| Hydra | |
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 | |
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Real Name |
Lernaean Hydra or Hydra of Lerna |
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First Appearance |
Greek Myth |
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Created by |
Greek Myth |
Origin[]
The Lernaean Hydra or Hydra of Lerna, more often known simply as the Hydra, was a serpentine water monster in Greek mythology and Roman mythology. Its lair was the lake of Lerna in the Argolid. In the canonical Hydra myth, the monster is killed by Heracles as the second of his Twelve Labors.
According to Hesiod, the Hydra was the offspring of Typhon and Echidna. The Hydra was the brother of three other multi-headed monsters, the three headed guard dog of Hades, Cerberus; Orthrus, the two-headed dog that guarded the Cattle of Geryon; and the Chimera, who had three heads: that of a lion, a goat, and a snake.
It had poisonous breath and blood so virulent that even its scent was deadly. The Hydra possessed many heads, the exact number of which varies according to the source. Later versions of the Hydra story add a regeneration feature to the monster: for every head chopped off, the Hydra would regrow two heads. Heracles required the assistance of his nephew Iolaus to cut off all of the monster's heads and burn the neck using a sword and fire.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
All literary works featuring the Hydra published before January 1, 1929 are in the public domain in the US.
A list of notable works can be found here.
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Chamber of Chills #13