Sensation Comics 14
The God of War
Steve Trevor had been in tight scraps before and many of them involved him being chained to a dungeon wall. This time was different as he couldn't quite recall how he came to be naked to the waist and chained to a rather cold piece of concrete. Footsteps suggested he might get answers to one of the many questions.
"Ah, you're awake!" A…Steve wanted to say man? Whatever walked into the cell. The figure was tall and dressed in ancient Greek armor. The arms and legs were bare but rippling with muscles. The helmet completely covered the face. Indeed, the whole head appeared to be nothing but an endless black void. Steve felt himself growing dizzy just looking directly at his host.
"Who, what are you?" Steve forced himself to look away.
"I have many names, but I prefer Ares."
"The god of war? Impossible!"
"You fight alongside an Amazon. How am I any different? Though I confess my daughter has proven a disappointment to me. I hope you can change that."
"You want me to betray Wonder Woman? Go to Hell!"
"Brave words mortal, but wrong theology. No, if you can't help me willingly you will help me all the same. All I need is time."
Wonder Woman, or Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons, woke with a start. "What a horrible dream…or was it a sign?"
Rushing from her bedchambers, she rushed to the oracle's quarters. Rousing the old woman, she detailed her dream.
"Hmm, a vision of Mars only brings ill omens. If he and your mortal friend are together, only disaster shall follow."
"Can you show me where either of them are?"
The oracle, ancient even by their long-lived standards, hobbled over to a low burning fire set in a nearby tripod. "Gaze into the flame."
The old woman chanted and gestured as the fire suddenly flared up. A single red dot burned brightly against a black background. The vision vanished. "That is all I can summon."
"Mars? They're on Mars?" Wonder Woman grew despondent. "I must hurry."
"You want me to do what?" Io rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
"Adjust my invisible plane to make it capable of traveling the stars.
Io stared for a second before answering. "I appreciate the challenge my queen, but surely you wait until morning?"
"I fear there may not be another morning if we don't hurry."
Io nodded and grabbed her tools. "Very well, let's build ourselves a space ship."
The plane was ready before the day was over. With minimal fanfare she took off towards the red planet. Within the hour she landed on the planet. "Now, how do I rescue Steve?"
She looked around at the dead Martian landscape. "Air is thinner, but still breathable." She saw nothing but yellowish moss stretching out for miles in every direction. Red rocks and sand were the main things around. "No cities? Maybe I was wrong?"
She heard the all too familiar sound of a whip cracking. She moved; quickly as the planet had lesser gravity, and saw a human dressed in ancient garb and whipping a group of green skinned children. "Work you slaves, work!" The man shouted in Latin.
Wonder Woman saw enough to convince her. Bounding into the air, she came down like a missile. She crushed the man to the dirt as the green and multi-limbed children scattered. "Where is Ares?"
The man was out cold. Stripping him of his armor, she slipped it over her costume. Seeing the footsteps leading off, she was about to run when she saw the cowering children, still keeping their distance. "You're free. Inform any others that Ares and his rule end today!"
She vanished in a flash.
She saw a large castle sticking out of the Martian landscape like a boil. She continued to run, going so fast her disguise evaporated. She punched through the gates, turning the thick slabs of stone into dust.
She punched through the floor, falling into the dungeon. "Steve?"
"Angel?"
She tore the chains off and carried him back to the plane. Seconds later they were in the air and rocketing back to Earth. "Mars? I was on Mars?"
"Ares had something in plan, but I can only hope we stopped it."
"What do you mean? You got me back, right?"
"Ares may lack the knowledge of Athena but his plans can be multilayered."
Ares walked back into his castle, finding it in ruins. Three armored figures appeared and bowed before him. "My lord, slave revolts are breaking out across the planet!"
"I leave my home base for a few days and this is what I return to?" The god of war was calm, which was never a good sign. "Generals!"
The three figures bowed lower, although groveling would be more accurate. "Greed, Deception, Conquest! What are you going to do to make this right?"
"We've plans milord, all of us, but if you allow me to go first I'm sure I can crush Wonder Woman!" the Earl of Greed purred. His fellow generals hated him, but they allowed him to volunteer. After all, if he failed they could only look better by comparison.
"Good. Greed, go to Earth. Find Wonder Woman and make her suffer!"
The Earl of Greed arrived on Earth. He was able to locate Wonder Woman fairly easy but that was where his plan hit a brick wall. He could control and influence greed. How could he attack her through that?
He hovered over Holliday College. "What to do?" He glanced over the grounds, his eyes being drawn to the athletic field. "A charity event?" he recoiled in disgust. "Doing things for other people without reward?"
He floated down towards the field. "And yet, one can be greedy for charity…"
He spotted Wonder Woman walking around the field. "A direct attack would end in failure but if I used a patsy?" he spotted a pitcher approaching the mound. "Perfect!"
Jake Dough wasn't the most charitable person on the planet but he did enjoy a good crowd. "Hmph. Got almost the entire Gotham Knights lineup, and who are they gawking at? Some circus dame." He took the ball from his pocket and tossed it in the air a few times when a sudden idea came over him. Looking down, he spotted another ball placed on the grass. He could have sworn there was nothing there before but that didn't matter.
No, he had to use that ball. Only that one; he tossed the old ball aside and quickly snatched the new one up. He carefully held it to his chest as he hurried to the mound. He almost didn't want to pitch, but a small voice in his ear told him to throw it and hurry.
President Deacon settled in the announcer's booth as the game started. "As president of the college I'd like to thank everyone for attending our second annual charity drive. I'd also like to extend a deep thank you for all the celebrities who chipped in to make this special day possible."
He looked as the pitcher took to the mound and Wonder Woman took to the plate. "Pitching for the Knights is Jake Dough, and hitting for the first time our special guest of honor, Wonder Woman!" the crowd roared as the Queen took the bat and dropped into a hitting stance.
The crowd quieted down as Jake pitched the ball. Wonder Woman swung. The explosion blinded everyone. Wonder Woman was knocked back into the stands, the bat burnt splinters in her hand.
Deacon tried to reassure the crowd as an ambulance was called for the injured. He couldn't have seen the expression on Jake Dough's face, but someone in the crowd did. Tina Toy frowned and followed the ambulance.
Wonder Woman was dazed by the explosion. She was dimly aware of being carried. She tried to sit up, but a cold pressing feeling brought her to full awareness. "Oh no!"
Her wrists, currently situated above her head, were bound in solid gold. The ambulance raced through city streets, the sirens assuring them a quick journey. "Who are you? Where are you taking me?"
A familiar and almost forgotten voice answered her from the front. "Apologies your highness, but your father wished to see you."
"Greed!"
"Earl of Greed. Titles are important, please."
The ambulance came to a sudden stop. Unseen hands pushed the stretcher out and down a dark hall. The Earl's voice echoed down after her. "With you safely out of the way, I've decided to make a slight detour before I return you to Mars. Rest assured I'll be back within the hour."
Tina followed the ambulance on her bicycle. Her suspicions were confirmed when it raced past the nearest hospital and headed deeper into the country. She followed as best as she could, finally stopping at a warehouse. She ducked into an alleyway as the ambulance left silently.
Tina took stock of her options. The police were a possibility, but she saw no phone and even then, she wasn't sure what to say. She opened her satchel. True to her surname she had toys. Prototypes she fiddled with in her off hours. "Not much of an army but it will have to do!"
Tina entered the loading bay without issue. The halls were only lit by a barely flicking light, casting weird shadows everywhere. "If I see Basil Karlo anywhere I'm leaving!"
She found most of the doors locked, but the last door at the end swung open. "Wonder Woman?"
The Amazon was bound to a stretcher. Her arms were over her head, thick gold bands over her bracers. Her legs were bound with heavy leather straps. A gag covered her mouth. Tina dashed to her side and pulled the rag clear. "Are you hurt?"
"Tina?" Wonder Woman struggled. "My strength is gone, sapped when a man bids my wrists!"
Tina looked over the bands. "Hmm, petty thick, but gold is a soft metal." She took a carving knife from her bag. "Let me free your legs first. Lucky for me I brought my tools with me. Never know when you might need to make a new doll!" She sawed through the leather with some ease.
Next came the gold. "This might be harder."
She unscrewed the lightbulb. Slipping a pair of rubber gloves on, she ran some wire from the socket to the gold, sparking and heating the wire. Running the now heated wire across the gold's surface, she was rewarded with a sharp crack as Wonder Woman broke one wrist free.
Wonder Woman sat up, tearing the gold away from her other wrist. "A thousand thanks sister."
"Hey, that creep that kidnapped you left in an ambulance."
"Greed must have another plan in motion. Tell me, is there any large amounts of gold or currency nearby?"
The Earl of Greed floated over the US Treasury, having left the ambulance by the side of the road some miles back. "So much money!" He saw money as money, true, but he also saw what money could do. Happiness, anger; an entire spectrum of emotions can be raced through with the addition or subtraction of money.
"And when I take the building back to Mars with me, I'll not only have the means to make more money but I'll have greater influence over the mortals here too!"
"Never!" Greed barely had time to think before an invisible wing hit him and sent him crashing to the ground.
"Wonder Woman?" Greed paled. "How?"
She jumped from the plane and landed neatly before him, her lasso in hand. "Surrender Greed and tell me what Ares is planning!"
"Hmm…no, I'm Greedy not mad." He vanished.
Ares sat on his throne as Greed reappeared before him. "You failed."
Greed paled. "Ah, yes but it was merely a stumbling block milord!"
"You lived to your namesake and still failed." Ares calmly opened his palm. Greed barely had time to scream before being disintegrated. The god of war turned to the other members of his court. "You know the price of failure."
The Duke of Deception, having formerly bowed out and claimed to be far too busy with his own schemes on Earth, retreated back to his lair. He had lied, naturally, but he wanted to see if Greed's plan would succeed.
"Pity that he failed, but then Lord Ares will bring him back when he feels the need." Deception sat before a swirling pit of vapors. "Naha, your master commands!"
In the pit an image formed. Naha was one of the Duke's better creations, a creature designed for the sole purpose of deceit. It could take any form, use any language, and it served entirely at the Duke's discretion. It was currently a female patron of a discreet establishment in the South Seas.
"What was is your command master?"
"I'm going to send you to America. Capture Wonder Woman and bring her here!"
"As you command."
Naha appeared on the campus. With a few words she changed from a South Seas Islander to an average looking brunette. She saw Wonder Woman walking on the commons and followed her.
"Not that I don't apricate you hanging around, but why are you still on campus?" Etta asked as the Amazon queen strolled quietly beside her.
"I was asked by your dean to lecture here. Ancient history if you can believe it."
"Ha! I guess you couldn't slip me and the gals an easy A, could you?"
"Etta" Wonder Woman gasped in mock horror, "I'm surprise you! An Amazon would never stoop so low." Both had a laugh as they entered the lecture hall. "I'm going to prepare, but feel free to send that pledge over afterwards."
Wonder Woman stood at the lectern and shuffled her papers. Naha approached quietly behind her. Wonder Woman stopped shuffling. "Well?"
Naha lunged forward, growing four more arms as she pounced.
Wonder Woman turned, but quickly found twice as many limbs encircling her. "What are you?"
"A loyal servant!" Naha headbutted the queen. An extra arm snaked out and tore the lasso from her belt and quickly bound her.
Noticing a few cans of plaster left over from some recent renovations, Naha was struck by an idea. "I can't use magic here, too many chances of being discovered!" She quickly snapped off an extra hand and mushed it into liquid. Mixing it with the plaster she poured it over Wonder Woman's prone form.
Placing her carefully on a discarded trolley, the now rough looking male wheeled the living statue out as Holliday Girl Thelma Tall entered. "Hello?"
Thelma Tall was aptly named, being a full six foot six in her stocking feet. She had been lucky enough to get to school on scholarship, but the emphasis on schoolwork left her with precious little time to socialize, giving her the reputation of a wallflower. She had decided to pledge to the Holliday Girls and was eager to make an impression.
She figured the best way to do was to introduce herself to Wonder Woman but she only saw a burly looking fellow taking away a statue. "Strange, I didn't think there was any art in the auditorium?"
She followed the man carefully as he hauled it up the stairs and to the roof. She gasped when he hefted the work of art up with one hand and placed in the center of the roof. "I should call someone, but would they get here in time?"
As the man knelt down and started mumbling words she didn't recognize, Thelma picked up a large brick being used as a doorstop. With the best plan she could come up with, she dashed towards the man and chucked the stone at him.
It collided with a resounding crack, sending him sprawling across the tarpaper. Running to the statue, Thelma was stunned as she heard noise coming from the plaster. With no hesitation she punched the statue, cracking the plaster.
"Run!" Wonder Woman wiggled back and forth, toppling the casing over and causing it to crack, just as the man stood up.
"You interfered for the last time!" the man drew a knife.
Thelma tore the plaster away in chunks. In the process she untied the lasso binding the Queen's wrists. Wonder Woman smiled grimly. "Many thanks sister, now stand aside!"
Wonder Woman rushed the man, barreling into him hard enough to rattle the nearby windows. The two traded punches. While even in power, Wonder Woman had the experience; ducking and weaving around the man's blows before catching him a vice like hold. "Surrender!"
"Never!" the man hissed as his face lost its features. His legs turned to putty as he jumped back, sending them both crashing through the ceiling. Wonder Woman twisted around, driving him into the stage.
At some length of time Thelma approached the gaping hole and looked down. Wonder Woman was standing, but the man was splattered across the boards like a tomato made out of paste. "Are you ok?"
Wonder Woman flashed a smile Thelma could see from the roof. Before their eyes the figure bubbled and melted away. "Are all your lectures going to be like this?"
The Duke of Deception found himself before Ares. Twin burning red embers stared out from the god's helmet. "You lied and you failed."
"Milord, give me" the Duke groveled before a flash of light reduced him to a shadow on the wall.
"Are you going to fail me as well?"
"My lord, I am the Lord of Conquest. I was forged to win, no matter the cost!"
Conquest paced back and forth within his lair. "Directly attacking will end in failure, as will using the wrong agent. I think Deception had the right idea, but using my own agents I shall win!"
Count Crafti lazed in his villa. The villa, situated deep in the hills of the Italian countryside, was small and unassuming. Popping a grape in his mouth, the count thought long on what to do. "I'm so bored!"
The walls around him darkened and the temperature dropped to near freezing. "I have need of you." The room echoed.
"Master!" the count dropped to his knees. "How may I serve you!"
"Use this amulet and go to America. Summon my weapon and bring Wonder Woman to me. Fail me, and I'll make you Don Unaldi, country fisherman once more."
"Yes, yes, anything you say master!" The room returned to normal. The count looked at the small golden amulet resting on his rug and wished he'd kept his mouth shut.
It was fairly easy for the count to arrive in America and easier for him to get to the Holliday College campus. He had some issue with the amulet but the required blood was easily obtained. With the right incantation spoken he stood by and waited.
The ground surged and cracked as a giant hand broke free of the dirt. The hand was quickly joined by another, then arms and soon a body. The figure, wearing only a simple pair of trunks with a stylized 'm' on them, stood silent.
"Mammotha, you are to obey me!" the count ordered. "Find Wonder Woman, defeat her!" he took a comically oversized pair of gloves from his bag and tossed them to the giant. "Use these, crush all who get in your way!"
Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor sat at the diner's corner booth. "So, I hear you've had a busy past few days."
She nodded. "Aye. I fear Ares is trying to capture me, and you as well."
Steve took the information well and silently patted the gun under his jacket. "So, are we going to attack him or" his words were cut off as Wonder Woman reached across the table and threw him to the ground.
Before he could ask, a car tore through the window and embedded itself in the diner's wall. Wonder Woman had jumped outside, her lasso at the ready. "Who are you?"
"Mammotha crush! Mammotha obey!" the giant's hands glowed. Wonder Woman bound his wrists easy enough, but she was yanked through the air by the giant. She flipped over and drove her foot into the giant's face to little effect.
"Stop!" a familiar voice called out. Mammotha stood at attention. The Lord of Conquest strolled casually towards them, Steve Trevor in front. "I have a rather large pistol at your mortal companion's back. Surrender or I put a very large hole in him."
Wonder Woman looked at the giant then at Steve. She removed her headband and broke it before dropping the pieces to the ground. Conquest smiled broadly. "Very wise."
Unseen by the lord, Wonder Woman had pocketed one small piece and slipped it inside her armor.
Back in the dungeon, Wonder Woman walked back and forth. Since her wrists had been bound, she had no power. Steve watched her from his cell. "Ok angel, what's the plan?"
"Nothing if I can't free the key." Wonder Woman wiggled against the wall. A small piece of metal dropped to the floor. She bent down and pressed it against her forehead. "Etta, come in!"
Etta Candy bolted upright. "Polly?"
The voice was loud but distorted. "Etta, do you still have the mental radio?"
"In my closest, why?"
"I need you to find someone. One of you must be hooked into the machine while the other watches. I will explain" the voice stopped.
"Huh. Who am I going to find at this time of night?"
Lita Little was barely five feet. Her family had been tailors for years, leading to more than a few elf and shoe cobbler jokes. She never thought those were very funny. She had joined the Holliday Girls as a legacy but so far all that entailed was more studying.
"At least they're not doing any silly practical jokes!" She stretched at her desk as a sudden pounding at the door made her jump.
"Lita?" Etta's voice was on the other side. "Open up, it's an emergency!"
"Oh brother! Probably wants me to go on a snipe hunt or something." Lita sighed as she got up.
Etta explained. "Original, I'll give her that." Lita looked at the so called 'mental radio'. "So, one of us has to slip one of these things over our heads and we'll talk to Wonder Woman?"
"For the last time, yes! I've changed the setting, so instead of seeing her, you'll be sending part of yourself to her." Etta frowned. "Look, Wondy is in trouble. Are you going to help or not?"
"Sure, why not?"
Lita leaned back as Etta slapped the controls on her head. Before she could ask anything, her mind was blasted out of her of body. She opened her eyes and blinked. "Where?"
She was standing in a red desert. She walked barefooted over red dunes and small cracks. "Wait…how big am I?"
She crouched. The cracks were ravines. She cleared miles in steps. "Is this all in my head?" She saw tiny figures running away. "Martians?" She chuckled. "Why not? If this is just a dream why not have fun?"
She skipped towards what appeared to be a toy castle. She flicked the roof off. A small blue and black figure; not much bigger than the tin soldiers Tina showed her once, waved his arms. If it was saying anything, she couldn't hear. She carefully plucked the figure up.
"Ouch!" Something pinched her palm. Annoyed, she flung the figure over her shoulder. She ignored the distant plunk. Poking carefully revealed nothing and with her frustration growing she kicked the castle apart, which revealed the dungeon and two tied up figures.
"So, do I take you back with me or what?" Lita freed them easily enough. She lifted Wonder Woman to her ear.
"Just hold us carefully and we should return when you wake!" Wonder Woman screamed. Lit didn't seem to understand, but held them close as she sat down and nodded off.
Lita woke with a start. It was morning. Etta was nowhere to be found. "Huh, knew it must have been a dream." She swung her legs over to the floor and stopped. Her feet were encrusted with thick red sand. She silently swore to quickly wash her feet and never tell another soul…and if Etta knocked on her door anywhere she knew what to say to her.
Steve and Wonder Woman were walking off the campus, attracting a few stares. Her for her full costume and him for being almost naked. "Well that was a thing. Not sure how to write any of that up."
"I'd suggest the truth." A slight humming betrayed the invisible airplane hovering over them. Wonder Woman climbed an invisible ladder into the cockpit. "Ares won't stop his dreams of war."
"That's fine, we'll be here to keep them for happening angel." Steve gave a smart salute and walked off, ignoring the stares as he hailed a cab.
On Mars, the titular god of war looked over his ruined domain. "My Iron Palace, broken like a cheap toy. My slaves in open revolt. Tell me Conquest, if our positions were reversed, what would you do?"
Conquest had his mouth open for a full second before Ares reduced him to vapor. He could bring his minions back at any time, but for now they needed to understand why he was leader. Ares glared at the blue dot in the sky. "Impressive showing daughter, most impressive, but the war isn't over!"
The end
Based on "the God of War" which was first published in Wonder Woman I#2 (Fall 1942), with credits to William Moulton Marston (script) and Harry G. Peter (pencils/inks).
Next, the Railroad Plot
From They Call Me Bruce
This is much better than the Wonder Woman movie
Well, I wouldn't go that far but thanks!
From rmarcano321
Gods of War are coming! What is the theme of this fanfic?
Do you mean specifically or overall?
From Darci
"The Return of Diana Prince" retained only a few elements from its original version: Diana & Dan White, his invention, the World Peace Society, and Dr. Cue. The WPS was handled much more realistically in this version. In the original, the WPS kidnapped Diana White and left a signed ransom note for Dan! I did miss Agent X however.
Another element left out were two details about Wonder Woman's plane. First it can travel (at least) 40 miles per minute. That's 3862 km or Mach 3.15. The official released speed of the SR-71 was Mach 3.3! Second, it's not made of either wood or metal.
According to the DC Database, this was the second appearance of Diana. Her first was in Sensation Comics #1 and her last was DC Special (1968 series) #19, a reprint of the origin of Wonder Woman. In this Earth-25 version, perhaps we'll see her again?
Never say never, and look for Agent X in an upcoming tale. Yeah, I keep the overall frame of the original story but I just do it in my own way.
Keep an eye out for the following:
Detective Comics#13-Horde of the Green Dragon!
Action Comics#13-The Cab Protective League
All American Comics#1-Origin of the Green Lantern!