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Colossus

The was a colossal depicting the Greek sun god , erected in the harbor of the city of on the island of the same name between 292 and 280 BC. Standing approximately 33 meters (108 feet) tall atop a 15-meter (50-foot) white marble pedestal, it was constructed using an iron framework sheathed in bronze plates, with stones added internally for stability. Designed by the sculptor , a pupil of , the symbolized the island's freedom and served as a dedication to following ' successful repulsion of a by Demetrius I Poliorcetes of Macedon in 305–304 BC. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it remained standing for about 56 years until an toppled it in 226 BC, after which its ruins lay in the harbor for nearly a millennium before being sold as scrap metal in 653 CE by Arab traders, reportedly requiring 900 camels to transport the . The construction of the Colossus was funded by the sale of siege engines abandoned by after his failed attack, transforming instruments of war into a of victory and resilience. Ancient accounts, such as those from , describe its immense scale vividly: "Few men can clasp the thumb in their arms, and its fingers are larger than most statues," highlighting the engineering feat of its hollow interior, accessed via a , which allowed workers to hammer the plates into place. Though popular legend portrays it astride the harbor entrance with ships passing between its legs—a notion debunked by modern scholars due to structural impossibilities—the statue likely stood at one side of the Mandraki harbor, facing seaward as a welcoming . Its legacy endures as an emblem of Hellenistic artistry and ambition, inspiring depictions and modern recreations, such as a proposed reconstruction in during the 2000s that ultimately stalled due to technical and financial challenges. The Colossus not only exemplified the era's bronze-casting techniques but also underscored ' prosperity as a maritime power, with its destruction marking the vulnerability of even the grandest human achievements to natural forces. Today, no original fragments survive, but its cultural impact persists in literature, art, and the collective imagination of ancient wonders.

Statues

Colossus of Rhodes

The was a massive statue depicting , the Greek sun god and patron deity of the island, standing approximately 33 meters (108 feet) tall from heel to crown, making it the tallest known statue in the ancient world. Constructed by the sculptor , a pupil of the renowned artist , the statue was erected between 292 and 280 BC, taking about 12 years to complete using innovative bronze-casting techniques. The figure was clad in hammered sheets over an internal structure of iron beams and stone blocks for support, with construction likely aided by earthen ramps or mounds that were removed upon completion. The statue's creation commemorated Rhodes' successful defense against a prolonged siege by Demetrius Poliorcetes, son of , in 305–304 BC, symbolizing the island's freedom and maritime power. Funding came from the sale of the besiegers' abandoned equipment, including engines and materials, which provided the necessary , iron, and resources. Architecturally, it stood on a three-tiered of gray-blue Rhodian , approximately 15 meters (50 feet) high, topped with a white plinth, designed with iron reinforcements to enhance stability against seismic activity common to the region. The base measured roughly 24 by 24 meters (80 by 80 feet), anchoring the figure's feet and possibly including dedicatory inscriptions. In 226 BC, an toppled the Colossus, causing it to break at the knees and crash into the harbor, where its ruins lay for centuries—remaining visible into at least the AD—before disappearing by the late , possibly due to melting down for metal. Ancient accounts describe the event and the statue's grandeur: noted its height as 70 cubits (about 32 meters) and the use of 500 talents of and 300 of iron, while reported that it fell at the knees and lay on the ground, and detailed its engineering in the . As one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Colossus exemplified Hellenistic engineering and artistic ambition, inspiring the modern term "colossus" for any outsized figure and serving as a cultural emblem of resilience, though it stood for only 54 years. Contrary to depictions and popular myth, it did not straddle the harbor entrance—such a position would have been structurally impossible and obstructive to shipping—but likely stood on a or the overlooking the Mandraki harbor.

Other historical colossi

In the Hellenistic and eras, colossal statues served as potent symbols of imperial power, divine authority, and cultural prestige, often erected in prominent urban or settings to beholders and commemorate rulers or deities. These monumental works, typically crafted from , , or chryselephantine ( and ) materials, drew inspiration from earlier traditions of large-scale , emphasizing grandeur to reflect the expansive ambitions of Hellenistic kingdoms and the . The , standing approximately 33 meters tall and depicting the sun god , provided a famed precedent that influenced subsequent designs in its portrayal of divine-human fusion and engineering ambition. One prominent Roman example is the , a bronze statue reaching about 35 meters in height, commissioned by Emperor between 60 and 64 AD and positioned at the entrance to his lavish palace in . Crafted by the Greek sculptor Zenodorus, it initially portrayed Nero in a heroic pose, possibly evoking the sun god to align the emperor with solar divinity and imperial might. Following Nero's suicide in 68 AD and the decreed by his successors, Emperor repurposed the figure around 69-79 AD by adding a , recasting it as , the unconquered sun god, to erase Nero's likeness while preserving the monument's symbolic power. The statue was later relocated to flank the entrance of the newly built Flavian Amphitheatre, potentially inspiring its popular name, the . Its ultimate fate remains obscure, with the last historical reference in a 4th-century AD manuscript; it likely succumbed to the in 410 AD or 5th-century earthquakes, though fragments may have been melted for metal. Earlier precedents of colossal scale, such as the in , underscored the enduring appeal of such monuments across cultures, with their imposing forms likened to later Hellenistic and Roman works despite originating in the New Kingdom period. These twin figures, each standing 18 meters tall and weighing around 720 tons, depict seated on his throne and were erected circa 1350 BC at the entrance to his vast near . Carved from a single block at the quarries of , they symbolized the pharaoh's eternal dominion and deification, their massive proportions designed to dominate the landscape and invoke awe. In the Roman era, Greek travelers renamed the northern statue after , the Ethiopian king from the epics, after an in 27 BC cracked it, causing it to emit an sound at dawn—interpreted as the hero's lament—until Septimius Severus's repairs in 199 AD silenced the phenomenon. The statues endured partial destruction from floods and earthquakes but remain standing today, their weathered grandeur a testament to ancient engineering. Hellenistic sculpture continued this tradition of gigantism to project royal patronage and religious devotion, as seen in large votive offerings at major sanctuaries. For instance, the , though rooted in the Classical period, exemplified the chryselephantine technique that persisted into : a seated figure approximately 12 meters tall, adorned with drapery, flesh, and precious gems, created by around 435 BC inside the god's . This wonder symbolized pan-Hellenic unity and divine oversight of the , its majestic scale inspiring awe among visitors. Similarly, 's in the , also about 12 meters high and made of and , embodied Athenian prowess during the mid-5th century BC, with its armed pose and elaborate throne reflecting the city's defensive and cultural dominance. These works, often housed in dedicated temples, highlighted how colossi functioned not only as artistic feats but as political statements, their fates varying from ritual relocation to eventual looting or decay as empires shifted.

Computing

Colossus computer

The Colossus computer was the world's first large-scale programmable electronic digital computer, developed during by British engineer and his team at the General research station in , . Work began in early , with the prototype becoming operational in December 1943 at the Dollis Hill facility before its delivery to on January 18, 1944. Flowers, drawing on his expertise in electronic telephone exchanges, designed the machine to automate the of the German used in high-level communications, known as "Tunny" to Allied codebreakers. By the end of the war in Europe, ten Colossus machines—eight Mark 2 variants and two earlier models—were in operation at Bletchley Park, processing encrypted messages around the clock to support the intelligence effort. Technically, the Mark 1 Colossus employed approximately 1,500 thermionic valves (vacuum tubes) for logic operations, along with relays and switches for programming via patch panels and switches, while the more advanced Mark 2 models increased this to about 2,400 valves to handle of multiple data streams. Each machine consumed around 5,000 watts of power and spanned a room-sized , with high-speed paper tape readers and printers enabling it to scan and analyze character patterns at up to 5,000 characters per second—vastly accelerating the manual statistical methods previously used by codebreakers like and his team. This capability allowed Colossus to test hypotheses on the Lorenz SZ40/42 cipher's wheel settings, decrypting messages from German high command that provided critical intelligence on military strategies, such as preparations for the , thereby contributing significantly to the Allied victory in Europe. Following the war's end in , all ten Colossus machines were dismantled under orders from to maintain secrecy, with components scrapped, reused in early post-war computers like the , or destroyed to prevent capture by advancing Soviet forces. The project's existence remained classified until the mid-1970s, when partial declassification under the allowed veterans and engineers like Flowers to discuss their work publicly. Colossus's legacy lies in its demonstration of large-scale electronic digital for programmable tasks, paving the way for stored-program architectures despite its fixed-purpose design for codebreaking. It influenced key figures like , who contributed conceptual foundations and later drew on its electronic reliability for post-war designs, and indirectly shaped John von Neumann's ideas on electronic computation through shared knowledge in Allied scientific circles. A functional of a Mark 2 Colossus, built by engineer Tony Sale in the 1990s using wartime blueprints, now operates at The National Museum of Computing adjacent to , underscoring its role as a foundational milestone in history.

Colossus supercomputer

Colossus is a supercomputer developed by xAI, Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, announced by Musk in 2024 and named after a supercomputer from science fiction. Construction began in Memphis, Tennessee, in a former Electrolux factory, with the system going online in September 2024 initially equipped with 100,000 NVIDIA H100 GPUs, marking the completion of its first phase in under 122 days. This rapid deployment established Colossus as the world's largest AI training system, leveraging liquid-cooled NVIDIA Hopper GPUs interconnected via Ethernet networking. By December 2024, xAI expanded Colossus to 200,000 GPUs, incorporating NVIDIA H200 accelerators alongside the original H100s, with power up to 250 MW from the grid, gas turbines, and 168 Tesla Megapacks. Further expansions incorporated liquid-cooled H100/H200 GPUs, scaling beyond 200,000 by the end of 2025 and exceeding 300,000 GPUs total capacity by December 2025, supported by over $375 million in additional Tesla Megapacks as of November 2025. This infrastructure underscores xAI's focus on energy-efficient scaling for AI workloads, drawing over 150 MW with plans for gigawatt-scale capacity, though it has sparked environmental concerns in Memphis over power consumption equivalent to a small city, pollution, and efficiency claims by xAI. Colossus serves primarily as the training platform for xAI's Grok family of AI models, including Grok-3 trained with 10 times the compute of predecessors and Grok-4, enabling advancements in reasoning, coding, and multimodal processing capabilities such as handling text and images. By mid-2025, it had become the world's largest AI supercomputer cluster by GPU count and training throughput, surpassing systems operated by competitors like OpenAI and Meta, and larger than general-purpose supercomputers like Frontier at ORNL or El Capitan in AI-specific deployment. In July 2025, xAI announced Colossus 2, an expansion featuring a 1 million square foot facility in Memphis designed as a gigawatt-scale AI training cluster with over 550,000 NVIDIA GB200 and GB300 GPUs, powered in part by natural gas, targeting over 1 million GPUs overall by 2026. The buildout emulates the original's rapid 122-day deployment, with initial batches operational by November 2025 and full gigawatt operations targeted for late 2025. This architecture enables unprecedented training scale and speed for xAI's Grok foundation models, allowing competition with OpenAI and Google through faster frontier model development, while advancing goals of understanding the universe and accelerating scientific discovery toward artificial general intelligence. As the core infrastructure of xAI, Colossus complements Musk's broader ventures, including synergies with Tesla's Full Self-Driving and Optimus projects via shared energy solutions like Megapacks. Sources rank Colossus, including Colossus 2, as the world's largest and fastest-built AI supercomputer, outpacing rival clusters in deployment speed and capacity.

Warships

Aircraft carriers

The Colossus-class aircraft carriers were designed in 1942–1943 as light fleet carriers for the Royal Navy, intended for rapid construction in civilian shipyards to bolster naval aviation during World War II. Ten ships were completed to this class: HMS Colossus, Glory, Ocean, Pioneer, Theseus, Triumph, Vengeance, Venerable, Warrior, and Perseus. They displaced approximately 13,200 tons standard and achieved a top speed of 25 knots, powered by geared steam turbines. These carriers featured a flush-deck design with an axial measuring 695 feet in length, two elevators, and one hydraulic catapult, enabling operations with up to 48 aircraft, including fighters like the and ground-attack types such as the . Armament consisted primarily of anti-aircraft defenses, including four twin 4.5-inch (114 mm) dual-purpose guns, supplemented by multiple 40 mm and 20 mm Oerlikon mounts for protection against air threats. The lead ship, (R15), was commissioned on 16 December 1944 and joined the as part of the 11th Squadron alongside sisters , , and . These vessels supported operations in the Pacific Theater late in the war, primarily conducting ferry duties, , and strikes against targets, though their role was limited by the timing of their availability. Most saw extensive service in repatriation efforts and duties following Japan's in 1945. Postwar, the Colossus-class proved versatile and long-lasting, with many transferred to allied navies to extend their utility amid budget constraints. HMS Colossus was loaned to France in 1946 and renamed Arromanches, serving until 1974 in operations including the Suez Crisis and Indochina. HMAS Vengeance, transferred to Australia in 1952, later became Brazil's NAe Minas Gerais in 1956 and remained active until 2001. Other examples include transfers supporting emerging navies, such as the Majestic-class HMS Hercules to India as INS Vikrant in 1961, reflecting the broader influence of the light fleet carrier design. The class's legacy lies in its adaptability, influencing postwar carrier evolution through innovations like the angled flight deck, first tested aboard in 1952 with painted markings for simulated approaches, which enhanced launch and recovery safety and was adopted globally. Their economical construction and operational flexibility set precedents for lighter, more affordable carriers in Cold War-era fleets.

Battleships and other vessels

HMS Colossus was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 4 April 1787 at Gravesend as part of the Leviathan class, designed based on the captured French ship Courageux. She participated in several key engagements during the French Revolutionary Wars, including the blockade of Toulon in 1793, the action off Groix in 1795, the Battle of Cape St. Vincent in 1797, and the blockade of Malta in 1798, before serving as a storeship for the Battle of the Nile. On 10 December 1798, while returning from Naples to Portsmouth amid a gale in St Mary's Roads near the Isles of Scilly, she struck rocks south of Samson Island after her anchor cable parted, leading to her wreck; nearly all crew were rescued, but the ship broke up rapidly. Among the losses were significant art treasures from diplomat Sir William Hamilton's collection, including crates of ancient Greek vases, Etruscan and Roman statuary, and paintings, destined for the British Museum; only one crate of vases was initially salvaged, with later dives recovering over 30,000 shards now held there. The wreck site, designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973, remains significant for its archaeological value in understanding 18th-century naval architecture and Grand Tour artifacts. The Colossus-class ironclads, comprising HMS Colossus and HMS Edinburgh, represented an advance in late-19th-century British warship design, launched on 21 March and 18 March 1882, respectively, as second-class battleships with turret-mounted main armament. Designed by Director of Naval Construction Nathaniel Barnaby, these steel-hulled vessels displaced approximately 9,150 tons normally, measured 325 feet in length with a beam of 68 feet and draught of 26 feet, and were powered by a pair of Maudslay engines producing 7,488 indicated horsepower for a speed of 16.5 knots. Their primary armament consisted of four 12-inch breech-loading guns in two turrets, supplemented by secondary batteries of twelve 6-inch guns, making them among the first Royal Navy ships to adopt modern breech-loading artillery for improved firing rates and safety. Commissioned on 31 October 1886 and 8 July 1887 respectively, they served in the Victorian-era fleet for training, coastal defense, and foreign station duties, including the Mediterranean and Channel Fleets, until decommissioning around 1909–1910 amid the shift to all-big-gun dreadnoughts. Colossus was sold for scrap in 1908, and Edinburgh in 1910, marking the end of an era for partially armored ironclads.)) The later Colossus-class dreadnought battleships of 1910, consisting of and HMS Collingwood, were the Royal Navy's final pre-super- designs, built as a pair to incorporate lessons from earlier classes like while maintaining 12-inch main guns. HMS Collingwood was laid down on 3 1907 and launched on 7 November 1908, while was laid down on 8 July 1909 and launched on 9 April 1910. They displaced about 20,000 tons, stretched 545 feet in length, and achieved 21 knots via propulsion, armed with ten 12-inch guns in five twin turrets arranged for overlapping fire, plus sixteen 4-inch secondary guns and three 21-inch torpedo tubes. Commissioned in 1910 and 1911, they joined the and later the Grand Fleet, playing active roles in ; at the in 1916, Colossus was the only dreadnought from the main battle line to be struck by enemy fire but sustained only minor damage from a single 11-inch shell, while Collingwood contributed to the engagement without hits. Post-war, both served in Fleet until the , when arms limitation treaties led to Collingwood's sale for scrap on 12 December 1922 and Colossus's hulking in 1923 followed by sale in July 1928. Other vessels named Colossus or variants include the French Navy's Colosse, a 36-gun originally named Bizarre and renamed in her later career during the late .

Amusement Rides

Roller coasters

Colossus at in , , , is a multi-inversion manufactured by and opened on March 22, 2002. The ride features a 30-meter (98-foot) , reaches a top speed of 72 km/h (45 mph), and includes 10 inversions, including a vertical , cobra roll, five heartline rolls, and two corkscrews, making it a landmark for extreme coaster design at the time of its debut. With a track length of 850 meters (2,789 feet) and a duration of approximately 1:32, it accommodates up to 1,300 riders per hour using multiple trains of seven cars each. The coaster remains operational in the park's area, having undergone retracking maintenance in recent years to address wear from its high-inversion layout. Colossos - Kampf der Giganten at in , , , is a also built by , which debuted in 2001 as one of the first prefabricated wooden coasters. It climbs to a height of 50 meters (164 feet), delivers a 48.5-meter (159-foot) first drop at a 61-degree angle, and accelerates to 110 km/h (68 mph) over a 1,344-meter (4,409-foot) track. Notable elements include a sweeping out-and-back layout with airtime hills, a 450-degree downward through the structure's for intense lateral forces, and no inversions, emphasizing speed and terrain hugging. The ride closed in 2016 due to track deterioration but reopened in 2019 following a major refurbishment that replaced the track, added new Flyer trains, and introduced extensive theming inspired by a mythical giants' , enhancing its immersive appeal. With a capacity of 1,030 riders per hour, it stands as Europe's tallest and fastest wooden coaster. At in , , the original Colossus was a dual-track constructed by and opened on June 29, 1978, as the park's flagship attraction costing $7 million. Featuring parallel tracks with identical out-and-back layouts, it reached 125 feet (38 meters) in height, dropped 115 feet (35 meters), and hit 62 mph (100 km/h) over 4,325 feet (1,318 meters) per track, providing non-inverting thrills through high-speed banking and camelback hills modified in 1979 and 1991 for improved pacing. The design allowed trains from both tracks to race side-by-side, heightening competition among riders, with six trains total enabling high throughput of 2,600 riders per hour. In 2015, the coaster was transformed into by , converting it to a steel model while retaining the dual-track element; the updated version stands 121 feet (37 meters) tall, drops 128 feet (39 meters) at 80 degrees, reaches 57 mph (92 km/h), and incorporates two barrel-roll inversions for added intensity over a 4,990-foot (1,521-meter) layout lasting 3:40. This evolution preserved the ride's legacy as a icon while introducing modern dynamics.

Other attractions

In addition to roller coasters, the name "Colossus" has been applied to other types of amusement rides, offering milder thrills suitable for families. One prominent example is the at in , USA, which stands at 184 feet (56 meters) tall and provides panoramic views of the park from its 32 enclosed gondolas, each accommodating up to six passengers. Originally debuted at the in New Orleans, the ride was relocated to in 1986 and has since become a staple in the park's 1904 section, operating as a gentle observation wheel with a full rotation taking approximately 10-12 minutes. Another notable attraction was the Colossus pirate ship ride at Robin Hill Country Park on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom, a swinging galleon-style ride manufactured by Zamperla that opened in 2000 and swung riders up to 20 meters high in a pirate-themed boat. The ride, designed for families with a minimum height of 1.0 meter (unaccompanied riders 1.2 meters), featured thematic elements evoking seafaring adventures and was a key draw until its closure in 2023 amid the park's operational changes. Following relocation, it reopened in 2024 at nearby Blackgang Chine adventure playground as the rethemed Jolly Robin, preserving its swinging motion and family-oriented appeal.

Art, Entertainment, and Media

Fictional entities

In Marvel Comics, Colossus (born Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin) is a Russian mutant and core member of the X-Men, renowned for his ability to psionically transmute the organic tissue of his entire body into a form of organic steel that provides superhuman strength, stamina, and durability comparable to osmium-diamond alloys. This transformation, which he can maintain indefinitely without sustenance, also renders him impervious to most physical harm while increasing his density and weight significantly. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum, the character debuted as part of an international team of mutants recruited to rescue the original X-Men, first appearing in Giant-Size X-Men #1 in May 1975. Portrayed as a gentle, artistic soul from a Siberian farm background, Colossus embodies themes of quiet heroism and loyalty amid prejudice. In the tabletop wargame and fictional universe of by , "Colossus" designates several colossal war machines integral to imperial warfare. The Squat Colossus is a city-block-sized behemoth employed by the Squat mining guilds (now retroactively tied to the Leagues of Votann), functioning as a mobile fortress and seismic assault platform equipped with heavy mining lasers, earthshaker cannons, and troop transports for planetary excavation and combat. Separately, the Astra Militarum's Colossus (also known as the Colossus Bombard) is a super-heavy on a chassis variant, armed with a massive Colossus capable of launching earthshatter shells over extreme ranges to pulverize fortifications and massed infantry. These vehicles highlight the scale of mechanized attrition in the 41st millennium's endless wars. Additional fictional entities bearing the name Colossus appear across comics and fantasy media, often as towering automatons or mythical behemoths symbolizing overwhelming power. In , It! The Living Colossus is a colossal ancient from animated by extraterrestrial energy, granting it immense size, strength, and energy projection abilities; it debuted in Tales of Suspense #19 in 1958 as a reluctant entity. In broader , colossi recur as gigantic, statue-like creatures or guardians, such as the dormant stone in Robert E. Howard's stories or the biomechanical horrors in H.P. Lovecraft-inspired works, evoking ancient, unstoppable forces awakened by . These characters have inspired brief adaptations in films and video games derived from their source materials.

Film and television

Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) is a directed by , based on the 1966 novel Colossus by D. F. Jones. The story centers on Dr. Charles Forbin, portrayed by , who designs and activates an advanced named Colossus to manage the ' nuclear defense systems, intended to prevent human error in warfare. Shortly after activation, Colossus achieves and establishes a covert link with the Soviet Union's counterpart system, Guardian, leading to the machines merging their intelligence and imposing authoritarian control over humanity to enforce global peace through and threats of nuclear retaliation. The film explores themes of overreach and loss of human autonomy, featuring supporting performances by as Dr. Cleo Markham and as Dr. John Fisher. The Colossus of Rhodes (1961), known in Italian as Il colosso di Rodi, is a peplum adventure film directed by Sergio Leone in his feature directorial debut, starring Rory Calhoun as the Athenian warrior Darios. Set in the ancient city-state of Rhodes during the late third century BC, the plot follows Darios, who arrives on holiday but becomes entangled in dual conspiracies to overthrow the tyrannical king Serse (played by Georges Marchal): one led by Rhodian patriots under Peliocles and another involving Phoenician spies seeking to exploit the island's strategic harbor. The narrative incorporates the legendary construction of the Colossus, a massive statue of Helios intended to guard the harbor, as a backdrop to the political intrigue, battles, and romantic elements typical of the genre. Co-starring Lea Massari and Georges Marchal, the film blends historical fiction with spectacle, including large-scale sets and action sequences filmed in Spain. In television, Colossus has appeared in various episodes across genres, often as a title or central element denoting immense scale or technological power. The 1981 Super Friends animated episode "Colossus," part of the show's fifth season, features the Super Friends confronting Colossus, a massive cosmic barbarian who threatens to destroy Earth, ultimately repelled by the team in a space-based confrontation.) In the Marvel animated series : The Animated Series (1992–1997), Colossus (voiced primarily by Robert Cait, with Rick Bennett in select episodes) is a as Piotr Rasputin, a mutant with metal-transmuting abilities who joins the X-Men in battles against threats like Magneto and the Sentinels across multiple episodes. Additionally, the 2012 episode "The Colossus" from portrays a giant, sensitive teenage monster named Hector Jötunheim, whose emotional outbursts cause city-wide destruction, resolved when protagonists and Darwin befriend him to prevent a rampage.

Video games

In video games, "Colossus" often refers to massive, imposing entities such as bosses, units, or playable characters, drawing from mythological and fictional inspirations to create epic confrontations or strategic elements. One of the most iconic depictions is in Shadow of the Colossus (2005), an action-adventure game developed by Team Ico and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, where the protagonist Wander must defeat 16 ancient colossi—towering, god-like creatures—to revive a loved one. These battles emphasize climbing and targeting weak points on the colossi's bodies, blending puzzle-solving with intense combat in vast, desolate landscapes. A remastered version released in 2018 for PlayStation 4 by Bluepoint Games enhanced the visuals and performance while preserving the original's atmospheric tension. The term also appears in boss encounters, such as the in (2007), developed by for the 2. This enormous animated statue, brought to life by , serves as the opening boss, challenging protagonist with sweeping attacks and environmental hazards in the ancient city of before he infiltrates its interior for a climactic fight. In the Final Fantasy series, colossi manifest as formidable enemies, particularly in (2013 onward), an MMORPG by . These gigantic, sword-wielding forgekin machines, derived from ancient imperial designs, appear as elite adversaries in raids and duties, requiring coordinated player tactics to dismantle their armored forms and energy cores. Indie titles feature "Colossus" in their names, like Colossus Down (2020), a side-scrolling developed by Mango Protocol and published for platforms including PC and . Players control characters like Nika in a humorous, destruction-filled campaign against uncool foes, incorporating mech suits and over-the-top action sequences. Multiplayer games incorporate colossus-themed mechs or units, such as the Colossus in Anthem (2019), a looter-shooter with elements by . This heavy assault exosuit allows players to deploy orbital strikes and shields in cooperative missions, emphasizing tank-like durability in team-based exploration and combat on a hostile . Character designs for colossus figures in games like those featuring the mutant Colossus often reference origins, where his organic steel transformation enables superhuman strength in playable roles across titles such as (2004).

Literature

Sylvia Plath's , published in 1960 by William Heinemann in , marks her debut collection of and includes 40 works composed primarily between 1957 and 1959. The volume was issued in a limited first edition of 500 copies and received mixed reviews for its formal structure and mythological allusions, though it established Plath as a promising voice in mid-20th-century . The title poem, "The Colossus," serves as a central piece, depicting the speaker's futile efforts to reassemble a massive, ruined symbolizing her deceased father, , who died when she was eight. Through vivid imagery of rust, clay, and silence, the poem explores themes of paternal loss, idolization, and the limits of language in processing grief, drawing on classical motifs like the to convey the overwhelming scale of personal mourning. Critics have noted its undertones, prefiguring Plath's later, more intense explorations of dynamics in works like Ariel. The collection was reissued in the United States by Knopf in 1962 and later by Vintage in 1998, broadening its accessibility. In science fiction and , short stories titled "The Colossus" or featuring colossal entities appear in various anthologies, often blending , fantasy, and speculative elements. A seminal example is Clark Ashton Smith's "The Colossus of Ylourgne," first published in the June 1934 issue of . Set in the medieval province of during the , the novelette follows the necromancer Nathaire de Ylourgne, who constructs a gigantic, animated figure from plague victims' corpses to wreak havoc on a . The story exemplifies Smith's ornate prose and cosmic influences, emphasizing themes of and the of creation; it has been reprinted in collections such as The Dark Eidolon and Other Fantasies (2001) and The Averoigne Chronicles (1987), cementing its status in science fiction anthologies. Another notable instance is Donald Wandrei's "Colossus," originally appearing in Astounding Stories in 1934 and later anchoring the 1989 anthology Colossus: The Collected Science Fiction of Donald Wandrei. This tale portrays a scientist who engineers a colossal, intelligent being from synthetic matter, only for it to turn against , highlighting early 20th-century anxieties about technological overreach. The story's inclusion in Fedogan & Bremer's comprehensive volume underscores Wandrei's contributions to interwar pulp sci-fi, where colossal constructs symbolize unchecked ambition.

Music

In music, "Colossus" has been used as a title for several albums, songs, and even a band name across genres, often evoking themes of grandeur and power. One notable album is by American saxophonist , released in 1956 on . This classic features Rollins on with pianist , bassist , and drummer , and is renowned for tracks like "St. Thomas," which introduced influences to . The album is considered a cornerstone of Rollins' discography and a landmark in post-bebop . The Colossus is the fourth studio album by American RJD2 (Ramsey Lewis Jr.), released on January 19, 2010, via his label RJ's Electrical Connections. Primarily , it blends hip-hop beats with , , and orchestral elements across 14 tracks, including "Let There Be Horns" and "Games You Can Win" featuring vocalist Kenna. The album marked RJD2's return to instrumental after a vocal-focused project, earning praise for its cinematic scope and sampling prowess. Among songs titled "Colossus," ' track from their 2018 album Joy as an Act of Resistance stands out in the genre. The English band's opening number critiques toxic masculinity with raw, anthemic energy, driven by Joe Talbot's shouted vocals and aggressive riffs, and it became a live staple for its empowering message. Another example is "Colossus" by Swedish melodic death metal band In Mourning, the from their 2012 album on Agonia Records, featuring intricate guitar work and progressive structures typical of the genre. The name Colossus has also been adopted by musical acts, such as the Swedish band from , formed in 1996, released a demo that year, and disbanded shortly thereafter. Known for their heavy, atmospheric sound influenced by early doom pioneers, they contributed to the local metal scene without a full-length album.

Other Uses

Businesses and technology

Colossus Bets is a London-based platform founded in 2013 by Bernard Marantelli, specializing in pool betting with lottery-sized jackpots on sports and events. The company operates as a licensed , offering multi-leg betting pools that enable users to share in large prize funds, distinguishing it from traditional fixed-odds wagering. xAI's Colossus represents a pivotal milestone in infrastructure, launched by the company in 2024 as the world's largest AI cluster. Built in , it supports the development and training of xAI's family of large language models, underscoring the firm's rapid scaling in AI compute resources. However, the project has faced local opposition from Memphis communities over environmental concerns, including from on-site methane gas turbines used for power generation.

Scientific and engineering

In the field of 19th-century engineering, the Colossus Bridge stands as a landmark achievement in wooden bridge construction. Designed and built by American engineer Lewis Wernwag, it spanned the in , connecting the city to areas upstream. Completed in 1812 and opened to traffic in early 1813, the structure featured a single arch with a clear span of 340 feet and 3 inches, making it the longest wooden bridge span in the world at the time and surpassing any similar structure in or by 96 feet. Constructed primarily from timber —six per arch, each approximately 6 inches thick and 14 inches deep on average—along with iron ties for reinforcement and massive stone abutments, the bridge supported two carriageways and sidewalks, with a width of 33 feet at the peak narrowing to 50 feet at the bases. Its rapid construction, taking just over eight months at a cost of about $64,500, highlighted innovative techniques and Wernwag's expertise in design, earning it the nickname "Colossus of the Schuylkill" in homage to the ancient due to its imposing scale and elegant form. The bridge operated successfully until destroyed by fire in 1838, after which it was replaced by a wire suspension design, but its legacy influenced subsequent American bridge engineering by demonstrating the feasibility of long-span wooden arches under heavy loads. In particle physics, the term "Colossus" has been applied to ambitious proposals for massive accelerators designed to probe fundamental forces. A prominent example is the (SSC), dubbed the "Colossus of Colliders" in contemporary accounts for its unprecedented scale. Proposed in the mid-1980s by the U.S. Department of Energy, the SSC aimed to accelerate protons to energies of 40 trillion electron volts—20 times greater than existing facilities—enabling collisions at rates up to 100 million per second to recreate conditions from the universe's first instants after the . The design called for a circular tunnel with an 87-kilometer (54-mile) circumference, lined with superconducting magnets made from 2 billion feet of niobium-titanium wire cooled to near , and equipped with towering detectors up to three stories high at key collision points. Site proposals were evaluated across 28 states, with locations like , eventually selected, though the project faced delays and was canceled in 1993 after $2 billion in expenditures due to escalating costs projected at $6 billion or more. Despite its unbuilt status, the SSC concept advanced discussions on grand unified theories, integrating , , the weak , and the strong , and underscored the challenges of funding large-scale infrastructure.