men drug the Amazons and take them prisoner. Hercules steals Hippolyta's Golden Girdle, and his men abuse and rape the Amazons. The goddess Athena agrees to help the Amazons escape on the condition that they will not seek retribution against Hercules and his men, but the vengeful Amazons slaughter their captors. Athena demands that the Amazons serve penance for disobeying her, but though Hippolyta agrees, Antiope refuses and renounces all allegiance to the Olympian Gods. Leaving her Golden Girdle with Hippolyta to replace the one stolen by Hercules, Antiope leaves for Greece in search of Hercules and his general, Theseus. She is accompanied by a contingent of loyal Amazons, and her adopted daughter Phthia, the daughter of Queen Hypsipyle of Lemnos and the Argonaut Jason. In Greece, Antiope and Theseus fall in love and marry. They join their forces, but the Amazons resent serving beside the men who raped them, and the Greeks show no remorse or respect. Antiope and Theseus have a son, Hippolytus, but Theseus' jealous and vindictive former wife, Ariadne, murders Antiope and lays the blame on Phthia. Antiope's Amazons retrieve Phthia and the Golden Girdle stolen by Hercules, and leave Greece. Phthia assumes leadership of the group, who eventually become the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall. These Amazons settle in the Middle East, keeping the Golden Girdle and a bust of Antiope as sacred relics. They are mortal, but breed with outsiders and survive for centuries as coveted warriors. Hippolyta's daughter Diana, known as Wonder Woman, finds their city while searching for the villain The Cheetah in Wonder Woman vol. 2 #29. Upon Hippolyta's death in Wonder Woman vol. 2 #177, Antiope's ghost visits Diana, saying "There are other Amazons out there. Descendants of my tribe. Other offshoots—Diana, you must seek them out, and guide them—and represent them in the world of man." She and Hippolyta promise to watch and guide Diana. Abilities All Themyscirian Amazons possess various degrees of superhuman strength, speed, stamina and extraordinarily acute senses which were gifts they were blessed with by their gods. As shown by various tribe members, they have the capability to break apart steel and concrete with their bare hands, jump over 12 feet from a standing position, have a high durability factor, enhanced healing, and the ability to absorb and process a vast amount of knowledge in a short period of time. Themyscirian Amazons also possess the ability to