The gorgons

[AmiMizuno]

I would go with that Medusa consent to this. I do think Athena should have felt bad after that. I do wonder what about Medusa's death? I feel like if Athena did feel bad about Medusa's death she should actually have revived Medusa in hopes of talking things out. I wonder should Gorgons be a mystical creatures that lives on the Island? I think their mother Echidna would be a weird thing to keep. I mean so far Medusa and her sisters have Echidna as their mother. What if Medusa was the only human looking one? Her sisters keep a eye on their sisters.

[Mutant God]

I do think, as Dr. Poison often suggests, we should avoid directly lifting characters from mythology. You can use the monster as a template, but provide a different name, backstory, and characterization unrelated to the mythological Medusa.

I agree

Think that rather spoils the point of using them.

I mean, if you are going to announce your intention to use one or more Gorgons in an upcoming story, I think most people would be kinda disappointed if Medusa wasn't part of the package.
Not to mention, Rucka actually did Medusa and her sisters correctly in terms of power, since it's only Medusa thats been cursed to have snakes for hair and the stone-gaze.

Okay so lets have a modern woman be cursed by the gods. Heres a funny idea, a white feminist with dreadlocks angers the gods by calling them sexist and are violating her rights just by staring at her so they curse her with the Gorgon curse, everytime someone looks at her face or hair they turn to stone lol.

[AmiMizuno]

Why not have a mix ? That there are monsters lift from the myths but also many that are different in background in design but based off monsters from the myth. Like make a hybrid of monster from different myths like Greek and Asia or Asian Egyptian. Or just your own creation


But in some myths her sisters are also the ones that are cursed to be with their sister. I wonder what if since many myths show that they survived attempts to kill them . They found their own way to at least deal with turning people into stone and working on reviving their sister. Once their do that they try to figure how to transform into humans to blend in so the gods will never find them. Or they are able to make Medusa human again for the modern age and something else happens

[Outside_85]

Okay so lets have a modern woman be cursed by the gods. Heres a funny idea, a white feminist with dreadlocks angers the gods by calling them sexist and are violating her rights just by staring at her so they curse her with the Gorgon curse, everytime someone looks at her face or hair they turn to stone lol.

Would be funnier if they just wet their pants instead.

[AmiMizuno]

Or how about Medusa is human as a truce between gorgons and the gods so their humans don't hunt them? Medusa was raised in Athena's temple and Athena allowed the truce until Medusa consent to sex. However, wetting their pants every time they see her is actually funny

[hgzip]

It really is bizarre how underutilized Euryale and Stheno are in the myths. Like you say, some myths don't have them be cursed at all, but others do have them get the stone gaze and snake hair (or all three of them are monstrous with that power since birth). And they are immortal and unkillable unlike Medusa. You'd think they'd be a much bigger deal than her.

That's probably the reason why they are not used - what are you going to do to stop them? They would be Diana's Doomsday. I suppose she could throw them into Tartarus, or the Phantom Zone, or on Transfomation Island; and when another author is lacking ideas, they are going to escape again. (See that Batwoman story that I already complained about.)

The question really is - why are the Gorgons (or just Medusa) a threat to the world? In the story that Cassie/Wonder Girl tells in Rucka's 'Stoned', it seems that the Gorgons were living in a secluded place and just wanted to be left alone. They were only dangerous to those who came to hunt them. Then, Perseus killed Medusa (with Athena's assistance). It is understandable that Medusa now wanted revenge when she came back from the dead - and since she can't fight a goddess, she goes for her champion.

That doesn't mean Medusa can't have depth, or that Athena's actions can't be called into question. By modern standards especially, inflicting a horrible curse on a woman who you caught doing the nasty in your house is a bit extreme.

Exactly! Although I have to note that Athena and Poseidon had been enemies/rivals for a long time. Poseidon probably 'did the nasty' in Athena's temple just to make her mad - and he succeeded.

Athena is usually depicted as wise and courageous and fair (both in the myths, and in the WW comics). If you look at her actions in the myth, she actually is jealous and petty and doles out horrible curses, just like other goddesses. Not only Medusa, but also Arachne is cursed by her, because Athena is jealous. Athena always helps the male Greek heroes, and turns a blind eye to women.

And don't forget that she was one of the three goddesses who claimed Eris' golden apple, and who ultimately started the Trojan War. I have never understood how the Goddess of Wisdom and Strategy could fall for such an obvious provocation.

[AmiMizuno]

Simply the Greeks generally looked down at women but despite cursing peopleAthena doesn’t often do curses hasnoften amd at least she feels bad about them. She does help women but does help men hero’s more. To be honest it’s just a sexist on women many Greek societies didn’t allow women much rights. With Athena it is more complex. Many times she is shown in a more feminine or masculine role. She is the goddess of war and is allowed in the armory weapons of the gods then we have her goddess of the crafts. I think it would be interesting if the reason of her going back and forth is because she has to appeal to her father a bit more and that she slightly does go to her more submissive feminine role instead of the bold leader.

[Mutant God]

I have never understood how the Goddess of Wisdom and Strategy could fall for such an obvious provocation.

Well in some origins, she came from Zeus' head so basically she came from a guy's perspective of what a feminist is, or shes just a female Zeus lol.

[AmiMizuno]

Is there a way to balance this situation? I mean Athena should be angry. What if she did try to punish Medusa but not turning her into a gorgons but something else. That Medusa used her beauty and she was going to take away beauty but not turn her into a monster and it was for suppose to be from a limited time. However, due to Poseidon being a rival of Athena he made the curse like what Medusa and makes it look like Athena did it.

[WonderScott]

Thinking a little more about it, I could see Medusa and her sisters leading a team of demigods and/or sentient monsters who have suffered from the capriciousness of the gods.

[marhawkman]

It's likely they thought of the stone-gaze of the basilisk and Medusa's were the same.

Well, I doubt Athena would give you this kind of curse and let vanity be a reason mirrors don't work. If we were to ascribe a reason, I would say Athena did it so Medusa couldn't kill herself with it.

Or that Athena did it so that Medusa had to see how she looked.

That being said.... why are there 3 Gorgons? Oh wait, Athena cursed all three of them even though only one of them did anything.

[Outside_85]

Thinking a little more about it, I could see Medusa and her sisters leading a team of demigods and/or sentient monsters who have suffered from the capriciousness of the gods.

They did that in Batwoman.

[AmiMizuno]

The Gorgons were a species, not just three sisters. Shouldn't we have Medusa be not killed but instead guarded? Why not have the Gorgons be allies, not enemies?