Medusa

**Affiliation** | Priestesses of Athena (Formerly)
 **Voice Actor** | Jennifer Love Hewitt

Medusa was once a priestess of Athena in the City of Athens, until Poseidon, captivated by her beauty, attempted to rape her. Athena, unable to punish one of the Big Three, punished Medusa instead, transforming her and her sisters into Gorgons, and fleeing the city to live in isolation.

Longing for a friend, her first meeting with Perseus results in her making a Blood Oath to Hades to be able to shift to human form by day but become Gorgon by Night and be in service to the Lord of the Underworld.

## Characteristics

* **Name**: Medusa
* **Aliases**: Queen of the Gorgons, Priestess of Athena (formerly)
* **Age**: 19
* **Hair**: Light Brown (human form) Dark Green snakes (gorgon)
* **Eyes**: Brown (human form) Yellow and Orange (Gorgon)
* **Likes**: Perseus, making friends, being accepted for who and what she is, making quips and jokes, mocha coffee, Pandora (thinks she’s adorable), Aphrodite (gave her the ability to control her gaze)
* **Dislikes**: Being disliked, being feared, her appearance (formerly), having no control of her powers (formerly), having to live a lie, the Furies, Hades, Athena, Baldur, Loki, other girls getting Perseus’ attention
* **Family**: Two sisters (Euryale and Stheno), Gorgon (mother), Echidna (grandmother)

## Background

Medusa was born in the city of Athens, and is the middle sister of Euryale and Stheno, and was considered to be the most beautiful of the three. Her beauty was greatly admired by many men, both mortal and god. Her beauty made her perfect as a priestess of Athena’s Temple. Unfortunately, it also drew in the attention of Poseidon, one of the three primary Gods of Olympus, making him one of the leaders of Olympus. He was so enamored by Medusa, he approached her in the sanctuary of the temple and attempted to court and bed her. However, Medusa fought back his advances and fled to the main statue of the temple. But there, Poseidon caught her and proceeded to brutally rape her. Before he got close, Athena appeared before them both, catching them in the act. Enraged that her temple had been defiled in such a manner, instead of punishing Poseidon, she cursed Medusa, painfully transforming the once beautiful maiden into a grotesque monster, whose once flawless skin became green and scaly, her hair transformed into venomous serpents, and her face and eyes more monstrous that one glance from her eyes would turn anyone who saw her face turned hideous into stone. She became a Gorgon.

While Athena was furious that Poseidon had taken favor of Medusa in her temple, she wasn’t angry with the God of the Ocean. As a powerful male god, this would be expected of him. In her eyes, Athena believed Medusa deserved to be punished, in a world and society were women were viewed and valued as objects in a male-dominated time in the world. And to add to it, her sisters were also transformed into Gorgons themselves. Unable to face the public as they uncontrollably transformed those around them, they fled to an island far from Athens, to where Medusa made her home, while Euryale and Stheno, embittered by what had happened with their sister, left to different parts of the world, leaving Medusa all by her lonesome. For two years, her tale had been a legend that adventurers had sought out to kill her, only to never come back.

Medusa had remained on the island, seeking comfort from those frozen as statues, practicing combat with the use of a bow and arrow, or to the snakes that made up her hair. Though in her loneliness, she had longed for a friend to even talk to her, much less be immune to her gaze. Though whenever she looked at her reflection, she returned to reality and knew no one would care for such a hideous monster like her.

Until one day, a young man washed ashore from a destroyed Spartan vessel, after she saw witness that it and troops had destroyed the statue of Zeus that stood atop the cliffs far from her island from Athens. She pulled him to sure, whilst wearing a hood and black veil (a means to hide her Gorgon face and gaze), helping him to breathe again, until he coughed up water. Before any questions could be asked, or before the boy could see her, other voices called out, calling out the name Perseus, as the boy came two and met up with his friends to go back to the City of Athens, but not before Medusa had learned the man’s name and seen his face.

That day, all she could think about was the warrior Perseus, as she wanted a friend. A living friend. And that desire, called out to the Furies: the Keepers of the Blood Oaths to the Gods, Megaera, Tisiphone, and their leader, Alecto. They told her that Hades could offer her a chance in doing so, but Medusa refused, knowing that making a Blood Oath with a God was a dangerous gamble, as nobody would know if they had broken it, and the sisters would take them away to be punished. Though with Tisiphone’s illusions, her pain and loneliness won her over, as the three took her to see the God of the Underworld.

Once there, Hades was able to convince her that in order to get what she wanted, she had to become human, to which the shocked and amazed Gorgon asked if it was possible, to which the scheming God responded a positive. However, Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, intervened, saying that if Medusa did this, she would live a lie and that she wouldn’t have anyone that truly loved her for who or what she was. Then the Furies’ Queen, Alecto, made a wager to the deal. For five days until the Eclipse, she would be able to be human during the day and be Gorgon by night, and if she were to find a person that would care for her in both forms, she would be given the choice to be human permanently. However, if that person didn’t accept her or if the blood Oath was broken in any way to offend Hades, she would then belong to the Furies and be taken to their home and made their latest project like Aegaeon, the youngest of the three Hecatoncheires who swore a blood oath with Zeus only to betray him later, and was turned into a living prison for other other oath breakers.

She ends up taking Hades' offer, thinking nobody could see past her true form.

Once that was done, Medusa was transformed back into her human form, as if she was never cursed to begin with. Returning to the mortal realm, once again, she is besmitting all males around her. She wonders if this may have gone wrong for her, even when three men take her into an alleyway to have their way with her, like Poseidon almost did. Until Perseus, who was walking around that area, caught sight of the situation, and managed to beat them all, leaving Medusa out of harm’s way. Though the incident had caused her to be scared and crying, scared that she was almost raped. Perseus scooped her up in his arms, and walked her home, helping her out as she could. Once there, Medusa was surprised by the strength he had as well as a kind heart to go with it, wondering if he would be that friend to help her before the Eclipse.

After a quick cleanup and fresh dress, she looked around his homestead and learned of the young Spartan warrior’s life. How he was found in a bolted coffin with the deceased mother he never knew by a Spartan soldier in service of Athens, named Draco. The two often met around daytime, just talking and wandering around, and one time, Medusa wowed him and everyone else at a contest with archery, albeit one of the citizens, Adonis, scoffed at a woman being good at combat… to which Medusa ‘misfired’ an arrow into his left butt cheek. However, before Medusa and Perseus ever kissed, or were close to kissing, night would come around, forcing her to retreat and transform, but not without getting spotted, though nobody got petrified in the process. Her presence caused much ruckus and panic, immediately having Spartan soldiers, like Perseus, to be trained to fight a Gorgon.

Realizing that hiding things only made things worse by living a lie, Medusa became guilt-ridden and chose before the time of the Eclipse, to reveal herself to Perseus, hoping he would accept her. However, as soon as she transformed, and with him using a polished shield as a mirror, he immediately accused Medusa of wanting to turn him to stone, hurting her feelings and bringing her to tears, as she left to go back to the island.

Not long, Hades arrived, telling her that Perseus and others would come to take her head. Medusa couldn’t believe that Perseus would do that; sure, he hurt her feelings, but Hades reminded her she took a God Blood Oath, and that by breaking his order to kill Perseus would mean she would be sent by the Furies. Dressing up for battle, Medusa’s pain and anger pushed her to do what was needed. Dressing for battle, and readying her bow, she pulled her hood and veil mask on to prepare for battle.

Unknown to her, back in Athens, the Princess Andromeda had been demanded a sacrifice to the Kraken, making her an example of those who defied the Gods, thanks to her parents declaring war on them in the first place. But Perseus and the others learned from Mimir, a living severed head from a Norse immortal, that a Gorgon’s gaze can render any flesh to stone, even the Kraken’s as it wasn’t a god nor was it dead (which are the only ones immune to a Gorgon’s gaze). And Perseus knew where one was close nearby.

However, once there, the soldiers, Draco, or Perseus are on her turf, and none are expected by her archery skills, nor her limbs ability to stretch out and act like whips and ropes for her to get out of a situation faster than others. Perseus noticed she wasn’t using her gaze at all on them, and saw that there was goodness behind the monster, listening and remembering what Mimir said to him earlier on. Finally catching up with her, Perseus and she were at a standstill, him with his polished sword and shield, and her with her bow and arrows, not even taking her hood off.

And then, much to Medusa’s surprise, he drops the shield and sword, slowly walking to her. Not flinching and focusing, she fires her arrows, though each narrowly miss or chip at his armor. Fearing he was going to kill her, she drops the bow and arrow, preparing to take her hood off to petrify him… he instead hugs her and apologizes, asking for forgiveness and admitting how brave she was for wanting to tell him the truth. Realizing he was apologizing, Medusa wept into his shoulder, thanking Perseus and admitting that she herself was scared that all anyone would see was a monster. However, the apologies and forgiveness had to wait, as Perseus asked for her help to save Andromeda and slay the Kraken: a task only she could do. Knowing full well the Eclipse would negate her disguise once it was darkened in daylight, Medusa agreed to help, but only help Perseus.

Going outside, the two hopped onto Perseus’s friend and steed, Pegasus, riding back to the Temple of Zeus, where Andromeda would soon be sacrificed to the Kraken, of which had erupted out of the waters, and was making its way to the temple.

Before the two could get close, Hades ordered his Shades to attack Perseus and Medusa in an aerial chase, though both managed to get to the temple in time, just as the Eclipse had begun, thus Medusa’s human disguise to be removed and reveal her gorgon nature not only to the people of Athens but also the Cult of Hades, whom strung and stripped Andromeda for the Kraken to feast upon. Before the Kraken manages to eat Andromeda, Perseus manages to race with Medusa to get close enough to the Kraken’s face, with Perseus fighting off the Cult members, as Medusa raced up above the started Andromeda, and face the Kraken, making eye contact, slowly turning the Beast that helped Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades end the Great War between Gods and Titans into permanent and lifeless stone.

The massive statue cracked and the falling debris killed Andromeda’s father as well as the leader of the Cult of Hades, while Andromeda fell into the sea, with Medusa jumping in after her. Hades appeared to confront Perseus, and in defiance raised his sword to the heavens, calling upon Zeus; the King of Olympus hears his call and charges the sword up with a powerful blast of lightning, to which Perseus throws it at him, sending Hades back to the Underworld once again.

Once that was done, Perseus dives in to save both Medusa and Andromeda. He grabs them both, but Medusa seemed to have stayed conscious as he helped Andromeda as well. After they reached the shore, and Medusa tearing up her skirt to cover Andromeda, the princess turned queen was surprised that Medusa saved them all… but also that Medusa didn’t turn her or Perseus to stone. Realizing that she still had her hood off, Medusa panicked, hiding her eyes… until Perseus assured her that they weren’t turning to stone.

Confused by this, Aphrodite appeared, giving Andromeda a dress of golden silk and restoring Medusa’s skirt, explaining that when Medusa rushed in to stop the Kraken, she made an act of pure courage as well as an act of love by not only sparing Perseus’s life but also to save both Andromeda and him, showing that she had not just made one friend, but two that accepted her for who and what she was. As such, Aphrodite gave her not the ability to be fully human permanently, but control of her gaze so that she wouldn’t turn anyone to stone uncontrollably. Though Aphrodite was about to complete the deal to turn her fully human, but Medusa only asked if she could instead be given a way to change from human to Gorgon at will as well. She said she couldn’t but instead gave her a necklace that would allow such an ability, for even though she could hide, there were those that loved her for what and who she was, so there wasn’t need of a permanent disguise.

Medusa, having no longer be alone, hugged both Andromeda and Perseus, even as Pegasus arrived with Draco to witness the two heroes. Medusa moved in with Perseus and joined him on other adventures, one in particular to break her Blood Oath with the Furies… and to later learn of Perseus’s origins as well as his and her destiny together.

## Personality

Medusa is a very lonely being due to her inability to communicate with others, and this is because of her uncontrollable power of turning people into stone. Her only companions are her living snake hair and the many statues that decorate her grove which she usually pretends to talk to in order to lessen her loneliness. She is also very self-conscious as shown when Aphrodite and Hades both made her an offer to allow her to get close to Perseus. Though when it came down to it, she preferred Hades’ deal since it would make her human as opposed to Aphrodite's deal which would not change her "ugly" appearance.

However, she soon becomes depressed for living a lie and willingly reveals her true form to Perseus. Heartbroken when she's rejected, she goes back to her grove and is guilt-ridden when she accidentally almost turns Perseus to stone (thanks to Hades pushing her to fight them) when he'd been coming to apologize and ask for her help to defeat the Kraken.

When Aphrodite offered to make her human permanently, she willingly asked for a way to shift back from form to form, learning her lesson that real friends accept you for who you are, not for what you pretend to be.

After she moves in with Perseus, she becomes more forward with him, sneaking into bed sleeping with him naked (though using it as an excuse to warm up in the morning), even pulling him into the bath with her. She has proven that her romantic feelings towards Perseus are sincere and not the mere product of self-centered lust. While often injuring Perseus during the course of "hugging" him and fighting over him with the other girls, Medusa is also very protective of him and regularly puts herself in harm's way when she fears his life is at risk. Additionally, despite viewing them as rivals for Perseus‘s affections, it is revealed that she cares deeply for the other girls, and even tries to implement a harem plan so that they can all love him together.

Additionally, despite her flirtatious nature, she often becomes shy and embarrassed when Perseus accidentally does something perverted towards her before calling him a pervert or idiot and striking him.

## Skills/Abilities

### Powers

* **Snake-like/Gorgon Physiology**: Her snake-like Gorgon humanoid body gives her the following abilities:
	+ **Snake-like Skeleton:** Like most snakes, her skeletal structure had been changed from 250 bones to nearly millions of them. Although still human in nature, she is capable of flexing and bending like a snake's body, which enables her to use her arms like tendrils in order to constrict her opponents, or to stretch them out far like grapnel lines, going from one high place up in a quick pinch.
	+ **Superhuman Agility**
	+ **Venom:** Her fangs and fingernails each possess a venom with different functions ranging around from temporary paralysis to a cure for her petrification (which she learns later) and can spit it as a projectile. Though the spitting originates from her mouth and forked tongue.
	+ **Immunity:** She appears to be immune to poisons and toxins, and possibly most terrestrial diseases.
	+ **Cold Blooded:** Because her gorgon nature makes her in part reptilian, she is a poikilotherm. If her environment isn't warm enough, her bodily functions will slow down, and she will feel the need to hibernate.
	+ **Skin Shedding:** At certain periods in her life, like a normal snake, she will shed the skin on her body, which according to her is more embarrassing than being seen naked, and to her feels like she’s being fondled all over.
		- **Erogenous zone:** The lower bit of her tailbone (the top part of her butt) is shown to be a very sensitive erogenous zone to the point that touching it repeatedly can cause her to orgasm.
* **Superhuman Durability:** Aside from being temporarily stunned, Medusa received no injuries from a Centaur stampeding over her.

* **Stone Gaze:** Her greatest power, as well as her greatest weakness, is her gaze that allows her to turn those who returns it into stone. The range of the ability varies, but seems to be extremely effective if she makes eye contact with her target. Though her ability has its range of weaknesses: one, she can’t turn others to stone if they use a reflective surface to see her (say a mirror or polished shield), her gaze can’t be used on other Gorgons, and third the Gods and/or the Dead are immune to her gaze. At first, she couldn’t control it, but thanks to Aphrodite, she is in full control of it, not petrifying everyone or anyone she sees, much to her relief.
* **Petrification Reversal:** After facing a challenge of accepting her inner self and confronting the demons of her past, Medusa gains the ability to reverse petrification of a Gorgon's stare. This is taxing, however, as reversing one victims leaves Medusa feeling as though she had gone without food for an entire day.

### Skills

* **Archery Skills**: Despite being a former priestess, Medusa has shown exemplary skills in archery, able to strike an arrow she shot five times, and even using a misfiring to hit Adonis in one of his butt cheeks. She has precise aim as well, even with the use of her snake hair, as they are extra eyes to boot.
* **Martial Arts Training**: When Medusa expects to go into a fight, she takes on martial arts stance, suggesting she may have some self-defense training even though she was a former priestess.
* **Swimming**: Medusa is also a good swimmer, and can even swim backwards. This, combined with her ability to use her lengthened legs tail as a spring, allows her to keep up with a mermaid, who can reach top speeds of 50km/hr. However, since she is cold-blooded, cold water will affect her body.

### Equipment

* **Necklace of Venus**: This charm allows Medusa to be in human disguise, not needing to wait for daybreak, as was the deal she and Hades had made.
* **Snake Sword:** A custom spartan sword specifically made for her. It can be used as either a normal sword, or be extended into a multi-segmented, bladed whip, making it useful for mid-range attacks. This became her primary melee weapon after she helped form the Wolfpack of Sparta.
* **Typhon’s Bane**: A bow made from the power of Typhon and was hidden behind his right eye. It is capable of creating wind arrows that strike without fail. It became her primary long-range weapon after her original bow was destroyed.

## Gallery

HumanGorgonAnatomy and Stone Gaze faceSwimsuit and Date Attire (human)Swimsuit and Date Attire (Gorgon)Weaponry