Arachne (Rick Riordan)

Evil-doer
Full Name	Arachne
Alias	The Weaver Mother of all Spiders Nemesis of Athena Best Mortal Weaver
Origin	The Mark of Athena
Occupation	Weaver Guardian of the Parthenon (formerly)
Powers / Skills	Weaving High intelligence Combat prowess Webbing Control over spiders Agility Eidetic memory Paralyzing breath Venomous bite Retrocognition via dreams
Goals	Prevent Athena's children from recovering the Athena Parthenon (temporarily succeeded) . Kill Annabeth Chase. Have her work displayed on Olympus (both failed).
Crimes	Mass murder Conspiracy Destruction of property Assault Attempted murder False imprisonment Cannibalism
Type of Villain	Arrogant Guardian

“	You have no idea how much hatred boils beneath us. The spiteful thoughts of so many monsters trying to reach the Athena Parthenos and destroy it. My webbing is the only thing holding the room together, girl! One false step, and you’ll fall all the way to Tartarus—and believe me, unlike the Doors of Death, this would be a one-way trip, a very hard fall! I will not have you dying before you tell me your plan for my artwork.	„
	~ Arachne to Annabeth Chase.

Arachne also known as The Weaver is the main antagonist of Rick Riordan's 2012 novel The Mark of Athena and a major antagonist in the 2013 novel The House of Hades.

She was a weaver cursed by Athena for her hubris and turned into the first spider. She is the arch enemy of Athena and all her children, and works to prevent any of her the goddess' children from recovering the Athena Parthenon.

Biography

Greek Mythology

According to Encyclopedia Britannica:

Arachne was a weaver who acquired such skill in her art that she ventured to challenge Athena, goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason. Athena wove a tapestry depicting the gods in majesty, while that of Arachne showed their amorous adventures. Enraged at the perfection of her rival’s work (or, alternatively, offended by its subject matter), Athena tore it to pieces, and in despair Arachne hanged herself. But the goddess out of pity loosened the rope, which became a cobweb; Arachne herself was changed into a spider

The Mark of Athena

She appears in the dreams of the Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase as the boss of Otis and Ephialtes, who appear to fear her. She then appears as the final obstacle in Annabeth Chase's hunt for the Athena Parthenos.

When Annabeth arrives in Arachne's chamber, the human-spider hybrid woman plans on killing the girl to achieve the satisfaction of killing a child of Athena but boasts to Annabeth that her tapestries are better than Athena's and indeed Arachne's skill leaves Annabeth shocked. Annabeth knows she cannot defeat Arachne in combat due to sustaining a leg injury so uses Arachne's fatal flaw, pride/hubris against her. Annabeth lured Arachne into the idea that as architect of Olympus, Annabeth could arrange for Arachne's tapestries to be hung in the Hall of the Gods and forever humiliate Athena. Arachne accepts the offer after Annabeth said she's no longer on her mother's side as her mother's Roman aspect disowned her. Annabeth then claims that Arachne will have to prove herself and tricks her into making monster size Chinese Handcuffs aka Chinese Spidercuffs. Annabeth tricks Arachne into entering the cuffs, thereby trapping her. Annabeth again tricks her into admitting that she would've killed Annabeth even if Annabeth had helped her.

Annabeth taunts Arachne by informing her that the Athena Parthenos will return to Olympus and Arachne has assisted Athena. This angers Arachne who begins thrashing in her prison. She then threatened Annabeth and brought down the ceiling of the chamber and opened a pit into Tartarus. She stated that if she fell, Annabeth would fall with her. She then falls off the edge of the pit but not before ensnaring Annabeth and dragging her to the edge of the pit.

The Argo II arrives to help Annabeth retrieve the Parthenos and Percy runs over to help her but knows that due to the pit's strong pull their friends won't be able to help them and he couldn't cut Arachne's silk that was still woven around Annabeth's ankle. He tells Nico di Angelo to get the Argo II and it's crew to the Doors of Death and he and Annabeth will meet them there. He then lets go of the ledge and he and Annabeth fall into Tartarus.

The House of Hades

After landing in Tartarus, Percy and Annabeth start drinking from the River Phlegethon when Arachne launches a surprise attack in an attempt to kill Annabeth. Annabeth is facing Percy and doesn't realize anything's wrong until Percy notices the human-spider hybrid woman. He then kills Arachne by slicing her in two with his sword, Riptide. Neither Percy nor Annabeth know how long Arachne will stay dead and with no intention of finding out begin their search for the Doors of Death.

Appearance

Arachne is a slender human top half wearing a dirty ripped white top, with a Black Widow's abdomen

Trivia

• Her official art oddly resembles The Other Mother from Coraline.
• She became the Goddess of Weaving, Spiders, and Challenges in the original mythology.
• She shares the same fatal flaw with Annabeth Chase, her archenemy; hubris aka pride.
• Arachne's voice is female but not human; an angry buzz in multiple tones.
• She has the ability to see the most talented child of Athena via her dreams. This is how she made a tapestry of Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase's underwater kiss, as if she was watching them.