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See also Aphrodite, Venus for a complete list of references to clarify differences between these closely named or closely related articles. |
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| Venus | |
| Aliases: | Aphrodite; Aphrodite Pandemos; Venus |
| Continuity: | Marvel Universe |
| Notability: | Main character |
| Type: | Deity |
| Gender: | Female |
| Race: | Gods of Mount Olympus |
| Location: | Mount Olympus New York City, New York |
| Status: | Alive |
| First: | Venus #1 |
Aphrodite Ourania, often referred to as just Aphrodite, or Venus, is a fictional Goddess featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is based on the figure of Greek mythology of the same name, whose legend was revealed in classical texts such as Hesiod's Theogony. Although the canonical elements of the character are unique to the comics in which she appeared, it is assumed that her early life is in keeping with events described in Greek mythology. To date, there is little or no elements of the character that contradict established lore. The character first appeared in her own ongoing series, Venus #1, which was published in August, 1948. She is considered part of the Atlas Comics era of publication, which was a forerunner to the modern day Marvel Comics.
Overview[]
Aphrodite Ourania is the Greek Goddess of Love. She has also been referred to as Aphrodite Pandemos. The Roman pantheon equivilant to her name is Venus, for which the planet Venus is named. In accordance with Greek mythology, Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus and Dione. She came into being after the Titan Cronus cut off the genitals of Uranus and cast them into the sea. Geez! Bad enough the guy's name sounds like "Your Anus", but to have his onions clipped on top of it? Rough. As the symbol of love, Aphrodite has become a prominent staple of the Greek pantheon. She has taken on several lovers and sired numerous offspring.
Although it was uncommon for Greek deities to mingle with the humans of Earth, Aphrodite Ourania spent quite a great deal of time amongst humans. She assumed the name Venus and came to reside in New York City in 1948. Her sudden appearance and astonishing beauty captured the eye of several locals, including Beauty Magazine editor Whitney Hammond. Hammond hired Venus to work as an editor on his magazine, and during this time, she engaged in several adventures of a supernatural nature. She was active up until around 1950 before returning to Mount Olympus.
Biography[]
Having spent centuries as a member of the Greek Pantheon, Aphrodite and several others left Earth and colonized the planet Venus, where she became the queen of the planet. After growing tired of life on Venus, she decided to return to Earth and take human form. Referring to herself as Venus, she closed her eyes, made a wish and magically appeared in the middle of a street in New York City in 1948. Mobs of people were stunned by her sudden appearance and ravishing beauty. One of these onlookers, Whitney P. Hammond, saw her as a great opportunity to improve upon his own failing enterprises. Whitney was the publisher of Beauty Magazine - a company that was verging on collapse. When a police officer began hassling Venus for blocking traffic, Whitney came to her aid, telling the officer that she was actually one of his super models. He offered Venus a job with the company as a model and then editor, feeling that her inate allure would make her the perfect spokeswoman for the company. Although Venus fully disclosed her true nature to Hammond, he did not believe that she was actually the Goddess of Love. [1]
Operating on Earth proved cumbersome at first. She no longer had the full benefit of her celestial might and could only teleport back and forth between Venus and Earth via wishing. Venus was not above using some of her Venusian contacts to further her goals on Earth. When a former Beauty Magazine editor named Clarence Snippe quit and began working for Lovely Lady Magazine, he threatened to outsell Beauty by spotlighting the 10 most beautiful women in the world. To compete with Snippe, Venus returned to her planetary namesake and summoned the aid of her fellow Goddesses, who followed her to Earth and posed for Beauty Magazine. [2]
One individual who did not care for Venus' sudden success was Della Mason, who was Whit Hammond's secretary at Beauty Magazine. Della wanted the editorial position for herself and was notably jealous of both Venus' beauty and her station. She tried to sabotage Venus' job when Hammond sent her a telegram, instructing her to go to Atlantic City for a photo shoot. Della changed the telegram to read Cactus City, thus sending Venus out into the middle of nowhere. Her plan ultimately backfired however, as Venus spent the day walking about in plain clothes, attracting the attention of numerous onlookers. When she returned to New York, she was able to give Hammond a new angle for Beauty Magazine despite having botched the Atlantic City assignment. [3]
Powers[]
- Enchantment
- Immortality
- Teleportation
Notes & Trivia[]
- The character of Aphrodite Ourania was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Lin Streeter.
- Venus received a character profile in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z, Volume 12.
- Later stories revealed that the 1940s adventurer who called herself Venus was actually not the Greek Goddess of Love, but rather a Siren who had been cursed by a sorcerer, yet gifted with mesmerizing beauty. She masqueraded as the true Aphrodite and even succeeded in fulling the Greek Gods for a time. The true Aphrodite eventually elevated Venus to the status of godhood and bestowed upon her the title of Goddess of Love and Beauty.
- During the 1940s and 50s, when Venus was operating on Earth, she possessed only a fraction of her natural Godly might. She only retained the power to teleport back and forth between Earth and the planet Venus and she had the ability to enchant others.
- The DC Comics counterpart to Aphrodite is also the Greek Goddess of Love. She has been presented in multiple continuities over the years and is a recurring character in the Wonder Woman family of comic book titles.