Warning: contains spoilers for Wonder Woman #772
After spending a few issues without her memories, Wonder Woman is finally reclaiming her identity. Diana's journey into the Infinite Frontier has taken her far away from her roots in Greek myth, placing her into the realm of Norse myth instead. However, her time in Asgard might be coming to an end soon, all thanks to the classic DC hero, Deadman.
Ever since she sacrificed herself at the end of Dark Knights: Death Metal, Wonder Woman has been in something of a limbo. The beginning of Infinite Frontier saw her rejecting a role in the Quintessence, choosing instead to plunge headfirst into the new DC Omniverse. This directly led to Wonder Woman's new series from Michael W. Conrad, Becky Cloonan, and Travis Moore, where Diana wakes up in Valhalla with amnesia. Though she initially loves the new setting and endless battle Valhalla entails, she is haunted by a figure who appears to her every time she dies in battle. After learning that Ragnarok is coming for Asgard, Diana goes to seek out a key that might give her access to the fallen warriors who have not been returned to Valhalla. This leads Wonder Woman to the giant serpent Nidhogg. Diana tricks the serpent into eating her so that she could retrieve the key from its stomach.
Now, in the newly released Wonder Woman #772, Diana finds herself in the belly of the beast without much of a plan. She rummages around in Nidhogg's digestive tract for a bit, before eventually succumbing to the creature's gasses. In the place between death and Asgard, Diana is greeted once again by the mysterious figure. He tells her that he isn't supposed to interfere, but that he'll make an exception, handing her a key. After making Nidhogg vomit her back up, Diana goes to find Thor, who is preparing for a massive battle. Memories start to trickle into her mind as she battles a merman riding a crab. Though Diana kills the merman, his crab gets ahold of her, killing Wonder Woman once again. When Diana wakes up though, it's not a mysterious figure who greets her, but a familiar face. The incredibly powerful hero Deadman has been watching over Diana ever since she entered Asgard. He tries to tell her that her quest to save Asgard is doomed, however, with her regained memories, Diana knows that this wouldn't stop her.
What's interesting about Wonder Woman's Norse escapades is that they reveal a great deal about her character. Wonder Woman's childhood and life on Themyscira have proven incredibly influential to her, and have shaped the way she thinks and approaches the world. Her new adventures in Valhalla take all of that away from her. The result is a far more violent version of Wonder Woman who is willing to kill and participate in battle just for the fun of it. This stands in stark contrast to the Amazonians, who are also warriors but only teach fighting as a means of self-defense. Despite these differences, it appears as though Wonder Woman's core trait is her natural heroism and need to help others.
The idea that it would be Deadman of all heroes to help Diana regain her identity is one that actually makes a lot of sense. Deadman is known for protecting DC's heroes, and though Wonder Woman and Deadman don't typically work together, his dual associations with various afterlives and superheroes mean that he's a natural fit to watch after a fallen hero like Diana. Readers can only wonder how Deadman will factor into future issues of Wonder Woman.