TYPHON TYPHON
Real Name: Typhon
Identity/Class: Titan/Olympian god
Occupation: God of wind, enemy of Olympus
Group Membership: Titans of Olympus
Affiliations: Arachne, Arges, Argus, Avengers (Ares, Captain Marvel (Noh-Varr), Hawkeye (Bullseye), Iron Patriot (Norman Osborn), Ms. Marvel (Karla Sofen), Sentry, Spider-Man (Mac Gargan), Wolverine (Daken) ), Eris, Delphyne Gorgon, Harpy, Hera, Huntsman, Kottus, Lamia, Loki, Pluto, Tartaro, Yellow-Crested Titan,
Enemies: Avengers (Beast, Captain America, Amadeus Cho, Crystal, Hawkeye (Barton), Iron Man (Stark), Quicksilver, Spider-Man (Parker), Spider-Woman (Drew), Thunderstrike, Vision, USAgent, Wasp (Van Dyne), Wasp (Pym, aka Giant-Man), Wolverine (Logan/Howlett) ), Black Widow, Iceman, Olympian gods (especially Hercules, but also Athena, Bia, Kratos, Pluto, Zeus, and the rest), everyone on Earth
Known Relatives: Tartarus (father), Gaea (mother), Argus, Briareus, Brontes, Cottus, Cronus, Crius, Coeus, Gyges, Hyperion, Japet, Nereus, Oceanus, Ophion, Steropes (brothers), Dione, Furies, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Rhea, Theia, Themis, Tethys (sisters), Delphyne (sister, deceased), Echidna (wife), Gorgons (including Medusa), Graeae, Scylla, Sirens, Thoosa, Zirnitra (sisters-in-law), Phorcys (father-in-law), Ceto (mother-in-law/sister), Cerberus, Hydra (sons), Chimaera, Ladon, Nemean Lion, Orthrus (sons, deceased), Maralith, Phaea, Sphinx (daughters, deceased), Naga (son-in-law), Chthon, Hyppus, Set (uncles), Issus, Oshtur (aunts), Demiurge (grandfather), large extended family
Aliases: Typhaon, Typhoeus, Typhoon
Place of Birth: Sicily
Base of Operations: Tartarus; formerly, Mount Etna, Sicily
First Appearance: Avengers I#49 (February, 1968)
Powers/Abilities: Typhon possesses incredible strength (Class 100), stamina, vigor and resistance to injury over any other Olympian God. In ancient times, he could command and control the disruptive force of hurricanes, tornadoes and some but not all aspects of storm. Prior to his first defeat by Zeus, Typhon possessed a more monstrous appearance, that included several tentacles in place of limbs. By sending Zeus into the Land of Shades, Typhon is able to regain some features of his previous form. Presumably, the permanent death of Zeus would restore his full power.
Height: 10'
Weight: 795 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
History: (Encyclopaedia Mythologica: Typhon / Incredible Hercules#130 (fb) - BTS) - After the Olympian gods slaughtered and imprisoned the gigantes that the Elder Goddess and Earth mother Gaea had spawned and sent against the gods for their imprisonment of the Titans, Gaea mated with the primordial fires of Tartarus and sired the monstrous Typhon (fashioning him from the slaughtered gigantes' gore) to seek vengeance upon the gods. Typhon assaulted Olympus and initially bested Zeus, even cutting the sinews from Zeus' hands and feet.
(Incredible Hercules#141 (fb)) - Scared of Typhon the Olympians fled to Egypt as animals. Athena mocked Zeus for this cowardly move and he returned to Greece to fight Typhon once again.
(Encyclopaedia Mythologica: Typhon / Incredible Hercules#130 (fb) - BTS) - The tricksters Hermes and Pan made Typhon consume mortal food that made him sick.
(Encyclopaedia Mythologica: Typhon / Avengers I#49 (fb) - BTS / Incredible Hercules#130 (fb) - BTS) - Zeus defeated him in their second clash, imprisoning him within Mount Etna.
(Encyclopaedia Mythologica: Typhon / Incredible Hercules#130 (fb) - BTS) - Zeus was disgusted by Typhon's monstrous serpent-like form, and altered him to humanoid form.
(Avengers I#49 (fb)) - Zeus banished Typhon from Olympus forevermore.
(Avengers I#49 (fb))- In recent times, Typhon somehow escaped his imprisonment, and invaded Olympus. Journeying to the Temple of the Promethean Flame, he destroyed the flame with his axe, sending all of the Olympians into the Land of Shades, and placing the power of the Promethean Flame within his axe.
(Avengers I#47+48-BTS) - Typhon apparently observed Hercules' actions on Earth.
(Avengers I#49)- When Hercules arrived at Mount Olympus, searching for his father, Typhon confronted him, and revealed the fate of his fellow Olympians. The two fought, with Typhon sending Tartaro after Hercules. When Hercules defeated Tartaro, Typhon sent Hercules into the Land of Shades as well. He then spied earth, and decided to set out to conquer it.
(Avengers I#50)- Upon earth, Typhon spied an ocean vessel, and assaulted it. Having become aware of his actions, the Avengers came to fight him, accompanied by the newly-returned Hercules. After a mighty battle, Hercules defeated Typhon, and took away his axe. He then returned to Mount Olympus, and re-lit the Promethean Flame. Zeus then exiled Typhon to Hades, placing him in the care of Pluto. Typhon vowed to have revenge.
(Marvel Premiere#26 (fb)) - Trapped within Hades, Typhon found an ally in Cylla, a witch who claimed to be a former oracle of Delphi. Cylla was attracted to Typhon, but saw that he had no interest in romance. Instead, she freed him from Hades and brought him to the Temple of Prometheus, from which he retrieved his axe. The pain of reaching into the Promethean flames pained him, and he cried out drawing the attention of the Guardians of the Temple, Kratos and Bia. Typhon easily defeated the two Guardians, but found that the axe had been burnt to his flesh. Enraged, he smashed it to the ground, someone creating a rift to Earth, and he and Cylla plunged down to Earth. They landed in Marin County, California, and the heat of their journey started a forest fire.
(Marvel Premiere#26) - Typhon watched as Hercules, who happened to be driving by, put out the fire he had caused. Cylla told Typhon that the axe could only be released from his hand by the blood of his own worst enemy. Typhon then attacked Hercules, aided by Cylla, but his hatred of Hercules would not allow her to finish him off. Typhon pushed Cylla aside and battled Hercules again, actually helping to free him from the enchanted vines in which Cylla had entrapped him. After some struggle, Typhon began to take another beating and he yielded. A drop of blood from a cut on his face touched his hand, freeing the axe from his hand, and making him realize he was his own worst enemy. Zeus then cast Typhon and Cylla back down into Hades.
(Avengers I#163 (fb)) - Typhon made a deal with Pluto, who would grant him freedom from Hades if he could bring Hercules to replace himself. Typhon then appeared in Avengers mansion, where he ambushed Iron Man and the Beast. He then took the Beast hostage, threatening to kill him unless he summoned Hercules. However, as Hercules began to approach, accompanied by the Black Widow and Iceman of the Champions, Typhon began to recall his previous beating at the hands of Hercules. Rather than face Hercules again himself, he sent Iron Man to dispatch him, under the threat of killing the Beast if he failed.
(Avengers I#163) - Iron Man attacked Hercules, Iceman, and the Black Widow, but as they fought, he drew the conflict back to Avengers mansion. The Beast managed to free himself, and all five attacked Typhon. Pluto saw that Typhon would not be able to stand against their combined power, and pulled him back to Hades.
(Avengers Annual#23)- Typhon was visited in Tartarus by Loki, who had recently made a pact with Pluto to destroy Hercules, on the condition that Pluto destroy Thor. With power granted to him by Pluto, Loki intended to set Typhon free, but was attacked by some of the other creatures held captive there. However, Typhon came to Loki's aid. Loki decided that with the power he had, he could free Typhon, and four other creatures, and set free a Yellow-Crested Titan, a Harpy, Arges (a Cyclops), and Kottus (a Centimane). He then sent them out to destroy Hercules.
Together, the five creatures assaulted Hercules on earth together, and defeated him. However, instead of fulfilling their pact to Loki, Typhon decided to use Hercules against Olympus itself. Holding Hercules beneath the waters of the River Lethe (Amadeus gave it to Hercules in #140), Typhon was able to rob him of his memory, and then convince him that they were allies. Together, they stormed Olympus, and Typhon reclaimed his axe from the Temple of the Promethean Flame, sending the Olympians into the Land of Shades.
However, Hercules' teammates from the Avengers followed him to Olympus, and defeated Typhon's allies, while Captain America restored Hercules' memories. Hercules knocked Typhon's axe from his hands, and the Avengers restored it to the Temple of the Promethean Flame, restoring the Olympians to Olympus. Though defeated, Typhon refused to tell Zeus how he had escaped Tartarus, and was returned there by Zeus' guards, Kratos and Bia.
(Incredible Hercules#127 (fb) - BTS) - Pluto offered Typhon freedom from Tartarus to aid Hera and Typhon agreed. Pluto put an armband on Typhon that allowed Hera to control him.
(Incredible Hercules#123) - Typhon served as Hera's bodyguard at the Olympus Group meeting she had called in.
(Incredible Hercules#127) - Typhon accompanied Hera to Silly's Greek Diner to confront Athena about representing the Olympians at the Council of Godheads during the Skrull crisis. He was later present when Norman Osborn talked to Hera about her plans.
Later at Excello Soap Company Typhon waited along with Hera, Huntsman and Pluto for the arrival of Hercules, Athena and Amadeus Cho. When they finally arrived the upcoming fight was interrupted by Osborn's Avengers.
(Incredible Hercules#128) - Typhon battled the likes of Ms. Marvel (Sofen), Hawkeye (Bullseye) and Ares, but after Hercuels and his friends had escaped Hera stopped the fight against the Avengers and made a deal with Osborn.
(Incredible Hercules#129) - Typhon accompanied Hera back to the Olympus Group and watched her attack on Hebe and Delphyne's reaction to it.
(Incredible Hercules#129 - BTS) - Typhon secretly took the aegis breastplate after Huntsman stashed it away.
(Incredible Hercules#130) - Typhon gave his testimony at Zeus' trial about the genocide of his brothers the Olympian Giants at the hands of the Olympian Gods led by Zeus.
(Assault on New Olympus Prologue#1) - Woken up by his lover Hera Typhon was ordered to inform Norman Osborn that Continuum would be unleashed soon.
(Incredible Hercules#138) - Typhon was among the Olympian warriors that helped Hera fight Athena, Hercules and the Avengers. Typhon took on Hercules during the battle at the Olympus Group Tower.
(Incredible Hercules#139) - Typhon nearly killed Hercules, but Amadeus Cho threw off Spider-Woman's aim to make her hit Typhon with an energy bolt instead of Lamia. Hercules nonetheless only gained the upper hand for a moment. When Hera recognized the child Zeus as her husband she ordered Typhon to secure him. Typhon held onto Zeus and took alongside him and Hera the elevator to the Continuum chamber. Typhon watched as Hera explained her plan to Zeus.
(Incredible Hercules#140) - Zeus convinced Hera to not destroy Earth and she ordered Typhon to shut down Continuum, but Typhon ignored her command because Continuum was the weapon he needed to create a pure Earth for his mother Gaea. As the band Hera had previously used to control him had already been absorbed by Continuum Typhon was free to fight back. Hera and Zeus attacked him with lightning bolts, but Typhon somehow absorbed the energy and used it to blow off Hera's head. He then revealed that he was wearing Athena's aegis breastplate.
(Incredible Hercules#141) - Zeus attacked Typhon in retaliation for Hera's murder, but Typhon easily killed him. Upon seeing the ghosts of Zeus and Hera being taken away by Thanatos, Hercules took the elevator to the Continuum chamber to confront Typhon. He found his father's corpse and then attacked the titan. They fell through the Continuum portal. On the other side Typhon showed Hercules that the new Earth was nearly finished and that the old world would be instantly destroyed when the new world is completed. Hercules' best shots were deflected by the aegis breastplate and he lost his adamantine mace to Typhon, who nearly beat him to death with it. Hercules forced water from the River Lethe down Typhon's throat. Unable to remember anything Typhon saw the nearly dead Hercules, who asked him to end his pain. Again in possession of his mace Hercules smashed in Typhon's skull as soon as he came near enough. Athena ultimately destroyed Continuum and Hercules, who was still on the other side seemingly with it.
Comments: Adapted by Roy Thomas and John Buscema.
Profile by: William Uchtman, Prime Eternal , and Snood
Up until Avengers Annual#23, Typhon claimed to be the son of Typhoeus/Typhon, who had allegedly been slain by Zeus--for which he sought revenge on the Gods of Olympus. It wasn't until most recently that Typhon revealed that he actually was the original monster from mythology, and not its spawn--Snood.
Typhon has two descriptions in Greek Myth: Hesiod described him as a dragon with a hundred heads, each one had the voice of a man or animal. Apollodorus said he was a winged-god with the head of a horse and hindquarters of a serpent.
In Greek Myth, Tartarus, Gaea, Typhon and Delphyne represented the four elements of fire, earth, wind and water.
Greek-Roman Myth: Typhon is the son of Gaea, Mother Earth, and Tartarus, the ancient primeval fire-god who lent his name to the Olympian Underworld. Upset over the imprisonment of the Titans by Zeus, Gaea mated with Tartarus and gave birth to Typhon, god of wind, and Delphyne, goddess of water. Born in a Cicilian cave, Typhon mated with Echidna and fathered many of the monsters of Greek Myth.
When Typhon first invaded Olympus, many of the gods fled to the protection of the Egyptian Gods. Zeus stayed behind to fight Typhon in a war that carried to Mount Casius in Syria. Typhon gained the upper hand and cut the sinews out of Zeus's hands and feet. Leaving him under the protection of Delphyne, he went to hunt down the other errant Olympian Gods.
Hermes and Pan, however, rescued Zeus as the Fates tricked Typhon into eating mortal food and made him sick. However, weakened, Typhon fought Zeus once more toward Sicily where Zeus trapped him deep under Mount Etna.
Typhon's sister, Delphyne, was the dragon which attacked Andromeda and later killed by Perseus with the head of Medusa. Medusa was the mother of Chrysaor, Echidna's father, by Poseidon long before she was cursed by Athena.
So, what kind of son is Cerberus, anyway? He guards the Underworld all day, but can't spare a few minutes to visit his dad down in Tartarus? What an SOB...
The Yellow-Crested Titans and Harpies will probably get their own entries on the Appendix someday.
Marvel Premiere#26 came out in November 1975, and the Avengers index lists it as preceding Avengers#163, September 1977. However, in reading the stories, the Marvel Premiere story would seem to have come out AFTER the Avengers one. The Avengers story states their last battle to have been Avengers#50. Also, the resolutions of the two stories would seem to refute the listing in the Avengers index--Snood.
Typhon has an entry in OHotMU 2006 A-Z#11.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Typhon should not be confused with:
Arges, the Cyclops, has no known connection to:
Cylla, the Witch of Delphos, has no known connection to:
Kottus, the Furious, has no known connection to:
Tartaro has no known connection to:
Typhon's Axe is composed of unknown
Olympian metals. After absorbing the power of the Promethean
Flame into its form, it can fire blasts of lightning, and summon
forth creatures from the Land of Shades, or send others into the
Land of Shades.
--Avengers I#49 (49(fb), 49, 50, Marvel Premiere#26(fb), 26,
Avengers I#163(fb), 163, Avengers Annual#23, Incredible Hercules#138-141
Tartaro was an inhuman creature brought to Mount Olympus from the Land of Shades by Typhon to combat Hercules. It was of superhuman size and strength, but was apparently slain by Hercules.
--Avengers I#49
The River Lethe is a river in the realm of Hades from which the souls of the dead drink to lose their memories of life on earth. It was employed by Typhon to rob Hercules of his memory, so that he would assist him in his attempt to conquer Olympus. However, when Captain America tricked Hercules into causing a flood, the waters washed away the spell of the River Lethe, returning Hercules to normal.
(Incredible Hercules#130) - On the River Lethe Aegis and Amadeus Cho took a raft to the Elysium Isles to visit Amadeus' family. Aegis warned Amadeus about the water's powers.
(Incredible
Hercules#131) - After learning that his sister was still alive Amadeus
left the Elysium Isles. Taking the raft Amadeus took another journey on
the River Lethe and then returned to the real world.
Meanwhile at Zeus' trial Pluto wanted Zeus to drink from
the River Lethe and Zeus ultimately did on his own accord to save
Hercules. Without his memories Zeus returned to Earth as a young boy.
(Incredible Hercules#138 (fb) - BTS) - On his journey back to the real world Amadeus filled a bottle with water from the River Lethe.
(Incredible Hercules#138) - Amadeus kept the bottle and offered it to Hercules before the assault on the Olympus Group Towerm, but Hercuels told him to keep it.
(Incredible Hercules#140) - Amadeus gave the water bottle to Hercules as an ace in the hole in case they got separated. Hercules took the bottle this time so Amadeus finally stops nagging about it.
(Incredible Hercules#141) - Hercules forced Typhon to drink the bottle of water from the River Lethe and the water erased Typhon's memories giving Hercules the chance to kill him with a surprise attack.
--Avengers Annual#23 (Incredible Hercules#130-131, 138, 140-141
Kottus "The Furious", was one of the Centimanes (or "Hundred Handed"), a child of Gaea and Uranus. He was exiled to Tartarus by Uranus, and remained there until Loki freed him to assist Typhon against Hercules, and later in their attempted conquest of Olympus. He possessed at least five heads, and an unknown number of tentacles, with superhuman strength. In combat with the Avengers, Kottus fought Vision, who phased through Kottus' attack, causing him to land on a spike, running himself through. This apparently killed Kottus.
--Avengers Annual#23
These guys were supposed to have 100 hands and 100 heads, but I guess that's too many to draw!
First Posted: 12/22/2002
Last updated: 02/16/2014
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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