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Olympian (comics)
Encyclopedia
Olympian is a fictional character
, a superhero
published by DC Comics
. Olympian first appeared in DC Comics Presents
#46 (June 1982), and was created by Nelson Bridwell
and Alex Saviuk
.
, which grants him the strength of Hercules
and various other powers connected to the heroes who comprised the Argonauts
. He aids Wonder Woman
battling Colonel Conquest in Greece
, where a bomb was supposed to be hidden. In one incident, he helps Superman stop a gathering of mystical artifacts designed to bring back the villain Thaumar Dhai. They encounter Echidne, an old adversary of the Olympian, a beautiful woman with a long, gigantic snake form instead of legs. Olympian would later join Superman and many fellow Guardians on Easter Island
. They would again battle Echidne and her fellow mystics. Dhai's mystical return is reversed and he is seemingly destroyed. The Greek hero later meets Fury
of Infinity Inc.
.
. As detailed in a flashback, Olympian protests when the original 'Ice', otherwise known as Icemaiden
leaves the Global Guardians because of her feelings of inadequacy. When he learned that his fellow members of the Global Guardians
were to be supported by the Bialyan dictator Queen Bee
, Olympian joins up. An unwitting participant in a public relations ploy, the Olympian helps his teammates and Justice League Europe
battle a giant, alien robot on the grounds of the League's embassy. This robot was sent by the Queen Bee herself, using technology stolen from a now-dead member of the alien Dominators
. The Queen did not care if the robot ended up killing any of the Guardians. The Olympian and Godiva help save nearby confused well-wishers from being crushed when the robot, damaged, threatens to fall on them. After the Queen Bee dies, her successor diagnoses his condition as schizophrenia
and arrests him. He later reunites with the other Global Guardians and remains a member since.
) his teammate in the Global Guardians is interrupted when an ancient villain named Fain Y'Onia attacks the duo in London
. A brief battle with Fain Y'Onia leaves them both injured and Godiva apparently powerless. Other Guardians were apparently rendered powerless by the villain and Bushmaster
was slain. The Olympian rallies with the able-bodied members of the Guardians and ambushes Fain in the Arizona
desert
. During the battle, Tuatara
is badly injured and Thunderlord
is slain. The Wild Huntsman
and Fain Y'Onia vanish from this reality. The Olympian is the one who theorizes that the Huntsman's final purpose was to do exactly that and that both will return one day.
. During his time with the group he falls under the mental control of Gorilla Grodd
. The Olympian nearly kills Martian Manhunter
and Aquaman
. Grodd is defeated and most of the Corps travel to another universe. The Olympian later appears in Infinite Crisis
#4. He is part of a group of mystically-aligned beings who make a failed attempt to gain the aid of the Spectre
. He is briefly seen in #6, working with many other people, from the military to other heroes, including Owlwoman. They fight a holding battle to protect the city of Metropolis from the Secret Society of Supervillains. The Olympain returns in Wonder Girl
#4 (February 2008) as the guardian of Cassandra Sandsmark and her mother Helena, a position appointed to him by Zeus. During this storyline it is revealed that he and Cassandra's mother, Helena Sandsmark, have romantic feelings for one another.
, Aristedes can use any of the skills, powers and natural abilities possessed by any of the fifty original Argonauts
. These abilities include the power of Hercules
, the precognitive abilities of Idmon
, the telescopic and x-ray vision of Lynceus
, the speed of Atalanta
, wisdom of Admetus
, the memory
of Aethalides
, ability to walk on water like Euphemus
, the flight ability of Zetes & Calais
, the shapeshifting ability of Poriclymenus, and the invulnerability of Achilles
.
" maxi-series features the Olympian in an altered, unstable reality. He is swiftly slain while trying to penetrate an energy wall surrounding most of Europe.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. Olympian first appeared in DC Comics Presents
DC Comics Presents
DC Comics Presents was a comic book published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 featuring team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters of the DC Universe...
#46 (June 1982), and was created by Nelson Bridwell
E. Nelson Bridwell
Edward Nelson Bridwell was a writer for Mad magazine and various comic books published by DC Comics. One of the writers for the Batman comic strip and Super Friends, he also wrote The Inferior Five, among other comics...
and Alex Saviuk
Alex Saviuk
Alex Saviuk is an American comic book artist primarily known for his work on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man.-Biography:Saviuk was born on August 17, 1952 Alex Saviuk (born August 17, 1953) is an American comic book artist primarily known for his work on the Marvel Comics character...
.
Fictional character biography
Aristides Demetrios is a Greek national who wears the mythical Golden FleeceGolden Fleece
In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-haired winged ram, which can be procured in Colchis. It figures in the tale of Jason and his band of Argonauts, who set out on a quest by order of King Pelias for the fleece in order to place Jason rightfully on the throne of Iolcus...
, which grants him the strength of Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
and various other powers connected to the heroes who comprised the Argonauts
Argonauts
The Argonauts ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology who, in the years before the Trojan War, accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, the Argo, which was named after its builder, Argus. "Argonauts", therefore, literally means...
. He aids Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
battling Colonel Conquest in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, where a bomb was supposed to be hidden. In one incident, he helps Superman stop a gathering of mystical artifacts designed to bring back the villain Thaumar Dhai. They encounter Echidne, an old adversary of the Olympian, a beautiful woman with a long, gigantic snake form instead of legs. Olympian would later join Superman and many fellow Guardians on Easter Island
Easter Island
Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...
. They would again battle Echidne and her fellow mystics. Dhai's mystical return is reversed and he is seemingly destroyed. The Greek hero later meets Fury
Fury (DC Comics)
Fury is the codename shared by three DC Comics superheroes, two of whom are mother and daughter, both of whom directly connected with the Furies of mythology, and the third who is an altogether different character.-Pre-Crisis:...
of Infinity Inc.
Infinity Inc.
Infinity, Inc. is a team of superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The team is mostly composed of the children and heirs of the Justice Society of America, making them the Society's analogue to the Teen Titans, which is composed of sidekicks of Justice League members...
.
Global Guardians
Olympian is a founding member of the Global GuardiansGlobal Guardians
The Global Guardians is a team of fictional DC Comics superheroes whose members hail from countries around the world. The concept originated in the Super Friends Saturday morning cartoon, in which several heroes were added to the Justice League to give it more ethnic diversity.-History:The...
. As detailed in a flashback, Olympian protests when the original 'Ice', otherwise known as Icemaiden
Icemaiden
Icemaiden is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine in the DC Comics universe. She was the first heroine to use the name, and for a time was replaced by Ice. She is also one of the few bisexual superheroines in the DC Universe.-Global Guardians:Sigrid Nansen received her powers as the...
leaves the Global Guardians because of her feelings of inadequacy. When he learned that his fellow members of the Global Guardians
Global Guardians
The Global Guardians is a team of fictional DC Comics superheroes whose members hail from countries around the world. The concept originated in the Super Friends Saturday morning cartoon, in which several heroes were added to the Justice League to give it more ethnic diversity.-History:The...
were to be supported by the Bialyan dictator Queen Bee
Queen Bee (comics)
Queen Bee is the name of four different DC Comics supervillains.-Queen Bee :The leader of the hiveworld Korll, Zazzala lives only for the interstellar expansion of her species. Zazzala first appeared in Justice League of America #23...
, Olympian joins up. An unwitting participant in a public relations ploy, the Olympian helps his teammates and Justice League Europe
Justice League Europe
Justice League Europe was a DC Comics book run that was a spin-off of the comic book Justice League America ....
battle a giant, alien robot on the grounds of the League's embassy. This robot was sent by the Queen Bee herself, using technology stolen from a now-dead member of the alien Dominators
Dominators
The Dominators, collectively known as the Dominion, are a fictional alien race from the outer cosmos of the DC Universe. They are highly technologically advanced, and live in a rigid hierarchical society, in which one's caste is determined by the size of a red circle on one's forehead...
. The Queen did not care if the robot ended up killing any of the Guardians. The Olympian and Godiva help save nearby confused well-wishers from being crushed when the robot, damaged, threatens to fall on them. After the Queen Bee dies, her successor diagnoses his condition as schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
and arrests him. He later reunites with the other Global Guardians and remains a member since.
Fain Y'Onia
A romantic relationship with Dorcas Leigh (GodivaGodiva (comics)
Godiva is the name of three DC Comics characters. One is a superhero, the others are supervillains.-Dorcas Leigh:Dorcas Leigh is a beautiful English socialite with the power to control her hair's movement . Her first mission was to assist the Elongated Man in dismantling a bomb near London...
) his teammate in the Global Guardians is interrupted when an ancient villain named Fain Y'Onia attacks the duo in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. A brief battle with Fain Y'Onia leaves them both injured and Godiva apparently powerless. Other Guardians were apparently rendered powerless by the villain and Bushmaster
Bushmaster (DC Comics)
Bushmaster is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Super Friends #45 , and was created by E. Nelson Bridwell and Romeo Tanghal.-Fictional character biography:...
was slain. The Olympian rallies with the able-bodied members of the Guardians and ambushes Fain in the Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
. During the battle, Tuatara
Tuatara (comics)
Tuatara is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Tuatara's first appearance took place in Super Friends #8 , which is set outside the mainstream DC Comics continuity. Jeremy Wakefield is a young New Zealander who can predict the future with the help of a...
is badly injured and Thunderlord
Thunderlord
Thunderlord is a fictional DC Comics superhero, a Buddhist monk who has vocal manipulation powers.-Fictional character biography:Liang Xih-k'ai, Thunderlord's real name, helps the Black Canary dismantle a bomb on the island of Taiwan. Later on, he assists the brothers Thunder and Lightning in...
is slain. The Wild Huntsman
Wild Huntsman (comics)
The Wild Huntsman is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Super Friends #45 , and was created by E. Nelson Bridwell and Romeo Tanghal.-Fictional character biography:...
and Fain Y'Onia vanish from this reality. The Olympian is the one who theorizes that the Huntsman's final purpose was to do exactly that and that both will return one day.
Current status
The Olympian is later seen as a member of the Ultramarine CorpsUltramarine Corps
The International Ultramarine Corps, formerly the Ultramarine Corps, is a fictional team of superheroes published by DC Comics. They first appeared in DC One Million #2 , and were created by Grant Morrison and Howard Porter....
. During his time with the group he falls under the mental control of Gorilla Grodd
Gorilla Grodd
Gorilla Grodd is a supervillain appearing in DC Comics, primarily as an enemy of The Flash. He debuted in Flash v.1 #106 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino....
. The Olympian nearly kills Martian Manhunter
Martian Manhunter
The Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
and Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
. Grodd is defeated and most of the Corps travel to another universe. The Olympian later appears in Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
#4. He is part of a group of mystically-aligned beings who make a failed attempt to gain the aid of the Spectre
Spectre (comics)
The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the following month, #52...
. He is briefly seen in #6, working with many other people, from the military to other heroes, including Owlwoman. They fight a holding battle to protect the city of Metropolis from the Secret Society of Supervillains. The Olympain returns in Wonder Girl
Wonder Girl
Wonder Girl is the name of three fictional characters featured as superheroes in comic books and other media produced by DC Comics. The original was a younger version of Wonder Woman...
#4 (February 2008) as the guardian of Cassandra Sandsmark and her mother Helena, a position appointed to him by Zeus. During this storyline it is revealed that he and Cassandra's mother, Helena Sandsmark, have romantic feelings for one another.
Powers and abilities
While in possession of the Golden FleeceGolden Fleece
In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-haired winged ram, which can be procured in Colchis. It figures in the tale of Jason and his band of Argonauts, who set out on a quest by order of King Pelias for the fleece in order to place Jason rightfully on the throne of Iolcus...
, Aristedes can use any of the skills, powers and natural abilities possessed by any of the fifty original Argonauts
Argonauts
The Argonauts ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology who, in the years before the Trojan War, accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, the Argo, which was named after its builder, Argus. "Argonauts", therefore, literally means...
. These abilities include the power of Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
, the precognitive abilities of Idmon
Idmon
In Greek mythology, Idmon was an Argonaut seer. His father is said to have been Apollo but his mortal father was Abas . His mother was Asteria, daughter of Coronus, or Cyrene, or else Antianeira, daughter of Pheres. By Laothoe he had a son Thestor...
, the telescopic and x-ray vision of Lynceus
Lynceus (Argonaut)
Lynceus was the jealous murderer of Castor, along with his brother, Idas. Idas and Lynceus murdered Castor because they all sought Phoebe and Hilaeira, daughters of Leucippus . Lynceus was one of the Argonauts and he participated in the hunt for the Calydonian Boar...
, the speed of Atalanta
Atalanta
Atalanta is a character in Greek mythology.-Legend:Atalanta was the daughter of Iasus , a Boeotian or an Arcadian princess . She is often described as a goddess. Apollodorus is the only one who gives an account of Atalanta’s birth and upbringing...
, wisdom of Admetus
Admetus
In Greek mythology, Admetus was a king of Pherae in Thessaly, succeeding his father Pheres after whom the city was named. Admetus was one of the Argonauts and took part in the Calydonian Boar hunt. His wife Alcestis offered to substitute her own death for his.-Mythology:Admetus was famed for his...
, the memory
Eidetic memory
Eidetic , commonly referred to as photographic memory, is a medical term, popularly defined as the ability to recall images, sounds, or objects in memory with extreme precision and in abundant volume. The word eidetic, referring to extraordinarily detailed and vivid recall not limited to, but...
of Aethalides
Aethalides
Aethalides was a son of Hermes and Eupolemeia, a daughter of Myrmidon. He was the herald of the Argonauts, and had received from his father the faculty of remembering everything, even in Hades. He was further allowed to reside alternately in the upper and in the lower world...
, ability to walk on water like Euphemus
Euphemus
Euphemus in Greek mythology was a son of Poseidon, an Argonaut connected with the legend of the foundation of Cyrene.Euphemus is also a character mentioned in in Book II of the Iliad.- Greek mythology :...
, the flight ability of Zetes & Calais
Boreads
The Boreads, in Greek mythology, were Calaïs and Zetes . They were the sons of Boreas and Oreithyia, daughter of King Erechtheus of Athens...
, the shapeshifting ability of Poriclymenus, and the invulnerability of Achilles
Achilles
In Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.Plato named Achilles the handsomest of the heroes assembled against Troy....
.
Other versions
Issue #16 of the "TrinityTrinity (comic book)
Trinity is the title of an American weekly comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted during the first week of June, 2008. It ran for 52 issues.-Conception and production:...
" maxi-series features the Olympian in an altered, unstable reality. He is swiftly slain while trying to penetrate an energy wall surrounding most of Europe.
In other media
- Olympian appears in issue #7 of the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
comicsBatman: The Brave and the Bold (comics)Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an American comic book series published by DC Comics. It is based on the TV series of the same name.-UK Title:The UK version is published by Titan Magazines and the first issue was released on 11 March 2010...
. He helps Batman in defeating CirceCirce (comics)Circe is a fictional character, a villainous sorceress and a major adversary of Wonder Woman appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Based upon the Greek mythological character of the same name who imprisoned Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey, the comic book incarnation of Circe first...
.