Julia Kapatelis

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caption=Julia Kapatelis
Art by Phil Jimenez
character_name=Julia Kapatelis
real_name=
publisher=DC Comics
debut="Wonder Woman" Vol. 2, #3 (April, 1987)
creators=George Pérez
alliances=Amazons
aliases=
powers=|

Julia Deneiros Kapatelis is a DC Comics fictional character created by writer/artist George Pérez for the "Wonder Woman" comic book series.

Fictional character biography

Childhood

Julia was born in Cefalonia, Greece to Agostos and Maria Deneiros in the 1930s. While still a toddler Julia went sailing with her parents but fell overboard due to a sudden storm. She was rescued from drowning by the goddess Thetis. Thetis would rescue mortal female children she deemed "special" and safely transport them to the shores of Themyscira. (Male children were taken someplace else.) Once on the island random Amazons would discover them and tend to their care. The silver haired Amazon Pythia eventually found Julia and blessed her with Amazon Inspiration, granting her great wisdom and strength of spirit, which is apparently a hereditary gift. This custom is called "Send Forth". Once this is done the child is considered an Amazon and spiritual daughter to the Amazon who blessed them. After a few days of recouperation and blessings the child is taken to the island shores again where she is taken back into the ocean and returned, again by Thetis who magically travels back in time to return the child to the exact point in time when the child first left her homeland. Because of this, Julia's parents believed baby Julia had disappeared under the stormy waters for only a few seconds before being pulled back into the boat.

Family

As with countless other female babies blessed by the Amazons before her, Julia thrived in her newfound spiritual blessing, excelling at every task she undertook. Despite her accomplishments Julia lost her brother, Peter Deneiros, during the war in the 1940s as part of the Greek Underground when she was still very young.

Later, she met David Kapatelis while attending Athens University. Julia was studying for her Geology Major while David was studying for his Archeology Major, which Julia took on as her Minor study subject herself. They traveled the world together exploring various cultures and histories. Eventually the two married. An independent thinker, Julia wanted to keep her maiden name as her family had no one else to carry it on. This upset David's traditional Greek family so she relented and took David's family name of Kapatelis.

Julia became pregnant while she and David were exploring Scotland. As a joke David wanted to name their unborn child "Nessie" after the local Scotish creature the Loch Ness Monster. Though humored, Julia didn't agree but settled on Vanessa as a close substitute. Julia remained married to David until his death 22 years into their marriage when he died while exploring ruins in Egypt. Deciding to make a fresh start Julia took Vanessa to live in the U.S. where she eventually became the Dean for the Department of Geology at Harvard University.

Diana

During her time at Harvard Julia met Wonder Woman. Julia was the first non-Amazon woman Diana aka Wonder Woman ever met. At that time Diana was non-familiar with the English language and only spoke her native Themyscirian language. As it was a close derivative of Greek, Julia was able to understand Diana to an extent. Julia took Diana into her home and family and taught her not only English but modern history as well.

After Vanessa was attacked by Decay, Julia made Diana's fight her own and helped her battle the war god Ares.

Still unaware of her own Amazonian ties, Julia eventually touched Harmonia's talisman on a later adventure which resulted with several flashes of memories from Julia's Send Forth period. This confused Julia until she later was invited to Diana's homeland of Themyscira. On her visit she met Pythia and the two felt a strange connection to each other. When Julia and Pythia touched hands, Julia's previous history on Themysciria ran through both Julia's and Pythia's mind, unlocking her forgotten past. Reunited, Julia and Pythia formed a close bond.

When Diana became Ambassador of Themyscira, Julia knew Diana would need help adjusting to a world of men and became a sort of foster mother to Diana. Their friendship endured over many trials, but it wasn't until Vanessa was brainwashed by several of Diana's enemies and transformed into the villainous Silver Swan that Julia's and Diana's friendship was temporarily put on hold. Julia resented Diana for not protecting Vanessa from Diana's enemies. After some time Julia came to a resolution with Diana. She agreed to have Diana help in her daughter's rehabilitation.

Trinity

Julia is seen in "Trinity" issue 19. In a distorted reality where Wonder Woman appears to have been erased from existence, Julia meets a pregnant woman named Desiree, who has been drawing sketches of and related to Wonder Woman. Julia compliments her drawing talent and gives her a business card, stating she is the 'Director of Restoration' for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Julia tells the woman she has a daughter, who is in college now. It seems Julia has the blessing from being 'Sent Forth', leading to her survival and successful career, but never met Diana; therefore her daughter was never brainwashed into becoming the Silver Swan.