By [ad_1]
The Amazons need a new champion and their most violent Wonder Woman could be the hero for them that Diana never could.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the backup story “What Lies Beneath” Part 3 from Wonder Woman #783, on sale now from DC Comics.
Diana isn’t the only Amazon worthy of being a hero. Not only is there an island full of fierce warriors, but there are also two other Amazon tribes that haven’t had a chance to shine. One is the newly revealed tribe from the Amazon Rainforest and the other is the exiled tribe of Bana-Mighdall. These Amazons broke off from those on Themyscira when they were banished by Hippolyta. After they renounced the gods of Olympus, they lost their immortality and after many generations became violent mercenaries.
They are the focus of the backup story “What Lies Beneath” Part 3 (by Vita Ayala, Skylar Partridge, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Becca Carey) from Wonder Woman #783. The most well-known among them though is the warrior Artemis. Created by William Messner-Loebs and Mike Deodato and having first appeared in Wonder Woman #90, this violent Amazon was briefly Wonder Woman in the 90s and more recently found a place among Red Hood and the Outlaws. Now that she’s back in Bana-Mighdall, she’s had to deal with their problems but that’s also presented her with an opportunity.
It’s clear that Dooms Doorway, the gateway to hell that lies beneath Themyscira, has been compromised. Though the Bana-Mighdall Amazons thought that the monsters attacking them might be sent as an attack by their sisters from Paradise Island, they soon realized that was not the case. They deduced that this meant the door to Tartarus was left unguarded and that presented an opportunity. Any Amazon can put themselves forward to become the next champion of the door, including Artemis.
This is a major position for any Amazon to hold. Although it involves standing guard doing nothing most of the time, only the best and greatest warriors are allowed to do so. This position is considered a great honor among the Amazons and, if Artemis were to become the new champion, it would mean that the exile of the Bana-Mighdall Amazons would be over. They could live on Themyscira with the rest of their sisters.
Artemis would be doing something big for her tribe then, but it has a far bigger impact on her personally. This position was originally held by Nubia before she became the current Queen of the Amazons. Nubia was also Wonder Woman once and, when she first fought Diana, she bested her in combat and, at the time, claimed that she was the one true Wonder Woman. If Artemis became the new champion, she could do the same. It would essentially make her Diana’s equal, if not her better. It would also act as a redemption of sorts for her time as Wonder Woman.
Artemis replaced Diana as Wonder Woman in the 90s when Hippolyta forced her daughter out of the role. As it was prophesied that Wonder Woman would soon die, the Amazon Queen knew that the only way to save her daughter was to make sure she wasn’t Wonder Woman. Though short-lived, Artemis’ time in the role proved controversial. Her violent uncompromising nature made her reckless and cruel, even towards those she saved. This recklessness ultimately ended in her death after only ten issues in the role.
The same merciless and violent nature that made her wrong then could make her right now. With all the unrelenting threats suddenly emerging from Dooms Doorway, the Amazons don’t need peace and diplomacy. They need someone who will fight for them with everything they have and show no mercy. With all that’s going on in the world, and a new crisis imminent, they need someone a little more extreme as their new champion. Artemis’ time as Wonder Woman taught her many valuable lessons and, although she still has some things to work on, she can more effectively channel her violent nature to be a better hero to her people now than Diana ever could.
About The Author
[ad_2]
