This is the Moment of Awesome page for Wonder Woman Volume 2. For the Awesome page for the Wonder Woman franchise at large see Awesome/Wonder Woman.
Perez run
- In Wonder Woman's first Post-Crisis storyline, Diana is fighting the progeny of Ares, Deimos, and is ensnared by his beard of poisonous snakes. Seeing her mortal friends being overwhelmed and knowing she must save them, Diana shows a new big difference compared to her compatriots of The DCU, Batman and Superman. Namely, she doesn't feel bound by Thou Shall Not Kill and so takes the god's head off! (While Di has killed gods before, they were always able to brush it off due to Resurrective Immortality, in this continuity it seems to take far less to make death stick for gods)
- However, how does she deal with Ares in the climax? She ensnares him with her magic lasso and forces him to see the logical conclusion to his plans, which would leave him completely alone and no one left to worship him. What does Ares do? He cries. The most badass moment of the storyline is completely and utterly non-violent.
- After being poisoned by Chuma, he explains the origin of the Cheetah and gives her enough information to find her. Once his monologue is over, she reveals that she was immune the entire time because all Amazons, after their subjugation, have developed immunity against drugging.
- Her first real blow out with the Cheetah, empowered by the moon and blood of all the people she killed. Unlike Deimos, she couldn't quickly and cleanly execute him as she was faster than she could react, could match her in strength, and easily tears her flesh. She ripped her tail off and beat her into a pulp, revealing the utterly terrifying savagery Diana is capable of.
- Diana summoned twelve ambassadors to a summit in Themyscira to showcase that people from different walks of life can create a better future for everyone and build the stepping stones to world peace, but Eris threatens that by sowing discord among them and trapping Diana. Lois Lane and three other ambassadors, however, rescue her and discord is slowly dispelled, showing that humans can in fact be brought together and put their differences aside.
- Eris says that she doesn't create discord, she merely cultivates pre-existing hatred. Diana, however, harbors no hatred in her heart and Eris' manipulations are useless against her.
Messner-Loebs run
- One comparatively low-key moment: Diana's coworker at the Taco Whiz (long story) has a daughter she can't afford to send to a prestigious school. The father is a deadbeat who also works for a mob boss. Diana gets the child support checks coming by camping out in the boss's office and answering his phone.Hello, yes. This is Mr. Sazia's residence. I'm afraid he can't come to the phone right now. Me? I am Wonder Woman. And who might... hmm. They hung up.
- Diana has been paralyzed by one of Joker’s toxins. She spiritually seeks the help of Pan, a God not unlike the Joker. She asks him to teach her his dance so she may understand chaos and that it doesn’t control her. He does so and she surprises the Joker by ruining the punchline of a joke he’s been telling. Learning the dance makes her a little crazy to the point the Joker becomes fearful and downright shocked at how Diana beats and mocks him relentlessly and she starts telling her own jokes while she nearly blows him up.
Byrne run
- Artemis manages to injure the demon lord Neron using a makeshift weapon created from her hair and one of the silver skulls of her outfit.
Jimenez run
- "Gods of Gotham"
- Wonder Woman tackles Ares back into his personal dimension to save him from the poisoned golden apple Eris was about to give him. Realizing Ares is the only one who can put a stop to his kids' (Eris, Phobos, and Deimos) mess they've caused in Gotham, she manages to convince him into aiding her without using her lasso to make him realize his kids treacherous ways.
- Ares gets a villainous one when he returns with Diana to put a stop to his kids' plans to transform Gotham into a new domain for him to rule. Sending all three of them to eternal banishment and torture in Hades and adding salt on the ones by saying what utter shame and embarrassments they are to him. Giving a particular nasty "The Reason You Suck" Speech to Phobos
Phobos: "Lord Ares— Hear me as I beg for forgiveness. I brought Deimos back for you. I was to transform this fetid city into the great Areopagus. And I would have destroyed Wonder Woman for you. I tried to be the son you always wanted."
Ares: "The son I always wanted was slain by Wonder Woman years ago little troll. You are the greatest embarrassment of my immortal life. And if the Fates are kind. They will ensure I will never lay eyes on you again. The chains of Ixion's wheel have been vacant since you once freed the assassin. Lord Hades and I agree there could be no more fitting punishment for you to be shackled for eternity"
- In the Our Worlds at War crossover, the heroes are forced into an Enemy Mine situation with Darkseid who requires Wonder Woman to give up a piece of her soul to empower him and aid in their victory. Naturally, when the day is won, Darkseid goes on to gloat about how his victory is complete, while Wonder Woman lost hundreds of Amazons in battle and had to give up a piece of her own soul. However, when Darkseid returns to Apokalips, he finds himself being uncharacteristically merciful to someone. It turns out that because Wonder Woman now has a piece of her soul in Darkseid, he now has a sliver of compassion in his otherwise black heart. This causes Darkseid to scream in agony. He’s taken hits from Superman and seen terrors beyond human imagining, but the real way to hurt him is to make him a slightly nicer guy.
- "The Witch and The Warrior"
- Part 2 has every single female DC hero against every single female DC villain led by Diana and Circe, respectively. What is essentially a Designated Girl Fight somehow manages to be one of the most epic moments in Wonder Woman history. Phil Jiminez's Awesome Art doesn't hurt either. Stand out moments include Dr Light taking out two villains with Shadow powers, Barda sending Knockout flying with a punch, Power Girl defeating Mongal, Black Canary outcrying Silver Banshee and Cassie, Monster Girl and Anita Fite defeating Giganta through teamwork.
- Wonder Woman's battle with a mind controlled Superman. She ends the fight by using the Lasso of Truth to burn away Circe's magic while telling Clark not to be consumed by the pain he felt over the deaths of innocents in Our Worlds At War.
- Diana's battle with Circe. Not only does Diana easily counter Circe's attacks on her beliefs but she refuses to let the witch bait her into killing her knowing this is exactly what she wants.
- The return of Barbara Minerva as the Cheetah in issue #206, killing Sebastian Ballesteros and leaving a trap for Diana:
- Diana's battle against faces Medusa in a gladiatorial arena. The gorgon has already petrified the child of one of Diana's employees, so It's Personal. And it gets worse: Circe has enchanted TV systems across the world, and if Wonder Woman loses, tens of millions of people get turned to stone with her. Right as it looks as though she's about to lose, she takes one of Medusa's severed hair-snakes and blinds herself. Then she takes Medusa's head off with one slice.
- Athena and Ares both get one of these in Rucka's run with them both acting as manipulative chessmasters who supplant Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon as the heads of the pantheon. Athena manipulates Zeus into a duel of champions that sees her win, thanks to Diana, and assumes control of Olympus while Ares betrays Hades and takes over the Underworld.
- Diana's brutal fight with a mind controlled Superman more than manages to top the one in Jiminez's run.
Simone Run
- The very first issue shows Diana facing off a against a squad of Super-Soldier gorillas who claim to be strong enough to face Superman. Diana bests them, then personally takes on their leader Tolifhar who tells her about the poachers hunting their fellow apes. Diana acknowledges their grievance but also informs them that Grodd is using their very real concerns for his own agenda and promises to put a stop to the atrocities if they promise not to harm humans. In just six pages, Simone displays Diana's skill as a diplomat and a fighter.
