NEPTUNE
Real Name: Poseidon Aegaeus
Identity/Class: Olympian god
Occupation: God of the Seas, patron god of Atlantis and fishermen
Group Membership: Gods of Olympus
Affiliations: Athena, Atlanteans, Amadeus Cho, Hercules, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Namora Enemies: Amazons (Artume, Hippolyta, others), Hera, Mikaboshi, Pluto, Set, Suma-Ket, The
Titans, Wild One Known Relatives: Cronus (father),
Rhea (mother); Aliases: Earthshaker, Father Neptune, Father of Oceans, Poseidon Base of Operations: Olympus,
mobile within Earth's oceans; formerly Atlantis First Appearance: Kid Komics#1 (February, 1943)
Powers/Abilities: Neptune possesses the conventional
attributes of an Olympian god. Like all Olympians he is immortal: he has
not aged since reaching adulthood and cannot die by any conventional means.
He is immune to all Earthly diseases and is resistant to conventional injury.
If wounded, his godly life force would enable him to recover with superhuman
speed. It would take an injury of such magnitude that it dispersed a major
portion of his bodily molecules to cause him physical death. Even then,
it may be possible for a god of equal power to revive him. Neptune possesses
superhuman strength and his Olympian metabolism gives him far greater than
human endurance at all physical activities. Neptune is one of the strongest
of the Olympian gods, and can lift (press) 70 tons. Among the Olympian gods,
his level of strength is matched only by those of Pluto and Ares, and exceeded
only by those of Zeus and Hercules.
Neptune's extraordinary energy-wielding abilities are equaled among the
Olympians only by those of Pluto and surpassed only by those of Zeus. Only
a few of Neptune's many energy-wielding powers have as yet been depicted.
Neptune can fire powerful force bolts from his hands, erect powerful, nearly
impenetrable force fields, and create inter-dimensional apertures to enable
him to transport himself from one dimension to another. He is a shape-shifter
able to change his size, shape and form into that of other persons, animals,
and objects. He can render himself invisible to mortals but his invisibility
does not work on other Olympian gods, and possibly gods from other pantheons.
He is also able to heal the injuries of living beings and transform beings
into other shapes and forms (such as when he transformed a white stallion
into a sea horse). As the Olympian god
of the sea, Neptune is amphibious, able to survive in water and air. He
can also communicate with all forms of sea creatures and move at superhuman
speeds while swimming. Weapons: Neptune
wields a 6' 5'' enchanted trident made for him by the Cyclopes, one-eyed
giants who were trapped in Tartarus along with Neptune by Cronus (see
comments). The trident is composed of Adamantine metal that is found
in the Olympian dimension and is possessed of mystical properties. The trident
allows Neptune to control any body of water. With the trident he is capable
of the creation of water elementals, using water to speed ships and water
vehicles, creating fog and storms of great intensity, causing tremendous
tidal waves, and creating waves of water as transportation that propel him
at fantastic speeds. Also, he can cause earthquakes by increasing water
pressure. Height: 6'3" History: (Greek-Roman Myth) -
- Neptune was originally called Poseidon and is the second-born son of Cronus,
ruler of the race of gods known as the Titans, and his wife, the Titan-goddess
of fertility, Rhea. Fearing that he would be dethroned by one of his offspring
just as he had overthrown his own father Ouranos, Cronus imprisoned each
of his own offspring in Tartarus, the darkest section of Hades, the Olympian
underworld, as soon as he or she was born. (Later legends erroneously claimed
that Cronus had actually swallowed his children and that they remained
alive inside him until Zeus released them). Appalled, the children’s mother
Rhea gave birth to Zeus without Cronus’s knowledge and gave him to the primeval
Earth goddess Gaea to be raised in secret. The adult Zeus freed his siblings
and led them in a successful revolt against Cronus and the Titans. While it is believed that Neptune
was among the offspring of Cronus and Rhea imprisoned in Tartarus until
later adulthood, Neptune, like Zeus, had actually escaped this fate when
his mother Rhea gave birth to him in Mantineia, Arcadia (in the land known
now as Greece). Rhea hid Neptune who was then raised by other gods on the
island of Rhodes who taught him how to wield his mystical powers just as
the Cyclopes taught Zeus how to wield his own. Approached by the adult Zeus,
Neptune helped him free their other siblings and gather allies against Cronus
and the other Titans. The war against the Titans lasted for a full decade
ending with Zeus and his faction emerging victorious (see Incredible Hercules#123). After Zeus became ruler of the pocket dimension of Olympus
and of the race of Olympian gods, he forged covenants with his elder brothers
Neptune and Pluto. Pluto, while still subject to Zeus's edicts, was allowed
to become the king of the Olympian underworld without any interference from
Zeus concerning the internal affairs of his kingdom. Likewise, Neptune was
allowed free reign over the vast oceans and the various water-gods occupying
the then ancient Grecian sphere of influence. As a symbol of his station
as the prime sea-god Neptune carries an enchanted trident of various properties. (Hercules: Fall of an Avenger#2 (fb)) - When Hercules, after his Twelve Labors, joined with Athena and declared war on King Augeas of Elis, Pluto, Neptune, Ares, and other gods went to war with him. (Silver Surfer Annual#5 - BTS) - At some time, Neptune
imprisoned the Elder God the Wild One deep within the Pacific Ocean. (Spectacular Spider-Man Annual#9/5 (fb)
- BTS) - At some point prior to 5900 BC, Neptune came to be worshipped by
some of the Homo mermani. (Namor I#36-38 (fb) - BTS) - Suma-Ket took over Atlantis, leading its people
to the worship of his dark gods, ritual sacrifice, and to the slaughter of the
Priests of Neptune. (Namor I#38 (fb) - BTS) - Kalen, grandson of Kamuu, rallied his people to
rise up against Suma-Ket and his Unforgiven Dead. (Namor I#37 (fb) - BTS / Namor I#38 (fb) - BTS) - Suma-Ket's host was
defeated by the rebellious lords of Atlantis (with the aid of Neptune himself)
in a bloody battle that turned the oceans indigo with blood, but the Unforgiven
Dead were strong and could not be destroyed. (Namor I#36 (fb) - BTS) - The lords of Atlantis banished Ket and his court
beyond the Earthly plane to the Grey Waters, a mystical prison that was not
quite death, but was certainly not life. (Spectacular Spider-Man Annual#9/5) <2000 years ago>
- Neptune encountered a cult of Atlanteans who worshipped the Elder God
Set, and destroyed them. He then came to dwell in the undersea city of Atlantis,
and became their patron deity. (Sub-Mariner#17
(fb)) - Neptune led Atlantis into battle, armed with his sacred trident,
which he had forged in the brazier of living flame (see comments),
on the original site of Atlantis. When he left Atlantis, he ordained that
the trident be dipped anew in that same flame when his high priests should
decree. (Greek-Roman Myth)
- Neptune took as his wife the goddess Amphitrite, a daughter of the elder
water deities Nereus and Doris. He and Amphitrite had two daughters Rhode
and Benthiscya and a son Triton whose godly power enabled him to assume
the form of a merman. However, Neptune was similar to his younger brother
Zeus in that he had several affairs with both mortal Earth women and Olympian
goddesses and thus fathered numerous offspring. Like Zeus, his children
were sometimes born as mortals or immortals.
(Incredible Hercules#128 (fb)/Greek-Roman Myth) - Neptune seduced Medusa Gorgon, a Chase Priestess of Athena. (Greek-Roman Myth) - By his union with the Gorgon
Medusa he fathered the warrior Chrysaor and the magical flying horse, Pegasus.
Akin to Zeus who transformed himself into Amphitryon of Troezen to mate
with his wife Alcmena who became the mother of the demigod Hercules, Neptune once
disguised himself as the husband of the mortal woman Aethra and fathered
the Athenian hero Theseus. Other various offspring of Neptune's include:
Eumolpus, the Giant Sinis, the Cyclopes Polyphemus, Orion, King Amycus, the
shape-shifting god Proteus, Agenor, Belus, Pelias, and Busiris who once became
the King of Egypt. Poseidon also had two twin giant sons, Otus and Ephialtes,
who once attempted to storm Olympus and overthrow Zeus and the Olympians
before meeting their deaths at each other's own hands in a hunting accident. One of the most infamous
affairs of Neptune involves his sister, Demeter, Olympian goddess of
the harvest. Neptune pursued Demeter who, although first resisted his advances,
eventually submitted to him. The pair united, Demeter in the form of a mare
and Neptune in the form of a horse, and became the parents of Arion, the
god of horses and Despoena, the goddess of fruit. Neptune, in past
eras, was known to quarrel with his fellow Olympians to act as the patron
of particular Greek cities. For example, the sea-god was once involved in
a competition between himself and his niece, the goddess of war Athena,
for the city of Athens. To convince the people to name the city after him
and make him their patron god, Neptune used his magical trident to produce
a flowing spring. However, Athena won as a result of giving the Athenians
the far more useful olive tree (the flowing spring was salt water, I
believe). Neptune could also be a very moody sea-god and at times
used his powers to create earthquakes, floods and storms to inflict fear
and/or punishment on people as revenge. Though difficult at times, Neptune
could be cooperative as it was he who aided the Greeks during the Trojan
War before Zeus forbade the Olympians from participating in it. After the
Trojan War ended, Neptune became angered against the hero Odysseus also
known as Ulysses, when he blinded the sea-god's son, the Cyclopes Polyphemus.
In his rage against this act Neptune saw to it that Odysseus's journey back
to Ithaca was full of trials and difficulties. Indeed it took Odysseus 10
years to reach Ithaca after he and his men had departed from Troy. When Neptune's great-nephew
Aeneas, who was the son of his niece, the love-goddess Aphrodite, left war-ravaged
Troy and eventually became the ancestor of the Roman peoples, Neptune was
worshipped as the prime sea-god by the ancient Romans as he was also by
the ancient Greeks who revered him under his original name of Poseidon. (Venus#12/2) - Neptune
was once summoned by Venus to assist her against a race of underwater-dwelling
creatures who had encountered the ship Honolulu Queen. After learning that
the creatures had been forced to the surface by atomic tests, Neptune promised
to help them. (Venus#18/4 BTS)
- Neptunia, a daughter of Neptune, believed that he had been killed by atomic
tests performed by humans, and assaulted the surface until she was stopped
by Venus.
(Thor: Blood Oath#3-4) - Neptune observed Hercules and Thor as they fought over the enchanted pig of Dionysus, and held a wager with Zeus over the outcome.
(Tales to Astonish
I#70 - BTS, 71, 72-73 - BTS, 75) - In order to reclaim the throne of Atlantis,
Namor began a quest for Neptune's trident, which had been left in Atlantis
as a reminder of Neptune's power. Neptune watched over Namor during this
quest, and appeared to him in order to encourage him, often speaking through
ocean life. Namor finally proved himself worthy of the trident, and Neptune
allowed him to return it to Atlantis. (Sub-Mariner#68)
- Atlantis was seemingly destroyed when all of its people collapsed from
the exposure to a sunken canister of US nerve gas, released during a battle
between Namor and Virago. In despair, Namor traveled to the Grotto of the
Ancients, where he prayed before the altar of Neptune. His god appeared
to him, telling him that it was all just part of a prophecy, in which Atlantis
would arise, at the forefront of all nations. Neptune named Namor as the
agent of that prophecy, and marked his belt with a symbol of his faith: his
trident. (Marvel Fanfare I#16/2)
- An injured Namor called on Neptune to save a valiant white stallion from
drowning in the middle of the ocean after its ship sunk. Neptune responded
by transforming it into a giant white seahorse. (Avengers I#282) -
Neptune was sent by Zeus to the underwater kingdom of Deluvia, ruled by Namor,
and took Namor captive, turning him over to Cerberus. Neptune hated to perform
the deed, but still assisted his brother in his vendetta against the Avengers.
(Avengers I#285) -
Ultimately, Zeus decreed that all Olympians would be forbidden to return
to earth, including Neptune. Neptune was incensed at the thought of abandoning
his Atlantean worshippers, but Zeus forced him to obey. (Namor Annual#2) -
While Namor was temporarily residing within the body of the human Rick Jones,
Neptune appeared to him, and bestowed some of his power upon him so that
Namor would possess a degree of superhuman abilities despite his mortal body.
(Namor I#37) - After
Namor was slain by the sorcerer Suma-Ket, Neptune appeared and restored him
to life, then bestowed upon him a suit of sacred Atlantean armor with which
to battle Suma-Ket. (Man-Thing III#7
(fb)) - While deep in prayer and meditation, Namor had a vision of Neptune,
who told him that the fate of Atlantis--of all worlds across infinity--depended
on Namor's making a pilgrimage to the Nexus of Realities in Citusville,
Florida, and seeking the counsel of the Man-Thing. (Hercules III#4 - BTS) - Neptune was presumably present with the Olympian pantheon as they convened a board meeting on Earth at the Olympus Group, assuming the appearances of mortal businessmen in an attempt to maintain some connection with humanity. Zeus had gathered them to confront Hera for manipulating Hercules into appearing on a reality television show as part of an attempt to gain revenge upon him, but he wound up being jeered at by his own family for his many infidelities. They finally voted against interfering with Hercules' labors.
(Ares#1 (fb)) - After a battle with Pluto, Neptune met with the other gods of Olympus as they discussed how distasteful Ares' brutality was to them.
(Ares#3-5) - Neptune fought alongside the gods of Olympus against the Japanese demons led by Mikaboshi as they launched an attack on Mikaboshi's fortress. They were aided by benevolent eastern gods, and one of them provided Neptune with water that he used to flood Mikaboshi's army. The gods were ultimately victorious over Mikaboshi.
(Incredible Hercules#123 (fb) ) - Neptune was attacked by Hippolyta during meditation in Melanesia. She and her warriors easily defeated Neptune, who had been weakened since he had to stay on Earth after Olympus' destruction. The Amazons brought Neptune to their stolen Atlantean base and Hippolyta forced him sign over his shares in the Olympus Group to Hera and Pluto. Eventually Artume, Hippolyta's daughter, approached him and offered him her help if he shared the secrets of the ancient artifacts on a base she showed him. Neptune was willing to believe her and told her of the Tablet of Zhered-Na and the Omphalos. (Incredible Hercules#122) - When Harcules, Namor and Namora stormed the Amazons base one of Artume's soldiers threatened to shoot Neptune in the head if Namor, Namora and Hercules came any closer. (Incredible Hercules#123) - Namora knocked out the soldier with a kick and then broke Poseidon's chains to free him. After he told his liberators about what he had revealed to the Amazons Poseidon went with Namor, who escorted him to the sacred grottos where Atlantean priests were going to heal his wounds. (Hercules: Fall of an Avenger#1) - Athena led the Olympus Group including Poseidon to the funeral of Hercules. (Hercules: Fall of an Avenger#1) - Poseidon sided with Athena when some of the other gods challenged her after she declared herself queen of the Olympians and Amadeus the leader of the Olympus Group. Poseidon chose Namor as his representative, but the battle between the mortal proxies ended in a draw when they decided to stop fighting and instead went up against the gods. After the fight everyone went their own way. Comments:
Adapted by Jim Mooney.
I don't remember the exact details of Namor's quest with the Man-Thing (who
had gained intelligence by merging with K' admon, the first
man (ie. Adam K'admon)), but they went to the City of the Golden Gate--another
fragment of pre-Cataclysmic Atlantis that had been thought lost in the Great
Cataclysm. There they encountered Evenor, an ancient king of Atlantis who
had achieved godhood as the Lord of Water Spirits. A fragment of the Nexus
of Reality had been somehow dislodged from its normal location and integrated
into the sacred Shroud of Cleito (the wife of Neptune and the daughter of
Evenor). Namor was torn between returning the Nexus and saving the universe,
versus preserving the sanctity of the sacred Shroud.
Some sources (including the original Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe)
have referenced Neptune as having created the Homo mermani, from a group
of drowning sailors. Other sources consider the Homo mermani to be
the result of Deviant or Inhuman manipulation, who just came to worship
Neptune. The world may never know, but for some reason, I favor the former
theory (being created by Neptune). Take a big, fat guess which one Prime
Eternal prefers (and which part of it)!!!
The divergent origins of Neptune's tridents can possibly be reconciled or
resolved. Neptune could have made the trident with the Cyclopes or been
somehow involved in it, and brought it to Atlantis from Tartarus or Olympus
through a dimensional portal. Or, it could be that the flashback from Sub-Mariner
I#17 is just a big fat lie. It was told by Kormok, who used it to send Namor
on a doomed quest, or more specifically, a trap involving the Alpha Centaurians
and Dynorr the Stalker. However, Vashti backed Kormok's telling of the legend
up, and Vashti's no dummy! Possibly Neptunia
was unaware that her father Neptune was truly immortal, and did not realize
that he had survived the atomic tests. Neptune's son Triton is not the same being
as Triton of the Royal Family of Inhumans. The sea-goddess Neptunia, Neptune's daughter
in the Marvel Universe, has no actual analogue in Greek mythology. In a message board discussion with new INVADERS
writer Alan Jacobsen, the subject of "Subbie" came up, a purported nephew
of Neptune. Now Subbie was purportedly the nephew of Neptune, but I'd
lay odds that should Subbie ever be revived, he would prove not to be "Neptune's
nephew", but more likely perhaps a clone of Namor, just as Namorita is now
said to be a clone of Namora. I personally doubt he's canonical to add to
Neptune's relatives, but he merits a mention in the comments. In the Amalgam universe
seen in Amazon#1, Neptune confronted Amazon (Ororo Munroe) over mortals
forgining (?) their ancient pagan rites. She pointed out the error in his
ways by remarking on how modern civilization had been based on ideals and
aspects created by the Olympians and the heritage they left behind. Another alternate
Earth Neptune was observed in What If I#41. by Alex K, Will U, Prime Eternal, and Snood CLARIFICATIONS: images: (without ads) Appearances: Last updated: 08/14/06
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know. Non-Marvel Copyright
info
Zeus, Pluto (brothers), Chiron (half-brother);
Demeter, Hera, Vesta (sisters);
Ouranos (grandfather, deceased), Gaea (grandmother);
Amphitrite (wife); Nereus (father-in-law), Doris (mother-in-law);
Cleito (wife);
Evenor
(father-in-law), Leucippe (mother-in-law);
Agenor, Amycus, Arion, Pegasus, Polyphemus, Proteus,
Sinis, Triton (sons); Antaeus, Belus, Busiris, Chrysaor, Ephialtes, Eumolpus, Orion,
Otus, Pelias, Theseus, (sons, deceased);
Benthiscya, Despoena, Neptunia, Rhode
(daughters);
Crius, Coeus, Hyperion, Iapetus, Oceanus (uncles);
Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Tethys, Theia, Themis (aunts);
Asteria, Leto, Epimetheus, Prometheus (cousins),
Menoetius (cousin,
deceased);
Venus, Artemis, Athena, Eiliethya,
Eris, Hebe,
Persephone (nieces);
Apollo, Ares,
Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hercules,
Hermes (nephew);
Alex Aaron, Cupid, Pan (great-nephews),
Aeneas (great-nephew, deceased)
Weight: 625 lbs.
Eyes: Green
Hair: White
Somehow everything worked out just fine...
--Snood.
--Loki
Neptune should not be confused with:
Marvel Fanfare I#16, p28, pan2 (main image)
Venus#3 (December, 1948)
Venus#12 (February, 1951)
Venus#18 (February, 1952)
Tales to Astonish I#70-73 (August-November, 1965) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Gene Colan (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks)
Tales to Astonish I#75 (January, 1966) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Gene Colan (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks)
Sub-Mariner#17 (September, 1969) - Roy Thomas (writer), Marie Severin & Jack Katz (pencils), Mike Esposito (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Sub-Mariner#68 (January, 1974) - Steve Gerber (writer), Don Heck (pencils), Jim Mooney (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Marvel Fanfare I#16 (September, 1984) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Mike Mignola (artist), Al Milgrom (editor)
Avengers I#282 (August, 1987) - Roger Stern (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Avengers I#285 (November, 1987) - Roger Stern (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Spectacular Spider-Man Annual#9 (1989) - Peter Sanderson (writer), Mark Bagley (pencils), Bob Lewis (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Namor Annual#2 (1992) - Ron Marz (writer), James Fry (pencils), Christopher Ivy (inks), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Namor I#36-37 (March-April, 1993) - Bob Harras (writer), Jae Lee (artist), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Namor I#38 (May, 1993) - Bob Harras (writer), Jae Lee (pencils), Bill Sienkiewicz, Shawn McManus, Chris Ivy, Malcolm Jones & Jimmy Palmiotti (inks), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Silver Surfer Annual#5 (1992) - Ron Marz (writer), Tom Morgan (artist), Craig Anderson (editor)
Man-Thing III#7 (June, 1998) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Liam Roger Sharp (artist), Mark Bernardo (editor)
Hercules III#4 (September, 2005) - Frank Tieri (writer), Mark Texeira (pencils), Jimmy Palmiotti (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Thor: Blood Oath#3-4 (December, 2005-January, 2006) - Michael Avon Oeming (writer), Scott Kolins (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Ares#1, 5 (March, July, 2006) - Michael Avon Oeming (writer), Travel Foreman (penciler), Derek Fridolfs (inker), Warren Simons (editor)
Incredible Hercules#122-123 (December, 2008 - January, 2009) - Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers), Clayton Henry & Salva Espin (artists), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Incredible Hercules#128 (June, 2009) - Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers), Dietrich Smith (pencils), Terry Pallot (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Hercules: Fall of an Avenger#1-2 (May-June) - Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers), Ariel Olivetti (artist), Mark Paniccia (editor)
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099
Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you
should check out the real thing!
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