The Pantheon are a Marvel comics team, that the Hulk had once joined. The organization was first introduced in #368 (April, 1990) and was fleshed out over later issues.
Right after having his multiple personalities merged, Hulk was invited to join the Pantheon. He refused, and pushed Atalanta aside, which drove Ajax nuts and started a fight. To prevent further damage to the population, Hulk feigned being defeated and let the Pantheon take him to their base. Once there, he continued the fight, until the leader Agamemnon asked him to stop and gave him a tour of the place. The Mount is a community that tries to work for the good of mankind and prevent or stop potential disasters. Hulk accepts to join.
One day, Agamemnon left the Mount to explore the real world a bit, leaving Hulk in charge during his absence. But then, the alien Trauma finally captured Atalanta and revealed the dark deals that Agamemnon had made with them. Once on Earth, Agamemnon is located and brought back to the Mount, to face a trial. Agamemnon unleashes his monsters, leading to the destruction of the mount and his death. The Pantheon broke up after this.
- A Nazi by Any Other Name: The kid that would become a new Hitler in the future.
- Breaking the Fellowship: In the "Fall of the Pantheon" storyline.
- Establishing Character Moment: The first appearance of Paris, as a mere mission control back at the Mount when the ship returned with Hulk. He refused to open the door, but Ulysses moved anyway: he was playing a "Who gets scared first?" game. The ship was destroyed because of this.
- Immortality Begins at Twenty: Although Agamemnon likes appearing to people in the holographic form of a very old man with a long white beard, his immortality kicked in when he was 16. His descendants all had their immortality hit as young adults too.
- Internal Homage: The (supposed) death of Agamemnon is similar to the famous scene of Bucky on the top of the plane that blew up.
- Stalker with a Crush: Trauma is this for Atalanta. Then again, who would want to hook up with a horrible Axe-Crazy alien?
- Surprise Checkmate: When The Hulk was offered leadership of the Pantheon by Agamemnon while expressing his doubts, he surprised Agamemnon by putting him in check on a board that had stood untouched in his sanctum for four centuries, underlining his pressure on Agamemnon to be a little more forthcoming. After some soliloquizing in response, Agamemnon follows up with a counter-check while putting Banner on the spot.Agamemnon ..by the by, I'll believe you'll find that you are now in check. Your move, doctor.
- What Did You Expect When You Named It ____?: The Pantheon uses Greek-themes names (such as Ulysses, Ajax, or Atalanta). One of them, who was nigh-invulnerable, called himself "Achilles". Then he met Hulk and discovered that he was vulnerable to low-level Gamma Radiation, which makes him lose his invulnerability. He was very pissed off at the idea of having a weakness. Who would have ever thought about Achilles having a weak point?
The Pantheon
Achilles
Alter Ego: Helmut Halfling
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #379 (March, 1991)
Achilles is a member of the Pantheon and is invulnerable except when he is close to low-level gamma radiation. He is killed in a battle with Ulysses (Charles). He is the son of Agamemnon.
- Kryptonite Factor: Achilles is totally invulnerable except when in the presence of gamma radiation; just being next to Bruce Banner after the Hulk returned to human form was enough to make him weak.
Agamemnon
Alter Ego: Vali Halfling
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #376 (December, 1990)
Agamemnon is the founder and leader of the Pantheon. He is the son of Loki and an unknown mortal woman. He is the father of Achilles.
- Back for the Dead: Dropped off the face of the Earth after the mid-90s, but reappeared in Peter David's X-Factor trying to abduct Rhane's unborn son, who eviscerated Vali the minute he was born.
- Living Forever Is Awesome: Agamemnon has no obvious issues with his immortality beyond his frustration that he will outlive his own children.
- Older Than They Look: Looks like a preteen kid, but is much older.
- Smug Snake: Not surprisingly, several thousand years of immortality have given him a pretty inflated view of himself, and a dismissive attitude toward everyone else.
- Tangled Family Tree: One of Loki's many kids.
Ajax
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #379 (March, 1991)
The Pantheon member Ajax was given his code name due to his similarity to the ancient Greek giant strongman. Ajax served on the Pantheon's elite fighting team and was devoted to Atalanta, often acting only on Atalanta's direction.
- Berserk Button: Don't hurt Atalanta around him.
- Dumb Muscle: Ajax is physically powerful, but he's also rather dim.
- Funetik Aksent: Speaks in one to indicate his severe lack of intelligence.
- Manchild: Ajax is physically powerful, but he has the mind of a toddler.
- My God What Have I Do: During a fight between the Pantheon and X-Factor, Ajax accidentally knocked out Atalanta, and ran off sobbing.
- Power Incontinence: Ajax has a massive body, but requires an elaborate exoskeleton to move around.
Andromeda
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #412 (December, 1993)
Andromeda is the mother of Delphi. Andromeda can see the future and was the seer for the Pantheon until she lost her virginity and became pregnant with Delphi.
Atalanta
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #376 (December, 1990)
Atalanta is a member of the Pantheon who fought alongside Hulk during his time with them. Her primary weapon is an energy bow and arrow that she can guide with her mind. She was recruited by Agamemnon and given her code name due to her similarity to the ancient Greek huntress, who was also very proficient with the bow. Atalanta serves on the Pantheon's elite fighting team.
- Energy Bow: Atalanta uses a bow and arrows made of plasma energy as her main weapon.
Cassiopea
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #412 (December, 1993)
Cassiopea is a member of the Pantheon and can absorb certain types of energy and re-channel it in form of concussive blasts. Cassiopea grew up as a Pantheon member with her family. Her father Perseus was a longtime Pantheon member until he left and became an innkeeper near Loch Ness. As a teen, she was very much a pacifist and did not like all the fighting and violence. Her views would change once she got older and more mature. She was particularly close to Pantheon member Hector. She tends to flirt with him despite his interest in men.
- Deadpan Snarker: While being written by Peter David means this is inevitable, she is the snarkiest of the Pantheon bar none.
Delphi
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #379 (March, 1991)
Delphi was the daughter of Andromeda and Jason the Renegade, both descendants of the immortal Agamemnon. Like her parents, she was recruited into the Pantheon organization. She was recruited by Agamemnon and given her code name in reference to the ancient Greek city which housed a fortune-telling oracle. Delphi served the Pantheon by directing their efforts, rather than participating in the field.- Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: Once her powers see the ruin of the Pantheon coming, she runs off back to her mother.
- Seers: Delphi's main power in the Pantheon.
Hector
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #379 (March, 1991)
Hector is a member of the Pantheon. He is a descendant of Agamemnon and thus inherited an extended life. Hector uses a mace made of plasma energy and can fly. He was recruited by Agamemnon and given his code name in reference to the brother of Paris and the greatest warrior of the ancient Greek city of Troy. Hector serves on the Pantheon's elite fighting team. Hector often clashed with fellow Pantheon member Ulysses as he was not accepting of Hector's homosexuality.
- Gayngst: Some, as it was the 90s and the AIDs epidemic was getting into full swing.
Hulk
Alter Ego: Dr. Robert Bruce Banner
'''First Appearance: "The Incredible Hulk" Vol. 01, #1
For more information on him, please refer to his page.
Jason
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #409 (September, 1993)
Jason the Renegade is a member of the Pantheon and like all the other members he is descended from Agamemnon. Jason often did Agamemnon's dirty work disposing of people who had crossed Agamemnon. Jason defects from the Pantheon when Agamemnon orders him to murder his teammate Ulysses.
Paris
Alter Ego: Nathan Taylor
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #376 (December, 1990)
Nathan Taylor, alias Paris, is a member of the Pantheon and like all the other members he is descended from Agamemnon. He was recruited by Agamemnon and given his code name in reference to the ancient Greek brother of Hector. Paris is an empath and a master manipulator who causes chaos in the Pantheon to move up the ranks. He is not a fighter and is more involved in the planning of missions and division of labor, serving as an administrator, of sorts, to the Pantheon's elite fighting team.
- Malicious Misnaming: Tends to address Hulk / Bruce as "Bobby".
Perseus
Alter Ego: Scott Shannon
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #407 (July, 1993)
Perseus was a member of the Pantheon who uses an energy spear and like all the other members he descended from Agamemnon. He eventually left the pantheon and became an innkeeper near Loch Ness, providing boat tours of the lake. He is killed by Madman when he tries to help the Hulk. He is the father of Cassiopea.
Prometheus
Alter Ego: Unknown
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #368 (April, 1990)
Prometheus has a tracking sense that works over great distances, even across space. Prometheus was a member of the Pantheon and like all the other members he is descended from Agamemnon. Prometheus was born with a deformed face that looks horribly burned. Prometheus drives a very high-tech vehicle created by the Pantheon engineers called the Argo.
- Scarily Competent Tracker: Prometheus can even track someone across deep space.
Ulysess
Alter Ego: Unknown
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #408 (August, 1993)
Ulysses helped recruit Walter Charles into the Pantheon. He trained Walter and disliked him for his apparent laziness and lack of motivation so Achilles takes over as his mentor. On a mission to Los Angeles to recruit the boy who would grow up to become Paris, Ulysses was killed saving Walter during the Watts Riots by Achilles on orders from Agamemnon. Walter takes up his sword and replaces him as the new Ulysses. Used a plasma shield and sword.
Ulysses II
Alter Ego: Walter Charles
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #379 (March, 1991)
Walter Charles was a small-time gang member going nowhere in life. He spent most of his life in various foster homes. He was recruited into the Pantheon by Achilles and the original Ulysses. For a few years he just trained and did the bare minimum, Ulysses disliked him for his apparent laziness and lack of motivation so Achilles takes over as his mentor. On a mission to Los Angeles to recruit the boy who would grow up to become Paris, Ulysses was killed by an unknown gunman. Upon his return to the Mount, Achilles lies to Agamemnon and says that Ulysses wanted Walter to take up his sword and replace him. He was eventually given his code name in reference to the great and cunning warrior of the ancient Greek city of Ithica. Ulysses serves on the Pantheon's elite fighting team, fighting using a plasma energy sword and shield.
- Legacy Character: The successor to the original Ulysses.
