Duke of Deception
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| Duke of Deception | |
 Wonder Woman confronts the Duke of Deception. |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Wonder Woman #2 (Fall 1942) |
| Created by | William Moulton Marston (script) Harry G. Peter (art) |
| In story information | |
| Abilities | Ability to create realistic illusions |
The Duke of Deception is a fictional character, a DC Comics villain that battled Wonder Woman in the Golden Age and Bronze Age.
He first appeared in the Golden Age in Wonder Woman #2 (Fall 1942) and was re-introduced in Wonder Woman #217 (April-May 1975) in the Bronze Age.
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[edit] Fictional character history
[edit] Fictional background
Little is known about the true history of the Duke of Deception. He appears to be a minor god who existed for thousands of years. He is drafted by Mars to battle Wonder Woman. He uses his powers to spread falsehoods to provoke humanity into conflict and war.
Deception sends his astral form to inspire military and government leaders with duplicitous thoughts that could lead to war. His contributions to World War II include "persuad[ing] ... the Rising Sun to make peace talk at Washington while they struck with deadly venom at Pearl Harbor" and "show[ing] the addled Hitler how to cultivate Russia's friendship until the hour arrived to attack" (Wonder Woman (vol. 1) #2).
Deception joins the ranks of Wonder Woman's cross-dressing villains in his first encounter by possessing an ectoplasmic duplicate of Wonder Woman. On the war god's interplanetary base on the planet Mars, Deception operates the Lie Factory, which uses slaves to craft deceptions for a variety of strategems.
He eventually begins working independently from Mars, and continues to unsuccessfully battle Wonder Woman.
Deception's daughter, Lya, is a mistress of lies who attempts to double-cross her own father.[1]
After the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths this version of the Duke of Deception is erased from history.
[edit] Post-Crisis
A new version of the Duke reappears in Wonder Woman (vol. 3) Annual #1 with a caption box describing him as "The Duke of Deception, whose power of illusion made him the War God's most trusted disciple."
[edit] Powers and abilities
The Duke can create illusions and delusions in the minds of others, thereby driving them insane. In addition, he can envelop himself in an illusory image which changes his physical appearance. He can also send his astral form invisibly to military and government leaders, inspiring them with thoughts of duplicity which they take to be their own.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Comic Cavalcade #26 (Apr/May 1948)
