The Burden of God
Cliff Chiang
Jared K. Fletcher
Chris Conroy (Associate), Matt Idelson
Wonder Woman (Princess Diana), Orion, Lennox, Zola
The First Born, Cassandra
Hephaestus, Hera, Milan
Categories: 2012 | New 52 | Volume 4
Tags: Brian Azzarello | Chris Conroy | Cliff Chiang | Hephaestus | Hera | Jared K. Fletcher | Lennox | Matt Idelson | Matthew Wilson | Orion | Zola
In Brooklyn, Orion visits an old friend, hoping to get some information via the man's power. The man, who thinks on his abilities as a curse which have left him wandering the alleys, blind and homeless, is reluctant to help. He changes his tune, though, when Orion offers him a ride on his Astro-Harness
Wonder Woman, meanwhile, has put her friends up in a fancy hotel in Manhattan, and is eager to get to work on finding her half-brother Milan. Lennox warns her against going to find him, as Milan is not especially friendly. He suggests that he go, and that she stay behind to babysit Zola and Hera. Those two, meanwhile, are in the midst of an argument over which program to watch. Diana is forced to take the remote from them, and assign them some activities. Zola must make sure that Hera doesn't leave the suite, and Hera – who is accustomed to being treated like a queen – should satisfy her needs by calling room service. Now, she and Lennox can find Milan together.
Lennox leads Diana down into an abandoned section of the subway system, and while he goes on ahead, Diana is held back by Hephaestus, who steps out of the shadows to tinker with her Bracelets of Submission, though he will not tell her exactly what he did. Lennox, meanwhile, finds Milan – who happens to be the same man that Orion came to see earlier – further down the old abandoned tracks, but the blind man warns him off. Milan holds a grudge because of something that Lennox did to their sister seventeen years ago. Lennox refuses to go, and he finds himself at odds with Orion's imposing personage.
Back at the hotel, Hera is less than impressed with room service's burger and fries combo – which is great news, as far as Zola is concerned. Hera wonders with frustration why Zola takes such delight in her displeasure, at which point Zola reminds the former goddess of her numerous attempts to kill her and her baby. Hera suggests that this was merely her duty, given the fact that Zola slept with her husband. Naturally, Zola thinks it would make more sense to be angry with him, considering that it was he who cheated. In any case, Zola wants to go out to take her mind off of the loss of her child, and since she can't let Hera out of her sight, the queen must come too.
Lennox reveals that he and Diana have managed to account for six of Zeus' bastard children, a statement that sparks a dramatic reaction from Orion, who has apparently been seeking the last of Zeus' line. His threats on Lennox's life prompt Diana to step out of the shadows and warn Orion to step away. As she leaps into action, two swords spring out from her bracelets, unexpectedly – but welcome. Rather than watch the two fight, Milan unleashes a swarm of flies from out of his mouth to envelope them all.
Meanwhile, in Antarctica, Cassandra and the giant are amused by the arrogance of the gods, to have buried his treasure so close to the place that he was imprisoned. Unexpectedly, the ice around them rises up into the form of monsters, addressing the giant as nephew, and promising to kill him again.