(Note: Read JSA #6 First!)

“How could you let this happen, Jay? How?!”

Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash, stood in the meeting hall of the Justice League Watchtower. His silver winged helmet was held in his hand. His face was cast with pain as he received the harsh words from one he had thought of as a valued ally, and in recent years, as a sort of foster daughter.

“Diana,” replied Jay, “I’m sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am…how sorry we all are.” Behind Jay, stood other members of the Justice Society of America. Wildcat, Sentinel, Hourman and Obsidian were silent, as Jay stood face to face with Princess Diana of Themyscira, known to the world at large as Wonder Woman.

“We all loved your mother, Diana,” said Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern and currently known as Sentinel. “Believe me when I say she died for a purpose. The Anti-Monitor and Neron were working together, they were close to finding a way to bringing the Anti-Monitor back to life. You hadn’t left Themyscira yet when the Crisis happened. He almost destroyed Earth and this universe. Heroes died to stop him before, Barry Allen and Alexis Becker among them. Your mother gave her life to stop the greatest evil we’ve ever come across from returning.”

Jay Garrick put his hand on Diana’s shoulder. “Believe me when I say any and all of us would give our lives now to see her back with us. We loved Polly, Diana.”

Diana put her hand on Jay’s in return, while at the same time bringing her other hand, clenched in a fist, down onto the JLA meeting table. The table cracked where her fist made contact. “I know you would, Jay. I know you all wouldn’t have let her die if it was within your power.” Tears streamed down her face.

Obsidian started at her words. “Hey! We didn’t just let her—“

Hourman turned to Obsidian quickly and whispered to him. “Todd, shut up.”

Behind Diana, stood other members of the Justice League. Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, Superman, Batman and the Flash all stood silently. They knew Diana needed to get her grief out in the open.

Superman stepped forward. “Diana, for what its worth, if there’s anything we can do…”

“Thank you, Kal. But no.” She walked away from the assembled heroes towards the massive viewport with its panoramic view of the moon and beyond it, Earth. Diana always marveled at this creation of the Gods, this perfect jewel in the heavens.

With that thought, she knew what she had to do.

Despite the warmth of her Lansinarian ship, Diana still felt the coldness of space on her skin. No, not space. Despair. Diana had faced many foes over the years, and experienced profound loss, but never like this. Her mother was gone. Her immortal mother. Killed by a vile creature she hadn’t even met. The useless rage inside her was building, she knew. Soon, she would have to release it. But until then, she had a task before her to complete.

The Lansinarian craft she flew in had shaped itself into that of a graceful plane, propelling her through space through some unknown method of propulsion. The craft responded to her thoughts and flew in a smooth graceful arc from the Watchtower. She found it hard to maintain her concentration with thoughts of her mother rushing into her mind; she set a flight plan into the ship’s ‘mainframe’, and set it on autopilot. It arced towards the Pacific Ocean from orbit, shunting the heat of reentry effortlessly.

Diana couldn’t admit to herself what hurt the most. She had held the pride of the Gods themselves in believing that her Mother could and would live forever. She had ignored her mother, always thinking that there would be time later for reconciliation and the comfort that only a mother and daughter can know. She had disapproved of her mother taking the mantle of Wonder Woman on herself from the start, but had assumed that when she wielded her power as the Goddess of Truth months ago, she could look over her mother and protect her. How she wished she had that power now. She had been killed by Neron in Hell, and resurrected by Zeus himself as the Olympian Goddess of Truth. She had wielded ultimate power, the power of the Gods. Had she used that power to eradicate evil like Neron, obliterate his presence from existence? No, she had been told that as a God she had to hold back from meddling in the affairs of men. She had relinquished her power as a Goddess, and took again the mantle of Wonder Woman. Of course by then, Hippolyta had established herself as a Wonder Woman in her own right, having spent years in the past of the 1940’s fighting alongside the Justice Society due to a time travel accident. She had proven herself a hero. While she did return to the matters of ruling the Amazons in the present as their Queen, Hippolyta still couldn’t shake the thrill of battle off, and found herself battling again alongside the Justice Society in the present day.

Diana was furious at the thought that she hadn’t been there to protect her mother or fight alongside her. She would have moved Heaven and Earth to have been there in Hell watching her mother’s back. But she wasn’t, because of one overriding event.

The war.

Mongul and his hordes had invaded the Earth and been defeated by the world’s greatest and most powerful heroes. Prices had been paid. Lives had been lost. But humanity had prevailed.

Despite all that, however, Diana had still lost the most important person in the world to her.

The Justice Society of America had been summoned away in the midst of the events the media were now calling the Cold Armageddon Event. Diana had been trapped on the JLA Watchtower while the alien invasion had taken place, leaving other groups of heroes to handle the trouble. The Justice Society was busy handling Neron and the Anti-Monitor, but Superman, the Bad Blood, Supergirl, Firestorm, Wonder Girl, the Green Lanterns and more had taken all the aliens had to offer. Diana had been occupied on the Watchtower, and now realized she had more to blame on Mongul and his hordes. Her mother had died painfully and violently, with no one able to protect her.

Diana shook her head out her reverie, realizing that her ship (her ‘Invisible Plane’ as Kyle had jokingly referred to it) was approaching the coordinates she had programmed earlier. She took hold of the flight controls, and manually took the craft in.

Black clouds roiled out of nowhere, with thunder and lightning everywhere. The ocean below moved with immense tidal waves, the water dark as night. Such was the path to Themyscira, island of paradise and home to the Amazons.

Minutes went by, with the turbulence buffeting the plane. Diana instinctively knew the proper flight path to get to the island, but still found it difficult to navigate her plane. Normally, she flew here under own power, but eventually the skies seemed to relent and the rocking of the plane ceased. More minutes passed, and Diana found herself breaking the cloud cover into a beautiful sunny day. In the distance, gleaming like a jewel, was Themyscira.

Diana willed the plane to grow pontoons, and landed it near the shore. She hadn’t had much experience in flying aircraft before she obtained the Lansinarian ship, but the technology seemed to correct itself as she flew, adapting to her skills. She suspected that it even mentally taught her how to fly, but she had never been able to have J’onn J’onzz assist her with that investigation yet.

Diana disembarked from the cockpit, part of the craft stretching itself out to form a makeshift dock from the plane to the shore several feet away. Women dressed as centurions in full armor approached, with Phillipus, the captain of the Queen’s Guards, taking the lead.

“Greetings, Princess!”, welcomed Phillipus. “We were not expecting you. Do you bear our Queen with you?”

Diana looked back to Phillipus with teary eyes, and shared her news.

A period of mourning was declared on Themyscira, and for several days, the many women on the island took to the temples in prayer to their Gods. A service had been held near the Coast City Memorial with many of Earth’s heroes paying their respects. Another had been held in Washington where the rest of the planet were able to pay their respects, although it was as much a political event as a memorial one. Not since the invasion of Darkseid several years ago had the Amazons experienced a loss such as this. Their Queen was dead.

While the populace prayed and mourned, Diana sat in the Royal Chambers with Phillipus, Artemis and others of the Amazon High Council. The mood was quiet and somber. Artemis stood up.

“Our Queen is gone,” she said. “We all mourn her loss, but we must also think towards the future. The Amazons have no ruler. One of the weaknesses we as a society have faced is no proper succession to the throne. Yes, we are immortal, but as has been proven, even that is not reason to think we will live forever. We must select a new Queen.”

Commotion began in the assembled room. Arguments over who should rule were said, until Phillipus stood up and spoke authoritatively. “I think the suitable choice is obvious, my friends. The only choice is Diana.”

Everyone looked towards Diana, who looked surprised, but admitted to herself she had expected this. She had known it was coming, yet had pushed it out of her mind. Her as Queen? The mere thought of the title seemed as a weight on her shoulders unlike no other. She had a duty to Man’s World as its defender, and also a duty to the Amazons, in their time of need. But which duty was greater?

“I…I need to think on this,” said Diana. “This is all so sudden…perhaps the time is too soon to decide this.”

Artemis turned to face Diana. “With all due respect, Princess, we need a ruler to bring us all into focus. Hippolyta’s death has affected us all. The strands that connect our society must be brought taut once again.” Artemis turned her gaze on the others in the chamber. “Should Diana not accept, I nominate myself.”

A different kind of commotion began at those words. Diana thought that Artemis had matured and grown since her first forays into Man’s World when she had served as Wonder Woman during Diana’s absence for a short while, but thought her attitude was not that of a wise and just ruler. Perhaps Phillipus?

“As I said, I need to think on this,” said Diana. “I move we adjourn today and reconvene tomorrow.” Everyone nodded their assent, and got up to leave. Finally, only Diana and Artemis were left.

“Princess, you know I am right,” said Artemis. “The Amazons need a ruler, and with all due respect, we need one who will rule, and not play at the dalliances of Man’s World.”

Diana stood up, and proceeded to leave. “We’ll see, Artemis…we’ll see.”

That night, Diana walked along a stone path that led to the Garden of Heroes. Here, warriors who had fallen in the past were interred and memorialized. In the center of the Garden, was a large clay statue that had been completed earlier that day. It was an amazing likeness of Hippolyta, wearing a variation of the Wonder Woman uniform she wore in Man’s World and the battle armor she wore on Themyscira. Diana was at a loss. What should she do? What did her heart tell her?

“You are torn,” said a voice from behind Diana. She turned to face this new stranger, and instantly fell to her knees in obeisance.

Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, and Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt, stood before her, radiant in their godly glory.

“Rise, daughter,” said Artemis, namesake of Diana’s rival. “Meet us as equals.”

Diana stood up. She had faced many Gods in her day, but she still felt insignificant in their presence. These were two goddesses who were considered patron saints of the Amazons. “I can only assume your arrival here is to do with my mother’s passing, revered ones.”

Aphrodite smiled. “Yes, daughter. Your mother was respected like few have ever been in Olympus. Mighty Zeus sends his condolences, as do the others of our pantheon.” Aphrodite’s hand reached out to take Diana’s, and the instant they made contact, Diana found her painful grief ebb slightly.

“Your mother was a true warrior, Diana,” said Artemis. “The Amazons are the only mortals we have interacted with and sheltered as one of our own. Hippolyta led you all since your inception as Amazons those many millenia ago. You have only known one Queen. Now, you require another.”

Diana looked away briefly from the Goddesses. “Is there nothing that can be done? Can you not resurrect my mother? The Gods were kind enough to allow myself a second chance at life…can my mother not be spared as well? Surely Hades is not so dry of souls that my mother could not be returned to me? To the Amazons?” Her face showed such yearning that even the Goddesses showed a slight look of guilt and remorse.

“I am sorry, daughter,” said Artemis. “Your mother passed at her appropriate time. She died in battle, defending you and all other life. The evil she vanquished is such that to return her would be a bastardization of the good she accomplished. She left the mortal coil in a noble way. She must be allowed her rest. Trust us when we say this must be so, and that your mother’s soul is being looked after. She meant much to us all.”

“She was my mother, my friend,” said Diana, sadness returning to her in waves. “And she was my Queen. I—I had to ask.”

“Of course you did, daughter,” said Aphrodite. “We would expect no less. This is also why we have come now, when we knew you would be here, alone. Your mother has passed on, but your people need a Queen. They need a new leader. There are dark times ahead. The Amazons face a period of even greater loss, and even possibly greater triumph. A dark evil will return to plague you and yours. The Earth will face a darkness unlike any it has faced in eons, and the Amazons will be at the forefront of that war. The leader of the Amazons will be a key player in facing this evil.”

“You,” said Artemis, “Are that leader.”

The next day, the Ruling Council reconvened in the Chambers. Everyone was present, this time with Donna Troy, the Titan known as Troia, and Cassie Sandsmark, the newest bearer of the mantle of Wonder Girl. They all sat, discussing what was to come in the day’s discussions, when Diana walked in from the far entrance. Everyone was speechless.

Diana wore the ancient ceremonial battle armor her mother had worn in past times, complete with a fur lined cloak with stars along the edges, embroidered in the brightest gold and blue silk. She looked as much a warrior as a ruler.

“Diana?”, asked Artemis as Diana approached the table. She approached the seat at the head of the table where Artemis sat. Mysteriously, and to the surprise of all present, Artemis gave up the seat without a fight. That’s when everyone else noticed another difference in Diana’s dress. She was not wearing her golden tiara, but rather a variation of it crusted with jewels and golden embroidery. Diana’s eyes blazed with authority.

“Last night,” said Diana. “I was lost. I didn’t know where we as a society went from here. Then…an epiphany came to me. This is a role that only one person has been groomed for all her life. This is the role I was meant to take. And so, in honor of my mother and our former Queen, I hereby claim the throne by right of blood and lineage. Are there any who would challenge this claim?”

Everyone looked to Artemis in anticipation. Cassie whispered to Donna, “She’d better keep her mouth shut.” Donna quickly replied, “I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that.”

Artemis stood up. Everyone held their breath. “I think,” she said, “That the call should go forth. Let everyone rejoice…Queen Diana has come to lead us into the future!”

Everyone stood and cheered. It was not long until the whole of the island joined in the celebrations. Diana was no longer a princess. She was Queen of the Amazons.

Artemis, Aphrodite and another looked down onto Themyscira from their home on Mt. Olympus. They saw Diana formally accepting the mantle of Queen, and the celebration of the Amazons.

“She will do well,” said Aphrodite. “She is the leader they…and we…need in the upcoming war. The Oracle himself has proclaimed this.”

“Yes,” replied Artemis. “She will be a suitable Queen. As to how effective she will be in staving off total chaos and destruction from our adversary…only time, and not even we Gods, can tell.”

“She must prevail,” said the other cloaked figure from the shadows. He moved out into the light, revealing himself as. “If she fails, the fates of two universes will be in jeopardy. The Crisis was terrible, but the times ahead may yet eclipse that bloody battle. I fear the Anti-Monitor is not vanquished…and that alone is reason to fear.”

“Your role as Oracle is valued, Pariah,” said Artemis. “We all pray that your predictions end with this great evil vanquished.”

“Dark times are ahead,” agreed Pariah. “We must all prepare for the worst.”

Next Issue: Diana is now Queen of the Amazons…how does the rest of the world handle this news? What is the next step for the Amazons? And what does this mean for Diana’s role as Wonder Woman? All is revealed next issue, as well as the unveiling of Diana’s Royal Cabinet!