WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Wonder Woman #758, by Steve Orlando, Emanuela Lupacchino, Ray McCarthy, Romulo Fajardo Jr. and Pat Brosseau, on sale now.
Wonder Woman's recent journey has been one of her most important ever, as it deals Diana of Themyscira and the Amazons addressing their legacy on Paradise Island. Fighting Warmaster/Paula von Gunther has dredged up a history steeped in bloodshed, to the point Diana even questions if the Amazons were right in the fight against the Valkyrie centuries ago.
In Wonder Woman #758, though, the problem seems to be resolved after Diana negotiates a treaty. However, before this happens, Wonder Woman has to fight one of DC's most powerful godlike individuals, the Phantom Stranger. And after winning that fight, Diana meets with the Presence.
The Presence is, for all intents and purposes, DC's equivalent of the biblical God. Imbued with power by the Presence, the Phantom Stranger can absorb Diana's blows and deal his own. The Phantom Stranger and Wonder Woman are fighting because she finds it unfair he's turned Paula to stone and brought her to Heaven's Gates for judgement, right when she seemed to want a path to redemption. Now, Diana's fighting for her very soul and gets the upper hand only when she places her golden lasso around the Stranger's neck.
The Lasso of Truth forces him to speak without reservation, admitting he's a hypocrite and the one to blame for Paula's woes. That's because he saw what would happen when Gudra -- the original leader of the Valkyries -- fell, yet he allowed Paula to add to her people's sins, all so she could rack up a debt equal to or greater than his. In fact, Wonder Woman gets him to admit he's a narcissist, because he could have prevented issues like this. Yet he waits and waits so he can bring people for judgement he knows won't pass the test. He confesses this greed, stopping their salvation, is all to balance the betrayal of his messiah, Jesus. After all, this Stranger, as the New 52 retconned, is indeed Judas Iscariot.
Upon admitting he's redeeming his own sin through his action, the Stranger disintegrates. With his last words, he claims he's doing it all for the Presence, so when this ultimate God then speaks to Diana, she calls out its double standards, too. She says the Presence cursed Phantom Stranger to walk this road for eternity, knowing what he would do. God foresaw this, so he's just as guilty as the Stranger, and Diana makes it clear he should offer patience, not punishment, to such souls.
At this point, she asks for mercy and the Presence's silence speaks volumes. It knows Diana's right, so it teleports her and Paula back to Earth. Here, Diana arranges the truce as both parties have sinned and just need a way forward. It's all about evolution and progression, which leaves us wondering what's in store for the Stranger should the Presence resurrect him.