Title Wonder Woman: Challenge of the Gods
Format tpb
Binding tpb
Date September 1987- March 1988 (content); 2004 (collection)
Writer(s) George Perez, Len Wein
Artist(s) George Perez, Bruce Patterson
Collects Wonder Woman 8-14
Storyline

Issue 8: Time Passages
Professor Julia Kapatelis wrote an entry in her "Wonder Woman" journal about Diana's speaking tour. Julia had been her interpreter, as Diana was still a bit uncomfortable with the English language. They'd had their ups and downs on the trip. Diana decided to cancel the final leg of the tour and headed home with Julia. During the G. Gordon Godfrey situations (the Legends event - when all "superheroes" were banned), Julia's home was attacked. Diana left for Paradise Island not wanting her friend to be harmed due to her presence. She returned during the final confrontation and was asked to join the newly reformed Justice League, but she declined as she was not yet ready to venture fully into man's world.
As a woman traveled to Boston in hopes of nabbing Diana's lasso, Etta wrote a letter to Steve Trevor: the army had put her through all sorts of tests to find out what she was and what she could do. She passed them all: bullets vs. bracelets (three marksmen fired on her at close range, and she deflected all shots), she kept a jet from taking off by using her lasso, destroyed a tank with her bare hands, and she outmaneuvered the plane in the air.
Julia's daughter got her first boyfriend due to her friendship with Diana. After Diana held a lecture at her school, she got into a fight with some boys who were making fun of her new hero.
Barbara Minerva arrived in Boston and began her quest for the lasso. She sent a letter to Diana's publicist.

Issue 9: Blood of the Cheetah
Barbara Minerva's servant performed a ritual on her - as she slept in a trance-like state, he slit her wrist and gave the blood to the plant god. Mindi Mayer, Diana's publicist, set up a meeting between her client and Minerva (who claimed to have another part of Gaea's girdle - what the lasso was made from). Diana's excitement for the situation turned to dread as the meeting neared. When Minerva touched the lasso, she blurted out that there was no second piece. Diana lashed out at Mindi and flew away.
Barbara Minerva applied her war paint as Chuma prepared the elixir from the "god-plant." When she drank it, she became bestial - a Cheetah. She found Diana in the woods near the Kapatelis' home. They fought. Diana realized her lasso had no affect on the beast, and they were quite evenly matched. Julia interrupted their brawl by shooting the creature. Diana chased her into a nearby body of water, but her search came up empty.
A few days later, Julia and Vanessa Kapatelis tearfully said their good-byes to Diana as she returned home to Paradise Island.

Issue 10: Paradise Lost
As the Amazonian council pondered the items Diana had brought back from "man's world," Zeus decided to meet the princess. He summoned her and ordered her to worship him physically. When she told him that must be a mutual decision, he blasted her with a lightning bolt. Her mother also defied Zeus, but he was pulled back to Olympus before he could wreak vengeance.
Diana and Hippolyte went to the Oracle; Diana was summoned to Olympus. The gods put a challenge before her: she was to take on the beasts which lived in the cave below Paradise Island. She defeated Cottus and was met next by the Hydra.

Issue 11: Fire and Torment
The Gods watched as Diana battled the Hydra. Once it was defeated, she was allowed rest before her next challenge. Hippolyte, after being visited by a vulture, donned her armor and went out to help her daughter. Diana awakened to the screams of the Amazons who'd fallen protecting the door. She saw Julia being tormented and carried on. She fell into the clutches of Echidna. Hippolyte defeated Phillippus, who tried to stop her from entering the cave. Diana defeated Echidna and continued on. After seeing visions of Col. Trevor's doomed plane, she arrived before the warrior for which she was named.
Back on Earth, Steve Trevor learned of his father's death.

Issue 12: Echoes of the Past
Diana learned the former Diana was Steve Trevor's mother. As Hippolyte neared her daughter, she was attacked by skeletal warriors borne of the Hydra. The queen was victorious and followed the vulture deeper into the cave. Diana told her namesake about her past - she'd been a test pilot and had crashed an experimental jet after it was struck by lightning. She washed up on the shores of Paradise Island. She heard screams - the Amazons were being attacked. Using her pistol, she went in blazing. Diana Trevor died in the assault, but she was given a warrior's funeral.
Hades appeared and continued the story. She left with him to be reunited with her husband. Diana then encountered Pan, who prepared to take her to the home of the Green Lanterns - she would go up against the Manhunters.
Hippolyte was attacked by Harpies.

Issue 13: Demon Plague
Hippolyte encountered Heracles, now as a stone statue. Further on, she found a sleeping Cyclopes and the skull of Pan. The gods were angered when they saw this; Hermes was dispatched to save the Amazons - an impostor was leading Diana. Hermes grabbed Diana and removed her from man's world, where she was preparing to help the Justice League deal with the Manhunters. She freed her mother from the awakened Cyclops. Hippolyte then went to free Heracles. Echidna and her minotaur grabbed the queen. The blind Cyclops happened to grab the minotaur and they fell into a bottomless pit. Ares' daughter appeared to them and gave Diana a piece of the talisman.
Heracles was freed, releasing countless demons. Diana was able to capture them in Harmonia's amulet. She handed it over to Ares. Hermes gave Diana one last challenge: find the manhunter who impersonated his son and bring him to justice.

Issue 14: For the Glory of Gaea
Diana returned to find Heracles holding Paradise Island on his shoulders. She rescued her mother. When she returned to help Heracles, Zeus lifted the burdens from both. Heracles apologized to the Amazons and was welcomed with open arms. He became the first man to set foot on Paradise Island.
As Hippolyte healed, the Amazons ceremoniously burned their weapons and armor.
Heracles was pleased to learn that Diana was not his daughter from his previous (maddened) encounter with Hippolyte. He returned to Olympus.
Diana was to return to the outside world to both teach and learn.
Etta and Steve professed their love for each other.


Notes, references to time, and chronology:
  The last few issues in this volume cross over with Millennium: #12 is week 1, #13 is week 5.

   
continuity part 3 continuity main