Wonder Woman #33

Diana learns the secret of the Egyptian Amazons, while the Cheetah doesn't cope well with captivity.

The battle from the issue #32 is over and Wonder Woman is on a horse. Nehebka asks if Wonder Woman is alright. Even though they have survived a massacre, Wonder Woman asks if this is justified. They were only after Cheetah yet so many innocents died. Wonder Woman tells the Bana-Mighdall Amazons that perhaps this is the work of butches, not warriors. If she had only gotten here earlier. Her medicine was inadequate and she was too weak to pray to the Gods to help her. She then asks why the did not kill when they had the chance. Nehebka replies that the queen's last wish was to not kill her.

Meanwhile in a small shop police are investigating a crime scene. A man is dead while a woman tells them that a "she-demon" has killed him. One of the officers find a torn up photo of Wonder Woman and the woman tells them that she was the woman who had killed Cheetah and ended the bloodshed.

Back at Bana-Mighdall, Cheetah is imprisoned in a padded cell. Wonder Woman looks down at her and Cheetah is still in her barbaric state. Wonder Woman remembers Chuma telling her that Cheetah should return to her normal state by dawn, but it had been hours before that and she is still in her Cheetah form. Wonder Woman asks for forgiveness as she never meant to be so violent seeing as she was someone who represented peace. Then, an Amazon wearing an eye-patch walks in and she introduces herself in Faruka, in English. She introduces herself as Faruka, the one who called Julia and the former assistant to the chief priest – who Diana murdered. Wonder Woman tries to explain that she died from an accident, but Faruka isn't having any of it.

Wonder Woman says that she has been referred to "Ariadna" ever since and says that it sounds familiar but she does not know what it means. Cheetah rants back to Faruka, and she replies by pulling out a revolver but Wonder Woman grabs her arm from doing so. Queen Anahid had ordered Wonder Woman to be kept alive only so she could be killed by Faruka. She still thinks that the sacrilege is not resolved! Wonder Woman snaps back lecturing her about Bana-Mighdall society itself. She assures Faruka that Barbara Minerva will be punished, but not by them! She must do so – to honour a man named Chuma.

In a town called Bahafara, a man is driving Dr. Osman Suakin to the police station. His friend who is driving can't understand why he is helping an American. He replies that Professor Kapatelis had helped him understand the world much better. He is then greeted by Hussain and his men and fills Osman in on what has happened. Apparently, there have been many "she-devils". Hassain explains that at first he did not believe the people who have been claiming this but after they found dead bodies of women, naked and beheaded, they started believing. Osman then asks about the torn photograph and Hassain asks if he knows who that woman is standing next to Wonder Woman. Osman replies that he does, and that is why the reason why he is here.

Osman, in his hotel room, calls Julia Kapatelis and tells her about the dead bodies. Julia asks if one of the bodies is Wonder Woman, but Osman replies that they are all dark-skinned He also mentions a pygmy who was killed but eaten by vultures – it makes it hard to identify the body. However, Julia knows who it is - Chuma. Vanessa is upstairs, listening in on the conversation through the other phone. Julia tells Osman that she is on the next flight to Cairo. She tells Vanessa that a neighbour will be over taking care of her.

Back at Bana-Mighdall inside a temple, and Diana notices a strange glow. She walks towards the Girdle of Gaea, and as she does, her lasso glows along with it. Wonder Woman unhooks her lasso's and the girdle's energy combine. Just then, the temple starts shaking. Faruka tells Wonder Woman to step away but she is too transfixed. Not listening to Faruka, she tackles Wonder Woman but the energy surrounding her bounces her back. Guards rush in, ready to tackle Wonder Woman but Nehebka orders them to separate Wonder Woman from the girdle. She then shows Wonder Woman a pile of books and she understands the language that is used here, even though Nehebka does not. Diana reads it, and it seems as if Diana was not the priestess' murderer, but rightful executioner. Faruka however, is unconvinced.

Nehebka then starts recounting the Bana-Mighdalls' origin story. It was about three millennia ago when a sword fight had happened between King Theseus and an Amazon girl called Phthia. The king's son, Melanippus, and the Captain warned Theseus about this young girl. Melanippus asks what happened and before he can reply, Phthia yells that Theseus is a murderer and he points to the Queen's bedroom. Melanippus was born to a previous spouse, and she had never approved of the current one. Inside was Antiope's body, dead, with a dagger in her heart. The king says that he saw a shadowed body running from the room and does not know if it is Phthia's or not. He was so affected by the murder of Antiope that he did not hear the nurse's screams. Phthia was standing over his infant child looking like she was going to kill the child.

Phthia says that she was only shielding the baby, and that it had been Theseus of murdered Antiope. He killed her because she learned of his affair with Phaedra. Theseus tries to reason with her but she is not listening and tells him that he was always jealous of Antiope's power. He also wanted to kill Hyppolytus, the child, to end her blood line. Perhaps Melanippus had been right about her all along. Melanippus sent Phthia into the deepest and darkest of jails where she was tortured and Melanippus hopes to finish her off, by executing her. He requests permission to have her executed, but the king argues that Antiope was like a mother towards Phthia and there's no way she could've killed her. Melanippus bounces back saying that Phthia had always blamed men for her mother's death and everything under the sun.

Theseus hoped to find someone to blame and chose Ariadna, his former wife who he had banished from the kingdom, hoping to marry Antiope.

Wonder Woman then interrupts the story, saying hat she mentioned Diana's aunty. Faruka says that Diana could not possibly be an Amazon as she is too young, and as she has read from the ancient writings, Queen Hippolyta and her Amazons had been swallowed by the sea. Faruka continues, saying that the Tournament of the Crown will only show who can be Anahid's replacement. Wonder Woman apologises as Nehebka continues with the story.

Ariadna is found guilty to Antiope's murder and even Phthia's, though many questions raised suspicion, such as how she escaped from her exile and where Phthia's body had disappeared to. During the night when Ariadna was to be executed, the Amazons raided the kingdom, freeing her and from that day on, they knew there would never be peace between Man and Amazon. So from there on, Ariadna's name has meant "Evil Intruder" or "One who must not be trusted".

Later on, during the Trojan Wars, an Amazon captain called Penthiselea, who was Phthia's daughter, fought against Captain Eteocles who was Melanippus' son. Penthiselea killed him, and never had revenge tasted so sweet. Wonder Woman disagrees however stating that war is not glorious and that her glory was short-lived. Nehebka acknowledges what Diana says, but they had profited from it. Amazons were the best at battling and they became mercenaries, fighting alongside anyone who offered the right price. They also developed weapons during the time of modernisation and developed the Cobra-dart.

Meanwhile, the temple shakes again and Nehebka says that it is probably a mystic sandstorm and its coming towards the city. Pointing out from a window, Nehebka spots a light in the middle of the storm. Wonder Woman takes a look herself and is shocked by who it is. It is Hermes, acting how a god shouldn't be acting. He comes in with a booming voice, saying he has come to extract the betrayers of the Amazons.