Jab's Builds: He-Man, Teela, Man-at-Arms, Horde Troops

[Horsenhero]

Well, Marvel got a LOT wrong with its interpretations of many of the mythos presented, but it's to be expected, after all, they're writing comics, not teaching mythology/comparative theology.

To answer a question you had about the Celtic gods though, the reason they have so many dieties with duplicating domains of power is Celtic gods could be killed and were on a frighteningly regular basis if you read the myths. As for mistakes made...for example, Balor isn't a Sun diety per se, his actual godly title is "lord of the winter sky" and he is the god of desolation that winter brings. Mythologically speaking, should he open his eye, everything within his sight was immediately blighted. For some reason the Celts had a fascination with cyclopean gods who had to keep their eye shut (another example is Ybadden, a giant king in the Arthurian tale "How Kilhwk won Olwen").

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to seeing these gods in tights being statted up.

Well, the major players anyway.

[Jabroniville]

HERCULES (aka Herakles)
Created By: Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Journey into Mystery Annual #1 (1965)
Role: Thor Rip-Off, Breakout Character (2000s), Boisterous Bruiser, The Dunderhead, The Man-Whore
Godly Role: Greco-Roman God of Strength, Sports, Athletes & Heroes; Gatekeeper of the Gods and Divine Protector of Mankind
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Olympian Pantheon, The Champions, The God Squad, The Heroes For Hire
Avengers Grade: B-Level (was once C-Level)
HERCULES (aka Herakles)
Created By: Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Journey into Mystery Annual #1 (1965)
Role: Thor Rip-Off, Breakout Character (2000s), Boisterous Bruiser, The Dunderhead, The Man-Whore
Godly Role: Greco-Roman God of Strength, Sports, Athletes & Heroes; Gatekeeper of the Gods and Divine Protector of Mankind
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Olympian Pantheon, The Champions, The God Squad, The Heroes For Hire
PL 13 (198)
STRENGTH 16 STAMINA 15 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+11)
Deception 4 (+7, +9 Attractive)
Expertise (Olympian God) 4 (+4)
Expertise (History) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Soldier) 7 (+7)
Intimidation 8 (+11)
Perception 5 (+5)
Persuasion 4 (+7, +9 Attractive)
Ranged Combat (Bow & Arrow) 8 (+8)
Sleight of Hand 3 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attractive, Chokehold, Diehard, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improvised Weapon, Luck, Power Attack, Rallying Cry, Takedown, Ultimate Strength Check, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Olympian God of Strength"
Power Lifting 5 (50,000 tons) [5]
Immunity 10 (Aging, Starvation & Thirst, Heat, Cold, Disease, Fatigue Effects) [10]
"Strong-Breathed" Immunity 4 (Drowning & Suffocation, Poison, Pressure) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [2]
Regeneration 4 (Feats: Regrowth) [5]
Impervious Toughness 11 [11]
Leaping 4 (120 feet) [4]
Speed 4 (30 mph) [4]

"Super-Strength Feats" (AE of Strength Damge) [2]
AE: "Groundstrike" Affliction 13 (Dodge; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery, Limited to Ground) Linked to Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Objects) (14)

AE: Shockwave" Damage 12 (Extras: Area-30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Both Grounded) (12)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (DC 18), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +15 (+6 Impervious), Fortitude +15, Will +8

Complications:
Reputation (Man-Whore)
Relationship (Amadeus Cho)- Herc & Amadeus are the best of buds, and would gladly sacrfice themselves for each other. But Cho is NOT Hercules's Eronomous!!
Enemy (Ares)- Herc's brother is kind of an asshole.
Enemy (Hera)- The wife of Herc's dad is kind of a bitch.
Secret (Murdered His Original Family)
Responsibility (Those Close to Him Die)

Total: Abilities: 92 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 19 / Powers: 43 / Defenses: 15 (198)

-The story of Herakles (turned to "Hercules" in Latin) is among the greatest mythological stories ever told, in my opinion. It's basically the tale of how a Demi-God of great power (essentially a super-hero, with an origin and arch-nemesis and everything) had to overcome everything, using his strength and wits combined, to finally make good and ascend to true Godhood. The tale of the Twelve Labours of Hercules are famous the world-over, and contain such awesomeness as killing the fricking HYDRA, beating a gang of flesh-eating birds, killing two invincible characters (one of who was also a lion), cleaning up tons of poop, feeding a dude to his own horses, and going into Hell to kick a three-headed dog's ass. The dude is so hardcore that when faced with certain death from Hydra's blood (his wife was tricked by a lusty centaur into poisoning Herc), he built his own funeral pyre and had himself burned alive. Hell, even as a BABY he was a bad-ass, strangling a pair of snakes to death after they'd been sent by Hera to kill him. The Hercules of Mythology is 100 times as manly as James Bond, Batman, Chuck Norris & Godzilla all put together.

-"The Incredible Hercules" was just an awesome, awesome series. Part Buddy Comedy, part Superhero Story, part Epic Myth, it's full of classic humor, sex jokes, hot chicks, hot EVIL chicks, James Bondian Girls of the Week (or Arc, as it were), and some pretty cool fight scenes. It's basically the story of Hercules, the jovial, boisterous bruiser of Avengers fame, teaming with little buddy (and Seventh Smartest Person Alive) Amadeus Cho, mentoring the young kid through a series of Greek-themed adventures. All this from a guy who beforehand was a generic replacement Thor, just a bit more bloodthirsty (and stupid and drunk). He had an AWFUL shoulder-padded monstrosity of an outfit during the "Leather Jacket Avengers" period, and spoke in the same faux-Shakespearean dialogue that Thor used. Very redundant and quite lame. He'd never made his own in a book beforehand, with the failed Champions team being a mere blip on the overall radar with it's crack-addled line-up featuring two unused X-Men (Iceman & Angel), an unused Avenger (Black Widow), a third-string hero (Ghost Rider) and a Russiane babe (Darkstar).

-Best moment of the new run? Probably Hercules (disguised as Thor through some complicated mistakes) fighting Thor (disguised as Hercules), and deliberately throwing the fight (so that the Evil Dark Elves would lose the war against Asgard), proclaiming aloud that "I do, before all those who have assembled here... Let It Be Proclaimed... that MIGHTY THOR has finally, definitively, and COMPLETELY been defeated... by HERCULES, the Lion of Olympus! CONGRATULATIONS, Son of Zeus! Though, truth be told, I have ALWAYS known your brawn and fighting skills SURPASSED my own." How do you not love this guy?

-Unfortuantely, it wasn't to last. The end-game of the Herc arc was a battle against Mikaboshi, but the whole thing just fell flat, as it was a never-ending stream of "Mikaboshi easily beats all the other Pantheons), the one-shots were boring, and the ending was rather disappointing. This led to a de-powered Hercules in his own book again, but without the Epic Bromance of Herc/Cho and the Girls of the Week, the humour wasn't there, and the book failed to last more than a year.

-Hercules gets an upgrade from my old builds of him. Without the needless hammer (which just made him more of a Thor rip-off), Herc is what he's meant to be, a big, tough PL 13 Melee Powerhouse, designed to take a massive beating and keep on coming back, with immense physical power (his greatest Strength feat- towing the ENTIRE ISLAND OF MANHATTAN via a chain), great durability, and plenty of Willpower to back it up. Anyone who can slug it out with Thor and The Hulk deserves full PL 13 status, I believe- not to mention all the brawls with Ares (who always LOSES to Herc) and Namor (never got a decisive winner). He's a notch below the full-on PL 14 Thor, but matches my more-liked version, and I generally believe Thor to be a bit superior anyways.

-Oddly, he lacks the sheer recuperative abilities of most of the Greek Pantheon (his ex-wife Hebe collapsed into a bloody, broken pile after a massive fall, and stood up almost immediately, healing before onlookers' very eyes), probably to avoid 'breaking' him in terms of power. He grew some skin back pretty quickly after burning poison off of his body, though, so it's a fair amount of Regen. Otherwise, he's just a huge, tough, charismatic brawler (check out his Advantages- very few Powerhouses get to modify almost ALL their caps that way...), and enough of a match for just about anybody. He's much cheaper than Thor by virtue of not having a huge omni-powerful Magic Weapon at his disposal (his own Adamantine Mace is basically a +2 Penetrating 10 Damage Indestructible Mace and that's it- no fancy control), but is a better grappler by a ways, having helped invent "The Pankration".

---

HERCULES (aka Herakles)- Human Version
Created By: Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Journey into Mystery Annual #1 (1965)
Role: Thor Rip-Off, Breakout Character (2000s), Boisterous Bruiser, The Dunderhead, The Man-Whore
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Olympian Pantheon, The Champions, The God Squad, The Heroes For Hire
Avengers Grade: B-Level (was once C-Level)
PL 10 (188)
STRENGTH 4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+5)
Deception 4 (+7, +9 Attractive)
Expertise (Olympian God) 4 (+4)
Expertise (History) 4 (+4)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 5 (+5)
Expertise (Soldier) 7 (+7)
Intimidation 7 (+10)
Perception 5 (+5)
Persuasion 4 (+7, +9 Attractive)
Ranged Combat (Bow & Arrow) 8 (+11)
Sleight of Hand 3 (+3)
Stealth 2 (+4)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attractive, Chokehold, Diehard, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed) 2, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improvised Weapon, Luck, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Rallying Cry, Takedown

Powers:
"The Sword of Peleus" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [7]
Strength-Damage +4 (Feats: Improved Critical 3, Penetrating 4) (11 points)

"The Shield of Perseus" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [45]
Enhanced Dodge 4 & Parry 3 (7)
Extras: Impervious Toughness 8 (Flaws: Sustained +0) (8)
"Madusa's Stare" Affliction 10 (Fort; Dazed & Vulnerable/Immobile & Defenseless/Transformed to Stone & Unaware) (Extras: Continuous +3, Extra Condition, Area- Visual Perception) (60)
-- (75 points)

"The Arrows of Heracles" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [12]
Blast 7 (Feats: Split) (Extras: Penetrating 5) (20 points)

"The Helm of Hades" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [12]
Concealment (All Senses) 10 (20 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Sword of Peleus +11 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Arrows of Heracles +11 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +8 (+12 Shield, DC 18-22), Parry +11 (+14 Shield, DC 21-24), Toughness +5, Fortitude +5, Will +8

Complications:
Reputation (Man-Whore)
Relationship (Amadeus Cho)- Herc & Amadeus are the best of buds, and would gladly sacrfice themselves for each other. But Cho is NOT Hercules's Eronomous!!
Enemy (Ares)- Herc's brother is kind of an asshole.
Enemy (Hera)- The wife of Herc's dad is kind of a bitch.
Secret (Murdered His Original Family)
Responsibility (Those Close to Him Die)

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 78 / Defenses: 16 (188)

-So in recent appearances, Hercules has been de-powered to a mere human-level guy, and these are the states I can glean from his actions and the "fluff" they describe of his weapons. He's basically armed with four separate weapons of Greek mythology, all of which add up to make him JUST as expensive as his PL 13, Super-Strong version! Despite that, he's a "mere" PL 10 here. He loses his old Powers, but gains some fighting skill and accuracy with his bows (since he's "in practise" again, and fighting human-level opponents). Same old Herc otherwise, though, right down to the pimping way with the ladies. PL 9.5-ish with the Sword, and PL 10 with the Shield, allowing him to still beat some guys up- he recently handled The Griffin & Basilisk simultaneously with the help of the Shield (though Basilisk didn't turn to stone).

[Jabroniville]

Why doesn't Clayton Henry draw more stuff?

ARTUME
Created By: Tom DeFalco & Ron Frenz
First Appearance: Thor #391 (May 1988)
Role: Wonder Woman Parody
Group Affiliations: The Amazons
PL 9 (138)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 5 (+8)
Deception 5 (+8)
Expertise (History) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Amazon Warrior) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Olympian Lore & Magic) 4 (+6)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 4 (+7)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 5 (+8)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+7)
Stealth 3 (+8)
Vehicles 3 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Benefit (Ambidexterity), Chokehold, Defensive Roll, Equipment 5, Improved Critical 2 (Rifle, Sword), Improved Smash, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 6, Taunt

Equipment:
"Big-Ass Rifle- Automatic Setting" Blast 7 (Extras: Multiattack) (Inaccurate -1) (20) -- (23)

AE: "Single Shot" Blast 6 (12)
AE: "Sword" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Improved Critical) (4)
AE: "Grenade Launcher" Blast 6 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (18)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sword +12 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Rifle +11 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Automatic +9 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)
Grenade Launcher +6 Area (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +4 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +5

Complications:
Hatred (Men)- Artume wants to kill all men.
Relationship (Hippolyta)- Artume isn't exactly full of love for mommy dearest, though.

Total: Abilities: 74 / Skills: 54--27 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 14 (138)

-Artume is the name of an Etruscan Moon Goddess (the name is an obvious link to the Greeks') who was eventually forgotten. Marvel effectively created an all-new character instead, just using the name.

-Marvel can kinda be jerks to DC sometimes. Like when they mocked the whole Wonder Woman/Amazons Attack concept by using their OWN version of Hippolyta's Amazons, a butch lesbian group of psychopathic man-haters, led by a stone-borne daughter who wants to destroy man's world. It helps that at the time, "Amazons Attack" was considered one of the worst big stories ever written, and there was some growing dissatisfaction amongst comic book fans about how much hype Wonder Woman constantly got, despite her book almost never selling particularly well. Artume was only in one arc of "The Incredible Hercules", being an incredibly unlikeable woman who takes over the world with a Magic MacGuffin (The Omphalos), but gets her head chopped off by the henchman she tried to murder (Delphyne Gorgon).

-A fairly potent PL 9, Artume's got a TON of Amazons at her beck and call, some of which are quite powerful with Grenade Launcers & Automatic Weapons. She's handy in a fight herself, and quite skilled. Not really a physical match for Hercules obviously- she's more on Amadeus' level (and she beat him up pretty bad).

AMAZONS
Role: Mooks
Group Affiliations: The Amazons
PL 6 (68)
STRENGTH 3 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 3 (+6)
Expertise (Amazon Warrior) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+5)
Perception 4 (+5)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Vehicles 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Chokehold, Defensive Roll, Equipment 4, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3

Equipment:
"Rifle- Automatic Setting" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (Inaccurate -1) (17) -- (20)

AE: "Single Shot" Blast 5 (10)
AE: "Sword" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Improved Critical) (4)
AE: "Grenade Launcher" Blast 6 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (18)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sword +6 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Rifle +6 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Automatic +4 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +7 (DC 17), Toughness +3 (+4 D.Roll), Fortitude +3, Will +1

Complications:
Hatred (Men)

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 4 (68)

[Menigal]

To answer a question you had about the Celtic gods though, the reason they have so many dieties with duplicating domains of power is Celtic gods could be killed and were on a frighteningly regular basis if you read the myths. As for mistakes made...for example, Balor isn't a Sun diety per se, his actual godly title is "lord of the winter sky" and he is the god of desolation that winter brings. Mythologically speaking, should he open his eye, everything within his sight was immediately blighted. For some reason the Celts had a fascination with cyclopean gods who had to keep their eye shut (another example is Ybadden, a giant king in the Arthurian tale "How Kilhwk won Olwen").

Another possible source of this is that any (reputable) archaeologist will tell you that there is no such thing as "Celtic". It's a manufactured, generic term for the people who lived north of the Classical civilizations (so most of Europe), and over the centuries since then a lot of these things have been merged together as people created a history for them. It's kind of like using "Indian" for everyone living in North and South America and assuming it's all one culture. What we think of these days as "Celtic" mythology is reconstructed from leftover stories, largely Christianised, from modern-Celtic places, which could include figures from competing cultures, culture heroes, and more recent figures inserted into the past to legitimize superiority or ownership. Norse mythology's got some of these same problems, since it's mostly known from later, Christian sources. It's not my particular area of expertise, though, so I can't give you any details.

It's so ingrained in popular culture that you can't ever get rid of it, though. It's like the insane, persistent belief that druids built Stonehenge.

[Horsenhero]

So true, which is one reason their are som many pantheons in "Celtic" mythology. As one tribe superceded another in importance, their gods became paramount, "killing off" the previous big bad's pantheon. You are correct though, Celt is about as accurate as "Anglo-Saxon", but unfortunately, since the majority of these peoples had no written language, what we know of them mostly comes from Roman accounts as they marched across Europe, extinguishing these cultures as they went (in revenge for one of these tribes sacking Rome, generally considered a bad idea at the time).

[Jabroniville]

HEPHAESTUS (aka Vulcan)
Created By: Steve Englehart & John Buscema
First Appearance: Thor Annual #5 (1976)
Role: Greco-Roman God of The Forge, Fire, Sculptors, Artisans, Blacksmiths, Volcanoes & Craftsmen
Group Affiliations: The Olympian Pantheon
PL 11 (178), PL 12 (178) Inventor
STRENGTH 11 STAMINA 12 AGILITY -1/1
FIGHTING 7/9 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 8 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+10)
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (God) 4 (+12)
Expertise (History) 1 (+9)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+16)
Expertise (Magic) 6 (+14)
Expertise (Magic) 8 (+22) -- (Flaws: Limited to Inventions)
Intimidation 8 (+8)
Perception 2 (+5)
Technology 11 (+19)

Advantages:
Artificer, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Status- God), Diehard, Great Endurance, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Ultimate Magic Skill

Powers:
"Immortal God"
Regeneration 2 (Feats: Regrowth) [3]
Immunity 10 (Aging, Starvation & Thirst, Heat, Cold, Disease, Fatigue Effects) [10]
"Strong-Breathed" Immunity 4 (Drowning & Suffocation, Poison, Pressure) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [2]
"The God of Fire" Immunity 10 (Fire Effects) [10]

"Magical Weapons" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [6]
Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Improved Critical 2, Penetrating 6) (10 points)

"Magical Leg Brace" (Flaws: Removable) [7]
Enhanced Agility 2 (4)
Ehanced Fighting 2 (4)
-- (8 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Weapons +9 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +8/10 (DC 20), Parry +8/10 (DC 20), Toughness +12, Fortitude +12, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Olympian Pantheon)- Hephaestus is highly-subserviant to his parents, Zeus & Hera.
Relationship (Aphrodite, Goddess of Love)- Hephaestus was "awarded" Aphrodite's hand in marriage for his reliability, but she was never in love with him.
Rivalry (Ares, God of War)- Ares and Aphrodite fell into a long affair, humiliating the Fire God.
Relationship (Athena)- As two of the more stable Gods, the two had somewhat of a comraderie. Unfortunately for Hephaestus, he took this as a sign of attraction, and he felt that Athena's Wisdom would see past his appearance. Turns out that "Athena Parthenos" means "Athena The Virgin", and attempts to deflower her result in a swift beatdown.
Reputation/Disabled (Lame)- As in, literally lamed by his deformed leg (or legs). Hephaestus can subvert this with his Magical Brace, but if it is broken, he will also be terribly slowed. Due to his appearance, he is looked down upon by the other Gods, who often mock him for having a wife that screws around on him, too. Gods are dicks.

Total: Abilities: 84 / Skills: 50--25 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 38 / Defenses: 16 (178)

-Hephaestus is the God of the Forge, meaning that he was quite important to the daily lives of Ancient Greeks, not to mention their warfare. Born lame (i.e. his leg is all gimped-up), he was cast out of Olympus by his cruel mother, Hera (some legends indicate that the casting-out led to his lameness), but his wonderful abilities of creation (Hephaestus could create Zeus' Thunderbolts and other items of great magical power) made the Gods keep him around in spite of his deformity. In the myths, Hephaestus even created the first woman (Pandora) on Zeus's orders, an "Evil thing for the price of fire" after Prometheus had cheesed off the Gods by giving the magic of it's creation to men- yeah, the Greeks mistrusted women so much (it was believed that women, not men, were the lustful ones impossible to control) that they viewed the creation of a woman as PUNISHMENT.

-Even so, life wasn't easy- the other Gods mocked him for his ugliness and lack of charisma, despite him creating some of the most powerful Magic Items in all creation- the Sandals of Hermes, the Arrows of Eros, the Girdle of Aphrodite, the Aegis Shield of Athena, etc. Hephaestus was nonetheless loyal to his parents- Zeus even gifted him with the hand of Aphrodite in marriage thanks to his implacability, though this marriage was wrought with Aphrodite's cheating (she WAS the most-desired woman in the universe). The dude's basically famous for A) inventing stuff, B) being a cripple, and C) being cheated on repeatedly. Sucks to be Hephaestus.

-Hephaestus is a background God for most of Marvel history, showing up in a few minor roles here and there. He fought Thor in the "Avengers" story before his leg brace was shattered, and he eventually chose to aid the heroes when their obvious goodness became apparent to himself and Athena (they were immediately smacked down by Zeus' Lightning). In the more recent "Hercules" stuff, he showed a more evil side, trying to create a woman in Athena's likeness to be his bride, and attempting to murder Herc & Amadeus Cho using a Nefarious Villain Device that would force them to choose who between them dies (naturally, they both hit the "Kill myself and save the other guy" button at the same time- an eventuality Heph didn't prepare for, and the device was wrecked).

-Hephaestus is a powerful enough combatant to throw down with Thor for a while, but he can be hobbled badly by a solid hit against his Leg Brace (I figure most Devices in the game are damaged by Critical Hits or something- it makes the HUGE points-save for larger ones more explainable). He's also an ingenious scientist and Artificer, using VERY high-level Magic to create Devices that rival anything created by Mr. Fantastic or Dr. Doom (the Aegis Shield is a SERIOUS piece of equipment).

Godly Offspring:
By Aglaia (Goddess of Glory & Beauteous Splendor): Eukleia (Goddess of Good Repute & Glory), Eupheme (Goddess of Being Well-Spoken), Euthenia (Goddess of Prosperity & Plenty), Philophrosyne (Goddess of Friendliness & Welcome)
By Kabeiro (Nymph): The Kabeiroi & Kabeirides (Gods/Daemons & Nymphs of the Mysteries of the Island of Samothrake)
By Aitna: The Palikoi (Gods of the Hot Springs & Geysers of Palikoi, Sicily)
By Unknown: Thaleia (Nymph of Sicily)

[Murkglow]

I usually find myself liking Hephaestus in most works. Of course the greek gods are shown in so many various iterations that there is bound to be at least one portrayal that shows them as likeable/empathetic but Hephaestus is pretty dependable in this regard. Then again my other favorites from this pantheon (Artemis, Athena, and Hades) also tend to be fairly "stable" (as greek gods go anyway ) so maybe I just like the "boring" ones (though Hades often has the most extreme changes between evil, neutral, and sympathetic in modern works for obvious reasons).

[Jabroniville]

Orphic Hymn 65 to Ares (trans. Taylor) (Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.) :
"Magnanimous, unconquered, boisterous Ares, in darts rejoicing, and in bloody wars; fierce and untamed, whose mighty power can make the strongest walls from their foundations shake: mortal-destroying king, defiled with gore, pleased with war's dreadful and tumultuous roar. Thee human blood, and swords, and spears delight, and the dire ruin of mad savage fight. Stay furious contests, and avenging strife, whose works with woe embitter human life."

---

Ares: "Lethal Force is authorized! Suspect is threatening the life of my teammate!"
Hercules: "No I'm not."
Wonder Man: "No he's not."
Ares: "I AM SORRY, COMRADE WONDER MAN! I CANNOT HEAR YOU OVER RETURNING FIRE!" *Begins shooting at both of them*

ARES (aka Mars)
Created By: Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
First Appearance: Thor #129 (June 1966)
Role: Thor & Wolverine Replacement, Asshole Hero, The Bad-Ass, Boisterous Bruiser, Moron
Greco-Roman Roles: Greco-Roman God of War & Battle, Violence & Rage, Civil Order & Rebellion, Murder & Manslaughter, Courage, Manliness & Fear, Sacking & Defence of Cities, The Planet Mars
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, The Olympian Pantheon, The Dark Avengers, The Warhawks
Avengers Grade: B-Level (was once C-Level)
PL 12 (184)
STRENGTH 11 STAMINA 12 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+12)
Deception 4 (+4)
Expertise (Construction Worker) 5 (+5)
Expertise (God of War) 9 (+9)
Expertise (History) 6 (+6)
Expertise (Magic) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 12 (+12)
Investigation 4 (+4)
Notice 7 (+7)
Vehicles 4 (+7)

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Diehard, Great Endurance, Equipment 5, Fast Grab, Improved Critical 3 (Axe 2, Rifle), Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 7, Ritualist, Takedown Attack

Powers:
"Olympian God of War"
Power Lifting 1 (100 tons) [1]
Impervious Toughness 5 [5]
Immunity 10 (Aging, Starvation & Thirst, Heat, Cold, Disease, Fatigue Effects) [10]
"Strong-Breathed" Immunity 4 (Drowning & Suffocation, Poison, Pressure) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [2]
Regeneration 4 (Feats: Regrowth) [5]

"Olympian Weapons" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [6]
"Axe" Strength-Damage +3 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (10 points)
--or--
"Spear" Strength-Damage +3 (Feats: Extended Reach 2) (Extras: Penetrating 5) (10 points)

"Adamantine Armour" (Flaws: Removable) [4]
Protection 1 (Extras: Impervious 4) (5 points)

Equipment:
"Twin Automatic Rifles" Blast 8 (Extras: Multiattack) (24) -- (25)
AP: "Grenades" Blast 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (24)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+11 Damage, DC 26)
Spear or Sword +11 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Rifles +10 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Grenades +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +11 (DC 21), Toughness +12 (+13 Armour, +5 Impervious), Fortitude +13, Will +7

Complications:
Relationship (Alexander)
Enemy (Hercules)
Reputation (Violent Maniac)

Total: Abilities: 80 / Skills: 66--33 / Advantages: 25 / Powers: 33 / Defenses: 15 (184)

-Ares is generally portrayed as one of the biggest ass-wipes of the entire Olympian Pantheon, even if their own mythology. He was "The Other Man" in the Hephaestus/Aphrodite marriage (and once got humiliated by Heph, getting trapped in an Unbreakable Net), a loser in The Trojan War (he jobbed to a HUMAN BEING thanks to the direct interference of Athena), bedder of his worshippers' women, and seen as the destructive, nasty side of War, whereas Athena was the smart and just side of it (Killing for Chaotic reasons and for the sake of killing, over Lawful reasons, effectively). Ares joined Wars alongside Eris (Strife/Discord), Phobos & Deimos (Terror & Fear), and assorted other Gods/Concepts that are vague and not usually given personifications (Mischief, Angers, Threats, Treachery, Valour, Rage & Death- only the latter is really a God). He's fought countless other Gods (usually Athena & Hercules, who slew a swack of Ares' children). He was highly-sacred to Greeks, but also feared by them- they knew Athena was the "Good" side of War, but Ares represented what usually ended up happening.

-By contrast, the Romans REALLY loved Mars as their God of War, and fictionalk patriarch of their race. This left Mars as a major figure, free of Ares' catalogue of character flaws, though he kept his brutality (these people liked to crucify their victims; worshipping the God of Bloodshed isn't exactly out of character for them).

-Ares was re-introduced to Marvel with a new Frank Cho design after years in Marvel Limbo, after the whole "Civil War" thing happened and the Initiative Registration Program went out. He was forced to register and join an Avengers team, and got a brand-new Boisterous Bruiser attitude (he was formerly a 60s-styled arrogant supervillain), retaining the personality of an insane Blood Knight who did nothing but attack first, and then forget the 'asking questions' part (as Miss Marvel described him- Both Thor AND Wolverine). Once Hercules got a big character-push, Ares kind of shifted into more of an antagonistic role again, attacking Herc at great cost to his own allies, and he's more blatantly villainous there. He has some good moments, like when he's trying to care for his son Alexander, but mostly he's kind of a dingus. Then The Sentry killed him, because he's a sucky character that draws everything around him into crappy storytelling. F*** The Sentry.

-Ares is a nasty, over-pointed PL 12 (nearly matching the cost of half-bro Herc), built for Power Attack, All-Out Attack, and using lethal weapons (with Penetrating Damage) in combat. He's not fancy, and he's not nice, and he doesn't have half the Mental Abilities the Greek Gods should. He's the God of War, plain and simple, strong enough to brawl it out with Hercules and actually last (but not win, since he NEVER DOES), and he's a physical match for almost anyone else for at least several rounds. He has a bit of Magic in him, but they've downplayed that to the point where he's just got minor ranks in Arcane Lore and the Ritualist Feat to explain any past spell-crafting he's done, and some Sensory powers for his ability to detect Olympians & Magic.

Divine Offspring:
With Aphrodite- Deimos (God of Fear), Phobos (God of Panic & Terror), Eros (God of Sexual Love), Harmonia (God of Harmony), Anteros (God of Love Reciprocated & Unreciprocated)
With Eris- Enyalios (God of War)

Famous Mortal Offspring:
With Harmonia: The Amazons
With Others: Diomedes (the King with the carnivorous Horses), Hippolyta (Queen of the Amazons), Kyknos (Lord of Macedonia/Thessalia)

[Murkglow]

Avengers Grade: B-Level (was once C-Level)

Oh here is something I've been meaning to ask for a while, what does the above mean? I'm not much into comics (only really having read a few) so how does this work exactly (what dictates this or is it just writer wankery) and can you give examples of characters in the various ranks (I suppose Cap, Iron Man, ad the other "classics" would be A rank for example? Is Herc A rank?).

[Jabroniville]

Oh, it's just how I rate certain Avengers members, in terms of their value to the team (so even powerful guys can have low levels, like short-timer Gilgamesh the Forgotten One)- the Avengers builds start here. Herc is a "B" because he was only ever really a "Sub" Thor guy and replacement hero in harder times (the infamous Leather Jacket Era with the big shoulder pads), or on the secondary Avengers team in recent years.

[Woodclaw]

-Hephaestus is the God of the Forge, meaning that he was quite important to the daily lives of Ancient Greeks, not to mention their warfare. Born lame (i.e. his leg is all gimped-up), he was cast out of Olympus by his cruel mother, Hera (some legends indicate that the casting-out led to his lameness), but his wonderful abilities of creation (Hephaestus could create Zeus' Thunderbolts and other items of great magical power) made the Gods keep him around in spite of his deformity. In the myths, Hephaestus even created the first woman (Pandora) on Zeus's orders, an "Evil thing for the price of fire" after Prometheus had cheesed off the Gods by giving the magic of it's creation to men- yeah, the Greeks mistrusted women so much (it was believed that women, not men, were the lustful ones impossible to control) that they viewed the creation of a woman as PUNISHMENT.

Actually the myth wasn't about the creation of women, but rather the differences between men and women. As far as I recall the idea was that in the beiggging every human being was hermaphrodite, having both male and female traits, but when the gods separated them these traits resulted unbalanced etc.

-Even so, life wasn't easy- the other Gods mocked him for his ugliness and lack of charisma, despite him creating some of the most powerful Magic Items in all creation- the Sandals of Hermes, the Arrows of Eros, the Girdle of Aphrodite, the Aegis Shield of Athena, etc. Hephaestus was nonetheless loyal to his parents- Zeus even gifted him with the hand of Aphrodite in marriage thanks to his implacability, though this marriage was wrought with Aphrodite's cheating (she WAS the most-desired woman in the universe). The dude's basically famous for A) inventing stuff, B) being a cripple, and C) being cheated on repeatedly. Sucks to be Hephaestus.

There's also another thing for what Hephaestus is famoous, he's the only god that was able to make Zeus bow down to him. If I remeber right the story was something like this.
After being mocked for the humpteenth time, Hephaestus decided to take a little revenge on the rest of the gods. He built a new throne for Hera thata gave her the power of seeing and speaking with Zeus, no matter where or in what form he was. But throne was also a trap, as soon as Hera sit on it she couldn't leave it. As a result she did the only thing she could: stalking Zeus to no end.
After a while Zeus was so pissed and annoyed that he went to Hephaestus's forge and asked him to release Hera. Hephaestus refused time and again, until Zeus knelt and begged him in front to the rest of the gods.

[Jabroniville]

Greek myths are one of those things that end up having multiple versions of the same stories (I've read more stories that claim Hephaestus bound Hera to the chair in revenge for throwing him off Mount Olympus at his birth).

The whole thing about everyone being Hermaphrodites is new to me, though. Here's the website from where I'm gaining most of this information, and the part on Pandora's birth: http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Hephaisto ... ml#Pandora

Hesiod, Theogony 560 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.) :
"[Prometheus] outwitted him [Zeus] and stole the far-seen gleam of unwearying fire in a hollow fennel stalk. And Zeus who thunders on high was stung in spirit . . . and he made an evil thing for men as the price of fire; for the very famous (periklytos) Amphigueeis (Limping God) [Hephaistos] formed of earth the likeness of a shy maiden as the son of Kronos willed. And the goddess bright-eyed Athene girded and clothed her with silvery raiment, and down from her head she spread with her hands an embroidered veil."

Hesiod, Works and Days 60 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.) :
"He [Zeus] told glorious (klytos) Hephaistos to make haste, and plaster earth with water, and to infuse it with a human voice and vigour, and make the face like the immortal goddesses, the bewitching features of a young girl . . . [and other gods were instructed to bestow their gifts upon her.]
And all obeyed Lord Zeus, the son of Kronos. The renowned strong smith modelled her figure of earth, in the likeness of a decorous young girl, as the son of Kronos had wished . . . and [Hermes] put a voice inside her, and gave her the name of woman, Pandora, because all the gods who have their homes on Olympos had given her each a gift, to be a sorrow to men who eat bread."

Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 142 (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"Prometheus, son of Iapetus, first fashioned men from clay. Later Vulcanus [Hephaistos], at Jove's [Zeus; ] command, made a woman’s form from clay. Minerva [Athena] gave it life, and the rest of the gods each gave some other gift. Because of this they named her Pandora. She was given in marriage to Prometheus' brother Epimetheus."

Pseudo-Hyginus, Astronomica 2. 15 :
"In return for this deed [Prometheus' theft of fire], Jupiter [Zeus], to confer a like favour on men, gave a woman to them, fashioned by Vulcanos [Hephaistos], and endowed with all kinds of gifts by the will of the gods. For this reason she was called Pandora."------

Hm, I'd given a few Gods full-on Immunities to stuff like Poison & Drowning and junk, but evidence in "The Incredible Hercules" goes against a lot of that. Most Gods can get drunk as well (it's a big part of their partying life), implying Poisons still work, and Herc is blinded by Delphyne Gorgon's poison as well. And Herc still needs a breathing thingie to do stuff underwater. And of course there are guys like THOR, whose ability to survive in Space tends to change with the author. Ya can go either way with some of these guys .

[Skavenger]

Hey, Jab, I was wondering something. It's pretty easy to pick up that you're a huge fan of the Hercules series up to Chaos War. I'm not 100% sure what you thought of Herc, but I thought it was gathering some good steam before it got cancelled. Anyway, I was really excited at the thought of you doing all the characters from Assault On New Olympus. I see you're doing the Huntsman and Typhon (oh god that build is going to be scary) and you've already done Hephaestus. Any reason why no Argus, Lamia, Eris, or Arachne? I'm guessing Thanatos would just be PLX since you can't really fight a guy who only shows up when someone is quite literally doomed to die. This isn't to say I'm ungrateful (quite the contrary), I'm just curious if they don't fall under the "godly" banner or if they're just minor enough to slide in place of the build I know we all want to see... Bill, son of Bill, greatest warrior of Asgard.

Also, perhaps Gods simply have an immunity to Earthly alcohols? After all, Hercules once tried to get Galactus drunk on "the most powerful intoxicant in the known universe! The amount I gave thee could make the thunderbolts of Zeus go limp!" ...it didn't work.

Of course, that was the same storyline where Galactus took off his helmet and laughed, and Hercules wound up hooking up with Frankie Raye because Galactus "gave her the night off."

On the notes of myths never having clear stories, it's the one thing that actually drove me from wanting to read more about them when I was taking a mythology class in college. I had a professor who was determined that "certain" stories were more accurate than "others," and if you brought any of the others up to prove a point, your grade tended to suffer. I distinctively remember reading about six different origin stories for Medusa, and my professor stated that only one was "correct."

And what was that about druids and Stonehenge? I'll admit it's neat to be able to track the sun, but other than that I know almost nothing about it besides it took some serious man labor.

[Jabroniville]

I left them out because I totally forgot they were involved in that storyline . I've been re-reading my "Hercules" issues in preparation for these builds, and I haven't gotten there yet- I only remembered Huntsman because he's in that bio-book I have, and I was like "oh yeah I had no idea who he was and then he showed up in that one storyline as part of Hera's army". Once I get to that arc, I might build those guys.

The "Herc" series was... okay. It was a decent book, had some good bits, but it was ultimately faltering due to a lack of the Herc/Cho story, compelling Girls of the Week, great villains (I mean, KYKNOS? Dude was just a backstory Jobber), etc. It was just an "okay" book.

And yeah, reading those old myths is kind of funny in how there's various ways to take everything. I can see some origin stories being "Better", but having "Right or wrong" ones is silly.

I just recalled a great bunch of quotes from a "New Mutants" issue in the '80s.

----
I was surprised because Louise Simonson sucked on the book, but then I realized that Chris Claremont was guesting this later issue (#81):

Magma is going through a religious crisis regarding Hercules, who's being an ass, as usual. As a Nova Roman, she worships said God, but he's kind of a tool. But he & her save some people from a burning apartment building, but one kid is badly burned saving his younger brother. The doctors explain there's nothing they can do, and the two mourn the boy's passing.

Herc: "I am an immortal. Three-thousand years and more have I walked this Earth -- in that time, I have seen and done so much-- yet the one thing I have never learned is how to endure the death of a friend. You mortals are so frail, you live so short a time, how do you stand it? This boy was as brave a warrior as any I have ever known. Compared to him... I am NOTHING."

He cries, and Amara bows before him, realizing that his grief at this loss makes him worthy of worship after all. He corrects her:
"No, lass, NO! It is I who should bow to you-- for which is the more deserving: The eternal Godling who is virtually impervious to death... who lives forever yet as learned so little from the experience. Or you mortals, whose very existence is a never-ending duel with the Reaper. A contest whose outcome is preordained. Bravery and heroics come naturally to me, for the risks I take are small. It is you, who gamble all with every breath, who embody the true miracle. Do not acclaim me as a God, Amara, or venerate my name... until I truly prove myself worthy."

Claremont in the '80s was a freaking GOD.

[Jabroniville]

DIONYSUS (aka Bacchus)
Created By: Steve Englehart & John Buscema
First Appearance: Thor Annual #5 (1976)
Role: Greco-Roman God of The Grape Harvest, Wine, Ecstatic Partying & Ritual Madness
Group Affiliations: The Olympian Pantheon
PL 10 (198)
STRENGTH 10 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+12)
Deception 8 (+12)
Expertise (God of Wine & Parties) 8 (+11)
Expertise (History) 6 (+9)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+15)
Expertise (Magic) 10 (+13)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 4 (+8)
Perception 5 (+8)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Artificer, Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Status- God), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 6, Taunt

Powers:
"Immortal God"
Regeneration 2 (Feats: Regrowth) [3]
Immunity 10 (Aging, Starvation & Thirst, Heat, Cold, Disease, Fatigue Effects) [10]
Immunity 2 (Drowning & Suffocation, Poison, Pressure) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [2]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]

Morph 3 (Humanoid Forms) [15]
"Vegetation Growth" Growth 8 (Extras: Affects Others Only +0) (Flaws: Limited to Vegetation) [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +10, Fortitude +11, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (Olympian Pantheon)- Dionysus is loyal to Zeus.
Motivation (PAAAAARRRRRRTTTTYYYYY!!!)- The dude is also called "Bacchus". 'Nuff said.
Quirk (Fat)- Despite being a highly-powerful and agile God, Dionysus has partied too hard over the years, and is noticeably weaker than he was during his youth. He doesn't seem to mind too much (it helps that he can still throw down with She-Hulk), but his best days are behind him.

Total: Abilities: 96 / Skills: 62--31 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 42 / Defenses: 12 (198)

-Dionysus is rather important to the daily lives of the Greeks & Romans, being that he's more or less the God of Partying (they don't call it a "Bacchanalia" for nothing) and drunkenness. Along with his son Pan, they got up to all SORTS of nonsense. Dionysus was the son of Zeus and a mortal woman named Semele, and he got through the usual attempted murders from Hera (this is the infamous myth where Hera goaded the poor woman into demanding that Zeus show her his true form- the resulting energetic explosion disintegrated her body) by being... sewn into Zeus' thigh, where he healed and was birthed again (it's myth, whattayagonnado?).

-He eventually went on a Walk the Earth-type of deal, gathering armies and kicking ass, before taking his rightful place in the Divine Pantheon, one of the few Demi-Gods to attain such an honour. He is typified by a LOVE of partying, often to dangerous levels, as his followers get obsessed with revelry and partying, often killing people in their sway. In this sense, his parties take on a similar nature to the stories of the Idylwilde or Fae or whatever it's called, where the Fair-Folk party too hard, and leave dead mortals in their wake. My favourite Dio-based story involves sailors kidnapping him for ransom (they thought he was a prince), and so he turned into a lion and then summoned a bear to kill everyone on board. Now THAT is some sweet overkill.

-He's also birthed a titanic amount of children by various mothers, including Priapus (a super-wanged Fertility God whose mom was Aphrodite), The Three Charities, and more. Dionysus is often seen in Western studies as a philosophical example of mankind's own wild, chaotic nature. His tendency towards wine and resurrection give him links to Jesus Christ, and he's often seen as one of the most "human" Gods, given his origins and travels.

-Dionysus was turned into kind of a fat porker in the Marvel books, rather than the lithe, androgynous youth most-often seen in Greek art. He fights in a bounding fat-guy sort of way, but he's still quite tough. He brawled with She-Hulk while acting all jovial, even belting her with a giant stone column, but she eventually drove him into the dirt.

Godly Offspring:
With Aura (Titaness) or Aphrodite: Iakkhos (God of the Eleusian Mysteries)
With Unknown: Methe (Goddess of Drunkenness), Pasithea (wife of Hypnos), Sabazios (Thraco-Phrygian God of Wine & Vegetation), Thysa (Goddess of Wild Frenzy of the Bacchic Orgy)
With Aphrodite: Priapus (God of Garden Fertility- his wang was enormous)
With Nikaia (Nymph)- Telete (Goddess of Initiation Into the Bacchic Mysteries)