Spider told by the Roman poet Ovid in his "Metamorphoses", Arachne was a Lydian girl who challenged the goddess Athena to a weaving contest. Arachne won, but Athena destroyed her tapestry out of jealousy, causing Arachne to hang herself. In an act of mercy, Athena brought Arachne back to life as the first spider. Stories about the trickster-spider Anansi are prominent in the folk traditions of the Asante people of Ghana. In some cultures, spiders have symbolized patience due to their hunting technique of setting webs and waiting for prey, as well as mischief and malice due to their venomous bites.
Athena (Marvel Comics) Athena (Marvel Comics) Athena is a fictional deity appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is based on the Greek Goddess of the same name. Athena first appeared in the pages of "Thor" #164, written by Stan Lee and drawn by Jack Kirby. Athena first appeared in "Thor" #164 (May 1969), and was adapted from Greek mythology by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Athena is the daughter of Zeus and Metis, having emerged fully formed from her father's brow after Zeus consumed Metis in hopes of avoiding a male child who would succeed him, as he had