Echidna

In Greek mythology, Echidna was a half-woman, half-snake. She is known as the mother of all monsters because many famous mythological creatures were born from and mothered by her. Echidna was described as a nymph with glancing eyes, fair cheeks, the lower half of her bod appearing as a huge snake, great and awful, and having speckled skin. She had a cave deep under a hollow rock, where she ate raw flesh beneath secret parts of the earth, far from both gods and mortal men. Sources vary widely on Echidna's genealogy, claiming her to be the daughter of several possibilities: Echidna is a drakaina. When she and her mate, Typhon, attacked the Olympians, Zeus beat them and punished Typhon by sealing him under Mount Etna. However, Zeus allowed Echidna and her children to live as a challenge for the future heroes, until she was killed by Argus Panoptes, the hundred eyed giant who served Hera, while she was asleep. Echidna was the mother, by Typhon, of many monstrous offspring including:
 * Ceto & Phorcys (according to Hesiod, Pherocydes)
 * Callirhoe & Chrysaor (Hesiod)
 * Styx & Peiras (Pausanias & Epimenides)
 * Tartarus & Gaia (Apollodorus)
 * Phanes & unknown mother (Orphic tradition)
 * Orthus
 * Cerberus
 * Lernaean Hydra
 * Chimera
 * Sphinx
 * Nemean Lion (possibly)
 * Caucasian Eagle
 * Ladon
 * Crommyonian Sow
 * The Gorgon sisters
 * Scylla

Trivia

 * The name "Echidna" comes from Ancient Greek Ἔχιδνα, meaning "she-viper".