Amazonians
- In prehistoric times, a group of five beings who would later be known as Aphrodite, Artemis, Hestia, Athena and Demeter of the Greek Gods, went about and collected the souls of women who were either unjustly slain or having died for a noble cause, storing them in a vessel called the Cavern of Souls. Centuries later, the Five looked down upon the world and worried that the hearts of men were falling to the whim's of Ares too easily. The Five partitioned for the other gods to join their efforts to equalize the balance and create a race of women who would teach men the values of the gods, but they were denied. The Five went on regardless, gathering at a lake in Greece they created clay bodies for the all-female race they breathed life into, with the souls they collected long ago, the first one to rise was Hippolyta. The second was Antiope, Hippolyta's sister. The women created their city-state of Themyscira on the banks of the lake that gave them life and lived in peace, but not for long. Ares' influence still ran strong in the world and Themyscira's neighbors did not all appreciate the rumors they heard of the splendor of Themyscira. One such king was Eurystheus, who held sway over Heracles due to Hera's ire being upon the demigod. The son of Zeus was met in single combat by the Amazon Queen who easily defeated him as she carried the Girdle of Gaea, that made her invincible and a physical sign of the Five's favor of the Amazons. However Hippolyta wished not to kill him but instead believed Heracles found them to be worthy allies of his.
Hippolyta was deceived and poisoned by Heracles himself, who took the Girdle from her. Instantly the Amazons lost the favor of the Five as Heracles's men attacked them, capturing them and burning Themyscira to the ground. Enslaved, the Amazons were taken away from the ruins of their home to suffer at the hands of Heracles and his men, their gods having abandoned them because of the ease of which they were undone. In the darkness of her cell after Heracles left for the battle of Troy, Hippolyta wept for her people and pleaded the gods for salvation. And Athena heard her prayers, granting her salvation if she would not seek revenge for what had happened to her and her people, and Hippolyta complied. The Amazons broke free, having regained their god given strength, breaking the shackles that bound them. But many would no longer follow Olympus, Antiope included, those like her would become the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall. Those who still followed Hippolyta and Olympus were met on the shores of the sea by the Five, who expressed their disappointment in the Amazons, who would now be associated with violence due to their actions. As penance for their failure, the seas were parted by Poseidon and the Amazons were led away to Paradise Island, to forever guard the entrance to the Underworld known as Doom's Door and to wear the shackles that once bound them as reminders. In return they would live as immortals on their new island home, as long as they remained there and continued to uphold their duty. Also it was forbidden for men to set foot upon the island or the Amazons would loose their immortality. And so they lived and guarded the Door for thousands of years, forgotten as myths by the pages of history.
The Amazon Gifts
- The people of Paradise Island are by all accounts ageless, appearing as adult women in their prime, despite being over three thousand years old. Universally they are skilled in all forms of armed and unarmed combat that was present in the Hellenistic World. Their long lives spent in training for combat having honed their skills in these styles to near supernatural levels, such as piercing the throat of a jet pilot with a bow and arrow. As a boon from the gods, all amazons posses superhuman strength and durability, though they all vulnerable to piercing attacks. Such as Artemis once easily overpowering Batman, but was sedated with a tranquilizer. Amazons also possess heightened speed and endurance, well beyond that of any normal human, female or male.Amazons have a stronger line of communication with the Gods of Olympus, and can call upon their benefactors for specific kinds of help as needed. Their gods are, however, quite fickle, and Amazon prayers are not always answered. Certain members of the Amazon nation have various limited mystical capabilities gleaned form study of the arcane arts. Despite their conservative society and preferred way of living, the Amazons are a technologically advanced people having created such items as the Purple Healing Ray and its opposite the Purple Death Ray.
Weaponries
- Bracelets of Submission: The Bracelets of Submission are a pair of indestructible steel cuffs worn by all Amazons of Paradise Island. They serve as a reminder of the years when the Amazons were subjugated under the rule of the treacherous Hercules. Years after gaining their independence however, the Amazons continued to wear the Bracelets as a symbol of their past oppression. Wonder Woman continued to wear a pair of these metal cuffs, each one decorated with a red star along the band. She often used the bracelets to deflect gunfire, small missiles and other projectile weaponry. Following their sister's use of the Bracelets, many of the Amazons wield them with extreme proficiency when dealing with outsiders or during their own sports competitions.
