Supergirl: 1984: Daughter of Paradise, Chapter 1: Alias Wonder Woman

by Libbylawrence

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Linda Danvers sat behind a pile of psychology books in the Lake Shore University Library in Chicago, Illinois. Her main concern of late was that Phil Decker had been lying to her about his activities. The handsome conductor was a wonderful date, with cultured and intellectual interests that thrilled Linda since, despite her suburban teenage years in little Midvale, she still thought of herself as a city girl. Music, dance, theatre, all appealed to the pretty brunette.

Yet for all Phil offered, he held much back. He had lied twice or more to her about where he had been, he had ducked out on her, and had made lame excuses. She thought of how she had done the same to poor, hapless Dick Malverne so often back in Midvale. Well, she knew that Phil wasn’t secretly living a double life as a miniskirt-wearing blonde with superhuman powers. Or at least she hoped not. That, in addition to being weird, was her role as Supergirl. Still, Phil was lying about something.

She saw a concerned man with a mop of fuzzy red hair gaze down on her from behind glasses that had slipped down the bridge of his nose. “I say, uh, Linda, are you all right?” he stammered. “You seem to be worried. Can I be of — I mean — do you need me to talk, or help?”

“Professor Metzner, no thanks. I’m just woolgathering,” she said as she smiled up at her rather vacant boss, psychology professor and author, Dr. Barry Metzner.

She gathered up her books and walked off to her apartment. She was wearing a cute pink minidress and pink heels that drew a wolf whistle from her playful neighbor Johnny Ostrander as they passed on the stairs.

Ignoring him, she continued to ponder her problems. Cousin Clark couldn’t help. He seems to have little problems balancing romance and work. But sometimes I think he doesn’t have a romantic bone in his otherwise sweet and perfect soul.

Inside her apartment, she sat down across her pink, canopied bed and heard a low hum. She glanced up and, with super-hearing and super-vision, detected the source. It was her mental radio, which was receiving a message from Paradise Island, home of Wonder Woman and the Amazons.

She watched as a gorgeous blonde woman dressed in a filmy white gown appeared on the screen, pleading for help. “Supergirl — Kara — I request your aid,” said Queen Hippolyta. “Without you, all is lost for my people and your world.”

Queen Hippolyta was the queen of the Amazons on Paradise Island. She was beautiful, wise, and powerful. Apparently, she was also in dire trouble. The mental radio required a sending unit and a receiving one normally, but Linda’s super-senses made the pretty girl far from normal. She jumped off her bed, bumping assorted stuffed animals to the carpet, as she said, “Your Majesty, how may I help you?”

Hippolyta’s smile was like the morning sunlight. “So formal, my daughter! Surely you need not stand on ceremony, as close as we’ve been in the past! Even a crisis such as this does not diminish my love for you! We need Supergirl’s power to save us from the mad god Eros! In his passion at being rejected by my daughter in the past, he has dealt this world and the frail heart of the all-too-needy woman you see before you a fatal blow! He has made his way to the realm of the Three Fates themselves, and through his charms — or his guile — he has persuaded or coerced those dread sisters into removing my daughters from reality! Diana, Donna, and Nubia are no more! I remember them with a mother’s consuming pride and love, but history itself shows no record of them! See as I show you the visions of the Magic Sphere!”

Linda gasped as the implications of the Queen’s words were made visible. She saw Titans Tower, where Nightwing turned to Cyborg and said, “So Wally, Garth, and I were later joined by Roy to form the first group of Teen Titans.” The handsome youth told a tale that contained no trace of Donna Troy, the Teen Titan known as Wonder Girl.

A second vision showed the grave of Major Steve Trevor. A sad older man, identified as General Philip Darnell by a name tag, stood before it and said, “Steve, you were my best officer. That freak plane crash all those years ago robbed me of not only a hero, but a buddy.”

“How can this be?” asked Linda. “The women are gone from the minds of all but us?”

“Eros left me with the memory to hurt me, since I, too, once rejected his passion,” said Hippolyta. “I, in turn, shielded your mind in my desperate need. The two of us alone know Diana, Donna, and Nubia ever lived!”

“I’ll go to the Fates on Olympus and restore their lives!” vowed Linda. “I’ll fight this Eros!”

“Well said, my love! I must add that the words of the Fates reached me ere this began. They read, ‘Only Wonder Woman, the daughter of Hippolyta, may dare challenge the power of the One who Rules the Fates’!”

“So without Diana, no one can stop him?” said Linda.

“No, love, recall when I adopted you for all too short a time as my daughter and as an Amazon?” she said. “If you wear the uniform, then you will fulfill the dread words, too. You are a daughter of mine, and you shall be Wonder Woman!”

“I’ll do it,” answered Linda.

Years ago, when Linda had felt rejected by men during her time at Vandyre University, she had emotionally decided to flee the so-called Man’s World and reside on Paradise Island with the warrior women known as the Amazons. In doing so she saved Nubia’s life, and a thankful Queen Hippolyta had adopted Linda — or, technically, Kara Zor-El — and dressed the famous girl as an Amazon Princess. Circumstances soon convinced Kara that she was needed in the outside world, and she thanked Hippolyta for her outpouring of love and acceptance before departing the isle. (*) She assumed that in doing so she had also renounced her claim to being a daughter of Hippolyta’s and a princess. Apparently, this still allowed the wise and lovely Queen to see Kara as her chance to fulfill the prophecy and restore her fate-displaced children.

[(*) Editor’s note: See “The Super-Amazon,” Supergirl #9 (December, 1973-January, 1974).]

Now, Linda Danvers donned not the red and blue outfit of Supergirl that had made her a beloved figure worldwide, but instead slipped into a star-spangled miniskirt and a red and gold halter top and tiara.

“If clothes make the Wonder Woman, then I’ll do,” she said as she slipped on red strap sandals. I know I don’t have Diana’s sheer battle prowess, and I do have a weakness to magic that she lacks to a degree, she mused.

Following Hippolyta’s directions, she flew off to a dimensional portal to Olympus, where dwelt the gods of myth and legend. She saw a statue of Athena nearby and hoped that wisdom would be hers as well on this most unusual adventure.

She felt the magic grip her as she was tossed through time and space to emerge amidst wonders from out of her reading of tales by Hamilton and Bullfinch.

Great Rao! This is mind-numbing. The splendor even dwarves that of Krypton! she thought as she saw golden pillars and ornate fountains surrounded by figures with an innate grandeur and threatening power.

She settled down with a graceful landing that swept back her miniskirt to reveal some of her leg, inadvertently attracting some goat-legged satyrs.

“What a fine specimen of nymph we have here,” said a leering one as he trotted over. “A leg like that of Aphrodite herself.”

Supergirl, the temporary new Wonder Woman, frowned and said, “This isn’t a peep show! You boys just go graze elsewhere!”

They barked harsh laughter and jeered at the lovely girl as she saw a newcomer. “Well, I see some sport is mine for the taking,” said a strong figure with ram’s horns on his head. He was handsome, muscled, and bare-chested, and he had the body of a horse from his stomach down. “Ha! You’ll be the plaything of Centaurus tonight, little treat!” he said.

“Not even if you were Comet the Super-Horse,” she said warily.

Supergirl prepared to face the raging and lustful man-horse. His powerful arms drew closer around her, and his hot breath was in her ear.

“Sorry, Trigger, but this girl isn’t in heat!” she said. “In fact, let me cool you down, too!” She tore free, lifting him upward with a skill born of years of performance, and tossed Centaurus into a bubbling fountain, where he sputtered in anger and remained safely away.

Supergirl thought to herself, Hope I don’t have to fight every god on Olympus. From what I recall, they were an amorous bunch, and this skimpy number doesn’t exactly cover me up very well.

She sped off over flowing green fields, where nymphs sported with regal figures, and creatures of lore like unicorns galloped merrily along crystal springs.

Landing by one of them, she gazed in each direction. “No sign of the correct pathway, but then this is Olympus, not Midvale. I can’t expect to see a mailbox reading the Fates!”

She was nuzzled gently from behind, and she angrily whirled around, saying, “Okay, you guys are getting my goat, so to speak! Oh — hello,” she said, smiling as a white unicorn approached her timidly. “You are a pretty one. You seem to want me to follow you?” she asked as the mythical creature neighed musically. “Do you know where the Fates dwell?”

She gently climbed upon the unicorn’s back, and it carried her across the fields to one looming temple. “This must be the place,” she said as she slipped down and scanned the lofty structure. “No sign of anyone — unless magic blocks my vision,” she said.

Shrieks echoed from above as dozens of foul-clawed and feathered bird-women descended upon her in attack formation.

“Harpies! Those claws of theirs may be magical enough to hurt even me,” she realized as one tore across her shoulder. She moaned and slammed her fist at the creature. It fell like a rock, and she jumped skyward to kick a second one into its sisters. “This is the weirdest field hockey game I’ve ever played!” she teased as she kicked and fought her way through the mad creatures. She used them against one another and dodged at super-speed. She caught one after another and sent them careening to the ground.

Finally, there were no more obstacles to the temple she sought. She moved forward.

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