Out of all of the Olympians, Zeus was the most powerful. Zeus' father Cronus was warned that one of his offspring would dethrone him. Wanting to remain the king, Cronus began eating all of his children as soon as they were born. Rhea, Zeus' mother, saved Zeus by wrapping a blanket around a rock and presenting it to her husband, who quickly swallowed it. When Zeus grew up, he managed to make Cronus vomit out his swallowed children by poisoning his father's drink. Poseidon then held Cronus at bay, while Zeus struck Cronus dead with a lightning bolt.

The death of Cronus angered the Titans, who attacked Zeus and his siblings. The gods were less powerful than the Titans, so Zeus freed the Hundred-handed Ones and the Cyclopes from Tartarus. With their help, the Olympians prevailed. Zeus and his two brothers Poseidon and Hades, drew straws to determine who would rule where. Zeus won the skies, Hades the Underworld, and Poseidon received the oceans.

As the king of the gods, Zeus' rule was full of promiscuity and creative punishments for those who offended him.

To punish the other gods for revolting, Zeus sold Apollo and Poseidon into temporary bondage to King Laomedon of Troy for one year. Hera was then chained and weighted down with anvils on Mt. Olympus. Zeus' temper was relieved only when all the Olympians swore never to revolt again.

Prometheus, the Titan who helped Zeus become king, was subjected to the cruelest of Zeus' punishments. For giving Man fire, Prometheus was chained to a rock. Each day a eagle would tear out his liver. Unfortunately for Prometheus his liver would regenerate each day as well. Zeus made it clear that the only way Prometheus would attain his freedom again will be if two conditions occurred. First, an immortal must choose to die for him, and second a mortal must free him by breaking the chains and kill the eagle. Eventually Chiron the centaur volunteered to die for him, and Hercules snapped the chains and killed the bird.

Ixion was bound for eternity on a fiery wheel for flirting with Hera.

Asclepius was killed by a thunder bolt for interfering with the powers of the Olympians when he managed to bring mortals back to life.