Kratos and Bia (Olympian gods of force and strength, Avengers characters)

KRATOS and BIA

Real Names: Kratos and Bia

Identity/Class: Olympian gods

Occupation: (Kratos) God of force, (Bia) god of strength

Affiliations: Ares, Enchantress, Hercules, Zeus

Enemies: Avengers (Captain America, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Rick Jones, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Thor, Vision), Prometheus, Typhon

Known Relatives: Pallas (father), Styx (mother), Zelus (brother), Nike (sister), Crius, Oceanus (grandfathers), Eurybia, Tethys (grandmothers), Cronus, Hyperion, Japet, Nereus, Ophion, Proteus, (great-uncles), Dione, Mnemosyne, Rhea, Theia, Themis (great-aunts), Perses, Astraeus (paternal uncles), Achelous, Acheron, Alpheus, Asopus, Cebren, Inachos, Ladon, Penaeus, Scamander, Strymon, Tiber (maternal uncles), Calypso, Dorus, Metis and the Oceanides (maternal aunts), Athena (cousin), Amphitrite, Thetis, Galatea, Leiriope, Leucippe and the Nereids (cousins),

Aliases: (Kratos) Cratos, Cratus, Kratus, Force (alternate spellings of name); (Bia) Might

Base of Operations: Olympus

First Appearance: Avengers I#50 (March, 1968)

Powers/Abilities: Kratos and Bia possess the conventional powers of the Olympian gods. They have superhuman strength (possibly Class 50 or above since the two of them together can restrain Typhon), stamina, resistance to injury and long life enchantments. It is unknown as to what mystical power or energy manipulative abilities that they might possess. Kratos also wields an adamantine sword, and Bia wields a mace forged by the Cyclopses.

History: (Greek/Roman Myth) - Kratos and Bia are the sons of the Titan Pallas, and the river-goddess Styx, who is also a goddess of oaths and promises. They supported Zeus' overthrowing of Cronus for control of Olympus and leadership of the gods of ancient Greece. With their brother, Zelus, god of emulation, and their sister, Nike, goddess of victory, they became symbols of Zeus' power on Olympus responsible for carrying out his will both among the gods and mortals. Under orders from Zeus, they helped Hephaestus to nail Prometheus to the Caucasus Mountains to the east of Colchis as part of the Titan’s punishment for sharing fire with mortals.

(Avengers I#49 (fb) - BTS) - Typhon, eternal enemy of Zeus and the Olympian Gods, escaped Tartarus and invaded Olympus. As he put out the eternal flame, he sent Kratos and Bia among with all the gods of Olympus to Land of Shades.

(Avengers I#50) - Hercules and the Avengers defeated Typhon and surrendered his axe back to the Promethean Flames. Once more ensconced back on Olympus, Kratos and Bia followed the edict of Zeus by forcibly returning Typhon back to the underworld.

(Avengers I#99) - When Ares and Amora the Enchantress usurped control of Olympus, he employed Kratos and Bia to capture Hercules, who had fled to Earth, amnesiac. They were teleported into the Avengers Mansion and had to fight the Avengers, but managed to hold off the entire team until the spatial displacement that brought them to Earth returned them to Olympus, bearing Hercules as their captive.

(Avengers I#100) - Kratos and Bia stood alongside the Enchantress as Thor and the Vision came to rescue Hercules, but Thor brought both of them down by striking them with Mjolnir. Ares and the Enchantress were ultimately overthrown.

(Marvel Premiere#26) - Escaping from Tartarus with the help of an old seer named Cylla, Typhon returned to Olympus to claim his battle-axe from the Promethean flames, but the fire seared the axe handed to his hand so he could not release it or unfurl his hand to do so. His screams of pain from the flames alerted the attention of Kratos and Bia who guarded the temple. Typhon then tore through them as he and Cylla rendered their escape.

(Avengers Annual#23) - Kratos and Bia were once again called upon by Zeus to return Typhon to Tartarus after Loki freed him in a failed plot to destroy Hercules and the Avengers.

Comments: Adapted by Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Art Simek

So far, many of Kratos and Bia’s appearances have coincided with appearances of Typhon.

Nike, sister of Kratos and Bia, lends her name to the popular modern sneaker and sports shoe.

by Will U and Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
Kratos and Bia are not to be confused with:

Cranus, Native of Polemachus, @ Quicksilver#2

Kratos and Bia, Hyborian Age, polar bear allies of Ursla, @ Conan the Barbarian I#48

Pallas, father of Kratos and Bia, is not to be confused with:

Pallas, daughter of the sea-god Triton, accidentally slain by Athena (Not seen in the MU)

Pallas, one of the Giants, enemies of the Olympian Gods (Not Seen in the MU)

Pallas, king of Athens (13th Century BC), foster father of Aegeus (Not seen in the MU)

Pallas, son of Evander killed by Aeneas, (Not seen in the MU)

Pallas Athena, Olympian goddess of wisdom, war and arts and crafts, @ Thor I#164

Carlyle Pallis, S.H.I.E.L.D. double agent for the SEPT, @ Hulk Comic#1

Images taken from:
Avengers I#99, page 14, panel 2
Avengers Annual 23, page 44, middle panel

Avengers I#50 (March, 1968) - Roy Thomas (writer), John Buscema (pencils/inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Avengers I#99 (April, 1972) - Roy Thomas (writer), Barry Windsor-Smith (pencils), Tom Sutton (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Avengers I#100 (May, 1972) - Roy Thomas (writer), Barry Windsor-Smith (pencils), Joe Sinnott, Syd Shores & Barry Windsor-Smith (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Marvel Premiere#26 (November, 1975) - Bill Mantlo (writer), George Tuska (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks), Marv Wolfman (editor)
Avengers Annual#23 (1994) - Roy Thomas (writer), John Buscema (pencils/inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)

Last updated: 01/31/05

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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