- The Amazons are a nation of warriors, and their queen needs to be the strongest of them all. I've been an outcast my entire life. Proving myself to them... it's what I do. It hurts a little less every time.
- ā Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman (Volume 4) #40 is an issue of the series Wonder Woman (Volume 4) with a cover date of June, 2015. It was published on April 1, 2015.
Synopsis for "War-Torn. Chapter 5"
Wonder Woman has seen her sisters, the Amazons fall victim to their fear. Their failure to accept the change - to accept the lost sons they abandoned - has driven them to find a new champion in Donna Troy. Donna is merely a girl, and Diana assumes she cannot understand that she is just a pawn. Fortunately, Dessa steps between the two, and demands of Derinoe an explanation for the conflict. The old woman explains that Diana brought this fate upon herself - that because she acted only in the interests of herself and the Sons of Themyscira, she has been replaced as Queen. The other Amazons call on Diana to prove her commitment to them, and reluctantly, Diana agrees to prove herself just one last time - and never again. Derinoe warns that the challenge will be met within two days.
Afterwards, Diana asks Dessa in private who Donna Troy is. Dessa relays Derinoe's claims that the girl is a gift from the goddess - a true Amazon, born of clay and daughter to no man. Amused, Diana notes that the Amazons seem eager to embrace Donna for being exactly what they had once mocked her for being. She supposes that Strife has something to do with all this. Though the Amazons want her to move back to Paradise Island, Diana knows that the real answer to their problem must come from them. They must learn to overcome fear of the unknown. While she is not willing to give up in helping them do that, she suspects that there are others among the Amazons who feel as she feels.
While out with Superman, Diana admits that learning that her mother is now part of the island has made her feel more like it is home again, and it has made her feel more connected to it than recently. With regard to the coming challenge, she has come to terms with the fact that the Amazon Queen must be the strongest of them all - which means proving herself to them is part of that job. That said, she still hopes this is the last time she'll have to do it.
She and Superman join the Justice League to try to put an end to the infestations of bug-like creatures that have been consuming entire villages of people, using the pheromones from one of their number to track down the Queen. Venturing into the hive, Diana faces the Queen, who is not happy to have had one of her soldiers taken captive - even if they've returned him. Diana responds that losing him was a small price to pay for the thousands of lives her hive has taken. The Queen responds that the disasters that took those lives were an act of god - specifically, the God of War. It was she who buried the First Born within the heart of the Earth, and his fury woke the insectoids from their slumber.
On Paradise Island, the Sons of the Amazons are becoming restless, with no word from Diana and tensions high between them and the Amazons themselves. They hope, though, that she will find a way to make a home for them on the island without conflict with the women. Unfortunately, Donna Troy and her warriors have planned a night attack, and they slaughter several of the men in the hopes of cleansing the island once and for all.
Appearing in "War-Torn. Chapter 5"
Featured Characters:
- Wonder Woman (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Bug people
- Derinoe
- Donna Troy
Other Characters:
- First Born (Flashback only)
- Sons of Themyscira (Dies)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- Story continues in Wonder Woman Annual (Volume 4) #1.
- The Movie Poster cover references 300
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Wonder Woman Recommended Reading
- All-Star Comics (Volume 1)
- Comic Cavalcade (Volume 1)
- JLA (Volume 1)
- Sensation Comics (Volume 1)
- Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman (Volume 1)
- Superman/Wonder Woman (Volume 1)
- The Legend of Wonder Woman (Volume 1)
- The Legend of Wonder Woman (Volume 2)
- Wonder Woman (Volume 1)
- Wonder Woman (Volume 2)
- Wonder Woman (Volume 3)
- Wonder Woman (Volume 4)
- Wonder Woman (Volume 5)
- Wonder Woman (Volume 6)