Medusa is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. Her full name is Medusalith Amaquelin. Marvel Comics is an American comic book line published by Marvel Entertainment, Inc. ... In comic books, first appearance refers to the date or issue of a characters first appearance. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Stan Lee at the 1973 San Diego comic con Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber on December 28, 1922, New York, New York) is an American writer, editor, Chairman Emeritus of Marvel Comics, and memoirist, who — with several artist co-creators, especially Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko — introduced complex, naturalistic... Jack Kirby (August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was one of the most influential, recognizable, and prolific artists in American comic books. ... The Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans in the Marvel Comics Universe, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. ... The Fantastic Four is Marvel Comics first comic book superhero team, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and debuting in The Fantastic Four #1 (Nov. ... Cover to Fantastic Four #36 The Frightful Four are a group of fictional characters in Marvel Comics who serve as the opposite number to the Fantastic Four. ... A fictional character is any person who appears in a work of fiction. ... The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ... Marvel Comics is an American comic book line published by Marvel Entertainment, Inc. ... It has been suggested that Earth-616 be merged into this article or section. ...

Fictional character history

She belongs to the race of Inhumans, a species of prehistoric earthlings mutated by the Terrigen Mists produced deep under the Inhuman city-state of Attilan, presently located in the oxygen-rich Blue Area of the moon. Medusa is married to Black Bolt and they have a son named Ahura. Crystal, the wife of the Avengers Quicksilver, is Medusa's sister. The Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans in the Marvel Comics Universe, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. ... The Terrigen Mist is a fictional substance from the Marvel Comics Universe, a natural mutagen able to alter Inhuman biology. ... Attilan is a fictional city in the Marvel Comics universe that houses the Inhumans which first appeared in Fantastic Four vol. ... Black Bolt is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. ... Ahura is a fictional character that appears in the Marvel Universe and is one of the offshoot of humanity known as the Inhumans. ... Crystal is a fictional character, a superhero in Marvel Comics universe. ... The Avengers are an elite superhero team that appear in the Marvel Universe. ... For Quicksilver (DC Comics), see Max Mercury. ...

Medusa first appeared in Fantastic Four #36, as Madame Medusa, making her one of the oldest characters in the Marvel Comics' universe. At that time, she suffered from amnesia and affiliated herself with the Frightful Four, Silver Age nemeses of the Fantastic Four. It was some time before the disastrous effects of wordly pollution on the Inhumans was known, but eventually Medusa regained her senses. She returned to Attilan, with the Fantastic Four as friends to be called upon, for example during the frequent power struggles of Maximus the Mad, Black Bolt's brother. Later still she joined the Fantastic Four as a temporary member filling in for Susan Richards, known as the Invisible Girl at that time, who was on leave caring for her comatose son Franklin Richards. Marvel Comics is an American comic book line published by Marvel Entertainment, Inc. ... It has been suggested that Earth-616 be merged into this article or section. ... Cover to Fantastic Four #36 The Frightful Four are a group of fictional characters in Marvel Comics who serve as the opposite number to the Fantastic Four. ... Showcase #4 (September-October 1956), often thought the first appearance of the first Silver Age superhero, the Barry Allen Flash. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... The Invisible Woman Sue Richards (artist) The Invisible Woman (real name Susan Richards, née Susan Storm), formerly the Invisible Girl, is a Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the Fantastic Four. ... Franklin Richards is a fictional character in Marvel Comics universe. ...

Medusa's primary role among the Inhumans is as interpreter for her leige and husband, the silent but commanding Black Bolt. As such she is an experienced state figure within the quasi-feudal system of the Inhumans' government, and is used to speaking with awareness of regal issues of protocol and comportment. This imperial attitude can make her seem standoffish and condescending to some audiences, but this effect is usually tempered by her strong sense of morality and fairness. For the protection of all Inhumans (her first priority) and to aid her allies (such as the Fantastic Four), she is a fierce warrior.

Powers

Medusa possesses a long, thick head of red hair, every strand of which has greater tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and shear resistance than an iron wire of the same thickness (average hair diameter: .045 inches), as well as the psychokinetic ability to animate her hair for a number of feats including using her hair to lift and move heavy weights. A portion of her hair must be used to anchor the rest at these greater weights, so that more than her scalp/skull is used as a brace.

Medusa can control the movement of her hair as if it were countless thin appendages growing from her head. A psionic field permeates her mutagenically altered hair-cells, causing mutual attraction across the gaps between strands. These relatively small forces operate in conjunction to develop larger forces. Through concentration, she can psionically move her hair in any manner imaginable. She can snap the length of it through the air like a whip (the tip of which moves faster than the speed of sound), or rotate it in a fan-like manner. She can bind persons or objects with it as if it were rope or use it to lift objects which weigh more than she could lift with her arms. (Her scalp, skull, and neck do not support the weight of an object that she lifts: it is held aloft by the psionic force coursing through the hair.) Medusa can also perform delicate manipulations with her hair such as lock picking or threading a needle, and such complex acts of coordination as typing or shuffling a deck of cards. Although she has no nerve endings in her hair, she can "feel" sensations on all parts of her hair by a form of mental feedback from her psionic field.

Medusa is highly skilled at interpreting the gestures and body language of Black Bolt.

Alternate versions

Ultimate Medusa

Medusa appeared in the Ultimate Marvel Universe in the Ultimate Fantastic Four Annual #1, "Inhuman". This version had a head full of snakes like the mythical creature she is named after. She was still Black Bolt's wife and appeared to share the same relationship to the other Inhumans with her regular counter-part. Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the companys most popular superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, The Avengers and the Fantastic Four. ... Ultimate Fantastic Four is a comic book published by Marvel Comics, part of the Ultimate Marvel line featuring classic Marvel Universe characters re-imagined for a modern audience. ... A relatively modern image of Medusa painted by Arnold Böcklin In Greek mythology, Medusa (Greek: Μέδουσα, Médousa, guardian, protectress[1]), was a monstrous chthonic female character, essentially an extension of an apotropaic mask, whose gaze could turn onlookers to stone. ... Black Bolt is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. ... The Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans in the Marvel Comics Universe, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. ...

Video games

If certain conditions are met, she appears as an NPC in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, voiced by Nancy Linari. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

1602 Medusa

Medusa appears in the Marvel 1602 miniseries: 1602: Fantastick Four as a member of the "Four Who Are Frightful", and the Wizard's lover. Like her Ultimate counterpart, she has snakes for hair. She must also wear a veil, to prevent her gaze turning men to stone. While her introduction describes her as "inhuman" her origins are not mentioned. She appears to be a native French speaker (hence, "Madame" Medusa). Cover to 1602 #8, featuring Rojhaz (top left), Virginia Dare (top right), and Sir Nicholas Fury (lower center). ...