ALOADAI
Membership: Ephialtes, Otos
Purpose: Being a nuisance to the Olympian Gods
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Apollo, Ares
Known Relatives: Poseidon (father), Iphimedeia (mother), Aloeus (stepfather), Eriboea (stepmother), Agenor, Amycus, Arion, Pegasus, Polyphemus, Proteus, Sinis, Triton, David Waters (half-brothers), Belus, Busiris, Chrysaor, Eumolpus, Orion, Pelias, Theseus (half-brothers, deceased), Benthiscya, Despoena, Neptunia, Rhode (half-sisters), extended family through their father
Base of Operations: Mobile in ancient Greece
First Appearance: Iliad (7th century BC); War Machine II#4 (May, 2009)
Powers/Abilities: They were several hundred feet tall giants with enough strength to lift whole mountains.
History:
(Odyssey) - The Aloadai were born to Iphimedeia, the wife of Aloeus. They were fathered by Poseideon.
(War Machine II#4/Iliad (fb)) <ca. 1000 BC> - The Aloadai attacked Olympus. Ares tried to protect his father's castle, but no other god stood at his side. The giants caught Ares and bound him in a brazen urn for thirteen months.
The Aloadai's stepmother Eriboea eventually alerted Hermes, who freed Ares. Enraged by Hermes' actions Ares lashed out at him (because Ares don't need no help, dammit).
(Odyssey) - They tried to attack Olympus by placing the mountains Ossa and Pelion on top of Olympus, but were slain by Apollo.
Comments: Adapted by Greg Pak & Leonardo Manco.
I go with their mythological history from Homer's Iliad and Odyssey because these were the earliest. There are different stories about them in other writers' stories, which not only changed their parentage but also their deaths. Maybe these other giants going by the same name were actually different giant brothers altogether.
The further adventures of the Aloadai included in other classic writers' stories included:
They never stopped growing, which must suck pretty bad because it is really expensive to buy new clothes for kids all the time.
Them boys had the hots for Artemis and Hera and wanted them as their wives. Artemis for Otos and Hera for Ephialtes! Them boys really wanted to kidnap them and this was apparently the reason for them stacking mountains.
Artemis being responsible for their death because she turned into a doe (or sent a doe), which jumped between them and them boys accidentally stabbed each other with spears. They were big, but apparently not that smart.
In one version Otos didn't ask Artemis to consent and though nothing happened, her brother Apollo decided to send a deer between them boys and they ended up spearing each other. Don't mess with Apollo's sis!
Them boys ended up in Hades after death where they were bound to a column by snakes and unable to face each other ever again.
Profile by Markus Raymond.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Aloadai should not be confused with:
images: (without ads)
War Machine II#4, p12, pan1 (main, head shots)
War Machine II#4, p12, pan2 (a fist for Ares)
Appearances:
War Machine II#4 (May, 2009) - Greg Pak (writer), Leonardo Manco (artist), Bill Rosemann (editor)
First Posted: 11/27/2022
Last updated: 11/27/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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