So, once upon a time, there was this hot chick named Medusa.
One day, Poseidon, the god of the sea, saw her and couldn't resist her beauty. He decided to make a move on her, but she rejected his advances. Furious, Poseidon cursed her, turning her into a monstrous Gorgon, so that no man could ever lay eyes on her again without being turned to stone.
But Medusa's story doesn't end there - she ended up getting her head chopped off by the Greek hero, Perseus, who used a shiny shield and sickle to avoid looking directly at her. After that, her severed head continued to have the same petrifying powers as her gaze. Pretty metal, huh?