DC has released a new version of the main cover of October's Wonder Woman #764 by artist David Marquez, to replace what the publisher calls an early version of the cover that was released Friday morning along with all of its October 2020 solicitations and cover images.
The issue itself is illustrated by Steve Pugh and written by Mariko Tamaki, beginning a new story arc featuring Wonder Woman apparently teaming up with Wonder Woman 1984 movie villain Maxwell Lord, who DC refers to as "seemingly reformed" in the October solicits.
"Wonder Woman and Max Lord are on the hunt for some missing and extremely dangerous weaponry from Lord Industries, and the search has brought this unlikely duo to…Miami?" reads Wonder Woman #764's solicitation text. "Fun in the sun will have to wait—because if Diana and Max can't uncover this illegal arms trade, the entire city could be blown sky high! But we're sure Max Lord will be nothing but helpful…right?"
The replacement of a firearm in the original cover with a seeming ray gun/flashlight-thingy in the new cover might be in reference to Lord and Wonder Woman's complicated history and perhaps an effort by the publisher not to remind readers of one of its more controversial moments.
In 2005's Countdown to Infinite Crisis, Ted Kord/Blue Beetle discovers a plot by shady former JLA financier Lord (himself a metahuman with the ability to telepathically manipulate people ) to turn Checkmate to a superhero surveillance-control organization. When Blue Beetle refuses to join the organization, Lord murders him with a bullet to the head - one of the most infamous DC superhero deaths in the '00s this side of '04's Identity Crisis (it's a long story).
In true superhero fashion, Kord subsequently returned to the land of the living over the course of several DC continuity reboots/revamps over the last decade.
The '05 storyline would eventually lead to Wonder Woman killing Lord by snapping his neck in that same year's Wonder Woman #219, to prevent Lord from using his powers to manipulate Superman into killing people to serve his purposes - also one of Wonder Woman's most controversial stories.
Lord, obviously, has also returned from the dead.
DC did not comment on why the cover was being replaced, other than to say the first cover released was an "early version."
