Wonder Woman #25

With the gods nowhere to be found, the Amazons are on their own against the aliens. Diana bands with the Justice League International to stem the tide of invasion.

In the South Pacific in the military tracking station, she had decoded a strange transmission. Five minutes later, she had told her superior and soon was surrounded in energy. Four minutes later, her superior was killed and the station was destroyed and now, she is seen running for her life. She finds a radio where she can call for help. She tells the operator that she has some important files with her, and the operator asks for her location. Etta replies that she can’t because the enemy is listening in and she has to keep moving. Suddenly, she stops and can hear the operator stop in mid-sentence with an “Oh my God!” and suddenly an explosion can be heard and the other line is dead.

Meanwhile in Themyscira, Pythia and Euboea are riding their horses when the sky seems conjuring up a storm, yet there are no clouds in the sky. Menalippe is screaming for the noises to stop, and Hippolyta summons her daughter. When she arrives, Menalippe thanks the gods and asks Diana if she can hear them. They must be stopped. Menalippe is saying that they must not cross the Chaos. Wonder Woman steps forward and holds Menalippe’s hand and it feels like she’s having a fever, and Hippolyta thought she was just communicating with the gods though she’s never reacted like this. Wonder Woman also comments that it had started when that “storm” had started. Wonder Woman says that the Chaos is in fact a divine portal – and that someone is trying to breach it. Wonder Woman then flies above her home and finds three alien ships behind her. What could these aliens possibly want?

On board a ship, one of the crew members asks for further orders. Just then, Wonder Woman’s image comes up on their display screen and the commander tells the crew that she must be destroyed. The officers prepare the weapons and fire a blast of energy that hits an unprepared Wonder Woman. With the divine portal still open, the three ships move forward, but only the lead ship moves forward. However, they are still in contact with their leader and he orders them to finish off Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman apologises to the gods for letting herself fall into the alien’s trap and for allowing them to invade her home. However, Wonder Woman doesn’t take kindly to invaders and she desperately out-flies the invaders. She then suddenly stops to have a look at the vessels and realise that the aliens piloting the vessels have wings and bird-shaped elements and they are just like the ones that Hawkman wears – which means they are Thanagarian. She prepares herself for another attack and deflects their energy blasts. It bounces off and hits another ship. The commander continues the pursuit but he crashes into another vessel as both ships are destroyed. She dives through the portal. Through the other side of the portal and she sees the Thanagarian warship trapped by strong wings. She ties her lasso to one of its wings and she yells at the craft, asking them not to resist. She can feel they are panicking as their emotions course through the lasso and she begs for them to listen to her but they blast her again with their energy blasts. Wonder Woman releases the grip on her lasso and the ship itself gets sucked into the vortex until it explodes. She is frustrated with their refusal to listen, but the emotion she felt through her lasso, she knows that an attack on Paradise Island is inevitable.

On Man’s World, Etta Candy is running for her life as everywhere she goes, there are explosions. She risks herself by pausing for them as they say that she must remain still so they can get a fix on where she is but she replies that the aliens will home in on her position. That becomes true as a nearby explosion causes her to become unconscious.

In Massachusetts in the Kapatelis house, General Hillary, Steve Trevor, Julia, Vanessa and Black Canary are waiting for Wonder Woman. Hillary impatiently asks where she is and she comes in and Black Canary tells her that she has contacted Justice League International like she has requested and it seems as if they have already been investigating other invasions. General Hillary continues that from his sources, the attack on Paradise Island was not an accident and that they have had reports from all over. Hillary unrolls a map and says that where it is marked red is where Etta Candy was hit last. Wonder Woman fears for her, but Canary assures her that she is fine. She is then asked to meet with JLI as this isn’t something she can handle alone. She doesn’t understand, and he tells her that this attack is of global proportions. Wonder Woman says goodbye as she flies to meet with other superheroes while Steve and Canary are off to their own plans. Wonder Woman shouts back to Steve that she will save Etta and tries to comprehend all that is happening. When will it end? She soon arrives in Fiji where she meets up with the JLI. Fire thinks it is pathetic that they drool over the Amazon hussy like that, but Ice replies that she is no hussy! It is not her fault that she can reduce men to teenagers. She meets up with Martian Manhunter and they go into the tent where there is a platoon officer waiting for them. The officer explains that she is Khunds territory alone. Manhunter doesn’t understand why the JLI is needed and the officer responds that she has broken the code as she is carrying intelligence on the enemy and it is important that she needs to be rescued, and that’s what Wonder Woman is for. He asks what the JLI is needed for and she replies that they need to keep the forces busy while she attempts the rescue. Wonder Woman also asks him if she can borrow a few of the JLI members as these Khunds are a total mystery to her. Manhunter briefs his team and tells them that Wonder Woman needs two volunteers. Blue Beetle steps forward immediately, but Manhunter says that he has a job for him. Guy Gardener then counts himself out as he would rather be in the action than help a pacifist. Wonder Woman replies that she may be a pacifist, but she is a warrior, and she is a warrior indeed. He snaps back with "Hey, no offence Wonder Babe, but I know all about you" and Rocket Red butts in reminding Guy that he has read all the battles that Wonder Woman has been through. Wonder Woman thanks Rocket Red for his support. He adds that he would be happy tot help Wonder Woman and Fire and Ice nominate Wonder Woman’s next volunteer: Guy Gardener, by pushing him forward. With her team, Green Lantern asks what their plan is, and she tells him that they have to rescue Etta with as little as bloodshed as possible. Guy responds that they shouldn’t be worrying too much about their blood. Wonder Woman replies that there is hopefully a way to reason with the Khunds and Guy replies that there is only one way to reason with them. With that, he uses his ring to smashes the lead craft. Wonder Woman shouts for him to stop, but he replies that there is only one way to do this. The vessel begins to fall and she uses her lasso to tie him up and asks what sort of barbarian he is and that he could have restrained the craft. Meanwhile, Rocket Red goes for the second vessel, assuring Wonder Woman that he will capture it, but because he had his new armor on, he mistakes his blasters for the tractor beam and striking the vessel causes him to fly backwards and he lands near the first vessel that was destroyed. The Khunds then surround him, ready to take him down. In the sky, Green Lantern tells Wonder Woman about his philosophy, that you have to "Get them before they get you!" Below, Etta can see Wonder Woman and has to shout out to her, even though it is a big risk.

Rocket Red finds himself surrounded by Khund troops but protects himself with a force field and returns fire. Green Lantern tells Wonder Woman to release him as she does not have the guts to get into a fight. She tells him not to push her when she hears a cry down below and sees Etta waving her hands. Green Lantern is saying that "stupid broad is making herself a target" as Wonder Woman is annoyed with herself as she had been too busy arguing with Guy. Meanwhile, a Khund ship spots Etta and goes in for the kill. The energy beams is getting closer as she tries to outrun it. Wonder Woman zooms down but it seems as if a beam has directly struck her. Suddenly, she sees a force field surround her and Green Lantern tells Wonder Woman that he “has his moments.” However, a Khund vessel is going for Guy when Wonder Woman charges for it head first and the vessel flies out of control and falls into a nearby ocean, and Guy and Etta watch as it disintegrates in the ocean. Guy is impressed as she had killed and she replies that she feared for his life and that is what any Amazon would do. Wonder Woman hugs Etta and Guy tells them that they need to get back quickly. Wonder Woman asks Etta if she is okay, and she replies that she is fine, but then adds that all this would be nothing if the intelligence papers are ruined as she fell in a marsh. But Wonder Woman reassures her that it is okay, that it wouldn’t have been for nothing as Etta is alive. Just then, Rocket Red appears with two Khund prisoners and says that these two might be able to help.

Back at the camp, the platoon officer is congratulating Martian Manhunter for his work and his team for destroying the Khunds that were occupying the area. However, he replies that there is no pride in war or slaughter. Wonder Woman then charges in the tent, asking how Etta is doing and the officer replies that she is doing fine. The two heroes ask if that is all but the officer replies that unfortunately, it is not, as they will be needed in the future. Outside, Wonder Woman tells Martian Manhunter of the conversation he had with the officer. He replies that the Khunds themselves are human beings, and it is wrong to celebrate death, and she agrees, but what choice do they have? He agrees and asks why they have to take such pleasure in killing. Wonder Woman is confused with how he uses “pleasure” but before she can ask, Blue Beetle rushes in and tells them they are needed back home before jokingly adding, "Oh and Diana, did anyone ever tell you have beautiful eyes!"

Notes:

• "With a special assist from Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis."
• Steve Trevor's mission continues in Captain Atom #24.