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Hercules
Hercules
Alter Ego: Hercules Panhellenios note
Notable Aliases: The Prince of Power, The Lion of Olympus, Victor Tegler, Harry Cleese
First Appearance: Journey into Mystery Annual #1 (1965)
Son of Zeus. Lion of Olympus. Prince of Power. Giver of the Gift of Battle.
Hercules… or rather a Hercules first appeared in an early issue of The Avengers, although this was latter retconned to be non-canon. Hercules himself first appeared in the last two issues of Journey into Mystery, and was Thor's rival in the very first comic that changed the title to The Mighty Thor.
Herc made a few sparse appearances here and there, mostly as a friend and ally to Thor. He also appeared in the Avengers, who took him in after Zeus cast him from Olympus. There, he helped them defeat one of his greatest enemies, Typhon, the last Titan. He remained a guest star for a bit before finally joining the team proper. From there, Hercules spent most of his time as The Big Guy on teams like the Avengers and the Champions of Los Angeles. During World War Hulk, Herc was a renegade due to siding with the Hulk. His attempts to reform himself into a bit more of a "thinker" and play role model to Amadeus Cho quickly grow muddled as he is constantly drawn into the power struggles of the gods including his old enemies from Olympus.
- Accidental Pornomancer: As Arachne proves in Herc #8, even when Herc isn't trying, he can't help but get laid.Gambit: Well, well, well. Even I could learn from moves like that…
Wolverine: I've seen it, in bar after bar. Whatever women want, that guy's got it… - Adaptational Dumbass: While he was capable of tactical thinking and occasional bouts of wisdom, he was often portrayed as a blunderer and a meathead. In stark contrast to the Hercules from mythology, who was educated by the best teachers, a successful general, tactical fighter and occasional trickster. Subverted post 2015, when he sobers up and becomes much more thoughtful in an effort to mend his reputation.
- The Alcoholic: Usually of the more functional ones, sure, but Herc has a habit of just throwing a few back whenever he gets the chance.
- Being drunk and trying to attack the Masters of Evil anyway led to him being put in a coma during the "Under Siege" arc in The Avengers.
- Played for drama during his membership on Heroes for Hire. His alcoholism made him a danger to the team, so he was booted off.
- Lampshaded in the Previously on… for #116 - the recap discussed the previous three chapters of the series, then followed by twenty-three beer stops.
- Played for laughs during "Spider-Island", where gaining Spider-Man's powers somehow made him just as brooding and angsty—which Herc cured right up by drinking an entire keg of beer.
- Also played for drama in his 2015 series, where he is trying to go sober. As of 2024, he seems to have stayed that way.
- All Amazons Want Hercules: Hercules attracts women of all varieties, but his times with women who are just as powerful as he is stand out. Like his affair with Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons, to name one.
- Always Someone Better:
- Thor is the more popular and more prominent hero, and has a far more vast power set.
- Herc himself is envied by Ares for being so popular with the mortals and always gaining Zeus's favor.
- Hercules is this to Thor in terms of unarmed combat. In a battle without Mjölnir, Thor himself admitted Hercules is slightly better at it while nearly passing out.
- Ambiguously Bi:
- Despite Marvel officially stating that he's fully heterosexual, Herc pretty much outright flirts with the male gods during Sacred Invasion, as well as making some suggestive remarks about former companions from myth, how fetching they were and such. In Fall of an Avenger, the mini dedicated to his funeral, several of the women in his life step up and admit that they had sex with him, and encourage others to step up. Cue Northstar — the first gay character at Marvel out of the closet — activating his super-speed and saying, "Is that the time? Gotta go!"
- In response to the aforementioned joke at his funeral,
Writer Greg Pak has also confirmed that he and Fred Van Lente fully interpreted Hercules as being bisexual. - He arm-wrestles a female Thor for a kiss, commenting that this wouldn't be the first time he kissed a Thor.
- Finally shown to be attracted to men in Al Ewing’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” run, where he is explicitly shown kissing Marvel Boy.
- Ancient Grome: Hercules is known by his Roman name rather than his Greek name Heracles while most of the other Greek gods go by their Greek names (except Pluto and Venus.) In the case of Hercules, it's justified because he wishes to distance himself from Zeus' wife Hera, who was his enemy in the original Greek myths and isn't particularly fond of him in Marvel either. As he notes in his 2015 series, he's had many, many names over the years, and he answers to most of them, but Hercules is the one with the best branding - it's even become an adjective.
- Arch-Enemy: His stepmother, Hera; his half-brother, Ares; his uncle, Pluto; and the titan Typhon.
- Back from the Dead: His death was reversed with the help of Thor during The Black Galaxy saga.
- Bash Brothers:
- Although they spend a lot of time beating on each other, Thor and Hercules do love each other like brothers, and the two of them fighting alongside each other is this in spades. It's implied that one of the reasons they fight so often is that with each other, they don't have to hold back.
- Likewise Hercules and Hulk. Hulk, in his Gravage and Green Scar personas, is as much a Blood Knight as Hercules and loves to smash worthy opponents. They'll go for a common enemy if one exists, but will settle for each other just as well.
- Berserker Rage: Occasionally goes or is driven into these making him dangerous to everyone around him.
- Beware the Nice Ones: He is normally a very friendly fellow. But when he gets pissed, he gets really pissed. Just ask Ragnarok, the Thor clone.
- The Big Guy: Herc is usually this role on any team he joins. The only exception is when he's on a team with the Hulk.
- Blood Knight: Not so much for the blood as Ares and toned down some from other appearances, but still loves to fight.
- Boisterous Bruiser: He calls facing him in combat "The Gift of Battle". He's become a bit more sober (literally) and thoughtful since his 2015 series.
- Book Dumb: Hercules is often portrayed as being not terribly intelligent, especially when half the major heroes in Marvel are world-class geniuses. But he is extremely crafty, a master strategist and a gifted fighter in not just martial arts but also any weapon you care to name, and he's much wiser (when sober) than he lets on.
- Brains and Brawn: Hercules is the brawn and Cho is the brains - though Hercules is by no means stupid, especially when sober.
- Brother–Sister Incest: His wife Hebe is the daughter of Zeus and Hera making her his half-sister.
- Brought Down to Badass: Hercules has lost his full godhood a few times reducing him to either a demigod or completely mortal. He is still a physically top-shape human and one of the best fighters to have ever lived falling back on those skills to make up for his loss of power. As a mortal, he makes more use of mortal and magical weapons instead of relying only on his fists.
- But for Me, It Was Tuesday: A team-up with Psylocke revealed that the two slept with each other after an earlier team-up. In the flashback, Hercules promised that a beauty like Psylocke was "unforgettable" to him. ...Which pissed off Psylocke as he was flirting with her like they'd never met before.
- But Not Too Bi: Despite the various hints (see above), the only confirmed lovers Herc has in the present day are all women.
- No longer the case as of Guardians of the Galaxy (2020), in which he kisses and later starts a romantic relationship with Marvel Boy.
- Cain and Abel: He is the heroic and prodigious Abel to Ares' villainous and jealous Cain.
- Calling the Old Man Out: Zeus created Taylor Madison in order to foil Hera's attack on Hercules, and when Herc finds out and then watches Zeus unmake her, he is pissed. Zeus is offended that Herc doesn't appreciate his "help" and strips him of his immortality.
- Can't Catch Up: Due to the fact that Hercules has had fewer published adventures in the Marvel Universe than his rivals such as Thor and Hulk, the two of them often acquire new abilities or push their limits further without any indication that Herc is doing anything to keep up. A perfect example of this is the status quo following World War Hulk, where the Hulk (the Green Scar) was portrayed as infinitely stronger than almost every hero on Earth. While trying to calm Hulk long enough to offer help, Hulk beat Hercules into a pulp, and there was little indication that things would have ended differently even if Herc was trying.
- Can't Take Criticism: This was one of Herc's biggest flaws for a good chunk of his publication. If you tried to hold him back or admonish him in any way, he would get very angry and sometimes storm off in a rage. Growing out of this was one of his major points of Character Development.
- Carry a Big Stick: When he uses a weapon he prefers his adamantine mace.
- Cerebus Retcon: Hercules was originally introduced by Stan Lee as a Foil for Thor. Where Thor is noble, honorable and selfless, Hercules is arrogant, crude, and selfish. While on occasion his behavior was portrayed as problematic, or even dangerous, it was still intended to be endearing and fun. Later on, it's revealed that there are several deep psychological reasons he behaves this way: 1) he grew up in an era where Jerkass Gods ruled and that had a profound influence on him, 2) he is subconsciously still in mourning and punishing himself for accidentally killing his own family millennia ago, 3) being on Olympus for millennia not only bored him out of his mind, but on Olympus parties and revelry last for decades or sometimes centuries and that habit is hard to break. The bottom line is, though, that Hercules's past actions as an Idiot Hero, Casanova and Blood Knight are sometimes painted in darker colors. In the 2015 series, it's directly addressed, with Herc's antics having made him a joke at best, the one who makes other heroes groan when he turns up for a team-up because he usually makes everything worse. He sets about trying to rebuild, with his landlady only allowing him his lease under the condition that he stays sober, and encouraging him to live up to his legendary reputation as the Trope Codifier for The Hero, resulting in a kinder, gentler, and wiser Hercules.
- Character Death:
- His first "death" was a result of battling the High Evolutionary during "The Evolutionary War".
- Averted with his second death; Athena left him stranded in another dimension. When Amadeus attempted an Rescue From The Underworld, he found that Hercules never died.
- Chick Magnet: As Wolverine puts it, "Whatever the ladies want, he has it".
- Civvie Spandex: At the end of the Dark Age era, his costume consisted of a t-shirt/vest, pants, and a bandana.
- Comic-Book Fantasy Casting: He was based on Steve Reeve's 1958 film portrayal of Hercules, and looks a dead ringer for him, right down to his toga-like clothing. In fact, several characters actually lampshade this, claiming that he looks like Steve Reeves—particularly Hawkeye, who himself was based on Steve Reeves.
- Deliberate Values Dissonance: Hercules's behavior and attitudes reflect his time in Ancient Greece. As such, women are his sexual playthings, men are his rivals/opponents, and villainy is to be smited with impunity and very little forethought to consequences or collateral damage. Further, at one point, he flat out calls his wife Hebe his "property". He gradually gets better over time, but millennia-old habits die very hard.
- Depending on the Artist: Hercules' hairstyle and physique changes from artist-to-artist—even during time periods where they should be consistent. For example, in one book, his hairstyle may be short and straight, and in another, long and wavy. Artists also can't decide if his hair color is black, dark brown, reddish brown or some color in between. His musculature also changes, with some artists giving him a leaner figure and others making him almost as huge as The Hulk. His costume's color scheme is also inconsistent; some artists give him with a green sash/skirt with orange trim and some do the opposite.
- Depending on the Writer: Just how much of a simple-minded oaf is Hercules? Some stories portray him as having so much an ego that he's oblivious to the dangers he poses to himself and others. Others portray him as someone who gets serious when the situation calls for it. Some stories portray him as an Accidental Pornomancer who couldn't keep the ladies away if he wanted to. Others portray him as a Casanova Wannabe and perpetual sexual harasser. Portrayals from 2015 onwards have slid towards the 'more serious and genuinely intelligent' version, something probably helped by the fact that he's now sober.
- De-power:
- For mouthing off to Zeus for "killing" Taylor Madison, Hercules was stripped of his godhood, and with it, the vast majority of his strength. He was still the strongest member of that Avengers lineup by far, though.
- He lost his powers again after burning them out at the end of Chaos War.
- Divine Date: Herc's paramours are legion, coming from all walks of life and not just amongst the super set.
- Double Standard: Despite being a generally good guy, Herc's views on gender are not entirely egalitarian. He's got better about this over the years, granted, but as with the other points, ancient habits die very hard.
- In early Avengers comics, Herc was resistant to the idea of taking orders from a female leader (The Wasp). Not entirely because she was a woman, but he certainly threw her gender in her face often. He was more susceptible to being led by Black Widow...but mostly because he had aims to sleep with her.
- At one point, while Herc was running around being himself, his distraught wife Hebe was set on a blind date with Peter Parker. Hercules shows up and tries to beat the crap out of (a completely mortal for all Herc knows) Peter. When Hebe asks where Herc gets off getting angry at her for going on a date, when Herc is unabashedly unfaithful, Herc flat out states that it's because a wife is a man's property. Neither she nor Spider-Man let him slide on that.
- Namora also calls him out on this. When the two of them get hold of a Lotus-Eater Machine-type Artifact of Doom, Hercules' mind creates an alternate reality where he and Namora are a happy couple. However from the very beginning of the character's publication, Namora has only truly had eyes for her cousin Namor. So when the reality she creates is all about her and Namor, Hercules is crushed. When Namora later says that she'll hit Herc up later for a booty call, Herc is still miffed that he wasn't her fantasy. She calls him out on the fact that he's more promiscuous than she is, and that his fantasy reality was likely just a whim.
- Drowning My Sorrows: It's been theorized that Hercules's boisterous alcohol-happy nature is just a facade, and that he takes to alcohol to forget the tragedies and losses he's endured over the ages. This character interpretation comes from his late wife Megara, which could explain why she could forgive him murdering her.
"The mighty Hercules. Bounding through a line of wine, women and song... And without a care in the world. But is that truly the case, however? In this, I wonder... I wonder if what the world sees of you is but a mask...and you, happy-go-lucky Hercules, are anything but. After all... nobody gets that drunk. Am I right?"
- Dumb Muscle: Zig-Zagged. He is capable of tactical thinking, but displays surprising levels of stupidity at times. Even lampshaded at one point. The 2015 series implies that it's a result of impulsiveness and alcoholism - certainly, while he's no genius, he's a much more thoughtful and intelligent hero when he puts his mind to it.
- Dynamic Akimbo: Well of course the God of Manliness would make the manliest pose around. Heck, the Greeks invented the trope.
- Expy:
- His first design was based on Steve Reeves' 1958 portrayal of Hercules, and this remains his most iconic look.
- His second design is speculated to have been based on He-Man, right down to the studded harness and briefs.
- His third design was based on Kevin Sorbo's design in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, with the long mullet and sleeveless vest/tank top.
- Fertility God: Hercules is considered a god of male fertility; this basically shows itself in his voracious sexual appetite and sex appeal. While the Marvel continuity is rather vague on the amount of children he's had over the millennia, he's considered the possible ancestor of numerous superheroes and supervillains.
- Foil:
- To Ares. Historically, Ares has been a thuggish Jerkass who cares only about avenging past slights, and openly admits that he antagonizes Herc because he's still hung up about the Stymphalian birds. Even post-Heel–Face Turn his approach to heroism is hyper-violent and comes at the end of an axe, where Hercules was usually a brawler with the occasional sword.
- To The Mighty Thor. Where Hercules is a hopeless gadabout, Thor is always portrayed as much more noble and restrained. Herc is a close quarters brawler, while Thor uses his lightning and his hammer. Thor learned humility after being banished from Asgard, whereas Hercules always had humility, he just lets it sit on the back-burner while he's chasing tail or a good fight.
- Friendly Rivalry: With Thor. When the chips are down, Hercules considers Thor his brother and would do anything for him. He once interrupted the Avengers having a memorial service for fallen members and angrily berated them for not including Thor among the fallen.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: In some series, Hercules has this reputation due to his destructiveness, drunkenness, and misogyny. In particular, his 2005 series and 2015 series both revolved around Herc trying to undo this reputation. In the latter, and his appearances since, it might be starting to take - though that might be because the Guardians of the Galaxy don't have their perspective tainted by prior encounters.
- Friends with Benefits: Herc has a number of fellow superheroes whom he can contact for a booty call. She-Hulk, Black Widow, Snowbird, Namora and maybe Northstar. Just to name a few.
- A Girl in Every Port: After Herc's "death" at the end of the eponymous comic, one of his lovers, Namora, and her friend, Venus, travel to various homes and businesses that Hercules owned. At each place, they found a woman living there who was one of Herc's many girlfriends that he would visit from time to time. All of them are utterly heartbroken when they learn that he's died.
- Going Commando: It's frequently suggested that Hercules doesn't wear anything under that skirt.
- Gorgeous Greek: A male example, he more than qualifies, if his physique and many amorous conquests are any indications.
- Healing Factor: Slow compared to someone like Wolverine and almost never used thanks to his toughness, but he has one.
- The Hedonist: If Hercules appears in a Thor book chances are he's surrounded by women, getting drunk or picking a fight. Sometimes all three.
- The Hero: Greatest hero of ancient Greece, champion of Olympus and even named the "God of Heroes".
- Heroes Fight Barehanded: A lot of the time he'll simply just punch his opponents. Given that he's strong enough to keep up with the likes of the Hulk and the Juggernaut, that's usually all he needs.
- Heroic Build: He is almost as tall as Thor and (slightly) even more muscular.
- Humble Hero: During the 90s, he was a lot more humble. Very little of the braggart Hercules remained during that period. At one point, he even turned down having his immortality restored by Zeus because he felt he didn't deserve it compared to more worthy heroes. As of 2015, this aspect has returned, and in Avengers: No Road Home, he ultimately sets aside his desire to be renowned for his reputation as well as living up to it.
- I Have No Son!: He regards his family as being different people from the dark Olympians.
- Immortal Immaturity: Hercules acts like a drunken college frat boy at best despite being thousands of years old. He is often self-centered, impulsive, and short-tempered. Ironically, his sense of responsibility and honor makes him more mature than most other Olympians.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Hercules came across as this in early stories. Less so in modern ones - from 2015 onwards, he's a straight up Nice Guy.
- Ladykiller in Love: Throughout the Dark Age era, Hercules was in love with a woman named Taylor Madison, to he point that he became lovesick when she suddenly stopped seeing him and promised to forsake all other women for her.
- Leeroy Jenkins: Usually his great strength is enough, but sometimes it has nearly cost him and his allies dear.
- Lightning Bruiser: He is one of the strongest beings that have ever walked Earth, and while he doesn't have super-speed as an inherent power, he is clearly capable of moving faster than any normal human.
- Lovable Rogue: Herc could be seen as this, as he's basically the anti-Thor. Where Thor is generally noble and well mannered, Hercules is much less refined, to put it nicely.
- Man in a Kilt: To quote Hercules himself, "Real men wear skirts!"
- Manly Facial Hair: Hercules is almost always shown with a full beard.
- The Mentor: To Amadeus Cho. Herc often has lots of life lessons to teach the young boy, and he ultimately proved to be a good influence.
- Might Makes Right: According to writer Bob Layton, Hercules' strength, manliness and bravery (and the general social mores of his era) meant that he could do anything he wanted, at any time, and few people would even want to stop him, let alone be able to. This attitude translated poorly into (then) 20th-Century America, where not only are powerful heroes a lot more common, but society is governed by laws that strength doesn't excuse. Herc had to get used to being told "No" and dealing with it.
- Mini Dress Of Power: Hercules' usual outfit.
- Mr. Fanservice: A shirtless Hunk Hercules is.
- Nice Guy: Depending on the Writer. Hercules's level of "nice" depends on how much you value intent versus actions. Herc usually intends to be a good and decent person—he would almost never do to anyone else what he himself wouldn't want...but he has a habit of believing that because he's the greatest hero and god that ever lived, everyone else automatically should want what he wants. For example, he punches Wonder Man in the face after meeting him, believing that fighting is the friendliest way two men could bond, much to Wonder Man's shock and horror. He is far more polite and courteous to women—usually because of outdated gender mores, as well as feeling he's entitled to sleep with just about any woman he meets. Bob Layton argued that Herc was someone who didn't think anyone could really tell him "No" and actually mean it. Some depictions have him acknowledge that these actions are failings, and then try to overcome them, but again, it depends on who's writing. From 2015 onwards, it seems to have finally stuck, with Herc becoming a more thoughtful Humble Hero. Also, he'd got sober.
- Nigh-Invulnerability: Virtually nothing can hurt him when he is a full god making battle a game.
- Noble Bigot: During the Bronze Age, Hercules was characterized as someone unwilling to take orders from a woman (specifically The Wasp), and had almost made up his mind to return to Olympus because he couldn't deal with the more assertive women of the modern day.
- Noble Male, Roguish Male: The Mighty Thor is the noble man—fighting for honor, justice and valor, while Hercules is the rogue—fighting evil because it's fun and to impress women (and more generally to gain the adulation he feels he deserves), and he's more than willing to play dirty. Even after his Character Development, he's still an unscrupulous fighter, pointing out to some offended centaurs when he points a gun at them that if it was the old days, he'd use a club, if it was Poitiers, he'd use a longbow, and now, he's willing to use an assault rifle.
- Not Afraid to Die: Thousand upon thousand of years have taught Hercules that We All Die Someday and the series has made it abundantly clear that when he does permanently goes out, he will do it in one of three ways: with his head held high, making sure his death will be utterly spectacular or having the time of his life.
- Not Good with Rejection: Historically, Herc was never really told "no" by anyone of any real importance. Thus, writer Bob Layton said that his major characteristic was that he just couldn't see any reason why anyone would even want to deny him anything or hold him back in any way. Sometimes, this has even spilled over into the territory of sexual harassment. During Secret Wars 2099, that version of Hercules tried to force himself on a mortal Damsel in Distress after she rejected his advances and later pursues that version of Valkyrie despite her already having a boyfriend and saying she wasn't interested. This, of course, leads to a Cock Fight between the two men.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Hercules on the surface is a shallow, brawling Boisterous Bruiser. Underneath that, though, he's insightful, experienced, wise, and surprisingly skilled; he's had two thousand years to grow up. How much of the former is fake and how much is real depends on your interpretation. Recent characterisation suggests that his alcoholism has a fair bit do with it.
- Odd Friendship: With Wolverine, starting with a Bar Fight back when Wolverine had first joined the X-Men.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Herc has had moments of being very, very serious and during those instances, he's usually a lot more humble, self-aware, and astute. This has shifted to his default characterisation from his 2015 series onwards.
- Physical God: He actually is the Hercules, God of Strength, of Greek myth.
- Powerful, but Incompetent: Herc has often been written as this type of character. As the Olympian god of strength, Hercules has physical might roughly equal to that of the Hulk or Thor, in addition to several skills and abilities of his own. However, he's also a drunken, misogynistic, quick-tempered Manchild and Blood Knight. On more than one occasion, his failure to stay sober, take orders or plan properly has led to humiliating defeats and even endangering other members of any team he's on. Later depictions of the character have him come to understand that his behavior is unacceptable for "heroes" of the modern day and try to clean up his act. Even so, when Hercules shows up to a team or crisis, many of those in attendance groan and desperately wish that there were someone else to ask for help. In the 2015 series, he's actively trying to amend this, acting much more efficiently and willing to try the peaceful solution.
- Really Gets Around: A reoccurring joke until we meet his immortal wife Hebe. The extent is portrayed in a mini-series where Venus and Namora from the Agents of Atlas travel the world to break the news to various paramours, who span across countries and are still very much in love with Hercules.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Surprisingly Hercules is the Red Oni to Thor's Blue Oni. Hercules is a Boisterous Bruiser, while Thor is generally more serious.
- Smiting Evil Feels Good: Hercules calls it "The Gift" — when he comes across villainy (or something else that irks him), he is excited to engage the perpetrator in battle. During one fight, he even thanks villains for trying to rob an armored car because he was starting to get bored.
- Straw Misogynist: The Wasp was promoted to Avengers leadership as an attempt to incorporate feminism and strong female leadership into the book. Hercules was then cast as the token reactionary of the group, who couldn't deal with the idea of being lead by a woman. Naturally, he is eventually humiliated in combat due to his refusal to follow her orders.
- Strong and Skilled: Hercules is Marvel's most standout example of this trope. Possessing strength on par with the Hulk and Thor, he is also much more proficient at hand-to-hand battle than either of them. He has grappled the Hulk to the ground, easily defeated The Thing in a wrestling match, and almost choked out Thor. In some depictions, he is also a Walking Armory skilled in every form of combat, able to utilize anything from melee weapons like clubs, spears and swords to long-range weapons like arrows, guns and even grenades. Sometimes, all at once!
- Super-Strength: How strong is Herc? One of the strongest characters in the Marvel Universe... on the level of the likes of Thor and the Hulk.
- Take Our Word for It: Numerous stories credit Hercules and Thor as being "equal" in power and overall fighting ability—as in, putting all their powers and skills to maximum use, the two would likely stalemate or kill each other. Thor himself admits it, as did Zeus at one point. However, this creates logical head-scratching. While Herc and Thor are demonstrated many times to be flat out equal in physical strength, Herc's extended expertise comes from greater mastery of fighting arts, weaponry, and flat out cheating when necessary—all formidable to be sure, but very specialized. Thor, on the other hand, has won the Superpower Lottery and wields a magic hammer with powers up to and including flat out Reality Warping. Exactly how Herc is supposed to be "equal" to this is up to debate, but that's what the books tell us.
- Took a Level in Dumbass: When he first showed up in the MU, he was pretty average. Just arrogant. By Chaos War he shows a surprising level of stupidity. He seemingly grows out of it in later stories.
- A True Hero: Hercules has been the subject of a number of stories where people become disillusioned after meeting the hero in the flesh and find a simple-minded, violent, sexist/misogynist (Depending on the Writer, though Herc often has some Deliberate Values Dissonance) drunk instead of the hero of legend that they expect and feel that someone like Thor, The Avengers or even Spider-man make better heroes than him. Typically, this upsets or angers Hercules, who sees himself as the original standard by which later heroes all modelled themselves. In the 2015 series, he comes to terms with it and sets about trying to live up to the standard that he once set.
- Unfit for Greatness: Hercules tends to screw up when given any responsibility beyond punching things thanks to his implusiveness, drinking and general hedonism.
- As a a father, he would often go off adventuring, spend his nights at taverns and cheating on his wife Megara. He admits he was so drunk the night his family was killed that he couldn't remember what occurred, which was one reason he initially believed that he killed them.
- As a role-model, father-figure, friend, mentor, and even lover, he often falls into old habits or his ego gets in the way, alienating others or being difficult to work with.
- As a hero, his ego causes him to get needlessly reckless, causing him to rely less on his centuries of skill and being unreliable at best, if not as dangerous as the threat he is facing.
- As a god, Hercules could at times be neglectful of his responsibilities until Zeus or someone else knocks sense into his head.
- Worse, in Chaos War, Hercules was given omnipotence and omniscience to battle the Chaos King, but refused to use either — continuing to keep punching the villain even after it repeatedly failed, being tricked mulitple times, and everyone else including Amadeaus Cho and Gaea telling him that straight punching was not going to work. In the end, it was Cho who figured out how to defeat the Chaos King, while Hercules' vast cosmic omnipotence was basically a diversion. Afterward, he used this omnipotence to recreate the universe to the same mess it was before the Chaos King. Granted, this was partly out of spite for Athena, as he was disgusted that she gambled with trillions upon trillions of lives to create her "better world, but by simply using his power as Reset Button, he failed to make anything even a little better. When confronted by the Hulk as to why he left everyone to suffer, when he had the power to stop it, he admitted he didn't know and that he messed up.
- In the 2015 series and after, he sets about trying to live up to his classic rep, even kicking the drinking and partying, eventually coming to accept that he shouldn't just seek out adulation for his great reputation but be a hero for its own sake.
- Unscrupulous Hero: Sticking to his classical myth, it is shown that Hercules has committed some pretty horrific actions in his long life which range from general wanton destruction to beating entire races to death. He even admitted he has killed a lot of people in his life, but he's trying to prove he is different by working with superheroes.
- Unskilled, but Strong: Zig-Zagging Trope. Hercules is one of the strongest characters in the Marvel Universe, and when he's at full power, he tends to treat combat like a contest of attrition. But there are many far, far stronger characters out there and Herc isn't completely invincible. When he's forced to (and when he gets serious), Herc will start using his brains and endless depth of combat skills.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: It doesn't consume him or drive most of his actions, but it becomes blatantly obvious when he accompanies Zeus when the latter had been reincarnated as a young child that Hercules would appreciate a modicum of respect from his dad. At the end of the arc, Thor explicitly explains this to Zeus.
- The Worf Effect: Hercules, much like The Thing, is a popular character for writers to show getting curbstomped in order to establish a new character as a threat or powerhouse.
- World's Best Warrior: A strong case is made that Hercules, Ares and Athena are all this trope, or were at some point in history (especially Ancient Greece). Herc is a master of every mortal form of combat known, including hand-to-hand, melee weapons, archery, and others. In fact, it can be argued that his Super-Strength and invulnerability degrades his skills, because Herc becomes more willing to brawl. Ares is very similar; part of his portfolio as god of war includes mastery of every weapon and martial art. However, as he has no grasp of tactics, Hercules has one major advantage over his brother. Athena, the other god of war, is one of the greatest tacticians ever known; however, her forte is winning an entire war versus a single battle. As such, she rarely does the fighting herself (although she is quite the Lady of War when put to the task) and works through champions, agents and pawns.
- World's Strongest Man: Established as the very strongest god in Olympus (in pure physical strength). On Earth, Herc shared this title with other gods and beings. He is a major contender though.
- Wrestler in All of Us: One of the best of all time and invented the mixed-martial art of Pankration. In one story, he demolishes The Thing in a wrestling ring, using techniques such as a leglock.
- World's Best Warrior: Hercules was this long before he became immortal.
- World's Strongest Man: The strongest being of Greek mythology and a serious contender for the Marvel Universe.
- You Killed My Father: To Amatsu-Mikaboshi during their stint on the God Squad.
- You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry!: Hercules's strength increases in proportion to his anger. Not nearly as much as the Hulk (whose size and power boost exponentially with anger, not proportionately), but a pissed-off (or Hydra-poison-maddened) Hercules has been able to curbstomp Wonder Man, a Thor clone, and an alternate-universe Silver Surfer.
Supporting Characters
Amadeus Cho
Amadeus Cho
Alter Ego: Amadeus Cho
Notable Aliases: Kid Hulk, Amadeus Hulk, Brawnhammer, Chulk, Brawn
First Appearance: Amazing Fantasy Vol 2 #1 (January, 2006) note ; Totally Awesome Hulk #1 (February, 2016) note ; Champions Vol 2 #22 (September, 2018) note
The constantly proclaimed "seventh smartest" (actually possibly eight or tenth, as Dr. Banner hints that he was lying to Cho) person on the planet. His family was murdered in an explosion and he has been on the run since. Drawn to Hercules for protection following the disaster of World War Hulk. In the process of finding what happened to his family draws surprising connections to the Olympian gods. Famous for his ability to make almost infinite mathematical complex calculations within moments. Later on, he becomes a Hulk himself in Totally Awesome Hulk, and since Bruce Banner's resurrection, has taken up the codename Brawn.
Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Alter Ego: Aphrodite Ourania
Notable Aliases: Aphrodite Pandemos, Venus, Cytherea, Victoria Nutley "Vicki" Starr
First Appearance: X-Men vs. Agents of Atlas #2 (November 2009)
Aphrodite is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, beauty, pleasure, passion and procreation.
Apollo
Apollo
Pre-Resurrection
Post-Resurrection
Alter Ego: Phoebus Apollo
Notable Aliases: Paul Belvedere, Renee Andre, Sun God
First Appearance: Venus #1 (August 1948)
Apollo is a god worshipped by the ancient Greeks. He has dominion over a vast number of domains, like the sun, prophecy, music, and medicine. His twin sister is Artemis.
Artemis
Artemis
Pre-Resurrection
Post-Resurrection
Alter Ego: Artemis
Notable Aliases: Diana
First Appearance: Thor #129 (June, 1966)
Artemis is the Greek goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, the Moon, and chastity. The goddess Diana is her Roman equivalent.
Athena
Athena
Alter Ego: Pallas Athena
Notable Aliases: Minerva, Agent Sexton, Miranda Minerva
First Appearance: The Mighty Thor #164 (May 1969)
The goddess of wisdom, battle, heroic endeavor, and half-sister to Hercules. In ancient times she aided many heroes including Hercules by either providing advice, magical items or both. She aids Hercules in modern times and turns out to be responsible for many of the events in Hercules and Cho's lives across the ages.
Delphyne Gorgon
Delphyne Gorgon
Alter Ego: Delphyne Gorgon
First Appearance: Incredible Hercules #121 (September 2008)
A descendant of the Gorgons. She started out as an Amazon general and slave to the previous Amazon queen Artume. She fell in love with Cho and opposed Artume's plan to conquer the world killing her in the end. Thanks to this she became the new queen of the Amazons, but was forced to put her relationship with Cho on hold due to Amazonian custom and her alliance with Hera. She lacks the traditional petrification gaze since it runs through only the Medusa line.
- Action Girl: She is an Amazon, after all.
- All Amazons Want Hercules: Averted, aside from the former queen Hippolyta all the Amazons hate Hercules for his womanizing ways. Delphyne in particular is actually attracted to Amadeus Cho.
- Catholic School Girls Rule: Her outfit.
- Freakiness Shame: She's incredibly resentful of the curse that makes her appear reptilian, and she looks to break it at the earliest opportunity. When Athena was turned to stone and it was broken, her first statement to Amadeus was that she'd finally let him love her.
- Gorgeous Gorgon: A gorgon in a plaid schoolgirl skirt and fishnets.
- Cute Monster Girl: Cho certainly thinks so.
- Guns Akimbo: Her weapon of choice.
- Healing Factor: Could also regrow missing limbs in the 4th volume of Runaways.
- Heart in the Wrong Place: Turns out when Artume shot her in the back, she revealed that a Gorgon's isn't where she thought it was.
- I Just Want to Be Beautiful: Seeks to lift the Gorgon curse which had doomed her people for centuries.
- Natural Weapon: In Battleworld, Delphyne often utilized her serpentine hair as weapons.
- Rage Against the Heavens: Sides with Hera to destroy Athena and remove the Gorgon curse, but has little loyalty toward any of the Olympians and won't hesitate to pull a gun on them when she disagrees with their actions.
- Taken for Granite: Averted. Not all Gorgons have this power, only the descendants of Medusa. She briefly gains this ability and uses it on Athena thanks to a helmet that Hephaestus had forged.
Hebe
Hebe
Alter Ego: Hebe Panhellenios
Notable Aliases: Juventas, Ganymeda, Dia
First Appearance: Ka-Zar #1 (August, 1970)
The wife of Hercules. Daughter of Hera and Zeus.
Hermes
Hermes
Pre-Resurrection
Post-Resurrection
Alter Ego: Hermes Diaktoros
Notable Aliases: Quicksilver, Mercury (Roman name)
First Appearance: Venus #3 (December, 1948)
Hermes is the quick and cunning Olympian messenger god. He is the patron of travelers and thieves as well as the god of wealth, transitions, boundaries and good fortune.
Poseidon
Poseidon
Alter Ego: Poseidon Aegaeus
Notable Aliases: Neptune, King Neptune, King of the Seas, Father Neptune, Earthshaker, Father of Oceans, Stormbringer
First Appearance: Kid Komics #1 (February, 1943)
Marvel's god of the ocean and its inhabitants, and the Olympian god of the sea. Neptune is worshiped by the Atlanteans. He is also known as Poseidon. Neptune is the brother of Zeus and Pluto.
Prometheus
Prometheus
Alter Ego: Poseidon Aegaeus
First Appearance: Avengers #48 (January, 1968)
Prometheus is one the Greek Titans. He is the titan of forethought and the benefactor of mankind.
Thor
Thor
Alter Ego: Thor Odinson
Notable Aliases: Siegmund, Siegfried, Dr. Donald Blake, Jake Olson, Sigurd Jarlson, Eric Masterson, Odinson, Herald of Thunder
Team Affiliations: The Avengers, Warriors Three, Thor Corps, God Squad, Avengers Unity Squad
First Appearance: Journey into Mystery #83 (August, 1962)
Thor Odinson is the All-father of Asgard /God of Thunder, offspring of All-Father Odin & the Elder Earth-Goddess Gaea. Combining the powers of both realms makes him an elder-god hybrid and a being of limitless potential. Armed with his enchanted Uru hammer Mjolnir which helps him to channel his godly energies. The mightiest and the most beloved warrior in all of Asgard, a staunch ally for good and one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse/omniverse. Thor is also a founding member of the Avengers.
See Thor
Zeus
Zeus
Pre-Resurrection
Post-Resurrection
Alter Ego: Zeus Panhellenios
Notable Aliases: Jupiter, Jove (names given him in ancient Rome), Taranis (Celtic name), Tinis (Etruscan name), Iupiter Optimus Maximus, Diespiter Optimus Maximus, Mister Z, Modi Thorson, Deus, Zeus of All the Greeks, Storm, "Zoos"
First Appearance: Venus #5 (June 1949)
King of the gods and in one way or another related to just about all the characters in the series. Killed before events in the series, but is restored a little over half-way through as a kid with no memories. Regains his throne and full power by end of the series.
Among the pantheon, he serves as the god of the sky with and emphasis on storms. Other roles include the god of law, justice, hospitality and oaths.
Enemies
Amatsu-Mikaboshi
Amatsu-Mikaboshi
Alter Ego: Amatsu-Mikaboshi
Notable Aliases: Ama-no-kagaseo, Chaos King
First Appearance: Thor: Blood Oath #6 (February 2006)
First introduced in the Ares mini as the Japanese god of evil where it killed Zeus and laid waste to Olympus before being stopped. Released from its prison within Yomi to use his shapeshifting powers to aid against the Skrull gods. It is thought to have been killed, but survived and becomes the biggest villain of the entire series. Toward the end revealed to be an embodiment of the primordial chaos that preceded creation which was later retconned into making it an aspect of Marvel's abstract entity Oblivion.
Ares
Ares
Alter Ego: Ares
Notable Aliases: Mars, Mister Talon, John Aaron, God of War, The Warhawk, Berserker Saint, Broom head, John Aaron, Mr. Tallon, Thor-Lite
Team Affiliations: Mighty Avengers, Dark Avengers
First Appearance: Comedy Comics #10 (June, 1942) note ; Thor Vol. 1 #129 (June, 1966) note
Ares is the son of Zeus and the Olympian God of War. After years of fighting against The Avengers, Thor, and mostly his own brother Hercules, Ares joined the ranks of the Avengers. He was a member of Tony Stark's official Avengers team and later Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers. After he attacked Osborn for tricking him in starting Siege on Asgard, he was stopped and killed by the Sentry.
Artume
Artume
First Appearance: Incredible Hercules #121 (November, 2008)
Hippolyta's daughter, made from stone. She sought to create an Lady Land where men were enslaved to the whims of women.
Hecate
Hecate
Alter Ego: Hecate
Notable Aliases: Hekate, Dark Angel, Goddess of the Crossroads, Mistress of Magic, Mistress of the Moon, Mother of Hounds, New Dark Queen of Brooklyn, Triune Goddess, Witch-Queen
First Appearance: Ms. Marvel #11 (November 1977)
Hecate is a Olympian goddess of magic, witchcraft, necromancy and sorcery, and also crossroads, entrance-ways, fire, light and the Moon. Occasionally depicted as a companion of Persephone, she wasn't so much identified with the Night (like Nyx or Nox), but with nocturnal wanderings.
Hera
Hera
Pre-Resurrection
Post-Resurrection
Alter Ego: Hera Argeia
Notable Aliases: Hera Panhellenios, Juno (Roman name), Augustine Jones, impersonated Taylor Madison
First Appearance: Marvel Mystery Comics #91 (April 1949) note ; Thor #129 (June 1966) note
Queen of the gods, goddess of marriage and main antagonist for the middle part of the series. She is the stepmother to Hercules and Athena. She regards them as deadly enemies and like in ancient times seeks to destroy them for perceived wrongs done in the past. With the death of Zeus she inherited both command of Olympus and his powerful Thunderbolt making her more dangerous than ever.
Hippolyta
Hippolyta
Alter Ego: Hippolyta
Notable Aliases: Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyte, Warrior Woman
First Appearance: Thor Vol. 1 #127 (April 1966)
The Queen of Amazons. A fierce and fearsome warrior, her fighting abilities are of legendary nature. She is the daughter of the Ares, the Olympian god of war and Amazon Queen Otrera, a daughter of Zeus. Hippolyta created the Amazons and Princess Artume is her daughter. Killed by her own daughter Artume, she was eventually revived, joining the Fearless Defenders alongside Valkyrie.
Typhon
Typhon
Alter Ego: Typhon
Notable Aliases: Typheus, Typhaon, Typhaon, Typhos, Typhoon, Last of the Titans
First Appearance: Avengers #49 (Febuary 1968)
A storm-giant/monster created by Gaea to avenge the defeat of the giants in the Gigantomachy by destroying the Olympians. He was defeated by Zeus thousands of years ago and imprisoned in Tartarus. Released to serve Hera, but still has his own agenda.
Pluto
Pluto
Alter Ego: Hades
Notable Aliases: Aidoneus, Dis, Dis Pater, Orcus, Hayden P. Hellman, Tyrant of the Dead, Mr. Pluto, Evil One, God of the Dead, Master of the Netherworld
First Appearance: Thor Vol. 1 #127 (April 1966)
The God of the Dead (not Death), Pluto is the brother of Zeus & Neptune, and ruler of the Olympian Underworld after they drew straws for what they would rule. Eventually wanting more then just this, over the years, Pluto has become an enemy to Hercules as he seeks more power.
