Wonder Woman Year One

## **Chapter One - "The Amazon"**

There once was a war of gods, a war that rocked the foundations of magic and Olympus to their cores. As the hordes of the man god Hercules razed Gaia, a new weapon was unleashed to tame the conflict; the Amazons. After the war, they were allowed self imposed exile on Themyscira, Paradise, away from the troublesome chaos of Man's world.

The Princess Diana, daughter of Queen Hippolyta, is raised on Paradise Island. A mystery of the Amazons, she is the only child on the isle, younger than all of her sisters. Diana is told that she must never leave Paradise Island, for the world outside is no place for one of their kind.

Diana looks to the stars, and makes a prayer to her patrons; a prayer of freedom and a hope for discovery for the world of unknown.

Out of the marble sky above Themyscira, a great ball of fire leaps onto the shores of Paradise. A castaway vessel of metal and wires washes up on the delicate sand, carrying one survivor. Diana takes her Kanga, Jumpa, rushing onto the beach. Searching through the wreckage, she finds him. A man with bright blonde hair, unconscious, with a description laid over his breast: **Colonel Steven Trevor.**

## **Chapter Two - "The Pilot"**

Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, treks up the mountainous range on the peaks of Themyscira. Her destination: the den of seers, home of the oracles, the Erinyes, The Fates. Before the dawn, the Island had encountered something it had not seen in hundreds of years. Before the dawn, a man had landed on paradise.

Steve Trevor is awoken by the burning tightness of the Golden Perfect. Its power compels him, just as he finds himself surrounded by Amazons. One approaches him; tall, strong, with her skin fashioned out of smooth ebony. Phillipus places her fingers beneath his chin as she grasps the end of the golden perfect. *"Who are you, and how did you arrive on Paradise Island."* Trevor smiles, wanting to answer but finding himself locked in a trance; fixated on the obsidian curls of the Amazon Princess, Diana, the one who awakened him. *"Angel,"* he says, *"I must be in Heaven."*

Phillipus laughs; *"Answer the question stranger, or we will have to take more unpleasant measures."*

Steve explains that his team and another vessel were on an expedition to uncover a lost tomb of a believed to be dead goddess, but his section of the vessel seemed to have crashed on this mysterious island. Phillipus turns to another Amazon, Artemis, motioning for the Queen.

The Amazonian council convenes; Castalia, Phillipus, Mala, and Artemis. They trust in the Golden Perfect, but await for the Queen's verdict. The last time a man came to Themyscira, one of their own perished. Hippolyta enters, tears running down her visage. *"I know what we must do."*

Diana feeds Trevor in his cell, asking him about the world beyond. *"Come with me,"* he tells her. Later that day, Hippolyta announces that Trevor will return to man's world with an Amazon escort; to decide the escort there will be trials of strength, mind, and courage. Diana enters the trials disguised, and ends up victorious.

With heavy heart, Hippolyta announces Diana's victory, presenting her with ancient artifacts to aid on her journey to man's world: The Golden Perfect, the Blade of Athena, Bracelets of Submission, and armor forged by Hephaestus. Hippolyta knew what was coming, for her encounter with the Fates told her of the storm coming, and Diana's destiny as a paragon of Truth.

The two take one of the Amazonian Stealth Planes, an Invisible Jet, and Diana leaves her home for the first time.

## **Chapter Three - "The New World"**

In Africa, ARGUS agent Barbara Minerva discovers an artifact called the Godslayer knife, a weapon that was once used to slay the cheetah god Urzkartaga. Minerva escapes from the San Tribe guarding the knife, and returns to the US. She hears of the new arrival from Waller.

Diana and Steve arrive in the US where they are greeted by agents of ARGUS, the **Advanced Research Group Uniting Super-Humans**. Among them are Director Etta Candy, and the organization head; Amanda Waller. Trevor briefs Etta and Waller over the mission, claiming that his section of the convoy arrived on Paradise Island while the other was nowhere to be found. Candy claims that they lost contact the same time Steve did.

As Minerva arrives back in DC, her convoy is attacked by terrorists. They attempt to take the artifact she acquired, but Diana to jump into action, exposing her to the public. The terrorists are defeated; Diana meets Barbara and they become friends. Barbara explains that she is an archaeologist collecting these "Godslayer Knives", fabled weapons that can capture the true essence of a divine being.

Meanwhile, the missing ARGUS vessel arrives at the supposed target, an island known a Aeaea. Radioing for Steve's ship, they fail to make contact with any signal as well as home base. The squadron enters the Tomb, meeting a decrepit woman. She grabs one of the soldiers, consuming his life force as rejuvenation. The witch Circe has awakened; turning the soldiers into animals. Circe senses the daughter of Hippolyta's power as she arrives in man's world. She smiles, as revenge on the Amazon queen nears.

## **Chapter Four - "The Adversary"**

Trevor and Diana attend a press conference in DC where she presents herself to the public, telling of her mission as an ambassador of Themyscira and her mission to spread culture of Amazonian peace to man's world. Waller meets with the President, ensuring that Diana can be used as an asset for ARGUS and the US Military; possibly as contingencies against the Man of Steel of Metropolis and the Batman of Gotham.

At an ARGUS Black Site, Etta Candy interrogates the terrorists involved in the attack on Minerva's artifact, attempting to get them to reveal their employer. The leader, Doris Zuel, states that "Empire is Rising", smiling. In an office, an unknown woman monitors the seven terrorist vitals, activating a command: GIGANTA. The terrorists begin convulsing as cyanide fills their veins, while Zuel begins glowing with energy.

At the press conference, Steve escorts Diana back to ARGUS headquarters, The Panopticon. A young girl races to meet Wonder Woman, tripping and falling. Diana helps her up, touching hands, as the girl thanks her, eyes glaring in purple flame. Diana feels woozy, as energy seems to escape her body. Steve looks back for the young girl; she and Diana are nowhere to be found.

As ARGUS agents attempt to stabilize Zuel, they are knocked back by a shockwave as the ceiling crumbles above them. The ARGUS Black Site explodes, and Giganta is unleashed!

Diana awakens, binded by her own lasso, as the young girl she encountered is revealed to be Circe, the Trickster Goddess of Aeaea!

## **Chapter Five - "The Champion"**

As Giganta wreaks havoc on Washington DC, Diana is tortured by the trickster goddess Circe!

On Paradise Island, the Amazonian Council convenes at the Den of Seers, witnessing Diana's struggle against Circe.

Steve and Etta attempt to contain the pandemonium, but Giganta smashes through the ARGUS forces as well as the US Military. Steve races back to the Panopticon, activating the Invisible Jet to use against the behemoth. As they battle across the capital, the unknown woman converses with an AI referred to as "Cyber", claiming that all is going according to plan.

Circe blasts Diana with raw magic, attempting to break the amazon's will. She explains that she was who caused Trevor's plane crash on Themyscira and used it to her advantage, hoping to manipulate Diana into leaving the Amazons. Now she plans to possess Diana in order to finally defeat Hippolyta, who trapped her on Aeaea.

As Giganta approaches the Capital, she tosses back the Invisible Jet. Steve struggles to maintain flight, but is able to embrace the vehicle's sentience through psychic connection. Just then Giganta is taken out by a blur of red and blue: Superman has arrived. She throws a punch, which is caught by the Man of Steel with ease. Steve then receives an unknown transmission: *"Nice plane Trevor, but mine's better."* The Batwing unleashes a barrage of missiles, stunning the menace as she falls into the Potomac.

As the World's Finest settle the chaos around the White House, they are confronted by a possessed Diana, emanating a fiery purple aura as her pupils are engulfed by light. They attempt to reason with her, but she knocks them back. Diana grabs Trevor, choking him before the crowd. The unknown woman, referred to as Cale, and Cyber watch the scene from afar, intrigued. Hippolyta looks away from the Fates' looking glass. Diana faces her final test.

Steve grabs the Lasso from her hip, lacing it around her wrist with his final breaths. Diana recalls finding Steve on the beach, and the moment he opened his eyes.

*"Angel, come back to me..."*

Diana drops Trevor as she bursts with power. Circe witnesses this, claiming she hasn't seen this much power in millennia. Diana grabs her lasso, expelling Circe's magic in a shockwave. She falls to her knees as Steve embraces her.

Giganta is imprisoned, while ARGUS begins a manhunt for the Trickster goddess, believed to have used up her power in the attempt to possess Diana. Diana is instated as an agent of ARGUS, continuing to act as an ambassador for Themyscira as well. Back on Paradise Island, Hippolyta smiles, knowing her daughters destiny is guided by the patrons. Diana is then met by Superman and Batman, with a proposal in mind for a future alliance.

Meanwhile, a girl wanders through DC alone, with little knowledge of who she is or where she comes from. She only knows her name; **"Donna Troy".**

## Timeline

* This event is part of **The Golden Age**
* It is preceded by **Batman (S3)**
* It is followed by **Flash Year One**

## Links

* Wonder Woman Reading Order
* Full Reading Order