Even the least devout DC fan can name at least one or two Batman villains, or even Superman’s arch nemesis. Faces like the Joker are easily recognizable, but many struggle to name even one Wonder Woman villain.
If you are planning on seeing Wonder Woman when it hits in less than a month, we have you covered with everything you need to know about the big bad of the film and his evil minion…
The Origins of Ares
If you are familiar with Greek or Roman mythology, the name Ares should ring a bell. After all, he is one of the twelve Olympians. The gods in the comics are relatively similar to their mythological counterparts; they are immortal and have powers corresponding to what they are the patron of.
But, don’t think the gods are all powerful. They are created beings. If you are familiar with the New Gods, it’d be best to equate the Olympians with them. The gods were created when the world was created as a result of the power that was released. The ancient Greeks worshiped them and later the Romans.
Connection to the Amazons
The Olympians rarely ever got along, and Aphrodite and Ares are no exception. It’s easy to see why. A god of war, and a goddess of love – those two things don’t exactly line up.
The result of these two conflicting beings were the Amazons. As Ares taunted Aphrodite with the deaths occurring in the outside world in his name, she responded by molding a new race of women into shape and breathing life into them. These beings built their own city-state (Amazonia) to counter Ares’ followers, setting up a conflict between Ares and the Amazons for all-time, and providing us with the plot for Wonder Woman.
What Can Ares Do?
All the Olympians have off-the-chart strength levels, but even when compared to them, Ares is considered possibly the strongest, on par with even the mighty Hercules. He is extremely intelligent, and as a result of his incredibly long life, is a master of strategy, making him an extremely difficult foe to outwit. He can control any weapon with telekinesis and is gifted with extreme speed and agility.
When bloodshed and violence levels peak on Earth, he is able to absorb energy created by these events to increase his strength even more. His armor is considered indestructible. He can teleport anywhere. He can shapeshift into any form. Mortal weapons cannot harm him, and the armies of the undead are at his beck and call.
Quite the foe for anyone, even a being as powerful as Wonder Woman.
Who is Dr. Poison?
If you have been keeping up with the trailers for Wonder Woman, you may have gotten a glimpse of this masked figure. Played by actress Elena Anaya, her character name has remained unknown for the past several months. Speculation on her identity has run rampant, but no longer. Steve Trevor answers the question of her identity in the most recent trailer.
“The boys in the trenches called her Doctor Poison,” Chris Pine’s Trevor tells the Amazons. “Millions would die, the war would never end.”
Dr. Poison is much more of a Golden Age villain, as compared to Ares who has remained a constant Wonder Woman foe over the years. With no particular powers, her main weapon is her widespread knowledge of everything pertaining to poisons, toxins, and even plagues.
As opposed to Ares however, her origins have many direct parallels with Diana, which should make for some interesting confrontations. Doctor Poison, like Diana, is royalty. Prior to becoming the Doctor, she was the Princess Maru. However, when confronted with Man’s World, their opinions started to differ. Princess Maru shied away from her femininity, instead adopting the guise of a man. Wonder Woman embraced her femininity, becoming an icon for women all over.
Their weapons also parallel each other. Doc uses a drug called Reverso to get to the bottom of her problems, mind-controlling those she needs answers from. Wonder Woman uses her Lasso of Truth when she needs answers.
With the film, it seems that the writers are going to be using the New 52 look of Doc. The granddaughter of the original Doctor Poison, this version is called Doctor Maru, and is bit more decked out in leather, as opposed to the green of her ancestor.
If you paid attention during the most recent trailer, you may have also heard that Steve Trevor crashes on Themyscira while on a mission to stop Poison. And that the reason Diana leaves the island is to help Steve stop Poison from releasing a toxin that would kill millions and keep the war going interminably. Quite the role for such an unknown villain.
From what we know of the film so far, it seems that Ares is going to be pulling the strings behind Doctor Poison, but will eventually have to step out into the spotlight. You’ll get a chance to see Wonder Woman duel these two powerful villains in less than a month when Wonder Woman hits theaters on June 2nd.