say, Nubia, I’ve got an idea. I work for Senator Abernathy. See, I used to work for Senator Covington before his troubles. Any who, I’ve been invited to a black tie affair for the boss. He’s our landlord too and his daughter Eloise is a buddy of ours. She’s throwing the bash for her Pop. She’d be happy to have you come too. Can you make it?”

Nubia smiled at the little man and said, “I’d be delighted.”

The next evening found an elegantly gowned Nubia mingling with Etta and Howard and their friends. Senator Abernathy was a charming if irascible old man with a refreshingly open love of the spotlight. He clearly relished the attention his daughter Eloise had lavished on him. Having a celebrity of the status of the new Wonder Woman present only delighted him more.

“If I had known my birthday would lead to this type of adoration, I’d have hit this milestone long ago!” he joked.

Eloise turned to Nubia and said, “I must warn you Wonder Woman, don’t underestimate my father’s charms. He might prove to be more dangerous than any of your super villains!”

Nubia laughed and said, “He is possessed of a fatal charm!” Senator Abernathy chuckled and took her arm.

A sudden scream echoed from the patio and Nubia rushed over to see the guests scattering as a group of green clad gunmen stormed the room. “We want a few of you as our guests. If you come silently none shall suffer!” warned their leader. He wore the same green costume as his men but a serpent emblem was on his chest.

Nubia changed into her Wonder Woman costume and bounded across the room to challenge them. “Kobra’s minions. I recognize your crest from the JLA files. Like all serpents, you are best dealt with by swiftly striking off your head!” she declared. She whipped out her sword and knocked the man across the room with the flat of the blade. She spun around to kick a second man into a buffet table.

Etta rushed forward and smashed a glass punch bowl over the head of another of the intruders. “Have some punch!” she cried.

Howard eyed his wife in amazement and smiled proudly. “That’s my gal!” he said.

Wonder Woman spun her golden lasso in a tight circle and the sheer wind force swept them together where she crashed into them with reckless abandon. Wonder Woman kicked other Kobra pawns aside, and plunged into their midst. “There are many of them but I need no help against such craven foes!” she said.

Senator Abernathy yelled for help and Wonder Woman looked up to see the wily politician as he pointed to the patio. “They have Eloise! Help her!” he cried.

Wonder Woman charged outside and fought to free the woman. As she rescued her, her would be abductors fled. She fell into Wonder Woman’s arms and sobbed. “Thank you! If they had taken me what would have become of my daughter! Is my father OK?”

Nubia glanced around the room and saw a scene of horror. The goons had vanished but so had Abernathy, Etta, and Howard! “Great Hera! They’ve taken my friends!” she said.

Three men struggled forward with a pinned Kobra goon. “We managed to hold this guy for you. Can you get anything out of him?” asked one of the men.

Nubia slipped her golden lasso out and smiled confidently. “Oh yes, I think I can!” she said. She concealed her concern for the missing guests as she wrapped the rope around the man’s arms. “Who are you? Why do you want Abernathy?” she demanded.

He said, “I am Raymir Salvo. I live only to serve Kobra. I was ordered to join the others to attack this party and to abduct the Huckabys and the old man. If I could not get them all, I was to make sure and take Etta Huckaby.”

Eloise said, “Nobody can lie when bound in that rope. Right?”

She nodded. “No. He is speaking the truth. It disturbs me. Kobra wanted my friends more than the Senator. This entire assault was aimed at me. It’s personal.”

Eloise said, “Wait a minute. Howard told me that he only met you yesterday. How’d this Kobra learn that you even knew Etta and Howard?”

Wonder Woman frowned. “I do not know but rest assured that I will find out.” She continued to question the man and finally turned him over to the authorities before she rushed out and summoned her robot plane. “Robot plane, I need you!” she thought.

She swiftly climbed aboard and zoomed off into the night leaving a worried Eloise Abernathy below. “That worm told me where his master skulks. I little expected to find a Kobra compound in the middle of Nevada! Still, he could not lie and he gave me the exact location!” She sighed as the plane took her toward the destination.

“I fear in some manner Kobra has been watching me. How else could he know I was going to even meet Etta and Howard or become friends with them? If he wanted them merely to strike at Diana because she had opposed him in the past then he could have killed them long before now. I feel that it was precisely my involvement with them that led to this disaster. It makes me doubt the logic behind my desire to create a civilian life for myself!”

She brooded as the plane carried her to her goal. She spotted a large compound in the desert. To all outward appearances it was merely an elaborate ranch although she thought she detected certain odd signs in the design of the buildings that suggested hidden purposes. “I will not allow this vermin to harm my friends. He will regret this cowardly ploy.”.

She ordered the plane to hover above and she dropped down to crash through the reinforced window of the highest part of the tallest building below. She rolled across the room in a tight ball and then rose up to confront a squad of startled Kobra cultists.

“By the serpent, we are under attack!” cried one as he activated an alarm.

“Figured that out, did you?” said Wonder Woman as she ripped a huge metal console off the wall and hurled it into other machines. The cultists opened fire and she darted forward with her arms moving in a remarkable display of agility. Her gleaming bracelets deflected the bullets even as she scattered the gunmen and wrecked their base. “Bring out your leader. I would dearly love to wring his scaly neck!” she said. She jumped high in the air and ripped down a row of pipes. The water that exploded out of them drove back other cultists as they avoided the scalding spray.

“You seek the Great High Naga Naga? Well, face him and know the meaning of fear!” said a hooded man who emerged from below. He stood defiantly before her and said, “I am Kobra. Feel my venom!” He pressed a button and a rain of acidic liquid poured down on those below. As his own men screamed in pain, their leader remained impassive.

“Wonder Woman, you dare invade my home? Such effrontery must earn you a painful death!” he said.

Nubia hurled her tiara in a sweeping arc that sliced through the poison emitting devices and halted the rain of acid. “You prove yourself to be as cold blooded as your namesake by your disregard for your own men. As for this so-called invasion, you have your nerve to act the role of the injured party when your men invited this intrusion upon themselves when they attacked innocent people!”

She kicked another guard aside and flipped upward to land next to their leader. She grabbed his robe and he fired a small dart out of one voluminous sleeve. Nubia swatted it aside with casual disdain and said, “I want your hostages now!”

He cowered away from her raised fist and cried, “Release me! You have devastated my men. You have destroyed my equipment. I have no hostages. You speak madness!”

Wonder Woman looped her lasso over his arm. “I order you to tell me why you took Etta and Howard and where they are!” she said.

He said, “I did not abduct anyone. This base was designed solely with the purpose of creating a rocket by which to launch certain devices into an orbit from which they will allow us to attack America at Kobra’s command. I am not the true Kobra. I am merely one of his many tools around the globe!”

A woman’s laugh echoed from above and Nubia looked up to see an infamous costumed form. The woman had flowing brown hair and wore an animal print costume. She prowled the narrow walkway above and looked down on the others with eyes that gleamed with malice. “The Cheetah!” said Wonder Woman in surprise.

“He speaks the truth. His goals or those of his slimy master had nothing to do with you. I merely infiltrated his little cult by posing as a witless plaything named Lady Eve. I learned his secrets and with help from an ally I learned just how I could draw you here. You served as a wonderful distraction and freed me to secretly alter the rocket devices as I pleased. You see even the Cheetah could not effortlessly take over a Kobra base alone. Now, you’ve routed the cultists and given me time to make their weapons my own! I simply tricked a few of the cultists into snatching your precious friends. They had no idea that the Lady Eve was not merely delivering the orders of their insipid master,” snarled the feline criminal.

Nubia said, “You witch! Why involve Etta and Howard? All you had to do to lead me here with some message and get me to defeat them while you slipped in the shadows?”

The Cheetah crouched across the thin metal railing and ran one hand through her long hair. “Why? Because you care for them and nothing pleases me more than seeing any Wonder Woman suffer!” she said.

Nubia shoved the fake Kobra aside and said, “I will show you the true meaning of the saying about there being more than one way to skin a cat!”

The Cheetah hissed and said, “Not if I do this, first!” She pressed a remote switch.

Wonder Woman whirled as a roar echoed and thunderous vibrations shook the base. A silvery coned rocket emerged from a concealed gantry and began to rise. “Great Hera! She has launched their weapon!” she cried. She jumped forward to reach the speeding rocket as it blasted skyward.

The powerful device thrust upward as the Amazing Amazon clutched one side and climbed upward to try to alter its course. “Artemis guide my aim!” she prayed as she whipped her lasso around and looped it around the cone of the rocket.

She struggled to retain her grip as the rush of the rocket swept her from side to side. “I can only guess what evil device the Cheetah placed aboard this craft. If Kobra wanted to use it to attack a helpless world, what plans could that mad woman had formed for it?”

Wonder Woman planted her boots against the side of the rocket and forced her way higher. She reached the top even as the rocket threatened to exit into space. “Got to act now!” she thought as she hurled herself off the rocket after securing the end of the lasso around the top.

She landed on her soaring invisible plane which she had summoned moments earlier. As she looped the other end of the lasso within the plane, she closed the hatch and ordered the plane to tow the rocket into deep space. She smiled as the miracle of Amazon science overpowered the rocket and sent it into the sun. She gathered in her lasso and vowed to bring the Cheetah to justice.

“I pray that witch has not harmed Etta and Howard and Abernathy. That Kobra leader said they were not there but obviously the Cheetah somehow duped him about many things. I also want to learn just how she managed to spy on me and learn I had met them!” she thought. She zoomed downward in the plane and saw the Cheetah who snarled defiantly and laughed.

“Your friends were bores. They’ll die as easily as my last mouse!” she hissed.

Nubia knew the Cheetah had killed before and she feared for Etta and the others. She vowed to either free them or avenge them. “Your claws may have enabled you to hurt him but I’m made of more burnished steel!” she said.

The Cheetah smiled coldly and said, “Kobra gave birth to me. I repay him for his efforts by thwarting his scheme and using him as he dared to use poor socialite Debbie Domaine. All who harm me or my cause shall suffer!”

Nubia said nothing as she dove for the agile woman. She tackled the Cheetah who growled and raked at her with her sharp claws. They tumbled off the landing and plunged to the lower level as the hate-filled Cheetah fought like an animal.

“You don’t understand. That rocket was designed by Kobra to kill. I altered it with the help of an ally. It would have issued in what I call the Vegan agenda. It would have broadcast powerful hypnotic rays that would have turned the populace into non-meat eaters. Thus, would I have protected the natural world I champion!” she said.

Nubia elbowed her in the face and said, “You can’t change the world by dominating it. How you can proclaim yourself to be the defender of animal life and then coldly take human life is beyond me!”

The Cheetah twisted free and rolled away as they landed. Nubia grunted and got back up to see the lithe woman sprinting away. “You won’t get away from me!” cried Nubia as she craned her neck in search of any sign of any innocent captives. Even if Etta and the others were not there, the cult could have abducted other victims.

The Cheetah turned and cried out. “I’ll see you pay! Don’t turn your back! The Cheetah will strike again!” she shrieked. Before either woman could act again, a crackling energy field enveloped the Cheetah and in a flash, she was gone.

“Teleportation of some type. Odd, I’d swear she was not expecting it,” thought Nubia. “Still, that woman moves like lightning. She clawed at me like a savage beast!” She raced through the base with the speed of Hermes and sighed, “No use. Apparently, Cheetah tricked those Kobra goons into taking them somewhere else and lured me here by making sure one of them was captured. She wanted to use me to defeat them and allow her to steal that rocket.”

Nubia saw flames spreading across the base. “Hera help me get these fools to safety. Their Kobra substitute has apparently activated some self-destruct mechanism!” She worked swiftly and evacuated the base as the fire attracted the local authorities. Police eagerly took the beaten cultists into custody.

Wonder Woman explained all she knew to the police and received their thanks. “No thanks are needed. I hope I can track the energy that took the Cheetah away. She must know where my friends are being held.”

She gasped as a huge figure appeared in the sky above her. The image of a striking woman clad in silvery armor and an ornate helmet loomed gigantically across the sky. “You who call yourself Wonder Woman and dare boast of being spawn of Hippolyta the Horse Mistress, will only see your mortal followers again when I wish it to be so. Your destiny is bound not by the Three Sisters but by the grim resolve of the Dark Commander! I enabled the Cheetah to find you and take your friends. I gave her little hypnotic toy as well. I also removed her from this place as a reward for services rendered. She did sport with you well for a mere mortal. Thus, did I reward her. Again, I warn you Nubia of Mars Isle you will walk a path of my creation and it shall bring you to a Hades all your own!”

Nubia saw the apparition flicker away and she shivered. “I know not who this Dark Commander is but I vow to rescue her captives or give my very life in the trying!”

Meanwhile, on a desolate and rocky shore in a region once called Themiscyra, two colorful figures hid in the ruins of a once great city. One of them was a swarthy Greek in convict gray. His name was Nikos Aegeus and he seemed to possess a confidence far greater than his physical prowess would make evident. He turned to the dark haired woman by his side. She wore a short white Amazon tunic and sandals and carried a gleaming sword. She was lovely and moved with the grace of a warrior; however, her eyes were unnaturally bright.

“Sophia, my love, you freed from my cell and brought me here to this scene of my previous defeat. I have enjoyed the irony of hiding here where my old foe Wonder Woman’s ancestors once lived. It has been a delight to see how you have been unable to forget me and all we once shared. I forgive your past treachery and yet I must make you see that if we are to resume our old relationship then as always I must lead!” he said.

She smiled coldly and said, “Nikos Aegeus, you are a fool! I brought you here and pretended to care for you for one simple reason. You once bore the weapons of the gods. Now, having failed them in the past, you must be judged and receive your punishment!”

Nikos scowled and said, “That fancy sword you’ve been carrying is magical. I know that much. You even talk and move differently since you started wearing it. Still, don’t get any ideas about who is the leader here. By what right do you claim to speak or act for the gods? Is that doddering dolt Bellerophon behind this? He may have given me my weapons and the winged horse but I owe him nothing!”

Sophia stood proudly and gave him a look of purest scorn. “That demigod is not behind this. I serve one who is far above him, ” she said.

Nikos frowned as a glowing light filled the chamber and two more people appeared before him. Sophia dropped to one knee and raised one arm in a salute. “Hola, Queen Mourn! Hola, Myrmidon!” she cried.

The woman called Mourn was tall, regal, and had flame red hair that curled intricately down her armored back. She was beautiful and she wore a red orb around her neck. Her companion was a tall man with a muscular yet agile body. He wore golden armor and his helmet covered his face. Mourn said, “Arise my child. You have served me well. In bringing your sword and this petty rogue to me, you have pleased me. I smile upon you.”

Aegeus scowled. “Bah! I sense the aura of an Olympian. I turn my back upon your kind. I need nothing from any of you!”

Mourn laughed a throaty laugh and said, “Defiant to the end. Good. My people ever prized a valiant heart!”

Aegeus eyed her knowingly. “Your people? Amazons. I know your type. I spit upon you all!” he said.

Mourn’s eyes flashed in anger and she placed a hand on the chest of her male companion. “Aegeus, I shall be brief. You failed Bellerophon and you failed Father Ares. Thus, I condemn you to death. Myrmidon, slay him!” she cried.

Myrmidon raised his helmet to reveal a handsome face with intelligent eyes and a discerning nature. “Mourn, I have vowed to protect you with my very life but killing is not my way. You know this. My teacher made it clear to me that a man’s worth may be measured directly by the value he places on all life,” he said.

She frowned and the orb on her chest flashed. “Fine, my love. Merely humble him!” she said.

Myrmidon approached Aegeus and the Greek militant cried, “I have neither armor nor weapon!”

Myrmidon removed his helmet and the golden chest plate and tossed aside his sword. “Then, I too will fight without weapons. You do have the advantage. I stand in peril of being whined to death!” he said with a slight smile.

Aegeus roared in anger and charged the taller man. Myrmidon sidestepped and allowed him to crash to the ground. He stood back and did not pursue the advantage he had over his foe. He waited and as Aegeus rose he circled him warily. “You’ve got the look of the Olympians as well. Although, none of them had such pretty manners!” sneered Aegeus.

He moved forward and swung at his enemy only to miss with each effort. Aegeus was not slow nor was he out of shape. He simply could not connect with the more agile man. Myrmidon caught his fist and pushed downward to send Aegeus crashing to the ground. “By the gods! You are a strong one!” cursed Aegeus.

He looked left and right and saw the woman called Mourn smiling in pleasure. He whirled to see Sophia sitting nearby on the sand. She looked steadily at Mourn with adoration in her strange eyes. Aegeus dove for her and tried to wrest the sword from her hands. He snatched it away and smirked in pleasure. “Now, Myrmidon or Warrior if that is all the name you have, then, let us see how you like it when my blade finds your unarmored body?” he said.

He charged Myrmidon who ducked his swing and twisted his arm with a sudden powerful snap that left Aegeus in pain and unarmed.

Sophia’s eyes had returned to normal when the sword had been ripped away from her grasp. She lost some of the regal stature she had projected minutes before. Her eyes widened and she looked around as if she had recovered from a dream. “Nikos? What in the world? Athena, help me!” she whispered.

Mourn walked over and lifted the fallen Sword of Artemis. She returned it to a startled Sophia who was transformed in manner once more. “My thanks, my Queen!” she gasped.

Mourn stroked Sophia’s hair maternally and turned to where A beaten Aegeus cowered in the sand. “Enough! You have broken my arm!” he groaned.

Myrmidon shook his head as if in bemused disgust. “Here! Let me help you.” He offered.

Before he could lift the man to his feet, Mourn had moved like lightning. She had drawn a dagger from her hip belt and sliced Aegeus across his throat. “There was no cause to do that! The man was clearly no threat!” said an angry Myrmidon.

Mourn’s red gemstone gleamed again and he calmed down. She kissed him and said, “Trouble not your overly tender conscience. He is at peace.”

Sophia nodded in approval and approached the Amazon. “My Queen, may I resume my old crusade? I would bring this modern world to its knees for you! Let me make the name Wonder Woman feared once again!” she pleaded.

Mourn smiled and said, “Patience good Artemis. You need time to adjust to your new body. The girl resists your spirit whenever she is not in contact with the Sword that carries your name. You will soon reclaim your right to be Wonder Woman from the woman who now presumes to use the title you originated eons ago. For now, we must be about the work Father Ares would have us do. His Dark Commander has given me special orders and Queen Mourn will not fail one Ares favors so highly.”

Meanwhile, Wonder Woman had been equally busy since her battle with the Cheetah and Kobra’s minions. She had assured Eloise Abernathy that she would rescue her missing father and the Huckabys. However, several things troubled her. “The Dark Commander was unknown to me; however, JLA files revealed that a male who used that name and similar armor once battled Diana when she was Wonder Woman. He even murdered her lover Steve Trevor although special magic eventually brought another Steve Trevor into her life. That Dark Commander also died. Still, if magic was able to restore one man, it could surely do the same for another. If the female Dark Commander is related to the previous one then it would explain her hatred for anyone named Wonder Woman; however, her language and power suggests that she is more than mortal. We Amazons have been plagued by malicious Olympians before. I know too well the evil Mars represents. He schooled me in his ways when I was his magically enslaved pupil. I know that it was through such magic that the Dark Commander observed my movements and knew I had met Etta and Howard. She also supported the Cheetah and helped her escape, ” she thought.

Nubia crossed her legs and sighed as she stared at the JLA computer screen. “If some of Diana’s friends have been taken by this fiendish woman then perhaps, others may also be in peril. The JLA computer will enable me to learn the locations of many of them, ” she said.

She worked swiftly and after making a few calls across the nation, Nubia knew that Diana’s former roommates including Cathy Perkins were all safe. She also learned that her sister’s colleagues from her jobs at NASA and the U. N. were also accounted for except for the long missing Steve Trevor who obviously had disappeared under different conditions entirely. “None of Diana’s other past allies are missing. That means I may focus my attentions on finding poor Howard and Etta. Why Sophia took the Sword of Artemis or if she did so remains a mystery too. Perhaps, I will find the answers I need about the Dark Commander and why she clearly hates my mother so on Paradise Isle!”

She quickly teleported down to Science Isle and greeted the Chief Scientist Paula with pleasure. “Hola, Paula! I have come to see my mother but I would talk with you as well. Have you any means of tracking a being called the Dark Commander? She has some tie to our culture or that of the Olympians?” she asked.

Paula, a tall blonde, nodded thoughtfully. “Princess, I have been working on something that I had not imagined being used in such a manner; however, I think it just might have such an application as well, “she said. She led Nubia inside the Hall of Science where the brilliant woman conducted most of her experiments. “Princess, as you know many of your tools or weapons contain a magic that came from our patronesses. I think that I may use this device to track mystical energies of a like kind. That is to say I recorded the powerful personal energies given off by Athena and Aphrodite when they last appeared to us. That type of power is far beyond my ability to tap. I had imagined that I could do so in order to enhance the effectiveness of our purple-healing ray, which has been rather unstable at times. That failed but the energy signature of our Olympian patronesses remained within my device. They had a particular pattern in common as Olympians. I think perhaps we could try to track the Olympian magic this Dark Commander seems to possess as well. If she be empowered by such mystical energies then I may be able to fashion a detection device.”

Nubia said, “That idea would not have occurred to most of my sister Amazons but as ever you possess a mind free from any bias or limitations be they ancestral or cultural.”

Paula said, “My thanks. Shall we attempt to use the device? I have tried to pinpoint Olympian energies on this globe before and failed to detect anything beyond the location of Donna Troy the former Wonder Girl.”

Nubia said, “I still would welcome such an attempt. Will you use the device while I talk to my mother?” Paula nodded with an eager look in her blue eyes. She was always ready for any scientific challenge.

Wonder Woman hurried inside the palace on the main isle and greeted her regal mother Queen Hippolyta. “Nubia, do you bring news of Sophia?” asked the blonde.

Nubia shook her head. “I have learned only that her old associate Aegeus has escaped from prison. I suspect a connection. Paula is working to help me track the Sword. I believe it may be tied into a more pressing matter. A woman calling herself the Dark Commander and styling her armor after one of Diana’s late foes, has abducted two of Diana’s friends. She has displayed great power and her speech and mannerisms suggest a connection to Olympian magic. She also mentioned you as if she had some private spite against you.”

Hippolyta frowned. “Many of the Olympians do bare malice for us. It is the same in many families. Close ties of blood may lead to bonds of love or of hatred!”

Nubia said, “I know most of the malice comes from Mars himself. Why does he have such personal enmity for the Amazon nation? Is it due to the fact that you all were warriors who embraced the ways of peace and rejected his rule? During my years under his sway I always felt that he nursed a personal grudge against you that was far out of proportion to any specific hurt or deed!”

Hippolyta sighed and tossed back her golden hair as she remembered old events from her youth. “Nubia, Mars hates me because I rejected his ways and he felt this rejection most keenly because he cared for me deeply long ago. He is my father. I know you must have wondered before or our origins and it always surprised me that he told you so little during his time seeing to your maturation and training.”

Nubia gasped in surprise. “Your father? I knew some of the tales suggested as much but I dismissed them as mere fables since the names differed from one version to another. I would learn more!”

Hippolyta said, “I will relate our family history now. I should have done so long ago but I always feared ruining the relationship we two had developed so wonderfully in recent years. It was such a boon to have my lost child back once more that I feared stirring up old wounds that might change things between us. I knew the potent anger you felt for Mars and how he robbed you of much of your normal life colored all you did and I certainly did not wish you to ever associate me with him and his ways.” Nubia gazed intently at the beautiful woman and listened as she related a tale of a time long ago.

#######

Hippolyta’s Tale

She looked stunning and no older than she did had eons old when she had first departed a barren shore for an isle called Paradise. She still remembered that ancient home and how it felt when the Thermodon rushed by her sandal worn feet. During that golden era she had been held in awe by all that dwelt nearby. She had been called “Daughter of Enyalius” and as such was revered at shrines ranging from Sparta to Athens. Her mother had been Otrera -the daughter of fierce Ares himself! He had in turn fathered Hippolyta with Otrera herself! This was not uncommon among the Twelve Olympians in those ancient days. And surely who better to father the sisterhood of warrior women called Amazons than the god of War and Battle himself!

Hippolyta sighed. Ares was the name the Greeks gave to her father. It was the name she had used on the occasions during her youth in which he visited her and watched with pride as she excelled in every art both martial and otherwise. He had named her himself with delight and purpose. For the Oracles foretold her future prowess even when she was but a blonde and tiny infant.

“Hippolyta – Lady of the Stampeding Horses -Warrior Princess and Fair Conqueress!” he had announced with paternal pride. She had grown strong and fair and was taught the arts of combat by her father and mother and the famed centaur Chiron who would also tutor Jason, Theseus, and other demigods. She had known her father in terms much like those of the later “Homeric hymn:” which spoke of Ares as “defense of Olympus, father of Victory, leader of righteous men, sceptred King of manliness… give me your boldness to abide within the harmless laws of peace and avoid strife and hatred.

However, as she would learn with bitter regret that Ares like all the Olympians carried within him a second and often ugly nature less divine than devilish. Still, for years for the blonde beauty life, as the child of a god was splendid. She mastered every battle skill and earned the title Warrior Princess by her 16th year. She bonded with his many other female children by countless women other than Otrera. These women warriors became known as Amazons and formed a unique sisterhood. Like their famous father, they were feared and admired for battle prowess and courage. She also grew up with two real sisters who were also children of her parents: Antiope and Penthesilea. They formed a striking trio with Hippolyta -the blonde eldest, Antiope -the dark middle child and youngest of all -the red haired Penthesilea.

Still, even as Ares watched them grow with pride (and his pride was strongest for Hippolyta) he also displayed another side. As his own father Zeus had once said, “You are to me the most hateful of gods who dwell upon Olympus for dear to you are strife and war. You have your mother Hera’s intolerable, unyielding spirit!”

Ares was cruel and fond of violence for its own sake. Hippolyta enjoyed proving her skills and beating all challengers but she also had a feminine side that enjoyed dressing in fine gowns and rare jewels. She was as proud of her beauty and intellectual charms as she was of her strength and skill. She did not like to hurt others in her games of war. She saw combat as noble only when fought for pure reasons alone as in defense of those too weak to protect themselves. Ares differed from her strongly. He may have been called “defender” but he also was a bloody warrior with a pleasure in slaughter for its own right. He encouraged the Spartans to live up to such a code of stoic and merciless victory at all cost. These people had been Hippolyta’s admirers and she hated what he turned them into with no regard for their higher natures. Hippolyta could never afterward think of him as Ares -the proud father who loved her spirit and applauded her battle skills, she chose to have her people always call the enemy of their peaceful ways – Mars! This name of a Roman fertility god had been appropriated by her father over time. So, as she drifted closer to the teachings of Aphrodite and Athena (also a battle goddess with a wise and insightful nature), she lost the father she had adored. Ares lived on in her memory but this vile and hateful killer could only be called Mars from then on by his daughter and her followers.

Thus, separated from her father Ares by his cruel and violent nature and the more feminine instincts, which formed a part of the young beauty, Hippolyta had become a crusader of sorts who led the other daughters of Ares to embrace the virtues of love and peace as taught by Athena and Aphrodite. She and her Amazon sisters dwelt in peace along the Thermodon. True, the area like all of ancient Greece in those days of yore, was plagued with monsters and magic; however, Hippolyta and her Amazons were more than capable of slaying such creatures. They were not alone in their skills for the era of heroes was upon them. The other beings that were children of the Olympians and mortals (demigods) were making names for themselves by valor and wonderful adventures. Men like Perseus, Theseus, and Bellerophon and women like Atalanta and Callisto had epics sung by bards about their heroic deeds. However, none of them perhaps, was as greatly heralded as Herakles or Hercules. This son of Zeus and a mortal woman was offered a choice by the Fates themselves. He could live an obscure life of easy pleasure or he could dedicate his life to virtuous hardship and heroism. He chose the second course and continued a life full of adventure and glory and peril. From his crib, he had endured the wraith of Hera -Queen of the Olympians because of her jealousy over the infidelity of her husband Zeus with mortal women such as Herakles’s mother. He had never failed to triumph in any task he attempted. Then, Hera’s foul magic destroyed his children and left him maddened with rage and grief. Some said he had killed his own family while under Hera’s spell. Others claimed it was her fiery anger that had ended their lives and driven him mad with sorrow. In any case he offered to undertake 12 Labors by which he might win such redemption. His ninth task was to bring back the Girdle of Aphrodite which was worn by Hippolyta herself as a mark of the favor the love goddess bore her. Thus, the hero entered the life of the lovely Amazon Queen and nothing had been the same from that moment onward!

#######

***

Hippolyta said, “I digress. You know the rest. Nubia, forgive me for never telling you that Mars was my father. He naturally took my leading the other Amazons to the ways of Athena and Aphrodite as a very personal injury. I have always felt that in stealing you from your cradle he sought to hurt me but also he wanted to shape you into the woman he had wanted me to be!”

Nubia said, “I have nothing to forgive. You acted to shield me from pain. That is what a mother does. I know you acted out of such a motive as well when you used the Mists of Nepenthe to make Diana forget certain elements of her own past. She forgave you at the end. Never forget that!”

Queen Hippolyta touched Nubia’s hand and said, “I thank you for that welcome reminder. I am determined not to make the same mistakes with Diana this time that I made before. Having her to raise anew is a true blessing.”

Nubia said, “You are such a blessing to me. I know it must pain you at times to see the way the threads of Fate have formed such a bitter weave between you and one who fathered you.”

Hippolyta nodded ruefully. “I have had many an eon to come to terms with such a loss. If I did not have the teachings of Athena and Aphrodite upon which to lean, I would be most sorrowful and wounded!”

Nubia said, “I can only assume this evil Dark Commander is the latest surrogate daughter of Mars. She has his hatred and his power about her. I am eager to best her in combat and free my friends.”

Hippolyta looked sad as she said, “Nubia, Diana found protecting those helpless people to be rewarding and demanding. I see you also feel that way. She would be proud.”

Nubia smiled at the blonde queen. “I am glad. I seek ever to honor her while displaying my own worth as well!”

At that moment Paula entered and said, “Pardon me. I have activated the tracking device and it has indeed located a source of Olympian magic. It is located on a spot with a significant role in the history of the Amazon nation. It comes from Themiscyra itself!”

Hippolyta frowned, “By Aphrodite’s girdle! This must be the one you seek. That was our ancient home!”

Nubia said, “I’ve summoned my robot plane already! Wish me well for I fight to save my friends to spite dread Mars himself!” She leaped into the air and swung herself upward into the hovering and unseen plane.

Queen Hippolyta waved to her daughter as she flew off and she remained watching the empty sky for moments before sighing and returning to the palace. “May Hera help my child! Mars robbed me of her once. I pray he shall not take her from me again! I’ve lost so much at his blood red hands! Antiope left us to seek Theseus after he passed through our lands and she perished in the outer world as one who lost her birthright. While it was her love for the hero that motivated her departure, it was his martial prowess that won her heart. I blame Mars still. Poor bitter Penthesilea also fell victim to the siren song of our warlike sire. He must not harm poor Nubia!” she vowed.

Nubia had ordered the amazing plane to take her to the site Paula had indicated. She knew her past actions had clearly been observed by the Dark Commander and she had little hope of surprising her foe. Still, she hoped that the sheer speed of the plane and her own resolve would help her encounter the woman before she could flee. “Praise Hera! I see colorful figures below! One is surely the missing Sophia! Is it her stolen Sword that registered on Paula’s device or could it be the armored figures beside her that caught its scope?” she mused. She hurtled down to land gracefully on the shore as she confronted four odd figures.

Sophia was holding the Sword of Artemis and she glared at Nubia with pure hatred in her otherwise vacant eyes. “She wears the ceremonial battle garb that once was mine!” cried Sophia in a voice totally unlike her own.

A red-haired woman in armor smiled coldly and said, “This battle has delayed our departure. We did not seek to engage this stripling in combat as yet, but the Fates weave as they will!”

Nubia noticed the final two male figures were locked in a desperate combat. Each was tall and strong and both of them possessed amazing strength. One of them was the man called Myrmidon and the other was a bearded man who wore a golden cloak of magical power that ended in a ram’s head. A still body near the coastline caught her keen eye as she scanned the scene.

“Aegeus? By Athena, they’ve killed him!” she muttered.

“Twas not by the grey-eyed goddess that he fell. Twas clearly by the will of Father Ares!” said the defiant red-haired warrior woman.

“Wonder Woman! Well met! I have longed to meet you ere now!” said the man in the cloak.

Nubia said, “I know of you from Impala!. You are the Global Guardian known as the Olympian!”

He nodded as he struggled to wrestle Myrmidon to the ground. “Aye! It is not the type of meeting I would have desired. My powers led me here and I saw these villains slay that fallen man!” he said. Myrmidon twisted and threw the slightly larger man to the ground. “It was not of my choice. I regret Mourn’s actions but I will never allow anyone to harm the one I love!” he said.

The Olympian grunted and rose to his feet as Nubia charged toward the mocking redhead “You have the bearing of an Amazon! Who are you?” she demanded.

Mourn smiled and said, “You may call me Queen Mourn or better still cry out my name as She Who Bested You in glorious Battle!”

Nubia kicked out at her and said, “Sorry that’s a bit long for me. Let me just called you human target!”

Mourn danced aside and dodged Nubia’s kick. She spun around to connect with one of her own. Nubia reeled and prepared to strike again. “You are swift as Hermes himself! Still, I shall triumph!” she vowed. She punched out at Queen Mourn who received the blow and laughed.

“Is that your best effort, little Amazon? You disgrace the name of Amazon. Still, such weakness was ever the way of your mother!”

Nubia scowled and swung again. Three more blows reached Mourn but she seemed to feel nothing as she reached out and began to choke Nubia.

“You fail to hurt me. I fear you are overmatched!” scoffed Mourn.

Nubia struggled in the other woman’s grasp. She began to grow weaker as she fought for air. She dropped to one knee as Mourn pressed her advantage.

Meanwhile, the Olympian dodged Myrmidon’s right hook and pummeled him ceaselessly. “You are very powerful! Still, one who carries within him the gifts of Jason’s Argonauts is not to be dismissed out of hand!” he said. Myrmidon said nothing. He merely grabbed the Olympian by his golden cloak and lifted him into the air.

“Clever! Still, by the power of Zetes, I can fly!” said Olympian as he prepared to use his new found leverage to resume the fight. Myrmidon spun around and slammed him to the ground with stunning force.

“Flight is of no avail if a stronger force prevents you from employing your power!” he said. He stood over the defeated Olympian who stared up at him with surprise etched upon his face.

“By Zeus! Can it truly be?” he gasped.

Nubia saw Sophia watching with malice written upon her own distorted features. She was about to faint from lack of air when she hurled her tiara in Sophia’s direction. The gleaming circle knocked the Sword of Artemis out of the woman’s hand. Sophia’s eyes widened as she found herself freed from the mental domination of the magical sword and the spirit of its original owner!

“Nubia? ” she gasped.

Mourn cursed and said, “Pick up your blade, loyal Artemis!”

Sophia hesitated then as if she was fighting an inward struggle, she screamed, “No!” She hurled herself at Mourn and drove her back for a few brief moments.

“You posed as Athena and tricked me into stealing the Sword. That spirit within it possessed me! I won’t be used again!” she shouted.

Mourn was clearly unhurt by the woman’s skilled but desperate attack. She swatted her aside with a casual disdain.

Nubia gasped as she fell to the sand. She caught her tiara as it spun back into her hand.

Mourn said, “The Dark Commander would have us be about her business! Grasp the Sword and come to my side, Myrmidon!”

Myrmidon glanced hesitantly back at the still staring Olympian before jumping to Mourn’s side and vanished with her in a nimbus of energy. He had clutched the Sword of Artemis before doing so.

Nubia allowed Sophia to help her to her feet. “Forgive me! I was helpless! They duped me. I did not betray your mother!” insisted Sophia.

Nubia nodded. “I heard enough to know that. I also saw how mesmerized and different you appeared to be while holding the sword. You are not to blame! You are free now. Olympian, are you hurt?”

The Olympian said, “I am unhurt but I am shaken to the very soul! I have never felt such raw power or seen such battle skill except in one or two very unique beings. This Myrmidon is truly formidable. I must justify myself to two as fair as you ladies. I did not try to employ my full strength after he hurled me to the ground. Rather, I drew upon some more subtle talents that also came from my Golden Fleece cloak and the Argonauts who claimed it long ago! ”

Nubia nodded. “I assumed as much. Say no more!”

The Olympian said, “I must. I was led here by a vision that came to me via the prophetic power shared by several of the Argonauts. It showed the women and Myrmidon and something about them led me to seek them out. As you know, my powers come from the talents and skills possessed by the original crew of Jason’s ship the Argo. One of them was the legendary Hercules and I sensed something about Myrmidon relates directly to that hero. I can not articulate it. I merely feel he has a connection to the man whose strength provides me with my own!”

Nubia nodded. “I also feel his fiery companion was not being figurative when she spoke of Father Ares. Can you add anything to what little we know?”

Sophia stood up from where she had been crouching over Aegeus. “Only that he still lives! Mourn’s blade was keen and her aim practiced but perhaps some faint residue of magic still allows Nikos to survive. If we take him to medical care at once, I think my former ally may live!”

The Olympian said, “I will draw upon the very speed of to take him to proper care. Wonder Woman, I would gladly learn more of our foes if you discover their secrets. I also offer you my aid if ever you need it. Your sister was a lovely woman and a noble ally.”

Nubia smiled and said, “Agreed! I will tell you what I learn. Thank you for your help!”

Sophia clutched Nubia’s arm. “Wait! I would go with you. My time under the spell of that cursed sword was much like a walking and waking dream; however, I do know one thing. Artemis or her spirit wants a new body. She will try to take yours or another suitable one. Mourn spoke once of other sisters. I took that to mean she seeks other Amazons!”

Nubia scowled. “Mourn is clearly an Amazon. If she wants to provide the now ghostly original Wonder Woman with a host body then she may very well see her as a living embodiment of the Amazon values. I fear she wants to use her to gain the services of other tribes of Amazons for conquest. The Dark Commander clearly serves Mars and his keenest desire is to create war or bloodshed. I will not endanger you further. I will drop you off at Paradise Isle.”

Sophia stood defiantly before Wonder Woman. “I fought for my adopted Amazon sisters during the Crisis and I will not stand aside now when danger looms. I know where they may find these other Amazons. Take me with you or I will not reveal it!”

Nubia frowned. “I do not submit to such extortion.” She moved suddenly and hog-tied Sophia in the golden lasso. “You must tell the truth while bound in such a way. Where will I find the other Amazons you spoke of?” commanded Wonder Woman.

Sophia was helpless to resist the magic of the gleaming rope and she revealed all she knew. “A group of Amazons who split off from the main tribe live in a dimension all their own. It may be reached via a portal in South America. Their ruler is named Atalanta.”

Nubia nodded and let the woman up. She freed her from the lasso and said, “I have no time for games. I am sorry for having to do that to you!”

She said, “If you remain here I shall return for you when I complete my task!”

An angry Sophia said, “I will find my own way!”

Nubia departed in her invisible plane and smiled as the device Paula had given her flared slightly. “It now registers in South America! Queen Mourn and Myrmidon must be there as Sophia deduced!” she noted. She sighed as she zoomed closer to the lush rain forest below.

“Beautiful! It is a paradise of sorts in its own way! I must hurry if I am to reach the portal before it closes. My detector showed no sign of it in and of itself. It is only Mourn’s power that shows up on Paula’s device.” She soared through a faintly gleaming field of energy in which the barest outlines of a door or portal could still be seen occasionally in the sunlight.

She emerged over a valley with striking buildings whose design was not that different from the styles found on Paradise Island. Warrior women stood assembled before the two foes she had been seeking. Myrmidon stood silently by while Mourn spoke in animated tones and a powerfully built woman nodded in agreement.

“Sister Amazons! Your own Queen Atalanta stands in agreement with me! She agrees with my demand that you follow me as we reclaim Paradise Isle from the weak Hippolyta!” said Mourn.

A brunette spoke up hesitantly. She and the other members of Atalanta’s tribe seemed clearly confused at their possessed ruler’s behavior. “But surely in the cosmic crisis we made peace with that group. We stood shoulder to shoulder together against the shadow demons! All enmity of the past has been forgiven!”

Atlanta, holding the mystical Sword of Artemis, was clearly under the spirit’s power and thus ordered her tribe to obey Mourn’s commands. She said, “I will not accept such rebellion!”

Nubia darted forward and said, “Mourn! This ends here! I will thwart your schemes no matter where you hide! I am the one true Wonder Woman and you’ll find no impostor to help you best me!” she cried.

Mourn sneered coldly. “You are persistent. Still, all of your powers availed you naught when we last fought. ”

The taller woman beside her clutched the Sword of Artemis and she stepped forward menacingly. “I challenge you for the right to wear that costume and use that title! I was the woman who first championed Amazonian ideals and I shall reclaim my rightful role. I now have an army of my own!” she shouted.

The other Amazons cheered and pounded their fists against their shields in support of their possessed ruler for it was their Queen Atalanta who now carried the Sword and spirit of Artemis! Mourn said, “So be it! I see no reason for you not to humiliate Hippolyta’s stripling. Father Ares wants her but he can take her just as well after you humble her!”

Wonder Woman stood before them with her hands on her hips. Her every movement displayed her confidence and her ability. “You have my friends or your mistress the Dark Commander does. I will free them and you will lead me to where she holds them. This is a promise!”

Atalanta laughed and the weird unearthly voice of Artemis echoed through the warrior woman. “Bold words. Know this, my people departed because your Hippolyta was unwilling to allow any association with men. Her broken heart caused her to separate all Amazons from men. That was why we journeyed here eons ago!”

Nubia scowled. “That may be why this tribe came here but you are not truly their queen Atalanta. You merely wear her possessed body. You are a vengeful ghost who betrayed Hippolyta and all of your sisters by falling under the corruption of evil Mars! You were to be a champion but never of his evil ways. You turned against Athena and she destroyed your mortal body!”

The gathered South American Amazons whispered uneasily. Clearly, they had accepted their ruler’s demands and tolerated her new associates; however, they knew her conduct was odd to say the least.

Before they could react, Atalanta was attacking Wonder Woman with the very Sword that now ruled her life. “You do move as Hermes himself. Still, you lack two things. I am driven like one Fury ridden by hatred and a desire to regain what should ever have been mine!”

Wonder Woman raised her own bracelets and caught the Sword on them. She punched out suddenly and knocked Atalanta backward. “The bracelets resist your magic sword! I have other ways to beat you too!” she said readily. She caught her foe’s arm and wrestled furiously as they struggled back and forth before the crowd of Amazons. She dropped suddenly to the ground and lifted with her legs until she had flipped Atalanta over her head. She lashed out suddenly with her lasso and said, “Drop the sword by the power of Aphrodite!”

Atalanta gasped as if suffering from some great pain as two powerful wills waged war for her body and soul; however, in the end no spirit could match the power of the truth as created by the goddess of love. Atalanta released the Sword of Artemis and groaned in relief. “By Hera! I thought myself lost forever! Sisters, I order you to take those two fiends in custody!” she cried.

The women rushed forward to surround Mourn and Myrmidon. The man jumped forward to protect his lover as the fierce warrior women charged them from all sides. “Get behind me! I won’t let them hurt you!” he said.

Mourn touched his shoulders and smiled, “Fear not! While I had hoped to claim leadership of this tribe through use of Atalanta, I may still gain their respect by revealing my heritage!”

Nubia said, “You are a renegade Amazon who never made the journey to Paradise isle eons ago! You sold yourself to Mars in exchange for youth!”

Mourn laughed a silvery laugh as she looked at her enemies with a fearless expression. “Nay, child! You do not know me yet? I fear the wisdom of Athena is lacking in you! Your mother Hippolyta had two sisters. Antiope fell in love with one of the males who accompanied Hercules when he took the golden girdle from Hippolyta. She followed Theseus and later died when he proved unfaithful to her. However, Hippolyta’s youngest sister was called Penthesilea. That, in ancient Greek, is roughly translated She Who Brings Mourning! She did accompany Hippolyta to Paradise Isle but later departed to fight in the Trojan War. In one such battle, she fell at the hands of the invincible Achilles. He injured her but took pity upon her and tended to her. She recovered and later bore his child. Achilles himself died before the end of that epic war. Penthesilea raised their child and died of old age. However, her child had children and so on until I was born! I am Penthesilea’s heir and namesake. Queen Mourn is but a battle name. You and I are cousins of a sort! I inherited the legendary invulnerability of great Achilles! I also carry within me a hatred for Hippolyta who refused to send other Amazons to fight with my ancestor her sister in that struggle. I was visited by Father Ares who made me strong and taught to all I know! I serve him and the Dark Commander and our goal is your defeat!”

Atalanta said, “Though you be of blood royal, you will not sway us. We made peace with Hippolyta’s tribe in the crisis.”

Nubia said, “By Hera, you are fueled by a misguided hatred that was misplaced eons ago! My mother sought only to protect her sister. She denied her permission to leave the isle. Penthesilea defied her to do so! Athena herself would not let Hippolyta follow or send help!”

Mourn or Penthesilea said, ” Father Ares tells a different tale. I need no honeyed words from the likes of you!”

Myrmidon removed his helmet to reveal his handsome and intelligent features. “My Lady, I think her words have the ring of truth to them. Let us reason together and find the answers we need! I have ever distrusted Mars. My teachers made me wary of him!”

The red orb around Mourn’s neck flashed for a moment before Nubia sliced it in half with a toss of her tiara. As the gemstone shattered, Myrmidon clutched his head in both hands and said, “By Zeus, I feel as though my minds is clear for the first time in ages! Mourn, you bewitched me with that cursed gem! I was made to love you in spite of how your evil actions repelled me!”

Mourn said, “The Orb of Eros made you mine. It is true. Still, if you will join our cause then all shall be well!”

He shook his head and said, “I remember my youth and my training at the hoofs of noble Chiron; however, I retain no sense of self. My name and my origin escape me and I will take no action until I learn the truth!”

Nubia said, “You’ve lost another pawn! Run to Ares or Mars if you will. Tell him that I am coming for him next!”

Mourn said, “Defy me if you dare but I shall not hear such words against my patron!”

Nubia grabbed her by her red curls and hurled her across the shore until they stumbled into the river. She kicked her in the stomach and then dunked her head beneath the rushing waters. She straddled her fallen form and held her down. “Your ancestor Achilles was truly invulnerable as are you. Still, like that ancient hero, you also need to breathe! Let us see how much good it does you to be able to withstand my blows when you lack the air to breathe!” she said. She held the struggling woman down and finally pulled her up out of the river and cast her on the shore.

“Atalanta, I know that cursed blade was behind your earlier warlike actions. I ask you to order your tribe to stand ready for any future schemes by my kinswoman here or Mars himself.”

Atalanta said, “I am humbled by the manner in which she was able to possess me. I vow that my tribe and I will be on guard and will ever be allies to your fair mother!”

Nubia said, “If I wrap my lasso around the Sword, I may handle it without harm. I shall take it and Penthesilea back to Paradise Isle where I hope to get the location of my captive friends and finally best the Dark Commander they serve!” She turned to the man called Myrmidon and said, “What of you? What do you plan on doing?”

He stepped forward and with surprising sensitivity and intellect, the power young man, said, “I feel as if I am destined to oppose Mars in all his schemes. If I was the kind of man who would have willingly served the War god then Mourn would not have required a magical talisman to enslave me. I would accompany you and help you at least until I learn more about myself!”

Nubia said, “I can tell you this much. You are somehow connected to the legendary Hercules.”

He said, “I was raised near Mt. Olympus and taught by the centaur Chiron. He also instructed Hercules, Theseus, and other heroes of the past. He never could tell me my origin. Myrmidon was just what you might call a name of affection or respect. My true name was not known to anyone. I was merely left with him like many a youth. Mourn found me when I took a journey away from my home and her gem must have robbed me of both discernment and will!”

Nubia said, “Come with me. On Science isle we may learn more!!”

Elsewhere, in the Dark Commander’s base, the armored woman watched all that occurred via a magical view screen. She turned to the hulking form of the red bearded Mars and raised her helmet-covered head. “Father, Nubia has bested Penthesilea, freed Myrmidon, and wrested the Sword of Artemis away from the Constantinos woman. Atalanta’s Amazons are no longer willing to invade Hippolyta’s isle. Yet, all of our plans are going perfectly.”

Mars roared with laughter. The sound was like brittle bones snapping. “Truly, you are the daughter of my heart! You sense my true scheme down to the last nuance. While I did want Penthesilea’s dream of uniting the Amazon nations under my control to succeed, and something about her mighty lover Myrmidon made me eager to see him serve our cause, I truly wanted nothing more than to see Nubia return to my ways. With every battle, with the peril facing her friends and family growing, with every moment, she becomes more violent! Did you witness her treatment of Sophia Constantinos? Did you see her nearly choke the life out of Penthesilea? It warms my very heart to witness how my prize pupil has begun to resume the bloody ways that made her infamous.”

The Dark Commander said, “You have done a wonderful job in leading her into one peril after another and exerting an unseen influence upon her very psyche. Still, you must also credit my careful machinations since it was entirely through my efforts that we have achieved so much!”

***

Meanwhile, on Science Isle, Nubia, Paula, and Hippolyta sat around the bound and guarded Penthesilea (Queen Mourn) and talked over what they had learned. “It amazes me to learn that my poor sister the original Penthesilea had a child by Achilles before her death. To think that this woman is her descendent and a niece to me in a matter of speaking is passing strange!” said Hippolyta.

Paula said, “The sedative will keep her calm. The memory reader proves her story is true. Mars raised her after her birth around twenty years ago. She is the heir of your late sister. I could not learn any more about the location at which the Dark Commander lurks!”

Nubia said, “I know you did your best. Still, inactivity makes my blood boil!”

Hippolyta said, “I have placed the Sword of Artemis within our sacred tombs. It shall never be used again! May the spirit of poor bitter Artemis the first Wonder Woman rest in peace at last!”

A brilliant flash of light filled the room as a beautiful woman with a grim and regal manner appeared before them. They fell to their knees at the sight of their patroness Hera! The Queen of Olympus said, “Arise, my daughters! I have come to right a great wrong. My errant son Mars stirs once more and I would combat his schemes. He has dared to take frail mortals as his captives and he seeks no less than the corruption of the Amazon nation!”

Hippolyta said, “Great Hera, how may we stop my evil father?”

Athena said, “First, I will remove the madness from this woman and allow you to tend to her and perhaps lead her into the way of a true Amazon!” She touched the sedated Penthesilea who groaned and then remained still.

“She is my sister’s heir and I would do much to cure her!” said Hippolyta with tears brimming in her eyes.

Hera said, “I have given you the chance to do so now. What course she will take is known only to the Fates but I have removed the taint of Mars from her soul!”

At that moment Myrmidon entered from outside. He was allowed to walk around Science Isle but no male could set foot upon the sands of the main island home of the Amazons. He saw Hera and frowned. “Hera! Chiron spoke of you and of the other Olympians yet never have I encountered one!”

Hera stared at him and her own expression became grim. “That can only be because though you were raised near Olympus by Chiron you were deliberately kept apart and hidden from the sight of any of us! One look is enough to make your identity clear to any of us!” she said.

Nubia saw Hippolyta stiffen as if in shock or dismay. The blonde turned pale and raised one hand to her face. “By Hera? Can this be? Nubia, is this the man called Myrmidon you said you had brought here?” she stammered.

Nubia nodded. “Yes! He was exploring while we met with you. What is wrong, mother?”

Hera said, “Though the power of the Queen of the Olympians cloaks your memories and concealed this young man’s very existence ’til now, I sense you feel what is evident to one of my power!”

Hippolyta nodded silently.

Nubia said, “Mother? Are you alarmed because he has a definite tie to your old foe Herakles?”

Hippolyta whispered. “He has a tie to me as well! Hera help me, I think he is my child!”

Nubia gasped as her mother continued.

“Tis true. He has a certain something about him that speaks to my heart!” she said.

Myrmidon said, “I know nothing of my parentage. Chiron raised me and trained me in the arts both martial and philosophic. It is also true that we never had any visitors in our hidden glade near Mt. Olympus. You say this was not to protect me or the other pupils but to conceal me from others?”

Hippolyta stared at Myrmidon and said, “You are like your father in many ways. Yet, while madness sent by Hera had warped his once fine nature, you still retain the nobility he must once have possessed!”

Myrmidon took her hand and said, “I tell you truly that I know nothing of my parentage. You say Herakles fathered me? You are my mother? How can it be so?”

“That young man’s courage has shamed me into revealing my past sins. Your Amazons have ever served me well and if a goddess may feel guilt then I confess so now!” said the wife of Zeus.

Hippolyta knelt and looked up at her patroness. “Please, Queen Hera, tell me the meaning of this!”

Hera said, “You know how long ago I sent madness upon Herakles or Hercules because he was a hated reminder of the infidelity of Zeus. I cursed Herakles with madness and he killed his own family while under my spell. To atone for this sin, he agreed to undertake 12 labors and one of those missions led him to the home of the Amazons eons ago. There, the object of his quest was to claim the golden girdle Hippolyta wore as a sign of her service to Aphrodite. At first, all went well. Herakles and Hippolyta were drawn to one another. She would have consented to loaning him the precious item.”

Hippolyta nodded. “It is so. He and I enjoyed our time together that night but by morning he and his men were attacking us and he enslaved us and carried away my girdle. It was this enslavement that is memorialized by our bracelets of submission to this day! Only Aphrodite’s mercy freed us and gave us a home away from all men on Paradise Isle.”

Hera said, “Or so you thought. In truth, my hatred for Herakles was so petty and so powerful that I could not bear to see him triumph easily. Thus, I used my powers to make his men believe your Amazons were attacking them. I made your Amazons believe Herakles and his men were doing the same to you. In short, I manipulated your armies into battle and left you broken in heart and spirit. I sent Herakles on his way and your history played out as you recall it except for one detail that I concealed from all of you and the other Olympians. Some time after Aphrodite freed you and you reached Paradise Isle, you gave birth to the son you and Herakles had conceived during your night together. I took the baby away and placed him in a void place where he neither aged nor was noticed by anyone. I used the Mists of Nepenthe to erase every memory of this birth from all involved. Eons passed and my enmity for Herakles faded after he became one of us after his own death. Still, I revealed nothing of my deeds since I had no wish to anger my husband Zeus or stir up healed wounds.”

Hera said, “Finally, around thirty-two years ago I felt I had to give the baby a chance at life. You were praying for such a child to raise. While we answered your prayers with the creation of the clay infants whom would become Diana and Nubia, I also took the baby out of his limbo and gave him to noble Chiron to raise within a hidden glade sacred to me and unseen by even Zeus himself. That baby has grown into this young man and now I see the Fates had jested with us all by leading him into being a pawn of His own grand sire Mars! Forgive me for my malicious deeds. I will make amends by drawing upon my own connection to Ares the one true child Zeus and I had together. I will take you to where my son dwells and end this terrible tragedy at last!”

Hippolyta wept and embraced the handsome man before her. “You are my son! I felt it to be so when I first saw you!” she said.

He kissed her and said, “And yet you are a stranger to me. We must learn to know each other when this is over. I would also have some true name other than Myrmidon which was ever just a title or epithet!”

Hippolyta said, “Your name is Hippolytus! From this moment on, so shall you be called!”

He smiled and said, “I like that. It was the name of the son of Theseus as well!”

Hippolyta nodded. “He was my sister Antiope’s child. It is fitting that you carry my name after so very long a time!”

Hera said, “Now, I shall take you to the lair of the Dark Commander and I warn you that more sorrow awaits you at that dread place!”

Hippolytus said, “I will come with you. This fight is personal to me!”

Nubia nodded. “Agreed! You are my brother… as odd as that sounds to me. I would gladly fight by your side!”

Hippolyta said, “Be careful. I will not lose a child after so suddenly gaining one!”

The magic of Hera took the pair away as Paula and Hippolyta remained behind.

Paula said, “What now?”

Hippolyta gazed into the open air and said, “We pray.”

With a crash of thunder Nubia and Hippolytus appeared within the huge complex which housed the Dark Commander. Her army of hired thugs surrounded the pair instantly. Nubia scowled. “Hippolytus, my goals are twofold. I would free three friends held captive by the Dark Commander and I would batter her senseless as well!”

Hippolytus smiled. He seemed a different man since he had been freed from Penthesilea’s spell. “Chiron trained me well. I will deal with these gentleman while you take care of your own pressing business!” he said.

“Blast him!” cried one uniformed guard.

Hippolytus jumped forward and lifted two men into the air. He slammed them into one another and tossed their stunned bodies into a group of rushing troops. “You fellows get reacquainted while I meet the lady of the house!” he said with a laugh. He fought his way through the troops with ease as the strength of both of his parents enabled him to ignore their best efforts to stop him.

Nubia looped her lasso around a high support beam and swung skyward. From a narrow landing high above, she saw the center of the base and the Dark Commander herself! She smiled grimly and swung down to gracefully land in front of the confident woman in armor. “You have stolen quite a march upon us via the power of Hera! Still, for all of the grand plotting, I welcome a swift and violent battle!” said the woman.

Nubia noticed her ornate helmet and her flowing dark hair. She seemed vaguely familiar to her in some manner. She said, “I have no time for banter!”

She tackled the Dark Commander who raised her legs and kicked her aside with ease. Nubia whirled to grab her leg and drag her closer even as the other woman lifted her other leg and swung it to connect with Nubia’s chin.

Wonder Woman ignored the blow and grappled with her foe. The Dark Commander clearly lacked Penthesilea’s invulnerability since some of Nubia’s blows hurt her but she also fought with far more skill than the red haired Amazon had displayed. They exchanged blows for minutes until Nubia reached for her golden lasso and whipped it across the air to snag her foe.

“I command you to surrender!” she cried.

The Dark Commander moved slowly forward and rammed her metal helmet into Nubia’s face. “Your pretty rope holds no power over me. Father Ares himself has graced me with that immunity!” she said.

Nubia said, “Who are you? You serve Mars and act the role of daughter; however, I feel as if you are known to me! I was raised by him as well but you were not there!”

The Dark Commander said, “You should know me. Are we not sisters?”

She ripped off her heavy helmet and revealed the beautiful features of Diana the former Wonder Woman! “By Hera? How can this be? You are on Paradise Isle with our mother! You were turned into an infant during crisis!” gasped Nubia.

The other woman laughed bitterly. “Mars did indeed try to abduct Diana as you know but he failed thanks to you and Donna Troy. Still, he vowed to merely make his own. He took the magic clay that formed you and Diana and with the blessings of his allies, he gave me all the gifts I will need to honor him and to conquer you! I may have the face and form of your Diana but I am totally the daughter of Mars alone!” she said.

Nubia felt the raw hatred of the other woman. Clearly, her lovely features concealed a bitter heart and She could only imagine what kind of price came along with “blessings” offered by Mars and his other children like Deimos and Phobos and other evil beings!

The Dark Commander said, “I startled you. You reel with horror at the very idea that one so vile could look like your perfect sister! I welcome such a reaction! My armored guise was designed to conceal my features from the world and myself since I can not stand to be reminded of the pure and perfect Diana!”

Nubia said, “You defile her very image! Now, where are my friends?”

The Dark Commander said, “I killed them. Perhaps, you may see them when I send you to Hades!”

Nubia roared with anger and hurled herself at her enemy. She battered her again and again and with each blow, she drew a bit closer to Mars. He watched unseen and exulted as his anipulations drove her into a rage.

Meanwhile, Hippolytus vaulted over a railing to face a steel door. He kicked it down and saw the bound forms of Senator Abernathy and the Huckabys! “By Chiron! Let me help you all! You don’t need to be afraid. I’m a friend!” he said as he untied them.

Etta gasped, “Thanks! Can you get us out of this nightmare?”

Howard clutched her arm and they helped a weary Senator Abernathy to his feet. “Buck up, honey! We’ll gonna be OK!” said Howard.

Hippolytus said, “I’m Hippolytus. Wonder Woman is my sister!”

Etta eyed the handsome man in amazement and they followed his lead. He shoved some other troops aside but they encountered little resistance. Etta said, ” Thank you for rescuing us! Can you help us find our way out?”

Hippolytus said, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way!”

Meanwhile, the Dark Commander clawed at Nubia as fires exploded around them. Machine were falling and the base was being wrecked by their heedless battle! Wonder Woman knocked the Commander through a bank of machines and prepared to pull them down on top of the trapped foe when a red mist rose in front of her eyes.

She felt hatred and was eager to kill her foe when it passed at once as a soft voice echoed within her mind and she shuddered. “Hera forgive me! I was like one berserk with bloodlust! This is more of Mars’ foul work!” she whispered.

She drew away from the fallen Dark Commander and glanced around her. She caught sight of Hippolytus, and her friends and sighed with relief. Etta said, “Nubia! I’m sure glad to see you!”

Wonder Woman said, “And I am equally happy to see you all! The Dark Commander has fallen. Let me get you all to safety!” She led them out of the burning building and then turned to rush back inside. She found the battered Dark Commander and carried her out even as the roof fell in around them. She gazed down on the face that so resembled Diana’s and shook her head.

“This all goes back to Mars. It is part of the mad cycle of hate that he started eons ago. Hear me, Mars, for I know you are watching somewhere! You tried to turn me into one of your blood-crazed maidens but I will never return to your ways. The very sight of Diana’s face on this poor pawn of yours reminds me of her way. It was her memory and her voice that pulled me back from the emotional pit you had me hovering over! No matter what you try, we will defy you!”

Etta and Howard stared at the Dark Commander. It was disturbing to see their old friend’s face on the woman who had engineered so much danger and fear. Still, it was comforting to see her costume on one who so embodied her virtues and valor as did Nubia! They watched police and fire trucks draw closer, and Hippolytus guarded the captive troops that he had carried or led out of the building. A crisis had been averted and a new beginning was open to them all.

#######

Epilogues

Several weeks later, Hippolytus and Hippolyta strolled across the sandy shores of Science Isle and enjoyed their newfound relationship. Neither of them could exactly define how they could relate to one another after so long a time apart, but they were both determined to try. “I think of you as a friend already. That is more than I’d imagined gaining!” he said.

She kissed his cheek and said, “And I am delighted to know that the heroic part of your father lives on in one unspoiled by madness or hate!”

***

In Georgetown an elegantly dressed Nubia sat across from a handsome black man. She said, “John, I have decided that the risks are worth it. I want a civilian identity of my own. Will you help me? I know as John Jones you managed rather well to forge such a role for yourself?”

The altered Martian Manhunter leaned over and kissed her. “I will gladly help you in any way!” he said.

***

Finally, back on Paradise island, Sophia Constantinos sat alone and pondered the events of the last few weeks, since her angry scene with Wonder Woman; the Greek woman had calmed down enough until she had been able to rather sullenly accept both an apology and a ride back to the island from Nubia. Now, she sat alone and asked Athena for help.

“Athena, I have embraced the ways of the Amazons! Still, I can not turn my back on the world beyond these shores. Will you please give me direction?” she pleaded.

A warm glow surrounded her and the grey-eyed goddess of wisdom answered her pleas in a way she little expected but that would be another story!