''Pantheon High'' is an

original English-language manga An original English-language manga or OEL manga is a comic book or graphic novel drawn in the style of manga and originally published in English. The term "international manga", as used by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, encompasses al ...

written by Paul Benjamin and illustrated by

Steven Cummings Steven Cummings is an People of the United States, American comic book artist. Biography Presented his first professional work by DC Comics editing, editor Bob Schreck, Steven Cummings penciled an unpublished inventory issue of Green Lantern fe ...

, with inking by Cummings' wife, Megumi. It is published in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

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Tokyopop Tokyopop (styled TOKYOPOP; formerly known as Mixx Entertainment) is an American distributor, licensor and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa and Western manga-style works. The German publishing division produces German translations of licens ...

Plot

Pantheon High is a school for the

demi-god A demigod is a part-human and part-divine offspring of a deity and a human, or a human or non-human creature that is accorded divine status after death, or someone who has attained the " divine spark" ( divine illumination). An immortal demigod ...

children of various deities. Among the many attending the school is the troubled daughter of Tyr, the (seemingly) suicidal son of

Hades Hades (; , , later ), in the ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, is the god of the dead and the king of the Greek underworld, underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea ...

, the popular daughter of the Egyptian sun God Ra, and the extremely lucky son of

Benten is an East Asian Buddhist goddess who originated from the Hindu Saraswati, the patroness of speech, the arts, and learning. Worship of Benzaiten arrived in Japan during the sixth through eighth centuries, mainly via Classical Chinese transl ...

, the Japanese goddess of luck, love and the arts. Several of the more amoral children develop a plan to become full blown gods, leaving only a few of the students to oppose them. Book two begins with two of the protagonists attending another school as the repercussions of the Pantheon High events are still being worked out. Once again, popular cliques and abusive students cause minor problems. Additionally, once everyone returns to Pantheon High, the protagonists discover a plot by four evil gods—Chronus, Susano, Set, and Loki—that could result in the destruction of their friends and all other divinities. Book three features the four protagonists chasing down three of the villains from the first volume, who escaped captivity in volume 2. At the same time, the masterminds of all the evil deeds thus far complete their plans and brainwash all the other students as well as their divine parents. The protagonists must return to Pantheon High to fight to free their friends and save all the pantheons.

Gods

It is mentioned in the preview for second book that despite the fact that only children of Egyptian, Norse, Japanese, and Greek gods go to Pantheon High, children of

Aztec The Aztecs ( ) were a Mesoamerican civilization that flourished in central Mexico in the Post-Classic stage, post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

an and

Mesopotamian Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary o ...

deities go to rival school Gilgamesh High. A Chinese pantheon has been mentioned, but the student from that pantheon turned out to be a morphed Loki. All gods in the series are incredibly powerful compared to a normal mortal, and their power is concentrated in an "icon", a weapon or item that symbolized themselves, like Zeus' thunderbolts, Hades' helm, Thor's hammer (Mjölnir). When the icon is broken, the immortal disappears, but immortals can apparently have their icons replaced or taken and not disappear. So far, it is unknown if the rest of the world knows of the gods. Modern day vehicles are seen parked side by side with other more exotic forms of transportation, such as flying boats and war-elephants.

Main characters

*Aziza el Ra: Aziza is the daughter of Ra, the sun god that is the head of the Egyptian pantheon. A popular cheerleader, she has the power to control her internal temperature, which comes in good use many times. She is also very arrogant, looks down on her classmates and is quite self-absorbed. Over time, however, she mellows out and becomes a kinder person. *Grace Morgenstern: Grace is the daughter of Tyr, the Norse God of war, but unlike her father, Grace likes to study and finds it pointless to fight. As a 'Tyrspawn', it is foretold she will lose a hand, which effects her deeply in multiple aspects of the story. She's the classic straight A+ student. *Griffin Pierce: Griffin is the son of

, the Greek lord of the Underworld (not to be confused with Thanatos, the personification of death). His mortal mother is dead and he lives with foster parents. Griffin wants to be with his birth parents, so he comes across as what would be considered suicidal. He spreads the rumor he has a 'death touch', which isn't exactly true. He can however inflict poetic justice on an opponent, such as giving them swirlies in a toilet (Son of Argus' punishment) or barraging them with dodgeballs (Abby's punishment). He was killed thrice in the 1st volume, but was sent back to the living by

Charon (mythology) In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon ( ; ) is a psychopomp, the ferryman of the Greek underworld. He carries the souls of those who have been given funeral rites across the rivers Acheron and Styx, which separate the worlds of the living an ...

because his dad wanted him to live. *Yukio Takahashi: Son of the Japanese luck goddess Benten. Yukio has excellent grades despite never studying thanks to his supernatural luck, and is a sports star as well. His typical teenage maleness interferes with his luck; at one point he crashes into a wall during battle as a female adversary had become attractively over-exposed.

Minor characters

*Principal Prometheus: The principal of Pantheon High, and a

Titan Titan most often refers to: * Titan (moon), the largest moon of Saturn * Titans, a race of deities in Greek mythology Titan or Titans may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional entities Fictional locations * Titan in fiction, fictiona ...

. Tries to convince the school board to bring back an old punishment (having an eagle rip out their livers, mimicking the punishment imposed on him by

Zeus Zeus (, ) is the chief deity of the List of Greek deities, Greek pantheon. He is a sky father, sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, who rules as king of the gods on Mount Olympus. Zeus is the child ...

.) The mastermind of all the evil plots; is returned to his old punishment following the exposure of his plot and his murder of Ra at the end of the series. *Mr. Heimdallson: The hall monitor, son of

Heimdall In Norse mythology, Heimdall (from Old Norse Heimdallr; modern Icelandic language, Icelandic Heimdallur) is a Æsir, god. He is the son of Odin and nine mothers. Heimdall keeps watch for invaders and the onset of Ragnarök from his dwelling Himi ...

. Eaten by

Jormundgand ''Jormundgand'' is Helheim's debut full-length album, released in 1995. The limited LP version has alternative artwork. The CD version has a bonus track "Galder". Female vocals are performed by Mailin. Track listing *All Lyrics By Vanargandr. ...

, the

Midgard In Germanic cosmology, Midgard (an anglicised form of Old Norse ; Old English , Old Saxon , Old High German , and Gothic ''Midjun-gards''; "middle yard", "middle enclosure") is the name for Earth (equivalent in meaning to the Greek term : oikou ...

serpent and brother of

Fenrir Fenrir (Old Norse 'fen-dweller')Orchard (1997:42). or Fenrisúlfr (Old Norse "Fenrir's wolf", often translated "Fenris-wolf"),Simek (2007:81). also referred to as Hróðvitnir (Old Norse "fame-wolf")Simek (2007:160). and Vánagandr (Old Nors ...

. *Tierce: The school's mascot, a

chimera Chimera, Chimaera, or Chimaira (Greek for " she-goat") originally referred to: * Chimera (mythology), a fire-breathing monster of ancient Lycia said to combine parts from multiple animals * Mount Chimaera, a fire-spewing region of Lycia or Cilicia ...

. Initially fierce and dangerous, he becomes meek and more like a dog after Grace defeats him. *Coach Hercules: The famous hero and son of

. He's the gym teacher and coach for the school *Chris Lokispawn: Loki's child, whose gender is unknown. Even less can be said with their gender neutral name and ability to shapeshift. It leaves it even more ambiguous when they say they doesn't use the locker rooms, saying "I don't need a locker room to change" and "this place smells like anus", when referring to the boy's locker room. They avoid the eagle torture by moving their liver to the outside and severing their nerves. Eventually they escape and help the kids, but Yukio remarks that "He..er...she...er...Chris is only looking out for Chris." Chris additionally helps the protagonists several times in Volume 3. *Fadil el Set: Son of

Set Set, The Set, SET or SETS may refer to: Science, technology, and mathematics Mathematics *Set (mathematics), a collection of elements *Category of sets, the category whose objects and morphisms are sets and total functions, respectively Electro ...

, Egyptian god of

evil Evil, as a concept, is usually defined as profoundly immoral behavior, and it is related to acts that cause unnecessary pain and suffering to others. Evil is commonly seen as the opposite, or sometimes absence, of good. It can be an extreme ...

chaos Chaos or CHAOS may refer to: Science, technology, and astronomy * '' Chaos: Making a New Science'', a 1987 book by James Gleick * Chaos (company), a Bulgarian rendering and simulation software company * ''Chaos'' (genus), a genus of amoebae * ...

, and the

desert A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the la ...

. Known for being a gangsta wanna-be, though he lives in

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...

. Chris Lokispawn reveals that his "gangsta talk" is more torture than having to have their liver ripped out. He is the only one to actually get the torture of having his liver ripped out. *Abby: Daughter of

Cronus In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Cronus, Cronos, or Kronos ( or ; ) was the leader and youngest of the Titans, the children of Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (mythology), Uranus (Sky). He overthrew his father and ruled dur ...

, ruler of the Titans (not

Chronos Chronos (; ; , Modern Greek: ), also spelled Chronus, is a personification of time in Greek mythology, who is also discussed in pre-Socratic philosophy and later literature. Chronos is frequently confused with, or perhaps consciously identified ...

, the Greek god of

time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

). She is known for her violent temper and immense dislike of Griffin, whom she constantly calls "

pervert Perversion is a form of human behavior which is far from what is considered to be orthodox or normal. Although the term ''perversion'' can refer to a variety of forms of ''deviation'', it is most often used to describe sexual behaviors that are ...

." She is also known for her third eye, symbolizing her father also being the brother of the

Cyclopes In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; , ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguished. In Hesiod's ''The ...

. She is incredibly tough, being both the MVP on the Tlachtli team and having unbreakable skin. This skin saves her from the eagle torture. However, she can be damaged through blunt force. *Yutaka: son of Susano, Japanese god of

storms A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm) ...

thunder Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...

, and evil. He is quite full of himself, and only pretends to like Aziza to get her to drink the enchanted

ambrosia In the ancient Greek mythology, Greek myths, ambrosia (, ) is the food or drink of the Greek gods, and is often depicted as conferring longevity or immortality upon whoever consumed it. It was brought to the gods in Mount Olympus, Olympus by do ...

. However, she gets too hot and she boils the potion, initially starting the four's downfall. His father looks nothing like him, however, resembling a samurai. He electrocutes the eagle sent to torture him. *Joanna el Isis: Daughter of

Isis Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...

, Egyptian goddess of magic, motherhood and fertility. She is a friend of Aziza and Katya as well as being a fellow cheerleader. She is a powerful sorceress who can summon the winds and sands of the Nile as well as other mystical feats. She and Katya had a falling out over Yukio, who they were both attracted to because of his luck powers. However Yukio made them patch things up. She helped Yukio and Katya defend Tierce from a rival school and helped Aziza and Yukio fight off the friends of the evil demi-gods. Has a magical scarab so she can contact her mother. At the Homecoming Dance she ends up with Todd Templeton. *Katya el Bastet: Daughter of the cat-goddess

Bastet Bastet or Bast (), also known as Ubasti or Bubastis, is a goddess of ancient Egyptian religion, possibly of Nubian origin, worshipped as early as the Second Dynasty (2890 BC). In ancient Greek religion, she was known as Ailuros (). Bastet was ...

. A friend of Aziza and Joanna and a cheerleader. She has a human form (but still has cat ears), and also a feral form for fighting. She has a psychic link with her familiar, a cat Scarab. Had a falling out with Joanna over Yukio, who they were both attracted to because of his luck powers. However Yukio made them patch things up. She helped Yukio and Joanna defend Tierce from a rival school and helped Aziza and Yukio fight off the friends of the evil demi-gods. At the Homecoming Dance she ends up with Einar Thorson.

References

*Sparrow, A.E.
Join the Gods: Pantheon High Vol. 1 Review
''

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

'', February 20, 2007. Pantheon High, Volume One

External links

Pantheon High Volume 1

Steven Cummings' official blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pantheon High Fantasy comics Tokyopop titles 2007 comics debuts Mythology in popular culture