Lore Olympus: Volume One

Hades is the co-protagonist of Lore Olympus. One of the chief three gods of the Pantheon, Hades is the God of the Underworld and Wealth. Also known as Aidoneus, Hades is the son of the titans Rhea and Kronos. At the end of the volume, it is revealed that Kronos attempted to eat Hades due to a prophecy that his existence would bring an end to the titans’ reign. Hades carries trauma from this incident, and he attends therapy sessions to help him overcome it. Hades’s primary color is a light shade of blue, setting him up as a visual contrast to Persephone. He has light blue or white hair, and his eyes, usually black, flash red when he is riled up. His torso is lined with light blue scars. Hades has a cool personality, but he does get flustered easily. Being the god of death is a lonely existence; though he owns great riches, many expensive cars, and an enormous mansion, other gods tend to avoid him. Because of this, he has a typically gloomy disposition, but he is known to make trouble with his brothers, Zeus and Poseidon, despite being the most level-headed of the three. Zeus and Poseidon’s lecherous reputations rub off on Hades by association: Though their misgivings are unwarranted, many gods do not trust Hades, especially Artemis. He does have positive relationships with other gods, such as Hera, who know him better.

Hades’s main problem in Lore Olympus is his deep insecurity. He envies his brothers’ marriages, overlooking the fact that Zeus and Poseidon notoriously cheat on their wives. Hades is in a toxic relationship with the nymph Minthe at the beginning of the web comic. Minthe insults and disrespects Hades and is generally disliked by the other gods. This indicates that Hades’s low self-esteem leads him to accept love, or even just companionship, where he can find it. Hades had just resigned himself to proposing to Minthe at the Panathenaea when he sees Persephone for the first time and falls for her.

The obstacles to Hades and Persephone’s budding relationship are the central conflict of Lore Olympus. When Hades comments to his brothers that Persephone is more beautiful than Aphrodite, it sets off the chain of events that leads Aphrodite to have Eros drug Persephone and leave her in Hades’s car. This plays on the unwarranted reputation Hades has in Olympus: Aphrodite assumed Hades would assault Persephone. Hades, instead, proves himself to be a good person by making sure she is hydrated and tucking her safely into bed. The attraction Hades felt for Persephone at the party only grows during the short time they are together in his house. While he acts cool on the surface, his internal monologue reveals his true feelings for Persephone throughout this section, but his lack of confidence in himself and his position as the God of the Underworld causes him to fail to take action beyond giving her his introduction card. However, his call at the end of the volume indicates that their relationship is just beginning.

Eros, the God of Love, is the son of Aphrodite and the grandson of Zeus. Eros has a close, borderline toxic, relationship with his mother. Though they are loving on the surface, Aphrodite is manipulative towards her son, making Eros do her dirty work, such as taking revenge on people who offend her. Eros is pink in color (skin, hair, and eyes), exuberant, and has a mischievous side. He is prone to gossip and always listening to the romantic subtext in other characters’ speech and body language. He wears stylish, contemporary clothes, though when he reveals himself to mortals, he appears in classic Greek armor complete with a Spartan helm. Eros has a pair of wings, which he can summon or dispel at will. Despite his impish nature, Eros is a good-hearted god who deeply cares for his friends.

When Aphrodite overhears Hades telling his brothers that he believes Persephone is more beautiful than her, she sends Eros to exact her revenge. Eros takes an immediate liking to Persephone, which causes him great conflict. After he gets Persephone drunk and puts her in Hades’s car, he returns the next day to apologize. Episodes 12-16 focus on his involvement with Psyche, a mortal woman whom Aphrodite uses to manipulate him. This short interlude parallels the myth of Eros and Psyche, an allegory for mankind’s heart (Eros) and soul (psyche). Eros disobeys his mother when he sees Psyche’s abusive household, showing his capacity for empathy. However, he demonstrates his rashness when he rescues Psyche on her wedding night, appearing in his fearsome god form. He keeps Psyche in his house afterward. Fearing for her safety if Aphrodite were to find out, he does not let her leave, and, though they are in love, he does not tell her his name. Psyche’s sisters eventually convince her that Eros must be a monster, and she sneaks into his room one night to kill him, only to realize that he is the God of Love. Eros is heartbroken at her apparent betrayal and asks his mother for help, accidentally enabling Aphrodite’s ongoing manipulation of him.

The twin gods Artemis and Apollo are both significant figures in the plot and define much of what Persephone understands about Olympus.

Apollo, God of the Sun, Music, and Medicine, is an arrogant, self-assured god. Appearing as a type of jock, Apollo drives an expensive-looking, golden car, symbolic of his duty of towing the sun across the sky. Apollo is depicted with purple skin, dark purple hair, and eyes that occasionally glow golden. Hades dislikes Apollo and does not let him in his kingdom; consequently, it is always night in the Underworld. Apollo’s sense of entitlement extends to his treatment of women. He warns Artemis to cover her exposed navel in her own home, and he sets his sights on Persephone, marking her as a vulnerable sexual target the moment he sees her. Apollo hypocritically warns Persephone to avoid being taken advantage of by Hades—but does exactly that himself. Apollo’s chauvinism extends to taking pictures of Persephone as he rapes her, telling her to keep it a secret.

Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, is as competitive and skilled as her brother, though she desires to help and protect Persephone, her friend and roommate, as she transitions to life in Olympus. Artemis is unsentimental, encouraging Persephone to dress less conservatively and try new things, and she is unmoved by Eros’s story of heartbreak. Though Artemis’s intentions are good, her confidence in her own opinions leads her to dismiss serious warning signs. For example, she does not consider Apollo a threat to Persephone, even though Apollo openly flirts with Persephone and finds reasons to be physically close to her. By contrast, Artemis is biased against Hades based on rumors; she does not consider that Persephone might have seen more of the real Hades than she has.

A static character in this volume, Zeus is the King of the Gods of Olympus and is the God of Thunder. Zeus is purple in color, with long, flowing hair. He often wears white suits and business attire. Zeus is married to Hera, though he is notorious for having affairs, causing gossip to spread throughout Olympian society. Zeus embodies all that Demeter fears Persephone will encounter in Olympus. On the surface, Zeus appears jovial and easy-going, though his temper is quick. When angered, he crackles with electricity and lightning bolts; this display is usually enough to get others to fall in line. Zeus admits to being bossy, though evidently does nothing to change this behavior. Zeus enjoys playfully bullying Poseidon, and, especially Hades, though his affection for his brothers is apparent. He sticks up for Hades when Hera takes objection to his behavior. He plays wingman for Hades when he wants to meet Persephone for the first time at the Panathenaea, though he proves to be an obstacle in Hades and Persephone’s relationship when he forces Hades to come to “family brunch.”

Hera is Queen of Olympus and Zeus’s wife. Hera is golden in color, sometimes depicted as glowing, with bright blue eyes. She has a beauty mark on her cheek and is often shown smoking a cigarette on a long filter. Hera is the Goddess of Marriage and Women—which is ironic due to her husband’s infidelity. Though Hera does not develop significantly as a character in these episodes, her empathy and sensitivity motivate the emotional arcs of other characters, such as when she scolds Hades at the club. Hera is caring and empathetic toward others, able to sense the suffering of distant people, such as when Apollo sexually assaults Persephone. Hera has known Persephone since Persephone was young; she is friends with Demeter and is consequently protective of Persephone. She and Hades are close; Hades calls her “Bunny” when he tries to calm her down. In addition to her other powers, Hera is capable of seeing visions of the future, such as when she touches the fur coat Hades intended to give her as a birthday gift in the bonus episode. Hera is able to see his wedding day, and, though she cannot see the bride’s face, she recognizes that the coat will be important in forming this relationship. Because of this, Hera plays an important role in establishing Hades and Persephone’s relationship.