Medusa - the original Lashiec?

We know that Lashiec was revived for PSIV and we've had speculation on the question of Zio's possible revival. Both revivals would/could happen because those guys served Dark Force. Now, let's take it a step further. Let's look at Medusa.

In PSI, we're told that Medusa had been defeated by Perseus long ago and has just recently revived. Since she guards one of the Laconia weapons that Lashiec fears and dead people don't revive on their own, it's safe to think that this was the work of Dark Force.

So, here's my question for you. Was Medusa a servant of Dark Force in her original life, long before the time of Lashiec and Alis? Was she revived as part of pact with DF, like Lashiec was later?

I think she may have been, but I'll see what some of you have to say before going into my reasons and thoughts on the subject.

Come to think of there were a lot of mythical creatures in Phantasy Star I. Centaurs, Medusa, wyverns, golems, giants, titans etc. Speaking of which it was never explained how Zio turned the people in Zema into stone? Maybe he summoned Medusa and destroyed her afterwards?

Medusa could have been a mythical creature from legend, defeated by Perseus but unaffiliated with Dark Force. DF could have resurrected her nonetheless. Perhaps resurrection gave him some form of control over Medusa, even if she never served him in life.

[face=Verdana]
Since we use psycho(wand) on Zio I performed a search of Psycho(analysis) interpretations of Medusa in Wikipedia:
«1940, Sigmund Freud's Das Medusenhaupt (Medusa's Head) was published posthumously. (…) Medusa is presented as “the supreme talisman who provides the image of castration (…) The snakes are multiple phalluses* and petrifaction represents the comforting erection»

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*- we have a connection here because it was Dark phallus/Pro phallus to give her life. Besides in both games (PS1 and IV) turning people into stone was a method used to serve DF purposes, so that power comes directly from DF > so... no doubt about this subject.

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Was Medusa a servant of Dark Force in her original life, long before the time of Lashiec and Alis?

Since that power is used with Zio it could mean DF has the power to give that skill (called ‘magic’ in PS4) to any of its followers.

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Was she revived as part of pact with DF, like Lashiec was later?

It makes sense. Maybe she was the first “Lashiec” (as title of this thread suggests) and Persus the first “protector”, but since DF didn’t got out from is hole at that time the struggle was somewhat passive. Anyway it is possible that after PS1 she was resurrected (1000 years latter) since Ashline also exists in PS4 (motavians must have kept that for a good reason) but I still think Zio (at least in 2284AW) has done the job by himself (which would mean someone killed her years before PSIV). Zio also seems half monster (maybe his [medusa?] hand is what makes him able to perform that stone ‘magic’?).


[/face]

Shinuzzo wrote:

Speaking of which it was never explained how Zio turned the people in Zema into stone? Maybe he summoned Medusa and destroyed her afterwards?

It was never specifically explained, but Alys did call it an "ancient curse," suggesting that the knowledge of Medusa is still around somehow.

newsblade wrote:

since Ashline also exists in PS4 (motavians must have kept that for a good reason)

I bet Lutz is behind that. It fits with the pattern of leaving important items on Motavia for future generations. The place the Ashline was stored was in pretty bad shape, as if it had been there for a long time.


In addition to some of the things already mentioned, like the stone power and the revival, there are a few other similarities between Lashiec, Zio, and Medusa that prompted me to consider the idea of Medusa being a DF servant in the past.

DF promises immorality to both Lashiec and Zio. We saw how it was granted to Lashiec: as a transformation in a monstrous being. Zio also had a taste of this, with his monster hand. Others were also transformed, though not willingly. In the Greek myths, Medusa underwent a similar change. Originally, she was a beautiful creature but became corrupted and turned into the snake headed monster.

Lashiec and Zio had their own fortresses, both constructed by Dark Force. The only other villain to have a dedicated base like that is Medusa, at Medusa's Tower. Perhaps she was a bit more important than the average underling. She doesn't seem to have the restriction of not leaving the tower like resurrected Lashiec, but she might still be tied to it somehow.

impressive PS team should have read this forum before created the PS1 remake

Thoul wrote:

In the Greek myths, Medusa underwent a similar change. Originally, she was a beautiful creature but became corrupted and turned into the snake headed monster.

Wasn't Medusa transformed by Athena as punishment for something? I think that's one version. The other version says Medusa is one of the Gorgons and definitely a monster from the start.

Just imagine if Medusa was part vampire. lol