Duke of Deception/General Ludendorff

We could call this a double Easter egg. General Ludendorff was an actual general in the German army during WWI, and he played a significant role in Hitler’s ascension (although in later years the Fuhrer distanced himself from the General due to the latter’s penchant for conspiracy theory). Among other things, Ludendorff believed that all the world’s problems stemmed from Christianity, Judaism, and Freemasons.

This being said, Danny Houston’s character has nothing to do with the real-life General. However, it can be said that a DC Comics Easter egg is hiding here, given the fact that Diana is tricked into believing that Ludendorff is Ares.

There’s a comic book character named the Duke of Deception. He was an agent of Ares who who convinced Wonder Woman that he was the God of War. Sure, Ludendorff wasn’t aware that the Olympian Gods existed, but we can draw a comparison, since his evil acts do give the impression that he’s Ares.