In Greek mythology, Cassandra was a princess of Troy who possessed the gift of prophecy. However, her gift came with a curse - no one believed her prophecies. This curse, known as the "curse of Cassandra," was a tragic twist of fate for an individual who could foresee future events but was always ignored. According to the myth, Cassandra was granted the gift of prophecy by the god Apollo. However, when she refused his advances, he altered her gift, causing her prophecies to be accurate but never believed by those around her. This curse plagued Cassandra throughout her life and ultimately led to the downfall of Troy.
This curse plagued Cassandra throughout her life and ultimately led to the downfall of Troy. Cassandra foresaw the Trojan War and the ultimate fate of her city, but her warnings were ignored, and she was dismissed as mad. This lack of belief and understanding ultimately led to the destruction of Troy and the death of Cassandra herself.
Comic Book / Alpha Flight
"We're the Canadian Football League of superhero teams! (Except, of course, our best heroes don't go to the U.S. and join the Avengers.) But if supervillains ever threaten Campbelltown, New Brunswick, you'll be glad we're here!"
— Marvel Year in Review 1993Alpha Flight is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics, noteworthy for being one of the few Canadian superhero teams. Created by comic book writer/artist John Byrne — who is himself Canadian — the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 (April 1979). It is considered an X-Men spinoff even though they are more like Canadian Avengers. Throughout most of its history, the team has worked for Department H, a fictitious branch of Canada's Department of National Defence that deals with super-powered persons. Most team members have distinctly Canadian attributes, such as Inuit or First Nations heritage. Their name refers to the three levels of training that team members undergo- Alpha, Beta and Gamma- with Gamma Flight being the least trained and Alpha Flight the best. The other flights tend to act as sidekicks for Alpha (though one version of Gamma Flight went rogue.)
The team was originally just a part of Wolverine's backstory; he left Alpha Flight to join the X-Men. Their first appearance was an attempt to force him to return, during which a fight ensued. They proved popular with readers and after a second appearance in the pages of X-Men in 1983, Byrne launched an eponymous series featuring the group, which continued until 1994. Three short-lived revivals have been attempted since, the most recent titled Omega Flight, in April 2007. Most infamously, the entire team was killed off in one panel just to set up how dangerous The Collective, a new Avengers foe, was.
- Guardian/Vindicator (James MacDonald Hudson), a scientist and later, his wife Heather, wearing a suit of Powered Armor with Canadian nationalistic motifs.
- Sasquatch (Walter Langkowski), another scientist with the ability to turn into a superstrong monster form (named after another word for 'bigfoot').
- Shaman (Michael Twoyoungmen), a Magical First Nations with a pouch that could provide a lot of magical objects.
- Snowbird, an Inuit demi-goddess who can transform into an albino female version of any animal (including some legendary ones).
- Aurora (Jeanne-Marie Beaubier) and Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier), Half-Identical Twins with flight, Super-Speed and the ability to generate intense light when they touch.
- Box (Roger Bochs), a robot suit of armor that could carry its pilot inside (and thus a 'box'; his friend and eventual successor, Madison Jeffries, is a technopath who can turn into the robot himself)
- Puck (Eugene Judd), a Pint-Sized Powerhouse and Badass Normal, though it was later retconned that he had superhuman strength and skin like compressed rubber, as well as inhuman agility and reflexes (named after a hockey puck—he's small, fast, and hard).
The original team's dead members were resurrected during 2010-11's Chaos War, and the reunited team has an eight-part maxiseries in 2011-12, tying into Marvel's Fear Itself event. It was boosted to be an ongoing, but Marvel pushed it back to an eight-parter after sales dropped off.
As of All-New, All-Different Marvel, the Alpha Flight program - including Aurora, Sasquatch, Puck, and Abigail Brand - has replaced S.W.O.R.D. as Earth's primary defense against alien threats, under the command of Captain Marvel. They are appearing as supporting characters in her comic.
- Alpha Flight vol.1 (1983)
- X-Men / Alpha Flight vol.1 (1985)
- Alpha Flight vol.2 (1997)
- X-Men / Alpha Flight vol.2 (1998). An Interquel set early in the 1983 series. When a villain uses Guardian's early prototype battle suits to attack the X-Men, Alpha Flight come to their assistance.
- Alpha Flight vol.3 (2004)
- Chaos War: Alpha Flight (2010)
- Alpha Flight vol.4 (2011). A limited series rooted in the Fear Itself event, with a villain taking advantage of the global chaos to conceal their own plans.
- Alpha Flight: True North (2019)
- Alpha Flight vol.5 (2023)
The curse of Cassandra serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of not listening to wisdom and foresight. It highlights the consequences of ignoring the knowledge of those who possess unique insights but are not taken seriously. Cassandra's tragic fate reminds us of the importance of heeding the warnings of those who can see things others cannot. In a broader sense, the curse of Cassandra can be seen as a metaphor for the tendency of humans to disregard or dismiss important information or warnings. It serves as a reminder to listen to those who possess knowledge and experience, even if their predictions may seem unlikely or uncomfortable. The curse of Cassandra has permeated into modern language and culture. The term "Cassandra" is often used to describe someone who predicts events but is ignored or disbelieved. It is a reminder of the potential consequences of failing to heed warnings or act on important information. Overall, the curse of Cassandra signifies the tragic irony of possessing knowledge of future events but being unable to convince others of their validity. It serves as a reminder to listen to the wisdom and insights of others and to appreciate the importance of foresight and prophecy..
Reviews for "The Curse of Cassandra: Lessons from Ancient Greek Tragedy"
1. Megan - 2 stars -
I was really disappointed with "Curs of Cassandta". The storyline was confusing and the characters were poorly developed. It felt like the author was trying to cram too many ideas into one book, resulting in a muddled and disjointed plot. I struggled to connect with any of the characters and found myself not caring about their fates. Additionally, the writing style was uninspiring and lacked depth. Overall, I would not recommend this book to others.
2. Jake - 1 star -
"Curs of Cassandta" is one of the worst books I have ever read. The plot was incredibly predictable, with no surprises or twists. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked any depth or relatability. The dialogue was poor, filled with cliches and cheesy lines. The book also had numerous grammatical errors and typos, which made it even more difficult to read. I found myself struggling to finish it and was relieved when I finally reached the end. Save your money and time and avoid this book at all costs.
3. Emily - 2 stars -
I had high hopes for "Curs of Cassandta", but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The pacing was incredibly slow, and the story dragged on without any real sense of urgency or excitement. The characters were forgettable, and their motivations were unclear. The world-building was also lacking, leaving me feeling detached from the setting and unable to fully immerse myself in the story. While the concept had potential, the execution was poor, and I can't say I enjoyed reading this book.