Why Marvel’s Hercules Succeeds Where DC’s Hercules Fails

Hercules (or, as he was known in Ancient Greece, Heracles) is the most iconic mythological hero in the Western World. Due to his incredible feats of strength, tactical mind, and battles against fearsome monsters, many people regard him as the inspiration for modern-day superheroes. With a legacy of heroism spanning thousands of years, it’s no surprise that both Marvel and DC Comics tried to adapt Hercules to the modern era. However, only Marvel managed to create a fully realized and coherent character, who combines the tropes of the superhero genre with those of Greek mythology. In contrast, it appears that DC, with various reboots and retcons, couldn’t make up their mind if Hercules was a cruel villain or a hero seeking redemption.

The DC and Marvel versions of Hercules share a similar origin to their mythological inspiration. Both were the sons of a mortal mother and the god of thunder, Zeus, and were the targets of the goddess Hera’s wrath for her husband’s act of infidelity. As demigods, they both possess incredible strength and complete Twelve Labors to prove that they are worthy of godhood to Zeus. They are both immortal, which explains how they exist in the modern day, and are presented as being brash and prideful. But on the DC and Marvel pages, they are very, very different men.

DC’s Hercules: The Villain-ish

Hercules is introduced in the DC Universe not as a hero, but as an adversary of Wonder Woman. As in the myth, one of Hercules’ Twelve Labors is to acquire the girdle of the Amazon’s queen, who is Wonder Woman’s mother, Hippolyta. However, unlike in the myth where Hercules is given the girdle willingly by Hippolyta because they formed a strong friendship, the DC Hercules leads an army to pillage, assault, murder, and enslave the Amazons, and is shown as taking sadistic pleasure in the violence. It was this horrific act that motivated the Amazons to hide away from the world of man for thousands of years.

The main problem and weakness of DC’s Hercules is that the character is inconsistent and has no cogent character or story arc. His motivations and actions appear entirely dependent on the writer telling his story. Some DC writers portray him as a more villainous character who is still holding a vindictive grudge against the Amazons and who remains pretty much unchanged from his initial attack on the Amazons. Other DC writers depict him as someone genuinely remorseful about his past actions and who is attempting to become a hero instead.

This kind of duality can work for some characters, like Magneto, because he’s given time to develop as a character and is put into situations where his conflicting reactions are understandable. With the DC Hercules, however, it mostly comes off as lazy and inconsistent storytelling. Unlike Magneto, there is no plausibility to DC’s Hercules’ character, no progression or explanation for his sudden changes in mindset. It also makes it hard to accept the DC Hercules as a hero because he has done such horrible things, and there is no consistent storyline or convincing character arc which shows how he developed from being brazen and sadistic to contrite and more self-aware. As an example of the confusing character development, the writers once tried to make the case that Hercules was brainwashed when he committed his terrible acts, but then in another story a few years later, the story presented him him to be just as evil in the modern day. So, which is it? Because of these kinds of narrative shortcomings and inconsistencies, and the fact that he only appears sporadically in DC comics, it’s hard to get invested in the DC Hercules.  

Read Next

Marvel’s Gods Are Going to War (and Spider-Man Is Stuck in the Middle)

Marvel’s Hercules: The Hero

Like DC’s Hercules, Marvel’s version of the Greek hero starts out as prideful and quick to anger. However, the key difference from DC’s Hercules is that Marvel’s Hercules, at his core, is a good person with a believable character arc. The “Prince of Power” is initially introduced as a very boastful and aggressive immortal demigod who fights villains and heroes alike solely for the thrill of battle. But, over time, through his relationships and his experiences, Hercules’ character evolves. For example, he forms strong bonds with the Avengers and other heroes of the Marvel Universe and comes to see them as comrades in arms. While still brash and reckless, Hercules begins to mellow out and comes to care more about helping others than finding worthy opponents to prove his prowess. He became the leader of the superhero team, the God Squad, and later served as a mentor at the Avengers Academy for the next generation of heroes.

Marvel’s Hercules story is one about what it means to be a true hero. When he began his exploits, Hercules was a macho–man stereotype who didn’t care about who he fought as long as it brought him glory. His experiences with the Avengers and others gradually challenged this mindset. In particular, he met and was influenced by the heroes of the modern age who foughtnot for fame or fun but to protect those who couldn’t defend themselves. Where once Hercules was a loner who saw himself as above those around him, he began to build genuine friendships with heroes such as Amadeus Cho, who helped shape his journey of humility and awareness. Hercules’s original character flaws are still present, but now he actively works to move past them. 

The Hercules of the Modern Age

Both DC’s and Marvel’s Hercules characters are modern interpretations of the ancient Greek hero, but DC and Marvel’s approaches to reinventing the Hercules character differ drastically. DC seems unsure what to do with their Hercules character, while Marvel’s version feels like it is the product of organic character development. Given the importance of Wonder Woman to the DC franchise and the significance of Hercules in her story, it is surprising that DC didn’t put more thought into the Hercules character they created so that he would become a strong and valuable addition to their superhero roster. In great contrast, Marvel didn’t squander the opportunity to represent one of the greatest heroes in all of fiction. By taking the time to delve into his strengths and flaws, Marvel was able to create a Hercules who expands the legendary hero’s character and is worthy of the Hercules mythos and as a result, theirs is the Hercules that comes out on top.