God of War (comics)
Encyclopedia
God of War is a six-issue comic book
limited series
published by the company Wildstorm
, and written by Marv Wolfman
with art by Andrea Sorrentino.
The series chronicles the adventures of Kratos
, the protagonist of the God of War
video game series.
with a launch date of October 2009, but was rescheduled for March 2010 to coincide with the launch of the video game God of War III
.
, an elixir
with magical healing properties.
Kratos has flashbacks to an earlier time when he was the champion of the god Ares
, and first searched for the Ambrosia, requiring it to save his new-born daughter, Calliope, then a sufferer of the plague, and the King of Sparta (convinced by Lysandra to let Kratos go on this journey). Given until the next full moon, General Kratos travels with a host of Spartans to find the Ambrosia. During this period, Kratos also takes counsel from Captain Nikos, Kratos' then-superior in the Spartan army who instructs him about the Spartan code of honour. Nikos eventually passes on the rank of Captain to Kratos when he sacrifices himself to save Kratos.
Several of the Olympian Gods
(Artemis
, Helios
, Hermes
, Poseidon
and Hades
respectively) decide to enter into a wager with Ares: each will choose a champion (Pothia, warrior-queen of an Amazonian tribe; an unnamed being of fire; Danaus, who commands the beasts; Herodius, a warrior from Thera and the Barbarian
Prince Alrik) who will seek the Ambrosia. Statues must then be erected in Greece
in honour of the god whose champion is successful.
Several of the champions have their own reasons to seek the Ambrosia: Pothia wishing to make the Amazons whole again (as they could not conceive children); Danaus to save the dying animals of his village (which in turn is causing starvation); Herodius to save his village from the plague (created by Poseidon) and Alrik to save the life of his dying father.
Kratos kills two of the champions (Herodius and Pothia) and repels attacks by various monsters sent by the gods to thwart him, although a desperate Hades kills Nikos, who sacrifices himself for Kratos. Danaus is killed by Alrik, with the barbarian retaining his head to possess his magical ability. Kratos locates the source of the Ambrosia—the Tree of Life, a magical tree on a small island—and confronts the fiery champion of Helios. After being almost burned alive, Kratos drowns his foe and successfully retrieves the Ambrosia, but on leaving he and his Spartan troops are ambushed by Alrik's horde of barbarians. When Hades observes the Spartans defeating the Barbarians, the god attempts to have the Spartans dragged to Underworld. Alrik uses the head of Danaus to summon rocs to attack Kratos as he flies away on a roc with the stolen Ambrosia. Kratos pursues Alrik on a captured roc, knowing that although his men will be taken to the Underworld, they will be honored in Sparta for their sacrifice. Alrik and Kratos battle, with Alrik critically wounding Kratos. The Spartan, however, is subsequently healed by the powers of the Ambrosia during their battle.
Kratos gains control of the head of Danaus and uses its power against Alrik, who is torn apart by rocs. Having also been covered with the Ambrosia, Alrik is revived only to be killed once again until the Ambrosia is spent. Kratos then escapes and returns to Sparta with the Ambrosia, saving both his daughter, and the King of Sparta. Kratos is then awarded the rank of Captain in the Spartan army. Bitter at having lost the wager, Hades resurrects Alrik, who becomes King after his father dies and swears vengeance against Kratos.
In the present, Kratos overcomes several obstacles in his quest to find the Ambrosia, including defeating a giant spider
, ignoring Athena
's pleas to stop his quest and overcoming the reanimated corpses of Captain Nikos and his men—a final attempt by Hades to stop the Spartan. On returning to the island, Kratos discovers that the island itself is in fact one of the Chaos Giants, Gyges
. An outraged Gyges explains that Kratos thwarted the Titan's plans: having intended to use the elixir to resurrect his brothers Briareus
and Cottus
and then reclaim the world. Kratos' fiery battle with Helios' champion inadvertently burned off the one hundred arms of the fifty-headed Gyges, with Kratos then stealing the Ambrosia. Now lacking arms and unable to reach the Ambrosia, Gyges was forced to wait for Kratos' return. During the battle with Gyges, Kratos reveals that he seeks to destroy the elixir to prevent the worshippers of the slain god Ares
from resurrecting their master. Kratos uses the Fire of Apollo to destroy both the Tree of Life and Gyges.
:
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
published by the company Wildstorm
Wildstorm
WildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
, and written by Marv Wolfman
Marv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
with art by Andrea Sorrentino.
The series chronicles the adventures of Kratos
Kratos (God of War)
Kratos is a video game character from Sony Computer Entertainment'sGod of War series, which is loosely based on Greek mythology. Kratos first appeared in the highly successful video game God of War , which led to the development of five additional games featuring the character as the protagonist...
, the protagonist of the God of War
God of War (series)
God of War is a series of action-adventure video games based on Greek mythology.The main trilogy—God of War I, II, & III—in the series were developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division , with Ready at Dawn Studios developing the PSP and Javaground the mobile phone installment...
video game series.
Publication history
The series was announced at the 2009 Comic-Con InternationalComic-Con International
San Diego Comic-Con International, also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego , and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans...
with a launch date of October 2009, but was rescheduled for March 2010 to coincide with the launch of the video game God of War III
God of War III
God of War III is an action-adventure video game released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division for the PlayStation 3 in March 2010...
.
Plot synopsis
Set during Kratos' time as the God of War, the character is on a quest to destroy the legendary Ambrosia of AsclepiusAsclepius
Asclepius is the God of Medicine and Healing in ancient Greek religion. Asclepius represents the healing aspect of the medical arts; his daughters are Hygieia , Iaso , Aceso , Aglæa/Ægle , and Panacea...
, an elixir
Elixir
An elixir is a clear, sweet-flavored liquid used for medicinal purposes, to be taken orally and intended to cure one's ills. When used as a pharmaceutical preparation, an elixir contains at least one active ingredient designed to be taken orally....
with magical healing properties.
Kratos has flashbacks to an earlier time when he was the champion of the god Ares
Ares
Ares is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and...
, and first searched for the Ambrosia, requiring it to save his new-born daughter, Calliope, then a sufferer of the plague, and the King of Sparta (convinced by Lysandra to let Kratos go on this journey). Given until the next full moon, General Kratos travels with a host of Spartans to find the Ambrosia. During this period, Kratos also takes counsel from Captain Nikos, Kratos' then-superior in the Spartan army who instructs him about the Spartan code of honour. Nikos eventually passes on the rank of Captain to Kratos when he sacrifices himself to save Kratos.
Several of the Olympian Gods
Twelve Olympians
The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon , in Greek mythology, were the principal deities of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were siblings. Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, and Artemis were children of Zeus...
(Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
, Helios
Helios
Helios was the personification of the Sun in Greek mythology. Homer often calls him simply Titan or Hyperion, while Hesiod and the Homeric Hymn separate him as a son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia or Euryphaessa and brother of the goddesses Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn...
, Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
, Poseidon
Poseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
and Hades
Hades
Hades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
respectively) decide to enter into a wager with Ares: each will choose a champion (Pothia, warrior-queen of an Amazonian tribe; an unnamed being of fire; Danaus, who commands the beasts; Herodius, a warrior from Thera and the Barbarian
Barbarian
Barbarian and savage are terms used to refer to a person who is perceived to be uncivilized. The word is often used either in a general reference to a member of a nation or ethnos, typically a tribal society as seen by an urban civilization either viewed as inferior, or admired as a noble savage...
Prince Alrik) who will seek the Ambrosia. Statues must then be erected in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
in honour of the god whose champion is successful.
Several of the champions have their own reasons to seek the Ambrosia: Pothia wishing to make the Amazons whole again (as they could not conceive children); Danaus to save the dying animals of his village (which in turn is causing starvation); Herodius to save his village from the plague (created by Poseidon) and Alrik to save the life of his dying father.
Kratos kills two of the champions (Herodius and Pothia) and repels attacks by various monsters sent by the gods to thwart him, although a desperate Hades kills Nikos, who sacrifices himself for Kratos. Danaus is killed by Alrik, with the barbarian retaining his head to possess his magical ability. Kratos locates the source of the Ambrosia—the Tree of Life, a magical tree on a small island—and confronts the fiery champion of Helios. After being almost burned alive, Kratos drowns his foe and successfully retrieves the Ambrosia, but on leaving he and his Spartan troops are ambushed by Alrik's horde of barbarians. When Hades observes the Spartans defeating the Barbarians, the god attempts to have the Spartans dragged to Underworld. Alrik uses the head of Danaus to summon rocs to attack Kratos as he flies away on a roc with the stolen Ambrosia. Kratos pursues Alrik on a captured roc, knowing that although his men will be taken to the Underworld, they will be honored in Sparta for their sacrifice. Alrik and Kratos battle, with Alrik critically wounding Kratos. The Spartan, however, is subsequently healed by the powers of the Ambrosia during their battle.
Kratos gains control of the head of Danaus and uses its power against Alrik, who is torn apart by rocs. Having also been covered with the Ambrosia, Alrik is revived only to be killed once again until the Ambrosia is spent. Kratos then escapes and returns to Sparta with the Ambrosia, saving both his daughter, and the King of Sparta. Kratos is then awarded the rank of Captain in the Spartan army. Bitter at having lost the wager, Hades resurrects Alrik, who becomes King after his father dies and swears vengeance against Kratos.
In the present, Kratos overcomes several obstacles in his quest to find the Ambrosia, including defeating a giant spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
, ignoring Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
's pleas to stop his quest and overcoming the reanimated corpses of Captain Nikos and his men—a final attempt by Hades to stop the Spartan. On returning to the island, Kratos discovers that the island itself is in fact one of the Chaos Giants, Gyges
Hekatonkheires
The Hecatonchires, or Hekatonkheires , were figures in an archaic stage of Greek mythology, three giants of incredible strength and ferocity that surpassed that of all Titans whom they helped overthrow. Their name derives from the Greek and , "each of them having a hundred hands and fifty heads"...
. An outraged Gyges explains that Kratos thwarted the Titan's plans: having intended to use the elixir to resurrect his brothers Briareus
Hekatonkheires
The Hecatonchires, or Hekatonkheires , were figures in an archaic stage of Greek mythology, three giants of incredible strength and ferocity that surpassed that of all Titans whom they helped overthrow. Their name derives from the Greek and , "each of them having a hundred hands and fifty heads"...
and Cottus
Hekatonkheires
The Hecatonchires, or Hekatonkheires , were figures in an archaic stage of Greek mythology, three giants of incredible strength and ferocity that surpassed that of all Titans whom they helped overthrow. Their name derives from the Greek and , "each of them having a hundred hands and fifty heads"...
and then reclaim the world. Kratos' fiery battle with Helios' champion inadvertently burned off the one hundred arms of the fifty-headed Gyges, with Kratos then stealing the Ambrosia. Now lacking arms and unable to reach the Ambrosia, Gyges was forced to wait for Kratos' return. During the battle with Gyges, Kratos reveals that he seeks to destroy the elixir to prevent the worshippers of the slain god Ares
Ares
Ares is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and...
from resurrecting their master. Kratos uses the Fire of Apollo to destroy both the Tree of Life and Gyges.
Collected editions
The series is collected into a trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- God of War (144 pages, March 2011, ISBN 1-4012-2972-7)
External links
- God of War at the Wildstorm blog