Remember this, Princess Diana. My apples do not create the serpent. They merely feed the hunger of the primal beast who lives within the shadowed caverns of every heart that beats to a mortal rhythm. Including yours. 
- — Eris
Wonder Woman (Volume 2) #40 is an issue of the series Wonder Woman (Volume 2) with a cover date of March, 1990.
Synopsis for "Divided We Fall"
As Lois scrambles along the roots of Eris' apple tree, Rovo, Lin Koo, and Cantwell cautiously approach from above; from a rocky ledge between the two parties, Eris fires another burst of her malignant magic, hoping to once again tempt Lois' worst emotions. When Lois resists these temptations, Eris turns to brute force, using her "prime" apple to re-summon the serpents that defeated Diana. The serpents easily capture Lin Koo and Cantwell, while a terrified Rovo draws back.
Now hanging from the tree together, Lois, Lin Koo, and Cantwell are forced to listen as Eris mockingly introduces herself and boasts that Themyscira will fall to discord as utterly as Troy had; Diana, the only genuine threat to these plans, is now totally fused into the tree. Nevertheless, the desperate Lois begs Diana for help; her words partly rouse Diana from Eris' spell, allowing Hermes to finally make contact. From thousands of miles away, Hermes bolsters Diana's spirit, empowering her to psychically communicate with Rovo.
Under Diana's guidance, Rovo escapes the caves and rides back into the Amazon capital; unfortunately, his escape is noticed by Eris, who uses her prime apple to order Menalippe into action. Before further orders can be given, Cantwell pulls a lesser apple from the tree and makes a frantic throw, knocking Eris' prime apple into the void. Cut off from her most loyal thralls, the enraged Eris orders her tree to fuse Cantwell, Lin Koo, and Lois alongside Diana.
Though horrified by this, Diana (at Hermes' urging) continues to guide Rovo through the capital, all the way to her personal chambers. With most of the Amazons and delegates still fighting, Rovo goes largely unnoticed - until Menalippe spots him, and takes aim with a spear. This, inadvertently, shocks several nearby rioters out of Eris' spell; Rabbi Hecht and Hellene, especially determined to protect the young, each try to restrain the corrupted oracle. Though Penelope helps Menalippe fight them off, the delay gives Rovo time to slip away.
Undeterred, Menalippe and Penelope keep after Rovo, only to be confronted by a furious Hermes - in truth, an illusion thrown from his last scrap of power. Fortunately, a few threats from this illusion are enough to shock the two Amazons from their bloodlust; as soon as they turn, the illusion collapses, along with the real Hermes. Soon after, Diana's psychic conduit breaks - but so does Eris' spell, as more and more of the former thralls sober the remaining ones, until all of Themyscira stands united in repentance and forgiveness.
Finally, the spell becomes so weak that even Eris' tree begins to wither, and Diana finally breaks free. Seeing this, Lois, Lin Koo, and Cantwell all call for Eris' blood; but Diana refuses to fight, instead freeing the three mortals and flying them to safety. Realizing that Eris will feed on any and all aggression, the trio endeavor to put their minds completely at peace, as Diana already has.
The outraged Eris hurls bolt after bolt of her rapidly-dwindling power, which meet nothing but defensive measures from Diana, and pity from the others. Desperately, Eris howls that Diana stands alone, abandoned by Olympus - only to be interrupted by Queen Hippolyte. With the Queen stands the rest of Themyscira, mortal and Amazon alike; and in her hand lies the object of Rovo's search, the Lasso of Truth. As Eris watches in horror, the Queen passes the lasso to Diana, who ties it around Eris' tree, letting it burn in Hestia's divine fires.
At last, Eris admits defeat, and - despite Diana's best efforts - hurls herself into the burning tree. As the rogue Goddess vanishes in a spout of flame, Diana throws herself into the safety of her compatriots, exhausted but proud. Against an overpowering storm of strife and hatred, they had overcome - as, one day, all humanity might.
Appearing in "Divided We Fall"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Eris (Apparent death)
Other Characters:
- Amazons of Themyscira
- Asmund Lindel
- Phyllis Haller
- Benjamin Hecht
- Dr. Vladimir Morakov
- Maritza Nitumbe
- Henri Claude Tibet
- Rev. Alan Witherspoon
- Felix Zumac
- Steve Trevor
Locations:
Items:
- Apples of Discord
- Bracelets of Submission
- Lasso of Truth
Concepts:
See Also