WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Justice League #62 by Brian Michael Bendis, David Marquez, Ivan Plascencia and Josh Reed, on sale now.
With powerful individuals Black Adam and Naomi joining the ranks of the Justice League alongside obvious heavy-hitter Superman, the Justice League is in no short supply when it comes to powerhouses. However, another new addition to the team just took down a threat that neither Superman nor Black Adam could -- and she did it in one punch.
Previous issues of Justice League saw Earth being invaded by Brutus, a powerful visitor from newcomer Naomi's homeworld. Seeing the power of Superman, Black Adam and the rest of the League up close had Brutus running back to his own world. Not content with waiting for Brutus's next attack, the League decided to take the fight to him and travel to Naomi's homeworld. When they got there, however, they found that their powers weren't working right. This was bad news for Superman and Black Adam, as it allowed Brutus to gain the upper hand and take out the League's two heavy hitters.
Whilst the rest of the League scramble to find a way to stop their enemy, they're interrupted by some unexpected backup. Black Adam and Naomi look on from the skies, suddenly seeing an astronomically large explosion on the ground. The League rushes to the site of the explosion, unsure exactly what just happened. The sight that greats them makes clear what just went down. Wonder Woman's mother, Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons, stands over the body of an unconscious Brutus, having defeated him with a single blow.
Hippolyta and Flash were the only two members of the new roster that didn't go to Naomi's homeworld. Having realized that he made an error when he sent the rest of the team, Flash sent himself and Hippolyta to assist them. With Flash only just appearing after Hippolyta stands victorious over Brutus, it stands to reason that Hippolyta was on this world only a few seconds before beating Brutus -- meaning that she must have beaten him with one punch.
This isn't the first time Hippolyta has gone up against Brutus either. On Brutus's second attempt at attacking Earth in Justice League #60, he landed on Themyscira. Hippolyta was so ferocious and unrelenting in that fight that Brutus opened a portal to Central City to get away. Hippolyta said it was "the hardest I have ever been struck in a very long time," but that barely stopped her. With the Justice League arriving to assist, Brutus fled back to his own world. Clearly, the fight with Hippolyta had shaken him.
Her fortitude in battle has already gained her the respect of one of the hardest to please members of the Justice League: Black Adam. Of her, he said he "always found her to be the most impressive warrior." With her daughter Diana missing, Hippolyta would be a great Wonder Woman replacement for the time being. It isn't the first time she's taken up her daughter's mantle either.
In the 90s, Diana was made the Goddess of Truth by the Olympians, forcing her to give up the role of Wonder Woman. Hippolyta became Wonder Woman in her absence. Though she became Wonder Woman as a form of punishment for her role in Artemis's death, she came to love the freedom it granted her. When Diana returned she remained Wonder Woman, meaning there were two Wonder Women in man's world.
Her time as Wonder Woman saw her work not only with the Justice League but also with the Justice Society of America in the past, becoming a beloved member of their team. She also helped the Justice League recently during "Endless Winter." Hippolyta has the experience of working with the likes of the League then, and with her daughter gone, she's the perfect replacement. How could they say no when she took down a villain not even Superman could?
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