Ares (DC Comics)

Ares (also known as Mars) is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Based on the Greek mythological figure Ares, he is the Olympian god of war, the son of Zeus and Hera, and the half-brother of the superhero Wonder Woman, as well as her recurring adversary. Since his first comic book appearance in 1942, he has been featured prominently as an antagonist during every era of Wonder Woman's comic book adventures, and in many adaptations of her stories in other media. Ares first appeared in Wonder Woman #1, published in the summer of 1942, written by Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston. His introductory panels name him as Ares, though the narration goes on to note that he is "now called" by his Roman name Mars. He would be known by that name (with sporadic exceptions) for the next 45 years, until creative team George Pérez and Greg Potter restored the Greek name Ares as part of their reboot of the Wonder Woman comic book mythos in 1987. As the narrative continuity of Wonder Woman comics has been adjusted by different writers and artists throughout the years, various versions of Mars/Ares (with various personalities and physical appearances) have been presented, though most have been depicted wearing Greek hoplite or Roman gladiator armor. The character's longest-running look, designed by George Pérez, is that of a red-eyed Greek warrior clad in black and indigo battle armor, face hidden by an Attic helmet. After DC's continuity was rebooted in 2011 (an event known as The New 52), the character cycled through several divergent visual interpretations (including one inspired by the physical appearance of then-writer of Wonder Woman, Brian Azzarello) before returning to his Pérez-inspired warrior design. The character has appeared in various forms of media. He has been...