Would you believe that the most metal moment in DC Comics history doesn’t go to Superman or Batman but to Wonder Woman? It makes sense when you consider their origins: one grew up as a wholesome farm boy, the other as a pampered rich kid, while Diana was forged from birth as a battle-hardened Amazon warrior.
Daniel Warren Johnson delivered one of DC’s most hardcore Black Label series in 2020 with his four-issue Wonder Woman: Dead Earth mini-series. The story begins with Diana waking in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by nuclear war, her most recent memories missing.
She then sets off on a quest to uncover how such a terrible fate befell the world, first visiting the Fortress of Solitude to discover where Superman was when the world needed him most. There, she uncovers dark truths, regains her missing memories, and claims the Man of Steel’s spine as her new Lasso of Truth.
Superman’s Spine Becomes Wonder Woman’s Most Lethal Lasso of Truth
Comic Page Comes from Daniel Warren Johnson’s Wonder Woman: Dead Earth (2020) – Art by DWJ
Upon entering the Fortress of Solitude, Diana discovers Clark’s skeletal corpse. An encounter with one of Superman’s robotic attendants jogs her memory, revealing the startling truth that a battle between her and Clark caused the devastation that nearly wiped out humanity. This horrific revelation sets the stage for Diana’s desperate mission to salvage what remains of humanity.
While at the Fortress, Diana also learns that she was the one who killed Superman, sustaining grievous injuries herself, which explains her coma and missing memories. Though she pauses to grieve for both the world and Clark, she knows she cannot undo the past. Instead, she resolves to move forward, determined to save the remnants of humanity and prevent total extinction.
As part of her plan, Diana crafts a new weapon, partially fashioned from Superman’s spine and skull. She rips the bones from his corpse and strings them onto her Lasso of Truth, creating a brutal weapon. The result is one of the most metal weapons in DC Comics history, combining both the power of Wonder Woman's Lasso and the grisly remains of the Man of Steel.
Wonder Woman: Dead Earth #3 is available now from DC Comics!
