The arch-villain Darkseid has captured Wonder Woman and locked her up in a filthy dungeon on the planet Apokolips. He hopes to break her will and use her against Superman and the Justice League. Robbed of her armor and her magic lasso, it takes all of Diana’s power to resist her captor, knowing she must escape soon or betray her friends. As she musters her strength to break free, Wonder Woman must prove to herself that she is a super hero with or without her magical weapons–or die trying.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Louise Simonson worked in comics for Warren Publishing and Marvel Comics before leaving her editorial position to pursue a freelance writing career. She has since written many novels based on comic book characters, including the hit junior novel Superman: Doomsday & Beyond.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER 1
"Remember! We don't act until we know what we're up against!"
Wonder Woman brushed her long, dark, windblown hair from her eyes and grimaced, glancing over toward the dome of the National Gallery of Art, where Green Lantern and Hawkgirl perched, surveying the Washington, D.C., skyline. GL is giving orders as usual, Wonder Woman thought, acting like the rest of us are rank amateurs.
Their silhouettes were clear against the night sky, and she saw Hawkgirl ruffle her wing feathers in a half-insulted, half-amused gesture. "To do otherwise might make matters worse, Green Lantern. You don't need to teach me my business."
Through the communication device worn in her ear, Wonder Woman could tell that Hawkgirl's voice was chiding. Hawkgirl had been a top cop on her homeworld, Thanagar. She knew what she was doing.
Wonder Woman could also hear the murmuring voices of Superman, Batman, and Martian Manhunter. They were at the end of the long park known as the Mall, standing atop the Capitol Building, discussing the Justice League's options.
Batman had picked up vague rumors of a planned attack on Washington, which he had traced back to a member of Intergang, one of the human thugs allied with the other-dimensional ruler of the New Gods, Darkseid. Batman wasn't sure--none of them were sure--what was going to happen next. Or if anything would happen. But the members of the Justice League planned to counter any threat to the safety and security of the United States and its citizens.
From atop the roof of the cylindrical Hirshhorn Museum, Wonder Woman scanned the heavens.
The Flash crouched beside her, polishing off his first sizzling slice of ham, sausage, and pepperoni pizza, then reaching into the box for a second slice. The red-suited superspeedster, who expended enormous amounts of energy when he ran, had to refuel constantly.
He bit into the gooey mound and yelped. "Hot! Hot! Yikes!" Then he glanced up at Wonder Woman. "Want some?"
"Hush!" Wonder Woman hissed. "I thought I saw something."
"Don't get your tiara in a twist, your royal highness!" Flash mumbled sarcastically, his mouth full. "With all humility, Princess Diana, you don't know what you're missing!"
I sounded like my mother in one of her stressed-out moods, Wonder Woman thought. What's wrong with me?
She stared intently into the night sky. Her people believed the stars held answers. She could use some now.
What am I doing here? she asked herself. Exiled forever from the Amazons and Themyscira, our secret island home?
She told herself it was her own choice to live here in what the Amazons called Man's World. She truly believed that the larger Earth needed her special abilities. And yet, away from the miraculous island of immortal warrior women and their queen, her mother . . . without a place among her people, who was she?
As a child on Themyscira, Diana had once tried to hold water in the cupped palms of her hands. But no matter how tightly she pressed her fingers together, the water trickled away.
She was grown now, but she was clutching just as tightly to her Amazon identity, she thought. And, like the water, she felt it slipping through her fingers.
Out of the corner of her eye, Wonder Woman spotted a wavering shimmer in the starlight.
"There it is again! What is it?" She flew a few feet into the air, straining to get a closer look.
Flash grabbed the golden lasso that hung from a loop at her waist. "Wonder Woman! Wait!" he said.
She turned in midair and hissed. "Let go! There's something there!"
"Maybe to your goddess-like eyes, Princess, but I can't see--"
"Obviously," she whispered. "You see as humans see. But Darkseid is one of the New Gods and has the tricks of a god. And we Amazons deal with gods on a regular basis! Now let go!"
She jerked free and whirled up into the air.
"Ever hear of teamwork?" Flash began, but she was already gone. "Might as well save my breath to cool my pizza," he muttered to himself.
I know the Flash thinks I can be a royal pain, Wonder Woman thought as she flew up toward the faint shimmer. I guess I can, but-- Oh, how can I expect him to understand when I don't understand myself? This isn't what we planned, but how else can I be sure?
Wonder Woman heard Superman speaking over the communicator. "Diana, what--?" His voice dissolved in a crackle of static.
"Superman?" she said. But he didn't seem to be able to hear her either.
Whatever is up there is interfering with League communications equipment, Wonder Woman thought. I wonder--
Then suddenly she slammed into an object that should not have been there.
For an instant it flickered into almost-visibility--an armored, brick-colored creature with rudimentary wings, holding a gleaming bomb-shaped canister as long as her arm. Its demonic, helmeted face snarled rage through inch-long fangs.
A jumble of monster voices surrounded her.
"We're cloaked!"
"How'd she see us?"
"Who cares! Destroy her--and get on with the mission!"
"Deliver the cylinder--"
Something struck her from behind, and for an instant, she was immobilized. Then she fell. Above her, the sky looked empty. But Wonder Woman had seen the monster. Smelled it. Knew its size and the faint sounds of its flight.
She fought off the paralysis, righted herself, and snatched her golden lasso from its catch at her waist. She whirled the rope overhead and flung it toward the spot where she expected the invisible monster to be.
The loop settled--and the rope went taut.
"Got you!" she muttered.
Energy blasts flew at her, apparently out of thin air. She held the rope tight with one hand and deflected the blasts with the bracelet on her other wrist. She heard muffled oaths and several screams as the ricocheting energy struck her assailants.
Serves them right! she thought grimly.
Suddenly, from all sides, invisible clawed hands delivered a barrage of blows. The air reeked of monster breath.
There are dozens of them, she thought.
A blast of heat vision scythed upward from below, and a monster voice screamed, "It's Superman!"
Superman! Wonder Woman thought. Her struggle had taken mere seconds, but it had alarmed the League. They knew she was in trouble, even if they couldn't see the cause.
Wonder Woman jerked the rope with all her strength, pulling the invisible monster toward her.
He slammed into her. And again she saw him. When I'm this close, she reasoned, I must be inside the invisibility field with him.
The monster clutched the cylinder protectively. "Sorry, Charlie!" she growled, and wrenched it from the monster's hands.
"She has the Brain Binder!" a voice cried. "Get it!"
Another moaned, "No time! Superman's almost on us!"
A roaring vortex, appearing out of nowhere, encompassed them. "Desaad has sent a Boom Tube!" a gargoyle voice shouted. "Take her with us, back to Apokolips!"
Wonder Woman could barely hear their voices over the roar that surrounded her. Invisible hands dragged her toward the vortex.
"We failed to deploy the Brain Binder!"
"But others will succeed!"
"Not a chance!" Wonder Woman yelled. Fighting the inexorable pull of the Boom Tube, she wrenched her arms free and hurled the canister downward.
"Superman!" she shouted. "Catch!"
Then, as the clamoring darkness enveloped her, she realized, That might have worked--if the canister hadn't also been invisible!
"Remember! We don't act until we know what we're up against!"
Wonder Woman brushed her long, dark, windblown hair from her eyes and grimaced, glancing over toward the dome of the National Gallery of Art, where Green Lantern and Hawkgirl perched, surveying the Washington, D.C., skyline. GL is giving orders as usual, Wonder Woman thought, acting like the rest of us are rank amateurs.
Their silhouettes were clear against the night sky, and she saw Hawkgirl ruffle her wing feathers in a half-insulted, half-amused gesture. "To do otherwise might make matters worse, Green Lantern. You don't need to teach me my business."
Through the communication device worn in her ear, Wonder Woman could tell that Hawkgirl's voice was chiding. Hawkgirl had been a top cop on her homeworld, Thanagar. She knew what she was doing.
Wonder Woman could also hear the murmuring voices of Superman, Batman, and Martian Manhunter. They were at the end of the long park known as the Mall, standing atop the Capitol Building, discussing the Justice League's options.
Batman had picked up vague rumors of a planned attack on Washington, which he had traced back to a member of Intergang, one of the human thugs allied with the other-dimensional ruler of the New Gods, Darkseid. Batman wasn't sure--none of them were sure--what was going to happen next. Or if anything would happen. But the members of the Justice League planned to counter any threat to the safety and security of the United States and its citizens.
From atop the roof of the cylindrical Hirshhorn Museum, Wonder Woman scanned the heavens.
The Flash crouched beside her, polishing off his first sizzling slice of ham, sausage, and pepperoni pizza, then reaching into the box for a second slice. The red-suited superspeedster, who expended enormous amounts of energy when he ran, had to refuel constantly.
He bit into the gooey mound and yelped. "Hot! Hot! Yikes!" Then he glanced up at Wonder Woman. "Want some?"
"Hush!" Wonder Woman hissed. "I thought I saw something."
"Don't get your tiara in a twist, your royal highness!" Flash mumbled sarcastically, his mouth full. "With all humility, Princess Diana, you don't know what you're missing!"
I sounded like my mother in one of her stressed-out moods, Wonder Woman thought. What's wrong with me?
She stared intently into the night sky. Her people believed the stars held answers. She could use some now.
What am I doing here? she asked herself. Exiled forever from the Amazons and Themyscira, our secret island home?
She told herself it was her own choice to live here in what the Amazons called Man's World. She truly believed that the larger Earth needed her special abilities. And yet, away from the miraculous island of immortal warrior women and their queen, her mother . . . without a place among her people, who was she?
As a child on Themyscira, Diana had once tried to hold water in the cupped palms of her hands. But no matter how tightly she pressed her fingers together, the water trickled away.
She was grown now, but she was clutching just as tightly to her Amazon identity, she thought. And, like the water, she felt it slipping through her fingers.
Out of the corner of her eye, Wonder Woman spotted a wavering shimmer in the starlight.
"There it is again! What is it?" She flew a few feet into the air, straining to get a closer look.
Flash grabbed the golden lasso that hung from a loop at her waist. "Wonder Woman! Wait!" he said.
She turned in midair and hissed. "Let go! There's something there!"
"Maybe to your goddess-like eyes, Princess, but I can't see--"
"Obviously," she whispered. "You see as humans see. But Darkseid is one of the New Gods and has the tricks of a god. And we Amazons deal with gods on a regular basis! Now let go!"
She jerked free and whirled up into the air.
"Ever hear of teamwork?" Flash began, but she was already gone. "Might as well save my breath to cool my pizza," he muttered to himself.
I know the Flash thinks I can be a royal pain, Wonder Woman thought as she flew up toward the faint shimmer. I guess I can, but-- Oh, how can I expect him to understand when I don't understand myself? This isn't what we planned, but how else can I be sure?
Wonder Woman heard Superman speaking over the communicator. "Diana, what--?" His voice dissolved in a crackle of static.
"Superman?" she said. But he didn't seem to be able to hear her either.
Whatever is up there is interfering with League communications equipment, Wonder Woman thought. I wonder--
Then suddenly she slammed into an object that should not have been there.
For an instant it flickered into almost-visibility--an armored, brick-colored creature with rudimentary wings, holding a gleaming bomb-shaped canister as long as her arm. Its demonic, helmeted face snarled rage through inch-long fangs.
A jumble of monster voices surrounded her.
"We're cloaked!"
"How'd she see us?"
"Who cares! Destroy her--and get on with the mission!"
"Deliver the cylinder--"
Something struck her from behind, and for an instant, she was immobilized. Then she fell. Above her, the sky looked empty. But Wonder Woman had seen the monster. Smelled it. Knew its size and the faint sounds of its flight.
She fought off the paralysis, righted herself, and snatched her golden lasso from its catch at her waist. She whirled the rope overhead and flung it toward the spot where she expected the invisible monster to be.
The loop settled--and the rope went taut.
"Got you!" she muttered.
Energy blasts flew at her, apparently out of thin air. She held the rope tight with one hand and deflected the blasts with the bracelet on her other wrist. She heard muffled oaths and several screams as the ricocheting energy struck her assailants.
Serves them right! she thought grimly.
Suddenly, from all sides, invisible clawed hands delivered a barrage of blows. The air reeked of monster breath.
There are dozens of them, she thought.
A blast of heat vision scythed upward from below, and a monster voice screamed, "It's Superman!"
Superman! Wonder Woman thought. Her struggle had taken mere seconds, but it had alarmed the League. They knew she was in trouble, even if they couldn't see the cause.
Wonder Woman jerked the rope with all her strength, pulling the invisible monster toward her.
He slammed into her. And again she saw him. When I'm this close, she reasoned, I must be inside the invisibility field with him.
The monster clutched the cylinder protectively. "Sorry, Charlie!" she growled, and wrenched it from the monster's hands.
"She has the Brain Binder!" a voice cried. "Get it!"
Another moaned, "No time! Superman's almost on us!"
A roaring vortex, appearing out of nowhere, encompassed them. "Desaad has sent a Boom Tube!" a gargoyle voice shouted. "Take her with us, back to Apokolips!"
Wonder Woman could barely hear their voices over the roar that surrounded her. Invisible hands dragged her toward the vortex.
"We failed to deploy the Brain Binder!"
"But others will succeed!"
"Not a chance!" Wonder Woman yelled. Fighting the inexorable pull of the Boom Tube, she wrenched her arms free and hurled the canister downward.
"Superman!" she shouted. "Catch!"
Then, as the clamoring darkness enveloped her, she realized, That might have worked--if the canister hadn't also been invisible!
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Literate 'tweenage superhero fiction!,
By Stephen Richmond "Librarian/Teacher/Reader an... (Newton, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Gauntlet (Justice League (TM)) (Paperback)
The challenges of translating comic book icons into literate fiction are enormous, but Louise Simonson here proves more than merely adept at meeting the situation. Simonson obviously is well aware of the tremendous backstory to not just her protagonist, Wonder Woman, but also of Jack Kirby's New Gods/Darkseid/Apokolips franchise. She, while remaining consummately respectful of these characters and their formidable history, is not afraid to play a bit with it and make the characters her own. How delightful it might be if she were to take on the Amazing Amazon's monthly series! Not only are the characterizations apt and appropriate, her plot keeps the pages turning. This series is a strong addition to the growing body of 'tweenage fiction. Better written than the loathsome Junie B. Jones series and a bit more sophisticated than the rudely humorous Captain Underpants, these belong in all library collections. Not just for comics fans either, although Justice League and especially Wonder Woman lovers will not be disappointed and perhaps the books will inspire non-comics readers to pick up some additional great material in this much-beloved, if oft maligned format.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'd like to be in the "Louise Simonson Fan Club",
By Catherine (Algonac, MI) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Gauntlet (Justice League (TM)) (Paperback)
This is an intriguing story of present-time coupled with flashbacks. I've read a lot of Louise Simonson's work and find her to be one of the best in the business. This book is fantastic to read to your kids. The story is exciting and suspenseful.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Louise Simonson Shines as a Writer,
By
This review is from: The Gauntlet (Justice League (TM)) (Paperback)
As a Wonder Woman fan I thought I'd buy this book just to add to my collection of 'All Things Wonder'. Little did I know that I would enjoy this book as much as the comic itself. Comic book writer Louise Simonson weaves a story that really captures the imagination and runs with it. Not only did Ms. Simonson manage to stay true to the Justice League cartoon characterizations, but she set the stage for a very compelling adventure that honestly made you want to read more. Granted 'The Gauntlet' is a short book that can be read in one sitting and is written to a child level of understanding, that doesn't take away from the level of 'fun' and 'excitement' this book produces as Ms. Simonson's years of experience definately comes through. The story is of Wonder Woman's struggle to stop the evil Darkseid from destroying the Justice League and stealing her identity. Young people will love the adventure. Older comic book fans will enjoy the characterization. Either way, Justice League: The Gauntlet is a book everyone can enjoy.
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