DC Finally Let’s Wonder Woman Embrace Her Dark Side — and Fans Are Excited Over It

Doctor Strange over at Marvel and Zatanna have both had their “oh no, magic is hard” moments. But let’s be real: those consequences usually last about as long as a single issue before everyone moves on like nothing happened. Even when Diana sacrificed her right arm to save Steve Trevor, it barely slowed her down. That’s not a price—that’s an inconvenience. But Absolute Wonder Woman #13 changed the game entirely.

Marcus Helminiak, of ComicBook says that the “price Wonder Woman has to pay for her magic is very present, very clear, and very dangerous, and that is exactly the type of thing that’s been missing from these types of stories for a very long time.” What a nice way of summarizing this storyline, right? 

Diana’s magical heroics have spawned something genuinely terrifying: an evil doppelganger made of pure negative energy that represents every dark thought and rage-filled moment she’s experienced while protecting humanity. The issue opens with Diana and Barbara researching what the human world knew about the Amazons before they vanished. Standard superhero stuff, right? Then a news alert interrupts them—a monster is tearing through Reno, Nevada.

As Helminiak explains, “This is a legitimate consequence that is the result of everything that Wonder Woman has done to help the world, which adds stakes and tension to every action she takes. Magic is no longer a get-out-of-jail-free card. Instead, it solves one problem to create a new one later.” And that’s exactly what’s been missing from superhero comics for far too long.

The True Cost of Being a Hero

The issue opens with Diana and Barbara researching what the human world knew about the Amazons before they vanished. Standard superhero stuff, right? Then a news alert interrupts them—a monster is tearing through Reno, Nevada. Wonder Woman flies off to confront it, only to discover this thing isn’t just physically powerful.

Being near it literally fills her mind with uncontrollable rage and dark thoughts. She fights it multiple times throughout the issue, and each encounter ends the same way: the creature escapes after thoroughly beating Diana down, only to pop up somewhere else in the world. It’s relentless, unstoppable, and infuriating—which is exactly the point.

Her allies eventually figure out there’s a pattern to the attacks, all corresponding to ancient Amazonian battle sites. When the creature attacks Delphi, Greece, Diana rushes to confront it again. This time, she finally understands the horrible truth: this monster is her. Specifically, it’s the accumulated price of all the magic she’s used to protect Earth and honor her heritage

As Helminiak notes, “Her heroism had a cost, and it was collecting in the form of her evil self.” Brutal. And honestly? Perfect. Here’s the thing that makes this development so significant: it’s not a one-off plot device. Throughout the entire Absolute Wonder Woman series, Diana has been paying small prices for minor magical acts. But this evil version of herself represents the culmination of her larger spells and more impactful magic. It’s an internally consistent system that actually follows through on the “magic has a price” concept that’s been empty rhetoric for decades.

Why This Matters More Than You Think

What makes the Absolute Universe’s approach work is that it treats magic like an actual system with real rules, not just a plot convenience. Small spells require small payments. Big magic demands big consequences. It’s simple, logical, and creates genuine dramatic tension because we can now understand the stakes involved in every magical decision Diana makes.

This isn’t just good storytelling—it’s respectful storytelling. It respects the audience’s intelligence by maintaining consistency, and it respects the character by forcing her to grapple with meaningful consequences rather than handwaving them away after a single issue. The fact that this evil Wonder Woman exists as a physical manifestation of the cost of heroism is particularly brilliant.

It’s not some abstract concept or temporary debuff. It’s a tangible, dangerous enemy that Diana helped create through her own heroic actions. Talk about a moral dilemma with real weight behind it. DC doubling down on magical consequences in the Absolute Universe suggests they’re finally ready to treat their magical characters with the seriousness they deserve.

For too long, magic has been either overpowered or inconsistently limited depending on what the plot required. Now we’re seeing what happens when writers commit to following through on the rules they establish. I’m genuinely excited to see how this plays out in future issues. Will other magical characters in the Absolute Universe face similar consequences? How will Diana deal with an enemy that gets stronger every time she uses magic to help people? These are questions that actually matter because the stakes feel real for once.

Final Thoughts

Absolute Wonder Woman #13 is available now, and if you’ve been waiting for DC to deliver meaningful consequences for magical heroism, this is your moment. Wonder Woman’s dark side isn’t just another villain to punch. It’s a mirror, showing us what happens when heroism accumulates its own shadow. And honestly? It’s about time DC had the courage to hold up that mirror and show us what we see.