Occupation: Huntress, Warrior

Legal Status: Citizen of Arcadia

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

Other Aliases: None known

Place of Birth: possibly Tegea, Arcadia (now part of modern Greece)

Marital Status: Married

Known Relatives: Iasus (father, deceased), Clymene (mother), Melanion (husband, alias Hippomenes), Parthenopaeus (son), Minyas (maternal grandfather, possibly deceased), Epochus, Ancaeus, Amphidamas (paternal uncles, deceased), Melanion, Clitonymus (paternal cousins), Lycurgus (paternal grandfather), Cepheus (paternal grand-uncle), Arcas (ancestor, deceased)

Group Affiliations: ally of the Argonauts

Base of Operations: Arcadia 

First Appearance: (name only) Incredible Hercules #117

History: Atalanta was an Arcadian warrior and virgin huntress from 13th Century Greece. According to ancient myths, she was the daughter of King Iasus of Arcadia and Clymene, daughter of King Minyas of the Minyans. However, according to some legends, she was the daughter of King Schoenius of Boeotia north of Athena, but in most accounts, she is the daughter of Iasus.

Iasus was the son of King Lycurgus of Arcadia. He succeeded his father as ruler and took as his wife, Clymene, the daughter of King Minyas, possibly as a way of achieving political relations with the Minyans, but desiring only sons, when Clymene gave birth to a daughter, he had the infant taken into the distant woodlands to be abandoned, expecting the child not to survive. However, the infant managed to survive by being suckled by a female bear and was discovered at some point by hunters, who named her Atalanta and brought her up as a hunter. As an adult, she became especially adept in tracking and hunting and made a vow to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, to never get married. When the centaurs Rhoecus and Hylaeus tried to rape her, she shot and killed them with arrows.

Atalanta eventually encountered the Calydonian prince, Meleager, while hunting the same bear and came to an argument over who had the rights to its skin. They tried wrestling each other over the hide, but the match eventually came to a stalemate, either because Meleager couldn't defeat her, because Atalanta found herself attracted to him or a combination of both reasons. They eventually came to respect each other for their respective abilities, and Meleager began inviting her on hunting adventures both local and abroad. 

Atalanta eventually began falling in love with Meleagar, but after he described her skills above even that of Artemis, the goddess took offense at the slight and unleashed the Calydonian boar, a wild sow three times the size of other boars and impervious to weapons. As the boar devastated most of Calydon, Meleager's father, King Oeneus, called out for the best warriors of Hellas (Ancient Greece) to slay the monster boar. Along the warriors to show up were the brothers Peleus and Telamon, Jason of Sparta, Theseus of Athens , Atalanta's cousin, Melanion from Arcadia and Meleager's uncles, Ancaeus and Eurytion. According to some versions, Hercules tried to take part but arrived after the boar was killed due to his distractions with his Twelve Labors.  

During the hunt, both Ancaeus and Eurytion were slain by the boar in the skirmish to kill it. Invited into the quest by Meleager, Atalanta managed to cast the first blow on it, but her arrow skimmed off the boar's thick skin. As the other warriors jumped in trying to slay it, Atalanta succeeded in slaying the boar by shooting an arrow straight down its throat. When Meleager tried to award her the pelt of the boar for casting the original strike at it, the other warriors responded in insult. One of the loudest in his contempt was Plexippus, Meleager's uncle, and Meleager used him as an example to silence the others by taking his life. Years later, when Meleager chose Atalanta as his bride, his family balked at having Atalanta as his wife, and his mother used prophecies from his birth to take his life and avenge her brother.

Disliked in Calydon and having soured on hunting because of her heartbreak over Meleager, Atalanta had tried to join Jason on his quest for the Golden Fleece, a quest which involved many of the survivors from the hunt for Calydonian Boar. However, she either failed to accomplish anything worthy during the quest or the remaining enmity prevented her from going. She instead returned to Arcadia where Iasus, her elderly father, had died, and her grandfather, Lycurgus was left without an heir to the throne, having out-lived his sons. However, because of her fame and recognition or other unknown consequences, Atalanta was recognized as his grand-daughter and worthy heir. However, when Lycurgus proposed that she take a husband, she resisted, deciding to remain loyal to Meleagar. In the tournaments to determine her best suitor, Atalanta bested every man who tried to match her in archery, wrestling and running skills. with each of the losing suitors giving their lives for her hand in marriage. However, her cousin, Melanion, having fallen in love with her during the hunt for the Calydonian Boar, prayed to Aphrodite for help and acquired three golden apples to distract her. Possibly using the name, Hippomenes, to conceal his identity, he competed for Atalanta's hand in a race, tossing out an apple to get her attention, and then tossing each apple off the raceway a bit further. More interested in collecting the apples, Atalanta lost the race, and Melanion became her husband. The two of them had one son, Parthenopaeus.

Atalanta and Melanion subsequently became husband and wife, but neither inherited the throne of Arcadia, the throne instead passing to Atalanta's cousin, Agapenor. Neglecting to thank Aphrodite for her involvement in helping him win Atalanta's hand, the angry goddess transformed Melanion and Atalanta into lions, who unable to recognize each other wandered off, leaving Parthenopaeus alone to be discovered along with her abandoned cousin, Telephus, the grandson of her great-uncle, Cepheus.

Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 125 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde

Strength Level: Atalanta possessed the normal human strength level of a woman of her size, height and build who engages in extensive regular exercises.

Known Superhuman Powers: None

Abilities: Atalanta was a skilled warrior, fighter, hunter and athlete capable of making her a match for any mortal man. She has skills almost on par with the goddess, Artemis; she can out-fight and out-compete any rival. She was also an an accomplished tracker capable of tracking and hunting down any target. 

Weapons: Atalanta was proficient with sword and javelin, but her preferred weapon was the bow and arrow.

Comments: This bio describes the mythological Atalanta; she has yet to appear in Marvel or DC Comics. 

She is only described by Hercules by name in the Marvel Universe, and she might have been among the Greek heroes who make cameos in Ares #3, but she is never identified.

Clarifications: Atalanta is not to be confused with:

• Atalanta, warrior, member of the Amazons, @ Wonder Woman I #317
• Atalanta, adventurer, member of the Pantheon, @ Incredible Hulk #379

Last updated: 06/01/19