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    Wonder Woman #8

    Wonder Woman » Wonder Woman #8 - Time Passages released by DC Comics on September 1987.

    Short summary describing this issue.

    Time Passages last edited by Plexirvones on 09/02/22 08:23AM View full history

    Julia Kapatelis is in her university office where there is a large poster of Wonder Woman hanging on the wall. She brings out her journal and starts writing in it. She writes that even though she was skeptical of Myndi Mayer, she also admits that she has done a good job in promoting Wonder Woman. Julia and Wonder Woman have been busy lately, as they have been preparing her for her appearance in front of the United Nations General Assembly. Julia would have preferred more time for rehearsal, but the time Hippolyta has given for her daughter was very limiting.

    During the day of the interview, Julia was her interpreter, because Diana felt that her English still wasn’t as good, and Julia could also speak Themyscrian. Unfortunately, she discovers that some backward countries do not appreciate a woman who can lead and that the Russian delegate proposed that Diana’s costume was false advertising and thought that the Ares Affair was all fake and that she was a political propagandist. This confused her, as she wanted to find out more about these strange political problems in Man’s World.

    Diana also accepted to prove to the military base that the Ares Affair was more than just a take over. Julia did not approve of this invitation and she was not allowed to accompany Diana as she went. Once she returned from the military base, she was different, as she asked Myndi Mayer to cancel all promotions and she was also quiet and contemplative. Julia thought that Diana finally understood how troubled Man’s World was compared to Paradise Island.

    Coincidently, when Diana had become that changed person, Psychologist G. Gordon Godfrey began his campaign to ban all superheroes. His campaign seemed silly at first, but then it started gaining ground. Also, the America’s influential politicians started siding with him and in Julia’s class, she watched helplessly as her students divided themselves amongst each other. Because of her relationship with Diana, she found herself under the public eye. She was not liked because of having a superhero in her home and they showed their displeasure. Finally, a brick was thrown through her window, Diana couldn’t hold back anymore. After weeks of silence, she couldn’t stand it anymore and so began the fight for her rights. During the height of Godfrey’s campaign, that was when he ironically fell, as his arrogance had got the better of him and Diana found herself standing amongst other superheroes that were suppressed by him. At last, Diana found some belonging to Man’s World, but declined when they asked her to join the Justice League.

    Later, Julia asked why Diana didn’t accept the invitation to join the Justice League. She replied that she did not believe in fighting in Man’s World with a costume, however, from that day, she kept discussing the people she met. The Black Canary was the first female crime fighter that she had met. There was also the Martian Manhunter from Mars, ironically named after a god called Ares, and Captain Marvel whose powers were also taken from gods. Also, when Julia was to talk about Superman, Diana would become quiet as if there was a secret between them two.

    A day later after the Pentagon acknowledged Diana’s claims on the Ares Affair, Diana and Julia received a call from Colonel Michaelis’ widow, asking how her husband fought. Diana and Julia told her that he fought bravely, saving Etta and Julia’s lives. As they spoke, Diana also noticed that Julia had tears in her eyes. Julia would later confide in Diana telling her that she had never sensed so much of a loss of a loved one. Now Diana understood how her mother felt when Diana was to fight Ares. Some nights after, Julia finds Diana nude on the lawn praying to her Amazon gods and realises what a contradiction she is because on one hand, she is sweet, innocent and loving, but on the other hand, she is still looking for a proper outlet. Diana’s time on Man’s World is growing short as there is still much to do. Diana feels that Julia is the closet friend she will have while Julia feels that she is the closet goddess that she knows.

    Meanwhile, aboard a plane, Barbara Minerva is on her way, planning to snatch the lasso from Diana.

    In Etta Candy’s office at the air force base, she is studying Diana’s mugshots as she wishes she had a body like that. She then starts writing a letter to Steve Trevor. She tells him that she has got some information regarding the Ares Affair and has been asked to study the "Wonder Woman Manoeuvres". After they finished taking her vital statistics, General Hillary sent Diana to Major Dennis Warren and his research team.

    By this time, Diana’s English was good enough to understand these test that Etta and Steve had stated in their reports. Perhaps this was also a chance to prove that her alliance with US was true as her own costume did indicate some kind of US look. At the test site, she was to be tested on her bracelets called Codename: Bullets and Bracelets, or as she liked to call it "The Flashing Thunder". She was also afraid that the equipment might be damaged from the ricochets. Etta wanted to protest against this as this was putting her in danger, but Diana reassured her that she was fine. She also stated that she had gone under a similar test on Paradise Island. It was a .45 magnum that was used, but how the gun got on the island was a mystery to her. Once on radioed command, the three soldiers who were holding Uzis fire upon her at point blank range. Etta is extremely worried, showing it by screaming but in a flurry motion which the cameras had difficulty capturing the bullets bounced off her. As the bullets bounced off, she charged the three men and disarmed them and crushed their weapons with her bare hands. Major Warren was also impressed with what she had done.

    Etta was also impressed as Diana demonstrated her ability being able to hold a Tomcat fighter from flying. She lassoed the plane’s tail and just pulled on it like that and Major Warren had to ask the jet pilot to turn off the engine to keep it from being damaged. Diana also lifted the M1 Abraham Tank. Diana was going to destroy the plane and jet together though she realised that they were controlled by people inside them, and it seemed to annoy Major Warren that she would hold back from harming humans. Etta’s respect for her was also growing. The next test was where she had to prove her flying skills, where she out performed the jets. She said that she preferred this much more as no one was in danger and that she enjoyed the sensation of flying.

    When the tests were over, Major Warren asked Diana if she could possibly replicate those bracelets and her lasso. Diana refused as these were gifts from the gods, not just weapons. Even though Diana proved herself, Major Warren was still unsure about her. Etta was ashamed of how the military were treating her, as she had come to help Man’s World, yet they were treating her like this. Diana stayed out of the public eye until the Godfrey affair blew over. Her acceptance by other heroes allowed General Hillary to drop charges against Diana, Etta, Julia, Steve and Michaelis.

    At Boston airport, Minerva's Special Museum Permit is checked and she is allowed to bring in her exotic plant. Twenty minutes later, she is in a van driven by Tam, her contact. Tam asks her what she needs, but Minerva totally ignores him, intently reading on Wonder Woman’s Farewell Tour.

    At the Kapatelis summer house in Massachusetts, Vanessa writes in her diary where she has received a copy of a photograph taken of her and Diana, and Vanessa is wearing the Wonder Woman bracelets and earrings given to her by Myndi. On the day, Vanessa finds out what a great person Diana is. Diana thinks Vanessa is beautiful and that she is the first young girl she has ever seen as Dian grew up the only child on Paradise Island. Vanessa writes in her diary how Paradise Island is like with beautiful scenery and crystal clear waters. The Amazons also do a lot of “homework” but Diana tells her that learning is a very important part of life. Vanessa also learns that Diana was the only Amazon granted with powers from the goddesses. Diana learns about Vanessa’s father, and this made Vanessa feel really lucky to have a father, even though it was a short time because Diana never had a father. Vanessa is also grateful that Diana saved her life and apologised for the way she treated her at first. Then, Diana felt as if she needed to fly around with Vanessa. They flew up and talked for hours and Diana told Vanessa that she was nervous about the talk at her school as sometimes the English language confused her.

    The next day, Diana made her way to Vanessa’s school, and Diana’s English was perfect as all the girls were excited about her as they started imitating the Amazon salute where their arms crossed together like an “X” and the bracelets touch each other. Most of the boys listened too, but one boy was Barry who was very interested. Vanessa could tell because he never took her eyes off Diana and for that, Vanessa thought he was different from the other boys and maybe he will ask her out for the dance?

    After school, Diana left and Vanessa and Barry were hanging out together when they both heard some boys behind a tree laughing and grunting. Barry pushed them aside and took the photo, where she was made to look disgusting and Vanessa was mortified to find boys like this drawing over her. Barry and Vanessa got into an argument with the boys when a teacher came to break it up and luckily, Vanessa’s mum used her influence to not get her suspended, but Julia was angry. Vanessa was to apologise to the boys as Diana would have not acted like this and Vanessa was grounded. Still, Vanessa got to see Barry and he gave her a picture of him, and told her that she was his Wonder Woman!

    Back at Boston outside an apartment, Tam demands to see Minerva but Chuma refuses him entry. Tam asks why she has travelled across the globe and Chuma tells him that his answers will be shortly answered. A while later, Minerva makes her way to the plant where Chuma is tending the plant. All Diana needs now is to believe Minerva’s claim.

    In Myndi Mayer’s office, she studies the huge poster for the “Wonder Woman Farewell Tour”. With the whole Godfrey thing over and the military believing her superhuman abilities, the tour couldn’t have been better. Diana was presented with the Key to the City and made an appearance on the Johnny Carson show. Though because of her busy schedule, she was the only superhero not to be honoured by him. With merchandise, the stores ran out very quickly with the stocks. She also had licensing with DC comics, having her comic come out every month and her own clothing line. Since Diana says that she will not be with them, the money is used to set up a foundation called the "Wonder Woman Foundation" showing the contributions made by women over 40 towards equality and advancement. There has also been an increasing number of complaints by Christian and Judaic leaders, questioning her beliefs with Greek gods. Julia is aware of this and Myndi tells Diana that the tour has finally taken its toll. The tour is almost over, but the fan mail is still coming in, and one letter strikes Myndi’s interest. If her claims are true, they could have a lot of publicity here. She reads out the letter, explaining how Minerva has been able to collect historical items and Diana’s lasso has fascinated her. Minerva then explains that she has been studying an historical item which supposedly in connected to the Lasso of Truth. Minerva believes that this is the second Girdle of Gaea and with this new discovery, more can be discovered about the Amazon’s origin.

    Meanwhile, in a dark alley, a corpse was found as if it were attacked by an animal. They check the corpse’s I.D. discovering that the victim was Tamsyn McConnell, a small time guns smuggler and runner.

    Notes:

    • Story was divided into four chapters: Journal, Dispatch, Dear Diary, and "Tour Update."
    • George Perez, Len Wein and Karen Berger do not actually appear in this story. Their images with Wonder Woman appear on a newspaper article photo.
    • Last letter column titled "Wonder Woman."
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    Did not like the format - at all 0

     This issue is told partly in retrospect and partly in the present.   Julia, Etta, Vanessa and Mindi all write personal recollections of Diana, most of which deals either with her participation in the events of the Legends miniseries or of Diana’s continuing attempts to greater understand mankind.   The part which drags the issue down is that the reader is actually forced to read the recollections.   I don’t mind reading books and I don’t mind reading comics, but reading books in comics is prett...

    3 out of 5 found this review helpful.
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