Venus (Marvel Comics)

Venus is the name of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first, was based on the goddess Venus (Aphrodite) from Roman and Greek mythology and appeared in her own series in the 1950s.This character is stated to be the true goddess, who later only had been referred to by her Greek name, Aphrodite. The second character was to be a siren that only resembled the goddess, having been retconned in Marvel story. The similarities between the two characters were a point of conflict in the comics.

Aphrodite is a fictional character in the comic book, The Incredible Hercules published by Marvel Comics. Aphrodite is an Olympian based on the goddess of the same name from Greek Mythology. The Marvel version of the character first appeared in Venus #1 (August 1948).

Venus is the Olympian goddess of love and beauty who is Zeus' daughter by the oracular goddess Dione. She was born off the coast of the Isle of Kythira and grew to become the most beautiful and desired of the Olympian goddesses. Venus wears an enchanted girdle called the Cestus which enables her to arouse love and passion in others at will and to transform weapons into objects that can be used for peaceful purposes.

Aphrodite later became the wife of Hephaestus, whom she was given to by Hera in order to make amends for casting him out of Olympus when he was just a child. However, Aphrodite never loved Hephaestus who she found to be hideous due to his physical handicap and instead desired Hephaestus' brother, Ares. The marriage was ended after Hephaestus caught the lovers in bed together, and with a net made of adamantine brought them before Zeus for retribution. However, the union between Aphrodite and Ares produced the cherubic god of lust Cupid, known as "Eros" to the Greeks.

In the original 1940s Venus series, Venus/Aphrodite dwelled on the planet Venus with her female companions. She traveled to Earth and took on the human identity of Victoria "Vicki" Nutley Starr, a journalist and editor for Beauty magazine. She developed a romantic relationship with Beauty editor Whitney Hammond; he and Venus' rival, Della Mason, were among the few people to meet Venus who did not believe her when she claimed that she was a goddess. She helps people repair their broken relationships.

The series began as a light-hearted humor/fantasy series, but as the series continued, its focus shifted towards darker fantasy and horror themes. Through the course of the series, the Marvel Comics interpretations of several mythological figures appeared, including Hercules, Zeus, various other Olympians, Satan, and, in their first Marvel appearance, the Norse gods Thor and Loki.

Venus the goddess accompanied the traveller Randolph "Randy" Dover in his travel to the moon, in his self designed rocket ship. They arrived to the Blue Area of the Moon and were threatened by Luna-things creatures.

The comic turned into horror foccused stories by issue #17 but finally Venus was canceled with issue #19 .