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"The God of War": Mars (i.e., Ares the god of War) abducts Steve Trevor to the planet Mars, so Wonder Woman travels there disguised as a slave girl to rescue him. The Duke of Deception recognizes her, however, and reveals her identity to his master. He advises Mars to pretend not to know who she

Wonder Woman #2 is an issue of the series Wonder Woman (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 1942.

Synopsis for "The God of War"

Mars (i.e., Ares the god of War) abducts Steve Trevor to the planet Mars, so Wonder Woman travels there disguised as a slave girl to rescue him. The Duke of Deception recognizes her, however, and reveals her identity to his master. He advises Mars to pretend not to know who she is in order to trap her. But Wonder Woman is still able to rescue Steve, overcome Mars and his soldiers and escape back to Earth.

Mars charges his lieutenant, the Earl of Greed, to capture her. The Earl sets in motion an elaborate plan, one that includes inspiring Hitler to raid hidden gold reserves of the American treasury. He also inspires President Deacon of Holliday College to murder the school treasurer and steal school funds, imperiling it's future. Soon afterwards, Wonder Woman enters a charity baseball game to benefit the strapped college, which all goes according to the Earl's plan. After being hit by a rigged baseball, the Amazon is drugged and taken to a hospital. A real nurse is bound and gagged by the Earl's accomplices and Wonder Woman is imprisoned in a gold block. But the nurse is able to remove her gag and alert the authorities. His plot foiled, the Earl of Greed flees back to the red planet, albeit hoping to avoid facing the god of war himself. His spaceship is destroyed and he flees to Mars on a slave ship. He is caught and consigned to the dungeons.

The Duke Deception is the second of Mars's lieutenants sent to capture Wonder Woman. He refuses at first as he says his servants are too busy writing propaganda for the Nazis and Japanese and he could not capture Wonder Woman without their help. Soon, though, Wonder Woman is captured by Naha, an agent of the Duke, who swaps Diana's magic lasso with a fake, then catches Diana with the real one. She is taken onboard a slave ship, where she is left bound hand and foot as well as gagged and blindfolded with plaster. Before this occurs, however, Wonder Woman is able to telepathically contact Etta Candy, with whose help she escapes. The Duke meanwhile disguises himself as a general to convince Hirohito to wage more war in Hawaii. Wonder Woman and Etta foil this plan and, after wrecking his ship, send the Duke's phantom form fleeing back to Mars disguised as a slave girl. But like the Earl, the Duke is caught and imprisoned by Mars. Ironically, his imprisonment causes Hirohito to speak truthfully to the Italian Ambassador, which hurts the axis alliance.

The Count of Conquest is the last of Mars's lieutenants sent to capture Wonder Woman. He also refuses at first, claiming it is beneath his dignity to challenge a woman. He inspires Mussolini to send agents to America to capture Wonder Woman. Italian agents Count Crafti (alias Spanish nobleman, Don Unaldi) and giant slugger Mammotha are dispatched (with the Count mentally possessing Mammotha.) After luring Wonder Woman into a boxing ring with Mammotha and then submitting her to enormous electric shocks, the Count prepares to deliver her to Mars along with Steve Trevor, whom he has also captured. The Count of Conquest chains them both, which weakens Wonder Woman because when an Amazon's bracelets were chained together by a man, she becomes as weak as an ordinary woman. Diana and Steve are taken to Mars's dungeon while the Earl of Greed and the Duke of Deception are released. With the help of Etta's spirit form, however, Wonder Woman is able to use "astral acid" on her chains and escape. She then battles Mars himself and defeats him, destroying his Iron Palace in the process. With the god of war temporarily vanquished, Wonder Woman and Trevor depart.

Appearing in "The God of War"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters

  • Satan
  • Tiva
  • Howard White (Mentioned only) (Dies)
  • Jake Dough
  • "Babe" Williams
  • Taki
  • Senator Deal
  • Sailor Mahan

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

  • Greed's spaceship (Destroyed)
  • Deception's spaceship (Destroyed)


Synopsis for "Wonder Woman"

Buck Winters counts on supplies and equipment paid for by homefront folks like those in Midland. After Wonder Woman makes a stirring speech to that effect, the skeptics and cheapskates of the town come around and eagerly buy war bonds and stamps.

Appearing in "Wonder Woman"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Locations:

  • City of Midland
  • Malayan Jungle (Flashback only)

Vehicles:

Synopsis for Wonder Women of History: "Angel of the Battlefield"


Appearing in Wonder Women of History: "Angel of the Battlefield"

Featured Characters:

Notes

  • Published quarterly by Wonder Woman Publishing Company, Inc.
  • This issue is reprinted in 'Wonder Woman Archives Vol. 2'.
  • This issue's 50-page main story is immediately followed up by a two-page epilogue, in-universe, which is an advertisement for War Bonds. It featurs Wonder Woman and Captain Buck Winters of the Flying Tigers. It had no title but did feature the Wonder Woman logo across the top of page one.
  • The Count of Conquest is either a god or a demigod, but he qualifies as a man well enough to activate Wonder Woman's main weakness: chaining her bracelets.



See Also


Links and References

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