Ares, born to Zeus, King of the Gods, and Hera, Queen of the Gods, was one of the twelve Olympian deities—and the half-brother of Wonder Woman, Diana.
Throughout history, he often walked among mortals, whispering in the ears of kings and generals, fueling wars. The more humanity fought, the stronger Ares became.
He had even been among the gods present when Steppenwolf first invaded Earth.
It was in Ares's nature—not unlike humanity's—to turn on his own kind once external threats were gone. He eventually challenged his father, Zeus. After poisoning mankind with conflict and striking down many gods, Ares forced Zeus into a desperate stand. In the final battle, Zeus used all his remaining strength to repel Ares and left behind a weapon capable of ending him—the God Killer Sword—entrusted to the Amazons.
Banished to Earth, Ares lingered for centuries, quietly building his strength and stoking wars. During the First World War, he manipulated both sides, intending to wipe out humanity entirely and throw Earth into an eternal cycle of violence.
Legends painted his deeds as grand and unstoppable—but the truth was more complicated. The sudden reappearance of Eris, the Goddess of Discord, proved that not all gods were dead. And while Zeus had "fallen" to Ares, it was uncertain if the death had been genuine. Some suspected Zeus staged his own demise to avoid greater dangers—perhaps the coming of the New Gods, or an even deeper crisis that could end the Olympian order entirely.
Regardless of the rumors, one thing was certain to Diana and Donna Troy: Ares was a threat unlike any other.
Beneath the night sky, a swift, agile figure darted across rooftops, closing in on the battlefield.
Diana and Donna Troy, bloodied but unbroken, steadied themselves for another charge.
Then, a shadow dropped from above.
"Jack Kadere!"
Diana's eyes narrowed, her voice cold as she saw him standing between them and Ares.
"That's him?" Donna's eyes widened. "The one who took Themyscira and dragged you away before?"
She had heard Queen Hippolyta speak of Jack Kadere—and now, seeing him here, Donna's expression brightened. "If he's here, maybe we can beat Ares."
"He's not a good man," Diana murmured, conflicted, before raising her voice. "What are you doing here? This is my fight!"
"This can be my fight too," Jack replied with a small grin.
"I don't need you meddling in my affairs."
Jack's smile grew sharper. "Oh, I'm not here to help you. I'm here to help him." He casually pointed at Ares.
Everyone froze—Diana, Donna, even Ares.
"You… came to help me?" Ares asked, incredulous.
Without warning, the cars, lampposts, and bits of metal around them began to rise into the air. The debris spun, warped, and fused together, snapping into place over Ares like armor.
A moment later, Ares stood fully clad in a fearsome war-suit, a massive battle axe in hand, the eyes within his helmet glowing like coals.
"I need your help?" Ares scoffed. "Child, I could crush you without lifting a finger."
"Yes," Jack said flatly, the grin fading.
"Then tell me," Ares growled, "why, when these two can't even touch me, would I need help from a mortal I could kill in an instant?"
"Because…" Jack's voice dropped as he stepped forward. The grin returned—cold this time—and then he launched himself at the God of War.
Ares had time to smirk. "There aren't many humans who can move that fast, but even so… you're still too slow. You can't hurt me. You can't even—"
The words choked in his throat.
Jack's fist slammed into his chest with a thunderous crack. Metal splintered. The god of war's eyes widened in disbelief as his armor caved inward and pain exploded across his ribs. The force hurled him backward like a ragdoll.
Before he could even orient himself, a hand clamped over his face mid-flight.
BANG!
Jack drove Ares straight into the ground, the earth splitting under the impact. The shockwave rippled outward, forcing Diana and Donna Troy to stagger back, eyes wide.
"Because…" Jack leaned down, his grip tightening over the god's helm. "If I don't help you, I'll have to kill you."
The cheek-guard of Ares's helmet buckled under Jack's hand, the metal folding into the god's face. Armor plates snapped and tumbled away in jagged pieces.
Ares's mind reeled. Impossible. This shouldn't be possible.
"Oh, right," Jack said conversationally, as though remembering something trivial. "You said my speed was too slow? That I couldn't pierce your armor?"
Jack lifted him effortlessly with one arm.
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.
Chunks of armor rained down around them.
"If I moved too fast," Jack continued with a sly grin, "how would you have time to watch me beat you?"
His gaze flicked to Diana and Donna Troy. "When things stop being fun, I lose interest. So, let's make it fun. If I don't help you, I'll just kill you instead."
He brought Ares close, his voice dropping to a deliberate, chilling cadence. "Do. You. Need. My. Help?"
Ares's pride screamed at him to refuse. But deep inside, he knew—this mortal could actually do it. He could kill him. And that terrified him more than he wanted to admit.
"…Y-yes," Ares ground out, his voice hoarse. "I… need your help."
"That's better." Jack released him.
The god dropped heavily to the dirt, coughing. With a pained grunt, he yanked off what remained of his helmet, revealing bruised and bloodied features already beginning to heal under divine resilience.
Jack ignored him and turned toward Donna Troy, his expression playful but edged. "From now on, you're my opponent. So tell me—are you going to fight me for real, or are you planning to hold back?"
Donna glanced at Diana, confusion clouding her features. "What… exactly is going on here?"
Diana shook her head slowly. "It's… exactly the kind of thing he'd do."
It was true. Jack Kadere was unpredictable. He had once enslaved Themyscira simply because he wanted to ride one of their warhorses. He had killed Eris, Goddess of Discord, in an instant—not for honor or vengeance, but because he didn't want her touching the Lasso of Truth and getting it dirty.
So crushing the God of War into the dirt… only to offer him help immediately afterward?
Yes. That was entirely in character for Jack Kadere.