Summary

• Theory: Amanda Waller is being manipulated by the Sovereign, Wonder Woman's latest villain; alternatively, she could be working for, or alongside him to destroy the superhero community.
• In Titans: Beast World #4, Sargent Steel reveals the successful activation of the Bureau of Sovereignty, an agency committed to using lethal force against the threat of Garro and his spores, as the Beast World event continues to spiral out of control.
• Amanda Waller's goal in the Beast World outbreak is to make superheroes feared by the public, showing similarities to the Sovereign's manipulation of public opinion.

Warning: Spoilers for Titans: Beast World (2023) #4 ahead!

Wonder Woman villain, the Sovereign.

Titans: Beast World (2023) #4 – from the creative team of Tom Taylor, Lucas Meyer, and Romulo Fajardo, Jr. – finds the Titans regrouping after barely stopping an infected, ursine Giganta from leveling Ivy Town. Before they can recover, Sargent Steel puts out a broadcast that reveals Waller's bid to activate 'the Bureau of Sovereignty' back in issue #2 has been successful.

Steel reveals the Bureau of Sovereignty to the world, describing the initiative as "a new agency, but not a new idea," and stating that the government is fully committed to using lethal force to stop the threat of Garro and his spores.

"Beast World" Has The Sovereign's Fingerprints All Over It

Wonder Woman's latest villain, the Sovereign, was revealed at the end of Wonder Woman (2023) #1. Descended from a long line of secret kings, he purports to be the ultimate, hidden authority behind the United States of America. Each issue has emphasized his subtle yet ironclad power; the American President kowtows before him, while the Sovereign uses the Lasso of Lies to shape American policy with terrifying ease. Knowingly or not, Sargent Steel has served as the Sovereign's right-hand man throughout the series, violently enforcing his will. How the Sovereign and his power relate to another government agent, major DC villain Amanda Waller, will be a significant question moving forward.

Wonder Woman (2023) is by the creative team of Tom King, Daniel Sampere, and Tomeu Morey.

Sargent Steel's arrival puts a new spin on the Bureau's power and purpose, while also raising the question of Amanda Waller's relation to the Sovereign. While the Bureau's name itself is a bit on the nose, it could feasibly refer to the United States exerting its authority as a sovereign nation to govern and defend itself – though its existence as "not a new idea" does imply the Sovereign's presence behind the scenes. With Steel at its helm, however, it becomes the second government organization under his control that is directly intended to influence American policy and public belief against the superhero community, as well as to meet perceived superhero aggression with lethal force.

Amanda Waller And The Sovereign Are Playing Chess With The DC Universe

Add to the mix that Amanda Waller's apparent goal for the Beast World outbreak is to make superheroes feared and hated by the public, and a pattern emerges that more resembles the Sovereign's careful sculpting of public opinion than Waller's usually covert grabs for power. Waller is seen directly conversing with Steel about the President's – and therefore, the Sovereign's – anti-Wonder Woman plans in Wonder Woman (2023) #4, suggesting that she is at least marginally aware of the Sovereign's machinations. While Amanda Waller is on the ground, personally directing Beast World's events, the shape of the plot suggests that Wonder Woman's despicable Sovereign is the one pulling her strings.

Titans: Beast World #4 is available now from DC Comics.