Hera

"Giving you answers would make those answers invalid, that is the way of the Fates. You must forge your own path for it to mean anything. Already, you three have surprised me. I would not have thought it possible ..."

- Hera

Hera  is the Greek goddess of familial love, marriage, motherhood, and women. She is the elder sister and wife of Zeus, therefore making her Queen of Olympus. She is one of the daughters of Rhea and Kronos. Her Roman counterpart is Juno. Hera is portrayed by Erica Cerra in the film version of The Lightning Thief.

Birth and Rescue
Hera was the youngest daughter of Kronos, the Titan King of Mount Othrys, and his sister-wife Rhea, born after her sisters Hestia, and Demeter. Since she was their most beautiful daughter, Rhea had hoped that Hera would not get swallowed. However, since Hera was a goddess (a member of a more beautiful and powerful race of immortals than the Titans), Kronos, fearing that Hera would one day overpower him, quickly proceeded to swallow her whole as well. Hera, thus, spent her childhood undigested in her father's stomach along with her sisters, and two younger brothers (Hades, and Poseidon), who were swallowed shortly thereafter. As a result, Kronos became known as "The Cannibal King." Rhea pleaded with Kronos to spare their children but with no success, since even Kronos' great love for Rhea was not enough to overpower his selfish and evil nature. However, Rhea soon gave birth to her final child, Zeus, who she secretly raised on Crete, far away from Mount Othrys.

After growing up, Zeus successfully infiltrated Kronos' Palace on Mount Othrys as the Titan King's royal cup bearer. Hera was finally released during the final drinking competition that Kronos had with his Titanic brothers and nephews. Zeus poured an extremely powerful emetic (made from nectar mixed with mustard) into Kronos' goblet, which caused the Titan King to disgorge all of the contents of his stomach, in reverse order of swallowing: first the boulder, then Poseidon, followed by Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia. All of them had been growing undigested in Kronos' stomach, being gods.

Zeus quickly introduced himself to his elder siblings, and all of them (including Hera) promptly escaped Mount Othrys, before their Titanic uncles and cousins came to their senses. In Zeus' Cave, at the base of Mount Ida, Hera happily reunited with her beloved mother Rhea, who tearfully embraced her. Shortly thereafter, Hera and the other gods accepted Zeus as their leader, and reached a unanimous consensus on declaring war against their tyrannical father. However, since the Titans were well-armed, and the gods still had no weapons, Hera agreed to help Zeus release their Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheire uncles from Tartarus first.

Rescuing the Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires
Hera's brother Hades was very skilled in navigating under the earth, was able to lead them all into Tartarus (through a network of Underworld tunnels). There, imprisoned in the maximum-security zone, surrounded by huge bronze walls, and a lava moat, guarded fierce demons, were the Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires. Their guardian, Kampê, was the most ferocious and fearsome monster in all of Tartarus, and even Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades initially shuddered with horror when they saw the infernal monster for the first time. However, the gods overcame their fear, and were able to sneak in. Zeus managed to talk to the Cyclopes Brontes, and convinced him to forge powerful weapons for him and his siblings behind Kampê's back. The three Elder Cyclopes forged three incredibly powerful weapons: the Master Bolt (for Zeus), the Trident (for Poseidon), and the Helm of Darkness (for Hades). With these new weapons, Zeus killed Kampê, and Poseidon shattered the chains of the Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires, releasing them. Afterwards, Hades safely guided his siblings and uncles back out of Tartarus. In return, for their release, all six of Hera's uncles agreed to fight on her side in the upcoming war with the Titans.

The First Titanomachy
Shortly after their return from Tartarus, Hera and her siblings officially declared war on Kronos and the other Titans, which resulted in the terrifying 11-year-long Titanomachy. The Elder Cyclopes soon forged a mighty golden Lotus staff for Hera, which she bravely wielded in battle against the Titans. The Titans initially had the upper hand, since they were much more experienced warriors. However, as the years of the War passed, the gods quickly became skilled warriors as well, and with the help of their new extremely powerful weapons, as well as the aid of the Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires, the gods finally prevailed.

While preparing for the final battle of the War, Hera and her siblings ascended to Mount Olympus (the tallest mountain in Greece after Mount Orthys). During the final battle, Zeus used his Master Bolt to shear off the top of Mount Othrys, and hurl Kronos from his Black Throne, defeating the Titan King. Shortly thereafter, the gods invaded the ruins of Mount Orthys, and finally overwhelmed Atlas, Hyperion, Iapetus, Krios, and Koios.

In the aftermath of the battle, the Elder Cylopes chained up all of the defeated Titans, while the Hekatonkheires forced them to kneel before Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Zeus took his father's Scythe, and sliced Kronos into a thousand pieces, before casting him into Tartarus, along with the rest of his followers (except for General Atlas, who was forced to hold the Sky).

Becoming an Olympian Goddess
The gods chose Mount Olympus as their official residence, and the Elder Cyclopes build magnificent palaces there for them all. As a result, the gods started to call themselves the Olympians. Shortly thereafter, Hera's brothers Zeus, Poseidon and Hades divided world between themselves: Hades received the Underworld, Poseidon seized the seas and oceans, and Zeus claimed the heavens as his domain, and became the King of Mount Olympus, and the Olympian gods. As for Hera herself, she became the goddess of marriage, motherhood, and familial love.

Living with Oceanus and Tethys
Hera was the most beautiful Olympian goddess of all, and was desired by many gods and Titans. However, Hera also had a fierce and infamous temper, and would arrogantly rebuke anyone who ever tried to woo her. As a result, her mother Rhea decided to send Hera to Oceanus and Tethys, where she might learn to tame her temper and act mature. Hera spent a number of happy years with them, away from Mount Olympus. After seeing how stable and loving Oceanus and Tethys' marriage was, Hera decided to strive for a similar one for herself. Overall though, while Hera did manage to tame her infamous temper by the time of her return, many gods were still wary of openly flirting with her, since she was determined to find a perfect husband for herself.

Marriage to Zeus
Soon after her return, Hera caught the attention of Zeus himself. Both very beautiful and intelligent, it was only natural that he would be attracted to her, but while Hera had strong feelings for him as well, she refused to be another conquest for the King of the Gods. Zeus, however, was just as stubborn, and would not be dissuaded. He applied his excellent singing, dancing, and joking skills to entertain and woo Hera, but she would not initially give in. Zeus made a bet with Hera that if she would ever confess her love for him, she would become his bride.

A few days later, Zeus proceeded to generate a tremendous thunderstorm around Olympus, and cunningly disguised himself as an injured cuckoo. The cuckoo flew into Hera's chambers, just as she was shutting her windows, and proceeded to fall on the marble floor. The sympathetic goddess took what she thought was a defenseless creature in her arms, dried its feathers, and revived it with some divine nectar. On the next morning, the cuckoo did not seem inclined to leave, and affectionately rubbed its beak against Hera's finger. Hera admitted having grown quite fond of the bird herself, and gently cuddled it in her arms. At that very instant, the cuckoo transformed into mighty Zeus himself, still in Hera's embrace.

Although she was embarrassed and outraged by her brother's deception, Hera was very impressed at Zeus' cleverness and resourcefulness nonetheless. She finally agreed to become his consort on the condition that he married her, and remained loyal to her. Their wedding (which was described as the most magnificent and grandiose wedding in history) was held in a spectacular celebration on Mount Olympus, and was attended by many gods and neutral Titans. Zeus and Hera arrived on a huge golden chariot, steered by Eos (who illuminated the bride and bridegroom with brilliant rosy light), and the ceremony was lead by the three Fates themselves. Through her marriage to Zeus, Hera became the Queen of Mount Olympus and the Olympian gods. Zeus and Hera received great gifts from all of their wedding guests, but Hera's favorite was a magnificent apple tree (with golden apples) that she received from Gaea. Hera had the tree taken far off to the west, and planted in a beautiful orchard. Hera employed the Hesperides, daughters of Atlas, to guard the tree, but as the nymphs would occasionally pluck an apple from the tree themselves, she put a fierce one hundred headed dragon named Ladon there as well. This orchard was later named the Garden of the Hesperides.

The newlyweds enjoyed a wonderful honeymoon, and were both very happy with each other for 300 years, and had four divine children: Ares (the God of War), Hebe (the Goddess of Youth), Eileithyia (the Goddess of Childbirth), and Hephaestus (the God of Fire and Blacksmiths). However, Zeus eventually became restless, and it was not long before he began the first of his many affairs. Hera was infuriated frustrated to no end by his infidelity, and devoted most of her time to keeping Zeus in sight, as well as making the lives of his mistresses and illegitimate children miserable. Her hatred is most evident in the story of Hercules, whom she tried to kill repetitively. However, after Hercules was deified, Hera made peace with him, and became his mother-in-law through his marriage to her daughter Hebe.

Hera's Rivalry with Hephaestus
Hera's final son by Zeus was Hephaestus, the god of fire and blacksmiths. However, when Hera saw the unsightly appearance of her son, she threw him from Olympus, crippling him forever. Hephaestus landed in the sea, when he was found and raised by the Thetis, a kindly Nereid. However, Hera's act of cruelty haunted Hephaestus, and he sought revenge.

After spending nine years under the sea with Thetis, Hephaestus finally rode back to Mount Olympus on the back of a donkey. As he rode into the Olympian Throne Room, all of the gods (especially Hera) were shocked into silence. With him, Hephaestus had brought magnificent new thrones for all of the Olympians. Hera's throne was made from shining pure adamantium, making it particularly beautiful. An very impressed Hera quickly seated herself in it, and instantly, she was tightly bound by invisible and unbreakable chains. The chains grasped Hera so tightly, that she could not breathe, and all of the divine ichor in her veins flowed to her arms and legs. Both Ares and Hermes tried to convince Hephaestus to release his mother, but the latter remained stubborn and inexorable. Finally, his half-brother Dionysus (the god of wine), decided to take matters into his own hands. Dionysus began visiting Hephaestus' forge from time to time, and peacefully chatting with him. The two gods quickly became friends, and a week later, Dionysus introduced Hephaestus to wine, and finally convinced the intoxicated god to forgive Hera, and took him back to Mount Olympus on the back of a donkey. There, Hephaestus declared his forgiveness of Hera's act of cruelty, and releases her. Afterwards, Hephaestus and Hera made peace with each other.

Olympian Riot, and Hera's Punishment
Hera, enraged at her husband's infidelity, decided to start the first (and last) Olympian riot against Zeus. Hera managed to gain the support of Poseidon (who secretly desired to become King of the Olympian gods), as well as Apollo, and Athena. That evening, Apollo, Poseidon, and Athena hid themselves in the hall adjacent to Zeus' royal chambers, awaiting Hera's signal. As soon as Zeus had fallen asleep, all four of them quickly tightly bound the King of Olympus with unbreakable and tightening golden chains. Even chained up and completely immobilized, an infuriated Zeus looked very intimidating. Finally, Poseidon attempted to reason with his brother, and demanded that Zeus relinquish the throne. Zeus refused, which prompted Hera to advocate leaving him chained up in his chambers until he agrees. Shortly thereafter, the four Olympians departed for the Throne Room for the first (and last) democratic meeting of the Olympian Council, which proved to be a very cumbersome task. Fortunately, the violently trashing and bellowing King of Olympus was found by the Nereid Thetis. After convincing Zeus to be merciful towards the rioting Olympians, Thetis managed to find the Hekatonkheire Briares by the sea shore. He was more than happy to save Zeus, recalling that he owes his own freedom from Tartarus and Kampê to him. Briares quickly unchained Zeus, after which the latter seized his Master Bolt, and barged into the Throne Room, violently ending the meeting. Zeus remained true to his word, and was merciful towards the rioters, but he still punished them all accordingly.

Hera received the most severe punishment of all: Zeus chained her right above the terrifying Void of Chaos. Every day, Zeus would visit her, and threaten to severe the chains with his Master Bolt, and watch her tumble into the Void. Hephaestus could hear the wails of his mother all the way from Mount Olympus, which infuriated him, as he could not bear to hear her suffering such a harsh punishment. As a result, he finally set her free. Hera tearfully embraced him, and promised to never to call Hephaestus ugly ever again.

The Trojan War
When Eris, Goddess of Strife, threw the Apple of Discord into the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, bearing the inscription “For the Fairest”, Hera was one of the candidates to claim it. Paris, the prince of Troy, was chosen to judge between the three most beautiful goddesses, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Hera offered Paris the choice to become master of all Asia and Europe. She lost, however, to Aphrodite, for the Goddess of Love had offered Paris the love of the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen. Enraged, Hera, along with Athena, sided with the Greeks in the Trojan War in revenge against Paris.

The Titan's Curse
Hera is present at the winter solstice with the other Olympians. She votes for Percy Jackson and Thalia Grace to live.

The Battle of the Labyrinth
She aids Annabeth Chase and her group in their quest multiple times; by providing for them, by postponing the time of Annabeth’s critical decision, by giving the group a free pass through the Triple G Ranch, and by guiding Percy’s arrow as it pierced Geryon's hearts.

However, at the end of the book Annabeth accuses Hera of only wanting a perfect family, after hearing Hephaestus tell the story of how Hera threw him from Olympus. Annabeth also claims that Hera does not think much of her older brother Hades and his family and is very dismissive of Nico di Angelo and his problems. Hera responds with rage and states that Annabeth will regret being so disrespectful towards her. She proceeds to curse Annabeth with her sacred animals, causing cows to bother her all year by having them defecate everywhere.

When Hera had provided for them, she claims that her jealous behavior is all in the past now and that she and Zeus have received some excellent marriage counseling. Nevertheless, when Percy mentions Thalia Grace, Hera casts a dangerous look and refers to the daughter of Zeus with a sneer. Interestingly, when Hera mentions the last time her husband had a child with another woman, this would have been a reference to Jason Grace as he was born after Thalia. However, since Jason was given to Hera from Zeus as a peace offering, she might have excused Jason and had only been referring to Thalia, whom she has a great deal of spite for.

The Last Olympian
Hera joins the gods in the battle against Typhon. Meanwhile, in Manhattan, as Olympus begins to crumble, a statue of Hera almost falls on top of Annabeth. Thalia pushes Annabeth out of the way in time, but the statue lands on her legs, effectively incapacitating her. Annabeth assumes that Hera was trying to kill her, but this could just be an overreaction based on the argument they had in The Battle of the Labyrinth. After the battle is over, Hera, though somewhat disdainfully, congratulates the heroes on their triumph. She seems to force Ares to thank them as well, showing that she is grateful to them despite her general dislike of demigods.

The Lost Hero
Before the book begins, the goddess Khione lures her into a trap where she is ensnared in a cage that utilizes her power to awaken Porphyrion, and consequently, Gaea. She mostly appears in dreams and visions to convince Jason Grace, Piper McLean, and Leo Valdez to free her.

Later in the book, Leo realizes that Juno is imprisoned in the Wolf House, the same place where Jason's mother abandoned him to try and appease Juno, and where he grew up and met Lupa. Thalia Grace and the Hunters of Artemis travel there to fight off Lycaon's pack of werewolves and Khione long enough before Jason, Leo and Piper arrive.

When Jason, Leo and Piper arrive, Juno is weakened and the earth is rising around her as Porphyrion grows. She warns them that he will awake at sundown, when the monsters will also be at their strongest. Juno cannot intervene as the demigods battle Khione, Lycaon's wolves and the Earthborn as Khione had silenced her by encasing the cage in ice.

Piper uses her charmspeak to lull Gaea to sleep, making it easier for Leo to cut through Gaea’s connection to the cage. Meanwhile, Porphyrion awakens and battles Jason, but not before greeting Hera. Leo and Piper manage to free Hera, and she orders the demigods to shut their eyes as she transforms into her true divine form, unleashing her power which kills the monsters, restores the Wolf House to its previous state, and revives the Hunters from their frozen state. However, Jason does not close his eyes in time and nearly dies, but Piper manages to bring him back by using her Charmspeak and ordering him to wake up. The reason for Jason’s return to life, though, could probably be the imprisonment of Death.

Thalia and Hera have a short argument, but Piper intervenes. Hera transports the three campers back to Camp Half Blood. Later, Hera explains to Jason that he and Thalia had to be separated as their situation ― a child of Greece and Rome born into the same family ― is both dangerous and previously unknown of. She admits to Jason that she is so bitter towards heroes because she does not have any of her own demigod children, and her own godly sons, Ares and Hephaestus, are both disappointments. She also confesses to often never understanding Zeus' moods, but that his current actions are baffling even to her, bordering on paranoia. She becomes Jason's patron goddess, whether Jason likes it or not.

The Son of Neptune
Hera, in her Roman aspect of Juno, appears to Percy in the form of an old hippie woman calling herself 'June'. She tells Percy, who at the time is running away from Medusa's two sisters, that he has a choice. He could continue to the ocean where he would be safe from the snake women and live in safety, but doing so would leave her at their mercy; or he could carry her to the entrance of Camp Jupiter, and live a life of pain and possibility but regain his memory. Percy picks her up and carries her to the entrance before using his power over water to destroy the Gorgons.

June introduces him to the campers as Percy Jackson, a son of Neptune, and shows her godly form to everyone in camp. The campers bow in respect with the exception of Percy, who didn't feel she deserved his respect because he had to carry her for so long, almost getting killed along the way. Percy asks her for his life and memory back, but she declines saying he has to succeed at camp before handing him over to the Roman campers and disappearing in a shimmer of light.

She reappears in Percy's dream to talk with him and answer a few of his questions with no ill will, despite Percy's aggressiveness. She warns him Annabeth will be the one who will cause the most trouble in the future.

The Mark of Athena
Because of the fighting between the Roman and Greek demigods of Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood respectively, the gods become furious with Hera and she flees Olympus.

Personality
Hera seems to be a motherly goddess, most likely because she is the goddess of women, marriage, and children. According to Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Hera initially had such a fierce and infamous temper, that her mother Rhea sent her to Oceanus and Tethys, who raised Hera for a number of happy years. As a result, Hera was able to tame and keep her temper under control. She is still, however, very proud and jealous when provoked, insulted or shown unfaithfulness to. When furious, even Zeus himself can be afraid of his wife. She has huge dislike towards Annabeth Chase as she stated some facts about her true nature and other demigods, especially the demigods of her husband. There is an exception as she does not show this dislike to Jason, since she is his protector. According to Hephaestus, she only likes "perfect families," and her throwing him off of Olympus has made him very, very bitter towards his mother. However, as revealed in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, after Hephaestus saves her from being chained up over the Void of Chaos, Hera tearfully embraces him, and promises to never to call him ugly ever again.

Hera carries great loathing for the illegitimate children and mistresses of Zeus, though for good reason, as she is the goddess of marriage. Therefore, she is often portrayed as being extremely jealous of Zeus' mistresses and hates the other offspring. She is seen as often aware of Zeus' various affairs, many times thwarting them and tricking him into getting what she wants. Though perhaps her anger should be more keyed toward her husband, Hera seems to gain revenge by punishing the women involved as well as the children that result from his affairs, though this may be because Zeus is the more powerful than her. As goddess of marriage, Hera is "used to perseverance," and is always reconciled with Zeus despite his frequent infidelity. She expresses sadness over the loss of faith seen in the minor gods, and reminds Percy's group to always look at the big picture.

Although she often seems very proud and yet bitter, in The Lost Hero, it is strongly implied that Hera knows her duties as Queen of the Olympian family and takes them very seriously, going against her husband's will and devising a plan to unite Greek and Roman demigods whom she personally dislikes. She is ready to overcome her own wishes in order to save the gods and Olympus and thus, the Western civilization.

Hera also admits to Jason that she secretly envies the demigod children of the other gods, claiming that they help them connect with the mortal world in ways she can't. She will never have any of her own, however, because as goddess of marriage it is "not in her nature to be faithless." It is this part of her, though, that allows her to be merciful where the other gods cannot, as demonstrated by her favoring of the pure mortal Jason, who had no divine parent to guide him.

In The Son of Neptune, she is far more patient with Percy than before, visiting in a dream, but only complaining when Percy tried to attack her and never showing any signs of anger.

Appearance
As mentioned in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Hera is Kronos and Rhea's most beautiful daughter. She has very long, silver hair woven into braids with golden ribbons, a "sunny smile", and wears a lavish and dazzling white dress that ripples and "shimmers with colors" like oil on water when she moves. Hera also wears a glowing golden crown, and her arms are bedecked with golden jewelry. Hera has brilliant brown eyes and she is tall, graceful, and incredibly beautiful. However, when provoked, Hera looks extremely intimidating, with her eyes "glazed with power" and her sneer "worse than an Empousa's." According to Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, even Zeus himself is afraid of her and her temper, when she is in this state. In The Lost Hero, as soon as she was released from her cage, Jason describes Hera's enraged face as "both terrible and beautiful." Her Divine Form is described as an exploding supernova ring of force, which vaporises every monster around her instantly.

Abilities
As an Elder Olympian, Hera is an extremely powerful goddess. While the full extent of her powers is unknown, Percy Jackson's Greek Gods describes her as more powerful than her sisters Hestia and Demeter.
 * Prowess in Battle: Hera is known to have fought bravely in the First Titanomachy.
 * Aerokinesis: As the wife of Zeus, Hera can manipulate air structures, since in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Hera is flying on a golden cloud, while spying on Zeus and Semele.
 * Geokinesis (limited): in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Hera induced all "rooted lands" to deny sanctuary to Leto, and threatened to curse them otherwise. However, the floating island of Delos just so happened to be a loophole in Hera' scheme.
 * Matrimony: as the Goddess of Marriage, Hera might have some special powers pertaining to marriage, and matrimonial happiness.
 * Hera is able to conjure delicious food on a marble table, as shown in the Labyrinth.
 * Hera is able to make things clean and orderly like a mother.
 * With a flick of her finger, Hera made Annabeth's hair comb itself, while all of the dirt and grime disappeared from her face.
 * As the Goddess of Home and Family, all things related to home and family relationships are under Hera's power. In The Lost Hero, it is mentioned that Hera is the "glue" that holds the Olympians' family together, and the absence of her "motherly figure" could unravel the stability of Olympus, and shake the foundations of the world.

Romance
Although she is a matron goddess, Hera is known to regain her virginity every year by a sacred bath so she can celebrate her hierogamy (sacred marriage) to Zeus. She is one of the most beautiful goddesses on Olympus and was often desired by others. Despite his many infidelities, Zeus loves her very much, was very jealous and punished anyone who dared to approach her, such as King Ixion of Thessaly and Porphyrion of the giants.

Children

 * Ares
 * Eileithyia
 * Enyo
 * Hebe
 * Hephaestus
 * Eris (occasionally, as she is also said to be a child of Nyx)

Symbols
Some of Hera's symbols are:
 * The peacock (bird)
 * The cow (animal)
 * Pomegranate (fruit)
 * Lotus staff (symbol)
 * Diadem

The Lightning Thief
Hera is played by Erica Cerra. She makes a brief appearance near the end of the movie, attending the Olympian Council.

Trivia

 * Hera's name is an anagram of her mother's name, Rhea.
 * Hera is the most beautiful Elder Olympian goddess, much like how her mother Rhea is the most beautiful Elder Titaness.
 * Hera is derived from 'heros which means "defender, protector" in Ancient Greek.
 * The month of the year is named after Hera's Roman counterpart (June) which is incidentally when many women choose to get married.
 * Juno was called Moneta, meaning "Warner" in Latin, which is most likely why she warned Camp Jupiter, at the beginning of The Son of Neptune.
 * Hera is called the Goddess of Home, yet Hestia is the goddess of the Hearth and home.
 * As revealed in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, after the Titanomachy, Oceanus and Tethys raised Hera for years, and helped her tame her infamous temper.
 * As revealed in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Zeus stayed completelly loyal to Hera for 300 years after their wedding.
 * One of the few things that Zeus fears is Hera's ferocious rage.
 * In Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, after her unsuccessful Olympian riot, Hera is chained by Zeus right above the Void of Chaos. However, she is later rescued by her son Hephaestus.
 * Interestingly, while Chiron refers to Hera as the "glue" that holds the Olympians' family together, Hera herself refers to Percy as the "glue" that holds the Seven Heroes of Olympus together.
 * As of The Mark of Athena, Hera/Juno is the only major Olympian who has fled from Mount Olympus, to escape the wrath of her incapacitated family.
 * In Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, through an unknown method, Hera got pregnant with Hephaestus, by herself. This may explain why Hephaestus was deformed at birth.