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The myths and legends of every culture have been mined for comic books and films. Superheroes are nothing new; they were praised throughout antiquity. We all know the big names like Thor, Hercules, and Superman from the Marvel/Disney and DC worlds. But are there more superheroes waiting in the wings? And could they be women?
Artemisia Gentileschi, The Triumph of Galatea, 1648, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, USA
Writers like Madeline Miller and Pat Barker and rock star classicist Natalie Haynes have brilliantly recovered and reimagined some of the women in ancient mythology. In that spirit, we’ve scoured the archives for our top 5 female goddesses who would make fantastic superheroes. Hollywood scriptwriters, take note!
Alfred Rethel, Nemesis, 1837, Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, Russia.
Isn’t it time to call on Nemesis, the goddess of retribution and revenge? Nemesis punishes wrongdoing and is unforgiving. And let’s face it, forgiveness is overrated. When she learned that Narcissus had cruelly spurned the nymph Echo she enacted divine retribution. She led him to a pool where he fell in love with his own reflection. Realizing he could never woo himself, he fell into a deep depression and died. Nemesis would make a good teammate for She-Hulk or Captain Marvel. However, she is definitely less Avengers, and more Revengers!
Jean-Marc Nattier, Allegory of Justice Punishing Injustice, 1737, private collection.
Speaking of divine justice, Themis is the goddess of divine law and order. Forget Superman and the Justice League. It is Themis who is the original bringer of truth and justice. She is not wrathful like Nemesis. She is a calm organizer of law and order, overseeing committees and assemblies. You will often see a Lady Justice statue outside courthouses. Her unbiased and intelligent approach might be useful in the legal wranglings of the US Supreme Court today!
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Orestes Pursued by the Furies, 1862, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, USA.
If you are looking for an extreme case in delivering justice, look no further than the Furies. These women will hound culprits relentlessly. Commit a crime or break an oath. There is no escape: These dark angels are coming for you. Often described as monstrous demons, they in fact uphold morality in a chaotic world. Orestes was pursued by the Furies to madness for killing his mother until Athena stepped in. The Furies are surely the supreme Avengers Team!
The Triumph of Galatea (after Raphael), early 19th century, Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK.
In Ovid’s classical poem Metamorphoses, a mortal peasant shepherd called Acis falls in love with Galatea. The giant Cyclops Polyphemus, also in love with the sea nymph, smashes the peasant to death with a boulder. In response, Galatea turns Acis into an immortal river spirit, so the two lovers can be reunited. No toxic masculinity or jealous violence allowed around this goddess! Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy would surely approve!
Achilles Slaying Penthesilea, black figure vase, 530-525 BCE, British Museum, London, UK.
Wonder Woman is an Amazonian Princess. But do you know Penthesilea? This warrior goddess was the Queen of the Amazons and the daughter of Ares, the god of War. The Amazons offered their fighting skills to Hector in the Trojan War. Penthesilea was killed by Achilles, but some say that Achilles fell in love with her at the moment of her death. Both Wonder Woman and Penthesilea are famed for their bravery, agility, and strength. The patriarchal retellings of Amazonian life see them either killed in battle or trained into housewifely duties by men. That ending might need some work!
Christian Charrière, Wonder Woman, 2021. Artmajeur.
Rereadings and subversions of old myths may be frowned upon by the purists, but a narrative is never set in stone. Stories must live and breathe if they are to mean something to us. Goddesses (and we lesser women) are neither weak nor helpless. The tales of the goddesses of old are an inspiration to us all. We hope you have enjoyed imagining our goddesses fighting the good fight in our modern world. But WHO did we miss out on? Tell us in the comments!
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