This article needs maintenance and organization, as it may have become cluttered or confusing. Its heart is in a good place, it's just a little special. Won't you please help out an article in need? This template will categorize articles that include it into the Clean Up task category.
History
The Amazons of Themyscira are a race of immortal warrior women that live on the mystically hidden island of Themyscira. They were created by a coterie of Olympian gods over three thousand years ago to serve as their messengers to the world in the name of peace and justice. The youngest and most powerful of the Amazons, Princess Diana, left her protective nation of sisterhood, renouncing her immortality to fight the forces of evil in Man's World as Wonder Woman!
Around the year 1200 B.C., a small group of female Olympian gods desired to create a nation of warrior women that would help to spread their ideals to the world. Met with disinterest or opposition by most of their male counterparts, the goddesses Hestia, Aphrodite, Demeter, Athena and Artemis convened in the land of the Underworld. There, in the Cavern of Souls, were kept the spirits of all women who had unjustly died at the hands of a man. The five goddesses combined their powers to grant life to all of the souls -- with the exception of one, whom they decided would have a special future purpose.
Through their magics, the goddesses formed thousands of super-humanly strong, adult female bodies from the clay bed of a lake in Greece, and imbued them with the spirits from the Well of Souls. The first such creature to emerge from the lake was dubbed Hippolyta by the goddesses, and she was crowned queen of these women, to be henceforth known as Amazons. The second woman to emerge from the lake was called Antiope, and according to the goddesses she was to rule as second in command.
The Amazons were to serve the Olympian gods in proselytical manner, spreading their principles and devotion to a largely barbarian world. They were given a city-state in Greece (the land adjacent to the lake of their birth), and they called it Themyscira. There they thrived for many years before they were attacked by the forces of Hercules, and were saved only through the intervention of the goddesses.
Their home destroyed and prospects for success in their worldly mission dashed, Antiope led a portion of the Amazons away from her sister and the influence of the gods, to travel the world in search of a new purpose. They eventually settled in Egypt, becoming known as the the Amazons of Bana Migdhall.
Most Amazons, however, stayed with Hippolyta. To repay the gods for their rescue, the remaining Amazons were sent far away from their home in Greece to a mystical, paradisal island in uncharted oceans. There the Amazons took up a new gods-given purpose -- to guard the Earth from a terrible evil buried beneath the island.
For thousands of years the Amazons of Themyscira stayed isolated from humanity, until about 40 years ago, when Diana Trevor, an American airplane pilot, crash-landed off-shore. Diana Trevor became friends with the inhabitants of Themyscira and taught them of the changes in the world beyond their protected shores. Shortly thereafter the demons locked beneath the island almost escaped, but through the bravery and ultimate sacrifice of Trevor, the threat was averted. She was given an Amazon's burial and hailed as one of the greatest of all Amazon warriors.
The gods of Olympus were greatly disturbed by Trevor's entrance through the mystical barriers that guarded Themyscira, and recognized it as a sign of their weakening powers. When Hippolyta soon followed her mounting desire to ask the gods to grant her a child, they easily agreed, and took it as an opportunity to create a super-warrior who would champion their causes as the Amazons had originally been intended to. Telling Hippolyta to sculpt a baby out of clay, the gods that created the Amazons brought life to the earthen baby, and the first child of Themyscira was born. She was named Diana, in honor of Trevor, and her soul was that of the last remaining spirit from the Well of Souls. When she grew to adulthood, Princess Diana left Themyscira and became known to the world as Wonder Woman.
Since Diana left the protective shores of Themyscira, many adventures and tragedies have befallen the mighty Amazons, including: the eradication of the evil beneath the island; visits to Man's world; a long period of banishment to a demonic dimension by the witch Circe; murder of over half their population by the evil Darkseid;[2]
the discovery and reintegration of the Amazons of Bana Migdhall, and an ensuing Civil War; the death of Hippolyta at the hand of Imperiex, and the destruction of the entire island in its use as a weapon against him; the rebuilding of Themyscira by the sentient being within Wonder Woman's Invisible Plane as a floating, crystalline center dedicated to the realization of world peace; the destruction of that version of Themyscira by a jealous Hera, and the effort to rebuild.
Most recently, the Amazons, during the event known as the Infinite Crisis, engaged in a seemingly unwinnable battle with the death-dealing cyborgs known as OMACs. To avoid their own destruction and to avoid murdering the innocent people inside the OMAC constructs, the Amazons prayed to their gods to be delivered from the terrible situation. They, and the entire battle-scarred island of Themysicira disappeared instantly to an unknown location or dimension, leaving Wonder Woman as the only remaining Amazon on Earth.
A time later the Amazons and Themyscira were returned to Earth. They soon fell under the sway of Circe (New Earth) and Granny Goodness (New Earth), used a revived and controlled Hippolyta as their pawn, in an event known as Amazons Attack!, and struck out in an invasion of Washington DC. When the scheme was undone, the Amazons involved had their memories erased and were scattered across the globe as penance, save for Hippolyta who remained on the island, which was rendered off-limits to all the other Amazons, including Diana.
A band of superhuman Nazis under the command of Captain Nazi (New Earth) tried to take over the deserted island, but Wonder Woman was able to return home and assist Hippolyta in fighting them off. Soon after, the Amazons were restored and returned home. An Amazon named Alkyone and her circle tried to take over in an attempt to kill Wonder Woman and restore Hippolyta to the throne, but was killed in the attempt.
Finally, when Washington DC fell under attack by a band of alien invaders called the Citizenry, lead by a woman claiming to be Hippolyta's sister, the Amazons rushed to their aid to defend the city alongside Achilles' forces against the invaders. After the battle, Hippolyta offered to stay to help clean up the damages done to the city and rebuild in attempt to atone for the actions committed by the Amazons during the Amazons Attack event.[3]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Amazonian Physiology: The Amazons are a race of warrior women that have received gifts and blessings from five Olympian goddesses: Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Hestia and Aphrodite. The average Amazon possesses the potential for the following power set:
- Enhanced Intellect: A gift from Athena, the Amazons have the wisdom to be guided by peace and justice.
- Superhuman Strength
- Superhuman Durability
- Superhuman Stamina
- Superhuman Agility
- Immortality: The Amazons were gifted immortality. The people of Themyscira lived forever, though could be killed in war or in an accident. Those who followed Antiope and Phthia and became the Bana-Mighdall lost their immortality.[4]
- Self-Sustenance: So long as the Amazons stay on Themyscira, she does not require food, water or any other form of nourishment to maintain her health and vitality.[5] Although they are not susceptible to the throes of hunger, this does not mean that Amazons don't consume food for enjoyment. The Amazons frequently hold great festivals wherupon food is served.
Abilities
- Amazonian Training: The Amazons honed their skills in many fields, aided by the gifts from Athena and Artemis.
Miscellaneous
Type of Government:
Originally a monarchy, Themyscira became a democratic nation following the death of Hippolyta.
Representatives:
Honorary Amazons
Women who have either been proclaimed as Amazons or have called Paradise Island "Home"
- Donna Troy, proclaimed as the second Princess of Themyscira
- Wonder Girl (Cassandra Sandsmark), received Amazonian training from Artemis
- Fury (Helena Kosmatos), Hippolyta's other "adopted daughter"
- Harbinger, served as the island's official historian until her death
- Nemesis, only male honorary Amazon
- Supergirl, received Amazonian training from Artemis
- Starfire, sought refuge in the island after her home planet Tamaran was destroyed
- Baroness Paula Von Gunther, was last seen living among the Amazons after seperating from the Dark Angel entity
- Sofia Constantinas was a reformed Greek terrorist who moved to Paradise Island for Amazon training.
- Julia Kapatelis, blessed by Pythia with Amazon Inspiration. She is considered an Amazon because of this.
Amazons gone Rogue
Notes
This character or object is an adaptation of Amazons, a character or object in traditional stories. These include, but may not be limited to religious texts, myth, and/or folk lore. More information on the original can be found at Wikipedia.org.
See Also
- Appearances of Amazons of Paradise Island
- Race Gallery: Amazons of Paradise Island
- Images of Amazons of Paradise Island
Links and References
  This character is or was an ally of Wonder Woman. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Wonder Woman Supporting Cast" category. |