The chain of command. Rules of engagement. This Geneva Convention thing. Medical evac. Supply lines. The white flag. The Red Cross. Worrying about evacuees and refugees. Taking prisoners. Losing the battle but winning the war. Cursed diplomats. The proper standard of grooming. Sensible things like having enough bullets before you go into battle. That's the dung my sister cares about. 
Athena is a member of the Olympians a group of humanoid beings that hale from the pocket dimension; Olympus. She was worshipped by the humans of Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. She is the Goddess of wisdom,[3][10] war,[3] tactical warfare,[2] and heroic endeavor.[11][2]
History
Origin
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Birth of Athena
Athena was the daughter of the Titaness Metis and Zeus, He impregnated her, before he was foretold by the Fates that their child would be greater than him.[1] Zeus consequently consumed Metis in an attempt to prevent that prophecy.[1] Nine months later, Zeus was afflicted with violent headaches. Hephaestus trephined him, giving birth to a fully grown and armored Athena.[1]
Pre-Cataclysmic Age
Medusa, Euryale and Stheno, daughters of Phorcys and Cetus worshiped Olympian gods rather than their grandfather Set. Medusa was a chaste priestess of Athena,[12] and her sisters, having all taken a vow of celibacy.[13] Although, she was seduced by Poseidon and fell to his advances on Athena's altar. Enraged, Athena cursed the three sisters (and their descendants) as snake-haired creatures (possibly by releasing their true nature, as those features were shared by their aunt Ishiti and her offspring known as the Man-Serpents).[12]
Ancient Greece
Artemis later joined the Olympians on Olympus being worshipped by the humans of Ancient Greece.[14] The city of Athens was named in her honor after she won a contest between her and her uncle, the sea-god Poseidon to decide who would lay claim to the city. Poseidon gave the people a salty spring to curry their favor but they ultimately chose Athena over Poseidon when the goddess provided an olive tree that was more useful. Thus, she became the patron goddess of Athens.[citation needed]
Medusa and Perseus
In 2000 BC, she led the hero Perseus to the location of Medusa. She gave him magical shield. After his success she carved the gorgons head on her shield.[2]
The Eternals
Zeus discovered Olympia, home to the superhumanly long-lived offshoot of humanity known as the Eternals, who resided near the gods' home of Olympus itself. Olympia was the capital city of the Eternals and was ruled by Zuras. Zeus and Athena then traveled to Olympia to meet with Zuras and his daughter Azura, named after her father. Athena noticed the physical resemblances between Zeus and Zuras and herself and Azura and hence suggested a pact of non-interference between the two races, where the Olympian Eternals would act as the gods' heralds on Earth at certain times. The pact was sealed and Azura changed her name to Thena to honor the pact.[15]
Arachne
She encountered a mortal woman, Arachne, who claimed to be a better weaver then her, causing Athena to curse her into the form of a creature with a spider body instead of legs.[16]
Tiresias
Tiresias once stumbled upon Athena while she was bathing. As a result, the goddess decided to blind him. His mother begged Athena to lift the curse, but she refused to. Instead, she opened Tiresias' ears so he might hear all the whispers of the Gods.[17] This two curses/gifts gave him a greater perspective of the world.[18]
Hercules
Centuries ago Athena used foresight to predict the birth of Amadeus Cho and the events of the World War Hulk, predicting that while the still young Hercules would grow to be a force for good, Amadeus would always be her champion, foretelling the modern times and his final choosing in becoming a force for good himself, and her and Hercules's helper.[17]
Kyknos
In 1268 BC, Hercules clashed with Ares' son Kyknos, Athena and Ares asked the Fates if Hercules would best him. They replied that Hercules would slay Kyknos unless he were killed first. Ares intervened on the battle to assist his son, but Athena came to Hercules' aid in order to level the playing field. Ultimately, Hercules succeeded in slaying Kyknos.[11]
Trojan War
Athena also participated in the Trojan War taking the side of the Greeks against the Trojans to avenge, at least in her mind, an insult performed on her by the Trojan prince Paris. Paris had deemed Venus as the most beautiful goddess of all after a contest was formed among Venus, Athena and Hera to be judged as "the most beautiful". During the war, Athena fought against Ares, and empowered Diomedes so that he could strike Ares a near-mortal wound.[19]
Odyssey
Odysseus whom she aided in returning home to Ithaca from the Trojan War and reclaiming his kingdom.[20]
Roman Empire
In 146 B.C., the Romans conquered Macedonia and then Greece. They even adopted Olympian Gods, changing many of their names in the process.[21] Athena became "Minerva".[21]
20th century
Miranda Minerva
She later returned to Earth under the guise of Miranda Minerva. where she wrote the book "The Heroes Journey" detailing the various links between fact and myth. She also opened an orphanage in Mount Athena, New York. She discovered a young boy with a genius intelligence Pythagoras Dupree. When he grew up and became a business man she visited him in her true form asking up to become her champion. He declined her offer and then tried to blow her up along with the town. The mistake with Dupree made her realize she would need to do things differently with the next one.[22]
Modern Age
Athena observed as Hercules attempted to convince Zeus to wage war on Asgard. Ares confided to her that he hoped Hercules would be successful.[23] Athena stood alongside Zeus as he forbade Pluto from working on earth.[24] Athena observed Pluto's conflict with Zeus.[25] Athena accompanied Zeus to a meeting with Odin, as he requested their aid in opposing the Eternals.[26]
Athena participated in the assault upon the Eternals' home city, Olympia, and fought her one-time impersonator Thena. The battle with the Eternals soon ended, and Athena withdrew with the other Olympians.[27]
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Athena observed as Hephaestus attempted to lift Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, but they were interrupted by the arrival of the Avengers at his workshop. Athena fought with Thor, but their battle ended when he saved her from a pool of molten metal. Realizing that the Avengers were not, as Zeus had claimed, enemies of Olympus, Athena convinced Hephaestus to hear them out, and then accompanied them with Hephaestus and Venus to visit Hercules, in an attempt to heal him. However, they were found at Hercules' bedside by Zeus, who blasted all of them with his lightning. Athena and the other Olympians who had allied themselves with the Avengers took awhile to recover, as Zeus' fury had been even greater against them.[28] Athena was present as Zeus forbade all Olympians from interfering with the earth.[29]
Athena appeared to Trey Rollins and revealed to him that she was his patroness and had chosen him to bear the breastplate Aegis as her new champion, carrying on the tradition of past heroes of ancient Greece including Achilles, Jason, and Odysseus.[30]
Olympus Group
Athena was presumably present with the Olympian pantheon as they convened a board meeting on Earth at the Olympus Group, assuming the appearances of mortal businessmen in an attempt to maintain some connection with humanity. Zeus had gathered them to confront Hera for manipulating Hercules into appearing on a reality television show as part of an attempt to gain revenge upon him, but he wound up being jeered at by his own family for his many infidelities. They finally voted against interfering with Hercules' labors.[31]
After a battle with Pluto, Athena met with the other gods of Olympus as they discussed how distasteful Ares' brutality was to them.[32] Athena fought for Olympus as it was invaded by Japanese demons led by Mikaboshi, and looked to Ares for strategy on the battlefield.[33] Athena joined the Olympians in their last battle against Mikaboshi's forces. Aided by benevolent Japanese gods of the east, the Olympians prevailed, though at the cost of Zeus' very life by Mikaboshi.[34]
Love and War
Athena also aided Hercules and Amadeus against the new Amazon. The Earth is reshaped into a world in which the Amazons ruled. This was later reversed and Athena was returned back to reality alongside all other denizens of the planet.[35]
Usurpation of the Olympus Group
When Hera and Pluto took over the Olympus Group and decided the company had a new goal the destruction of Athena and Hercules.[36] Hera had Aegis killed, and using his body as a bait, lured Athena, Amadeus and Hercules into a trap. Among Hera's retinue is Delphyne Gorgon, who wishes to kill Athena in revenge for her cursing the original Gorgons. Athena formulated a new plan to counter Hera, and the heroes escape in the midst of a battle between Hera's forces and the Dark Avengers.[37]
Athena's ingenuity, combined with the height of her wisdom is fully realized when she sends Hercules and Amadeus upon their most dangerous mission yet: to Hades, Olympian realm of the deceased, to seek out and bring back Zeus, the deity with whom she was closest with, to counter the sinister plots of Hera. This leads to Pluto, Lord of the Dead, is trying Zeus for Crimes Against Creation in the infernal depths of Hades, with 500 slavering Damned serving as jury, Amadeus Cho for the defense, and the lead witness for the prosecution is Hercules.[38]
Athena and Hercules took the now child Zeus to be hid from Hera[39], when they were attacked by Harpies sent to kill them. Athena battled them while Hercules continues the mission.[40]
No Road Home
Because of the events of the Challenger's rematch against the Grandmaster, the Goddess Nyx escaped imprisonment, vowing revenge on Olympus. She arrived with her children and they set out to murdering all the gods that were there.[41] Athena survived long enough to be discovered by Hercules whereupon she lay the blame of the slaughter on the "Queen of the Night", reminding him never to say her name. After telling Hercules, a demi-god, his legend would not be the same as those of gods of Olympus, she died in his arms.[42]Attributes
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Powers
Athena possesses the conventional powers of the Olympian gods:
- Superhuman Strength: Athena possesses superhuman strength substantially greater than the average Olympian goddess and somewhat greater than the average Olympian god. Whereas the average Olympian male and female can lift 30 and 25 tons respectively, Athena can lift about 35 tons.
- Superhuman Speed: Athena can run and move at speeds greater than even the finest human athlete.
- Superhuman Stamina: Athena's advanced musculature generates considerably less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of a human being. She can physically exert herself at peak capacity for about 24 hours before fatigue begins to impair her.
- Superhumanly Dense Tissue: The tissues of her body have 3 times the density of the tissues that make up a human body, contributing somewhat to her weight and superhuman strength.
- Superhuman Durability: Athena's body is much harder and more resistant to injury than that of an ordinary human. Athena can withstand high caliber bullets,[43] great impact forces, exposure to temperature and pressure extremes, falls from great heights, and powerful energy blasts without sustaining physical injury. She has survived a massive explosion caused by Pythagoras Dupree that was sufficient to detroy an entire town.[44]
- Superhuman Agility: Athena's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are enhanced to levels beyond the natural physical limits of even the finest human athlete.
- Superhuman Reflexes: Athena's reflexes are similarly enhanced and are superior to those of the finest human athlete.
- Immortality: Athena, like all Olympians, is functionally immortal in the sense that she is immune to the effects of aging. She hasn't aged since reaching adulthood and is immune to all known Earthly diseases and infections. However, the Olympians, like other god pantheons, are not completely immortal. While they are immune to disease and aging, it is possible for them to be killed through sufficient force.
- Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite her resistance to injury, Athena can be injured with sufficient force or weaponry. However, Athena is capable of rapidly healing injuries faster and more extensively than a human is capable of. However, Athena can't regrow missing limbs or organs without magical assistance.
- Magical Energy Manipulation: Athena possesses considerable magical abilities as an Olympian goddess, at least on a scale to that of Ares. She can fly at great speed, change her size or form to appear as another person, animal or object, render herself and other beings invisible from mortal eyesight (for example when she was a secret participant in the Trojan War), create illusory images, animate inanimate objects, and control the shape and form of objects or people (notably she changed the physical appearance of Trey Rollins, the New Warrior youth aka Aegis). She also bears the gift of foresight used to predict the birth of Amadeus Cho.[45] Athena can also project powerful and destructive mystical energy bolts, cross the distance between dimensions and materialize objects. While she joined with Hercules and Amadeus Cho, she has yet to demonstrate such wide use of her godly abilities (likely due to the weakening of her magic on Earth, as in the case of other Olympians and Asgardians), though she has most commonly used it to change from her regular mortal garb into full battle armor as well as summon her mace and shield, as well as mentally pinpoint the location of those gifted with her items, such as Aegis, even deceased, and conjure portals to teleport herself, Hercules and Amadeus to other nearby locations on Earth.
- Allspeak: Do to the Allspeak (also called All-Tongue), Athena can communicate in all languages, Earth's dialects, and various alien languages.
- Divine Empowerment: Athena has the ability to empower other beings. She empowerd the mortal Prince Argive, who struck a blow on Ares so powerful that is nearly killed him.[19]
Abilities
- Super-Genius Intelligence:As the Olympian Goddess of Wisdom, Athena has devoted a great deal of time throughout the centuries to studying and mastering many areas of knowledge including all fields of non-technical science. She is considered a super-genius among the other deities of Earth and possesses a degree of cosmic awareness that renders her nearly omniscient when using it.[43]
Master Strategist: Athena is also the Olympian Goddess of War, making her extraordinary at combat both armed and unarmed and is a highly competent military strategist even superior to her half-brother Ares, the God of War. However, she does not share Ares's lust for battle and bloodshed.
Weapons Master: She is a master of the weapons used at the time of ancient Greece and Rome including the sword, spear, and shield.
Great Magical Knowledge: Athena also possesses a large amount of knowledge in the magical field. She is probably on par with the Asgardian Enchantress, and her might in mysticism is at least on par with that of her brother Ares's.Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Aegis (Breastplate)
- Scrying Pool Athena possesses a scrying pool enabling her to see into other dimensions, even into the dimensions of alien Skrull deities virtually unreachable, without detection. As even members of the Council of Godheads are incapable of teleporting to other points within the same dimension, Athena, even if her magic had not waned, is unable to do so as well, instead having gained a driver's license for her green automobile.
- Pallas: Athena possesses a brown owl she calls Pallas, one with base primal instincts and needs (such as catching prey) and an apparent inability to mimic speech, yet appears highly intelligent for an animal.
Weapons
Transportation
Trivia
See Also
- 81 appearance(s) of Athena Parthenos (Earth-616)
- 6 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Athena Parthenos (Earth-616)
- 2 minor appearance(s) of Athena Parthenos (Earth-616)
- 12 mention(s) of Athena Parthenos (Earth-616)
- 11 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Athena Parthenos (Earth-616)
- 6 invocation(s) of Athena Parthenos (Earth-616)
- 37 image(s) of Athena Parthenos (Earth-616)
- 3 quotation(s) by or about Athena Parthenos (Earth-616)
- 1 victim(s) killed by Athena Parthenos (Earth-616)
- 1 item(s) used/owned by Athena Parthenos (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Incredible Hercules #127
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1 ; Athena's entry
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #9 ; Olympians' entry
- ↑ Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1 ; Athena's entry list it as an alias
- ↑ Incredible Hercules #141
- ↑ Amazing Fantasy (Vol. 2) #15
- ↑ Incredible Hercules #115
- ↑ Incredible Hercules #137
- ↑ Incredible Hercules #117
- ↑ Marvel Encyclopedia #1 ; 2009 edition; Gods of Olympus's entry
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Incredible Hercules #116
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #2 ; Gorgons' entry
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #8
- ↑ Thor: Asgard's Avenger #1 ; Athena' entry
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #9
- ↑ Incredible Hercules #139
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Incredible Hercules #126
- ↑ Hercules (Vol. 4) #3
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Thor Annual #8
- ↑ Marvel Illustrated: The Odyssey #1
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #8
- ↑ Incredible Hercules #137
- ↑ Thor Annual #5
- ↑ Thor #164
- ↑ Champions #2
- ↑ Thor #289
- ↑ Thor #291–292
- ↑ Avengers #283–284
- ↑ Avengers #285
- ↑ New Warriors (Vol. 2) #10
- ↑ Hercules (Vol. 3) #4
- ↑ Ares #1
- ↑ Ares #3
- ↑ Ares #5
- ↑ Incredible Hercules #124–125
- ↑ Incredible Hercules #121 #123
- ↑ Incredible Hercules #127 #128
- ↑ Incredible Hercules #129–130
- ↑ Incredible Hercules #131
- ↑ Incredible Hercules #132
- ↑ Avengers: No Road Home #2
- ↑ Avengers: No Road Home #1
- ↑ 43.0 43.1 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #14
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #137
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #139
- ↑ Women of Marvel: Celebrating Seven Decades Handbook #1
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 14