Artemis of Bana-Mighdall
Encyclopedia
Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is a fictional Amazon
superheroine, a comic book
character published by DC Comics
. She debuted in Wonder Woman
(vol. 2) #90 (September 1994), and was created by writer William Messner-Loebs
and artist Mike Deodato
.
as a member of the Egyptian tribe of Bana-Mighdall, who migrated from Greece
to various Europe
an and Middle East
ern countries before finally settling in Egypt
. Three thousand years ago, the two Amazon Queens (Hippolyta and Antiope) split the Amazon nation in two. Hippolyta's tribe traveled to the isolated island of Themyscira
(otherwise known as Paradise Island) to live immortal lives in order to protect the doorway to the Underworld called Doom's Doorway. Antiope's tribe was never given immortality and were forced to mate with common men in order to guarantee their tribe's survival over the centuries. As they had renounced their Olympian gods once the two Queens parted ways, they eventually began to assimilate various religions and goddesses from the many lands they traveled to. Some of those included the goddesses Isis
, Mammitu
, Bast
, and Neith
. It was in Egypt that they finally built the city of Bana-Mighdall, which in their language translates to "The Temple of Women". Thanking the Amazons for their worship, one of their new goddesses created a powerfully consistent sandstorm to surround and protect their city from any outsiders who could not be trusted, or "ariadnas". The Bana-Mighdallian Amazons eventually began an uneasy trade with outside cities in order to create commerce. They would exchange custom-made weapons and their warrior skills for goods and slaves for breeding.
as he launched a plan to decimate the world with stolen nuclear missiles acquired with the aid of a salvaged Bizarro
. After being defeated by Batman
- although her ability to hold her own against him when she was only fourteen was still impressive-, Artemis eventually turned against Ra's after leading him to Themyscira with the intention of allowing him to use it as a base, realising that she could not cause the deaths of her own people. She returned home after being inspired by a brief meeting with Superman
, opting to return to a life of relative tranquility.
Eventually Wonder Woman
found their city while searching for the villain The Cheetah
, who had stolen her golden Lasso of Truth
. As the Bana-Mighdallian's original Themyscirian language had changed over time to incorporate Middle Eastern dialects, Diana had a hard time communicating with the newly-found Amazons. Eventually a battle took place between her and the Bana-Mighdallian's chief warrior or Shim'Tar
. Soon an enraged Olympian god Hermes
, who was in love with Diana, took vengeance on the desert Amazons for attacking his beloved, and the city of Bana-Mighdall was destroyed. Homeless, the remaining Amazons eventually took up with the witch Circe
who was a nemesis of Wonder Woman. It was agreed that in exchange for their servitude during the events of the War of the Gods
Circe would grant them immortality and a new home to call their own. It was decided that since the Themyscirian princess was the initial cause of their city being destroyed, they would take over her Amazon city instead. Though only fourteen years of age at this time, Artemis spoke before the Queen and Council to protest the planned attack as she felt that Amazons must not war against each other. Her cries were ignored and the attack was undertaken.
s in order for both tribes to be destroyed. The two tribes put aside their rivalry temporarily and fought the demons in order to ensure the Amazon survival. Though only a few months passed in the real world, the time the Amazons spent in the demon dimension lasted ten years. Discovering that Circe had made her island home disappear, Wonder Woman forced her to return it to its rightful place. Once this was done Wonder Woman learned about the invasion, the demon war, and the Amazon truce. She eventually met Artemis who was now in her mid-20s. The two got off to a rocky start but Diana could see that Artemis' heart was true.
Due to being in the demon dimension, Queen Hippolyta began to see visions of the future. One of those visions included Wonder Woman dying. Keeping this to herself, she called for a new Contest for the title of Wonder Woman, claiming that she felt that Diana had proven inadequate in the role despite Diana's insistence that the world outside was more complicated than they had imagined. Initially excluding the new Amazons, Queen Hippolyta submitted to a vote on the whole to include them at Diana's behest. Through some mystical managing on Hippolyta's part, Artemis eventually won the Contest and became the new Wonder Woman. Hippolyta then declared to both tribes that she considered Artemis her own daughter for winning the Contest, and during her entire tenure as Wonder Woman Artemis wore Diana's tiara. As gifts to aid her in her new mission, Artemis was given several magical objects. The Gauntlet of Atlas
which increased its wearer's strength by ten times, The Sandals of Hermes
which gave the gift of speed and flight, and the golden Lasso of Truth
which forced anyone tied by it to speak only the truth.
Although Artemis tried diligently to distinguish herself from her predecessor in both New York City
and Boston, this proved to be rather hard to do. Her approach to various situations were often seen as more violent than beneficial. Because of this, and due to Man's World's respect of Diana, Artemis often would receive the cold shoulder from those she tried to help, extending even to her brief time in the Justice League
. Superman once commented to Diana that Batman
refused to allow Artemis to sit in Diana's chair during Justice League meetings. Diana's twin sister Donna Troy
even showed resentment toward Artemis carrying the Wonder Woman title, which caused their first meeting to escalate into a heated argument.
She later met a representative from a public relations company who agreed to help Artemis with her public likeability. What Artemis was not aware of was that the company, with the help of the White Magician, had set up several battles for her with superhuman men. However, she ultimately helped downtrodden groups such as immigrant workers and abused women. Once she uncovered this truth she set about to prove herself by single-handedly taking down Boston's biggest mob boss: Julianna Sazia. Unable to capture Julianna, Artemis destroyed her army of robots and Sazia's booby-trapped mansion. Later, Artemis' arrogance gained the better of her, and she died in a battle with the White Magician who gained extreme power while accidentally being transported to hell. Thus, Queen Hippolyta's vision of Wonder Woman dying came true.
After Artemis's death as Wonder Woman, her soul was sent to a form of hell
. While in the underworld Artemis became a figurative bride to one of the thirteen ruling Princes of Hell
named Dalkriig-Hath. As his bride Artemis became part of Dalkriig-Hath's legion of demonic warriors. Eventually Artemis was able to kill Dalkriig-Hath and regain access to the world of the living. Wanting to separate herself from her former title as Wonder Woman, Artemis used her skills learned in Tartarus
to her advantage and joined a group of demon hunting heroes called the Hellenders
. Based in Waverly, Pennsylvania
she was assigned the codename Javelin, which she quickly rejected for the name Requiem. Artemis developed a romantic interest in fellow Hellender Sure-Shot, a master of arsenal and projection weapons. This interest was dropped though when she discovered that Sure-Shot's perceived self-assuredness was brought on by psychotropic drugs
which were meant to keep various Hellender members fearless while battling the likes of demons and ghouls.
She also befriended a woman by the name of Henrietta Jessup, who went by the codename Sojourner. Though Sojourner did not have any warrior skills to speak of, Artemis stood by her friend and tutored her as a novice Amazon. For unknown reasons Artemis left the Hellenders and aided Diana in Gateway City as a fellow crime fighter. She also became close friends with Cassie Sandsmark. Artemis' previous teacher/mentor relationship with Sojourner was later expanded as Wonder Woman asked Artemis to take Cassie on as a new pupil. It was with Artemis' Amazon training lessons that Cassie was able to hone her skills in becoming the new Wonder Girl
. Later still, Artemis' teacher/mentor resume would expand even more to even include the combat training of Supergirl
. It was during the initial meeting with Supergirl that Artemis would gain her revenge against Batman
for his hostile attitude towards her when she attempted to join the Justice League. Artemis defeated Batman in hand-to-hand combat, but was eventually subdued with one of Batman's tranquilizer darts.
The underworld demon Belyllioth
, who served as master over some of the Myrmidon
demons, later contacted Artemis to inform her of an unrest in Tartarus. With the death of the demon Dalkriig-Hath, the remaining twelve princes of Hell were battling for dominion over the dead demon's realm. As Dalkriig-Hath's widow, Artemis was, by rights, next in line to rule his region of Hades. Artemis ended the demonic war by presenting herself before the twelve demon rulers to officially be granted her former husband's station. After the blessing ceremony was given, Artemis revealed that the blessing was actually given to Belyllioth, who was magically disguised in Artemis's form. Angered by her deception, the twelve princes of hell vowed vengeance against Artemis upon her return to Hades. Fortunately for Artemis, her devoted friend Belyllioth (now officially one of the thirteen rulers of Tartarus) has sworn her allegiance and protection to the Amazon for eternity.
During John Byrne's time on the Wonder Woman comic, he insinuated that Artemis previously had an affair with the New God
Kanto
. This fell out of established history as no prior connection of Artemis or the Amazons to Apokolips
had been established until Darkseid
's invasion of Themyscira shortly after Artemis' death. Because of this the only other time Artemis could have met Kanto would have been before the Banas invaded Paradise Island, leaving Artemis to be between infancy to fourteen years of age. Thus she would have been much too young to have had a relationship with the grown adult. Artemis also admitted in the Requiem series that she was still a virgin. further removing the Kanto/Artemis romance plot.
. She did this in the hopes of ending the war and to guide both tribes to peaceful negotiations. As Shim'Tar, Artemis battled Queen Hippolyta, who was acting as the newest Wonder Woman. During their battle, Artemis reminded Hippolyta that the Themyscirian queen was not given the armor of Wonder Woman out of honor, but rather as a punishment for causing the death of not only Artemis, but of her daughter Diana as well. Ultimately coming to her senses, Hippolyta finally forgave the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall for their previous transgressions, and joined her daughter Diana on the battlefield. Together Queen Hippolyta and Princess Diana renounced their crowns, leaving the island without a structured government in the hopes of ending the needless slaughter brought on by the war. They were successful, and Artemis and the Themyscirian General Philippus
were later voted to be co-rulers of the island. Philippus was given the title of Chancellor
and Archon
Eponym
ous, whereas Artemis was given the title of Polemarch
. It is explained that Archon Eponymous equates to the Civic Office of a Presidential title, whereas the position of Polemarch translates to War Leader, similar to the position of Commander-In-Chief
.
As co-ruler Artemis helped usher in a new age for the Amazons by inviting outworlders to commune on Themyscira. This included both Earth-bound peoples as well as alien races. Together with her people, Artemis learned about advanced alien technology and new battle skills. Unfortunately not all those contacted met the invitation warmly. The U.S. government posted warships along the U.S./Themyscira border. Later the American President, Jonathan Vincent Horne, called a meeting with Artemis, Philippus and Diana. He had his White House Chief of Staff
, Mr. Ables, inform them that the U.S. government would ease the blockade if the Amazons agreed to transfer blueprint
s on how to create their own Purple Ray
. The trio gave a firm "no" as an answer, telling the President that they feared the U.S. government would use the Purple Ray as a weapon. Because of this tensions between the two nations remained.
satellite
called Brother Eye, a military strike was made against Themyscira in an attempt at Amazon genocide
. A large swarm of OMAC units were sent to the island and began to attack the Amazons as part of the events of Infinite Crisis
. Because of this, as well as the many previous attacks against the island since Diana had become Wonder Woman, it was decided by Artemis and Philippus that the entire island of Themyscira and all of its inhabitants (sans Diana) would be transported to a hidden dimension via the Olympian and Bana-Mighdallian goddesses. Artemis and the remaining Amazons thrive in this dimension for a year's time in peace.
The witch Circe later entered the Amazons' protected dimension and revived Queen Hippolyta from death. Circe informed the Amazons that Diana was being illegally detained by the U.S. government and tortured until she gave them the secrets of the Purple Ray
. Because of this, the Amazons agreed to give Hippolyta her royal title back, and followed her instructions to invade Washington, D.C.
which brought about the events of Amazons Attack. Artemis and Philippus were assigned to oversee the battle, but soon lost faith in Hippolyta when they discovered some of her actions against Man's World proved to be less honorable. Due to their failure to follow-through in stopping Hippolyta during the war, a disguised Granny Goodness
cursed all of the Amazons by erasing their memories and scattering them across the globe with false personas. Under her false persona Artemis then is shown wearing civilian travel clothes near the Great Wall of China
.
With the return of the Olympian gods, Zeus revives the Amazon's memories several months after their memory wipes and has them return to Themyscira. Artemis is not shown to be part of the returning Amazons though. Instead, Artemis is kidnapped during her memory loss period by the slave leader Mr. Smyth. By the time her memory is returned to her she finds herself shackled, drugged and placed in a copy of her former Requiem costume. While she is his captive, Smyth drugs, tortures, and attempts to brainwash Artemis, which she is able to resist through force of will. She is freed by the sympathizing banshee
villain Jeannette
. Artemis then learns that she and other Amazons of Bana-Mighdall have been captured and sent to Smyth's Devil's Island by the U.S. government due to the war crimes they committed against the United States during the events of Amazons Attack. Despite this Artemis convinces several members of the mercenary team Secret Six
to aid her in also freeing her fellow Amazons. After this is accomplished Smyth is killed by a member of Secret Six before Artemis could exact her revenge upon him.
Once freed, Artemis and the remaining Amazons gathered their dead and were provided a magical transport back to Themyscira where they were greeted by Hippolyta and Philippus. Upon return of the island Artemis discovers the Amazons are now ruled by Achillies and the mad Amazon Alkyone. She takes immediate issue with Themyscira's newly structured monarchy. Artemis helps organize a party to dethrone Alkyone and is surprised to discover that Achilles and his people are more than willing to help in the coup
. The coup is successful and a new government structure is created for the island once again.
and arrow
s, but ranging from blade
s to automatic weapons
).
Artemis has eternal youth
which was provided by the witch Circe
. This form of immortality does not provide resistance from harm or even death. She possesses knowledge of low-level sorceries learned in the Underworld including:
s:
with the Roman Diana
. Editor Paul Kupperberg
characterized the two Wonder Women, Artemis and Diana, as "two sides of the same coin." This is not the first time that that naming device was used in Wonder Woman comics.
Artemis' appearance was influenced by two other comic book characters:
Amazons
The Amazons are a nation of all-female warriors in Greek mythology and Classical antiquity. Herodotus placed them in a region bordering Scythia in Sarmatia...
superheroine, a comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
character published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. She debuted in Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
(vol. 2) #90 (September 1994), and was created by writer William Messner-Loebs
William Messner-Loebs
William Messner-Loebs is an American comic book writer and artist from Michigan, also known as Bill Loebs and Bill Messner-Loebs...
and artist Mike Deodato
Mike Deodato
Mike Deodato , sometimes credited as Mike Deodato Jr., is the professional pseudonym of Brazilian comic book artist Deodato Taumaturgo Borges Filho.-Biography:...
.
Amazon tribe background
As described in her comic book appearances, Artemis was born an AmazonAmazons (comics)
The Amazons of DC Comics are a fictional all-female society of superhumans, based on the Amazons of Greek mythology. There have been three major incarnations of these Amazons, one before the Crisis, and two after. What two of these groups have in common is that they are the race which produced...
as a member of the Egyptian tribe of Bana-Mighdall, who migrated from Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
to various Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an and Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
ern countries before finally settling in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. Three thousand years ago, the two Amazon Queens (Hippolyta and Antiope) split the Amazon nation in two. Hippolyta's tribe traveled to the isolated island of Themyscira
Themyscira
Themyscira is a fictional island nation in the DC Comics universe that is the place of origin of Wonder Woman and her sister Amazons. Known as Paradise Island since Wonder Woman and the island's first appearance in All Star Comics #8 , it was renamed "Themyscira" with the character's February...
(otherwise known as Paradise Island) to live immortal lives in order to protect the doorway to the Underworld called Doom's Doorway. Antiope's tribe was never given immortality and were forced to mate with common men in order to guarantee their tribe's survival over the centuries. As they had renounced their Olympian gods once the two Queens parted ways, they eventually began to assimilate various religions and goddesses from the many lands they traveled to. Some of those included the goddesses Isis
Isis (DC Comics)
Isis is a DC Comics superhero, as well as a separate Egyptian goddess also living in the DC Universe. The recent superhero character is modeled closely after the main character of The Secrets of Isis, a live-action American Saturday Morning television program that served as the second half of The...
, Mammitu
Mamitu
In Mesopotamian mythology Mamitu was the goat-headed goddess of destiny, who decreed the fate of the new-borns. She was also worshipped as goddess of the oath, later a goddess of fate and a judge in the underworld, where she lives with the Anunnaku. She is occasionally regarded as a consort of...
, Bast
Bast (goddess)
Bastet is the name commonly used by scholars today to refer to a feline goddess of ancient Egyptian religion who was worshipped at least since the Second Dynasty...
, and Neith
Neith
In Egyptian mythology, Neith was an early goddess in the Egyptian pantheon. She was the patron deity of Sais, where her cult was centered in the Western Nile Delta of Egypt and attested as early as the First Dynasty...
. It was in Egypt that they finally built the city of Bana-Mighdall, which in their language translates to "The Temple of Women". Thanking the Amazons for their worship, one of their new goddesses created a powerfully consistent sandstorm to surround and protect their city from any outsiders who could not be trusted, or "ariadnas". The Bana-Mighdallian Amazons eventually began an uneasy trade with outside cities in order to create commerce. They would exchange custom-made weapons and their warrior skills for goods and slaves for breeding.
Enter: Artemis
Over the centuries the Bana-Mighdallian weapons and services became above par and were in much demand. This way of living continued until the late 20th century. It was into this period that Artemis was born. As a child, Artemis was raised in poverty among her tribe, running naked through barren hills and often hungry. By the time she was 10 years old she was trained to carry 50 lbs. packs silently across night battlefields. At one point in her teens she briefly left her people to find a new life in Man's World, allying with Ra's al GhulRa's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
as he launched a plan to decimate the world with stolen nuclear missiles acquired with the aid of a salvaged Bizarro
Bizarro
Bizarro is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman and first appeared in Superboy #68...
. After being defeated by Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
- although her ability to hold her own against him when she was only fourteen was still impressive-, Artemis eventually turned against Ra's after leading him to Themyscira with the intention of allowing him to use it as a base, realising that she could not cause the deaths of her own people. She returned home after being inspired by a brief meeting with Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, opting to return to a life of relative tranquility.
Eventually Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
found their city while searching for the villain The Cheetah
Cheetah (comics)
The Cheetah is a fictional character, a super-villainess appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Popularly regarded as the archenemy of Wonder Woman, the Cheetah first appeared in 1943 in Wonder Woman #6 , written by Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston...
, who had stolen her golden Lasso of Truth
Lasso of Truth
The Lasso of Truth is a fictional weapon wielded by DC Comics superheroine Wonder Woman, Princess Diana of Themyscira. It is usually referred to as the Magic Lasso or Golden Lasso and forces anyone it captures to obey and tell the truth....
. As the Bana-Mighdallian's original Themyscirian language had changed over time to incorporate Middle Eastern dialects, Diana had a hard time communicating with the newly-found Amazons. Eventually a battle took place between her and the Bana-Mighdallian's chief warrior or Shim'Tar
Shim'Tar
Shim'Tar is a fictional character owned by DC Comics and was created by writer George Pérez. According to the Wonder Woman comic book, the name Shim'Tar can also be a title given to the chief warrior of the fictional Bana-Mighdall tribe of Amazons....
. Soon an enraged Olympian god Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
, who was in love with Diana, took vengeance on the desert Amazons for attacking his beloved, and the city of Bana-Mighdall was destroyed. Homeless, the remaining Amazons eventually took up with the witch Circe
Circe (comics)
Circe is a fictional character, a villainous sorceress and a major adversary of Wonder Woman appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Based upon the Greek mythological character of the same name who imprisoned Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey, the comic book incarnation of Circe first...
who was a nemesis of Wonder Woman. It was agreed that in exchange for their servitude during the events of the War of the Gods
War of the Gods (comics)
War of the Gods was an American four-issue comic book mini-series published by DC Comics in 1991.Primarily centered on the character Wonder Woman, this storyline was intended to celebrate the character's 50th anniversary. It was written and drawn by George Pérez, who would leave the Wonder Woman...
Circe would grant them immortality and a new home to call their own. It was decided that since the Themyscirian princess was the initial cause of their city being destroyed, they would take over her Amazon city instead. Though only fourteen years of age at this time, Artemis spoke before the Queen and Council to protest the planned attack as she felt that Amazons must not war against each other. Her cries were ignored and the attack was undertaken.
Amazons united
During the attack on Themyscira, the witch Circe showed her true colors and teleported the island into a dimension of demonDemon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s in order for both tribes to be destroyed. The two tribes put aside their rivalry temporarily and fought the demons in order to ensure the Amazon survival. Though only a few months passed in the real world, the time the Amazons spent in the demon dimension lasted ten years. Discovering that Circe had made her island home disappear, Wonder Woman forced her to return it to its rightful place. Once this was done Wonder Woman learned about the invasion, the demon war, and the Amazon truce. She eventually met Artemis who was now in her mid-20s. The two got off to a rocky start but Diana could see that Artemis' heart was true.
Wonder Woman
Atlas (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Atlas was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa...
which increased its wearer's strength by ten times, The Sandals of Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
which gave the gift of speed and flight, and the golden Lasso of Truth
Lasso of Truth
The Lasso of Truth is a fictional weapon wielded by DC Comics superheroine Wonder Woman, Princess Diana of Themyscira. It is usually referred to as the Magic Lasso or Golden Lasso and forces anyone it captures to obey and tell the truth....
which forced anyone tied by it to speak only the truth.
Although Artemis tried diligently to distinguish herself from her predecessor in both New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Boston, this proved to be rather hard to do. Her approach to various situations were often seen as more violent than beneficial. Because of this, and due to Man's World's respect of Diana, Artemis often would receive the cold shoulder from those she tried to help, extending even to her brief time in the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
. Superman once commented to Diana that Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
refused to allow Artemis to sit in Diana's chair during Justice League meetings. Diana's twin sister Donna Troy
Donna Troy
Donna Troy is a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in The Brave and the Bold vol. 1 #60 , and was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani...
even showed resentment toward Artemis carrying the Wonder Woman title, which caused their first meeting to escalate into a heated argument.
She later met a representative from a public relations company who agreed to help Artemis with her public likeability. What Artemis was not aware of was that the company, with the help of the White Magician, had set up several battles for her with superhuman men. However, she ultimately helped downtrodden groups such as immigrant workers and abused women. Once she uncovered this truth she set about to prove herself by single-handedly taking down Boston's biggest mob boss: Julianna Sazia. Unable to capture Julianna, Artemis destroyed her army of robots and Sazia's booby-trapped mansion. Later, Artemis' arrogance gained the better of her, and she died in a battle with the White Magician who gained extreme power while accidentally being transported to hell. Thus, Queen Hippolyta's vision of Wonder Woman dying came true.
Requiem
Hell (DC Comics)
Hell is a fictional location, an infernal underworld utilized in titles published by DC Comics. It is the locational antithesis of the Silver City. The DC Comics location known as Hell is based heavily on its depiction in Judeo-Christian mythology...
. While in the underworld Artemis became a figurative bride to one of the thirteen ruling Princes of Hell
Hell (DC Comics)
Hell is a fictional location, an infernal underworld utilized in titles published by DC Comics. It is the locational antithesis of the Silver City. The DC Comics location known as Hell is based heavily on its depiction in Judeo-Christian mythology...
named Dalkriig-Hath. As his bride Artemis became part of Dalkriig-Hath's legion of demonic warriors. Eventually Artemis was able to kill Dalkriig-Hath and regain access to the world of the living. Wanting to separate herself from her former title as Wonder Woman, Artemis used her skills learned in Tartarus
Tartarus
In classic mythology, below Uranus , Gaia , and Pontus is Tartarus, or Tartaros . It is a deep, gloomy place, a pit, or an abyss used as a dungeon of torment and suffering that resides beneath the underworld. In the Gorgias, Plato In classic mythology, below Uranus (sky), Gaia (earth), and Pontus...
to her advantage and joined a group of demon hunting heroes called the Hellenders
Hellenders
The Hellenders are a fictional comic book superhero team owned by DC Comics and created by writer William Messner-Loebs.-Nathaniel:The Hellenders are a group of demon hunting superheroes led by a mysterious man who goes by the alias Nathaniel. The grandson of a well-known Methodist preacher,...
. Based in Waverly, Pennsylvania
Waverly, Pennsylvania
Waverly is a small unincorporated community in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in the late 18th century by settlers from Connecticut, along The Warriors' Path.- History :Waverly was originally called Abington Center...
she was assigned the codename Javelin, which she quickly rejected for the name Requiem. Artemis developed a romantic interest in fellow Hellender Sure-Shot, a master of arsenal and projection weapons. This interest was dropped though when she discovered that Sure-Shot's perceived self-assuredness was brought on by psychotropic drugs
Psychoactive drug
A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, or psychotropic is a chemical substance that crosses the blood–brain barrier and acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it affects brain function, resulting in changes in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behavior...
which were meant to keep various Hellender members fearless while battling the likes of demons and ghouls.
She also befriended a woman by the name of Henrietta Jessup, who went by the codename Sojourner. Though Sojourner did not have any warrior skills to speak of, Artemis stood by her friend and tutored her as a novice Amazon. For unknown reasons Artemis left the Hellenders and aided Diana in Gateway City as a fellow crime fighter. She also became close friends with Cassie Sandsmark. Artemis' previous teacher/mentor relationship with Sojourner was later expanded as Wonder Woman asked Artemis to take Cassie on as a new pupil. It was with Artemis' Amazon training lessons that Cassie was able to hone her skills in becoming the new Wonder Girl
Wonder Girl
Wonder Girl is the name of three fictional characters featured as superheroes in comic books and other media produced by DC Comics. The original was a younger version of Wonder Woman...
. Later still, Artemis' teacher/mentor resume would expand even more to even include the combat training of Supergirl
Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)
Kara Zor-El is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and related media, created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino. As Supergirl, Kara Zor-El serves as the biological cousin and female counterpart to DC Comic's iconic superhero Superman, created...
. It was during the initial meeting with Supergirl that Artemis would gain her revenge against Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
for his hostile attitude towards her when she attempted to join the Justice League. Artemis defeated Batman in hand-to-hand combat, but was eventually subdued with one of Batman's tranquilizer darts.
The underworld demon Belyllioth
Belyllioth
Belyllioth is a fictional demon published by DC Comics. She debuted in Artemis: Requiem #1 , and was created by William Messner-Loebs and Ed Benes.-Fictional character biography:...
, who served as master over some of the Myrmidon
Myrmidons
The Myrmidons or Myrmidones were legendary people of Greek history. They were very brave and skilled warriors commanded by Achilles, as described in Homer's Iliad. Their eponymous ancestor was Myrmidon, a king of Thessalian Phthia, who was the son of Zeus and "wide-ruling" Eurymedousa, a...
demons, later contacted Artemis to inform her of an unrest in Tartarus. With the death of the demon Dalkriig-Hath, the remaining twelve princes of Hell were battling for dominion over the dead demon's realm. As Dalkriig-Hath's widow, Artemis was, by rights, next in line to rule his region of Hades. Artemis ended the demonic war by presenting herself before the twelve demon rulers to officially be granted her former husband's station. After the blessing ceremony was given, Artemis revealed that the blessing was actually given to Belyllioth, who was magically disguised in Artemis's form. Angered by her deception, the twelve princes of hell vowed vengeance against Artemis upon her return to Hades. Fortunately for Artemis, her devoted friend Belyllioth (now officially one of the thirteen rulers of Tartarus) has sworn her allegiance and protection to the Amazon for eternity.
During John Byrne's time on the Wonder Woman comic, he insinuated that Artemis previously had an affair with the New God
New Gods
The New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comic books about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby....
Kanto
Kanto (comics)
Kanto is a fictional extraterrestrial assassin published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Mister Miracle vol. 1 #7 , and was created by Jack Kirby...
. This fell out of established history as no prior connection of Artemis or the Amazons to Apokolips
Apokolips
In the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....
had been established until Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
's invasion of Themyscira shortly after Artemis' death. Because of this the only other time Artemis could have met Kanto would have been before the Banas invaded Paradise Island, leaving Artemis to be between infancy to fourteen years of age. Thus she would have been much too young to have had a relationship with the grown adult. Artemis also admitted in the Requiem series that she was still a virgin. further removing the Kanto/Artemis romance plot.
Shim'Tar
After some time, Artemis returned to Themyscira to aid her Amazon sisters in the uneasy living conditions they continued to work in due to lingering animosities between the two tribes. Civil war eventually broke out between the two groups of Amazons, leaving Artemis to take up the title of her tribe's chief warrior, or Shim'TarShim'Tar
Shim'Tar is a fictional character owned by DC Comics and was created by writer George Pérez. According to the Wonder Woman comic book, the name Shim'Tar can also be a title given to the chief warrior of the fictional Bana-Mighdall tribe of Amazons....
. She did this in the hopes of ending the war and to guide both tribes to peaceful negotiations. As Shim'Tar, Artemis battled Queen Hippolyta, who was acting as the newest Wonder Woman. During their battle, Artemis reminded Hippolyta that the Themyscirian queen was not given the armor of Wonder Woman out of honor, but rather as a punishment for causing the death of not only Artemis, but of her daughter Diana as well. Ultimately coming to her senses, Hippolyta finally forgave the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall for their previous transgressions, and joined her daughter Diana on the battlefield. Together Queen Hippolyta and Princess Diana renounced their crowns, leaving the island without a structured government in the hopes of ending the needless slaughter brought on by the war. They were successful, and Artemis and the Themyscirian General Philippus
Philippus
Philippus is a fictional character owned by DC Comics. She made her first appearance in February 1987 as an Amazon character in the Wonder Woman comic book...
were later voted to be co-rulers of the island. Philippus was given the title of Chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
and Archon
Archon
Archon is a Greek word that means "ruler" or "lord", frequently used as the title of a specific public office. It is the masculine present participle of the verb stem ἀρχ-, meaning "to rule", derived from the same root as monarch, hierarchy, and anarchy.- Ancient Greece :In ancient Greece the...
Eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous, whereas Artemis was given the title of Polemarch
Polemarch
A polemarch was a senior military title in various ancient Greek city states . The title is composed out of the polemos and archon and translates as "warleader" or "warlord", one of the nine archontes appointed annually in Athens...
. It is explained that Archon Eponymous equates to the Civic Office of a Presidential title, whereas the position of Polemarch translates to War Leader, similar to the position of Commander-In-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
.
White House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
, Mr. Ables, inform them that the U.S. government would ease the blockade if the Amazons agreed to transfer blueprint
Blueprint
A blueprint is a type of paper-based reproduction usually of a technical drawing, documenting an architecture or an engineering design. More generally, the term "blueprint" has come to be used to refer to any detailed plan....
s on how to create their own Purple Ray
Purple Ray
The Purple Ray is a fictional healing device featured in the Wonder Woman comics.-Pre-Crisis:Prior to the comic book storyline Crisis on Infinite Earths, Diana invented the Purple Ray in order to heal Steve Trevor from injuries he sustained when his plane was shot down and he was left adrift in the...
. The trio gave a firm "no" as an answer, telling the President that they feared the U.S. government would use the Purple Ray as a weapon. Because of this tensions between the two nations remained.
Amazon disappearance
Through the machinations of an A.I.Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
called Brother Eye, a military strike was made against Themyscira in an attempt at Amazon genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
. A large swarm of OMAC units were sent to the island and began to attack the Amazons as part of the events of Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
. Because of this, as well as the many previous attacks against the island since Diana had become Wonder Woman, it was decided by Artemis and Philippus that the entire island of Themyscira and all of its inhabitants (sans Diana) would be transported to a hidden dimension via the Olympian and Bana-Mighdallian goddesses. Artemis and the remaining Amazons thrive in this dimension for a year's time in peace.
The witch Circe later entered the Amazons' protected dimension and revived Queen Hippolyta from death. Circe informed the Amazons that Diana was being illegally detained by the U.S. government and tortured until she gave them the secrets of the Purple Ray
Purple Ray
The Purple Ray is a fictional healing device featured in the Wonder Woman comics.-Pre-Crisis:Prior to the comic book storyline Crisis on Infinite Earths, Diana invented the Purple Ray in order to heal Steve Trevor from injuries he sustained when his plane was shot down and he was left adrift in the...
. Because of this, the Amazons agreed to give Hippolyta her royal title back, and followed her instructions to invade Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
which brought about the events of Amazons Attack. Artemis and Philippus were assigned to oversee the battle, but soon lost faith in Hippolyta when they discovered some of her actions against Man's World proved to be less honorable. Due to their failure to follow-through in stopping Hippolyta during the war, a disguised Granny Goodness
Granny Goodness
Granny Goodness is a fictional character, a deity and supervillain published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, Granny Goodness was modeled on comedienne Phyllis Diller and first appeared in Mister Miracle vol...
cursed all of the Amazons by erasing their memories and scattering them across the globe with false personas. Under her false persona Artemis then is shown wearing civilian travel clothes near the Great Wall of China
Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups...
.
With the return of the Olympian gods, Zeus revives the Amazon's memories several months after their memory wipes and has them return to Themyscira. Artemis is not shown to be part of the returning Amazons though. Instead, Artemis is kidnapped during her memory loss period by the slave leader Mr. Smyth. By the time her memory is returned to her she finds herself shackled, drugged and placed in a copy of her former Requiem costume. While she is his captive, Smyth drugs, tortures, and attempts to brainwash Artemis, which she is able to resist through force of will. She is freed by the sympathizing banshee
Banshee
The banshee , from the Irish bean sí is a feminine spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld....
villain Jeannette
Jeannette (comics)
Jeannette is a fictional character in the . She first appeared in Secret Six #3 , and was created by Gail Simone and Nicola Scott.-Publication history:...
. Artemis then learns that she and other Amazons of Bana-Mighdall have been captured and sent to Smyth's Devil's Island by the U.S. government due to the war crimes they committed against the United States during the events of Amazons Attack. Despite this Artemis convinces several members of the mercenary team Secret Six
Secret Six (comics)
The Secret Six is the name of three different fictional comic book teams in the , plus an alternate universe's fourth team. Each team has had six members, led by a mysterious figure named Mockingbird, whom the characters assume to be one of the other five members.-Original Secret Six:The Secret Six...
to aid her in also freeing her fellow Amazons. After this is accomplished Smyth is killed by a member of Secret Six before Artemis could exact her revenge upon him.
Once freed, Artemis and the remaining Amazons gathered their dead and were provided a magical transport back to Themyscira where they were greeted by Hippolyta and Philippus. Upon return of the island Artemis discovers the Amazons are now ruled by Achillies and the mad Amazon Alkyone. She takes immediate issue with Themyscira's newly structured monarchy. Artemis helps organize a party to dethrone Alkyone and is surprised to discover that Achilles and his people are more than willing to help in the coup
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
. The coup is successful and a new government structure is created for the island once again.
Powers and abilities
Artemis has peak human level strength, speed and reflexes. She is a master hand-to-hand fighter combining many assimilated fighting techniques and is a weapons expert in both the use and manufacturing of weapons (favoring bowBow (weapon)
The bow and arrow is a projectile weapon system that predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.-Description:A bow is a flexible arc that shoots aerodynamic projectiles by means of elastic energy. Essentially, the bow is a form of spring powered by a string or cord...
and arrow
Arrow
An arrow is a shafted projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.An arrow usually consists of a shaft with an arrowhead attached to the front end, with fletchings and a nock at the other.- History:...
s, but ranging from blade
Blade
A blade is that portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with a cutting edge and/or a pointed tip that is designed to cut and/or puncture, stab, slash, chop, slice, thrust, or scrape animate or inanimate surfaces or materials...
s to automatic weapons
Automatic firearm
An automatic firearm is a firearm that loads another round mechanically after the first round has been fired.The term can be used to refer to semi-automatic firearms, which fire one shot per single pull of the trigger , or fully automatic firearms, which will continue to load and fire ammunition...
).
Artemis has eternal youth
Eternal youth
Eternal youth is the concept of human physical immortality free of aging. The youth referred to is usually meant to be in contrast to the depredations of aging, rather than a specific age of the human lifespan....
which was provided by the witch Circe
Circe (comics)
Circe is a fictional character, a villainous sorceress and a major adversary of Wonder Woman appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Based upon the Greek mythological character of the same name who imprisoned Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey, the comic book incarnation of Circe first...
. This form of immortality does not provide resistance from harm or even death. She possesses knowledge of low-level sorceries learned in the Underworld including:
- Self-TransmogrificationShapeshiftingShapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
, using the phrase "Punji Baal T'Alemi Dar Baharin" to change into another person/creature and then saying the spell backward to return to her true form. This requires a lot of one's life forceLife forceLife force is a concept of spiritual energy.Life force may also refer to:* Life Force , the American version of the arcade game Salamander* Lifeforce , a 1985 science fiction-horror film...
energy. - Spell Reversal, which she used to transform demonically transformed were-creatures back into their human forms.
- Demonic Sensing, allowing her to know when a demon is masking their appearance as that of a human.
Weapons
While wearing the Gauntlet of Atlas Artemis' strength is increased 10 times her normal level. Using the Sandals of Hermes Artemis possesses the ability to fly and run at high speeds. The Armor of Shim'Tar provides limited invulnerability and other unknown magical traits.The Morrígan's Timeline
- At one point in the comics an unrevealed god goes into the past and slaughters the majority of the world's Amazons, including Artemis. In this new timeline the trinity goddess The Morrígan revive Artemis from death, claiming her to be one of the HysminaiHysminaiThe Hysminai are figures in Greek mythology. Descendants of Eris, they are personifications of battle. Quintus Smyrnaeus wrote of them in Book V of the Fall of Troy in a passage translated by Arthur Way:Around them hovered the relentless Fates;...
. The waters of the Underworld provided the following: AcheronAcheronThe Acheron is a river located in the Epirus region of northwest Greece. It flows into the Ionian Sea in Ammoudia, near Parga.-In mythology:...
cleased the pain of death, CocytusCocytusCocytus or Kokytos, meaning "the river of wailing" , is a river in the underworld in Greek mythology. Cocytus flows into the river Acheron, across which dwells the underworld, the mythological abode of the dead. There are five rivers encircling Hades...
aided lamentation, PhlegethonPhlegethonIn Greek mythology, the river Phlegethon or Pyriphlegethon was one of the five rivers in the infernal regions of the underworld, along with the rivers Styx, Lethe, Cocytus, and Acheron...
burned away all love, LetheLetheIn Greek mythology, Lethe was one of the five rivers of Hades. Also known as the Ameles potamos , the Lethe flowed around the cave of Hypnos and through the Underworld, where all those who drank from it experienced complete forgetfulness...
wiped all memories, and StyxStyxIn Greek mythology the Styx is the river that forms the boundary between the underworld and the world of the living, as well as a goddess and a nymph that represents the river.Styx may also refer to:-Popular culture:...
filled her spirit with hate. She is then said to be an avatar to the dark goddess AlectoAlectoAlecto is one of the Erinyes in Greek mythology. According to Hesiod, she was the daughter of Gaea fertilized by the blood spilled from Uranus when Cronus castrated him. She is the sister of Tisiphone and Megaera...
, and is sent by the goddesses to find the remaining Amazons and their princess in order to seek revenge for leaving her body on the battlefield. After several skirmishes, Diana is eventually able to remove the war goddesses' influence on Artemis by using the Lasso of TruthLasso of TruthThe Lasso of Truth is a fictional weapon wielded by DC Comics superheroine Wonder Woman, Princess Diana of Themyscira. It is usually referred to as the Magic Lasso or Golden Lasso and forces anyone it captures to obey and tell the truth....
. Once this happens, Artemis resumes her place as one of Diana's Amazon subjects. She ultimately dies against her former goddesses defending Diana.
Flashpoint
- In an alternate timeline referred to as FlashpointFlashpoint (comics)Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
, Artemis is the personal bodyguard for Hippolyta's sister Penthesileia. Penthesileia is upset by the upcoming wedding between Wonder Woman and AquamanAquamanAquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
. She conspires with Aquaman's brother Ocean MasterOcean MasterThe Ocean Master is a fictional supervillain published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Aquaman #29 , and was created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy.-Pre-Crisis:...
to stop it from happening. Penthesileia orders Artemis to disguise herself in GarthGarth (comics)Garth is a fictional character, a superhero in publications from DC Comics, originally known as Aqualad, and later known by the codename Tempest. As Aqualad, he is the teen sidekick and protege to his guardian, the super-hero known as Aquaman, bearing the same super-abilities as his mentor that...
's armor in order to murder Wonder Woman on the wedding day. Hippolyta however stops the assassination from happening by blocking the attack. This ultimately kills Hippolyta in the process. Artemis is caught by Garth wearing his armor. She quickly defeats him and uses his unconscious body to frame him for the murder. Aquaman and the Atlanteans then visit Themyscira to negotiate for peace, while Artemis has bombs dropped on Themyscira. Later, Artemis joins the Amazons in conquering the United Kingdom, renaming it New Themyscira. During this same period, Artemis attempts to kill the resistance movement member Lois LaneLois LaneLois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
. Although, Lois is rescued by Resistance member Britannia using the smoke grenades to escape, Britannia is seriously wounded by Artemis. Later, when Artemis and the FuriesFemale FuriesThe Female Furies are a group of fictional women warriors appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Mister Miracle #6 , and were created by Jack Kirby.-Team history:...
battle the Resistance, Artemis follows Lois and Britannia in WestminsterWestminsterWestminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
's lair. She hits Britannia in the back with an arrow. When Lois prevents her attack, Artemis grabs her and attempts to kill her, but Britannia is able to reach her armour and kills Artemis by flying through her body, tearing it in half and saving Lois.
Movies
- Artemis appears in the direct-to-videoDirect-to-videoDirect-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
animated film Wonder WomanWonder Woman (film)Wonder Woman is a 2009 direct-to-video animated film focusing on the superheroine Wonder Woman. The plot of the film is loosely based on George Pérez' reboot of the character, specifically the "Gods and Mortals" arc that started the character's second volume in 1987. It is the fourth in the line of...
, released March 3, 2009. She is voiced by actress Rosario DawsonRosario DawsonRosario Isabel Dawson is an American actress, singer, and writer. She has appeared in films such as Kids, Men in Black II, 25th Hour, Sin City, Clerks II, Rent, Death Proof, The Rundown, Eagle Eye, Alexander, Seven Pounds, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Unstoppable.-Early...
. This version of Artemis is depicted as a Themyscirian Amazon who fought beside Queen Hippolyta in ancient Greece. At one point Hippolyta states that Artemis was the fiercest Amazon warrior of that time. Once they are given immortal lives on Paradise Island, Artemis' warrior skills are surpassed by Hippolyta's daughter Diana. As an adult, Diana is able to continually defeat Artemis in sparring lessons. When a contest is held to determine which Amazon is strong enough to escort Steve TrevorSteve TrevorSteve Trevor is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics, as the primary love interest of Wonder Woman. He first appeared in All Star Comics #8 .-Golden Age:...
back to Man's World, Queen Hippolyta assigns Artemis to coordinate the event. No explanation is provided as to why Artemis does not participate in the Contest herself. Also, the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall are never mentioned in the film. - Artemis appears in the 2010 animated film Superman/Batman: ApocalypseSuperman/Batman: ApocalypseSuperman/Batman: Apocalypse is a 2010 direct-to-video animated film based on the Superman/Batman comic storyline "The Supergirl from Krypton" and is a sequel to Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. The art style is partly based on that of Michael Turner, who penciled the Superman/Batman comic book arc...
with actress Rachel Quaintance providing the uncredited character's voice. In the film Artemis is shown sparring with SupergirlSupergirl (Kara Zor-El)Kara Zor-El is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and related media, created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino. As Supergirl, Kara Zor-El serves as the biological cousin and female counterpart to DC Comic's iconic superhero Superman, created...
to better improve her hand-to-hand fighting skills. The training session is interrupted by SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
once the Amazon gets an upper hand, to which Artemis warns Superman not to lay a hand on her again. Artemis is shown again leading the Amazons in battle against an army of DoomsdayDoomsday (comics)Doomsday is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman: The Man of Steel #18 , and was created by writer-artist Dan Jurgens. IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Doomsday as #46...
beasts and shows appreciation toward Superman who saves her. In her final appearance Artemis is shown in the Amazon's battle arena showing attention as SupergirlSupergirlSupergirl is a female counterpart to the DC Comics Superman. As his cousin, she shares his super powers and vulnerability to Kryptonite. She was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino in 1959. She first appeared in the Action Comics comic book series and later branched out...
makes her debut in her official red and blue caped costume.
Games
- Artemis makes a cameo appearance as a non-playable character on the 2008 game Mortal Kombat vs. DC UniverseMortal Kombat vs. DC UniverseMortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is a crossover fighting game from Midway Games and Warner Bros. Games. The eighth game in the Mortal Kombat series, MK vs. DC was released on November 16, . MK vs. DC contains characters from both the Mortal Kombat franchise and the DC Universe...
. - Artemis also appears in the CryptoLogicCryptologicCryptologic can refer to:*CryptoLogic Inc, a provider of online gambling software*Cryptography, the study of message secrecy....
produced slot machineSlot machineA slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
game Wonder Woman. The game debuted in December 2009 at InterCasino.com.
Books
Mentions in written work:- Wonder Woman: Gods and Goddesses by John Byrne (September 1998) Prima LifestylesCrown Publishing Group-External links:*...
- How to Draw Wonder Woman by John Delaney (September 1998) Walter Foster Publishing
- Wonder Woman: The Life and Times of the Amazon Princess by Les DanielsLes DanielsLeslie Noel Daniels III, known as Les Daniels was an American writer.-Background:He attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he wrote his master's thesis on Frankenstein, and he worked as a musician and as a journalist.-Career:He was the author of five novels featuring the...
(2011) Chronicle BooksChronicle BooksChronicle Books is a San Francisco-based American publisher of books for adults and children.The company was established in 1968 by Phelps Dewey, an executive with Chronicle Publishing Company, then-publisher of the San Francisco Chronicle. In 1999 it was bought by Nion McEvoy, great-grandson of...
. Later re-issued as Wonder Woman: The Complete History in April 2004. - Wonder Woman: The Ultimate Guide to the Amazon Princess by Scott BeattyScott BeattyScott Beatty is an American author who has written comic books and encyclopaedias based on DC Comics characters.-Biography:Beatty has worked extensively for the popular comic book publisher DC Comics since the mid '90s...
(November 2003) DK PublishingDorling KindersleyDorling Kindersley is an international publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 51 languages. It is currently part of the Penguin Group.... - The Ultimate Wonder Woman Sticker Book by Alastair Dougall (November 2003) DK PublishingDorling KindersleyDorling Kindersley is an international publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 51 languages. It is currently part of the Penguin Group....
- Wonder Woman by S. D. PerryS. D. PerryStephani Danelle Perry is a novelist living in Portland, Oregon. She is the daughter of writer Steve Perry.S. D...
and Britta Dennison (January 2009) Pocket Star PublishingPocket BooksPocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.- History :Pocket produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in America in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing industry... - Unbound: A Devotional Anthology for Artemis by Bibliotheca AlexandrinaBibliotheca AlexandrinaThe Bibliotheca Alexandrina or Maktabat al-Iskandarīyah is a major library and cultural center located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in the Egyptian city of Alexandria...
(May 2009) CreateSpace - Wonder Woman: Amazon. Hero. Icon. by Bob GreenbergerRobert GreenbergerRobert "Bob" Greenberger known for his work as an editor for Comics Scene, Starlog Press and Weekly World News, as well as holding executive positions at both Marvel Comics and DC Comics. He is also an elected office holder in his home of Fairfield, Connecticut.-Early life:Greenberger was born in...
. Foreword by George PérezGeorge PérezGeorge Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...
. (April 2010) Universe Books - The Essential Wonder Woman Encyclopedia by Phil JimenezPhil JimenezPhil Jimenez is an American comic book writer, artist and penciller, known for his work as writer/artist on Wonder Woman from 2000 to 2003, as one of the five pencilers of the 2005-2006 miniseries Infinite Crisis, and his collaborations with writer Grant Morrison on New X-Men and The...
and John WellsJohn WellsJohn Wells may refer to:People* John C. Wells , British linguist, phonetician and Esperantist* Jonathan Wells , real name John Corrigan Wells...
(April 2010) Del Rey BooksDel Rey BooksDel Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House and, in turn since 1998, by Bertelsmann AG. It is a separate imprint established in 1977 under the editorship of author Lester del Rey and his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. It specializes in science fiction and fantasy...
Graphic novels
Artemis' stories are collected in several graphic novelGraphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
s:
- TrinityBatman/Superman/Wonder Woman: TrinityBatman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity is a three issue comic book limited series published by DC Comics in 2003. Written and drawn by Matt Wagner, the series focused on the first meeting and first alliance between DC's Trinity: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman...
: Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman #1-3 by Matt WagnerMatt WagnerMatt Wagner is an American comic book writer and artist, best known as the creator of the series Mage and Grendel.-Career:... - The ContestThe Contest (DC Comics)The Contest is a comic book story arc that occurred in 1994 written by William Messner-Loebs and drawn by Mike Deodato. It compiled a segment of the second volume of the DC Comics Wonder Woman comic book from issues 90 through 93 and issue 0 into a collected book edition.-Two tribes:After...
: Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #90-93 & #0 - The Challenge of ArtemisThe Challenge of ArtemisThe Challenge of Artemis is a comic book story arc that occurred in 1995 written by William Messner-Loebs and drawn by Mike Deodato. It compiled a segment of the second volume of the DC Comics Wonder Woman comic book from issues 94 through 100 into a collected book edition.-A new Wonder Woman:After...
: Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #94-100 - Requiem: Artemis: Requiem #1-6
- Paradise LostParadise Lost (disambiguation)Paradise Lost is an epic Christian poem by John Milton.Paradise Lost may also refer to:-Other literature:*Paradise Lost ISBN 0-380-80469-7, a book by J. A...
: Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #164-170 & Wonder Woman Secret Files #2 - Paradise Found: Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #171-177 & Wonder Woman Secret Files #3
- Down to EarthDown to Earth- Media :* Down to Earth , an Indian science and environment magazine* Down to Earth , a 1999 non-fiction book by Tim Winton and Richard Woldendorp* Down to Earth , a 1983–1987 television series...
: Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #195-200 - Bitter Rivals: Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #201-205
- Eyes of the Gorgon: Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #206-213
- Land of the Dead: Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #214-217 and The Flash (vol. 2) #219
- Secret Six: DepthSecret Six (comics)The Secret Six is the name of three different fictional comic book teams in the , plus an alternate universe's fourth team. Each team has had six members, led by a mysterious figure named Mockingbird, whom the characters assume to be one of the other five members.-Original Secret Six:The Secret Six...
: "Secret Six" #8-14
Toys
- In 1999 Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
released the Heroes of the DC Universe 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzleJigsaw puzzleA jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of numerous small, often oddly shaped, interlocking and tessellating pieces.Each piece usually has a small part of a picture on it; when complete, a jigsaw puzzle produces a complete picture...
designed exclusively for their Warner Bros. Studio Stores. The puzzle depicts a large array of DC Comics characters, including Artemis dressed in her green and white Requiem costume. Original retail price: $12. - On March 14, 2001 DC DirectDC DirectDC Direct is the collectibles division of DC Comics, the Time Warner subsidiary that publishes comic books and licenses characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, Batgirl and Hawkgirl. DC Direct produces statues, props, replicas and prints for the direct market, a...
released an action figure of Artemis as part of their Amazons and Adversaries line. She is depicted in a green and black uniform given to her during writer Eric LukeEric Luke-Film:Eric Luke began his career in film writing. Previous film work included: Explorers for Paramount Pictures, co-plotting the Gargoyles pilot five-parter for The Walt Disney Company, numerous screenplays for MGM and others, and also wrote and directed the latter two films in the Not Quite Human...
's time on the Wonder Woman comic book. The figure stands 6.25" tall and includes the accessories: a bow, quiver, and a sword. - In 2007 an Artemis figure was produced for the HeroClixHeroClixHeroClix is a collectible miniatures game that uses the Clix system. Originally designed and produced by WizKids, it is now owned and marketed by NECA. Players construct teams of comic book heroes, villains, and other characters from popular video games such as Street Fighter, Gears of War, and Halo...
line of toys. She is depicted in the Wonder Woman uniform while in mid-flight shooting her bow and arrow. The toy includes a collectible stats card, which tells a little more about Artemis' background and her power and ability levels. - In October 2008 MattelMattelMattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
released an Artemis variant action figure as part of their DC Universe ClassicsDC Universe ClassicsDC Universe Classics is an action figure toyline, a sub-line of the DC Universe toy brand manufactured by Mattel. These are 6-inch scale figures based on characters owned by DC Comics...
line of toys. She is shown wearing her Wonder Woman costume complete with bow and arrows. - On November 10, 2010 a limited edition PVCPVCPolyvinyl chloride is a plastic.PVC may also refer to:*Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military honor*Peripheral venous catheter, a small, flexible tube placed into a peripheral vein in order to administer medication or fluids...
Artemis statue was released by DC DirectDC DirectDC Direct is the collectibles division of DC Comics, the Time Warner subsidiary that publishes comic books and licenses characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, Batgirl and Hawkgirl. DC Direct produces statues, props, replicas and prints for the direct market, a...
as part of their Ame-Comi line. The figure is a repaintRepaintA repaint is a toy that was created entirely from a mold was previously available, however the colors of the plastic and/or the paint operations have been changed...
of a previous Wonder Woman statue designed by Dustin Nguyen and sculpted by Jack Mathews. The statue stands 9.5 inches tall and is depicted wearing a modified version of the Wonder Woman costume but with green and silver coloring. She also comes with a sword, shield and stand. Original retail price: $60. - In 2010 the Tonner Doll Company, Inc.Tonner Doll Company, Inc.Tonner Doll Company, Inc. is a collectible doll design and distribution company located in Hurley, New York. Founded by Robert Tonner in 1991, Tonner Doll designs and markets original doll lines as well as a number of licensed dolls for movies such as Harry Potter, Spider-Man 3, and Twilight...
released a 13 inch tall limited edition vinyl Artemis doll at the New York Comic Con. The doll's run was limited to 200 pieces, with the remaining unsold dolls made available at the Tonner website. The doll was offered at $139.99 at the New York Comic Con and offered at $149.99 via the website.
Comic book inspiration
Artemis' name is an intentional reference to the syncretic identification of the Greek ArtemisArtemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
with the Roman Diana
Diana (mythology)
In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy...
. Editor Paul Kupperberg
Paul Kupperberg
Paul Kupperberg is a former editor for DC Comics, and a prolific writer of comic books and newspaper strips.-Biography:Kupperberg entered the comics field from comics fandom, as had his brother, writer/artist Alan Kupperberg...
characterized the two Wonder Women, Artemis and Diana, as "two sides of the same coin." This is not the first time that that naming device was used in Wonder Woman comics.
- Artemis, the ancient Wonder Woman seen in Wonder WomanWonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
(vol. 1) # 298-302 (Dan MishkinDan MishkinDan Mishkin is a comic book writer, and co-creator of the DC Comics characters Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld and Blue Devil. Both series used fantasy elements in ironic and often thought-provoking ways. DC gave these series a promotional push by featuring them in free, 16-page insert previews...
, writer) (Gene ColanGene ColanEugene Jules "Gene" Colan was an American comic book artist best known for his work for Marvel Comics, where his signature titles include the superhero series, Daredevil, the cult-hit satiric series Howard the Duck, and The Tomb of Dracula, considered one of comics' classic horror series...
,artist), was a predecessor & typologyTypology (theology)Typology in Christian theology and Biblical exegesis is a doctrine or theory concerning the relationship between the Old and New Testaments...
of Diana, set in ancient times. Artemis was reanimated by Circe who sent her on a path to kill the daughter of Queen Hippolyta. In the battle Diana noted that the skeletal Artemis was stronger than she was and wearing all the symbols of an ancient Amazon warrior.
Artemis' appearance was influenced by two other comic book characters:
- WildcatsWildcats (comics)Wildcats, sometimes rendered WildCats or WildC.A.T.s, is a fictional superhero team created by the American comic book artist Jim Lee and writer Brandon Choi.-Publication history:...
member ZealotZealot (Wildstorm)Zealot is a comic book character from DC Comics/Wildstorm.Artist Mike Deodato loves the character of Zealot so much that when he took over as artist of the comic book Wonder Woman he used Zealot's physical appearance as a template for the then new character Artemis of...
, a KherubimKherubimThe Kherubim or Kherans are an alien race in the fictional Wildstorm Universe. They were created by Jim Lee and first appeared in WildC.A.Ts #1 .-Biology:...
and a CodaCoda (Wildstorm)The Coda is a group of fictional female warriors in Wildstorm comics. The Coda first appeared in WildC.A.T.S. volume 1 #1 and were created by Brandon Choi and Jim Lee.-Fictional background:...
warrior. Zealot is the immortal former Majestrix of the all female warriors called The Coda and helped develop their virtues and practices. After failing to follow her own rules under the Coda, she left their clan and they have hunted her since. Artemis's long hair flowing from a topknot evokes Zealot's appearance. Artist Mike DeodatoMike DeodatoMike Deodato , sometimes credited as Mike Deodato Jr., is the professional pseudonym of Brazilian comic book artist Deodato Taumaturgo Borges Filho.-Biography:...
has admitted to basing Artemis' appearance on that of Zealot.
- The Amazon Orana from Wonder WomanWonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
(vol. 1) #250-251 (December 1978-January 1979). In this story, the Amazon Orana challenged Diana to a tournament to claim the title of Wonder Woman. She was successful, but her arrogance brought about her death shortly into her reign. Like Artemis, Orana was a fiery redheaded Amazon who died as Wonder Woman.