OLYMPIANS
Official Name:
Olympians First
Appearance: Thor I
Annual 1 Dimension of
Origin: Olympus Other
Associated Dimensions:
Olympus has also been tenuously liked with the underworld known as Tartarus,
often spoken of existed underground on earth but these were actually the routes
to various inter-dimensional access point between these worlds. Tartarus was the
location where enemies of the Olympian gods were often imprisoned, but one
section was set aside for procuring the shades and apparitions of the
worshippers of the Olympian gods. The honored dead were sent to the Elysian
Fields while those shades who could not be adequately judged had to wander the
Asphodel Fields. The spirits of the dead were usually escorted by Thanatos, the
god of the dead, or by Hermes,
the messenger-god to the shore of the Styx where they were ferried across by Charon.
The gates of Hades were guarded by Cerberus, the three-headed dog of the
underworld. History:
The Gods of Olympus are a race of superhumanly powerful humanoid beings who were
once worshipped by the ancient Greeks and Romans from about 2000 BC to 500 AD.
They have very few worshippers today, but their names and attributes have been
connected to numerous aspects and objects in Western Civilization. The Olympians
dwell in Olympus, a small "pocket" dimension adjacent to Earth; an
interdimensional nexus between Olympus and Earth exists somewhere on Mount
Olympus in Greece. The Olympians' human worshippers in ancient Rome called these
gods by different names than those by which the gods were known in ancient
Greece: for example, the Greeks called the king of the gods Zeus, whereas the
Romans called him Jupiter or Jove. The Olympian gods, except for Poseidon,
patron deity of the Atlanteans, no longer have or actively seek worshippers on
Earth. However, certain Olympian gods, notably Hercules and Aphrodite, still
take active interest in the welfare of humanity. Many of the Olympian gods have
influenced or taken minor parts in historical events from behind mortal facades
in order to guide mortals to their fullest potential.
Nicknames:
Greek gods, Roman gods, Gods of the Graeco-Roman Empire, Olympian Gods, Gods of Olympus, et al.
Former Aliases: No known former aliases
Other Current Aliases: No other known current aliases
Origin: Thor I Annual 8. ==Origin==
Habitat: Earth-like
Gravity: Earth-like
Atmosphere: Earth-like
Population: 200-300 range (estimated) ==History==
The precise
origin of the Olympian gods, like that of all of Earth's pantheons of gods, is
shrouded in legend. According to ancient myths, the primeval Earth goddess Gaea
is the progenitor of the principal Olympian gods. However, it is unclear whether
the Olympian race originated on Earth, Olympus, or in another dimension linked
to Olympus. According to ancient myths, Gaea gave birth to the sky god Ouranus.
Gaea mated with Ouranus and bore him the first generation of the Olympian race,
known as the Titans. The Titans had been revered as gods in the land that would
be modern Greece following the end of the Hyborian Age. One of the Titans, Cronus,
rose to power when he fatally wounded Ouranus.
The dying Ouranus prophesied that Cronus would likewise be overthrown by one of
his own children. As a result, upon the birth of each of Cronus's children,
Cronus had the infant imprisoned in Tartarus, the most dismal section of the
Olympian underworld known as Hades. Appalled at the mistreatment of their
children, Cronus's wife, Rhea, a Titaness, concealed her sixth pregnancy from
him and secretly gave birth to Zeus near Mount Ida on the island of Crete where
he was protected by a number of goddesses. Zeus grew to hood among the
human shepherds of Crete. Upon realizing his godhood, he set his siblings – Hestia,
Hades, Poseidon,
Hera and Demeter,
now all grown to hood - free from Tartarus. Zeus and his allies fought a
ten year war with the Titans which ended with Zeus's victory. He imprisoned most
of the male Titans in Tartarus and established himself in Olympus as supreme
ruler of the Olympian race.
Zeus married the
goddess Hera, but he engaged in many affairs with goddesses and mortal Earth
women. Some of his children were gods. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, and
Hestia, together with Zeus's children Aphrodite,
Apollo, Ares,
Artemis, Athena,
Hephaestus
and Hermes,
comprised the membership of the high council of the Olympian gods, known as the
Pantheon. Hestia later resigned her seat in the council in favor of Zeus's son Dionysus.
Zeus's brother, Hades was not a member of the Pantheon, preferring to spend
virtually all of his time within the underworld of Hades, which he ruled. After
the defeat of the Titans, the Olympians were revered as gods on Earth, and
several of them even sought worship rites from mortals. Poseidon became the
patron god of the water-breathing Atlanteans, while Zeus sought dominion and
custodianship over the people of Ancient Greece and the domains conquered by the
Greeks through Western Europe and Northern Africa.
Mount Olympus lay
near Olympia, the principal city of the Eternals. Zeus and his daughter Athena
met with Zuras, the leader of the Eternals, and his daughter Azura. Noticing the
physical resemblance between Zeus and Zuras and between Azura and herself,
Athena suggested that the Olympian gods and the Eternals form an alliance in
which the Eternals would act as the gods' representatives on Earth. The other
three enthusiastically agreed, and Azura took her current name of Thena to
signify the sealing of the pact. However, over the years, many humans came tot
think of many Eternals not as the gods' representatives but as the gods
themselves. This led to a growing resentment by the gods towards the Eternals,
which recently erupted into war, but today they are again at peace. Worship of
the Olympian gods spread from Greece to Rome, and throughout the Roman Empire.
Gradually,
Christianity replaced the worship of the Olympian gods in the Roman Empire, and
Zeus decided that the time had come for the Olympians to sever most of their
ties with Earth. Most of the Olympians abided by his choice. Poseidon, however,
was still allowed to watch over his Atlantean worshippers. Nevertheless, Zeus
still retains an affection for and interest in the people of Earth. Several of
Zeus's children, specifically Hercules and Aphrodite, have spent periods living
among Earth mortals in recent years.
Until recent
years, the vast majority of the Olympians have had little contact with humans,
apart from encounters with various members of the Avengers. This is primarily
due to them being allies and friends of Zeus' son, Hercules. They have also had
contact with various members of the Justice League of America and the Teen
Titans through their connections with their mortal champions, Wonder
Woman and Captain
Marvel. The Olympians have maintained close ties with certain other gods and
pantheons over the centuries. This holds especially true for the Asgardian
gods, who are the closest allies of the Olympians. Recently, the Olympians
defeated the forces of Mikaboshi,
the Japanese god of evil, in a conflict that has lasted for many years between
the Japanese gods. However, in the face of the seeming demise of the Asgardians,
Zeus created the Olympian Corporation, a philanthropic association, on Earth in
order to help the gods reconnect with mortals on earth from behind more human
facades.
Relationships
to Other Pantheons:
Body Type:
Humanoid
Avg Height: 6' 0"
Avg Weight: 450 lbs
Eyes: Two
Hair: Normal
Skin: Normal
Limbs: Two
Fingers: Five with opposable thumb
Toes: Five
Special Adaptations: The Olympian gods are immortal and cease to age upon
reaching hood. They are physically more durable than human beings; their
skin, bone and tissue being three times more durable and dense than similar
tissue in human beings.
The Olympian gods
all possess certain superhuman physical attributes:
Superhuman
Strength: The Olympian
gods
are superhumanly strong with the average Olympian god able to lift (press) about
30 tons under optimal conditions, and the average Olympian goddess able to lift
(press) about 25 tons under optimal conditions.
Superhuman
Speed: The Olympian
gods have the potential of being able to run and move at speeds
much greater than the finest human athlete. Only Hermes, Iris and a few others can
supersede the majority of the Olympian gods.
Superhuman
Stamina: The musculature
of the Olympian gods produce considerably less fatigue toxins during physical
activity than the muscles of human beings. The average Olympian god can exert themselves at peak capacity for about 24 hours before fatigue impairs
them. Hercules, Zeus and Poseidon are physically stronger than most of the
Olympian gods.
Superhumanly
Dense Tissue: The skin,
muscle, and bone tissues of the Olympian gods are about three times as dense as the same
tissue of a human body, contributing to their superhuman strength
and weight.
Superhuman
Durability: The bodies
of the Olympian gods are considerably more resistant to physical injury than the
bodies of humans. The Olympian gods are capable of withstanding great impact
forces and exposure to temperature and pressure extremes without sustaining physical injury.
Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite their natural durability, it is possible for any of the Olympian gods to sustain injury. However, if injured, their highly advanced metabolism enables them to recover with superhuman levels of speed and efficiency. As with most of their other powers, the speed and extent of these powers varies from one Olympian god to another.
Immortality:
The Olympian gods are functionally immortal and immune to the effects of aging. They
haven't aged since reaching hood. Their bodies are also immune to all known
Earthly diseases and infection.
Energy Manipulation: The Olympian gods have some potential to manipulate magical or cosmic energies for some purpose. These powers are mostly limited to changing their appearance or shape, and teleporting across great distances. However, a small minority of the Olympians are capable of manipulating vast amounts of energy for a variety of purposes including teleportation, shapeshifting, matter manipulation, augmentation of their physical capabilities, erecting powerful force fields, firing powerful blasts of energy for destructive purposes and granting augmented attributes to objects and beings.
Known
Abilities: The Olympian
gods
possess specific skills associated with their area of expertise. For example, as
the Olympian god of war, Ares is a
formidable combatant with extensive knowledge of both armed and unarmed combat,
whereas Aphrodite, the Olympian goddess of love, is highly skilled in all forms
of physical and ual pleasure. Most Olympians have had some degree of training
in armed
and unarmed combat, particularly with swords and the bow and arrow..
Type of
Government: Monarchy
Level of Technology: Magic
Cultural Traits: The Olympians were worshipped as gods by the people of
Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, which once included much of the
Mediterranean, North Africa, the Balkans, British isles and even parts of Gaul.
Names of Representatives:
(other representatives) Asclepius, Aurora, Charon, Circe, Cupid, Deimos, Discord, Eileithyia, The Fates, The Furies, Gaea, The Graces, Harmonia, Hebe, Hecate, Helen of Troy, Helios, Hippolyta, The Horae, Iris, Leto, Muses, Otrera, Pan, Pandia, Persephone, Phobos, Prometheus, The Seasons, Selene, Thanatos, Triton, et al
Known Allies: The
Asgardians, Captain Marvel, Council Elite, The Eternals, The Ennead, The
JLA, Odin, Superman, The Teen Titans, Thor, Wonder Woman, et al
==Trivia==