Wonder Woman #159 (2000)

In ancient times Mars, the god of war, and Aphrodite, the goddess of love, fought over who would rule over humanity... Mars with a sword or Aphrodite with love. To counter Mars' violence on Earth, Aphrodite created the female race known as the Amazons, giving them "the power of love" as well as strength that made them stronger than the mightiest man alive. The Amazons' queen, Hippolyta, was given Aphrodite's magic girdle, with Aphrodite telling her that as long as she wore it, the Amazons would be unconquerable. The Amazons were able to defeat male invaders, but when Mars learned from Aphrodite about the magic girdle, he passed the information on to Hercules, his ally on Earth. Hercules was defeated by Hippolyta in battle, but romanced her at a banquet afterward, then tricked her into taking off her magic girdle and had his men capture the Amazons. The women were shackled in chains and enslaved. Hippolyta prayed to Aphrodite, who told her that if a man broke her bonds, she could be free. Thus, the Amazon queen hurled her chains against Hercules's sword, which shattered their links and freed her. She then freed her fellow Amazons, who helped her defeat Hercules and his army. Aphrodite told Hippolyta that she and the Amazons must wear their bracelets from now on as a warning never to submit to male domination. Aphrodite then led the Amazons in ships to an island home, which they named Paradise Island. The goddess told Hippolyta that if a man ever sets foot on their island, the Amazons would lose both their immortality and their powers. Later, when both Athena and Aphrodite saw Hippolyta depressed, Athena decided to give her a child. She guided Hippolyta in carving the figure of a baby girl from clay, then gave the child-statue life. Aphrodite gave the baby the name Diana, after the goddess of the Moon, since the Moon was shining down upon them, and Hippolyta called the baby girl her "wonder child!".When Diana was but a child, she showed herself to have the strength of Hercules and the speed of Mercury. At age 15, she gained her bracelets of submission. At age 19, she was allowed to drink from the Fountain of Youth. Shortly after this, Diana and her friend, Mala, saw a wrecked plane, with a pilot floating within it, just off the coast of their island. Diana reached the wreckage and saw the pilot, Steve Trevor, the first man that she had ever seen. She took Steve to her laboratory outside the city gates, not letting him touch the ground, and healed him with her experimental Purple Healing Ray. Hippolyta, discovering what she had done, insisted that Steve Trevor be returned to Man's World immediately. Diana equally insisted on returning with Steve, whom she recognized as being unable to fly himself back. Hippolyta warned Diana that she would lose her Amazon birthright if she left Paradise Island, but also realized that her daughter had fallen in love with the stranger.