Medusa vs Perseus - The Adventures of Perseus - 2/3 - Greek Mythology in Comics
Perseus embarked on an adventure to find and kill the dreadful gorgon known as Medusa.
The hero walked through Greece looking for clues to the creature's location, but found nothing.
However, the gods liked Perseus, and his quest was boosted by the heavens.
Hermes, the messenger god, gave the young man precious advice.
The gods stated that the young man's courage and skill alone
He would need special equipment to accomplish his mission.
These items were under the guardianship of the northern nymphs,
but their whereabouts were known only to the Greii, the Grey Witches.
Hermes, a connoisseur of every possible route,
guided Perseus to the cave where the Greii were hiding.
Before he left, the god presented the hero with a divine sword made in Hephaestus' forges.
The blade never lost its edge. It was a remarkable weapon.
Perseus entered the Greii's hiding place. The cave was dark, lit only by a few candles.
Perseus spotted the old Grey Witches at the bottom of the cave.
There were three of them, but they shared only one eye.
Perseus knew he had to get the whereabouts of the northern nymphs from those witches.
But threatening them with violence would be pointless,
since the three old women were immortal.
But the cunning Perseus spotted an opportunity, and he sneaked up behind the Greii.
Just as one of them was about to pass the eye to the other, Perseus stole it from their hands.
The Greii were desperate and demanded that Perseus return the eye,
but he said he would only do it if they would reveal to him where the nymphs were hiding.
Otherwise, they would spend eternity in darkness.
With no alternative left, the old witches accepted his proposal,
and Perseus gave them back the much-treasured eye.
Perseus visited the idyllic country of the Hyperboreans,
the land where the sun never set, where the nymphs of the north lived.
They were already expecting the hero's arrival,
and welcomed him with the proper hospitality that the offspring of Zeus deserved.
The beautiful maidens presented him with the items necessary
for Perseus to fulfill his mission.
The nymphs shod the young man with winged sandals similar to Hermes.
They handed him the sacred helmet given to them by Hades,
which gave him the power of invisibility.
And finally, he was given a bag made with special threads to hold his precious trophy.
Perseus would also receive the most illustrious visit of all.
The splendorous goddess Athena, half-sister of the hero and Zeus' favorite daughter,
provided him with a great help.
She offered her brother her beautiful shield, the sacred aegis that had once belonged to Zeus.
Now fully equipped, Perseus set out for his encounter with the monster.
Upon reaching the creature's hideout, several petrified warriors were at the entrance.
Much to Perseus' surprise, two other Gorgons were sleeping near the lair's entrance.
These were Cethano and Uriel, Medusa's sisters.
Perseus made use of Hades' helmet, and he got past the guardians without being seen.
Medusa, the dreadful and cursed Gorgon, felt the presence of an invader.
She knew something was wrong, but couldn't perceive what.
Perseus knew that under no circumstances could he face the creature,
otherwise he would become another statue for Medusa's long collection.
Perseus cautiously moved forward, with his eyes closed.
He tried to use as a guide the sound of the snakes hissing in Medusa's hair,
but the hero accidentally kicked a rock, and the noise revealed his position.
Medusa fired one of her powerful arrows at Perseus and hit his helmet,
knocking it off. Perseus was an easy target for Medusa, who fired another arrow.
Relying on his amazing reflexes, Perseus blocked it with his shield.
That was when he saw his own reflection in the shield's interior.
And, as if he had been touched by Athena's wisdom,
Perseus conceived a new strategy to fight the monster.
He ran and took cover behind the nearest pillar.
Using the shield's reflection, he could see the creature getting nearer him from behind.
Perseus remained calm, and waited until the creature was exactly where he wanted it to be.
With a perfect spin, Perseus managed to strike a blow right through Medusa's neck,
separating head and body.
The creature was dead, and Perseus accomplished a seemingly impossible quest.
The hero kept the gorgon's head in the special bag he had received from the nymphs.
But, to the young man's surprise,
the blood dripping from the gorgon's body gave rise to two creatures.
Chrysaur, the giant with the golden sword, and a beautiful winged horse.
They were the offspring of the relationship between Poseidon and Medusa.
Making use of his winged sandals, Perseus took off and started his way home.
But on his way, he would still have to deal with unexpected events.