Olympian (comics)

Olympian
Olympian from Wonder Girl #4, art by Sanford Greene
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	DC Comics Presents #46 (June 1982)
Created by	Nelson Bridwell (writer) Alex Saviuk (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Aristedes Demetrios
Team affiliations	Global Guardians Ultramarine Corps
Abilities	Golden Fleece grants powers of the fifty Argonauts

Olympian is a fictional character, a superhero published by DC Comics. Olympian first appeared in DC Comics Presents #46 (June 1982), and was created by Nelson Bridwell and Alex Saviuk.

Fictional character biography

Aristides Demetrios is a Greek national who wears the mythical Golden Fleece, which grants him the strength of Hercules and various other powers connected to the heroes who comprised the Argonauts. He aids Wonder Woman battling Colonel Conquest in Greece, where a bomb was supposed to be hidden. In one incident, he helps Superman stop a gathering of mystical artifacts designed to bring back the villain Thaumar Dhai. They encounter Echidne, an old adversary of the Olympian, a beautiful woman with a long, gigantic snake form instead of legs. Olympian would later join Superman and many fellow Guardians on Easter Island. They would again battle Echidne and her fellow mystics. Dhai's mystical return is reversed and he is seemingly destroyed. The Greek hero later meets Fury of Infinity Inc..

Global Guardians

Main article: Global Guardians

Olympian is a founding member of the Global Guardians.^[1] As detailed in a flashback, Olympian protests when the original 'Ice', otherwise known as Icemaiden leaves the Global Guardians because of her feelings of inadequacy. When he learned that his fellow members of the Global Guardians were to be supported by the Bialyan dictator Queen Bee, Olympian joins up. An unwitting participant in a public relations ploy, the Olympian helps his teammates and Justice League Europe battle a giant, alien robot on the grounds of the League's embassy. This robot was sent by the Queen Bee herself, using technology stolen from a now-dead member of the alien Dominators. The Queen did not care if the robot ended up killing any of the Guardians. The Olympian and Godiva help save nearby confused well-wishers from being crushed when the robot, damaged, threatens to fall on them. After the Queen Bee dies, her successor diagnoses his condition as schizophrenia and arrests him. He later reunites with the other Global Guardians and remains a member since.

Fain Y'Onia

A romantic relationship with Dorcas Leigh (Godiva) his teammate in the Global Guardians is interrupted when an ancient villain named Fain Y'Onia attacks the duo in London. A brief battle with Fain Y'Onia leaves them both injured and Godiva apparently powerless. Other Guardians were apparently rendered powerless by the villain and Bushmaster was slain. The Olympian rallies with the able-bodied members of the Guardians and ambushes Fain in the Arizona desert. During the battle, Tuatara is badly injured and Thunderlord is slain. The Wild Huntsman and Fain Y'Onia vanish from this reality. The Olympian is the one who theorizes that the Huntsman's final purpose was to do exactly that and that both will return one day.^[2]

Current status

The Olympian is later seen as a member of the Ultramarine Corps. During his time with the group he falls under the mental control of Gorilla Grodd. The Olympian nearly kills Martian Manhunter and Aquaman. Grodd is defeated and most of the Corps travel to another universe. The Olympian later appears in Infinite Crisis #4. He is part of a group of mystically-aligned beings who make a failed attempt to gain the aid of the Spectre. He is briefly seen in #6, working with many other people, from the military to other heroes, including Owlwoman. They fight a holding battle to protect the city of Metropolis from the Secret Society of Supervillains. The Olympain returns in Wonder Girl #4 (February 2008) as the guardian of Cassandra Sandsmark and her mother Helena, a position appointed to him by Zeus. During this storyline it is revealed that he and Cassandra's mother, Helena Sandsmark, have romantic feelings for one another.

Powers and abilities

While in possession of the Golden Fleece, Aristedes can use any of the skills, powers and natural abilities possessed by any of the fifty original Argonauts. These abilities include the power of Hercules, the precognitive abilities of Idmon, the telescopic and x-ray vision of Lynceus, the speed of Atalanta, wisdom of Admetus, the memory of Aethalides, ability to walk on water like Euphemus, the flight ability of Zetes & Calais, the shapeshifting ability of Poriclymenus, and the invulnerability of Achilles.

Other versions

Issue #16 of the "Trinity" maxi-series features the Olympian in an altered, unstable reality. He is swiftly slain while trying to penetrate an energy wall surrounding most of Europe. ^[3]

In other media

• Olympian appears in issue #7 of the Batman: The Brave and the Bold comics. He helps Batman in defeating Circe.

References

1. ^ Greenberger, Robert (2008), "Global Guardians", in Dougall, Alastair, The DC Comics Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, pp. 138, ISBN 0-7566-4119-5, OCLC 213309017 
2. ^ "Justice League Quarterly" #17 (Winter 1994)
3. ^ "Trinity" #16 (2008)

External links

• DCU Guide: Olympian
• CosmicTeams: Global Guardians