Xena: Contest of Pantheons

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Xena™ Volume #1: Contest of the Pantheons

Cover of Xena™ Warrior Princess: Contest of Pantheons TPB
Publisher Dynamite Entertainment
Date 2007
Series Xena: Warrior Princess
Creative team
Writer(s) John Layman
Artist(s) Fabiano Neves
Penciller(s) Simon Bowland
Colorist(s) Richard Isanove Issue #1, Chris Garcia Issues #2-4
Original publication
Published in Dynamite Entertainment
Issue(s) 1-4
Language English
ISBN ISBN 1-933305-35-5

Xena™ Volume #1: Contest of the Pantheons was the first trade paperback collection of the Xena comic series publised by Dynamite Entertainment, collating volume #1 to #4.

Contents

[edit] Prologue

The theft of a necklace, which was a gift from the Sun-God Ra to the goddess Isis, from an Egyptian temple during a surprise visit from a delegation from the Greek pantheon, sparked off a war in the air, on the land and in the sea, between the Egyptian pantheon and the Greek pantheon, involving their mortal followers as well. Caught in the crossfire were all other mortals who had to pay to price when gods wage war.

[edit] Part One: Holy Acrimony

Xena and Gabrielle were sailing on a ship at sea that came under attack by a gigantic marine hydra, one of the calamity befalling the mortals caught in the midst of the war of the gods.

Xena managed to slay the hydra, but the ship was destroyed. Xena and Gabrielle survived by getting on a lifeboat, only to discover Joxer present too, having stowed away on their ship.

When they finally made to the shore, they came across a Greek village being burned and ravaged by minotaur-like creatures, later known as Apis[1].

Assessing that they were no match for the supernatural creatures, Xena ordered her companions to flee with her, only to discover Autolycus tied to a tree by a group of men he tried to steal from. Xena intervened reluctantly at Gabrielle's behest, only to find herself facing a giant named Levitriol.

In the court of Zeus on Mount Olympus, an emissary from Ra arrived to propose the conflict to be decided by a mortal champion from each side, pointing out the continuation of the war would result in more deaths of followers on both side, leaving no worshippers for either pantheon in the end.

After conferring with the other Olympians, Zeus was in favour of the Egyptian proposal, and asked for nominations for the champion. Hercules, Ulysses[2], Jason, Perseus and Achilles were names brought up.

Hades nominated Callisto, but Ares proposed Xena.

The Greek gods watched the Xena combat Levitriol, whom Ares suggested had Frost Giant in his bloodline. Zeus decided the champion to be the one who defeats Levitriol, who by a twist of fate, died by Gabrielle's weapon.

[edit] Part Two: Pantheon Pandemonium

Xena, Gabrielle, Joxer and Autolycus suddenly found themselves in the divine court where the Greek and Egyptian pantheon of gods were conferring. As Levitriol died at Gabrielle's hands, she found herself chosen to be the Greek's champion.

When they saw the Egyptian champion, Fierosis, Xena thought quickly and had Autolycus to use his eloquence to persuade the gods to modify the contest to between teams instead of individuals from each side.

The joke was on Autolycus when he found himself, along with Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer, to be part of the Greek team. Ra simply added four of his best fighting apis to Fierosis.

The contest began immediately.

In the underworld, Hades summoned Callisto and despatched her to join the Greek team. When Anubis appeared, Hades pointed out he merely made the size of both teams equal. Anubis launched a surprise attack on Hades.

Considering the strength of her team, Xena decided to lead them to run to buy time to make a plan instead. Callisto appeared and they fell into blows until they realised they were supposed to be on the same team.

Callito was still thinking whether she should help Xena and be released from Hades if they won, when the Egyptian champions appeared.

[edit] Part Three: Stalk Like an Egyptian

Xena let Callisto take charge, who in turn led the team to Mount Dethuzius, a cursed fiery volano supposedly forsaken by the gods themselves.

The team found a cave occupied by a pair of Storm Giants. Thinking quickly, Xena had her team entertain the giants as dancing girls until Fierosis and the apis caught up.

The Egyptians attacked Xena's team, not realising they were provoking the storm giants, who easily trounced Fierosis and the apis.

When Xena and her companions emerged from the cave though, they were confronted by an army of Egyptian dead. Just as they were wondering what it meant and what to do, Callisto stabbed Xena and Autolycus in the back and killed them.

[edit] Part Four: Undead Reckoning

Being a servant of Hades, Callisto was able to command the Egyptian dead army of Anubis to follow her commands and led Gabrielle and Joxer bound, and marched together to Anubis.

In Tartarus, Xena and Autolycus found Hades' realm strangely deserted. They managed to find Hades who was bound by the dead Fierosis, and the four apis killed by the storm giants.

On Mount Olympus, Zeus and Ra found too late that Anubis had became twice as powerful and unstoppable after absorbing Hades' realm.

Back in Tartarus, choked by Fierosis who was imbued with a portion of divine power, Xena managed to use her chakram to free Hades, who proceeded to resume control over his realm.

Back on Mount Olympus where the dead army arrived with Callisto, Gabrielle and Joxer, Anubis considered Callisto offer of service and ordered her to slay her two companions. Callisto managed to stall long enough for Xena to arrive.

It turned out that when Callito saw the Egyptian army of the dead, she deduced Hades was captured by Anubis, and killed Xena in order to send her to rescue Hades.

[edit] Epiloque

Both pantheons resolved their conflict, and Anubis became a prisoner of Hades. It turned out the stolen necklace which triggered the war was stolen by Autolycus.

[edit] References

  1. ^ The comic made Apis a type of bull-headed guards serving the Egyptian gods, not the Apis of Egyptian mythology.
  2. ^ The comic used Ulyssess, the Latin name instead of the Greek name Odysseus.