WONDER WOMAN : THE MEASURE OF A HEROINE
Chapter 2.
Even at an altitude of one mile above the American northwest, the trail of destruction is evident to her keen senses. Demolished trees and downed telephone poles are strewn in his wake. A small cliffside is leveled. The occasional automobile and tractor trailer truck is found upside down and crushed. The mangled corpse of a giant grizzly bear provides graphic evidence of the monster's viciousness and sheer brutality. Northlands City lies only ten miles away. "Thank Hera he hasn't reached any towns or cities yet." the Amazon thinks to herself as she flies above. "I've got to make certain it stays that way!"
Having spotted the hulking brute, Wonder Woman exits her invisible plane and swoops down into the path of her quarry. Doomsday is not impressed. He grunts loudly and even manages a laugh as he hefts a huge boulder above his head. The monster is nearly two feet taller than the Amazon and outweighs her by half a ton. Understandably, he does not perceive her as a threat, thus he won't even bother resorting to hand to hand combat for the kill. He seeks exciting new pastures and the boulder is a quicker way to eliminate the pesky intruder.
The mass of rock travels at great speed upon leaving Doomsday's hands. Like a diamond cutter, her powerful right-handed blow is precise and effective. The boulder shatters into thousands of fragments, allowing the Amazon to continue on unimpeded. She touches down twenty paces in front of the creature, presenting herself as an irresistible target.
Wonder Woman takes a defensive posture at the outset of the battle. She acts instinctively, fending off her attacker's blows and landing counter punches of her own. The heroine is realistic in her outlook. Doomsday is virtually impossible to subdue and no prison could contain him. Her mission is therefore to keep the monster occupied and away from populated areas until the crisis is resolved and reinforcements arrive.
Although the initial exchange proves very favorable for the super heroine, Doomsday's momentum has carried them dangerously close to Northlands City. To her chagrin, Wonder Woman discovers that her foe has greater interest in the city than in her. He is not particularly enamored with sparring with such an elusive opponent. Furthermore, he has no inclination towards chasing her throughout the Northwest. Demolishing skyscrapers is a far more entertaining pursuit.
Tens of thousands of lives are at immediate risk. Wonder Woman can not allow him to enter the city; therefore she must alter her strategy. Her only viable option is to lure him away. The monster craves physical combat. Diana reasons that if she aggressively assails the beast, she will appeal to his primitive warrior-like instinct. By drawing his ire, she will earn his respect and thus force him to concentrate solely upon her instead of his surroundings.
Her assault is lightning quick, potent and downright savage. Wonder Woman unloads a violent barrage upon an enemy like never before. Ferocious kicks and left-right combination punches are delivered with the calculated precision of an Amazon champion. She lands three blows for every one she deftly fends off. Doomsday withstands an incredible series of blows before a roundhouse left-footed kick to the head finally knocks him off his feet.
To her astonishment, Doomsday is back upright in the blink of an eye. The swiftness of his recovery amazes Diana, but not nearly as much as his reaction. The behemoth sports a sinister grin worthy of the Joker himself. Saliva drips freely from each side of Doomsday's mouth as he stares menacingly at the super heroine. He has found a suitable adversary and relishes the prospect of annihilating her. Unquestionably, Diana now has his undivided attention and the battle is on!
*****
Supergirl and Wonder Girl fly side by side over Lake Erie. As per Hawkgirl's instructions, they head east towards New York. With electronic communications jammed throughout the world, it will be exceedingly difficult to organize Earth's super heroines for the critical counter strike against the unknown enemy. The Teen Titans' base of operation, Titans Tower, is in the Big Apple; therefore a brief effort will be made to locate Starfire and Raven to enhance their ranks.
Supergirl is still a bit miffed that Wonder Woman deems herself the best choice to battle Doomsday alone. The Kryptonian is more powerful physically than Diana. She also has a score to settle due to his brutal history with Superman. Kara strongly feels that she is entitled to the responsibility of battling the monster.
Wonder Girl chuckles to herself before responding to her ally's comments. Kara is confident and outspoken. There is a healthy touch of arrogance about her which some heroes and heroines construe as cockiness. Donna finds Supergirl's honesty and brashness to be quite refreshing, but there are times when she privately wishes Kara would see fit to tone it down.
Donna acknowledges Supergirl's superior might and her default experience with the creature through her cousin Superman. Wonder Girl argues however that this familiarity works both ways and that Doomsday has evolved to handle her Kryptonian abilities. Wonder Woman is the ultimate Amazon champion with great powers of her own and unparalleled fighting prowess.. "If anyone can survive a long, grueling battle against that monstrosity, it's Diana." Wonder Girl insists.
In a rare moment of humility, Kara sets her personal frustrations aside. "You're worried about her, aren't you?" she queries. There is a pause for several seconds. "Yeah." Donna responds solemnly.
*****
Wonder Woman begins a swift flight towards the deep woodlands of the Northwest, luring Doomsday away from the city. The alien monstrosity can not yet fly, but his enormous leaps span as much as thirty miles each. At this rate, they will be hundreds of miles from civilization very soon. Unfortunately, Doomsday tires of the chase and the heroine loses sight of him in the wilderness.
The Amazon boards her invisible plane to utilize its tracking equipment. Before it can isolate her quarry, the craft is suddenly jarred in midair. Wonder Woman is stunned by what she sees. Through the transparent cockpit, the Amazon eyes Doomsday clinging to the wing. He literally smashes his fist through the solid Amazonium wing. The Goliath can see her incomparable aircraft as easily as she can and he's tearing it apart to reach her. Never before has her plane been scratched, much less damaged. In a desperate attempt to save her plane, Diana telepathically orders it to shake Doomsday loose by swerving at high speed. Unfortunately, his grip is such that he can not be thrown free despite her best efforts.
The controls of the invisible jet grow increasingly sluggish and Diana is losing her mental command of the craft. She realizes that her plane is doomed and decides to derive one last benefit from it. The Amazon orders the plane to fly at top speed directly into the heart of the mountain range. She disembarks at the last possible moment, ensuring that Doomsday is onboard for the crushing impact.
Although sacrificing her powerful and strategically priceless jet is regrettable, Wonder Woman is as pleased as she can be given the circumstances. She has succeeded in relocating their fight. They are now deep in the Rocky Mountains, far removed from any human populations. Diana is now at liberty to engage Doomsday in any manner she sees fit. The battle is hers to dictate.
*****
"Zatanna! You're a magician!" The exclamation echoes throughout the conference room of what is an otherwise quiet Justice League satellite. "You've got the computer and transporter back on line." Black Canary observes. Zatanna barely acknowledges her comrade's statement for her concentration is focused upon the monitor which is used to receive incoming visual transmissions. Although by no means an expert, the resident sorceress possesses a working knowledge of the satellite technology. This familiarity allows her to appropriately channel her amazing mystical powers to effect repair.
A bell seemingly goes off inside the head of the preoccupied magician. She looks up to see Black Canary standing very unsteadily a few feet away. Dinah Lance stubbornly wobbles towards Zatanna without the aid of crutches or a makeshift cane. She has been through a rough ordeal. Her Navy blue fishnet tights are tattered in various places, revealing assorted cuts, scrapes and bruises on her thighs and knees. Alas, Dinah feels far worse than her disheveled appearance, for her left knee throbs with pain. Every step is excruciating.
Zatanna's reaction is that of a frustrated parent scolding her impetuous child. "Canary! You shouldn't be on your feet!" she snaps. Dinah unconvincingly attempts to allay her friend's concerns by suggesting her injury is "little more than a scratch." Zatanna isn't buying. She knows her colleague too well. "Dinah, who are you trying to impress here?" Zee asks. The magician proceeds to argue that there is no need for Black Canary to demonstrate her courage and toughness, for it is already well established.
Dinah reluctantly admits that she is in agony, but she refuses to sit helplessly by while Zatanna restores their headquarters to operational status. The sorceress considers herself fortunate that the job is basically done. Zatanna quips "Geez, and here we all thought Ollie Queen was the most headstrong member of this league!
Before Ms. Lance can make a sharp retort of her own, the two heroines are startled by a highly pitched buzzing sound. The women immediately recognize it as the alert signal indicating an incoming message to the satellite. Zatanna has just reactivated the communications console, but she is surprised that anything is actually getting through the interference.
Static across the viewscreen gives way to the fuzzy image of a human female. The unenlightened would presume that the monitor is still malfunctioning, but the Justice Leaguers realize otherwise. The face before them is that of the brilliant technical whiz and information source known only as Oracle. This mysterious woman has been an ally to the JLA for several years now. Her identity is unknown to the membership with the exception of the Batman. She communicates via two-way visual link, but she scrambles the signal so that her image and voice are unrecognizable. As is typical, Zatanna and Black Canary can discern Oracle's shoulder length hair. Her camera image is bespectacled and she is unmistakably feminine, but beyond this, further identification is impossible.
Oracle is very guarded in her dealings with the JLA, but she has developed a close professional relationship with Black Canary. She has not confided her identity to Dinah, but the two work regularly together via long distance communication. Canary implicitly trusts her unusual friend and has great faith in her resourcefulness. She is therefore not surprised that Oracle has managed to penetrate the communication barrier.
Zatanna and Black Canary listen intently as Oracle swiftly spells out the grave situation as best as she understands it. She has determined that, contrary to their initial theory, Earth's electronic communications are not being impeded by a dampening field. Rather all telephone, television and radio waves are being systematically funneled into Earth's man-made satellite network. These satellites are not designed to handle the volume or spectrum of transmissions they are receiving. The enemy has altered them to achieve this.
The alien technology is difficult to overcome and the transmission begins to break up. In Gotham City, Congresswoman Barbara Gordon's gloved fingers fly across her keyboard as she frantically attempts to maintain the link. One could argue that the multi-talented Gordon has never been more brilliant than now as she masterfully compensates for the interference. Even her ingenuity has its limits, however, and she will lose the transmission for good within a minute.
Oracle hasn't time to spell out all that she knows; therefore she makes sure she covers the most pertinent issues. She insists that Zatanna is the only hope to save the endangered airplanes throughout the world. This statement provokes a slight groan from the magician, for such endeavors are beyond her capabilities. Oracle informs them that she has recruited speedster Jesse Quick to assist Zatanna in locating and saving the stricken aircraft. Static cackles across the screen as the transmission fades. She offers one final warning before the signal goes dead. "Do NOT try using any form of electronic communication. It could be fatal!"
A frustrated and worried Barbara Gordon rises from her state-of-the-art computer station. Earlier today, the politician reprised her role as Batgirl. Given her still superb physical condition, one would be hard-pressed to guess she retired the spunky crime fighter nearly four years ago. As Babs pulls her mask back over her face, she laments her failure to convey her entire message to her colleagues. Zatanna and Black Canary remain unaware of the theory which she was fortunate enough to pass along to Hawkgirl moments before contacting JLA headquarters. She postulates that the energy within the intercepted communication waves is building up in orbit and will somehow be converted into a deadly weapon to eradicate Earth's remaining female population.
*****
Wonder Woman touches down at the foot of an enormous avalanche of rock. Buried underneath lies Doomsday, obscured from her view by tons of rubble. Alas, the monster will not be trapped for long. Huge boulders scatter throughout a half-mile radius as the grey-toned, hulking frame of the beast begins to emerge. Were this any other adversary, the super heroine would be shocked. Given Doomsday's unfathomable might and resilience, Diana expects him to break free of this makeshift prison. She had optimistically hoped, however, that he would be incapacitated for at least a few minutes.
The Amazon decides to take the offensive in the split second she has before her foe completely extricates himself. She soars in behind the behemoth, intent upon landing a punishing blow to his backside. Doomsday senses her stealthful approach. With uncanny quickness, the brute whirls around while shedding the last of the heavy stone from his ankles and feet. To her astonishment, he grasps the heroine's left forearm, thus halting her momentum and throwing off the fluid mechanics of her upcoming right-handed punch. Instead of connecting with her own offensive shot, she is momentarily vulnerable to one from her opponent.
Diana instinctively rolls with the left-handed uppercut thrown by Doomsday. It is a glancing blow that the Amazon takes to her chin, yet given her assailant's sheer power, it proves harmful. Blood sprays from her inside lower lip as pain radiates through her teeth and both jaw bones. Had the punch landed flush, Wonder Woman's face would be mangled. As it is, the heroine is momentarily staggered, but quickly shrugs if off. She can now fully appreciate Superman's observation that "Nobody hits harder than Doomsday." Tough as she is, the Amazon understands that she can't continue to risk many hand-to-hand exchanges because he can literally tear her apart. She therefore looks to attack Doomsday from afar and hopes that he will be content to chase after her for awhile in the isolated Northwest.
Wonder Woman taunts her vile nemesis by floating in the air above him. Doomsday can not fly and she is too swift for him snare with his frantic leaps. The Amazon comes tantalizingly close when her adversary pulls a sudden surprise. Doomsday grabs a handful of small stones and wildly flings them in her direction. Traveling at blinding speed, the scattered pebbles resemble machine gun fire. The astonished super heroine deflects the projectiles fairly easily, but she is forced to slow her ascent to do so. Doomsday takes advantage and seizes the Amazon's right leg. As though she were a mere fly swatter, he whips the Amazon against the ground a half dozen times before unceremoniously tossing her aside.
Although slightly dizzy, Wonder Woman immediately rises to her feet. Doomsday charges after the super heroine as she makes a mad dash for a nearby woods. She deftly weaves in between the trees while maintaining her super speed pace. Diana hopes to confuse the beast in the forest, which is far more her element than his. As she gets deeper into the timberland, the Amazon notices that she seems to have lost her pursuer. This is not her intention, for she must engage him at all times to ensure the safety of others. With that, she is shocked to discover Doomsday descending to the ground directly in her path. He has circled completely around her. The two combatants momentarily stare one another down from a distance of twelve feet.
"I have been a pompous fool!" Wonder Woman thinks to herself. The heroine realizes that she has been relying upon pre-conceived notions about her foe and thus ignoring her own firsthand experiences. The general perception of Doomsday is that he is a mindless brute. His incomparable rage, destructive tendencies and lack of speech reinforce this impression. Diana now recognizes that he possesses a remedial intellect. The beast uses tools. In his case, 'tools' come in the form of street signs used to spear helicopters and cars to pummel an enemy.
This revelation creates new possibilities for the Justice Leaguer. Even the eternally optimistic princess has no delusions of reasoning with this biological killing machine. She is hopeful however that he just may understand an order to "cease and desist". After dodging Doomsday's latest advances and getting the better of a brief exchange of blows, the heroine resorts to her magic lasso. Her golden lariat unerringly finds its mark; alas it does not generate the desired result. Wonder Woman can't be sure whether Doomsday is immune to her lasso's mystical charms or that he simply isn't smart enough to understand her commands. Either way, the magic lasso fails to provide the easy and quick end to the rampage which Diana had prayed for.
To the heroine's chagrin, her strategy is thwarted further. The rambunctious brute's powerful legs propel him high into the sky. The enchanted lariat is still wrapped tightly around his upper torso. An astonished Wonder Woman desperately clutches the back end of her rope; thus she is dragged through the Montana skies. Diana is helpless to slow her quarry and she is forced to hang on until he returns to firm ground.
Wonder Woman quickly scans their surroundings and she is worried. They have landed in a small town. People are clearly at risk here while ten miles south across the river lies her one-time home, Gateway City. The super heroine spots an opportunity to forcibly relocate her foe to a safer, less congested area. Her golden lasso is still affixed about the shoulders of Doomsday. With the swiftness of Hermes, Diana circles the monster a dozen times, wrapping her unbreakable lariat all the more around his torso with each pass. Wonder Woman seeks to bind him, preferably head to toe, to restrict his movements. She should then be able to carry him right out of town.
The Amazon's actions enrage the powerful brute. Like a frenzied wild animal, Doomsday desperately twists and bucks in an effort to free himself. In the process, he manages to land the first truly devastating blow of the battle. His long, right elbow violently connects with the heroine as she whirls by. Diana screeches in pain as the spike pierces her right side. Blood gushes from the wide, penetrating puncture wound. The horrifying sound of her two lowest ribs snapping seems far more deafening than her hair-raising scream.
Despite her unthinkable agony, Wonder Woman maintains hold of her magic lasso. She makes a valiant effort to lift her enemy out of the danger area, but she hasn't the strength left to do it. Diana has lost lots of blood and even her super metabolism has yet to adjust. The heroine is overpowered with relative ease by her enormous foe. Doomsday shucks the Amazon and hurls her body clear through a two-story condominium.
The fearsome terror wreaks havoc throughout the small town. Homes collapse one after another, whatever happens to be in his path. Confusion reigns in the wake of the missing men. Coupled with the communication blackout, the remaining women and girls aren't even remotely prepared for the arrival of Doomsday. Wonder Woman gallantly trades punches with the monster, but deaths are imminent unless she can relocate the battle.
Diana's side is a major problem, but her Amazonian constitution is kicking in to accelerate the healing process. The two-inch wide gash is already beginning to clot, thus reducing the loss of blood. The super heroine is still weakened, but her great might is slowly returning. She has considerable fight left in her, but she knows that, if at all possible, she must avoid taking any hits to her injured ribs.
Throughout their confrontation, Wonder Woman looks for any plausible means by which to attack her formidable foe. She notices an exposed power cable within the remains of a toppled general store. Diana severs the line and drops the back end of her golden lasso onto the damaged wire. The lasso is an ideal conductor. Heavy voltage cascades through the lariat until it reaches the noose, which is still wedged underneath Doomday's external shoulder blades. The unsuspecting behemoth is subjected to a powerful surge of electric current. The sudden jolt momentarily stops him in his tracks.
A seething Doomsday turns his attention back on the Amazon princess. The electric shock has risen his dander and he is easily coaxed into following the heroine thirty miles away into the countryside. This experience confirms a theory which clever Diana has developed during the conflict. Doomsday possesses a very high threshold for pain with the provisal that he anticipates it coming. When the monster is confronted with a surprise attack or a force foreign to him, he can experience great pain. Wonder Woman can use this knowledge, but she is also well aware that the infliction of such short term pain does not cause actual damage to his impossibly resilient hide.
To Diana's dismay, her strategic advantage is short-lived. Wonder Woman aggressively battles to keep Doomsday off balance and maintain control of the fight. Unfortunately, he's just too strong. The monster withstands her most potent blows and ultimately gains the upper hand. Mimicking the heroine's prior example, Doomsday consciously uses the magic lasso against its owner. He secures the lariat tightly around both her ankles.
The monster takes to the air and pulls the helpless heroine in tow. Soaring through the mid-western skies, Diana eyes Gateway City in the distance. As Gateway grows ever closer, Wonder Woman is aghast at the monster's intentions. His primitive craving of violence and destruction makes the city a Mecca for his rampage. "Countless lives are at risk," the heroine fears "and apparently he's dragged me along so that I can be his first victim!"
Chapter 2.
Even at an altitude of one mile above the American northwest, the trail of destruction is evident to her keen senses. Demolished trees and downed telephone poles are strewn in his wake. A small cliffside is leveled. The occasional automobile and tractor trailer truck is found upside down and crushed. The mangled corpse of a giant grizzly bear provides graphic evidence of the monster's viciousness and sheer brutality. Northlands City lies only ten miles away. "Thank Hera he hasn't reached any towns or cities yet." the Amazon thinks to herself as she flies above. "I've got to make certain it stays that way!"
Having spotted the hulking brute, Wonder Woman exits her invisible plane and swoops down into the path of her quarry. Doomsday is not impressed. He grunts loudly and even manages a laugh as he hefts a huge boulder above his head. The monster is nearly two feet taller than the Amazon and outweighs her by half a ton. Understandably, he does not perceive her as a threat, thus he won't even bother resorting to hand to hand combat for the kill. He seeks exciting new pastures and the boulder is a quicker way to eliminate the pesky intruder.
The mass of rock travels at great speed upon leaving Doomsday's hands. Like a diamond cutter, her powerful right-handed blow is precise and effective. The boulder shatters into thousands of fragments, allowing the Amazon to continue on unimpeded. She touches down twenty paces in front of the creature, presenting herself as an irresistible target.
Wonder Woman takes a defensive posture at the outset of the battle. She acts instinctively, fending off her attacker's blows and landing counter punches of her own. The heroine is realistic in her outlook. Doomsday is virtually impossible to subdue and no prison could contain him. Her mission is therefore to keep the monster occupied and away from populated areas until the crisis is resolved and reinforcements arrive.
Although the initial exchange proves very favorable for the super heroine, Doomsday's momentum has carried them dangerously close to Northlands City. To her chagrin, Wonder Woman discovers that her foe has greater interest in the city than in her. He is not particularly enamored with sparring with such an elusive opponent. Furthermore, he has no inclination towards chasing her throughout the Northwest. Demolishing skyscrapers is a far more entertaining pursuit.
Tens of thousands of lives are at immediate risk. Wonder Woman can not allow him to enter the city; therefore she must alter her strategy. Her only viable option is to lure him away. The monster craves physical combat. Diana reasons that if she aggressively assails the beast, she will appeal to his primitive warrior-like instinct. By drawing his ire, she will earn his respect and thus force him to concentrate solely upon her instead of his surroundings.
Her assault is lightning quick, potent and downright savage. Wonder Woman unloads a violent barrage upon an enemy like never before. Ferocious kicks and left-right combination punches are delivered with the calculated precision of an Amazon champion. She lands three blows for every one she deftly fends off. Doomsday withstands an incredible series of blows before a roundhouse left-footed kick to the head finally knocks him off his feet.
To her astonishment, Doomsday is back upright in the blink of an eye. The swiftness of his recovery amazes Diana, but not nearly as much as his reaction. The behemoth sports a sinister grin worthy of the Joker himself. Saliva drips freely from each side of Doomsday's mouth as he stares menacingly at the super heroine. He has found a suitable adversary and relishes the prospect of annihilating her. Unquestionably, Diana now has his undivided attention and the battle is on!
*****
Supergirl and Wonder Girl fly side by side over Lake Erie. As per Hawkgirl's instructions, they head east towards New York. With electronic communications jammed throughout the world, it will be exceedingly difficult to organize Earth's super heroines for the critical counter strike against the unknown enemy. The Teen Titans' base of operation, Titans Tower, is in the Big Apple; therefore a brief effort will be made to locate Starfire and Raven to enhance their ranks.
Supergirl is still a bit miffed that Wonder Woman deems herself the best choice to battle Doomsday alone. The Kryptonian is more powerful physically than Diana. She also has a score to settle due to his brutal history with Superman. Kara strongly feels that she is entitled to the responsibility of battling the monster.
Wonder Girl chuckles to herself before responding to her ally's comments. Kara is confident and outspoken. There is a healthy touch of arrogance about her which some heroes and heroines construe as cockiness. Donna finds Supergirl's honesty and brashness to be quite refreshing, but there are times when she privately wishes Kara would see fit to tone it down.
Donna acknowledges Supergirl's superior might and her default experience with the creature through her cousin Superman. Wonder Girl argues however that this familiarity works both ways and that Doomsday has evolved to handle her Kryptonian abilities. Wonder Woman is the ultimate Amazon champion with great powers of her own and unparalleled fighting prowess.. "If anyone can survive a long, grueling battle against that monstrosity, it's Diana." Wonder Girl insists.
In a rare moment of humility, Kara sets her personal frustrations aside. "You're worried about her, aren't you?" she queries. There is a pause for several seconds. "Yeah." Donna responds solemnly.
*****
Wonder Woman begins a swift flight towards the deep woodlands of the Northwest, luring Doomsday away from the city. The alien monstrosity can not yet fly, but his enormous leaps span as much as thirty miles each. At this rate, they will be hundreds of miles from civilization very soon. Unfortunately, Doomsday tires of the chase and the heroine loses sight of him in the wilderness.
The Amazon boards her invisible plane to utilize its tracking equipment. Before it can isolate her quarry, the craft is suddenly jarred in midair. Wonder Woman is stunned by what she sees. Through the transparent cockpit, the Amazon eyes Doomsday clinging to the wing. He literally smashes his fist through the solid Amazonium wing. The Goliath can see her incomparable aircraft as easily as she can and he's tearing it apart to reach her. Never before has her plane been scratched, much less damaged. In a desperate attempt to save her plane, Diana telepathically orders it to shake Doomsday loose by swerving at high speed. Unfortunately, his grip is such that he can not be thrown free despite her best efforts.
The controls of the invisible jet grow increasingly sluggish and Diana is losing her mental command of the craft. She realizes that her plane is doomed and decides to derive one last benefit from it. The Amazon orders the plane to fly at top speed directly into the heart of the mountain range. She disembarks at the last possible moment, ensuring that Doomsday is onboard for the crushing impact.
Although sacrificing her powerful and strategically priceless jet is regrettable, Wonder Woman is as pleased as she can be given the circumstances. She has succeeded in relocating their fight. They are now deep in the Rocky Mountains, far removed from any human populations. Diana is now at liberty to engage Doomsday in any manner she sees fit. The battle is hers to dictate.
*****
"Zatanna! You're a magician!" The exclamation echoes throughout the conference room of what is an otherwise quiet Justice League satellite. "You've got the computer and transporter back on line." Black Canary observes. Zatanna barely acknowledges her comrade's statement for her concentration is focused upon the monitor which is used to receive incoming visual transmissions. Although by no means an expert, the resident sorceress possesses a working knowledge of the satellite technology. This familiarity allows her to appropriately channel her amazing mystical powers to effect repair.
A bell seemingly goes off inside the head of the preoccupied magician. She looks up to see Black Canary standing very unsteadily a few feet away. Dinah Lance stubbornly wobbles towards Zatanna without the aid of crutches or a makeshift cane. She has been through a rough ordeal. Her Navy blue fishnet tights are tattered in various places, revealing assorted cuts, scrapes and bruises on her thighs and knees. Alas, Dinah feels far worse than her disheveled appearance, for her left knee throbs with pain. Every step is excruciating.
Zatanna's reaction is that of a frustrated parent scolding her impetuous child. "Canary! You shouldn't be on your feet!" she snaps. Dinah unconvincingly attempts to allay her friend's concerns by suggesting her injury is "little more than a scratch." Zatanna isn't buying. She knows her colleague too well. "Dinah, who are you trying to impress here?" Zee asks. The magician proceeds to argue that there is no need for Black Canary to demonstrate her courage and toughness, for it is already well established.
Dinah reluctantly admits that she is in agony, but she refuses to sit helplessly by while Zatanna restores their headquarters to operational status. The sorceress considers herself fortunate that the job is basically done. Zatanna quips "Geez, and here we all thought Ollie Queen was the most headstrong member of this league!
Before Ms. Lance can make a sharp retort of her own, the two heroines are startled by a highly pitched buzzing sound. The women immediately recognize it as the alert signal indicating an incoming message to the satellite. Zatanna has just reactivated the communications console, but she is surprised that anything is actually getting through the interference.
Static across the viewscreen gives way to the fuzzy image of a human female. The unenlightened would presume that the monitor is still malfunctioning, but the Justice Leaguers realize otherwise. The face before them is that of the brilliant technical whiz and information source known only as Oracle. This mysterious woman has been an ally to the JLA for several years now. Her identity is unknown to the membership with the exception of the Batman. She communicates via two-way visual link, but she scrambles the signal so that her image and voice are unrecognizable. As is typical, Zatanna and Black Canary can discern Oracle's shoulder length hair. Her camera image is bespectacled and she is unmistakably feminine, but beyond this, further identification is impossible.
Oracle is very guarded in her dealings with the JLA, but she has developed a close professional relationship with Black Canary. She has not confided her identity to Dinah, but the two work regularly together via long distance communication. Canary implicitly trusts her unusual friend and has great faith in her resourcefulness. She is therefore not surprised that Oracle has managed to penetrate the communication barrier.
Zatanna and Black Canary listen intently as Oracle swiftly spells out the grave situation as best as she understands it. She has determined that, contrary to their initial theory, Earth's electronic communications are not being impeded by a dampening field. Rather all telephone, television and radio waves are being systematically funneled into Earth's man-made satellite network. These satellites are not designed to handle the volume or spectrum of transmissions they are receiving. The enemy has altered them to achieve this.
The alien technology is difficult to overcome and the transmission begins to break up. In Gotham City, Congresswoman Barbara Gordon's gloved fingers fly across her keyboard as she frantically attempts to maintain the link. One could argue that the multi-talented Gordon has never been more brilliant than now as she masterfully compensates for the interference. Even her ingenuity has its limits, however, and she will lose the transmission for good within a minute.
Oracle hasn't time to spell out all that she knows; therefore she makes sure she covers the most pertinent issues. She insists that Zatanna is the only hope to save the endangered airplanes throughout the world. This statement provokes a slight groan from the magician, for such endeavors are beyond her capabilities. Oracle informs them that she has recruited speedster Jesse Quick to assist Zatanna in locating and saving the stricken aircraft. Static cackles across the screen as the transmission fades. She offers one final warning before the signal goes dead. "Do NOT try using any form of electronic communication. It could be fatal!"
A frustrated and worried Barbara Gordon rises from her state-of-the-art computer station. Earlier today, the politician reprised her role as Batgirl. Given her still superb physical condition, one would be hard-pressed to guess she retired the spunky crime fighter nearly four years ago. As Babs pulls her mask back over her face, she laments her failure to convey her entire message to her colleagues. Zatanna and Black Canary remain unaware of the theory which she was fortunate enough to pass along to Hawkgirl moments before contacting JLA headquarters. She postulates that the energy within the intercepted communication waves is building up in orbit and will somehow be converted into a deadly weapon to eradicate Earth's remaining female population.
*****
Wonder Woman touches down at the foot of an enormous avalanche of rock. Buried underneath lies Doomsday, obscured from her view by tons of rubble. Alas, the monster will not be trapped for long. Huge boulders scatter throughout a half-mile radius as the grey-toned, hulking frame of the beast begins to emerge. Were this any other adversary, the super heroine would be shocked. Given Doomsday's unfathomable might and resilience, Diana expects him to break free of this makeshift prison. She had optimistically hoped, however, that he would be incapacitated for at least a few minutes.
The Amazon decides to take the offensive in the split second she has before her foe completely extricates himself. She soars in behind the behemoth, intent upon landing a punishing blow to his backside. Doomsday senses her stealthful approach. With uncanny quickness, the brute whirls around while shedding the last of the heavy stone from his ankles and feet. To her astonishment, he grasps the heroine's left forearm, thus halting her momentum and throwing off the fluid mechanics of her upcoming right-handed punch. Instead of connecting with her own offensive shot, she is momentarily vulnerable to one from her opponent.
Diana instinctively rolls with the left-handed uppercut thrown by Doomsday. It is a glancing blow that the Amazon takes to her chin, yet given her assailant's sheer power, it proves harmful. Blood sprays from her inside lower lip as pain radiates through her teeth and both jaw bones. Had the punch landed flush, Wonder Woman's face would be mangled. As it is, the heroine is momentarily staggered, but quickly shrugs if off. She can now fully appreciate Superman's observation that "Nobody hits harder than Doomsday." Tough as she is, the Amazon understands that she can't continue to risk many hand-to-hand exchanges because he can literally tear her apart. She therefore looks to attack Doomsday from afar and hopes that he will be content to chase after her for awhile in the isolated Northwest.
Wonder Woman taunts her vile nemesis by floating in the air above him. Doomsday can not fly and she is too swift for him snare with his frantic leaps. The Amazon comes tantalizingly close when her adversary pulls a sudden surprise. Doomsday grabs a handful of small stones and wildly flings them in her direction. Traveling at blinding speed, the scattered pebbles resemble machine gun fire. The astonished super heroine deflects the projectiles fairly easily, but she is forced to slow her ascent to do so. Doomsday takes advantage and seizes the Amazon's right leg. As though she were a mere fly swatter, he whips the Amazon against the ground a half dozen times before unceremoniously tossing her aside.
Although slightly dizzy, Wonder Woman immediately rises to her feet. Doomsday charges after the super heroine as she makes a mad dash for a nearby woods. She deftly weaves in between the trees while maintaining her super speed pace. Diana hopes to confuse the beast in the forest, which is far more her element than his. As she gets deeper into the timberland, the Amazon notices that she seems to have lost her pursuer. This is not her intention, for she must engage him at all times to ensure the safety of others. With that, she is shocked to discover Doomsday descending to the ground directly in her path. He has circled completely around her. The two combatants momentarily stare one another down from a distance of twelve feet.
"I have been a pompous fool!" Wonder Woman thinks to herself. The heroine realizes that she has been relying upon pre-conceived notions about her foe and thus ignoring her own firsthand experiences. The general perception of Doomsday is that he is a mindless brute. His incomparable rage, destructive tendencies and lack of speech reinforce this impression. Diana now recognizes that he possesses a remedial intellect. The beast uses tools. In his case, 'tools' come in the form of street signs used to spear helicopters and cars to pummel an enemy.
This revelation creates new possibilities for the Justice Leaguer. Even the eternally optimistic princess has no delusions of reasoning with this biological killing machine. She is hopeful however that he just may understand an order to "cease and desist". After dodging Doomsday's latest advances and getting the better of a brief exchange of blows, the heroine resorts to her magic lasso. Her golden lariat unerringly finds its mark; alas it does not generate the desired result. Wonder Woman can't be sure whether Doomsday is immune to her lasso's mystical charms or that he simply isn't smart enough to understand her commands. Either way, the magic lasso fails to provide the easy and quick end to the rampage which Diana had prayed for.
To the heroine's chagrin, her strategy is thwarted further. The rambunctious brute's powerful legs propel him high into the sky. The enchanted lariat is still wrapped tightly around his upper torso. An astonished Wonder Woman desperately clutches the back end of her rope; thus she is dragged through the Montana skies. Diana is helpless to slow her quarry and she is forced to hang on until he returns to firm ground.
Wonder Woman quickly scans their surroundings and she is worried. They have landed in a small town. People are clearly at risk here while ten miles south across the river lies her one-time home, Gateway City. The super heroine spots an opportunity to forcibly relocate her foe to a safer, less congested area. Her golden lasso is still affixed about the shoulders of Doomsday. With the swiftness of Hermes, Diana circles the monster a dozen times, wrapping her unbreakable lariat all the more around his torso with each pass. Wonder Woman seeks to bind him, preferably head to toe, to restrict his movements. She should then be able to carry him right out of town.
The Amazon's actions enrage the powerful brute. Like a frenzied wild animal, Doomsday desperately twists and bucks in an effort to free himself. In the process, he manages to land the first truly devastating blow of the battle. His long, right elbow violently connects with the heroine as she whirls by. Diana screeches in pain as the spike pierces her right side. Blood gushes from the wide, penetrating puncture wound. The horrifying sound of her two lowest ribs snapping seems far more deafening than her hair-raising scream.
Despite her unthinkable agony, Wonder Woman maintains hold of her magic lasso. She makes a valiant effort to lift her enemy out of the danger area, but she hasn't the strength left to do it. Diana has lost lots of blood and even her super metabolism has yet to adjust. The heroine is overpowered with relative ease by her enormous foe. Doomsday shucks the Amazon and hurls her body clear through a two-story condominium.
The fearsome terror wreaks havoc throughout the small town. Homes collapse one after another, whatever happens to be in his path. Confusion reigns in the wake of the missing men. Coupled with the communication blackout, the remaining women and girls aren't even remotely prepared for the arrival of Doomsday. Wonder Woman gallantly trades punches with the monster, but deaths are imminent unless she can relocate the battle.
Diana's side is a major problem, but her Amazonian constitution is kicking in to accelerate the healing process. The two-inch wide gash is already beginning to clot, thus reducing the loss of blood. The super heroine is still weakened, but her great might is slowly returning. She has considerable fight left in her, but she knows that, if at all possible, she must avoid taking any hits to her injured ribs.
Throughout their confrontation, Wonder Woman looks for any plausible means by which to attack her formidable foe. She notices an exposed power cable within the remains of a toppled general store. Diana severs the line and drops the back end of her golden lasso onto the damaged wire. The lasso is an ideal conductor. Heavy voltage cascades through the lariat until it reaches the noose, which is still wedged underneath Doomday's external shoulder blades. The unsuspecting behemoth is subjected to a powerful surge of electric current. The sudden jolt momentarily stops him in his tracks.
A seething Doomsday turns his attention back on the Amazon princess. The electric shock has risen his dander and he is easily coaxed into following the heroine thirty miles away into the countryside. This experience confirms a theory which clever Diana has developed during the conflict. Doomsday possesses a very high threshold for pain with the provisal that he anticipates it coming. When the monster is confronted with a surprise attack or a force foreign to him, he can experience great pain. Wonder Woman can use this knowledge, but she is also well aware that the infliction of such short term pain does not cause actual damage to his impossibly resilient hide.
To Diana's dismay, her strategic advantage is short-lived. Wonder Woman aggressively battles to keep Doomsday off balance and maintain control of the fight. Unfortunately, he's just too strong. The monster withstands her most potent blows and ultimately gains the upper hand. Mimicking the heroine's prior example, Doomsday consciously uses the magic lasso against its owner. He secures the lariat tightly around both her ankles.
The monster takes to the air and pulls the helpless heroine in tow. Soaring through the mid-western skies, Diana eyes Gateway City in the distance. As Gateway grows ever closer, Wonder Woman is aghast at the monster's intentions. His primitive craving of violence and destruction makes the city a Mecca for his rampage. "Countless lives are at risk," the heroine fears "and apparently he's dragged me along so that I can be his first victim!"
