Wonder Woman Faces a Major Betrayal from One of Her Most Trusted Allies

Summary Artemis, one of Wonder Woman's most loyal allies, faces a gut-wrenching decision in Part Three of "The Poison Within."

The United States government targets Amazons; Artemis must choose between betraying Wonder Woman or her people.

Artemis is stuck between a rock and a hard place, and her loyalty to Wonder Woman may lead to dire consequences.

Warning: contains spoilers for "The Poison Within," appearing in Batman: The Brave and the Bold #12!

Wonder Woman has been in the fight of her life over the past few months, and now she faces a possible betrayal by one of her most trusted allies. The United States has turned up the heat on Wonder Woman and her fellow Amazons, and in Part Three of “The Poison Within,” appearing in Batman: The Brave and the Bold #12, the stage is set for a gut-wrenching betrayal.

“The Poison Within” is one of the stories in Batman: The Brave and the Bold #12, and is written by Delilah S. Dawson and drawn by Serg Acuna. The Amazon Extradition Force (AXE) has cornered Artemis in the desert. They throw everything they have at Artemis, and she manages to make a bold stand. However, the AXE forces are too much for Artemis, and they overwhelm her. The AXE then proceeds to negotiate with Artemis. They attempt to force her to reveal Wonder Woman’s location.

Barring that, Artemis can tell them where to find the Bana-Mighdall–or die.

Artemis Was a Product of a 1990s DC Comics Trend

Artemis Has Become an Important Wonder Woman Ally

In the mid-1990s, inspired by the success of The Death of Superman and Knightfall, DC took similar approaches with their other iconic heroes–including Wonder Woman. After being called back to Themyscira, a contest to find a new Wonder Woman was held, and Artemis was victorious. Traveling back to Man’s World as Wonder Woman, Artemis was much more violent and brutal than her predecessor. Although Wonder Woman eventually reasserts control, she and Artemis remain allies. Artemis has become her own character as well, fighting alongside Red Hood and the Outlaws.

Unfortunately, Wonder Woman, Artemis and the rest of the Amazons have recently come under fire in the DC Universe. Themyscira and the United States have always had a testy relationship, and now it has come completely undone. The United States government has put Sarge Steel in charge of extraditing (and killing) Amazons in the country. Unbeknownst to him, he is actually a puppet of another force, calling itself the Sovereign. The Sovereign sees Wonder Woman, and the Amazons, as threats to his agenda–and they must be stopped.

Related DC's Misunderstood Wonder Woman Is the Perfect High Fantasy Anti-Hero in New Art DC unveils an epic high fantasy-inspired variant cover of Artemis of Bana-Mighdall for an upcoming Batman: The Brave and the Bold comic.

Artemis is Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Artemis is A Staunch Wonder Woman Ally--And Will Not Betray Her

AXE has put Artemis in a terrible position: either betray her friend Wonder Woman, or betray her people. “The Poison Within” ends on a cliffhanger, cutting away just before Artemis gives her answer. While there is a possibility Artemis could go along with the AXE, it would only be under dire circumstances. The extinction of the Bana-Mighdall would be one of these situations. However, Artemis is fiercely loyal to those around her, and would gladly put her life on the line to save both Wonder Woman and the Bana-Mighdall.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #12 is on sale now from DC Comics!