Warning: Spoilers for Absolute Wonder Woman #3
Wonder Woman has faced a variety of formidable enemies over the years, from Cheetah to Circe. However, his Absolute Universe counterpart may be gearing up to face a villain scary enough to haunt anyone's nightmares. The Tetracidae has officially made his terrifying debut into DC lore, and Wonder Woman will have to fight like never before if she's to have any chance of defeating this otherworldly foe.
The preview for Absolute Wonder Woman #3 by Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman, Jordie Bellaire and Becca Carey picks up where the last issue left off, as Tetraslayer – described by Diana as “death personified” – makes an appearance in Gateway City. Diana uses her magical powers to slow the creature down and then tries to warn the military about what Tetracide is capable of so that humanity can be prepared for its attack.
Wonder Woman warns the soldiers that they must leave before it kills them, stating that she will attack them once it kills her. Diana's frank admission that she will almost certainly die in the battle against Tetraslayer, coupled with her explanation of his terrifying powers, cements him as a threat unlike any other.
Wonder Woman's New Villain Tetraslayer Is Officially DC's Darkest Threat
The Tetraslayer torments his victims in horrific ways as the personification of death
Tetracida's name translates as “the four killers”, which is an allusion to his four methods of killing. According to Wonder Woman, these methods are as follows: death of fear, death of the mind, death of the body and death of the soul. The death of fear, although considered unassuming by soldiers, occurs when the Tetracide erases people's fear of him by emitting a sound that attracts them. Like a siren, the Tetracide attracts victims through this emanation, then crushes them in its jaws to achieve bodily death and eliminates their ability to fight back as a mental death.
While Wonder Woman doesn't explain the “soul death” aspect of Tetraslayer's abilities, she simply says: “The death of the soul is… well, that explains itself, doesn't it?” The implication here is that, essentially, the Tetraslayer destroys the souls of his victims, so that they are unable to progress to any kind of afterlife. As such, the stakes are high, so Diana's pleas for Steve Trevor and the military to flee Gateway City are justified. Most villains are capable of killing those who cross them, but the Tetracide who steals the souls of those he kills makes his form of murder infinitely more frightening.
Absolute Wonder Woman's Ultimate Enemy Puts Her Other Villains to Shame
The Absolute Universe gives Wonder Woman her scariest foe yet
There are many strong villains in DC's main continuity that have pushed Wonder Woman to her limits. Currently, the main DC Universe's Wonder Woman is fighting the Highbreed, and her evil takes on a different form than Tetraslayer's. The Sovereign intends to turn the world against Wonder Woman, manipulating the masses through his Lasso of Lies, and he has gone so far as to kill Steve Trevor. Wonder WomanHowever, her newest foe does much more than simply kill her opponents, and her confrontation with Tetracide will be a greater challenge than any she has faced before.
Absolute Wonder Woman #3 is available December 26, 2024 from DC Comics.