Diana has only just located the lost island of Themyscira (during THE CONTEST, 1994-1995), but a has lost her role as Wonder Woman to Artemis in a competition that appeared to be stacked against her by her own mother, Hippolyta. Now, Diana of Themyscira continues to operate as a member of Justice League America, as well as performing solo missions in Boston, while the new Wonder Woman tries to prove herself superior to Diana in every way…
Event Title: ‘The Challenge of Artemis’ isn’t an officially recognised DC event; the Omniverse Comics Guide has named the event ‘The Challenge of Artemis’ after the collected edition that included the Wonder Woman issues of ‘The Contest’, as well as those listed below.
Minor crossover: The JLA issues aren’t essential reading, but help explain the larger story of Diana’s new role as well as Artemis’ efforts to eclipse her in the DC Universe.
Must-Reads: In the Quick List, essential issues are listed in bold and are marked with a ✔ in the Full Reading Order; in the Fallout section, issues/story arcs marked with a ✔ are essential reading.
Spoilers: The issue descriptions and fallout section contain spoilers, so be warned!
Previous events that directly impact this story:
- OPERATION: CHEETAH (1992) – Wonder Woman saves Cheetah’s life
- JOURNEY TO THE STARS (1992-1993) – Asquith Randolph first targets Wonder Woman
- THE CONTEST (1994-1995) – Artemis takes the role of Wonder Woman
Want to keep it simple? Here’s the chronological reading order without story descriptions, or spoilers:
- Justice League America #96-97 (tie-in)
- Wonder Woman #94-98
- Justice League America #98-100 (tie-in)
- Wonder Woman #99-100
| Must Read | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| Justice League America #96 (tie-in) A man calling himself Judgment seeks out Maxwell Lord. Meanwhile, all factions of the Justice League attend Lord’s funeral (following his death during THE CONTEST, 1994-1995). Aquaman confronts Hawkman over his recent actions (see EYES OF THE HAWK, 1994-1995). Judgment interrupts the ceremony, until Doctor Light amplifies his power back at him, causing Judgment to overload. The teams head to the Justice League Refuge where the Yazz is updating all their systems. Judgment fires eye-beams at the space station, causing a massive explosion! 1st appearance: Judgment/James Collins | |
| Justice League America #97 (tie-in) The explosion forces the Justice League to escape to Earth in pods. Artemis – now known as the new Wonder Woman – insists on taking over leadership of the League and takes on Judgment alongside Diana of Themyscira and Metamorpho. In New York, Fire locates Sigrid Nansen who’s taken on the mantle of the deceased Ice (killed during JUDGMENT DAY, 1994) by becoming Icemaiden again. Fire introduces Sigrid to the team. A producer offers Blue Devil a role in a film if he joins Justice League America! Power Girl pushes her baby through a portal, opened by the baby himself, and vanishes! | |
| Justice League #98 (tie-in) The League head to Maxwell Lord’s grave to properly mourn him. Fire is angered by Diana for not instantly allowing Icemaiden to join the team. The new Wonder Woman – now a member of the JLA – tries to push aside the crowd of Justice League fans that have gathered at the cemetery, only for them to be welcomed by Diana. Crimson Fox, Nuklon, Diana and Hawkman investigate strange activity in Black River where the children appear to be missing. Blue Devil shows up at the Refuge and demands League membership. Wonder Woman insists on being leader of the Justice League, like her predecessor, and kicks Blue Devil out. 1st appearance: Strange Brood (cameo) | |
| Justice League #99 (tie-in) The children of Black River are being held hostage by the superhuman teenagers of the town who call themselves the Strange Brood. Diana’s team stop the Brood from blowing up the town, with unexpected help from Blue Devil! Elsewhere, Lord Havok observes the Justice League, waiting for his moment to strike! 1st appearance: Strange Brood (full) New identity: Maxwell Lord as Lord Havok (unrevealed) |
| Must Read | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Wonder Woman #94 The murderous Poison Ivy and the assassin Cheshire are hired by new Boston crime boss Julie Sazia to kill rival crime lord Paulie Longo. Paulie turns to the detective agency set up by Diana of Themyscira for protection. Diana has barely refused Paulie when Cheshire and Poison Ivy attack the agency. Though she beats them back, Diana is poisoned and faces a third foe… Cheetah! |
| ✔ | Wonder Woman #95 The musclebound Chauvinist attacks a women’s shelter and, after a lengthy punch-up, the new Wonder Woman defeats him, but fails to save one of the women. Elsewhere, Diana escapes Ivy, Cheetah and Cheshire. Longo’s agent, the White Magician, sends a legion of stone golems to kill Julie Sazia. Cheetah saves Diana from Cheshire’s blade, as she owes Diana her life (see OPERATION: CHEETAH, 1992). Sazia seeks safety, but finds heed mansion has been invaded by the Joker! 1st appearance: Chauvinist/William Baker |
| ✔ | Wonder Woman #96 (pp.1-9) Diana and Cheetah demolish the giant golems. The Joker’s avoiding Gotham City, claiming Batman’s gotten mean (likely referring to the Batman he met during KNIGHTQUEST, 1993-1994) and wants to ‘help’ Julie Sazia… |
| Justice League America #100 (tie-in) Blue Devil has convinced the Justice League to let him join! Diana and her squad offer JL communicators to Superboy, Captain Marvel, Batman, Damage, the new Green Lantern, Donna Troy and Guy Gardner, earning the ire of Captain Atom. Wonder Woman calls for a vote to make her leader of the JLA instead of Diana, but doesn’t win a single one, so insists on joining Captain Atom’s Extreme Justice. Rejected again, she leaves in a huff. Apparently working for Killg%re, Lord Havok breaks into the Refuge and turns its tech against the Justice League. Ultimately, he’s overpowered and escapes, thinking to himself that he’s got a plan for next time and that he’s really Maxwell Lord. Also see THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR Identity revealed: ‘Lord Havok’ is Maxwell Lord | |
| ✔ | Wonder Woman #96 (pp.10-22) Returning to Boston, Diana finds out the Joker has been murdering Paulie Longo’s men. She fights past Julie Saiza’s cyborg goons and finds Julie herself chained to her desk. The Joker emerges with a bomb strapped to his chest! Meanwhile, Wonder Woman takes down the superhuman sweatshop owner, the Exploiter. New identity: Chauvinist/William Baker as the Exploiter |
| Must Read | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Wonder Woman #97 The ‘bomb’ squirts Diana with paralysing cream! From another plane, Pan teaches Diana the chaotic means to overcome the Joker. After a few quips, she lights the explosives on his chest! Outside, Cheetah disrupts the White Magicians spell to cast Julie Sazia’s building into another dimension, only for both of them to vanish! When the building explodes, Paulie Longo takes Julie’s car, but she sets off explosives that blow up the car with him inside. Wonder Woman is called in when villagers poaching from the Rain Forest are murdered by the US Army. She’s attacked by Involute the Conqueror until the Lasso of Truth reveals to him that he used to be a good man, so he blows his own head off. 1st appearance: Involute the Conqueror |
| ✔ | Wonder Woman #98 Wonder Woman berates Diana for her lack of success in man’s world and is still angry that the Justice League wouldn’t accept her over Diana. After Diana learns the Chauvinist, the Exploiter and Involute the Conqueror were hired actors, Wonder Woman attacks her. Though the battle is brief, it makes Diana realise she’s fighting the wrong person. |
| ✔ | Wonder Woman #99 On Diana’s way back to Themyscira, Circe attacks and vanishes. Back in Boston, the feeling starts to return to Julia Kapatelis’ legs, so she celebrates with Donna Milton. The magic used by the White Magician has altered his form to a raging demon and he plans to sacrifice Cheetah and reporter Cassie Arnold. Wonder Woman continues her hunt for the White Magician. On Themyscira, Hippolyta reveals to Diana that Herakles isn’t her father, and that she rigged the Contest (during THE CONTEST, 1994) because she saw a vision of Wonder Woman’s death. |
| ✔ | Wonder Woman #100 Diana returns to Boston and, in her desperation to find Wonder Woman, stops off at the hospital to check on Julia Kapatelis. Diana learns she has a passive healing force field and reveals Donna Milton is an amnesiac Circe! Donna transports Diana to Wonder Woman’s location. The White Magician mortally wounds Artemis. Circe arrives and helps Diana by teleporting herself and the demonic Cheetah and Cassie Arnold away. Artemis gives Diana the Gauntlet of Atlas, empowering her to defeat the White Magician who burns up and dies. Artemis realises Diana should be Wonder Woman and tells her so before she dies. |
| Must Read | Issue & Fallout | Event / Crossover |
| The Flash #101 (1995) The Flash and his friends are too busy rebuilding Keystone City to attend Maxwell Lord’s funeral. | RUNS IN THE FAMILY | |
| Action Comics #709 (1995) Guy Gardner is too busy fighting Superman to attend Maxwell Lord’s funeral. | REIGN OF THE WARRIOR | |
| Guy Gardner: Warriors #32 (1995) Guy Gardner confronts the JLA over them not telling him about Ice’s death. | THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR | |
| ✔ | Batman: Shadow of the Bat #37-38 (1995) The Joker is revealed to be have survived the explosion when he shows up in Gotham City again. | |
| Justice League America #103-104 (1995) Metamorpho and Crimson Fox track down Vivian D’Aramis, only to see her actually die at Maurice Puanteur’s hands. | ||
| ✔ | Wonder Woman #101 (1995) Diana of Themysicra is back to being Wonder Woman again. | |
| ✔ | Underworld Unleashed #1 (1995) Guy Garnder: Warrior #36 (1995) Cheetah is revealed to be alive and is offered a power upgrade and the resurrection of her manservant Chuma in exchange for her soul; Cheetah becomes more savage. | UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED |
| Justice League America #105-106 (1995) Power Girl returns; her baby is revealed to have become a fully-grown man called Equinox, destined to battle Scarabus. | UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED | |
| ✔ | Underworld Unleashed #3 (1995) Wonder Woman is dismayed to see Artemis has been sent to the Underworld. | UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED |
| ✔ | Artemis: Requiem #1-6 (1996) Artemis’ soul is revealed to be in Tartarus, where she’s forced to become a concubine for the demon Dalkriig-Hath; Artemis turns down help from Wonder Woman before killing Dalkriig-Hath herself and returning to the land of the living. | |
| Justice League America #111-113 (1996) Maxwell Lord returns as Lord Havok again, takes over the Arcana and pits them against the JLA; Judgment returns at the same time Lord does. | ||
| ✔ | Wonder Woman #117-119 (1997) The transformation of the savage Cheetah is undone, though she returns to being at odds with Wonder Woman. | |
| JLA #1 (1997) The Hyperclan kill Judgment and destroy the JL Refuge; Icemaiden’s tenure in Justice League America ends. | ||
| ✔ | JLA #5 (1997) Artemis applies to become a member of the JLA. | AMERICAN DREAMS |
| ✔ | Wonder Woman #123-124 (1997) Wonder Woman and Artemis have a rematch when Diana defends Jason Blood from Artemis who’s intent on killing him. | |
| ✔ | Wonder Woman #128 (1997) Despite their recent issues, Hippolyta takes on the role of Wonder Woman when Diana of Themyscira becomes the Goddess of Truth. | ASCENSION |
| ✔ | Wonder Woman #142 (1999) Artemis starts training Wonder Girl (Cassie Sansdmark). | |
| Formerly Known as the Justice League #1 (2003) Maxwell Lord is revealed to have been returned to human form and even helps form a post-Justice League International team. | ||
| Wonder Woman #219 (2005) Despite their history, Wonder Woman is forced to kill Maxwell Lord to end the threat of the OMACs. | COUNTDOWN TO INFINITE CRISIS THE OMAC PROJECT |
| Collected Edition Title | Collects… |
| Wonder Woman by Mike Deodato | Legends of the DC Universe #4-5 Wonder Woman #0, 85, 90-100 |
| Wonder Woman: The Challenge of Artemis | Wonder Woman #94-100 |
Reading Order © Omniverse Comics Guide 2026
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