Astarte

History

Astarte is the goddess of fertility, sexual love, and war. In ancient times she was worshiped in Syria, Egypt, and the Phoenician colonies. She is a counterpart of Ishtar and is called Ashtoreth in the Old Testament. Astarte has been worshiped from the Bronze Age and all throughout classical antiquity. Astarte’s symbol is a star within a circle which is indicating the planet Venus. The representations of Astarte have often shown her naked. She has been tied to the evening star in several ancient Bronze Age historical evidence. The representation and name of Astarte has appeared in ancient script and it is particularly associated with her worship in the ancient cultures among the Canaanites and Phoenicians by the Levan.

Astarte was also celebrated throughout the lands of Egypt following the importation of Levantine cults to the area. The name Astarte was sometimes also applied to her cults in Mesopotamian cultures like Assyria and Babylonia. The Greeks had acquired knowledge of the goddess Astarte from previous empires in the Middle East and Egypt as has been proven in historical archeological digs. This goddess was called Ashtoreth in Hebrew and also in the Old Testament’s Greek version. The goddess Ashtoreth would later translated by the Greeks as Astarte, which became the early Greek name for the goddess until it would later be changed to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

Astarte has been an inspiration in several comic titles throughout the years and each character published with her name has taken her usual sensual aspects from ancient history. Here are a few of the characters which have been developed as a representation of Astarte in many publishes companies such as Comico, Marvel, DC Comics, and Image.

Astarte In Comics

Essential Storylines

DC Comics

Vertigo

Astarte appeared in the pages of Testament in December 14, 2011. Vertigo Comics published the title and it was written by Douglas Rushkoff and the art by Peter Gross and Gary Erskine.

Astarte, a goddess associated with fertility, sex and war, and Krishna, the celestial avatar of the god Vishnu. Astarte would join forces along with Moloch and Atum-ra and stood together to oppose Melchizedek, Elijah, and Krishna. Astarte and Vishnu would combine their essences during celestial intercourse, which is a source of conflict. For Astarte, by mingling herself with Vishnu, they are causing conflict of identity to the sacred story which will negatively impact the worshipers of Earth. For Krishna, though, this is what gods do, break boundaries and define order. But apparently these are just Krishna’s ways of seduction.

Astarte and Krishna are playing for different teams and their actions are upsetting to the team leaders. Astarte seems to be playing for the team led by Moloch and Atum-Ra who are striving for the dominant role of the “unnamed god” of the Judeo-Christian reality. On the other team, Krishna’s team, the team captains are Elijah. Astarte had been trying to destroy the media due to its misuse in its understanding of reality. Astarte and her team have conflicting ideas about the world of humans with the “faceless, nameless god” of the current reality-structure. Jake and his others are afloat on their boat, trying to stop Astarte and her group.

Comico Comics

Elementals

Astarte is the Semitic goddess of fertility, sexuality, and war. She is depicted in the series Elementals by Comico Comics and is first introduced as when the calling around the world to join the Super Nation against an alien invasion.

When Vortex asked the Haunting to marry him he asked Ratman to be his best man. Ratman threw a Bachelor Party for Vortex which included the goddess Astarte as a stripper. Astarte enjoyed onlookers chasing her with their eyes as she let out hedonistic desires on Earth. (Elementals: Ghost of a Chance-1995 Series #1 Fine Comics Book).

Powers and Abilities

Astarte seems to have had strong connections as a deity of both war and love in her ancient past. Although she had noted that her abilities had adhered more with powers over sensuality, and sexuality than she had as a goddess of war. Her role as a deity of her domain enables her to arouse love and sexual passion in others at will. Astarte also possesses the superhuman physical attributes of a Goddess.

Marvel Comics

X-Force

Astarte first appears in Marvel Comics publishing of the mutant heroes X-Force #93 in August,1999. She was created by John Francis Moore and Mike Miller.

Astarte is an member of the ancient race the Eternals, she long ago abandoned her people to work alongside the Damocles Foundation. This collection of Eternals, Deviants and humans were working together in order to obtain fruition of their own selfish motives. Astarte had served the Damocles Foundation since its beginning along with her partner Electryon. Astarte and Electryon would appear before the young mutant Danielle Moonstar and her teammates from the group X-Force in San Francisco. Together they manipulated X-Force and Danielle into traveling to a remote island to end what they saw as a “great threat”. In fact, the Eternals wanted to claim the power of an ancient king named Ry’lor for Damocles. X-Force discovered their deception and fought off the Eternals indeed winning the battle and stopping Asatre and the Damocles Foundation’s plans.

Powers and Abilities

Being an Eternal Astarte has the abilities of superhuman strength, levitation, illusion casting and projecting cosmic energy. She also has the capability to make males “fall in love” with her and do her biding. A special form of mind-control that she has practiced for a great amount of time in her life.

Image Comics

1963

In the series published by Image Comics 1963 by Alan Moore, Rick Veitch, Steve Bissette there is a pinup by Melinda Gebbie which shows “Astarte, Angel of Annihilation!” Image Comics published a story in Horus-Lord of Light, “Twelve Hours to Dawn!”

Powers and Abilities

Astarte seems to have had strong connections with both war and love/sexuality. Her role as a deity of her domain enables her to arouse love and sexual passion in others at will. Astarte also possesses the superhuman physical attributes of a Goddess.