Occupation: Monarch, Hunter

Legal Status: Citizen of Ancient Greece

Identity: The general populace of Earth is unaware of Cephalus except as a mythological character.

Other Aliases: None known

Place of Birth: Phocis (now part of modern Greece)

Place of Death: Cephallenia (now part of modern Greece)

Marital Status: (Procris) Widowed, (Clymene) Married

Known Relatives: Deion (father, possibly deceased), Heleius (uncle), Procris (first wife, deceased), Erechtheus II (father-in-law, possibly deceased), Arceisus (son), Laertes (grandson), Odysseus (great-grandson), Clymene (second wife), Iphiclus (son by Clymene),

Group Affiliations: None

Base of Operations: Cephallania, formerly Thebes, formerly Phocis (all part of modern Greece)

First Appearance: Cephalus has yet to appear in Marvel or DC Comics.

History: Cephalus was the name of two heroes known in Greek legend and mythology. The original Cephalus was the grandson of King Erechtheus of Athens around 1395 BC and was abducted as a lover by the goddess Aurora, who conceived him several sons who became gods. The second Cephalus was the son of King Deion of Phocis, now part of modern Greece. Cephalus traveled to Athens and took Procris, the daughter of King Erechtheus II as his wife. Procris, however, proved to be unfaithful and allowed herself to be seduced by Pteleon of whom nothing is known. Pteleon promised her a gold crown for sexual favors, and Procris escaped the wrath of Cephalus for her adulterous behavior by fleeing to Crete where she allowed herself to be seduced by King Minos. However, instead of coming between King Minos and his wife, she opted to return to Phocis. To help quell her husband's anger, Minos gave Procris two gifts he had obtained from Zeus, the king of the Olympian gods who was his father. Minos gave Procris the hound, Laelaps, who was enchanted to always catch his prey, and an enchanted javelin that would never miss its mark. These gifts were meant to help Procris make peace with Cephalus over her infidelity, and upon her return to Phocis, Cephalus accepted the gifts and her return. Procris later gave birth to Arceisus, a son, to Cephalus.

Despite this peace, the marriage did not remain peaceful. Although Procris struggled to stay faithful, she also suspected Cephalus of being unfaithful. Cephalus kept eyes on her activities through disguises to ensure she never strayed again, even as Procris continually tried to catch him philandering. One day after a day of hunting, Cephalus called upon the goddess Aura (Aurora) for a breeze to cool him off, but Procris's hand servants thought he was calling the name of his lover and reported the name to Procris. Quick to catch her husband with another woman, Procris disguised herself and went to catch him with his lover, but upon her her hidden approach, Cephalus believed she was a pheasant and drew his bow, firing an arrow at what was approaching, little realizing later that it was Procris, who was killed as a result. Tried for her murder, Cephalus lost his throne and was banished from Phocis.   

Cephalus eventually found refuge in Thebes under King Creon. He befriended both the king and General Amphitryon, who asked for his permission to borrow Laelaps to catch Termessus, a fox which the goddess Hera had enchanted to be uncatchable and had sent to ravage the countryside. For untold reasons, the enchantments on Laelaps and Termessus cancelled each other out, and they both turned to stone, remaining both uncaught by the other. As repentance for the loss of Laelaps, Amphitryon promised Cephalus a portion of the spoils in his next endeavor. Following his raid of the Taphians, who controlled the islands west of Greece, Amphitryon seized control of the islands and surrendered them between Cephalus and his Uncle Heleius. Cephalus re-named his share of the islands Cephallenia.

Cephalus subsequently remarried, taking Clymene, the daughter of King Minyas of Orchomenus, as his wife. She conceived him a son, Iphiclus. (According to some myths, Iphiclus was the son of King Phylacus of Phylace, but Phylacus might have just taken Clymene as his wife after the death of Cephalus and raised her son as his own. The true paternity of Iphiclus is unrevealed.) After his death, Iphiclus and Arceisus divided Cephallenia equally, one half becoming the island Ithaca, the home of Odysseus, the son of Laertes.

According to one account, Cephalus reportedly took his life after the murder of his wife, Procris. Millennia later, he was restored to life by Zeus to exploit his expert skills as a hunter. This being later became known as the Huntsman, but it is unrevealed if this is actually Cephalus or another being altogether. 

Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 245 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown

Strength Level: Cephalus possesses the normal human strength level of a man of his size, height and build who engages in extensive regular exercises.

Known Superhuman Powers: None

Abilities: Cephalus was a proficient warrior and hunter. He was also very adept in the use of a bow and arrow and javelin.

Weapons: Cephalus owned an enchanted javelin which was mystically endowed to always hit its target. Borrowed by General Amphitryon, the foster father of Hercules, its whereabouts since the death of Cephalus are unrevealed. 

Pets: Cephalus owned an enchanted dog named Laelaps. His precise origins are unknown, but it seems he might have been an ordinary hound who was granted mystically exceptional senses and rationalizing abilities to capture all prey he hunted. Laelaps was transformed into stone while trying to capture the uncatchable fox named Termessus. 

Comments: Regardless of his connection to Marvel's Huntsman, Cephalus has yet to appear in the Marvel or DC Universes. 

The connections of the two figures named Cephalus are unexplained. Ovid ingeniously combined the abduction of the earlier Cephalus with the latter's trial of his wife's fidelity; Hyginus even lists Cephalus among the kings of Athens. One theory postulates that the two were one figure and that the varying traditions concerning him became separated. However, simple chronology and the timelines of rival kings would seem to exacerbate this possibility.   

Clarifications: Cephalus is not to be confused with:

• Cephalus I, Athenian prince, son of Hermes and Herse, beloved of Eos,

Last updated: 10/22/12