KYKNOS
Real Name: Kyknos (original Latin spelling)
Identity/Class: Olympian demigod (c. 1250 BC)
Occupation: Warrior
Group Membership: Gods of Olympus
Affiliations: Ares
Enemies: Athena, Hercules
Known Relatives: Ares (father), Pyrene (mother, alias Pelopia), Zeus (grandfather), Hera (grandmother), Deimos, Phobos, Alex Aaronson (half-brothers), Aegisthus (half-brother, deceased), Harmona, Hippolyta (half-sisters), Hephaestus, Hercules (uncles), Eurystheus, Iphicles, Theseus (cousins, deceased), Tantalus (ancestor, deceased)
Aliases: Kyknus, Cyknus, Cycnus, Cycnos, Cygnus (alternate spellings)
Base of Operations: Itonus, Phthiotis (now part of modern Greece)
First Appearance: Incredible Hercules#116 (June, 2008)
Powers/Abilities: Kyknos possessed superhuman strength, stamina, endurance and durability as due his demigod status. He wielded a double-edged axe as his weapon of choice.
History: (Greek/Roman myth) - Kyknos was the son of Ares, god of war to the Ancient Greeks, and Pyrene, daughter of Thyestes, heir to the throne of Pisa sent into exile after the murder of his half-brother. Kyknos lived in Itonus in the land of Phthiotis north of Trachis in Northern Greece.
(Gree/Roman myth/Incredible Hercules#116 (fb)) - A bloodthirsty and particularly violent warrior, Kyknos enforced worship of Ares by slaying all invaders to his land and using their skulls and bones to line the walls of his temple to Ares. Kyknos wanted to gain favor with his father by slaying Hercules, who happened to come upon Kyknos in the midst of building his temple. Upon hearing about this pact, Ares rushed to stop him from doing so, knowing full well of Hercules' prodigious strength and success in other battles, but Athena stopped him, who advised him to check with the Fates on what they had planned for Kyknos. The Fates told them that Kyknos was fated to die by Hercules unless he was killed first. These words designed to placate Ares only fueled his anger and he rushed to assist Kyknos in his battle with Hercules. Ares fought with Hercules and was just about to strike him down when Athena appeared and blocked his blow. Hercules, however, managed to wound Ares and sent him back to Olympus, leaving his son to his fate. Kyknos subesquently met Hercules in battle and was indeed killed by Hercules as the Fates predicted. Ares met with Hercules in battle once more afterward to avenge his son, their quarrel this time broken up by a thunderbolt by Zeus.
Comments: Adapted by Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, Rafa Sandoval and Roger Bonet.
Research culled from Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology by Edward Tripp.
Apollodorus claimed Kyknos died near the Echedorus River in Macedonia, but according to Crowell's Handbook, this is due to accidental repetition, instead remaining faithful to the earlier account by Hesiod.
by Will U and Prime Eternal
CLARIFICATIONS:
Kyknos should not be confused with:
Images taken from:
Incredible Hercules#116, page 4, panel 3
Last updated: 05/28/08
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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