Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Hestia and Aphrodite create the Amazons to lead mankind in peace and in worship of the old gods. Ares, wanting to rule the gods and mankind, tricks Heracles into going to Themyscria to destroy the Amazons. Heracles and his army decieve the Amazons and kill, capture and rape the Amazons. While chained, Hippolyte prays to Athena who gives the queen the wisdom to escape as long as she and the amazons rededicate themselves to Gaea's way, the way of peace, and not give into vengeance. Hippolyte frees the amazons, and try's to lead them away, but they want revenge and proceed to slaughter their captors. After the slaughter, Antiope leads her followers away, vowing to not follow the gods of Olympus. Hippolyte and the rest of the Amazons are sent to Paradise Island where they must guard a great evil forever as penance for the slaughter.
On Pardise Island, they build their city anew. Hippolyte, yearning for motherhood, is commanded by Athena to mold an image of a baby out of clay and then is born Diana. Princess Diana grows into a young woman and wants to compete in the contest. The contest is to choose a champion to battle Ares in the world of man. Hippolyte forbids her to enter, for fear of losing Diana. But Diana enters anyway and wins the contest and becomes the champion of the Amazons.