The Olympian Gods are mythological dieties who appear in the Wonder Woman, Shazam and Aquaman comics. DC Comics (originally called Detective Comics, Inc. ... In comic books, first appearance refers to the date or issue of a characters first appearance. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Wonder Woman is a fictional DC Comics superheroine. ... Dr. William Moulton Marston (May 9, 1893–May 2, 1947) was a psychologist, feminist theorist, and comic book writer / co-creator of the Wonder Woman character with his wife Elizabeth (Sadie) Holloway Marston. ... George Pérez (born June 9, 1954 in The Bronx, New York) is a Puerto Rican-American illustrator and writer of comic books. ... Wonder Woman is a fictional DC Comics superheroine. ... This article is about the wizard character Shazam. ... Aquaman is a DC Comics superhero. ...

History

Ancient Times

When a Godwave spilled forth from the creation of the Fourth World, the Earth was seeded with great power. It first manifested in the form of old gods, then of metahumans. Some of the oldest of these gods were hidden from the universe until the time of ancient Greece by the sorceress, Hecate. Hecate reasoned that the Olympian Gods (as they would eventually be called) were greatly weakend after usurping power from their father Cronus and the Titans of Myth. She feared that other powerful gods in the universe (notably Darkseid of Apokolips) would seize Earth for himself. Because of Hecate's enchantment, Darkseid wrongly believed that he and the other New Gods pre-dated the Olympians. (Action Comics #600, Wonder Woman v.2 #19) Cover to New Gods #1 (1971). ... For other uses, see Hecate (disambiguation). ... In Greek mythology, Cronus (Ancient Greek Κρόνος—of obscure etymology, perhaps related to horned as seen in the word unicorn, which is indicitive of its connection to the levant deity El), also called Cronos or Kronos, was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of Titans, divine descendants of... Darkseid is a DC Comics supervillain created by Jack Kirby, originally as part of The Fourth World series of comic books in the early 1970s. ... In the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips was the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirbys Fourth World series. ... Cover to New Gods #1 (1971). ...

The Olympian Gods are the chief deities of the Greco-Roman pantheon. After the six children of Cronus and Rhea had overthrown the Titans, the three brothers among them cast lots for three domains: Poseidon drew the sea, Hades the netherworld of the dead, and Zeus the sky. But the Earth and high Olympus were left common to all. Hades, however, keeps to his shadowy realm and is not one of the Olympians. Rhea (or Ria meaning she who flows) was the Titaness daughter of Uranus and of Gaia. ... Neptune reigns in the city centre, Bristol, formerly the largest port in England outside London. ... Hades [from Greek Hadēs (), originally Haidēs () or Aïdēs (); of uncertain origin,[1] although it has been ascribed to Greek unseen[2]] refers to both the ancient Greek abode of the dead and the god of that underworld. ... Statue of Zeus Phidias created the 12-m (40-ft) tall statue of Zeus at Olympia about 435 BCE. The statue was perhaps the most famous sculpture in ancient Greece, imagined here in a 16th-century engraving. ...

Zeus is father of the gods, god of the sky and thunder. Hera, his consort, is queen of the gods and patroness of marriage. She is among the goddesses most often invoked by the Amazons. Poseidon is the sea god. According to Plato, his children founded Atlantis, and he was its chief god. Demeter is the goddess of agriculture. Hestia, most modest of the goddesses, is goddess of home and hearth. The above are all children of Cronus and Rhea. In the Olympian pantheon of classical Greek Mythology, Hêra (IPA pronunciation: ; Greek or ) was the wife and sister of Zeus. ... In Greek mythology, the , Amazons were either an ancient legendary nation of female warriors or a land dominated by women at the outer edges of their known world. ... Atlantis (Greek: , Island of Atlas) is the name of an island first mentioned and described by the classical Greek philosopher Plato. ... This article is about the grain goddess Demeter; for other uses, see Demeter (disambiguation). ... In Greek mythology, virginal Hestia is the goddess of the hearth, of the right ordering of domesticity and the family, who received the first offering at every sacrifice in the household, but had no public cult. ...

Aphrodite was born from the sea-foam and became the goddess of love. She is mother of Eros, god of love. Pallas Athena was born fully grown and fully armed from the brow of Zeus. She is goddess of wisdom and defensive ware. She gets no pleasure from war but prefers to settle things peaceably. Yet in battle she is undefeatable, even by Ares. Athena is one of the chief Amazonian gods. Ares is god of war. Hephaestus is god of metalworking and fire. It is he who forged Wonder Woman's golden lasso from the girdle of the earth-goddess Gaea. Hermes is god of commerce, herdsmen, and thieves, as well as herald of the gods. It was he who first brought the Princess Diana to Man's World. Phoebus Apollo and his twin sister Artemis are both experts with the bow. He is god of light, poetry, and music; she is goddess of the hunt. Birth of Venus (a. ... Eros, a god in Greek mythology Eros can also refer to: The Greek word Eros, which means sexual love 433 Eros, an asteroid EROS, the Extremely Reliable Operating System Pjur Eros, a premium latex-safe personal lubricant Eros, the life instinct postulated by Freudian psychology, standing in opposition to Thanatos... This article is about the goddess Athena. ... ... Hephaestus, Greek god of forging, riding a Donkey; Greek drinking cup (skyphos) made in the 5th century B.C. Hephaestus (IPA pronunciation: ; Greek Hêphaistos) is the Greek god whose approximate Roman equivalent is Vulcan; he is the god of blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals and metallurgy, and fire. ... Wonder Woman is a fictional DC Comics superheroine. ... Gaia, also spelled as Gaea, Gaïa, or Ge, can refer to any one of the following: Gaia is a Greek and Roman goddess, also known as the Earth Mother. ... Hermes bearing the infant Dionysus, by Praxiteles Hermes (Greek IPA ), in Greek mythology, is the god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of orators, literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and measures and invention and commerce in general, of liars, and of... Apollo (Greek: Απόλλων, Apóllōn) is a god in Greek and Roman mythology, the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin of Artemis (goddess of the hunt). ... The Artemis of Versailles, a Roman copy of a Hellenistic marble sculpture, now at the Louvre Museum. ...

Dionysus is the god of vineyards and wine. Pan, son of Hermes, is god of the countryside and nature. He is also a consummate schemer. Persephone is daughter of Zeus and Demeter and is goddess of Spring. Dionysus with a panther and satyr, in the Palazzo Altemps (Rome, Italy) Dionysus or Dionysos (Ancient Greek: Διώνυσος or Διόνυσος; also known as Bacchus in both Greek and Roman mythology and associated with the Italic Liber), the Thracian god of wine, represents not only the intoxicating power of wine, but also its... It has been suggested that Pane (mythology) be merged into this article or section. ... Persephone, the Maiden: the late Archaic Kore of Antenor from the Acropolis, Athens In Greek mythology, Persephone (Greek Περσεφόνη, Persephónē) was the queen of the Underworld, the Kore or young maiden, and the daughter of Demeter. ...

Centuries ago, an argument between Artemis and Ares led to the creation of the Amazons, who have been guided and protected by the goddesses ever since.

New Era

The Olympian gods on the cover of Wonder Woman #7.

One day, the young Uxas of New Genesis came to Rome. There he spread tales of the great Olympian gods. Their following grew tremendously in Rome and so they created avatars of themselves; they were worshipped under different names. Uxas knew that each half of the pantheon would be less powerful than the original gods. Later, as the god Darkseid, Uxas would use this knowledge to crush Zeus himself. (Wonder Woman v.2 #132-133) In comic books, New Genesis was the home-planet of the New Gods from Jack Kirbys Fourth World metaseries. ...

Ares' recent schemes to destroy the Amazons and his fellow gods led to an Amazon champion being chosen. (Wonder Woman v.2 #1) This champion was the Princess Diana, daughter of Queen Hippolyta, whom Hermes escorted to Man's World. There she was called Wonder Woman. While the Olympian gods were her patrons, other gods were her foes. Ares and his progeny, Deimos and Phobos, quickly set about challenging the princess in her quest. Phobos created the creature Decay from the "heart of the Gorgon," which Diana quickly dispatched. Meanwhile, Deimos recruited humans on opposing sides, inciting them to war. (Wonder Woman #3-4) For the Marvel Comics character, see: Hippolyta (Marvel Comics). ... Deimos, a Greek word for fear or terror, may refer to: Deimos (mythology), one of the sons of Ares and Aphrodite in Greek mythology. ... In Greek mythology, Phobos is one of the sons of Ares (Mars) and Aphrodite (Venus). ... In Greek mythology, the Gorgons (terrible or, according to some, loud-roaring) were vicious female monsters with sharp fangs and hair of living, venomous snakes. ...

Ares' daughter, Harmonia, chose to help Diana, however. She gave her a powerful amulet with the power to transport across dimensions. Diana slayed Deimos with her razor sharp tiara, and from him acquired the other half of Harmonia's amulet. Finally, Ares stepped in to claim the talisman, but Diana bound him with her lasso of truth. He realized that to allow humans to war would leave no kingdom for him to rule. In failure, Ares declared that he would no longer trifle with the affairs of man, and also forbade his offspring from appearing on Earth. He also took the amulet and all the power which had been collected therein. (Wonder Woman #5-6)

In defeating Ares, Diana was greatly injured. The gods were so pleased with her that they took her into the sea and healed her. Then, Hermes gifted her with winged sandals which would enable her to travel freely between Themyscira and Man's World. (Wonder Woman #7) At some point, the god Pan was killed and replaced by a Manhunter android. It was this impostor who began a feud among the gods. The feud began when Zeus turned an amorous eye towards Diana. When Diana and her mother opposed the great god, he was angered and punished Diana. She would have to complete a task for each of the gods, culminating in the defeat of the monsters beyond "Doom's Doorway." This doorway was the Amazon's charge for millennia and if Diana was unsuccessful, the Amazons would be destroyed. (Wonder Woman #10) Themyscirian Amazons Art by Phil Jimenez Themyscira is a fictional island nation in the DC Comics universe. ... The Manhunters are a fictional race of robot warriors that exists within the universe of DC Comics. ...

Diana succeeded in her trials, defeating numerous monsters including Echidna, the Chimera, the Cyclops, the Hydra, the Harpies and the Minotaur. Eventually, Pan's bones were discovered on Olympus but it was too late to save Diana from her labors. Joined by her mother, Diana did indeed destroy the demons beneath Themyscira with the help of the amulet of Harmonia (these demons were funneled into Ares). Diana also freed Heracles, who had borne the weight of Themyscira for eons. Heracles was accepted into Olympus. (Wonder Woman #11-14) Species Genus Tachyglossus    T. aculeatus Genus Zaglossus    Z. attenboroughi    Z. bruijnii    Z. bartoni    Z. hacketti(extinct)    Z. robustus(extinct) Echidnas, sometimes also referred to as spiny anteaters, are the only surviving monotremes apart from the Platypus. ... Look up chimera in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Polyphemus the Cyclops. ... Baron Strucker, retconned founder of HYDRA, wearing the HYDRA logo on his chest. ... In Greek mythology, Harpies (robbers) were first beautiful winged women: Hesiod (Theogony) calls them as two lovely-haired creatures. ... Minotaur at the Greek pavilion at Expo 88 In Greek mythology, the Minotaur (Greek: Μινόταυρος) was a creature that was part man and part bull. ... Cover to Hercules Unbound #1, by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez. ... This article refers to a mountain in Greece. ...

Soon thereafter, the gods secreted themselves away for a conference. At this time, Darkseid attacked Olympus. The dark god ceased hostilities, though, as soon as he realized the place was deserted. (Action Comics #600) When the gods returned, they had decided upon destroying Mount Olympus and undertaking a "cosmic migration" to the stars. Over Hermes' objections, they took several steps. First, The three elder brothers made a new pact to replace the original pact which divided Earth among them. Then, they combined the will of all the gods (minus Ares) and the strength of Amazon prayer, and used Diana's bracelets to amplify that power. (The bracelets are all that remained of Zeus' Aegis; this Aegis was made from the hide of Amalthea, the goat which reared him.) Thus, the old home was demolished and New Olympus was created. In order to properly establish this new home, it was necessary for the Gods to sequester themselves indefinitely. (Wonder Woman #16-19, 21) Darkseid actually could have destroyed Olympus because his power is derived from the fear of an entire planet (surpassing the Olympians).

Hermes defected from his brethren and would not join the migration. He had already involved himself in Man's World by stopping the evil Circe. (Wonder Woman #19) Hermes elected to remain on Earth and joined Diana in her mission. (Wonder Woman #23-24)

Wars of the Gods

Main article: War of the Gods (DC Comics)

Phobos returned alongside his sister Eris in alliance with Circe. Circe had amassed great power by bringing gods of various pantheons together. Among them were the Roman gods, who challenged the Olympians for their domain. It took much strength for Zeus to summon Hermes and Diana to New Olympus, where the gods had been trapped. Earth's heroes were able to turn the tide against Circe, but three gods died: Circe killed Hermes; Harmonia was killed by her sister Eris; and Eris herself was slain by Son of Vulcan. Zeus and Olympians decided then to follow the call of Cronus and the Titans to help guide other worlds in the universe. New Olympus was left to the Roman gods. (War of the Gods #1-4, Wonder Woman #58-60) Circe is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, centered in the Wonder Woman title. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

For unexplained reasons, Heracles struck a deal with a mortal man, Harold Campion, whereby the two would exchange places (Earth for Olympus) Heracles used the mirror of Circe to conceal his identity and adventured under the name Champion. (Wonder Woman #110-112) He cast a love spell on Diana and accompanied her for a time, until Diana discovered his true identity. (Wonder Woman #115-117)

The Gods debate the fate of the Amazons in Wonder Woman #122.

In the Gods' absence, the Amazons began to revert to clay. To justify the Olympians' return to Earth, Zeus summoned Diana and several of her friends to testify before him. It was Hippolyta who tipped the scales, however. She played a secret card which greatly swayed them. (In truth, she simply reminded Ares that before her reincarnation, Hippolyta had been Ares' daughter, and thus Zeus' granddaughter). At this time, Zeus also granted strength and flight to Cassandra Sandsmark (Wonder Woman #122) Soon, Highfather of the New Gods summoned Zeus and Heracles to once again battle Darkseid. To this end, Zeus, Odin, Ares, Jove and Highfather merged into one being and entered the Source. When cast out, Zeus was gravely injured and remained bonded to Jove. Heracles returned with him to Olympus. (Wonder Woman #126, Jack Kirby's Fourth World #8) Cassandra Sandsmark is the current Wonder Girl, a superheroine from DC Comics. ... Highfather is a comic book character. ... For other meanings of Odin, Woden or Wotan see Odin (disambiguation), Woden (disambiguation), Wotan (disambiguation). ... In Roman mythology, Jupiter (sometimes shortened to Jove) held the same role as Zeus in the Greek pantheon. ...

Their greatest champion, Princess Diana soon lost her life against the devil, Neron. (Wonder Woman #125) Hera (now presiding over Olympus) transfigured Diana into a goddess of truth and welcomed her to live with the gods. Diana was told she could not interfere with the daily lives of mortals, unless prayed to. Hera sits on the throne; Diana admonished (Wonder Woman #127-129) The gods shared the secret of their division with Diana and decided to reunite their essences with those of their Roman counterparts. (Wonder Woman #130-133) Diana could not be prevented from interfering with the mortal world and so she was banished to Earth. (Wonder Woman #136) She was soon also stripped of her immortality. (Wonder Woman #139) Neron is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. ...

Zeus' father, Cronus returned with an army of new Titans: Arch, Disdain, Harrier, Oblivion, Slaughter and Titan. Their power had grown from the faith of a cult on Earth. The Titans heralded the coming Cronus (Wonder Woman #139-140) Cronus sought to capture all power of the godwave. He began by defeating the Olympians and casting Zeus down to Earth. He then conquered the Hindu pantheon and headed for Heaven. But Wonder Woman freed the Olympians and united with the Hindus and the Pax Dei (heavenly host). Diana trounced Cronus but the god still managed to touch the power of the Presence. In doing so, he gained perfect clarity. Humbled, he returned to mother Gaea. Afterwards, Zeus formed an alliance with the other pantheons. (Wonder Woman #147-150) Indeed, Zeus soon appeared to Superman with several allies under the banner of I.D.C.A.P. (Interfaith Deity Council of Active Polytheistics). (Superman: Man of Steel #127) To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Peace and Truce of God was a medieval European movement of the Roman Catholic Church which applied spiritual sanctions in order to control and stop the violence of feudal society. ... Superman is a fictional character regarded as one of the most famous and popular comic book superheroes of all time, and one of the first to embody several of the aspects modernly associated with them. ...

The merger of the Greek and Roman pantheons did not sit well with the Roman goddess Diana. She accepted an offer of power from the old "Shattered God," separated from Artemis and betrayed the Olympians. Diana died in battle with Wonder Woman when she was crushed by a statue of Zeus. The Olympians were incapacitated, but Wonder Woman eventually found a way to awaken them in time for them to strike decisively at the Shattered God. (Wonder Woman #189-194) Classical Roman statue of Diana. ...

Revolution

For millennia, the goddess Athena waited patiently for the chance to prove herself worthy of the crown of Olympus. As Earth society developed, the goddess of knowledge grew in power and cunning, and ultimately challenged her father Zeus for the throne. To win this challenge, Athena sent for her champion, again Wonder Woman, to face that of Zeus — Briareos of the Hekatonkheires. Though she was still blind, Diana was aided by the winged Pegasus but fell to Briareos. Athena agreed to forfeit if Zeus would spare Diana's life, but he denied her. This prompted the other goddesses deliver the head of Medousa unto Diana, which she used to turn Briareos to stone. Athena took the throne at last, but Zeus immediately began plotting a coup with his brothers in Tartarus. (Wonder Woman #212-213) The hecatonchires or hecatoncheires (the hundred-handed) were figures of Greek mythology, giants with a hundred arms and fifty heads. ... Pegasus and Bellerophon, Attic red-figure In Greek mythology, Pegasus (Greek name: ) was a winged horse that was the son of Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and the Gorgon Medusa. ... A relatively modern image of Medusa painted by Arnold Böcklin In Greek mythology, Medusa (Greek: Μέδουσα), was a monstrous female character whose gaze could turn people to stone. ... In Greek mythology, Tartarus, or Tartaros, is both a deity and a place in the underworld — even lower than Hades. ...

Wonder Woman prepares to battle Medousa in Wonder Woman #209.

Athena immedaitely set Diana on a quest into Hades to free the god Hemes. She descended beneath Doom's Doorway with Wonder Girl (Cassandra Sandsmark) and Ferdinand the Minotaur and was confronted Zeus' alliance. Ironically, she might not have succeeded but for the machinations of her constant nemesis, Ares. (Wonder Woman #215) Ares played a double agent, and gained Zeus' trust, but when the opportunity arose, he killed his uncle Hades and assumed control of the netherworld. Diana then used Hermes' caduceus to revive him. Back on Olympus, Zeus asked for Athena's forgiveness, which she granted. Athena then also restored Diana's sight, but bound it to her own. (Wonder Woman #216-217) Three of the Wonder Girls: Donna Troy, Wonder Woman, Cassandra Sandsmark, by Adam Hughes. ...

It was on this quest that Cassandra Sandsmark finally learned of her own godly origins. Her mother had indeed lain with Zeus, but Helena Sandsmark forbade Diana or anyone from revealing the truth to Cassie. (Wonder Woman #217)

Not long after this, Athena sensed a dark destiny for the gods amidst the cosmic mechanations of Alexander Luthor. In the crisis created by his chaos, Diana was forced to kill Maxwell Lord, and incurred the ire of the world's public. (Wonder Woman #219) The U.S. government responded by mobilizing against Themyscira, and Diana realized that as long as she was a target, the Amazons would never be safe. Diana prayed to the gods to take the Amazons to safety, but got more than she bargained for. (Wonder Woman #224) On Olympus she pleaded against Athena's decision to remove the gods from Earth's affairs. Regardless, the gods departed, leaving Diana bereft of family and faith. (Wonder Woman #225) It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Alexander Luthor, Jr. ... Maxwell Lord is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe. ...

Aquaman has also had run-ins with the Olympian sea deities. Poseidon had long relinquished the title of Sea King to Orin of Atlantis, but when Aquaman's subjects lost faith in him, Poseidon arranged a challenge with his son Triton. (Aquaman v.5 #34) Aquaman bested Triton and the godling fell from grace with his father. In anger, Triton slayed Poseidon and claimed his power. (Aquaman #42) Aquaman freed Poseidon by appealing to Lord Hades, and when they returned from the dead, Poseidon slew his son in turn. Disgusted with mortal affairs, Poseidon bequeathed his trident to Aquaman. (Aquaman #45-46) Aquaman is a DC Comics superhero. ... Triton is a Greek god, the messenger of the deep. ...

Other Ancient Beings

Wonder Woman also met the Lamia of myth, who laid with Zeus and bore his children. Hera changed her into a snake-like creature and killed her children. She now lurks in the American sewers, acting as a benevolent caregiver to troubled children. She attempted to commit suicide using Diana’s lasso (which she had her young friend Sneaker steal), but Diana stopped her and Lamia disappeared along with Sneaker, with whom she had developed a mother-daughter relationship. (Showcase '93 #11) To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Later, Wonder Girl also encountered the Empousai called "Lamiai." Lamiai bit into Cassie but recoiled when she discovered that she had god's blood. Before she could reveal Cassie's father, she was slain by Ares. Lamiai's brother, Mormolykeia also battled Ferdinand the Minotaur during this quest. (Wonder Woman #216)

Appearances in Other Media

Many of the gods have made appearances on the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited animated series. Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. ... Justice League Unlimited (or JLU) was an American animated television series produced by and aired on Cartoon Network. ...

Gods who have appeared include Hades [1], Ares [2], Hephaestus [3] and Hermes [4].

External Links

• Cosmic Teams Profile
• Religion of Wonder Woman
• The Unofficial Olympian Gods Biography