Characters / Marvel Comics: Olympians

aka: Ares Marvel

L-R: Artemis, Hera, Athena (background), Zeus, Hermes, Apollo, Hephaestus

The Olympians are a pantheon of gods who were worshipped by the ancient Greeks, based on the gods real-life Greeks worshipped. Recently became evil and began attacking colonies in space.

In General

Olympians in general

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• Badass Cape: When the reborn Olympians reappear, most of them sport some kind of cape or cloak.
• Came Back Wrong: Dramatically so, after they were slaughtered by Nyx and reappeared in Guardians of the Galaxy (2020).
• Face–Heel Turn: While they weren't the best before, their death and rebirth causes them to become brutal Space Pirates who destroy entire colonies. It's implied that they Came Back Wrong.
• Everyone Has Standards: While capable of doing horrible things to those they think wronged them, even they are disgusted by Ares' savagery and willingness to go overboard on people who did nothing to him.
• Immortal Immaturity: Their main problem. As Prometheus notes, the Olympians have the temperament of children and are rarely held responsible for their actions since they are gods. Their pettiness, self-centeredness, and wrath are often less due to maliciousness and more immaturity with too much access to divine power.
• Jerkass Gods: Like their mythological inspirations, they don't care very much about mortals getting hurt and often cause them harm simply because they can.
• Kill the God: In the beginning of Avengers: No Road Home Nyx escapes into Mount Olympus and slaughters everyone present with her children.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: The fates of several gods after Nyx's slaughter such as Poseidon, Aphrodite, Hebe are unknown. While Dionysus was confirmed deceased, he wasn't seen among the reborn Olympians.

Aphrodite

Aphrodite

Modern Era 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.

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• Actual Pacifist: Unlike the other Olympians, she has no combat abilities and detests fighting. If forced into conflict, she will use her Cestus to try to neutralize her attackers.
• Continuity Snarl: Thanks to various retcons Aphrodite's history has been mixed up with that of Venus from the Agents of Atlas. They eventually battled over the "Goddess Of Love" title in The Incredible Hercules via a Quarreling Song, with Venus winning and Aphrodite giving up the claim.
• Graceful Loser: She didn't take losing her song duel with Venus badly, even thanked Venus for it, since it made her realize she hasn't been fit to be a goddess of love for quite a while.
• The Hedonist: The given reason Venus was able to impersonate her for so long was because Aphrodite herself Took a Level in Cynic and was feeding her own hedonistic pleasures in her own domain for years after losing faith in love and humanity.
• Heroic Seductress: She helps Athena's foil Hera's plans by seducing Ares, thus keeping him from assisting Hera.
• Hot Goddess: She's the Goddess of Beauty and pleasure, so of course she's this.
• Inconsistent Coloring: She has been depicted as both a redhead and a blonde.
• Irony: She's a love goddess who has lost faith in love. She finally realizes this upon duelling Siren and relinquishes her title to find herself and regain her understanding of love.
• Love Goddess: She's the Love Goddess, although she did gave her title to Venus in order to re-find herself.
• Mind-Control Music: She can control people's minds with her singing.
• Ms. Fanservice: As expected from the goddess of beauty, she's been seen in a bikini or even less, most of her outfits being Stripperific in some fashion, usually baring her legs and midriff. She's also frequently depicted as being nude whenever she uses her powers, albeit with Scenery Censor, Godiva Hair, and Lens Flare Censor preserving her modesty.
• My God, What Have I Done?: After her duel with Venus, she realizes how selfish she had been all the years she has spent as The Hedonist, having abandoned the empathic nature a Love Goddess should have, choosing instead to resent the world for not worshiping her.
• Orgasmatron: She has an enchanted girdle called the Cestus, which is able to arouse love, passion and pleasure in others at will. She gifted it to Venus after she gave up being a goddess.
• Pretender Diss: Frequently insulted Venus for assuming her name and guise. But after their song duel, she actually came to see Venus as a Worthy Opponent and successor.
• Proud Beauty: She's extremely proud of both beauty and sexual prowess.
• Reclining Reigner: Assumes this pose whenever she lays on chairs or beds.
• The Rival: Formed a rivalry with Venus, the sire who impersonated her.
• Sex Goddess: As expected from a goddess of pleasure, she's an exceedingly talented lover. When we see Ares after sleeping with her, he's a slumped mess on her bed, who's barely able to speak.
• Significant Green-Eyed Redhead: The form she takes and as an Olympian Goddess, very significant.
• Walking Swimsuit Scene: Had her face-off with Venus wearing only a golden bikini.
• Walking the Earth: Went on a journey of self-realization after abandoning her position as a Love Goddess to Venus.
• World's Most Beautiful Woman: It's a battle between her and Amora when it comes to the most beautiful goddess.

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.

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• The Ace: Among the Olympians, Apollo tends to excel at anything he attempts physically or intellectually, making him one of the most powerful gods.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Before his death and resurrection, Apollo was generally one of the more helpful gods willing to hear mortals out and go against his own father.
• Glowing Eyes of Doom: His dark self's eyes constantly glow golden.
• Light Is Not Good: After being reborn, his eyes, hair, and a circle on his chest glow. Said rebirth also made him evil.
• The Power of the Sun: Comes with being a sun god.
• Psychopathic Manchild: After his resurrection, he's become a whiny Spoiled Brat. When he fights Phyla-Vell, he petulantly cries "Father, she— she broke my lyre! Father, make her stop!"
• Smug Super: According to Hercules, Apollo can be rather arrogant.

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 Golden-Age appearance; Thor Vol. 1 #129 (June, 1966) ^note Silver-Age appearance

"Ares. My name echoes in the cries of women and children, and is etched with dents in swords. Ares evokes not just the power of war, but something more. The will to do the deeds that others cannot... the rape of nations, the genocide of people, to rejoice in blood and pain. I do not choose a victor; I simply act when one side is willing to do its worst. To unleash the beast of war. For annihilation is the art of Ares, and that is my name."

— 'Ares, Ares #1''

The God of War (the more violent aspects of it compared to Athena) and perhaps Hercules' greatest rival. In recent times, he has become less of a villain and more of an extremely violent anti-hero. A former member of Iron Man's Mighty Avengers and Green Goblin's Dark Avengers. He was killed by The Sentry during Siege, but was literally kidnapped out of the afterlife during Contest of Champions (2015).

Ares is a Marvel Comics Anti-Hero created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1966. Based on the Greek god of the same name, Ares made his debut in Thor #126. A villain for decades, the God of War changed his ways after a battle with the forces of Pluto. Summoned to end the stalemate between Pluto's forces and those of Olympus, Ares brutally crushes the enemy army almost single-handedly. Returning to Olympus, where he believes he will be welcomed for the first time, Ares overhears a conversation between his fellow gods that cuts to the bone. Considered to be nothing more than a brutal killer by his own family, Ares realizes that he'll never be welcome in Olympus. Disappointed, Ares leaves his life as the God Of War behind and settles on Earth with his son, Alexander. To ensure that his son has a normal life, Ares never tells Alexander of his godly heritage.

Now John Aaron, a simple carpenter, Ares and his son live on Earth for years until the unexpected arrival of the messenger Hermes. Ares learns that Olympus is threatened by Amatsu Mikaboshi, the Japanese god of Evil, but he refuses to offer his help. Desperate, Zeus kidnaps Alexander, which forces Ares to abandon his life as John Aaron and become the God of War once more. Returning to Olympus, Ares is further dismayed when he learns from the Greek hero Achilles that the Olympians lost Alexander to Mikaboshi's forces. With his son in the hands of the enemy, Ares joins the Olympians in battle until he is confronted by an unexpected enemy: Alexander, the Eastern God of War. After a short, brutal battle in which Ares cannot win, Zeus uses his power to convince the Eastern war god to betray Mikaboshi, which, combined with an attack from other Eastern gods, ends the war in favor of the Olympians. Reunited with Alexander, who learned the truth of his heritage from the god of evil, Ares returns to Earth to resume his life as a carpenter... or so he thought.

Not long after the Civil War ended, Tony Stark realized that the world needed an Avengers team once more. Citing the need for a "Thor/Wolverine", basically a god-level being willing to kill, Stark pressed team leader Ms. Marvel into offering Ares a spot on the new Mighty Avengers. When Iron Man and Ms. Marvel visit Ares at a construction site, effectively blowing his cover, the God of War has no choice but to accept, though he makes Tony match his construction pay ($44/hour, apparently). As a member of the Mighty Avengers, Ares fulfills the role of The Big Guy along with The Sentry.

Not to be confused with DC Comics' Ares, who is Wonder Woman's grandfather and Arch-Enemy.

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• Abusive Parents: Well, he is a Greek god, so it pretty much comes with the territory on the receiving end. On the giving end, he was actually a very good father to Alexander.
• Adaptational Badass: Ares in the Classical Mythology got his ass kicked nearly every time he appeared. This guy is someone strong enough to rip apart a robot he couldn't dent with his weapons.
• Alliterative Name: Alexander Aaron
• Arch-Enemy: Is this to Hercules.
• Arm Chair Military: Played with. Ares fights from the front lines but has the mentality of this. He openly admits to ignoring all of the things needed to win a war including anything about having enough supplies or the lives of his men regarding war itself as a game.
• Ax-Crazy: Once an opportunity for battle comes up he is prone to abandoning all sense of tactics to to engage to fight including turning on his own allies in battle to lengthen the battle, all the while laughing manically.
• Bad Boss: Ares has little regard for the lives of his men. Shooting or outright killing them for minor things or just because he suddenly feels like it.
• Bad Guys Do the Dirty Work: One of Iron Man's original justifications for making him an Avenger. Ares would commit the morally reprehensible actions other heroes would either hesitate at or refuse to do. Comes back to bite them when Ares sides with Osborn, seeing no real difference between serving the two.
• Band of Brothers: Ares' Shades unit, which is a handpicked team of H.A.M.M.E.R. recruits.
• Berserk Button: He holds onto grudges a LONG time. He's still mad at Hercules about the Stymphalian birds.
• Blood Knight: He does not care much for which side he fights for as long as he gets to satisfy his violent urges. His "anti-hero" stance has done little to curb this. Loves fighting more than anyone including Thor or Hercules, and whilst he is capable of tactics, generally his plan boils down to "hit/shoot it a lot" (in contrast to Athena, who is the goddess of strategy and tactics.
• Boisterous Bruiser: On a good day.
• Boom, Headshot!: The Mares of Diomedes are dispatched this way by Ares' Shades during the Big Damn Heroes moment in Dark Avengers: Ares #3.
• Brainwashed and Crazy: Alexander thanks to the manipulations of Mikaboshi.
• The Brute: Tends to fulfill this role whenever he works with or for others.
• Cain and Abel: The Cain to Hercules' Abel.
• The Call Knows Where You Live: Tony Stark forced him to join, threatening to sic The Sentry on him if he didn't.
• Character Death: Died in Siege. He came back years later in Contest of Champions.
• Clothing Damage: Ares gets this a lot, leading to plenty of Shirtless Scene goodness.
• Colonel Kilgore: Justified. Ares tells War Machine one reason he joins armies is because is an excuse for him to kill and be seen as a hero instead of a monster if only for publicity sake.
• Cool Helmet: Part of his costume is a helmet styled after the classical Greek/Roman crested helmets.
• Combat Pragmatist: Ares is not afraid to do what it takes to win a fight. For all that he prefers an axe, he's quite comfortable with just grabbing a few machine guns and win via superior rate of fire.
• Cool Shades: The trademark of Ares and his Shades unit.
• Determinator: After his anti-hero transformation, once engaged in battle it is almost impossible to get him to retreat even if he is losing.
• Dirty Coward: As a villain, Ares would often retreat unless he had a clear advantage, leave when it was gone or fight only as a last resort despite demanding others die for him.
• Dual Wielding: Often wields both a sword and axe in battle once he becomes an anti-hero.
• Drill Sergeant Nasty: Ares at the start of his Dark Avengers limited series. He has no problem shooting one of the H.A.M.M.E.R. recruits in the knee while handpicking his Shades team. Other recruits received a punch to the gut or elbow to the face for their troubles, but both men made the team. Training with Ares involved lots of grenades, Gatling guns, and RPGs being fired in their direction, usually while Ares had a beer. Ares encouraged brawls in the mess hall and "killing the leader" when necessary, which is a lesson that actually saves the day at the end of the series.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Hates his son Kyknos for being a sadist. "I am the god of war... the god of slaughter... Even the god of murder. But I am not the god of sadism!"
• Evil Versus Evil: After Ares defeats the forces of Pluto, Hera uses these exact words when describing his role in the conflict.
• "Fantastic Voyage" Plot: After Ultron takes over Iron Man's suit early in the Mighty Avengers series, Ares volunteers to shrink down to atom size to deliver a virus. He successfully fights his way through Ultron's "immune system" attackers to deliver the virus, though he's eventually overrun and has to be rescued by The Wasp.
• Foil: For Hercules. Hercules has the respect Ares wants and cannot understand why Hercules is so respected despite being a drunken, destructive brawler. Ares is what Hercules could be if he allowed his love of battle to ever overtake him.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: No matter what group he is in Ares is typically despised for one reason or another. The Olympians and heroes despise him for his savagery and bloodthirsty nature. Villains look down on him for reasons ranging from being a mere brute to having enough morals to hate working with them.
• Front Line General: As an anti-hero, one of his few redeeming traits is that he is at least more courageous and willing to fight on the front lines.
• Gatling Good: "Trained" his own personal squad by firing at them daily with a Gatling gun until they tried to kill him.
• General Failure: Ares' overreliance on brute force and forgoing of any fighting techniques or tactics causes him to lose pretty much any battle he is involved with.
• Give Him a Normal Life: One of Ares' reasons for leaving the God of War position behind was the have his son Alexander grow up as a normal boy.
• Good Parents: Yes, Ares is actually a great dad. Actually alludes to his protective tendencies over his children in the actual myth. He tries hard to raise Phobos right, even leaving Olympus to get a job as a construction worker in New York City.
• Got Volunteered: Stark more or less drafted him by giving him the choice of joining the Avengers or being imprisoned.
• Green-Eyed Monster: A large part of his rivalry with Hercules is due to being jealous of how Zeus seems to respect Hercules more in Ares eyes. Ironic, given that Hercules also struggles with this related to Zeus.
• Guns Akimbo: One of his favorite fighting methods when not using melee weapons.
• Half the Man He Used to Be: Ares gets ripped in half by The Sentry in Siege. He later got kidnapped from the afterlife for the Contest of Champions.
• Healing Factor: Not as fast as some, but can recover from most wounds in a few minutes.
• Heel–Face Turn: Zigzagged, Ares switched from straight villain to dark antihero not due to any change of hearts, but because he got tired of everyone treating him like crap. He goes right back to villanious behavior whenever it suits him.
• Hollywood Tactics: Despite being an expert in tactics, strategy, and nearly any thinking aspect of war he more often than not ignores all of these. Instead, prefers to charge in head on IGNORING all strategy and tactics and preferring to rely on brute strength and ferocity to win his battle unless he absolutely has to employ it. One reason is he attributes any "thinking" part of war to Athena whom he has a fierce rivalry with. He can lead an army into battle, but it will often be the worst strategy possible, cause massive casualties and collateral damage for his side, and risk costing them the battle.
  • His plan for SIEGE embodies this as he ignored all the advantages Earth's military technology or superhuman army might have given him. Instead, he chooses an up-close, head-on battle that benefits the super-strong Asgardian army that wields swords and spears.
• Immortality: Ceased aging a long time ago and is difficult to kill.
• Important Haircut: Ares gives himself one after Alexander is kidnapped, signaling the return of the God of War.
• Incendiary Exponent: Battling the overwhelming forces of Amatsu-Mikaboshi in Ares #3, an enraged Ares lights himself on fire and has The Incredible Hercules Fastball Special him as far into the enemy ranks as possible.
• Informed Ability: Given how much the "like Wolverine and Thor in one" idea comes up, it's rare that he actually seems to fit that description.
• I Regret Nothing: Ares, even after becoming an anti-hero, regrets none of that massive number of deaths he's caused as the God of War. During a fight against the Inhumans during the Silent War series, an inhuman who could project illusions of guilt made him see all the blood he spilled in his life. His response: "Ha! Was it so few?!"
• Jerkass: Well, duh. He is the God of War and loves to slaughter, during Dark Reign he killed dozens of HAMMER-recruits and drilled the survivors by firing on them with a freaking Gatling Gun. He is definitely not a nice guy.
• Jerkass Has a Point: Ares has a tendency to call out others not being so different from him:
  • Hera claims moral superiority and in the war against Mikaboshi calls for unity only for Ares to call her out on her BS citing her long history of trying to destroy the children of Zeus and being as evil as he ever was.
  • Ares calls Hercules out on his major flaws and own history of rampant destruction, yet he is loved by gods and mortals while Ares is despised.
  • Modern mortals both revere war and the armed forces of their countries and the good things both do for countries, but at the same time call it evil and revile Ares who represents it.
• Large Ham: Often speaks in a larger than life manner since he is a god.
• Leeroy Jenkins: Ares charges into battle at the first opportunity ignoring any orders, tactics or plans. It tends to not work well for him.
• A Lighter Shade of Grey: It's hard to say he pulled a Heel–Face Turn, but he's not as bad as he used to be.
• Missing Mom: Alexander is raised by Ares, as his mother is never identified.
• Morality Pet: Both Phobos and his son Alex. He is definitely a nicer person when the latter is around.
• More Dakka: During Dark Reign he killed dozens of HAMMER-recruits and drilled the survivors by firing on them with a Gatling Gun.
• Multi-Melee Master: Ares is good with any weapon, even modern ones like Gatling Guns.
• Nominal Hero: Ares does not fight along side heroes or against evil due to beliving in causes like justice or to help people. He only switched because he got tired of being thought of as a monster by everyone. At heart, he still has the same mindset and tactics; hence his willingness to fight alongside villains as long as the PR is right.
• Offing the Offspring: Kyknos in Dark Avengers: Ares #3.
• One-Man Army: Single-handedly tears through armies of monsters and robots as long as they are much weaker than him.
• Papa Wolf: Very protective of his own son Alexander considering him the "one good thing" he has done in his life.
• Paper Tiger: Zigzagged, Ares is genuinely tough with a fairly high-degree of strength and durability. But he is not nearly as powerful as he thinks combined with an overreliance on brute force and underestimation of others causes him to lose battles he should be able to win.
• Patron God: Of Sparta, though amusingly enough he admits he has no love for the Spartans at all. Mainly because of how he views them with contempt for placing a statue of him in chains outside their city out of misplaced admiration and how their kings laid claim to being descended from Hercules as an honor, despite Ares fervently hating his guts.
  Ares: [[Spartans]] never failed to irk me.
• Phallic Weapon: Aphrodite once mocked his preference for phallic weaponry.
• Physical God: Stated by Nate Grey of the X-Men to be the physical manifestation of war on every plane. Nate seemed to find this quite interesting, and claimed he didn't have any way of countering Ares - though given that the entirety of Dark X-Men was part of his Gambit Roulette to publicly destroy Norman Osborn's reputation and reveal him to be a slavering maniac, it's implied that he took a dive.
• Power is Sexy: Played for laughs when Ares joins the Mighty Avengers. A particularly good example is when the high-ranking Black Widow starts barking orders on the Helicarrier, as Ares can be seen in the background with a heart above his head and a smirk on his face.
• Pyrrhic Victory: The few battles he does win tend to be these because his side has lost so much due to his stupidity.
• Redemption Equals Death: Apparently finally realizing fighting for Norman Osborn was wrong and turning on him was enough to gain him entrance to the Elysian Fields.
• Retired Badass: Ares at the start of his limited series. Leaving Olympus behind after being rejected by his fellow gods, Ares's life becomes a cycle of parent-teacher meetings, video games, and carpentry. Averted once he is forced back into action.
• Riding the Bomb: Ares has a habit of riding objects into battle. During the Mighty Avengers' assault on Latveria, Ares rides a Quinjet right into the side of Castle Doom.
• Refusal of the Call: Refused to get involved in the Civil War and wouldn't have joined the Avengers either, preferring to live life as a normal man to raise his son but...
• Shoot the Messenger: Ares does this with a nail gun in Ares #1 when Hermes comes calling.
• Shout-Out: Ares gives a rousing speech in front of a giant American flag in Dark Avengers: Ares #1.
• Smug Snake: Ares grossly overestimates his own abilities leading to humiliating losses.
• Soldier vs. Warrior: Ares rather poorly embodies the warrior side of this with an emphasis on individual glory over working as a unit. This has repeatedly made him a liability in battle when working with others.
• So Proud of You: Despite originally trying to give Alexander a normal mortal life, he takes considerable pride in the way his son develops once he begins adjusting to his godhood. In particular Ares looks extremely smug when Alexander manhandles Norman Osborn while hitting him with his Emotion Bomb power and giving him "The Reason You Suck" Speech.
• The Strategist: Averted, he was supposed to be this, but his plans amount to charging the enemy head-on while riding a giant bomb into battle with the soldiers he is commanding complaining about it. During his Dark Reign mini, he outright stated he ignores everything related to strategy as much as possible, leaving that to his sister Athena.
• Super-Strength: Ares is the third strongest Olympian after Zeus and Hercules and tied with his uncles Pluto and Neptune.
• Super-Toughness: Played up once he becomes an anti-hero, one of the things that make him dangerous is toughness combined with his healing factor makes doing any lasting or serious damage to him very difficult.
• Taken for Granite: Morgan Le Fey turns Ares into stone during a fight with the Dark Avengers specifically to avoid the wrath of the Olympic gods.
• That Makes Me Feel Angry: In #3 of his first series, Ares tells his old man Zeus how he really feels: "You weak old fool! You fill me with hatred for you!"
• Token Evil Teammate: Among the New Avengers.
• Token Good Teammate: Among the Dark Avengers, mainly because the other members were even worse than him.
• Two First Names: John Aaron and Alexander Aaron.
• The Un-Favourite: Ares is one of if not the most despised of all of Zeus' children. One of Ares' issues with Hercules is Zeus (and mortals) make it clear that Hercules is preferred over Ares despite Hercules being an illegitimate, drunken, womanizing buffoon prone to causing massive destruction when he loses control, compared to Ares who is one of Zeus' few legitimate children and for all the talk among humans that despise war, he's also responsible for all the good he thinks war brings to a nation like valor and the construction of kingdoms. Hercules constantly succeeding in defending Olympus is compared to Ares' constant failings in that regard.
• Too Dumb to Live: Thanks to his refusal to use his intellect, Ares is prone to making life-threatening choices even for an immortal. These include picking a fight with an insane Thor, driving Hercules mad with pain, making demands of the powerful sorceress Morgan La Fey, repeatedly angering Zeus even when the latter is already pissed off, trusting Hera, underestimating Dr. Doom, trusting Norman Osborn, trying to fight The Sentry, failing to do even basic reconnaissance or use of military tactics. This has gotten him killed several times, brought near death require outside intervention other times, or only spared because his enemies are afraid of angering Zeus.
• Unskilled, but Strong: Ares is an interesting version of this in that he is skilled and strong, but often foregoes skill in favor of brute strength. When he puts his mind to it he is a highly skilled warrior and not a half-bad tactician. However, he usually forsakes skill to rely on brute power and innate toughness. So he grabs whatever large weapon available and attacks head-on. This works great when he is facing opponents far weaker than him, but he often gets defeated by enemies on his level or even weaker because they outsmart him or bother to use fighting skills.
• Wall of Weapons: Ares has one in his closet loaded with Earth weapons. Alexander also mentions weapons from different eras are kept on display in the Aaron household.
• War Is Glorious: His viewpoint.
• War God: His Classical Mythology counterpart is the Trope Codifier. He takes this to the extreme when he chooses James Rhodes aka War Machine as his new champion, while James is on trial.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: His envy for the respect Zeus has for Hercules is one reason he hates Hercules. Zeus in turn hates Ares for being a bloodthirsty warmonger.
• Worf Effect: Ares is often touted for his combination of strength, tactical knowledge and fighting skills yet is often the first to go down in short order.

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.

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• Classical Hunter: Thanks to being the goddess of the hunt
• Daddy's Girl: More loyal to Zeus and obey him unquestionably compared to her more open-minded twin Apollo.
• Energy Bow: Post-Resurrection instead of a regular bow, her bow is now made of energy.
• Evil Redhead: Post-Resurrection she became more overly malicious.
• Trick Arrow: Her arrows can home in on their targets or produce magical effects.

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.

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• Badass Bookworm: She is the goddess of wisdom, after all.
• Because You Can Cope: Type 1. Considers herself Herc's true mother, but does this to him in favor of Cho.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Can easily come across as one due to events at the end of the series. In particular, Delphyne Gorgon wants her dead because she was the one who created the Gorgon race/family out of spite after Medusa had sex with Poseidon in her temple.
• Bolt of Divine Retribution: Upon inheriting Zeus's Thunderbolt, but far weaker than his.
• Brain Bleach: Needs this after she's hit on by an amnesiac and adolescent Zeus (her father).
• Evil Mentor: More like Well-Intentioned Extremist mentor, but she could be considered the Greater-Scope Villain of the Incredible Hercules run. She mentored both Hercules and Cho, manipulated millions of people, allowed countless deaths and the destruction of countless worlds, all to lead to the one moment where her brother (the greatest hero of them all) would be able to build a better world. With her as his advisor, of course.
• For the Greater Good: Usually, she will sacrifice pawns in her scheme because there's some larger endgame she's moving to.
• Hot Librarian: She tends to go with this sort of look when dressed up like a mortal, complete with glasses and more business-like attire. In fact, she specifically chose a younger version of this look when first appearing to Amadeus Cho, because she knew he'd find her both attractive and smart enough to hit on her—thus preventing him from dying in the explosion that killed his family.
• Idiot Ball: At the end of Chaos War, she reveals to Hercules that she planned on Mikaboshi destroying pretty much everything only for Hercules to stop him in the end. She wants Hercules to build a better universe than the one before. She is then surprised when Hercules exhausts his powers to recreate the old universe. Anyone that had any reasonable knowledge of Hercules could expect this result.
• Lady of War: Goddess of battle, specifically the strategic and disciplined aspects.
• The Mentor: Played with. She's something of a cross between a Trickster Mentor, an Evil Mentor, The Svengali, and Treacherous Advisor.
• My Girl Is Not a Slut: Athena, like in mythology, is asexual and aromantic—a trait which makes her even more enticing to many men. Especially Hephaestus.
• No Love for the Wicked: Just as in Greek Mythology, she's both aromantic and asexual. Several characters also note that she can't be trusted, since she's always working toward her own ends for a perceived "greater good". She's also not above using her beauty and attractiveness to manipulate men (and women) into doing her bidding, and then disappear moments later without reciprocating.
• The Spock: She is called out multiple times throughout the story for allowing reason and logic to override her humanity and empathy. She is not above using people, nor ignoring moral conundrums to further her goals.
• Statuesque Stunner: Like Hera she stands at 5'10" (178cm) and she rocks the Hot Librarian look.
• The Svengali: Early on, she tells Amadeus that gods are not to be trusted. That includes herself. Her machinations are so circuitous and alien that even if she's helping you, it's probably for her own gain. Cho points this out to Aegis in the underworld, who still faithfully serves Athena in the underworld. When Aegis says that Athena has never steered him wrong, Amadeus quips, "Dude! You're dead!"
• Treacherous Advisor: Zig-Zagging Trope. Athena has her own agenda, but she doesn't betray people just for pettiness. Still, you never know when her advice is helping you or helping some perceived greater good.
• Trickster Mentor: Tries to use Amatsu-Mikaboshi to destroy the universe in the hopes that order will again rise from chaos with a better ruler (Hercules) in place.
• Virgin-Shaming: Is sometimes mocked for being a virgin goddess, particularly by Aphrodite who thinks Athena needs to get laid.

Dionysus

Dionysus

Alter Ego: Dionysus Acratophorus

Notable Aliases:Baccus, The Liberator

First Appearance: Venus #4 (August 1949)

The god of wine whose lesser domains include fertility, religious ecstasy, theater, and madness. Like Hercules, he started out as a mortal demigod son of Zeus. His discovery of wine and spreading of its cultivation led to him becoming a god. Over the centuries, his devotion to hedonism and neglect of his abilities has led them to degrading causing him to be mainly a background figure of little importance.

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• The Alcoholic: Per being the god of wine.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Dionysus comes across as a drunk frat boy yet as him once pointed out he can cause much sorrow, rules over madness, and has a history of inflicting terrible fates on those who angered him worse than other Olympians.
• Despair Event Horizon: The Olympians losing to the Avengers in battle once convinced him the time of the gods had past and he attempted to destroy Olympus with a nuclear weapon. Hercules was able to convince him otherwise and Zeus temporarily made him mortal as punishment.
• Formerly Fit: Dionysus was originally quite handsome and one of the strongest gods, but he let himself degrade to becoming a fat, balding man who powers have withered to having to rely on potions. Later stories show him having gotten back in shape after being humiliated by mortals in battle.
• The Hedonist: Worse than the other Olympians causing his powers to degrade.

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.

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• Brother–Sister Incest: As she is the daughter of Zeus and Hera, she is Herc's half-sister.
• Crazy Cat Lady: While the Olympians were exiled to Earth, she lived in an apartment with a large number of cats, along with her Stalker Shrine of her delinquent husband.
• Cute Clumsy Girl: She was portrayed this way as the secretary of the Olympus Group.
• Double Standard: She is utterly faithful to Hercules (aside from one kiss from Peter Parker), but he is constantly laying with various women, both mortal and immortal.
• Early Installment Character-Design Difference: She was much more scantily-clad in her first appearance, within Ka-Zar #1.
• Fountain of Youth: As the goddess of youth, she is responsible for brewing ambrosia which keeps all the gods young and virile.
• Girl Friday: To Amadeus after he becomes CEO of the Olympus Group.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Hebe is extremely sweet and nice, as befitting her fair-haired locks.
• Healing Factor: After falling from a 40-floor window, and suffering numerous broken limbs and a broken neck, said injuries heal within seconds. In fact, she casually snaps her neck back in place and then dashes off like nothing happened.
• Hot Goddess: Hebe is the goddess of youth, and as such always looks youthful and beautiful. In her first appearance, she also didn't leave much to the imagination.
• Loved I Not Honor More: Hebe loves that her husband is such an adventurous hero and doesn't want him any different despite his adventurous and philandering ways upsetting her often.
• Nice Girl: Compared to the rest of her family, and even Hercules, Hebe is the nicest. She lacks both the ego and the wrath of everyone else.
• Nigh-Invulnerability: Hera implies that this is her schtick as the Goddess of Youth. As the only person who can make Nectar and Ambrosia, she may have some form of Complete Immortality that makes her extremely hard to kill.
• Stalker Shrine: She had one of Hercules while the two were separated.
• Super-Strength: As an Olympian, she is much stronger than a normal human. For instance, on the page image of Loved I Not Honor More, she slaps Hercules hard enough to draw a few drops of blood and shows no sign of injury.
• Super-Toughness: She was blasted out of a 40-story skyscraper and cratered the concrete with her impact. Though she broke her neck and several limbs, she remained in one piece, and her bones snapped back in place.
• Took a Level in Badass: She grows steadily more competent as the series goes on, up to taking point on the entry to the Olympus Group during Assault On New Olympus.
• Undying Loyalty: To her husband, which understandably frustrates Hera. Hera mentioned it's part of Hebe's curse as the Goddess of Youth since being eternally youthful means she will be eternally hopeful towards any relationship she is in that it will turn out for the best no matter how damaging they to her personally (i.e. her loyalty to her chronic philanderer and cheater husband Hercules despite 3000 years of neglect and disloyalty on his part).
• White Sheep: She openly rebels against her mother Hera after the latter blasts her out of a building for not blindly supporting her. She is also the one Olympian not to have any of the negative traits of the others including Hercules.
• Willfully Weak: She seems to be easily trounced by opponents that she could easily beat as an Olympian. It seems to be less about her having power and more about how she really is not a combatant.
• Ye Olde Butcherede Englishe: Averted. As the goddess of youth, she uses modern English unlike her fellow Olympians. However, this causes the Avengers to think she's just a human pretending to be Olympian and ignore her pleas to help Hercules.

Hephaestus

Hephaestus

Alter Ego: Hephaestus Aetnaeus

Notable Aliases: Vulcan (Roman name)

First Appearance: Thor #129 (June 1966)

Son of Zeus and Hera. Hephaestus serves as the god of smiths, fire, and volcanoes. Among the Olympians he is the only one disabled thanks to his parents which makes him something of an outcast. Yet still serves them faithfully as a superb blacksmith, weapons maker and armorer.

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• Abhorrent Admirer: He has a massive crush on Athena, but she dislikes him (and not only due to his ugliness). His attempt to force himself on her made her despise him forever.
• Emasculated Cuckold: Aphrodite constantly cheated on him with Ares, a fact that enrages him and he still holds a grudge against both.
• Handicapped Badass: Thanks to one of his parents throwing him off a mountain he is permanently crippled in one leg. Despite that he is still physically quite powerful and can give Thor a decent fight.
• Honor Before Reason: Hephasestus was originally an honorable god willing to fight Thor despite being at a disadvantage and stand up to his father when he was wrong.
• Ultimate Black Smith: One of the best smiths in the known universe. He is credited with making some of the finest weapons, armor, jewelry and other items on Olympus.

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 As Juno; Thor #129 (June 1966) ^note As Hera

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.

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• Alpha Bitch: She's the queen of Olympus and a total bitch, especially towards her nephew/step-son Hercules.
• Bad Boss: Of ten mistreated her subordinates and fellow Olympians, even expelled Apollo and Artemis since because they weren't her children.
• Big Bad: She's often the main antagonist in most stories involving the Marvel Olympians.
• Bolt of Divine Retribution: Inherited Zeus's Thunderbolt letting her shoot energy as lighting, but far less powerful than him.
• Clingy Jealous Girl: She is very displeased by her husband's philandering to the point she tried to destroy the universe simply so there could be no mortals around for Zeus to philander with.
• Divine Race Lift: After her rebirth, she has dark skin.
• Disproportionate Retribution: Hates Hercules and Athena for the crime of being born Zeus's children to other women. She can't exactly punish Zeus, but it's not like the kids deserve it.
• Early Installment Character-Design Difference: She was portrayed as blonde up until the Modern Age, where she became a redhead.
• Evil Versus Evil: VS the Green Goblin during the Dark Reign arc.
• Extreme Omnisexual: She made Typhon of all beings, a literally snake-legged monster locked in a semi-humanoid form by Zeus, her lover while she had him controlled as her bodyguard.
• God Save Us from the Queen!: She's queen of the Greek gods and is, if anything, even more spiteful and malicious than she is in Greek myth, on at least one occasion freeing Typhon from Tartarus to use him as The Dragon so she can seize control of the pantheon after Zeus disappears.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: She has given a Fate Worse than Death for, as some examples, disrespecting her as queen of the gods, disrespecting her husband or Olympus, claiming that she is not the World's Most Beautiful Woman, upstaging one of her children in any way, reminding her of her husband's infidelity, or even talking to her at the wrong time for any reason whatsoever.
• Heel–Face Door-Slam: Zeus, in his reincarnated child form, convinces Hera that they both can change and improve their relationship, and that destroying the world is a bad idea. Then Typhon steps in and shows that he's no longer bound to serve Hera.
• Lady in a Power Suit: In the modern era, she often dressed in a business suit.
• Most Common Superpower: The Queen of Olympus sure has a nice bust.
• Omnicidal Maniac: Her plan for surviving the coming war with the Chaos King is creating and hiding in another universe while destroying the current one.
• Sleeps in the Nude: Has been shown sleeping naked in her room at the Olympus Group tower.
• Statuesque Stunner: Her default form is 5'10"/178cm tall and she's very attractive, bitchiness aside.
• Top God: Become the official leader of the Olympians after Zeus's death, although many members were expelled or fled due to her leadership.
• Woman Scorned: She will utterly make anyone's life a living hell if they remind her in any way of her husband's trysts with other women. So if you're a child resulting from such infidelity (like Hercules or Athena)? You're screwed.

Hercules

Hercules

Alter Ego: Hercules Panhellenios ^note Birth name: Alcaeus; was renamed Herakles and then later personally changed his name again to Hercules in order to further distance himself from Hera due to all the tragedies she'd helped bring upon him.

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.

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• 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…
• 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 2023, 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.
• Being Good Sucks:
  • He never forgave himself for killing his family back in the age of myth.
  • He was absolutely lovesick for Taylor Madison throughout the Dark Age era, and greatly mourned her once she "died".
  • The "New Labors" miniseries from 2005 featured Hercules trying to rebuild his reputation and self-respect from probably his lowest point.
  • He is hurt and depressed by the fact that many of his former teammates and friends don't respect him or want him around in his 2015 series.
  • In general, he tends to party to so much to cope with the death of his family, shame of his most famous deeds being punishment for it, the inevitable deaths of his mortal friends, the constant harrassment from Hera, and the constant crap from his father Zeus along with nothing he ever does being enough to satisfy him.
• 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.
• 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".
• 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.

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.

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• A Million Is a Statistic: His view on human life and why it doesn't bother him when large numbers of humans could potentially die as long as other gods are not involved.
• Mercury's Wings: Thanks to being inspired by the Trope Maker
• Nice Guy: Compared to the other Olympians he is less arrogant with a greater understanding/respect for mortals, but still sees them as inferior.
• Super-Speed: Hermes is the speedster of the Olympians and can move faster than mortals can register. Only other gods can sense him.

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.

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• Bald of Evil: A sinister god who usually appears as a bald man.
• Brainwashed and Crazy: He most recent appearance has him serving the Anti-Tree which has taken control of the Underworld.
• The Don: When Hera forced the Olympians to assume mortal identities, he chose this as he's still a ''Lord of the Underworld".
• The Dragon: Has one in Thanatos.
• Everybody Hates Hades: Justified in the Encyclopedia Mythologica; after people stopped worshiping the Greek gods Zeus forbade him to admit new souls into his realm, and he did not like that one bit.
• Evil Uncle: Not that evil, but he opposes his nephew Hercules.
• God of the Dead: Of the Olympian pantheon.
• Hellfire: He can summon it, shape it into weapons or use it as regular blasts.
• Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Pluto turned on Zeus due to eons of abuse along with believing Zeus set him up to be hated by making him Lord of the Underworld. Denying him new souls is what finally pushed him over the edge.
• Omnicidal Maniac: Marvel Two-In-One Annual #5 had Pluto attempt to use a device to overload a black hole in the hopes of destroying the universe so he could rule over eternal darkness.
• Pointy Ears: Just to remind us he's evil.
• Purple Is Powerful: His outfits tend to have a lot of dark blue and purple.
• Tin Tyrant: Pluto is almost always depicted wearing plate armor.
• Unfortunate Names: For a while Pluto started going by Hades due to too many comparisons to the dog Pluto.

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.

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• Amazing Technicolor Population: Sometimes he appears with blue skin.
• Lord of the Ocean: He's Poseidon, the most famous God of the Sea.
• Prongs of Poseidon: Carries his signature trident.

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.

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• 0% Approval Rating: None of the other Olympians like him thanks to eons of him abusing them. It's so bad Hercules is the only one with any real loyalty toward him. And even Hercules gets fed up with his behavior and was willing to leave him dead until there was no other option.
• Abusive Parents: In stark contrast to the Papa Wolf entry below, Zeus is known for being an absolute bastard to his own offspring when they piss him off or when they even think of defying his decrees. Even Hercules, his favorite son, gets beat on from time to time because of Zeus' temper.
• Awakening the Sleeping Giant: Zeus was neutral towards the Hulk until Hulk did pretty much everything he could to insult and anger Zeus despite being warned by Hercules yet still wanting Zeus to help him.
• Bolt of Divine Retribution: His signature power source is his Thunderbolt and about the only way he uses his energy powers.
• Break the Haughty: After he temporarily loses his powers, he completely emotionally breaks down due to his extremely pompous nature, is reduced to a hobo living on the streets, and is kicked in the groin and beaten up by Electra when attempting to hit on her.
• Cold-Blooded Torture: After defeating the Hulk, he let a vulture repeatedly eat his entrails, and gloated about it. More significantly, he did the same to Prometheus for a far longer time for having the audacity to give mankind fire.
• Cruel Mercy: Allows Hercules to rescue the Hulk because he considers simply being the Hulk to be greater than any punishment he could give him.
• Cycle of Hatred: Subverted. One of the few times he ever put another over his own self-interest was when he realized that Hercules would not carry this on. That his son truly loved his father.
• Depending on the Writer: How much of a bastard he is has varied over time. Earlier stories made him more mature and fatherly with flying into rages only if provoked. Later stories focus more on his darker side.
• Double Standard: Rape, Divine on Mortal: Zeus took the form of Alcmena's husband Amphitryon to seduce her to father Hercules and incinerated Semele after showing her his divine form. Since Alcemena, Semele, and Ampitryon considered Zeus to be the supreme godhead they did not have a problem with it making it a case of Deliberate Values Dissonance. Thousands of years later, Amphitryon still considered Zeus his god and more important than himself, while Semele looks back on her encounter with Zeus as the greatest passion she ever knew and defends him killing her by blaming the whole mess on Hera.
• Divine Date: While Zeus certainly wasn't shy about using more questionable methods to get paramours, he sometimes just picked up women by his own charm.
• Easy Amnesia: Thanks to waters from the River Lethe.
• Extreme Omnisexual: Hercules once commented that Zeus has become well known for pursuing anything with two legs and sometimes four. It was hard to tell how much he was joking.
• Foil: For Odin from the Mighty Thor. Both are ancient, powerful godheads with short tempers, beards, and difficult relationships with their sons. Both claim they want to uphold justice, to sympathize with mortals, and disdain evil. The difference is Odin at least tries to live up to these virtues while holding the Asgardians accountable for their actions. Zeus blows them off whenever they inconvenience him and allows the gods to do what they want. He only bothers to punish them on a whim or when they cross him personally. As a result, Odin is usually a beloved king respected by his subjects while Zeus is despised.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: It does not take much to set Zeus off.
• Immortal Immaturity: Despite his status and title of Father of Gods and Men he lacks the maturity one would expect with his position. More often than not he is worse than his children.
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: How Amatsu-Mikaboshi killed him.
• It's All About Me: His attitude to the point he at times has trouble with things that are not about him.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: As an amnesiac kid. As an adult he wavers between this and Jerk with a Heart of Jerk. Overall, he is this as a god as well. He at times displays sympathy toward humanity, love for his children, remorse for his actions, and a patient, wise counselor to other gods. Or he can be a capricious jerk. It all depends on what mood he is in or if someone or something is riling him up.
• Jerkass Gods: He's an extremely capricious and volatile jerk who responds to insults with lightning, death threats, and violence. Even when getting killed or resurrected, he's still the same jerk. He attempted to justify it by saying he is a necessary evil for mortals to place their blame on in times of calamity.
• Kick the Dog: Hulk offering to make a sacrifice so others could go free prompted Zeus to sum up his actions, say "Wrong religion" and deck him.
• Kid Sidekick: After his memory is erased temporarily he replaces Cho as Hercules's sidekick.
• Large and in Charge: Occasionally drawn this way, being bigger than the Hulk during their fight.
• Mad God: Due to never really learning to control his temper at times it drives him into fits of madness that make him a danger to anyone around him.
• Never My Fault: He uses this trope as a defense during his trial in Hades as to why he should not be executed. Without gods mortals would no longer be able to pass the blame for their own actions onto it being 'gods plan'.
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Gives the Hulk one of the most vicious and thorough beatings he's ever received.
• Papa Wolf: One of his few redeeming qualities. After Hercules was beaten into a coma by the Masters of Evil, he went batshit (although he took his anger out on the Avengers, whom he unfairly blamed). During the Ares mini-series he got pissed when Mikaboshi started killing Apollo, Ares, Athena and Hercules.
• Patrick Stewart Speech: Gives one to Hera at the climax of "Assault on New Olympus," hoping to talk her out of destroying the world. It worked, but unfortunately Typhon kills them both before Hera can stop her doomsday plan.
• Psychopathic Manchild: At his worst, Zeus has the mindset of an extremely powerful child. He is prone to flying into rages at minor things, not listening to others, and avoiding his own role in how things turn out. At the extreme he enters fits of madness that make him a danger to even other gods and willing to beat on the very people he cares about.
• Rank Scales with Asskicking: King of the Greek gods and far and away the most powerful among them. He's strong enough to deliver a Curbstomp Battle to various heroes at times, including the Hulk (admittedly not one of Hulk's best showings, but that's The Worf Effect for you) and the Avengers, including Thor, without trying.
• Really Gets Around: Much to Hera's hatred, Zeus can't keep it in his toga.
• Shapeshifting Seducer: Nowadays he doesn't transform into animals to bed women, he transforms into rock stars.
• Shock and Awe: Even without his Thunderbolt he can still summon storms and shoot lighting.
• Story-Breaker Power: Zeus is rarely used in stories because he can overpower virtually anything with a few thunderbolts.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: Yes, even more than before when he's reborn. This time he dragged the other Olympians with him and they’ve all become Space Pirates.
  • Even before that, as a child he has more empathy for others and a greater respect for righteousness. His position as king to some degree corrupted him.
• White Hair, Black Heart: As his evil self, he has a snow-white beard and hair.
• Vetinari Job Security: Pluto, Hera, Apollo and Athena all either replaced or are considered replacements for Zeus as the Lord of Olympus. All are either crazy, completely cold, or more evil than Zeus.
• Yellow Lightning, Blue Lightning: After his rebirth he turns blue when powering up.

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