Template:Infobox gods
| “ | Medusa, the Queen of the Gorgons. Bring me her head Kratos, and I will give you the ability to wield its power. | ” |
Medusa was the queen of all the Gorgons in Greek mythology, and one of the many foes encountered by Kratos.
Greek Mythology
The three Gorgon sisters—Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale—were children of the ancient marine deities Phorcys (or Phorkys) and his sister Ceto (or Keto), chthonic monsters from an archaic world.
In a late version of the Medusa myth, related by the Roman poet Ovid (Metamorphoses 4.770), Medusa was originally a beautiful maiden, "the jealous aspiration of many suitors," priestess in Athena's temple, but when the "Lord of the Sea" Poseidon raped her in Athena's temple, the enraged Athena transformed Medusa's beautiful hair to serpents and made her face so terrible to behold that the mere sight of it would turn onlookers to stone. But she did not punish Poseidon because it was "expected" of him just he was a male god and Athena had this role placed her in this kind of male camp. She joined forces with these gods. She choose to side with the men. In a way it reflects the society where they considered women more as property value. But in Ovid's telling, Perseus describes Medusa's punishment by Athena as just and well-deserved.
God of War
During the siege of Athens, she was given the title of Queen of the Gorgons. She and her race are among the armies of Ares, as it is known that Gorgons hated Athena. As Kratos progressed through the ruins of the city, he met Aphrodite, who commanded him to slay Medusa and decapitate her. The hissing Gorgon arose from the shadows and fought with Kratos, who eventually tore her head from her body with his bare hands. Pleased, Aphrodite granted the power of Medusa's Gaze to Kratos, who in turn used it to destroy a group of Minotaurs.
Medusa's existence had come to an end, leaving her sisters, Euryale and Stheno, to lead the race of Gorgons until Euryale's death at the hands of Kratos in God of War II.
Powers and Abilities
Like the lesser Gorgons, Medusa has the power to turn Kratos to stone with her gaze. She is also faster than the other Gorgons, making her that much more deadly.
Trivia
- In the Character Graveyard feature in God of War it stated that in production Medusa was going to have legs instead of a snake tail.
- Originally Gorgons were depicted as human females with wings, tusks and snakes for hair, but due to the 1981 Clash of the Titans film, the image of a complete serpentine body was settled in representations of them ever since.
- "Medusa" in Greek means "Queen" or "Protector".
- Though her skin color is pinkish/red, her head is green after Kratos beheads her and uses it as an item throughout the whole game.