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    Wonder Woman #10

    Wonder Woman » Wonder Woman #10 - Paradise Lost! released by DC Comics on November 1987.

    Short summary describing this issue.

    Paradise Lost! last edited by Darkside_of_the_Sun on 06/14/18 11:41PM View full history

    Pan plays on his pipes as he skips through his palace. Eos notices this and tells Dionysus, saying that Pan is rarely this joyful. Dionysus replies that he has been this way ever since Princess Diana stopped Ares from creating chaos. He believes that Pan is to become Zeus’ advisor to all matters Amazon, which troubles him.

    Pan approaches Zeus and asks if he considers the conversation that they had earlier and he thinks Pan is right as he surveys the island below him. He watches Diana as she riding through the island on a horse with her friend Euboea. She is definitely a special one as she has defeated Ares and Pan says that she deserves his special favour as Zeus’ own son, Heracles once favoured Princess Diana’s mother, Hippolyta. Just then, Apollo interrupts and suggests that he does not do what he is about to do, as Hera and the other goddesses have other plans installed for them and doubts that they will take kindly to Zeus’ wants. Zeus disagrees however, as Diana has accomplished her mission. Hestia and Artemis hear the conversation through a special mirror and it confirms their fears: he wants to make the Amazons his playthings. Artemis, angry, rushes off to speak with Athena and Hera. One thing that’s for sure is that Paradise Island will not be made into a brothel.

    On the beach of Paradise Island, Princess Diana tells Euboea how glad she is to be home. Euboea asks to tell her more about Man’s World and what she misses most about it. Diana replies that she misses her friends most and Vanessa even made a necklace for her in a bag they packed for her. They are so different yet have so many things in common, and she has much to learn from them. At the Hall of Justice, the Council of Justice has finished reviewing the items that Diana brought back and now must make a decision. Mnemosyne asks the council whether they should show these items to the Amazons. Philippus says no and Acantha agrees, adding that from the translations from the book Diana has brought with her, little has changed over the years and if what they say about the fate of their centuries lost sister Amazon is true… Philippus snaps back, saying that that is false and Man has always lied to them. She wants nothing to do with them as their weapons have once destroyed them. But Acantha asks if these things are apart of Princess Diana’s destiny? She holds up the American banner and says that they have seen this before. Are the Amazons somehow tied to this coat of arms through the Princess? Hippolyta finally speaks saying that she wore these when she battled Ares doesn’t mean a thing. This banner means nothing now, as she belongs to Paradise Island. Elsewhere, the oracle, Menalippe fears otherwise. For days she has sensed danger, but has said nothing. She wants to tell, but how can she, when the source of the danger is what she has always believed in?

    At the shores of Paradise Island where Diana and Euboea are speaking, Diana hears a loud and deep voice. She recognises this voice as Zeus and wonders what he wants. In the city, they hear of Zeus’ voice and Philippus is uneasy about this and Hippolyta agrees, hearing something uneasy in Zeus’ tone. Zeus tells Diana that she has earned a special gift and is to visit Mount Olympus but Euboea warns her, to be careful of Zeus’ intentions. Diana asks her not to worry. Zeus greets her and she has been chosen to take part in Godhood. Down below, the Amazons cannot believe what they are hearing. Hippolyta knows those words all too well, as Heracles had once said that to her. She orders her horse to be fetched and fears the fate that awaits her daughter.

    In the sky, Diana does not understand, as she already worships him? He agrees, but now it is time for communion of the flesh. During her time in Man’s World, Diana learned that such decisions should be mutual and that she cannot surrender her virginity which she alone must choose without the feelings of desire and commitment. But Zeus is angry with her words and bellows that she has dared defy him and therefore must be punished. Zeus forces himself upon Diana and she pleads him not to do so. She lives to serve him, not to be his toy. Zeus is then interrupted by Hippolyta who tells him to release her daughter immediately. Hippolyta tells her of his son which showed her the same “respect”. He stole her virginity and will not allow it to happen to her daughter. Zeus raises his hand to release a bolt of thunder when he suddenly pushed back to Mount Olympus by Hera, his wife. He disappears and roars that she will pay for this. Diana falls to the ground as Euboea checks on her while her mother rides over to where she lays. Euboea cannot believe what Hippolyta said to Zeus but she must do what a mother must do. Diana fears that she has doomed the Amazons by resisting his orders.

    Later that afternoon in the Temple of Oracle, Hippolyta asks Menalippe if there is any sign and so far, there hasn’t, which is good. Diana says to her mother that she is confused and perhaps it was her destiny to give into them. “Never,” replies her mother. This was against their teachings from the goddesses themselves. Suddenly, the Oracle’s cauldron boils and they are waiting for a reply. Diana says she can hear them in her head and she readies herself as the shaft of light brings her beyond the clouds, even though Hippolyta argues. Hippolyta does not understand and it makes her want to scream as her daughter is taken away from her again. Diana arrives on Mount Olympus and finds all the gods and goddesses waiting for her. Hera says that this can be resolved without shouting, and the goddesses do truly speak of Diana, who is indeed a unique creation. It’s easy to see why Zeus’ eyes wandered… again. Artemis reminds Zeus that he has agreed to allow the Amazon to prove herself as they are not ordinary mortals, but Zeus replies that just because they are immortal does not make them gods! Diana says that she meant no disrespect and the other goddesses tell her that there is nothing to fear. They are merely seeing if she can prove her worth and they will finally know the true destiny of Diana. Zeus then waves his hand to show what she is up against, and to her horror there is a gateway to a demon lair beneath the island. She knows that many Amazons have died because of that portal. If Diana can overcome these demons, she is truly considered equal to the gods. Pan complains that this is a waste of warm flesh, who is then repressed by his father Hermes. Zeus tells her that her journey will unfold each time she completes a challenge set by each god, until all of Olympus is satisfied. At the end of this task, Zeus’ greatest treasure awaits her and she must bring it back. If she loses, the Amazons themselves will also disappear though if she succeeds, Themyscira will prosper. Diana accepts and with a whisk of his hand, she is teleported to Themyscira to prepare for the challenge ahead.

    In the Royal Chamber, Hippolyta tells her fellow sisters that this is very unfair. If it should be a challenge, it should be her challenge, as she was the one who allowed the Amazons to retreat to this island. Diana sees more than just a challenge though, stating that she can reveal her true destiny. Hippolyta asks her how they will truly feel when the goddesses who created them surrender to Zeus’ every desire. She also says that sometimes she feels that they are merely pawns in some game.

    Midnight has come and Diana, Philippus and Euboea ride out to the woods and Philippus is worried for her, asking if she has sufficient armour and if she wants to bring her horse, but Diana refuses, saying that she will harm no other innocents. She wishes her mother had come with her, that their last parting will not be the final memory of each other. She thanks her two sisters for coming with her, but she must complete this challenge on her own. She steps towards two massive metal doors. Diana must use brute force as there are no hinges on the metal doors and it has not been opened since the tragic death of the woman whose name she bears. Finally, the gate opens and a blast of cold wind comes through and she enters quickly as she knows that the evil can escape if she is too slow. Inside, a faint light is glowing and walks down a flight of stairs. As she makes her way down, she realises a cartridge which she picks up. She has seen these on Man’s World before and she wonders how it got here in the first place. Suddenly, a hand grabs her angle from below and whispering voices hiss that it is Cottus, last of the Hecatoncheires. She has dared place her feet on his spine and is suddenly grabbed by many other hands. She struggles as she sinks and Cottus plans to escape as Diana has weakened the door. Just when all seems lost, Diana burst out and Cottus cannot believe what happened. She will not allow anything to get in her way nor will she allow anything to escape. Diana throws her spear towards the thumping sound, which must have been the heart as Cottus roars and she lifts her axe, bringing it down on his spine. The spine shatters and the rest of the creature follows plunging Diana into pitch black. Diana surveys the spear and hopes this will serve as a memorial for all her sisters slain by this creature. Diana smells brimstone and follows the smell, but she is faced with crossing a sea of molten rock. She flies up above it and suddenly, a blast of fire shoots straight up which she just misses. She has heard of this demon before and even Man’s World knows this creature, but on Paradise Island, this creature is real. The Seven Headed Hydra!

    Notes:

    • "What has Gone Before" one page text piece by Len Wein.
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     This is quite an interesting issue.   It basically starts by Zeus proclaiming to Diana that she is worthy of his sexual attention.   Diana spurns him and he reacts very poorly by torturing her (the whole thing felt sort of creepy, like rape almost.)   He is eventually drawn back to by Hera where the gods decide to test Diana once again (saving the world the first time was not enough.)   She is to descend into the gate that the Amazons have guarded since they were exiled to Themyscira.   This ...

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