Steve Korté - Wonder Woman and the Villains of Myth

Few gods in Greek mythology were as destructive as Ares, the god of war. Ares was an angry and scheming god. He had many powers, including and the ability to change his appearance. He loved war and conflict, and was known as the god of battle frenzy, instead of strategy. No matter what, Ares always encouraged violence to resolve conflicts. His main goal was to see all of the humans on Earth plunged into warfare. He fought against the Greeks during the Trojan War, and delighted in the destruction on that battlefield for 10 long years.

In Wonder Woman , the Amazons learned that Ares was plotting to destroy all of humankind with a nuclear war. They sent Princess Diana to America to fight him. She trapped Ares within her Golden Lasso of Truth. It forced him to realize that his powers would actually decrease if he killed every human. Without human anger to help him grow stronger, Ares would grow weak and disappear. The war god was furious to be defeated by Wonder Woman. He vowed revenge against her and all of the Amazons.

FACT

Ares was known as Mars in Roman mythology.

UNLUCKY WAR GOD

Ares isnt the only war god in world mythology. Tyr was a noble god of war in Norse mythology. Although he liked bloodshed, he also represented order and justice. But Tyr had very bad luck with animals. A wolf bit off his right hand. Years later, Tyr died in the jaws of a giant dog.

immortality the ability to live forever

lore stories passed down over generations

Triton was the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. Triton lived with his father in a golden palace at the bottom of the ocean. He was a strong young man with a human upper body and a scaly fish tail. Although his father was a mighty god, Triton did not always behave . Sometimes, he attacked ships and robbed them of their treasures. Tritons most prized possession was a giant horn that was made out of a conch shell. He blew on his horn to announce the arrival of his father. The horn also had the power to cause fear in mortals and gods. One time, Triton fought and defeated a sailor who dared to challenge him in a horn-blowing contest. Triton then drowned his opponent!

Triton first met Wonder Woman when she was swimming in the waters that surrounded Themyscira, the island home of the Amazons. Triton tried to convince her to come live with him. He was interrupted by the arrival of young Prince Arthur from the underwater city of Atlantis. Arthur convinced Diana that Triton did not really love her, and he defeated Triton in a battle. After that, Triton plotted to Wonder Woman. He also vowed revenge on Prince Arthur, who would grow up to become the aquatic super hero Aquaman.

honorable good and deserving of praise

humiliate to make someone look or feel foolish or embarrassed

FACT

The worlds largest conch shells are known as Tritons trumpets. They can grow up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) long.

The worlds first , Ahriman heard his father say, The firstborn will be king. Ahriman then ripped his way free and tumbled into the world ahead of Ahura Mazda. After that, the twins were forever locked in a power struggle, symbolizing the conflict between good and evil.

In the legend of Wonder Woman, Ahriman killed his twin brother. Ahriman removed Ahura Mazdas heart and magically changed it into gold. Ahriman then moved to the United States and disguised himself as a gambler in the casinos of Las Vegas. Many years later, Wonder Woman discovered his secret identity. She forced him to bring Ahura Mazda back to life.

FACT

In Persian myth, the first man was named Gayomart. Ahura Mazda created him, and Ahriman killed him.

civilization an organized and advanced society

womb the hollow organ in female mammals that holds and nourishes a growing fetus, or baby

The Greek god Cronus had a long history of family problems. First, he forced his cruel father, Uranus who had been the ruler of the universe from the throne. Then a told Cronus that his own children would overthrow him. As a result, Cronus swallowed his first five children whole when they were born. But his wife tricked him with the sixth. She gave Cronus a rock wrapped in a blanket instead.

That sixth child was Zeus. When he grew up, he forced Cronus to vomit up his brothers and sisters. With their help and the aid of giants, lightning bolts, and an invisibility helmet Zeus defeated his father. Cronus was to Tartarus, which was the lowest level of the underworld known as Hades.

Princess Diana was born when her mother sculpted a child out of clay on Themyscira. The gods on Mount Olympus then brought that sculpture to life. Years later, Cronus was freed from the pits of Tartarus. He vowed revenge on the gods and the peace-loving Amazons. Cronus created his own daughter, Devastation, out of the same clay that formed Diana. Eventually, Devastation teamed up with her father to storm Mount Olympus and battle the gods. Wonder Woman defeated them and shattered the sharp blade that Cronus was carrying. It was the same blade that he had used to defeat his father, Uranus.

prophet a messenger of God, or a person who tells the future

banished sent away forever

HEAVY LOAD

The warrior Atlas made the mistake of leading the army of Cronus in the war against Zeus. After Zeus won the war, he made Atlas forever carry the enormous weight of the world and sky on his shoulders.

The war god Ares caused destruction throughout the world. Two of his most eager assistants were his sons, Deimos and Phobos. Deimos was the god of dread and terror. Phobos was the god of fear and panic. Whenever Ares traveled to a battlefield where mortal men were engaged in a war, Deimos and Phobos would join their father. Together, they would whip up a storm of fury that would make the men even more savage.

One of Wonder Womans most unusual partnerships occurred when she teamed up with Batman. It happened when Deimos and Phobos arrived in Gotham City, along with their sister, Eris, who was the goddess of . The three siblings took control of the bodies of the Scarecrow, the Joker, and Poison Ivy some of the Dark Knights worst enemies. Even worse, Phobos took control of Batmans mind. Wonder Woman helped Batman drive out the evil spirit of Phobos. Together, they defeated Ares children.