Why Can't The Amazons Have Technology?

[GEMINUS]

I am far less concerned about the absence of technology, and more troubled by the lack of magic. I find it hard to believe that an ancient society of immortal pagans wouldn’t have a single sorceress among their ranks. I keep hoping that maybe there is a small coven of magic wielding priestesses tucked away somewhere on the island.

Personally I think that this hypothetical coven could be a great way to reintroduce Circe. Have her be an Amazonian Priestess devoted to Hecate who is angry at Diana and Hippolyta for bringing Hera’s wrath upon her sisters. In the hands of the right writer, I think it could make for some juicy story telling.

For right now I am just happy that the Amazons are still immortal and seemingly superhuman. I would have been so disappointed if they had all been downgraded to regular baseline humans.

[Maximum Impact]

I see no reason to believe the Amazons aren't baseline humans. They've done nothing spectacular to prove otherwise, and if they are immortal why are they procreating with hapless sailors? There was a priestess though in the funeral issue. She didn't do anything magical, but she did pray a lot and wore a funky headdress.

[GEMINUS]

I see no reason to believe the Amazons aren't baseline humans. They've done nothing spectacular to prove otherwise, and if they are immortal why are they procreating with hapless sailors? There was a priestess though in the funeral issue. She didn't do anything magical, but she did pray a lot and wore a funky headdress.

The priestess in the funeral scene made a reference to immortal life. For all we know the Amazons could have had conflicts with monsters or gods that necessitated periodic replenishment of their numbers. Honestly at this point it is all just speculation on my part. All I know is that procreating only 3 times a century is an incredibly low birthrate.

While I haven’t read it yet, apparently there is an amazon in Demons Knight named Exoristos, who is strong enough to decapitate a dragon with a chain and withstand dragon fire. See http://www.comicvine.com/exoristos/29-79959/ for more details.

Regarding the potential magic of the priestesses, at this point I am just hoping. Hoping that somewhere on that little isle is a coven of witches studying the craft in a hideaway temple. As I see it, the Atlanteans get to be superhuman, possesses technology, and use magic. I think it would be equitable for the Amazons to be immortal, superhuman, and magical.

[Maximum Impact]

Sure that would be equitable, but DC doesn't seem too concerned with treating the Amazons as anything more than cannon fodder.

[fanboiii]

I have the same impression as Maximum Impact. The priestess says: "Immortal life is a gift. But dying in battle is a prize, to be coveted. It defines who we are."

"It" is only referring to dying in battle. The priestess could be making a comparison with the gods. If she used "and" instead, it would have been clearer. If they are mortals, it also supports Diana not knowing about the sex raids because she wouldn't have been alive to witness every time they do it.

[GEMINUS]

I have the same impression as Maximum Impact. The priestess says: "Immortal life is a gift. But dying in battle is a prize, to be coveted. It defines who we are."

"It" is only referring to dying in battle. The priestess could be making a comparison with the gods. If she used "and" instead, it would have been clearer. If they are mortals, it also supports Diana not knowing about the sex raids because she wouldn't have been alive to witness every time they do it.

Diana's ignorance could be chopped up to young age. For all we know she could have been born during or shortly after the last procreation cycle and it just hasn’t happened again in her lifetime. However, you make a good point about the wording. I just REALLY hope you are wrong.

[americanwonder]

Sure that would be equitable, but DC doesn't seem too concerned with treating the Amazons as anything more than cannon fodder.

sad but true.

[Maximum Impact]

Diana's ignorance could be chopped up to young age. For all we know she could have been born during or shortly after the last procreation cycle and it just hasn’t happened again in her lifetime. However, you make a good point about the wording. I just REALLY hope you are wrong.

I'm not falling for that, it makes no sense to me that she'd be completely unaware. First why would they keep that information from their new princess? It seems like she'd hear pieces of conversations even if it was being kept from her. If you walk into a room and the adults look at you and stop talking, it should make you curious about what was being said. And why would she have no inkling from her sisters being different ages? She apparently grew up with other children that called her Clay, wouldn't that make her question their origins?

[GEMINUS]

I'm not falling for that, it makes no sense to me that she'd be completely unaware. First why would they keep that information from their new princess? It seems like she'd hear pieces of conversations even if it was being kept from her. If you walk into a room and the adults look at you and stop talking, it should make you curious about what was being said. And why would she have no inkling from her sisters being different ages? She apparently grew up with other children that called her Clay, wouldn't that make her question their origins?

I don't know, inattentional blindness? At this point everything is so vague and in flux. We have had 9 issues of world building and still so little makes sense. Personally I don't think we will have our answers for a very long time. It's clear that the focus of the story has shifted from Paradise Isle and the Amazons to Olympus and the Olympians. It is my hope (I know, I have many hopes), that the Olympian drama will wind down around issue 12 and we can start getting more details about the Amazons.

[Maximum Impact]

I don't know, inattentional blindness? At this point everything is so vague and in flux. We have had 9 issues of world building and still so little makes sense. Personally I don't think we will have our answers for a very long time. It's clear that the focus of the story has shifted from Paradise Isle and the Amazons to Olympus and the Olympians. It is my hope (I know, I have many hopes), that the Olympian drama will wind down around issue 12 and we can start getting more details about the Amazons.

Your typing fingers to God's ears. Hope springs eternal in the human breast and I'm hoping right along with you.

[Agent_Dark]

I'm not falling for that, it makes no sense to me that she'd be completely unaware. First why would they keep that information from their new princess? It seems like she'd hear pieces of conversations even if it was being kept from her. If you walk into a room and the adults look at you and stop talking, it should make you curious about what was being said. And why would she have no inkling from her sisters being different ages? She apparently grew up with other children that called her Clay, wouldn't that make her question their origins?

Why would a child being raised in an all-female society be aware of how human reproduction works? Even in a 'normal' human society, we tell kids things like Babies coming from Stalks and the like. Why wouldn't Amazon girls accept that they 'come from the spirit of gods' or something like that? Obviously Diana was different though, with Hippolyta making up the clay origin for her which apparently got out and the other children used that to taunt her.

Until an actual mating cycle came around, there'd be no reason to even talk about men. They're utterly irrelevant for the Amazon society. Perhaps they only tell the now grown children about it when they get older, and Diana left the Island before she was privy to that information

[Gaelforce]

Why would a child being raised in an all-female society be aware of how human reproduction works? Even in a 'normal' human society, we tell kids things like Babies coming from Stalks and the like. Why wouldn't Amazon girls accept that they 'come from the spirit of gods' or something like that? Obviously Diana was different though, with Hippolyta making up the clay origin for her which apparently got out and the other children used that to taunt her.

Until an actual mating cycle came around, there'd be no reason to even talk about men. They're utterly irrelevant for the Amazon society. Perhaps they only tell the now grown children about it when they get older, and Diana left the Island before she was privy to that information

Because Amazons don't buy their food from supermarkets ;)

Seriously, though, any kid raised on a farm figures it out pretty quick. Amazons raise and hunt their own food, so I find it hard to believe she doesn't know.

[Arvandor]

Seriously, though, any kid raised on a farm figures it out pretty quick. Amazons raise and hunt their own food, so I find it hard to believe she doesn't know.

except this is a girl so stupid as to believe babies are made from clay.

In this current setup, there is no way for Diana to come out of this looking like anything other than a total brain dead moron.

[Don-Jack]

She believed babies were made from clay?
Which book are you reading?
Some people say this Diana is dumb, like they were a kind of geniuses.

[Dr. Hurt]

except this is a girl so stupid as to believe babies are made from clay.

In this current setup, there is no way for Diana to come out of this looking like anything other than a total brain dead moron.

In a world where Greek gods exist and turn people to stone, the clay origin is far fetched?

Or are you forgetting how we tell our kids that they were brought to the family by a stork, that an old man in red comes every christmas through the chimney to give them presents, that some guy in antiquity walked on water and turned water into wine, etc?