Who will win in a fight? Vote here.
^Someone gets it.
Many people think that she is merely the Goddess of Marriage, and her power comes from her cunning and status. This is not true. She has immense control over the air, second only to Zeus, and has many times beckoned the winds, created storms, and manipulated clouds. In fact, she once overpowered Dionysus in the Indian War with "an infinite noise" made in the air.
Secondly, Hera is a mighty warrior. There is a reason the Gods Ares, Eris, and Enyo (Bellona) are her children. She is said to have taken "strong part" in the Titan War. Oh, and Hera absolutely humiliated Artemis twice in single combat: once in the Trojan War, another in the Indian War. Check out theoi.com for more details.
Hera is easily more powerful than Hephaestus. She can use air and the clouds to shield her (she once used a single cloud to absorb all the arrows in Artemis' quiver). She can use rain and hail to douse Hephaestus' fire. And she can easily outfight him.
Actually many scholars have attributed her various war-related children do to her and Zeus's tumultuous relationship. Regardless, Hephaestus's raw power with fire alone has a good chance of taking her, despite whatever experience she has. Its like how Hazel could probably defeat most of the legion (individually of course) despite her lack of formal training. Cant 'douse' molten Lava all that fast though. And plenty of real life wildfires withstand wind and rain.
I completely agree that the war children is due to Zeus and Hera's tulmultous relationship. I mean, if you think of the way Hera's first twin children, Ares and Eris, were conceived... And the reason why it is so tulmotous is because Hera is a warrior and a fighter. She is no docile goddess.
Yes, Hephaestus controls one of the four elements. But Hera has proven that she can withstand and counter fire. During the Indian War, Dionysus (who at this point was a god) used a "divine flame." This flame was so powerful that it actually scorched th River god Hydaspes, who resorted to begging. When Dionysus refused to stop, Hera - from all the way on Mount Olympus, conjured a wind so powerful that it put out Dionysus' flame (remember, it was burning a river).
In fact, during the Trojan War she directly shows the ability to create fire, for at one point she creates a storm that would "burn the heads of the Trojans and burn their armor." Hephaestus definitely is better with fire than Hera, but Hera can defend herself.
Another thing everyone is forgetting is raw divine power. Gods aren't just metahumans who use designated powers against each other. The are divine beings, with sheer raw energy backing up and being the source of their powers. A stronger god can actually overcome a weaker god when dealing with said weaker god's domain. The best example is when an enraged Hera cursed Aphrodite's divine child (Priapus) with Dionysus to be ugly. Think about that for a second. Hera made the Goddess of Beauty, a fellow Olympian goddess, have an ugly child. If Hera can do that, she can certainly stave off Hephaestus' flame.
Now, the last question. Sure, you say, even if Hera can deflect Hepheastus' fire, what's to stop him from overwhelming her with sheer strength. Remember how Athena managed to push him away when he tried to...have relations with her? Hera is in the same tier of physical strength as the war goddess. When Hera humiliated (and by that, I mean ROTFL stomped) Artemis in the Trojan War, she literally just caught both of Artemis' fists with one hand, and just whacked Artemis on both ears with her bow, all with a smile on her face. Artemis fell to the ground just from these two whacks, and went crying to mommy - literally. During the Indian War, Hera one-shotted Artemis by swinging a club of hail that both incapacitated Zeus' daughter and destroyed her bow in one hit. Just one.
Hera is both an extremely powerful goddess and warrior. There is a reason some hymns dub her "All-powerful Hera." She is a true daughter of Kronos, and would give her son a good spanking.
Yes, Hephaestus controls one of the four elements. But Hera has proven that she can withstand and counter fire. During the Indian War, Dionysus (who at this point was a god) used a "divine flame." This flame was so powerful that it actually scorched th River god Hydaspes, who resorted to begging. When Dionysus refused to stop, Hera - from all the way on Mount Olympus, conjured a wind so powerful that it put out Dionysus' flame (remember, it was burning a river).
In fact, during the Trojan War she directly shows the ability to create fire, for at one point she creates a storm that would "burn the heads of the Trojans and burn their armor." Hephaestus definitely is better with fire than Hera, but Hera can defend herself.
Another thing everyone is forgetting is raw divine power. Gods aren't just metahumans who use designated powers against each other. The are divine beings, with sheer raw energy backing up and being the source of their powers. A stronger god can actually overcome a weaker god when dealing with said weaker god's domain. The best example is when an enraged Hera cursed Aphrodite's divine child (Priapus) with Dionysus to be ugly. Think about that for a second. Hera made the Goddess of Beauty, a fellow Olympian goddess, have an ugly child. If Hera can do that, she can certainly stave off Hephaestus' flame.
Now, the last question. Sure, you say, even if Hera can deflect Hepheastus' fire, what's to stop him from overwhelming her with sheer strength. Remember how Athena managed to push him away when he tried to...have relations with her? Hera is in the same tier of physical strength as the war goddess. When Hera humiliated (and by that, I mean ROTFL stomped) Artemis in the Trojan War, she literally just caught both of Artemis' fists with one hand, and just whacked Artemis on both ears with her bow, all with a smile on her face. Artemis fell to the ground just from these two whacks, and went crying to mommy - literally. During the Indian War, Hera one-shotted Artemis by swinging a club of hail that both incapacitated Zeus' daughter and destroyed her bow in one hit. Just one.
Hera is both an extremely powerful goddess and warrior. There is a reason some hymns dub her "All-powerful Hera." She is a true daughter of Kronos, and would give her son a good spanking.
Well Dionysus isn't a fire god so presumably that was a much lesser fire than what Hephaestus is capable of. And I believe that storm was just extremely hot, not made of fire-a calling upon of Notus(one of her airy subjects) most likely. Ad the whole Priapus thing was her sancrity-of-marriage powers, Aphrodite had been unfaithful to her current consort Dionysus. And tbh Hephaestus was a gentlemen and once rejected he would back off, so Athena pushing him doesn't make him any less strong. I think Hephaestus has a lot of untapped power, but he prefers to stay on the sidelines. But if forced into a fight, especially one with the mother who disowned him and tried to claim he once he proved an forging genius, he would go all in. Pompeii plus Mt. St.Helens times fireworks type all in. I guess this is simply a matter of perspective because one has feats but no elaboration on what let those happen(power, divinity status) while the other has plenty of elaborate powers but no real past usage to observe.
^ that's the thing though, Hephaestus didn't just back off or anything like that. he is just dangerous as a thinker than as a warrior. he doesn't need to be the better warrior because his creations are the reason the gods win wars. Hera being able to defeat him doesn't take away from his other more planning based abilities. battle may not be his strong suit but it doesn't make his any less impressive either.
Now some people wont like comparing gods from different pantheons and I realize this, however I do believe some insight can be drawn from such a comparison. Inanna a Sumerian goddess whom Hera would later be based on, was the goddess of love, beauty, sex, desire, fertility, there were a lot of those back then, war, combat and political power. The Hephaestus equivalent was Nusku a god who was worshiped more for his fire ability than anything martial. The same goes for their Babylonian equivalents, the Punic gods and goddess is where this battle goes lopsided, Kothar-wa-Khasis isn't just a fighter he's also a magician who accompanies Ba'al and crafts him two clubs which the later uses to kill the sea god Yam, however Hera's equivalents are on a level all to themselves. The Carthaginian Tanit is the protector of Carthage herself, her solders were some of the most feared of the ancient times forming the Carthaginian sacred band, so against Tanit Kothar-wa-Khasis would face an opponent that could stand up to him. The Phonecean version of Hera however would probably be able to wipe the mat with any Greek god or goddess. Anat, the wife, and sister, of Ba'al , in a passage found in Syria it describes her as wading knee deep in blood and attaching decapitated heads and cut off hands to her chest and keeping the hands in her sash. while these arnt Hera and Hephaestus themselves, I feel like it helps to take a step back and look at the combatants through a different set of eyes.
^ You bring up a very good point. Queens of divine pantheons rarely were docile beings who just served as consort to their king. They are either powerful warriors like Anat, sorcerers like Frigg, or both.
^However Greek culture added in the marriage aspect, making Hera fierce, but forced to remain monogamous to Zeus. Therefore she was bitter and resentful, and fought that inner rage in battle. But Hephaestus not only has divine power like Hera, but tangible pyrokinesis, technokinetic skill, and enough pent-up anger at his mother to put up a fight and even win.
While that may be true les not forget that Hera has gotten used Zeus's unfaithfulness, but you are defiantly right that a cool head would be an advantage in a fight where neither of the combatants seem to have a favor for outright force. So even if Hera has some turmoil Hephaestus himself says that he has poor people skills, a tool that could be used to enrage the opponent where Hera has the distinct advantage of being one of the few gods or goddesses, who are able to get under Zeus's skin. While this could just be because the two are married it makes you think.
^Lol honestly Hephaestus and Hera have a lot of pent up emotions.