In 2017, in a five-part comic-book storyline titled "Stoned," Greg Rucka, the writer, and Drew…read moreJohnson, the penciler, depict what would happen if Wonder Woman begrudgingly accepts an appeal to Ares from Medusa: a postponed fight to the death between the venomous snake-haired Gorgon and Wonder Woman the following morning in the heart of Yankee Stadium.
Diana, Ambassador to Themiscyra, prepares for battle the night before as many of Homer's mythic heroes do, by praying to the God of their devotion. For Wonder Woman, that is Athena: Goddess of Wisdom; and we aren't told if Athena answers her prayers aloud.
But what if, being prescient, Athena decided to interfere with Ares' plans, to prevent her champion, Diana of Themiscyra, from having to blind herself using the fangs of one of the severed vipers from Medusa's head? And what if Athena knew the fight was going to be held nearby 7106 Minstrel Way in Columbia, Maryland, and that Medusa's true weaknesses were gigantic, fruit-filled danishes (with seasonal choices of strawberries, cherries, apples, blueberries, or lemons); chocolate-filled, buttery croissants whose flakiness approaches even those of great French pastry chefs; and succulent sandwiches (chicken BLTs on ciabatta, turkey Reuben's on rye, bagels and lox with cream cheese and fresh slices of red onion) that prompt Medusa's own deadly serpentine follicles to salivate? The battle may have ended in seconds with Wonder Woman still wearing her helmet, no worse for wear.
Although we may have lost a truly-great comic-book reading experience that still resonates to this day, our stomachs would sing and remember what Wonder Woman ordered from Bonheur Patisserie and Deli in verses and song.