Zeus (Character)

Zeus

CHARACTER» Zeus

The King of the Gods in Greek mythology, Zeus is the master of the sky. His brothers Poseidon and Hades rule the sea and the underworld, respectively.

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Overview

Zeus, a god of the ancient Greek pantheon, is the son of titans; his father, Cronus, attempted to eat Zeus once he was born, but his mother Rhea saved him by pulling him from Cronus's maw. It is then said that Zeus was raised by nymphs on the island of Samos until he reached maturity. When he had grown, with the help of his mother and siblings, Zeus overthrew and castrated his father. He then assumed Cronus's position as king of the immortals, just as Cronus had once done to his own father, Ouranos.

Zeus is married to Hera, goddess of women and marriage. He also has many children, both god and demigod. Among his progeny are Ares (Character), Athena (Character), Apollo (Character), Artemis, Aphrodite, Dionysus (Character), Hebe, Hermes, Heracles, Helen, Hephaestus (Character), Perseus (Character) and Minos.

Other than the battle for Olympus between the divinities, most of the surviving tales about Zeus concern his interactions with mortals. More specifically, Zeus a number of tales related to Zeus refer to his pursuits of mortal women with whom to sow his seed. He is also known for casting spontaneous, generally harsh judgements upon mortals and immortals alike. He banishes men and punishes gods furiously when he is disobeyed.

In Roman mythology, which borrows liberally from the Greek pantheon, Zeus became Jove or Jupiter. By the time Christianity arose in Rome, the bearded image of Zeus had become the de facto characterization of God, and remains so to this day.

In God of War

In the God of War series, Zeus is the father of Kratos (Character). He has the power to shapeshift into forms such as an eagle and grow to the size of a giant He also possesses control over the weather, particularly thunder and lightning. But, like all gods, he is vulnerable to the Blade of Olympus, his own powerful weapon. In battle, he is capable of moving at immense supernatural speed and creating powerful barriers to shield himself. He also had an attack which creates an electrical silhouette of himself. After draining power from Gaia (Character), Zeus also gains the ability to make full clones of himself that, although not nearly as powerful as the original, could still put up a fight.

Zeus in God of War

When Zeus unleashes the full wrath of his power, Kratos is unable to overpower him even though he had used the Blade of Olympus to weaken him beforehand. In God of War III (Game), after Kratos stabs Zeus through Gaia's heart, Zeus's spirit fights Kratos and overpowers him; he disarms Kratos of all of his weapons and equipment, and then infects the Spartan with fear itself. Zeus takes Kratos to the brink of death until Pandora helps Kratos unleash the power of Hope. This power causes Zeus to become vulnerable Zeus, and with the tables turned, Kratos beats him to death with his bare hands.

In Kid Icarus

Zeus's design in the Kid Icarus series.

Zeus is a minor figure in the Kid Icarus series. Though unnamed in the original Kid Icarus (Game), he is revealed to be Zeus in Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters. Zeus tests Pit (Character), and the rewards for passing his tests include receiving gifts, increased strength, or an increased health bar. He does not otherwise play an important role in any game in the series to date, nor is it indicated that he is in any way the most powerful god in the universe's pantheon. His appearance is like that of a stereotypical, if elderly angel, with wings and a halo.

Wonder Woman

Zeus allowed Wonder Woman (Character) to be granted powers from the blessing of the Gods of Olympus. In DC comic new 52 Zeus is the father of Wonder Woman (Character).

Zeus is the Father of Wonder Girl (Character), making her a demigod like her brother Hercules (Character).

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