First Appearance: Wonder Woman 2 (1942)
Creators: William Marston and H.G Peter
Abilities: Personification of greed, wielding vast ever-growing wealth, he can become an invisible and intangible voice that whispers and tempts his targets to give in their greed and self-importance.
Backstory: At once the most seemingly harmless yet most pervasive of Ares boys, the Earl of Greed is the anthropomorphic personification of both ego and greed itself. The desire to take as much as one can dream, hoard it just for the sake of having it
(better to see that wealth destroyed than for it to go to benefit others), and desire not just simply to be wealthy, but to be wealthier than others.
The Earl is part of a trio that during that often serves the interests of the God of War, Ares. Whereas one of his counterparts, the Lord of Conquest, was an open show of force that sought to dominate others and force ones will upon them in a direct manner, and the Duke of Deception perfers misdirection and falsehoods incarnate, The Earl was far more subtle and insidious. Seemingly everywhere, he was that little voice whispering into the ears of the wealthy to take more than they needed. The one urging against giving to others and to keep more and more still for yourself.
The Earl of Greed is capitalism made manifest. A being who grows in power and influence in a world where there is a price on human life and the all mighty dollar has more value than any human right or consideration—often making him a valuable tool for The God of War, when every CEO, bank robber, dictator, and fascist motivated only by their own prosperity and the desire to have more than anyone else is the unknowing puppet of destruction.
For so long as vanity and entitlement exist in the world, the Earl of Greed will likewise exist. Invisible and whispering temptations into the ears of those who are receptive to his influence.
