Hercules (Marvel Comics)
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Hercules is [[fictional character], an Olympian god and superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Based on the most famous Greek demigod and hero of the same name, he was adapted and introduced by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist-coplotter Jack Kirby in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 (1965). Hercules was first used as a foil for the Incredible Hulk and Thor.
History
Origin
Hercules was born to Zeus, king of the Olympian gods, and Alcmene, a mortal woman. Blessed with extraordinary strength imparted by his father, his history is similar to that of the mythical Hercules. He earned the ire of Hera, journeyed with the Argonauts, and performed his Twelve Labors. However, during the course of his Twelve Labors, one labor was completed by someone else: the cleaning of the Augean Stables was actually performed by the Eternal known as The Forgotten One.Eventually, he donned a poisoned shirt prepared for him by his wife Deianira and placed himself upon a funeral pyre in order to kill himself and stop the pain. However, Zeus intervened, consuming the pyre with his thunderbolts and bringing Hercules to Olympus to be made into a true immortal.
As a true immortal, he married his half-sister Hebe, a daughter of Zeus and Hera. However with many infidelities, he became estranged from Hebe thus earning Hera's wrath once more.
Hippolyta
After many years of ruling the Amazons, Hippolyta eventually met Hercules when he, Jason and the Argonauts landed near her city stronghold of Themiscyra. There they attempted to steal Hippolyta's enchanted girdle and any slaves they could along the way. Fearful for her sister's life, Hippolyta's sister Antiope willingly disguised herself as Hippolyta. Jason, thinking her to be the Amazon queen, kidnapped Antiope and made her his bride. She eventually bore a son to him, Hippolytus, whom Antiope named after her much loved sister. Initially resenting Hercules for the initial invasion, Hippolyta eventually fell in love with him. Over the centuries she tried various attempts to win his affection but ultimately he never gave her his heart. Thus a love/hate relationship was formed between the two.Modern era
After this, Hercules first appeared in the modern era when he was enthralled by the Enchantress and used to attack her old foes, the Avengers. Hercules was freed by Hawkeye, and became fast friends with the archer and the other Avengers, especially after he was banished from Olympus for his unauthorized excursion to Earth. During this time, he stayed as the Avengers guest, before becoming an official member of the team.Serving with the Avengers, Hercules eventually returned to Olympus to help put down the attack by the god Typhon. After this, he elected to stay on Olympus. While on Olympus, Hercules became involved in a plot by Ares to incite war between the Olympians and the Asgardians, and eventually the Earth. Through the assistance of Thor and the Avengers, the war was averted. After this, Hercules interacted with Earth in a support role, joining the Champions and helping the Avengers, especially during the crisis involving Korvac. After Korvac, Hercules rejoined the Avengers as a full-time member.
Masters of Evil
Following his rejoining the Avengers, Baron Helmut Zemo's Masters of Evil attacked the Avengers, resulting in the so-called "Mansion Siege." During the siege, a drunken Hercules, chaffing at taking orders from the Wasp, attacked head-on several of the Masters of Evil, holding his own until being viciously beaten by Goliath and then put into a coma from a beating by several of the Masters. Following the "Mansion Siege," Hecules was taken by Zeus to Olympus to recover, while the Avengers were imprisoned in Hades as punishment for the treatment of Hercules. Only the intervention of a recovered Hercules ended the conflict between father and team. Zeus, forgiving the Avengers, forbade Hercules from involvement with Earth.Hercules, ever the rebellious son, disobeyed Zeus, and returning to Earth, assisted the Avengers against the High Evolutionary. During this conflict, Hercules was strapped to a machine that would evolve him beyond his normal godhood. The device wound up evolving both Hercules and the High Evolutionary into a state well beyond godhood, seemingly disintegrating both of them.
However, both had actually been abducted by the enigmatic Celestials and taken to the Black Galaxy to be held prisoner. There, they were rescued by Eric Masterson and Thor. Hercules returned to Earth, where once again supported the Avengers. Eventually, he became an active reserve member after the team's UN reorganization, and an active member after Thor's disappearance.
Exile
Hercules was then confronted by Zeus, who was angered by his son's preference for the mortal world. Stripping Hercules of his immortality and a great deal of his power, Zeus exiled him to Earth. There, the traumatized Hercules drew support from the Avengers, especially Deathcry, whom he helped to return to her Shi'ar homeworld. Upon returning from space, Hercules discovered that the Avengers had apperently sacrificed themselves to stop the being known as Onslaught. Distraught over the loss of his comrades, he took to drinking, becoming an alcoholic while what was left of the Avengers disbanded.
After the disbanding of the Avengers, Hercules traveled in search of adventure, briefly serving with the Heroes for Hire. When the Avengers and other heroes returned from their exile, Hercules joined the reformed team, opting to be an inactive member rather than serve as an active member. Hercules also sought out Goliath, now known as the hero Atlas, in order to extract revenge for his coma. Hawkeye convinced Hercules to stand down, at the cost of their long friendship.
New Labors
With the dissolution of the Avengers and the destruction of Asgard, Hercules fell to old habits, frequenting bars and putting forth the image of a drunkard. With Hercules in a vulnerable position, Hera decided to strike with a new set of Labors. To this end, she utilized Eurystheus, now the head of a modern company, to film a reality television show of Hercules completing new Labors, updated for the modern age. During the course of his labors, Hercules found forgiveness from Megara, and returned to defeat Eurystheus.After the Labors, more mundane battles lay in wait for Hercules, but when he severely injured the Constrictor in a battle, he was successfully sued by the super-villain, sending him into financial ruin. Later, Hercules was asked by Zeus to return to Olympus and mount a defense against invaders until Ares could return. After Ares returned to help defend the home of the gods, Hercules set aside his feud to work towards a common goal. After helping to defend Olympus, Hercules once again returned to Earth, and rejoined Damage Control in order to earn money. Previously, Hercules had to perform community service with Damage Control, as a result of his drunken stupors. This time, however, he's an employee, working in construction and demolition. In one of the Thing's famous poker games, Hercules againt went up against the Constrictor, and won much of his fortune back.
Alternate versions
Hercules 2300
Hercules also starred in two miniseries, a graphic novel, and various other issues depicting an alternate Earth where he was exiled into space by Zeus. Colloquially known as Hercules 2300, this alternate Earth is designated Earth-829. Hercules offends Zeus, who wishes to teach his son humility. To this end, Zeus plans on exiling Hercules once again. However, by the 24th century, humankind has advanced greatly, with floating cities, advanced space travel, and great mental accumen. To banish Hercules to Earth would be self-defeating, as humanity worships Hercules like a god. Instead, Hercules is exiled into space, with Apollo's chariot and steeds as a means of transportation. During his journeys, he encounters and befriends a Skrull named Skyppi and Rigellian Recorder #417, along with wooing various ladies (one of whom would give birth to a son who would become emperor of a planet and bitter towards his absentee father) and fighting various aliens. One particular adventure found Hercules wooing Nova, herald of Galactus before fighting Galactus himself. Trying to defeat Galactus first with his fists, then by making him drunk, Hercules only succeeded in making Galactus amused. However, this proved to be enough, as Galactus forgot his hunger, if only temporarily, and spared the planet Hercules was defending.Hercules impregnated an unknown woman and made the MC2 character Argo the Almighty. He has the power of Godly strength and endurance.
Powers and abilities
Hercules possesses various superhuman abilities that are common to the superhuman race of beings known as the Olympians.Hercules primary superhuman power is his vast physical strength. Hercules is the physically strongest of all the Olympians and is capable of lifting well in excess of 100 tons. Hercules has been seen uprooting and hurling a giant Sequoia tree, lifting & carrying an intergalactic starship, and is considered one of Marvels physically strongest characters (along with the Hulk,Thor,Gladiator and Hyperion). Hercules' highly advanced musculature generates almost no lactic acids, granting him near limitless superhuman stamina in all physical activities.
Aside from his vast strength, Hercules is functionally immortal, just like all other members of his race. He hasn't aged since reaching adulthood, is immune to all known diseases, and can't die under conventional circumstances.
Like all other Olympians, Hercules body is highly resistant to physical injury. However, Hercules' invulnerability is considerably higher than that possessed by the vast majority of his race. Hercules' body has withstood the impact of high caliber machine gun shells, falls from tremendous heights, exposure to temperature extremes of both hot and cold, and powerful energy blasts without sustaining injury. Even though it is possible to injure him, Hercules' godly lifeforce enables him to heal with superhuman speed and efficiency. However, Hercules isn't capable of regenerating missing limbs or organs without the aid of magic. It would take injuries that resulted in the dispersal of a considerable portion of Hercules' bodily molecules to cause his actual, physical, death.
Skills
Hercules is an excellent hand to hand combatant and is a particularly excellent Greco-Roman wrestler. Hercules is highly skilled, and experienced, with all forms of weaponry used in ancient Greece.
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