Perseus Cloth

The Perseus Cloth is the cloth of the Saint Algol in Saint Seiya and an unknown Saint in Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas. It is of the second class of the cloths that Athena's Saints wield, the Silver Cloths

Holding Out For a Hero
The Perseus Cloth and constellation are based on the hero Perseus. In the city of Argos, the king Acrisius has a daughter, Danae; disappointed she was not a son, he consults an oracle to ask if she will be followed by a brother or will have a son of her own that he can name his heir. The oracle reveals that Danae will have a son who will succeed Acrisius, but this grandson will ultimately kill him. Horrified, the king has his daughter locked up inside a bronze tower to prevent her from meeting any men. However, one night the lonely princess is seen by Zeus, who enters the tower as a shower of gold and seduces her. She bears a son, Perseus, but this is discovered some time later by Acrisius. Unable to execute them himself, as killing family members is a high crime, Acrisius has mother and child sealed inside a chest and thrown into the sea.

Zeus preserves his lover and their child, having the chest brought safely to the island of Seriphos; Danae and Perseus are released by a kind fisherman. Perseus grows into a young man, but by this time, the island's king Polydectes had fallen for Danae and wanted to marry her, even though the princess refused him. Not wanting to answer to Perseus, the king comes up with a plot to get rid of the boy so he can marry Danae without interference. Polydectes holds a celebration, inviting everyone in the kingdom, but requires each guest to bring a special gift to the banquet. Perseus comes but, being a poor exile, cannot give Polydectes a gift, so the boy promises the king anything in the world. Having planned it this way, Polydectes accepts the offer and demands Perseus bring him the head of the Gorgon Medusa, one look from whom turns people into solid stone. With no way out, Perseus agrees to the task.

He departs, wondering what to do, when he is found by Athena, who promises to help him. She guides him to the Graeae, cannibalistic old women who share a magical eye and tooth. Perseus sneaks into their cave and takes the eye; in exchange for it back they tell him to find the Stygian nymphs, who will equip him and lead him to Medusa. Peresus finds the lovely nymphs, who give him a sickle-shaped sword, a pouch, winged sandals from Hermes, a reflective shield from Athena, and an invisibility helmet from Hades. Perseus flies to Medusa's lair and quietly creeps backwards inside. Medusa and her sisters are asleep, but the boy still cannot look directly at them; using his shield he safely sees Medusa and slices off her head, quickly shoving it into his pouch and flying off before her sisters catch him.

Perseus heads for home but as he passes Ethiopia, he sees a beautiful girl chained to a sacrificial rock. She is the princess Andromeda, who was lashed to the rock by her parents, King Cephesus and Queen Cassiopeia, to appease Poseidon when the queen angered him by insulting the Nereids, one of whom is the sea god's wife. Poseidon sent a sea monster, Cetus, to destroy them, but agreed to call off Cetus if the monster were given Andromeda to eat. Seeing the monster coming, Perseus goes to Cephesus and Cassiopeia and offers to save Andromeda if he is allowed to marry her. The royal couple agree, and Perseus uses Medusa's head to petrify Cetus.

He frees Andromeda, but is confronted by her uncle Phineus at the palace; Phineus had been engaged to his niece prior to her being sacrificed and demanded she be married to him. Outnumbered by Phineus's men, Perseus again used the Gorgon's head and turned all except his new bride to stone. They marry and have a son but after a year Perseus decides to return to Seriphos. When he arrives, he finds that Danae is about to be forced to marry Polydectes, who'd presumed Perseus dead. He angrily turns the king to stone, saving his mother.

Some time after this, Perseus decides to participate in an athletics competition. However, while practicing the discus, his is blown off course, striking and killing an old man in the crowd. The victim turns out to have been the old king Acrisius, fulfilling the prophecy. Perseus, the only male left of the dynasty, becomes king of Argos, but because he had killed family, he has to switch kingship with the city of Myceanae, and becomes king of that city instead.

After his death, he and Andromeda are turned into constellations for their heroism. Through his son, he is the ancestor of Heracles.

Stone Cold Killer
Algol trained to be a Saint in Austria, by an unknown master. The cloth was likely kept in Sanctuary until a Saint worthy of wearing it was found. He follows the orders of the Pope, and is among the second group of Silver Saints to attack Seiya and his fellow Bronze Saints. Algol proves to be one of the most difficult foes, as his Medusa Shield turns both Hyoga and Shun into stone. Shiryu had to blind himself in order to properly fight Algol. He died from Shiryu's attack.

Previous War
The Perseus Saint was first seen appearing at the side of Sagittarius Sisyphus in The Lost Canvas. He dies fighting Defteros a short time late.

Special Abilities of Silver Cloth of Perseus
The Perseus Silver Cloth has the Medusa Shield, a shield with the face of Medusa on it (traditionally called an Aegis). The shield's face normally has its eyes closed, showing no power. But, when the eyes open, the shield turns all who meet it's gaze into stone. It could even pass through fabric to partially turn the victim into stone. Only those who look away, or are blind, are spared.

Techniques used by Perseus Saints
Algol uses one major technique during his various fights.


 * Las Alghul Gorgoneio (meaning "Head of the Ghoul Gorgoneion"): An offensive technique. The user leaps high into the air and forces himself into his foe with a mighty kick, likely stronger than a regular kick due to it's height, and possible cosmo use.