Warning! Spoilers for Justice League #60!
Black Adam is a powerhouse of a character in DC Comics, and despite his no-nonsense attitude and extremely questionable principles, Wonder Woman’s mother, Hippolyta, just became his greatest threat. And although these two have had a long shared history over the years (with possibly another kind of relationship brewing), Hippolyta is none too pleased about Black Adam’s presence in the Justice League, and for good reason.
Hinted at in the newest Infinite Frontier-related issue of Justice League by Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez, Black Adam has been given temporary League status by Superman himself in order to help the rest of the team stop the newest villain, Brutus, from leveling the planet as they know it. But judging by Hippolyta’s reaction to Black Adam showing up with the rest of the League after unexpectedly getting beat down by Brutus, Black Adam’s acceptance onto the roster is one that is met with division all around – and in the case of Hippolyta specifically – anger.
Queen of the Amazons, mother to the one and only Wonder Woman, and the replacement for her daughter until Diana finds a way back to the DC universe proper, Hippolyta is fairly familiar with Black Adam’s specific brand of “heroism” and his consistent penchant for having a mean streak as well. Having fought by Black Adam’s side in the past during the events that led up to the recent Endless Winter crossover as well as against him when he acts more evil than helpful (Endless Winter again!), Hippolyta knows full well what Black Adam is capable of, and has become his most outspoken critic when it comes to accepting his current place on a team that – to put it plainly – needs him more than ever at the moment.
Threatening Black Adam in a sense that her clear opposition to him could jeopardize his standing with the League, his continued if reluctant acceptance into it and his slow but (hopefully) sure ascent into a kind of hero he has only flirted with being in the past, Hippolyta seems to know much more about Black Adam than anyone else. Being just as old as Black Adam (we’re talking centuries here), Hippolyta has not only tussled with the man before, but over time, has watched his steady climb towards being the fascist tyrant of his country of Kahndaq as well as the villain he’s widely known as today.
Furthermore, and although she storms off from the scene of her dust-up with Brutus the second Black Adam arrives, Hippolyta is a huge threat to Teth-Adam simply because she might be one of the few beings who can go toe-to-toe with the man and still live to tell the tale, among other things. And even though the always righteous and true Superman might believe in Black Adam’s redemption in the long run, from the current spot where Hippolyta is angrily standing, she has every reason to doubt a man that has been a thorn in her side – and the entire superhero community’s side – for as long as she can remember.
So while Black Adam’s status as a member of the Justice League might be met with criticism and outright confusion, Wonder Woman’s mother, Hippolyta, is a threat to a man that could finally be on the right track in becoming a true member of the Justice League. Fortunately for fans, this conflict is only just getting started, so we’ll have to see where this new wrinkle in the relationship between two of DC’s greats goes from here.
