Wonder Woman #184

Wonder Woman #184 (On Sale: July 1, 1969) has another great cover by Mike Sekowsky and Dick Giordano.

Mike Sekowsky is the writer and penciler and Dick Giordano is the inker for "The Last Battle." Continuing from last issue, Diana has been up all night trying to come up with a plan to save her and her Amazons as they await the morning battle against the army of Ares; it is a battle all know they cannot win. As dawn approaches something I-Ching says regarding the cavalry charging over the hill in western cinema gives Diana the plan she so desperately hoped for.

Diana plans to travel to other dimensions where the heroes of old still live. She will ask for their help in fighting the god of war. In the meantime her Amazon's must stall for time, attacking Ares's forces from ambush, blocking their way with avalanches and such, doing anything they can to hold off a full battle that they cannot win. With Drusilla as her guide Diana travels to the world of heroes, where a great tournament is unfolding In the midst of all the excitement they are unable to plea for an audience with King Arthur.

Taking matters into her own hands Diana jumps into the arena and stride across the field of battle directly towards King Arthur. She pleads for his help in fighting Ares, but one by one, the knights of the round table refuse to give aid, saying they are tired of saving ungrateful cowards who only pay them mind when they are in need and then quickly forget them. Diana explains that Ares plans to take her world and learn the secret of dimensional travel and that no world, not even their own, will be safe if that happens. Still the heroes of old turn her down.

She tells them they are a disgrace to the word hero and Siegfried lays a hand on Diana. Diana flips him over her shoulder and they begin to battle with swords. Siegfried eventually breaks Diana's sword and as he moves in for the kill he is stopped by Brunhilde, who says that she and her Valkyries would be honored to fight along side the Amazons.

Though they know it will not be enough to stop Ares, Diana and the Valkyries travel across dimensions just in time to stave off a breach of the Amazons by the hordes of Ares.

Though they push Ares army back for the day, they know that come the morrow, they will be overrun. Even so, they plan through the night as best they can. That night, Diana swears to her entranced mother that though they will lose come the new day, that Ares will lose as well, that they will all die rather than give Ares the secret to dimensional travel.

The next morning the battle is horrific and though they slaughter Ares' hordes 10 to 1, they are slowly pushed backward, till they cannot retreat. As they prepare for the final charge of Areas' army, they hear the roar of Roland's horn as, over the hill, comes the heroes of old. Caught sandwiched between the heroes and the Amazons and Valkyries, Ares' army is decimated.

The battle over, Hippolyta's enchantment ends. As they all gather to celebrate they cannot find Diana. Suddenly over the hill come Ares and a few of his men carrying Diana's body on her shield. Ares says that she is not dead, only being returned on her shield as befits a hero. Ares says that though he is beaten, there will always be those ready to fight with the god of war. When Diana awakens the heroes of old thank her for waking them up to their responsibilities and that they will always be their for her if she ever needs them again. Reprinted in Diana Prince: Wonder Woman Vol. 1 TPB.

Edited by Mike Sekowsky.