Zeus

**Zeus** is the Greek God of the Sky and Thunder.

## **Background**

Zeus is the offspring of Kronos and Rhea, the youngest of his siblings to be born, though sometimes reckoned the eldest as the others required disgorging from Kronos' stomach. In most traditions, he is married to Hera, by whom he is usually said to have fathered Ares, Hebe, and Hephaestus. At the oracle of Dodona, his consort was said to be Dione, by whom the *Iliad* states that he fathered Aphrodite. Zeus was also infamous for his erotic escapades. These resulted in many divine and heroic offspring, including Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Persephone, Dionysus, Perseus, Heracles, Helen of Troy, Minos, and the Muses.

He was respected as an all-father who was chief of the gods and assigned roles to the others: Even the gods who are not his natural children address him as Father, and all the gods rise in his presence. He was equated with many foreign weather gods. Zeus' symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull, and oak. In addition to his Indo-European inheritance, the classical "cloud-gatherer" (Greek: Νεφεληγερέτα, *Nephelēgereta*) also derives certain iconographic traits from the cultures of the ancient Near East, such as the scepter. Zeus is frequently depicted by Greek artists in one of two poses: standing, striding forward with a thunderbolt leveled in his raised right hand, or seated in majesty.

## **Personality**

Zeus had a cruel side to him, like all gods, such as when he punished Prometheus for stealing fire from Olympus by having him strapped to a rock while an eagle ate his liver daily, only for the liver to regrow so as to repeat the torture for all of eternity (such extreme retribution was common amongst Greek Gods and is often seen as petty and unnecessarily harsh.)

Of course, Zeus was also capable of great benevolence and was the father of many heroes, such is the duel nature of this powerful and lively god - who was considered the King of Gods and an icon of Greek religion at the time. He is, at least viewed as being very merciful when he sees that Hera has pushed too far.

## **Appearance**

Zeus appears as a middle-aged mature male with a muscular build. He has a short curly beard and dark/white curly hair. He wears traditional ancient Greek clothing such as a toga. As the king of his pantheon, he is often seen wearing a crown on his head.

## **Known Powers and Abilities**

Zeus is the most powerful of his siblings, and is more powerful than his children. Also as king of the gods within his pantheon he holds great power.

* **Super Strength**- Zeus was stronger than all the lesser gods combined. Only Poseidon and Hades rivalled him. Zeus has incredible physical prowess, he is mentioned being able to hurl entire mountains at his enemies. Most notably, Zeus was able to crush and imprison Typhon by hurling Mount Etna on top of him. When Hephaestus angered him, Zeus easily overpowered him, and flung him all the way from Mount Olympus to Lemnos
* **Super Stamina**- Zeus doesn't tire no matter what he's been through, though he still needs to eat nectar and ambrosia to maintain himself.
* **Super Speed** **-** He can move at the speed of lightning, and can move from one place to another in an instant.
* **Immortality**- Zeus is millennia old and retains the appearance and health of a middle-aged man. He has an infinite lifespan and is not subject to old age.
* **Nigh Invulnerability** - He is not subject to physical trauma or any other causes of death.
* **Nigh Indestructibility** - His physical body can be damaged and destroyed, but this won't destroy Zeus himself.
* **Regeneration**- If he does somehow receive an injury, he can very quickly heal himself from the damage in a short period of time.
* **Electrokinesis**- Generating and manipulating lightning was Zeus' most famous ability, and that was one of the main reasons he was so powerful. As a sky and thunder god, he could generate and manipulate electricity with such proficiency. Zeus has absolute control over both static and celestial electricity. One of his most powerful ability, it easily makes a hydrogen bomb look like a firecracker in comparison. When Zeus blasts bolts at Typhon, the blast "lights up the world", and mortals can feel the shock-wave hundreds of miles away. Zeus used this to raise the entire city of Salmonia to oblivion after Salmoneus pretended to be Zeus.
* **Weather Manipulation**- Zeus has absolute control over the weather. He can manipulate and control or create wind, thunder, and air, such as air waves, air currents, air structures, air pressure, clouds, tornadoes, and thunderstorms.
* **Shapeshifting**- Many women were seduced by Zeus using shapeshifting. Zeus has frequently transformed himself in order to seduce those that he would fall in love with. Zeus has transformed himself into a bull (to woo Europa), an eagle (to woo Ganymede), a swan (to woo Leda), a cuckoo (to woo Hera), an ant (to woo Eurymedousa), a serpent (to woo Demeter), Artemis (to woo Callisto), and even a shower of gold (to woo Danae). Zeus could also transform into a "Titanic" version of himself, while he was posing as Kronos' royal cup bearer.
* **Teleportation**- When Zeus appears, he often appears from lightning bolts from above suggesting he can teleport through lightning.
* **Biokinesis**- He is able to control bodily functions and life-forces in mortal organisms. This power was gifted to him by Phanes, the primordial God of Life.
* **Telekinesis**- He seemed very proficient at this as he could move multiple very large objects with his mind without needing to focus on the target.
* **Electromagnetic Interference**- The presence of Zeus could cause strong electrical magnetic currents in the atmosphere.
* **Smiting**- By using lightning, Zeus could strike down and obliterate any lesser being.
* **Power Granting**- After he killed the Demigod Asclepius, Zeus resurrected him and gifted him godly powers, thereby making him a full god.
* **Resurrection**- Zeus resurrected Asclepius after he killed him.
* **Apporting**- Similar to Ouranos, Zeus banished many of the Titans to Tartarus,
* **Flight**- Zeus is able to levitate above the ground, and hover.

## **Weaknesses**

* **Other Deities** - Older or more powerful gods can overpower Zeus. Zeus himself feared that one of his children would overpower and dethrone him.
* **Divine Weaponry** - Weapons of a god can harm him.