Zeus

ZEUS

Real Name: Zeus

Class: God (Olympian Gods)

Occupation: Ruler of the Olympian Gods, god of the sky

Group Affiliation: Quintessance

Known Relatives: Amphitrie (cousin, sister-in-law), Aphrodite (daughter), Apollo (son), Ares (son), Arion (niece), Artemis (daughter), Asclepius (grandson), Athena (daughter), Atlas (cousin), Benthesikyme (niece), Chiron (half-brother), Circe (first cousin once removed), Coeus (uncle), Crius (uncle), Cronus (father), Deimos (grandson), Demeter (sister, wife), Despoena (niece), Dione (daughter), Dionysus (son), Eileithyia (daughter), Eprimetheus (cousin), Eos (cousin), Eris (daughter), Eros (grandson), Eurynome (cousin), Gaea (grandmother), Graces (daughters), Hades (brother, son-in-law), Harmonia (granddaughter), Hebe (daughter), Hecate (cousin), Helen of Troy (daughter), Helios (cousin), Hephaestus (son), Hera (sister, wife), Hestia (sister), Hercules (son), Hermes (son), Horae (daughters), Hyperion (uncle), Iapetus (uncle), Janus (granbdson), Leto (cousin), Maia (first cousin once removed), Metis (cousin), Mnemosyne (aunt), Moirae (daughters), Muses (daughters), Ophion (cousin), Ouranos (grandfather, deceased), Pan (grandson), Pandia (daughter), Persephone (daughter), Perseus (son, deceased), Phobos (grandson), Phoebe (aunt), Plute (half-sister), Poseidon (brother, cousin-in-law), Prometheus (cousin), Rhea (mother), Rhode (niece), Selene (cousin), Tethys (aunt), Theia (aunt), Themis (aunt), Thetis (cousin), Triton (nephew), Cassandra Sandmark (Wonder Girl, daughter)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mount Olympus

First Appearance: All-Star Comics I #8 (January, 1942)

Powers: Like all Olympian gods, Zeus was immortal, and possessed vast superhuman strength and durability. Zeus controlled the skies, and wielded thunder bolts as projectile weapons. Zeus could alter his form, and lend a portion of his powers to others.

History: (Jack Kirby’s Fourth World #1 (fb)) - The destruction of the Old Gods sent a godwave from the source that struck Earth. The gods of the Greeks would be born from this godwave and usher in the Third World.

(Who’s Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #17 ) - Zeus was one of the gods born to the Titans Rhea and Kronos. Zeus and his siblings Poseidon and Hades overthrew the Titans, and cast lots to determine how they would rule the Earth. Zeus drew the sky, Poseidon the sea, and Hades the underworld, with the land and Mount Olympus as common territory for them all. The Olympian gods were worshipped by the Greeks, and Zeus became king of all the other gods, and father of most of the pantheon.

(Sea Devils #14) - The Olympian gods mocked Hercules, telling him his might was great, but he was still mortal and beneath the lowliest of gods. Hercules approached Zeus and asked him to grant him godhood, promising to perform any might task he desired. Zeus told him he’d be made a god if he defeated Neptune by nightfall, knowing full well the god of the sea was too mighty for him to handle. Hercules was in despair, but Hera took pity on him, and gave him magic seaweed that boosted his strength and let him breath underwater. Hercules traveled to Earth’s seas and attacked Neptune without warning. Neptune wanted no part of the fight, but Hercules wouldn’t relent. Their fight passed by a sea carnival held by the Sea Devils, who were going to award a crown of king of the sea to whoever could catch a sea serpent at large. The Devils knew the sea would fall into chaos if Neptune fell, but Hercules’ wounded pride would be just as bad if he were defeated, so they set about delaying the fight, roping Hercules, leading him into the tentacles of a man ‘o war, and rolling boulders on him from a seamount. Night fell, and the giants were at a standstill, so Hercules lost by default. Hercules vowed to destroy the Devils for costing him godhood. The sea serpent appeared and attacked the Devils, but Hercules easily dispatched it, saying the Devils belonged to him. The Devils awarded him the king of the sea crown, and he was so touched that he said he’d wear it with pride in Olympus.

(Spectre III #58) - When God disappeared form Heaven, Spectre sought information from other pantheons, including the Olympians. Zeus thought he was hubristic to see the Olympians as less than the Judeo-Christian creator, and told him that all divinity was the manifestation of the godwave after the passing of the Old Gods. Zeus told him their was a disturbance in the Source, the creative power all gods acknowledged. Ares told Spectre to begone, and Spectre warned him his mission of vengeance could one day see him calling Ares to task for the blood he'd spilled.

(JLA #29, 31) - Zeus and the Quintessence, five immortals that held a constant vigil over all creation, watched the conflict between Lkz, an invader from the 5th Dimension, and the 5-D genie Thunderbolt. Their battle threatened all reality, but Shazam assured the Quintessence that his champion Captain Marvel would save the day. Marvel delivered, convincing Lkz and Thunderbolt to merge into one being, ending their war.

(Day of Judgment #5) - Zeus and the Quintessence observed the aftermath of the Day of Judgment, with the formation of the Sentinels of Magic, and Green Lantern Hal Jordan becoming the Spectre's new host.

(Titans I #24 (fb)) - Dark Angel was visiting various hypertimelines and erasing Troia from the minds of each Earth she visited, and if she kept on course Troia would eventually physically cease to exist throughout reality. Zeus summoned the Titans of Earth-Kingdom-Come to stop Dark Angel and save Troia. He warned them that they were risking damaging the fabric of reality by leaving their own hypertimeline, so they had limited time to work.

(Jack Kirby s Fourth World #8) - The Source Wall crumbled, and Highfather and Metron called Odin, Zeus, and Jove to the Source. The gods had come to respect Highfather s wisdom, and listened when he explained that the godwave that created them was collapsing, and the Source was buckling under the pressure. Ares showed up unannounced, but Highfather had expected him. The gods consented to his plan to save the Source by using his wonder staff to fuse them all into one ultimate deity, simply called the One. With their newfound power they penetrated a crack in the Source Wall, and sought the Source itself. The Source defended itself, and each obstacle they met made them split off one of the gods. Odin was first removed from the One, and then Zeus. As the One entered the Source, he realized Ares had expelled Jove too. They separated, and Ares revealed that he had tricked him. He was glad to gamble the fate of the universe if he could have access to the ultimate power of the Source. Highfather and Ares clashed, and the god of war ran him through with a sword. The New Gods, alongside Earth s heroes, continued to fight the Parademons, but sensed something was amiss. Only Takion knew Highfather was gone, but at the advice of the last of the Old Gods, chose to keep that a secret, so the heroes wouldn't lose hope.

Comments: Adapted to comics by William Moulton Marston.

Zeus received a profile in Who’s Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #17 and Who’s Who Update ‘87 #4 under the Olympian Gods entry.

Zeus was a god of classic Greek mythology. For more information visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeus.

Zeus had a cameo in Swamp Thing II #75.