First noted in a myth describing Ra's vengeance upon his enemies, Sekhmet was an unstoppable force from which humankind was saved only by the timely intervention of a moment of levity (which was commemorated ever after in Egypt with a celebration of public drunkenness!)

Eventually Sekhmet would develop both a cult and a personality as the "Eye of Ra" associated with divine vengeance.

As a healer, Sekhmet's power to utterly destroy things would be invoked against the invisible "demons" of plague and disease. Sekhmet's priesthood in antiquity were trained surgeons of a remarkable caliber, given the standards for medicine in the ancient world.

Thousands of statues of Sekhmet, carved from Aswan red granite, were erected to line processional ways during the New Kingdom as a way to placate the "Red Lady" and encourage Her to turn back the plagues which came into the country at that time.

Sekhmet as a destroyer is paired with Ptah the creator at Memphis, and Her destructive lioness-visage found echo in images in Thebes. Sekhmet's strongest attribute, like Her symbol the lioness, is that of appropriate action, especially appropriate violence or destruction.