Abstract
This paper explores the recurring theme of god-killing objects in modern audiovisual receptions of Greek mythology, focusing on how contemporary media reimagines divine vulnerability through interstitial states. While Greek myths generally represented deities as immortal and unaging, some ancient texts hinted at their potential vulnerability (Paprocki 2020; Paprocki et al. 2025). Vincent Tomasso (2015) and Joel Gordon (2017) demonstrated that the paradoxical theme of a vulnerable immortal, uncommon in ancient Greek myth, gained more purchase in popular culture of the 1990s. Tomasso argues that depictions of dying Greek deities in modern media often portray them as either withering away due to lack of worship or being violently slain by mortals or other deities. Depictions of deicide first became popular in comics (beginning with DC’s crossover series The War of the Gods, 1991), then in television (occasionally in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, 1995–1999, and more prominently in Xena: Warrior Princess, 1995–2001), in video games (such as the God of War series, 2005–present), and by the 2010s, in Hollywood blockbusters like Immortals (2011) and Wrath of the Titans (2012).
As in ancient Greek myths, divine vulnerability in its modern receptions often occurs in liminal spaces or through paradoxical circumstances. While the means to overcome divine immortality in modern screen texts are often unspecified or attributed to brute force, some creators embed deicidal ability within implements or artifacts. Such objects can mortalise an immortal in at least two ways: through ingestion or exposure to mortality-inducing substances, or through weapons that directly overcome divine vitality. These weapons are often crafted in unusual circumstances or from unusual materials, bridging the gap between mortal and immortal.
Drawing on Bruce Lincoln’s concept of interstitial phenomena—liminal circumstances enabling extraordinary events (1982: 84; Burton 2001: 54)—we interpret god-killing implements as interstitial fissures through which mortality irrupts into immortal bodies. Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess depict god-killing objects such as the rib of Kronos or the blood of a Golden Hind. The rib of Kronos, a bone from a murdered Titan wielded by mortal Hercules to kill Zeus, exemplifies the interstitial nature of deicidal weapons. The blood of a Golden Hind comes from a rare liminal being, neither fully mortal nor divine. Similarly, The Magicians (2015-2020) television series features interstitial deicides: mortal wizards use Ars Deicidium (sic), a fictional magical textbook, to create god-killing implements such as bullets or swords imbued with the essence of a dying deity. We interpret these implements as fusions of mortal craftsmanship and divine essence, occupying an interstitial space between human technology and godly power.
By analyzing these portrayals, we explore how modern narratives use interstitial phenomena to reimagine ancient concepts of divine vulnerability. This presentation illuminates the evolution of mythological concepts in popular culture and provides insight into how contemporary society grapples with ideas of liminality, power structures, and the blurring lines between technology and magic.