| Hera | |
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Real Name |
Hera, Juno |
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First Appearance |
Ancient Greece |
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Created by |
Greek Folklore |
Origin[]
In Greek & Roman Myth, Hera or Juno is the goddess of marriage, women, and family, and the protector of women during childbirth. She is also queen of the Twelve Olympians and Mount Olympus, sister and wife of Zeus, and daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Her most famous children include Ares, Hephaestus, and Hebe but some stories describe others as being her children such as Eris, Prometheus, and even the monster Typhon.
One of her defining characteristics in myth is her jealous and vengeful nature in dealing with any who offended her, especially Zeus's numerous adulterous lovers and illegitimate offspring especially Hercules For example when Heracles reached adulthood, Hera drove him mad, which led him to murder his family and this later led to him undertaking his famous labors which she constantly tried to sabotage Hercules' success. However some myths state that in the end, Heracles befriended Hera by saving her from Porphyrion, a giant who tried to rape her during the Gigantomachy, and that she even gave her daughter Hebe as his bride.
When Hera discovered that Leto was pregnant with Apollo and Artemis and that Zeus was the father, she convinced the nature spirits to prevent Leto from giving birth on terra-firma, the mainland, any island at sea, or any place under the sun. Poseidon gave pity to Leto and guided her to the floating island of Delos, which was neither mainland nor a real island where Leto was able to give birth to her children.
Hera also plays a substantial role in The Iliad, appearing in several books throughout the epic poem. She hates the Trojans because of Paris's decision that Aphrodite was the most beautiful goddess, and so supports the Greeks during the war. Throughout the epic, Hera makes many attempts to thwart the Trojan army.
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Humdinger vol. 1 #4