BIOGRAPHY - Page 11
Aphrodite had retained some worshipers, despite the fact that the Olympian's religion was largely extinct, and had her agents kidnap the “false” Venus and take her to her hidden temple in the Adirondacks mountains in New York. “Venus” was brought before a statue of Aphrodite, which she controlled remotely. Aphrodite wanted an explanation from this “poseur” for the affront of impersonating her. Venus told Aphrodite that she was a siren and had been grafted in Aphrodite's likeness by Phorcys. She had attacked a sorcerer who as punishment gave her a soul. The weight of her crimes caused her to suffer amnesia and, when she entered society, people simply mistook her for the goddess due to their resemblance and her similar (but far lesser) abilities. Venus promised Aphrodite that she was not trying to offend her but questioned why she even cared as she no longer used the name? This infuriated Aphrodite, who animated her statue to crush Venus. She told Venus that gods derive their power from belief. In the past, she reigned supreme; wars were started in her name, great heroes were created because she made their parents mate, orgies were conducted in her glory, etc. All this resulted in the Greeks pouring life into her. As time went on, she became a myth and all she had left was her beauty and immortality, which she felt due to Hera's plots she could potentially lose. She could not abide the thought that, if Hera's machinations resulted in her death, all she would be remembered by was that of a lowly sea thrall. As she held Venus over a fire, the Agents of Atlas appeared and destroyed the statue. [X-Men vs. Agents of Atlas #1-2]
Aphrodite was not done with Venus yet. She had one of her worshipers brand her earlier on, so she could track her if she had escaped. She informed the elder Phorcys of Venus' whereabouts but he was also defeated by the Agents of Atlas. After her plan had failed, Aphrodite turned to more pleasurable pursuits and was sunning herself with two male attendants when Athena sought her aid. Hera was planning an extinction event to reset the universe and craft in her own image. Athena tried to get Aphrodite to help but, in stark contrast to her earlier adventures in which she literally saved the planet multiple tim
es, now disaffected, she felt what had life done for her lately? [Assault on New Olympus #1] Still, despite this, she did agree to aid Athena's forces following some promised assistance with the Agents of Atlas problem. Aphrodite was to seduce Ares and prevent him from meeting up with Hera while Athena began her assault with the Avengers. Initially, Ares was resistant but proved incapable of resisting Aphrodite's wiles. She bade him to make love to her like he was going to war. In this particular battlefield, he was outmatched and Aphrodite simply exhausted him. While Ares slept, Aphrodite was alerted that Venus and her teammates were underneath the Olympus Group's HQ and were attempting to aid Athena's forces. The goddess teleported to their location and told Venus she was about to face the wrath of Aphrodite.
Venus asked Aphrodite to spare her friends and questioned how could she be the goddess of love? Aphrodite did not take kindly to being judged by the likes of Venus and said why should she love those who had abandoned her? Venus tried to fight Aphrodite, with her best asset, her siren song. Aphrodite had not sung in a long time but thought the contest already in her favor. Underneath the Olympus Group HQ, with the fate of the world above at stake, the most beautiful melodies ever heard were sung by the two most beautiful women in the world. It echoed through the assembled heroes, the mythological beasts of the Olympus group, to the mortals on the streets and even, to her surprise, Aphrodite herself. Tearful, she embraced Venus and thanked her. Aphrodite felt that Venus' song
was so sincere and so profound that it resonated in her something that she had lost. She felt the gods were responsible for losing their flocks and that she had not felt like the goddess of love since the Trojan War. Aphrodite granted Venus her cestus and told her the Olympiad would now recognize her as the new goddess of love for a new age. As Aphrodite was leaving, Venus asked what she was going to do now. Aphrodite responded, “find a new way.” [Incredible Hercules #138-141]