Absolute Wonder Woman's new lasso changes everything

Gateway City is under attack from the Tetracide – a gigantic kaiju beast from beneath the sea. Only the Absolute Wonder Woman can help, but even her massive sword isn't enough to slay the beast. Now, with things reaching a crisis point, there's only one solution: it's time for Diana to go big or go home – quite literally, as it turns out.

Yep, Absolute Wonder Woman #5 is out now, from the team of writer Kelly Thompson and artist Hayden Sherman, and it delivers a thrilling climax to the series' first arc, 'The Last Amazon', with Diana's battle with the beast leaning into the magical aspect of this new take on the character. It's also rad as hell. Let's get into it...

Spoilers for Absolute Wonder Woman #5

The issue opens with the battle continuing and an attack by a couple of USAF fighter jets only complicating matters, when the Tetracide deflects their missiles back towards the city. Luckily, Diana – with some help from Pegasus – is able to stop these before they harm anyone. Still, she's starting to realise that defeating this thing will mean resorting to powerful magic that could change her forever.

In a flashback to Hell (where, you may remember, this version of Wonder Woman was raised), we see Circe gift Diana one of her lassos, granted the name Θυσία – Sacrifice in ancient Greek. It has the power to change things, though Diana is dismayed at the cruelty of this weapon.

Back in the present day, she begins to understand why this particular lasso is for her. We've already seen that this version of the character is ready and willing to sacrifice herself if necessary when she cut off her own arm in order to save Steve Trevor. Now she's ready to make an even bigger sacrifice: she uses the lasso on herself and transforms into a gigantic, kaiju-sized version of Medusa, in order to fight the Tetracide. Like we said: Rad. As. Hell.

Once the transformation is complete the battle is easily won. She stares at the Tetracide, transforming it into stone. There seems to be no coming back for Wonder Woman, however, until Steve Trevor decides to risk his life by facing her himself. Binding his eyes with a rag, he steps out into the streets and confronts Medusa. Talking to her, he is able to speak to the part of the creature that is still Diana, reminding her of who she truly is. It's enough to restore her humanity – and now it's time for her to punch the stone Tetracide to rubble.

Some will likely find this resolution a little too easy, and it's true that it takes Steve just five panels to reverse the transformation. Personally, I love this moment, though. Sherman continues to draw this book so beautifully, and there's something mythic about the way Diana's salvation comes not through Steve's growing love for her, but through simply reminding her of who she truly is, of how the things that she perhaps sometimes sees as negatives about herself – hailing from Hell, being the last of the Amazons – are actually sources of power.

Absolute Wonder Woman's first arc is over, then – but it's not a neat and tidy conclusion. Just as Diana is talking to her friends, a hole opens up in the ground beneath her and a gigantic spectral hand reaches up to grab her and drag her back to Hell. What was that we said up top? Turns out this issue she's going big and going home?

Absolute Wonder Woman #5 is out now from DC.

Absolute Wonder Woman made our list of the 25 best comics of 2024.