Jab’s Builds! (Lawnmower Man! Samus Aran! Metroids!)

[Yojimbo]

I mean, maybe it's just me, but it comes off as kind of hypocritical for folks to complain about a lack of minority heroes, only for writers to keep killing off heroes and replacing them with their own pet characters. Aegis was a new hero, someone Pak could have probably worked into the story and added some extra contrast to the Herc/Cho dynamic, maybe even had the duo do their own thing. But instead we get Marvel killing off characters like Aegis, the White Tiger and War Machine, or ignoring new attempts at introducing minority heroes like Triathalon or Silver Claw.

I don't think this is an either/or situation.

[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 in Mythology: Dionysus/Bacchus 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.

Dionysus 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. He later appears in an insane state, having been driven to suicide by his loss at She-Hulk's hands. He stole a nuclear warhead from Earth, and pointed it at Olympus, believing his race to be dying- Hercules had to talk him out of it, and nearly killed Herc with a servant he'd "crafted", but regained his sanity at the last moment and spared our hero. He willingly goes before Zeus for punishment, and Zeus strips him of his memories and powers, turning him into Dion, a human bartender.

-He later reappears with the Olympians as they face the Dark Gods, then gets kidnapped by A.I.M. after drunkenly falling off of Olympus, and is rescued by the Great Lakes Avengers.

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)

[L-Space]

-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. He later appears in an insane state, having been driven to suicide by his loss at She-Hulk's hands. He stole a nuclear warhead from Earth, and pointed it at Olympus, believing his race to be dying- Hercules had to talk him out of it, and nearly killed Herc with a servant he'd "crafted", but regained his sanity at the last moment and spared our hero. He willingly goes before Zeus for punishment, and Zeus strips him of his memories and powers, turning him into Dion, a human bartender.

Another recurring trend in pop culture, probably because that's how Disney portrayed him in both Fantasia and Hercules. Can't be a wild party animal without that John Belushi physique .

[Davies]

Dionysus in Mythology: Dionysus/Bacchus 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.

There's another myth -- originating from a mystery cult, and thus probably more symbolic than anything else -- that claims him as the son of Zeus and Persephone (whom the tellers had either forgotten or didn't care was supposed to be Zeus' daughter) who went through even more metamorphoses than this.

[Jabroniville]

ZEUS (aka Jupiter, Jove)
Created By: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby & Joe Simon
First Appearance: Journey into Mystery Annual #1 (1965)
Role: Greco-Roman God of The Heavens, Thunder & Lightning, Law & Order, King of the Gods
Group Affiliations: Olympus
PL 17 (415)
STRENGTH 16 STAMINA 18 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 6 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 6

Skills:
Deception 8 (+14, +16 Attractive)
Expertise (King of the Gods) 10 (+16)
Expertise (Law & Order, The Weather) 8 (+14)
Expertise (Magic) 12 (+18)
Insight 2 (+6)
Intimidation 8 (+14)
Perception 8 (+12)
Persuasion 6 (+12, +14 Attractive)
Ranged Attack (Lightning) 2 (+13)

Advantages: 
Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit 7 (Skyfather), Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Lightning) 4, Improved Hold, Improved Grab, Inspire, Jack-of-All-Trades, Languages 3 (Nearly Any), Last Stand, Leadership, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 9, Ritualist, Startle, Withstand Damage

Powers:
"Immortal God"
Regeneration 6 (Feats: Regrow Limbs) [7]
Immunity 14 (Aging, Starvation & Thirst, Heat, Cold, Disease, Fatigue Effects, Drowning & Suffocation, Poison, Pressure) [14]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
Power-Lifting 6 (100,000 tons) [6]
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 15) [17]
Flight 14 (32,000 mph) [28]
Shapeshift 3 [24]
Senses 4 (Precognition) (Flaws: Uncontrolled) [2]

"Skyfather Might"
"Thunderbolt" Damage 17 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 250ft. Line +4) (86) -- [93]

• Dynamic AE: "Thunderstruck" Blast 17 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (68)
  Dynamic AE: "Skyfather Blast" Blast 20 (Feats: Dynamic, Extended Range 2, Indirect, Penetrating 14) (38)
  Dynamic AE: "Weather Effects" Environment 10 (2 miles) (Cold, Impede Movement 2, Light, Visibility) (51)
  Dynamic AE: "Wind Storm" Affliction 14 (Strength or Athletics; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 500ft. Cone +4) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (43)
  Dynamic AE: "Wind Burst" Affliction 14 (Strength or Athletics; Hindered/Prone) (Extras: Area- 250ft. Burst +4) (Flaws: Limited Degree, Instant Recovery) (43)
  Dynamic AE: "Wind Creation" Move Object 14 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (57)
  Dynamic AE: "Wind" Features 2 (-2 Thrown Weapons, snuffing flames, etc.) (3)
  AE: Movement 3 (Dimensional Travel 3) (Feats: Increased Mass 5) (12)
  AE: Teleport 10 (Feats: Increased Mass 5) (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (46)
  AE: "Skyfather Power" Variable 10 (70)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+16 Damage, DC 31)
Blast +14 (+20 Ranged Damage, DC 35)
Thunderbolt +17 Area (+17 Damage, DC 32)
Wind Storm +14 Area (+14 Affliction, DC 24)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +18 (+9 Impervious), Fortitude +18, Will +13

Complications:
Responsibility (Olympian Pantheon)- As a Skyfather, Zeus' duties are numerous.
Reputation (Man-Slut of Epic Proportions)- Hercules has got NOTHING on his father. Zeus will do it with anyone and anyTHING, taking any form to do it. Bull? Europa. Swan? Ganymede. Dude is NUTS for the ladies.
Relationship (Hera)- Hera is quite powerful and conniving. A more dangerous woman to cheat on may not exist. Just ask Zeus' many paramours.
Relationship (Hercules)- Zeus is frequently annoyed by his "favourite son", often seeking to teach him lessons, however cruel.
Reputation (Moods Like Children)- Prometheus himself has noted that Zeus and many of his fellow Olympians are "Ever as children", and tend towards over-reaction. Even today, Zeus flies off the handle with little 

Total: Abilities: 134 / Skills: 64--32 / Advantages: 40 / Powers: 193 / Defenses: 16 (415)

Zeus in Mythology: Zeus is the King of the Gods in Greek Mythology, effectively being the most important God ever. Despite this, the Greeks made him possibly the MOST flawed of all the Gods- a man-slut of Mythical Proportions (literally), Zeus is probably most famous to us mortals for wenching his way across the world, falling for many comely faces and doing the nasty with them in all sorts of forms, all while his jealous wife, Queen Hera, punished the women terribly. Zeus was also power-hungry, fearful of those more powerful (Typhon chased him out of Greece), and fearful of prophecy (Zeus took power by defeating his own father and imprisoning him in Tartarus- and Cronus slew HIS father Ouranos) so much that he ATE the Titaness Metis when she was pregnant, thus giving birth to Athena through his own forehead. Despite all this, he was held as a Supreme Judge and was reasonably benevolent towards mortals- his tales of exerting Wrath upon the teeming masses are relatively few compared to his brethren.

Zeus- The OTHER Aloof Father-Figure of the Gods:
-Marvel's Zeus is pretty much like the recognizable one of Mythology- a Man-Whore with a nasty temper and a scheming, annoying family. Marvel depicts him with red hair (most versions are white-haired like the marble statues now appear- though those statues were actually coloured rather garishly back in Ancient times. This makes him look a tad older but more regal), giving him an almost berserker-like appearance, which is rather fitting in its way. He typically did not appear that often, usually acting as an aloof father-figure, annoyed by his son Hercules (whom he would often punish with banishment to Earth, or by foiling his attempts to prove his divinity to a skeptical Magma). He got overthrown once or twice by the machinations of his brother Pluto, his son Ares, and others, but things were always quickly undone.

-His story of greatest focus in the older days was an Avengers arc in which he led Olympus against The Avengers, blaming them for Hercules being beaten into a coma by The Masters of Evil. Extraordinarily powerful, he basically beat the living hell out of the Avengers once they broke past the other Gods- even an Anti-Power Geek like myself sprouted a halfie when he started taking the BEST SHOTS of Thor, Namor, She-Hulk & Monica Rambeau, basically coming back from everything and wrecking house. And THIS was the kind of "Uphill Battle" that comics does best- every hero going all-out, barely able to survive by somebody recovering and taking their own shot when Zeus takes out another teammate.

Modern Zeus Tales:
-Zeus was killed by Amatsu-Mikaboshi in an Ares Limited Series, and disappeared into the Underworld, where he was reborn into the body of a smart-assed, arrogant young boy (who naturally got along famously with Quicksilver). He was dragged along by Hercules, Athena and Amadeus Cho, all of whom tired of him quickly, until he finally confessed his sins to Hera and apologized profusely for disrespecting her. Hera gladly accepted his apology and welcomed her "King" back... but both were then killed by the monstrous Typhon, ending up in the afterlife again. He was only reborn at the end of the Chaos War story arc, as things settled back to normal.

-Zeus slept with many mortals (Herc shows him disguised as mortal singer "Storm" in Korea- a parody/homage to "Rain"- to enjoy the pleasures of many groupies), and often gets shown to be a fool- an arc where he is killed and ends up in Tartarus shows him truly appreciate his son (Herc of course removes this), but when he's turned mortal in Hercules' most recent series, he's shown as an incompetent, over-confident blowhard who's fat and stupid (much of which could be easily excused by him being WASTED on booze, since his mortal form can't take it). But still, this guy is hardly as noble as Odin of the Norse Gods, but he's a bit less cold-hearted and vague- he's just kind of an asshole, which given his INSANE power levels, makes him truly frightening.

The Mightiest of the Gods:
-Zeus is easily the mightiest of all the Greek Gods, and could hand ANY of the others their asses in a fight. The mythology depicted a Zeus so tough that any of the others wouldn't stand a chance without cheating (though I've read a myth where he's chased off by a River God because he forgot his Easily-Removable Thunderbolts)- he's basically Thor times Five, and any fight between him and the God of Thunder is essentially "Wow, it's a great showing for Thor- he's lasted almost FIVE MINUTES without dying!" rather than "It's a great showing for Thor- he won!" Thor has NO CHANCE against Zeus. NONE, whatsoever- in the great "Avengers (vs) Olympus" arc, Zeus handily wipes out an entire squadron of Gods & Heroes with a single blast (Cap & Dr. Druid are crippled permanently without Godly Healing, and Athena, Apollo & Hephaestus are done for the entire fight). He then brawls effortlessly with Thor, shrugs off a sneak attack from Namor (no easy feat), then casually grabs his arm and smashes him into the ground. Captain Marvel does a full-on Absorption/Reflection Blast of Zeus' best punch, and it only pisses him off. Eventually ALL the Powerhouses give'r at once, and Zeus is shaken but still just really mad- the heroes have to talk their way out when Hercules recovers from his coma and Zeus calms down. There was NO WAY they were walking out of that one without extenuating circumstances. As a fight against a Pantheon's Allfather SHOULD be.

-It says something that Zeus isn't even a melee fighter in general, yet is PL 14 Unarmed anyways- he's as strong as Hercules (in that Avengers arc, Herc recovers from his coma and fights his father- Zeus gets PO'd and smashes his face in, injuring Hercules further). His Thunderbolts are among the most damaging things any terrestrial Marvel Character can do, and he can throw out MASSIVE Area Damage (including a Ranged one that Explodes), Teleport and do whatever Magic he needs to- he even gets Variable as part of his Array to gain all that "extra stuff" that other Gods tend to use. He also has some weird powers, like giving & taking away Hercules' Godly Might, but that's rare enough that it can be explained as part of his "Benefit Package" for his King of the Gods Advantage up there.

[BriarThrone]

It's interesting that Marvel chose to make Zeus by far the most powerful of the Greek gods. Personally, I like the interpretation where Zeus vs Poseidon or Hades would be anybody's game, but they liked their roles and saw no need to push things to a real fight.

[Jabroniville]

It's iffy in the myths- Zeus can take anyone with the Thunderbolts, but that's an Easily-Removable weapon in mythology. But a River God once chased him off when he was unarmed.

Marvel treats all Skyfathers as top-tier-ish, too.

[Jabroniville]

LAMIA
Created By: Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, Rodney Buchemi
First Appearance: The Incredible Hercules #138 (Jan. 2010)
Role: Greco-Roman Bogeyman
Group Affiliations: The Olympus Group
PL 10 (116)
STRENGTH 8 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -2

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+10)
Intimidation 12 (+10)
Perception 7 (+8)
Stealth 1 (+6)

Advantages: 
All-Out Attack, Diehard, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Claws & Teeth) 2, Improved Initiative 2, Startle, Takedown

Powers:
"Immortal God"
Regeneration 2 (Feats: Regrow Limbs) [3]
Immunity 5 (Aging, Starvation & Thirst, Heat, Cold, Disease) [5]
Immunity 4 (Drowning & Suffocation, Poison, Pressure) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [2]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]

"Huge Claws & Teeth" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Split) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Spider-Web +14 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Net Web +11 Area (+11 Affliction, DC 21)
Initiative +15

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +8, Fortitude +10, Will +4

Complications:
Responsibility (The Olympus Group)
Prejudice (Monster)

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 14 (116)

Lamia in Mythology: Lamia was a sort of Greek "Bogeyman" figure for children- she was a lover of Zeus who then had her children murdered by a jealous Hera (in one version, Hera forced her to EAT her own children!). In response, Lamia went mad, and ran through the world, murdering the children of OTHERS. Her evil acts made her face hideous as well. In some versions, she has a snake for a lower half. Modern-day usage of the concept owes a lot to a John Keats poem from 1819.

-Marvel's Lamia was an unspeaking supporting-player of Hera's Olympians (one wonders why she'd hang out with HERA given her past, but presumably she's crazy anyways), and used a giant-sized mouth and claws to attack the heroes. She didn't really DO anything, and might not even be worth PL 10 stats, but I figure an immortal monster should be quite tough.

[Ares]

It's iffy in the myths- Zeus can take anyone with the Thunderbolts, but that's an Easily-Removable weapon in mythology. But a River God once chased him off when he was unarmed.

Marvel treats all Skyfathers as top-tier-ish, too.

It basically seems like, in Marvel, that assuming leadership of the pantheon either immediately or over time builds you up into the most powerful person around. If they had to do it a certain way, I'd opt for the idea that being a Skyfather means connecting your essence to the realm itself, which gives you a huge boost of power but also a crap-ton of responsibilities.

I was also thinking about the way the gods behave, and part of me wonders if it'd possibly make the gods more sympathetic if what they become a god of really influences who they are, rather than the other way around. Like, when Ares was born he had a natural talent for combat, but chose to embrace the ideals of Total Warfare and Brutal Conflict, and now that those concepts are literally a part of him, he has a hard time refusing them.

Like, lets say Zeus and Hera genuinely love each other. Only a problem is that when Zeus was being raised to fight the Titans, one of his aspects is "Father of Heroes", while Hera decided to become the "Goddess of Wives and the Sanctity of Marriage". Zeus loves his wife, but part of his aspect is literally to breed heroes, and a LOT of his spawn and their descendants did indeed wind up as mighty heroes, slaying monsters, tyrants and the like. So part of Zeus' libido is that if he spies a woman and his aspect knows their child would be a hero (fate magic and what not), he feels compelled to bed her produce a child, and it takes . . . well, a herculean effort to NOT get his Zeus on.

Meanwhile, Hera does love her husband and likewise even understands the situation, but by the same token her aspect demands that she punish those who break the sanctity of marriage, and since she can't punish Zeus she has to go after either the mother or her child. And part of this process winds up producing more capable heroes because of the challenges she throws their way.

So the very aspects of the universe the gods bind themselves to in order to gain power and worship become something that pushes them to behave a certain way, making them victims of their own power and position.

[Jabroniville]

There's a hilarious bit in The Iliad where Zeus is being seduced by Hera (in order to distract him from the battle in Troy), and his idea of foreplay/bedroom talk is to go on and on about how Hera is so much hotter than all of the women he's cheated on her with. Like, he starts describing them all BY NAME, and all the times he'd banged them, as he's about to lay down with his wife.

[Woodclaw]

In general I think that the reason Zeus has become a man-whore in the myths it's because it was an easy way for the storytellers to identify the hero as such: it was narrative convention that 90% of the heroes had some semblance of divinity in them, that they were more than humans, but not full on gods and giving them the big Z as a father was an easy way to say to the audience "yep, he's the real deal".

[Jabroniville]

In general I think that the reason Zeus has become a man-whore in the myths it's because it was an easy way for the storytellers to identify the hero as such: it was narrative convention that 90% of the heroes had some semblance of divinity in them, that they were more than humans, but not full on gods and giving them the big Z as a father was an easy way to say to the audience "yep, he's the real deal".

Yep- I mentioned at the beginning (either here or in the "Jabverse" thread) that many Greek Myths have a foundation that is essentially propaganda for one's own town- a city's chosen hero, like Theseus or whomever, is always of divine birth (usually the son of Zeus or Poseidon, the two most respected powerhouses), always brilliant, always virile (he sleeps with a hot chick and has children), always a great fighter (he slays a monster), and always marries a Princess, then founds a town. That way, the towns are always like "well, OUR town is founded by a Divine Being who married a Princess, so we have both Godhood and royalty in our bloodlines!"

[Jabroniville]

Assault on New Olympus
-This marks my end of just picking up the Trades, and getting the monthly issues (I think I did that entirely at once with every series- I finally got caught up and was tired of waiting months for everything. This has the unfortunate side effect of making every story mean a little less since I read it piecemeal once a month instead of just one go. Anyone else notice that?). Basically, Cho & Athena figure out that this "Continuum" thing Hera & her Olympus Group have been planning all along is going to wipe out this universe and create another one in Hera's image. And that's bad.

-So Herc, Athena & Cho gather together Herc's Mighty Avengers team (U.S. Agent, Spider-Woman, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hank Pym & Quicksilver), along with Little Zeus, and they fight Hera's Olympians, who include Delphyne Gorgon and her Amazons ("Chicks? No problem." hahahahah I love U.S. Agent), Typhon (aka the most powerful monster in all Greek Mythology), Eris (Discord- shown only for a bit), Lamia (generic clawed lady), Argus the Hundred-Eyed Giant, The Huntsman (who we've seen briefly before) and Hephaestus, now depicted as a nasty little man who wants to murder everyone for Hera, and build a Sex Robot out of Athena's form, since he always had a crush on her (well, hard to blame him, but those methods are The Suck).

-I'm not a big fan of Hera's crew (mostly non-characters- Lamia doesn't even really get an introduction, she's just THERE), but it's your typical Comic Team Brawl- the heroes take a beating at first, but they soon fight back and mop up handily. Kid Zeus & Hera make nice, but are soon wiped out by Typhon, and then Herc kills TYPHON using one of Amadeus' little tricks (he'd kept the waters of the River Lethe of mind-wiping with him in a water bottle).

-Then we get the Mother of all Heel Turns with Athena, who wipes out Hercules & Continuum so that Amadeus Cho can be the ONLY Prince of Power, revealing that this whole thing has been an elaborate plan by the Goddess of Wisdom all along to create a new Champion to fight the coming war. And now she's the Skyperson of the Olympian Pantheon, holding the power of the Thunderbolt.

[Jabroniville]

ARACHNE
Created By: Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, Rodney Buchemi
First Appearance: The Incredible Hercules #138 (Jan. 2010)
Role: Greco-Roman Symbol of Hubris, Animal Hybrid
Group Affiliations: The Olympus Group
PL 11 (215)
STRENGTH 9 STAMINA 9 AGILITY 7
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+13)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+12)
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (History) 6 (+8)
Expertise (Weaver) 16 (+18) -- Note: Half-Price
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 6 (+8)
Perception 9 (+12)
Ranged Combat (Webbing) 9 (+14)
Stealth 6 (+13)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Beginner's Luck, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Evasion, Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Webs) 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Trip, Instant Up, Jack-of-All-Trades, Seize Initiative

Powers:
"Immortal God"
Regeneration 2 (Feats: Regrow Limbs) [3]
Immunity 5 (Aging, Starvation & Thirst, Heat, Cold, Disease) [5]
Immunity 4 (Drowning & Suffocation, Poison, Pressure) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [2]
Leaping 2 (30 feet) [2]
Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]

"Proportionate Strength of a Spider" Power Lifting 1 (12 tons) [1]
Comprehend 2 (Speak to & Understand Animals) (Flaws: Limited to Spiders) [2]
Communication 2 (Mental) (Extras: Area) (Flaws: Limited to Spiders) [8]

"Fires Webbing"
"Web-Line" Movement 1 (Swinging) [2]
"Wide Snare" Snare 11 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Cone) (Flaws: Touch Range) (33) -- [35]

• AE: "Spider-Web" Snare 8 (Feats: Split, Tether) (26)
• AE: "Blind With Webs" Dazzle Visuals 8 (16)

"Arachnid Physiology"
"Tremorsense" Senses 4 (Ranged Touch- Accurate 2 & Extended) [4]
Extra Limbs 4 [4]
"Long Legs" Strength-Damage +0 (Feats: Reach 2) [2]
Burrowing 2 [2]
Movement 2 (Wall-Crawling 2) [4]

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Spider-Web +14 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Net Web +11 Area (+11 Affliction, DC 21)
Initiative +15

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22-24), Parry +12 (DC 22-24), Toughness +9, Fortitude +9, Will +6

Complications:
Responsibility (The Olympus Group)
Enemy (Athena)- Like the Gorgons, Arachne was physically-cursed by Athena millennia ago, for hubris.
Prejudice (Monster)- Arachne is a woman atop, but a spider below the waist. Her dating life is rather difficult.

Total: Abilities: 94 / Skills: 60--30 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 65 / Defenses: 10 (215)

Arachne in Mythology: Arachne is presented as a story about hubris by some, and the Gods' jealousy and hair-trigger tempers by others. A mortal woman who bragged that her tapestries were the greatest of all time, Arachne proclaimed herself better than the Goddess of Weaving herself, Athena. This act of hubris was viewed as tantamount to blasphemy by the Greeks (many cultures though this way- think about what Old Testament God would've done there), and so Athena came down to challenge her. Arachne's tapestry was about the various flaws (sexual and otherwise) of the Gods, and Athena beat the snot out of her. Committing suicide, Arachne hung from a rope, but Athena's pity for the now-dead girl caused her to become an immortal weaver- the very first Spider. Ovid says Athena did that out of punishment, however. You get multiple sides on this one.

-Arachne in the Marvel books is pretty much heavily into the Anti-Athena camp for obvious reasons, and she joins Hera's Olympus Group against the heroes. She out-weaves Spider-Man, but soon vanishes from the scene of the battle (I think she's absent in the mopping-up portion). She next shows up hiding in New York, and doing the nasty with Hercules while he's ALSO trapped as a Spider-Taur, much to the horror of Gambit of the X-Men (whose famous "cool" falters badly under such an affront- "Just close your eyes!" "I CAN STILL HEAR IT!"), during that whole Spider Island storyline.

-Arachne is quite powerful, easily the equal of Peter Parker in terms of trapping people, and she can do it to large groups at a time. She might be even GREATER, as Wolverine couldn't cut her Magic Webs when the X-Men got stuck, so it's a good thing she was merely amorous instead of evil at that moment.

[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)
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 (+8)
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]
Immunity 2 (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: 39 / Defenses: 16 (178)

Hephaestus in Mythology: 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 its 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 Incredible 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)