A new chapter in Wonder Woman history has begun, and it all starts with the shocking deaths of two DC Universe heroes. If you’ve been keeping up with the main Wonder Woman series, you know that Diana has spent quite a bit of time trying to take down the Sovereign, America’s secret king. Thanks to the help of her friends and key allies, she was successful, and the Sovereign was deposed. However, that was just half of the story. The current Wonder Woman series has been teasing a dark future, one where the Sovereign’s prodigy avenges her fallen father.
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Late last year, in Wonder Woman #25, fans got a look at Lyssa, aka the Matriarch. Not only is she the Sovereign’s daughter, but she’s the daughter of Emelie, an Amazon. Though only an infant in the current timeline, Lyssa grows up to conquer the DC Universe. She grows an army and uses it to overthrow the American government. She also killed the Justice League’s greatest members, leaving only a handful of heroes alive. Unfortunately, in this twisted future, no one is too mighty for the Matriarch to defeat, as two beloved DC heroes found out.
Jon Kent and Damian Wayne’s Deaths Kick Off the Wonder War
Wonder Woman #31 by Tom King, Daniel Sampere, Tomeu Morey, and Clayton Cowles takes us twenty years into the DC Universe’s future. In Metropolis, the city once safeguarded by Superman is now under the control of the Matriarch. Lex Luthor is still alive and kicking, and as always, scheming. While he has to make a formal declaration of submission to the Matriarch, he coordinates a plan to assassinate her with Elizabeth Marston Prince, Jon Kent, and Damian Wayne (the children of the original Trinity). It’s a risky plan, but they know it may be the only way to stop Lyssa.
While Lyssa prepares for the ceremony in her honor, the heroes discuss their plan to kill the Matriarch. Trinity constructs a bow using the Lasso of Truth, and they discuss how she’ll take the kill shot while Batman and Superman distract her. The three take a moment to discuss the gravity of this plan and that it very well could result in the deaths of the men Lizzie has known her entire life. But they proceed as planned. The ceremony begins, and Lex approaches Lyssa with the God Killer Sword, only for Damian to crash the party.
Damian uses the sword to fight Lyssa while Jon races in, determined to steal Lyssa’s Green Lantern Power Ring. All the while, Lizzie holds steady, waiting for the right minute to launch an arrow at the Matriarch. Unfortunately, Luthor double-crosses the heroes, botching the assassination attempt. Amid the chaos, the Matriarch uses her ring, which is actually kryptonite disguised as a Power Ring, to weaken and stab Superman in the heart. Damian flies into a rage, and Lyssa takes advantage of his state by impaling him as well. Trinity races off, weeping for the sacrifice her best friends made.
Batman and Superman’s Deaths and the Wonder War
Admittedly, the deaths of Jon and Damian here have no impact on them in the modern day. And, like most horrific futures, this is only something that could potentially happen, not something set in stone. However, that doesn’t diminish the impact the future Batman and Superman’s deaths have on Trinity here. For those who don’t recall, Jon and Damian frequently babysat Elizabeth when she was younger, and she considers them less as friends and more as brothers. This world has already lost so much, but for Elizabeth, this was the greatest loss she’s suffered because of the Matriarch.
However, these deaths weren’t in vain. As we found out in the last couple of pages, the team swapped out the God Killer Sword for a fake one when Luthor showed it to them. Damian’s attempt to kill Lyssa with the false one was a ruse to convince the Matriarch she still has the genuine article. But the sword is now in the possession of Wonder Woman. And while we know that Diana will more than likely meet her fate in battle with the Matriarch, there’s a solid chance Trinity will be able to use it to take Lyssa down.
I know comic book deaths can feel hollow or pointless, and yeah, Jon and Damian’s deaths likely won’t have an impact outside of this particular story. However, their murder does serve a purpose. Aside from carrying emotional weight for Trinity and making her conflict with the Matriarch that much more personal, their deaths allowed Lizzie and Wonder Woman to get hold of some serious firepower. I don’t know if the God Killer Sword will be what takes the Matriarch down, but the future Batman and Superman gave their lives for it, so I’m positive there has to be some payoff.
What did you think about Batman and Superman’s deaths? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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