The Lion of Olympus

This post is for people that need to get in touch with me. This would also be where you can post CONSTRUCTIVE CRITIQUE for Hercules.

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Plurk: Intercession
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Name: Hercules Panhellenios
Age: 3000+ (Appears 30s)
Sex:: Male
Height:: 6'5"
Weight:: 350lbs

Powers:

Inhuman Strength: Hercules is as he is in myth, and more. He's the God of Strength and God of Heroes.

Divine Durability/Stamina: Hercules is nearly tireless, able to fight and run for extended periods. The Drabwurld has made him less durable but he is still incredibly hard to hurt.

Regeneration: Nerfed while in Drabwurld, but Herc will slowly recover from nearly any injury.

Master Warrior: He was the greatest warrior in Greece when he was alive. Now? He's had 3000 years more training. He is far beyond mortal limits in terms of ability, and has mastered nearly every weapon known to man. Also, he can use a PC.

Loudmouth: Hercules is noisy and doofy, prone to snap decisions that often work out okay. He's smarter than he looks, but...likes to be a clown.


Inventory:
1. The Golden Mace
2. Avengers Identicard
3. A Starkphone, basically a smartphone made with Starktech. It doesn't work outside the station.
4. His helmet, an adamantine helm that protects his forehead and cheeks.
5. Clothing
6. A water bottle

Boons:
None.

No real fancy text here...

APPLICATION

Player Name: Ax
Plurk Handle: Intercession
Player Status: New Player
Other characters: N/A

Character Name: Hercules Panhellenios
Fandom: Marvel Comics (616)
Character Journal: theincredibleherc
OU, AU, or OC? Original universe
If canon, canon point: Post Incredible Hercules #141, after he becomes trapped in the Continuum.
PB: N/A, I'm using canon art

Setting Background: OU

History: Comic Vine link since it's the most comprehensive. And his Marvel Wiki too

Personality:

The first and most important thing to keep in mind when describing Hercules and the things that've influence his personality is that while he is a character from the Marvel Universe, he's also someone that walked straight out of Greek Mythology. The stories about him that were handed down from Ancient Greece are all true in some fashion, though as Hercules himself states they aren't all 100% correct.

About life and living, though, he readily says to a depressed Tony Stark, "Tis of little import how long one lives -- how well is what really matters!" That's how he's lived, both as an Olympian and a man. Hercules is an extremely affable, friendly man at that. He has a certain zeal for life, always quick to laugh and seek out a good time over brooding. This is most certainly attributable to his immortal lifespan and having experienced the greatest joys of life as a god. But that was the case even when he was a mortal, and the fact that he has died has given him a greater appreciation for life. His default setting is to jump out and just be the life of the party, both figuratively and literally.

Hercules isn’t immune to depression, as when faced with the loss of a loved one or a betrayal such as Nessus the Centaur’s deception or Thor’s death during the Avengers Disassembled arc, has a tendency to drink heavily, going on severe binges. While in such states Hercules becomes a solemn, brooding individual who internalizes his problems, and the only things that seem to snap him out of them are new challenges and ways to remind him of his responsibilities as a hero.

Herc's glad to meet new people, and he doesn't show the casual contempt many immortals do for mortalkind. That isn't to say he doesn't recognize the difference, just that he doesn't think that longevity is everything. Herc's quick to believe the best in people, and is always willing to give second chances, perhaps because he himself has needed those second chances on occasion and he refuses to be a hypocrite.

Hercules often presents himself in a clownish light with ridiculous and over the top embellishments and bragging to anyone who'll listen. "Come, sit! Hear the tales of the Lion of Olympus' exploits" is not a singular phrase and comes up quite regularly. Basically, he's a larger than life individual who's quite aware of the fact that he's the subject of a great many tales and he revels in it. Not because he thinks it makes him any better or worse than other people, but because it's fun for him and other people seem to get a kick out of it too

His bravery is even more boundless than his strength, and it’s not something wholly dependent on any supernatural or divine gift. He is, at his core, a hero, and he's often called the God of Heroes. He faces down Typhon, Hera, and a host of mythological monsters mere moments before his canonpoint without flinching. Even on the multiple occasions that Zeus has stripped him of his powers, he just keeps on looking forward, acting like he’s always done.

With that said, one of Herc's defining character traits is his confidence, making bold statements like "Whatever Thor canst do -- Hercules canst accomplish more mightily!" He has immense faith in himself and that extends to the people he calls true friends. He's judged them to be worthy, after all, and he's rarely been let down by this judgment. Herc seeks challenges out with the unwavering certainty that he will come out on top. This pride is also his greatest failing, particularly with regards to his own accomplishments and abilities. He’s quick to try and make himself look good, often telling tales and embellishing little bits here and there. And his pride, or truthfully arrogance, has gotten him into trouble numerous times.

He is a heroic warrior through and through, and he enjoys battle, adventure, and daring do, proclaiming to Iron Man "If heroism is outlawed...I'd rather be a renegade!" before storming off to join Captain America during the Civil War. He’s quick to leap into the fray, but generally more as a brawler than any tactical role. He’s led men, and he’s willing to do that, but it’s not as much fun for him as just jumping in. That said, he’s also willing to battle things out with friends, too, claiming that the best way to truly know someone is to fight them. He refers to this as giving The Gift of Battle, though he often abbreviates this to simply ‘The Gift.’

That said? He doesn’t pick fights and he’s not a bully, he hates that sort of dishonorable behavior. If someone is clearly not interested or isn’t apparently capable of brawling with him, he’ll be mindful of that and more open to conversing over fighting to get to know someone. He has a code of honor but that code doesn’t mean he’s above fighting dirty. He’ll kick people in the crotch, give wedgies or purple nurples, and throw sand and use every trick in the book to win except ambush or help.

In regards to romance, Hercules takes very much after his father, albeit with less transformations and a lot more just being a charming goofball. He’s got a way about him that makes women (and men) fall for him. In all these instances, and every other one that’s happened over the years, Herc’s been the one that was left, and it was always a surprise to him. He wears his feelings on his non-existent sleeves and grows to care quickly. It is worth noting that he’s something of a hypocrite though, because when he finds his wife Hebe kissing Peter Parker, he grows rather angry. Not as much with Hebe, but with Peter for kissing another man’s wife, something he’s never done wittingly, at least.


Canon Powers:

Superhuman Strength:

Hercules is the Olympian god of Strength and Heroism, and due to this his main ability is his nearly incalculable physical strength. He is the strongest of all of the Olympians, rivaled only by Zeus and Pluto. His lifting and strength capacity are not known to have any real limits on them, as evidenced by some of his feats of strength. He's stopped punches from the Sentry (Marvel's Superman), tossed Godzilla around one handed, and has proven time and time again that he can match (or almost match) even the Hulk and physically overpower Thor and The Thing in contests of sheer strength. His most impressive feat of impossible lifting is the fact that he has actually supported the weight of the Heavens on his shoulders during his famous Twelve Labors, taking the burden from Atlas for a while. His speed and jumping strength are proportionally affected by this. Herc runs faster than any mortal (about 100mph) and has been on record as jumping 100 feet straight up from a standing position.

Godly Durability and Stamina:

As an Olympian, Hercules is incredibly durable and able to take a pounding that would handily split an entire continent. Due his status as the child of Zeus, and having suckled on Hera's breast as an infant, his damage resistance is on par with his father and both Neptune and Pluto, the eldest Olympians. He's taken multiple blows from Mjolnir and the Hulk without any discernible injury, shrugs off falls and missiles, and is all but immune to bullets. It's possible to hurt him, certainly, but it takes a lot of concentrated hits. Because of this durability, the elements don't really bother him much, he can hold his breath for an extended period of time (10 minutes or so), and his body no longer makes any of the lactic acids that cause muscle fatigue giving him essentially endless stamina.

Also under this ability would be his regenerative powers. All Olympian bodies rapidly repair themselves, and Hercules is no exception. He can recover from nearly any injury, but lost limbs and organs do not regrow without the aid of magic. He's also immune to Earthly diseases and poisons.

Immortality:

Hercules is functionally immortal. Unless killed he will live forever, and he can pretty be brought back to life by a deity with the proper abilities and motivation (Zeus, for instance, does this). He doesn't age, and he doesn't suffer any decrease in his physical attributes for being so old. Thanks to this great age, he's considerably more experienced and wise than he might seem, though he often plays the role of a dumb clown.

Olympian Senses:

As the Olympian God of Heroes, Hercules is able to discern the presence of those who have the heart of a hero. Basically, he can feel people who might be or are heroic at the core. This isn't a commonly appearing power and it's really vaguely defined when it does come up. I've always played it as Herc getting a sense that someone is a capable of or has engaged in heroic acts. Also he has sharper than human senses, both sight and hearing. Not super senses, but he can see just a little farther and hear just a bit better.

The Golden Mace: I'm listing this as a power because it's a technically a magical weapon. The Golden Mace is a mace that was forged by Hephaestus and then magically bound to Herc so that only he can lift it. It's his equivalent to Mjolnir, and the only other magical property it has is that it's unbreakable.

Freebie Powers:

Agelessness: Herc doesn't age. I don't think there's too much to explain about this, he doesn't look a day over maybe 35-40, and he's several thousand years old.

Enhanced Senses: I'd like to keep Hercules's enhanced senses unchanged, since they're only just a little bit better than a normal person's. I do not want him to retain the sensing heroes aspect of his enhanced senses as that's difficult to represent in RP period.


Power Selection: Native Superpowers

Game Powers:

Super Strength: Given that this is what Herc is known for, I want to keep this as his primary power. Realizing that this is on the list of limited powers, I'd like to request Herc get this at the maximum allowable level, so around 500 pounds per the powers FAQ. As this power also ties into his athleticism, I'd like to limit him to about the level of an Olympic athlete, and just a bit beyond.

Durability and Stamina: As with super strength, I'd like for Herc to be difficult to injure, but more in like with his demigod days. He was tough, hard to hurt, but not invulnerable or able to shrug off mundane weapons like he can at full power. The same would apply to his resistance to the elements, muscle stamina, and ability to hold his breath. His regenerative abilities I would like cut down to where he heals faster than an ordinary person, but about half as fast as canon. A broken limb healing in about a week instead of a couple of days, or a bad bruise lasting a day or two rather than a few hours.

Non-Powered Abilities:

Hercules is the Champion of Olympus, and one of the greatest warriors in Ancient Greece. He helped Theseus invent Pankration, a martial art that encompasses all aspects of combat from Boxing to Wrestling, and has picked up aspects of other martial arts from around the world during his immortal lifetime. He's a champion at Greco-Roman Wrestling and other Olympic sports as well (Discus, Javelin, and Hammer Throw).Hercules is also an archer who's skill with a bow surpasses even Hawkeye, thanks to his divine attributes and centuries of training, added to his mastery of the art during his mortal lifetime. He's a skilled swordsman, a capable axe-fighter, and good with improvised weapons.

Still, his preferred means of fighting is with his fists or with a mace. He's also shown to have a good eye for using a gun, though he rarely bothers (until the most recent Herc solo title where he goes full Rambo).

His life of adventure has him well trained in survival arts, and he has many years experience roughing it in the wilderness. He's smart enough to know how to get by in nearly any outdoorsy situation. Moreover he has lived a long time and knows a good bit about taming animals, medicinal plants, carpentry, and navigation. He also has some skill with computers, enough to be able to surf the web and fix most basic computer problems.

Setting/Suitability: Hercules is the very model of an adventurous hero. He's ideal for the setting, having all the skills to survive and flourish on his own or with a team and he is an excellent team player. Years of fighting alongside the Asgardians and the Avengers, as well as other Greek heroes like Jason and Theseus have given him an appreciation for working with others. Basically he's an adventurous team player, and he's also coming from a canonpoint where he is bored. Being trapped in a completely empty mirror of his own universe with nothing to do is not exactly exciting. Regarding how he'll respond? With glee and gusto. My goals for the character are pretty simple: I want him to explore the setting and I enjoy writing Herc getting to do the wandering adventure story thing, so this is a good fit for him.

SAMPLES

Prose Sample:

For whatever reason, whether it's a strange nonhuman appearance, special powers or magic, having actual dental hygiene, or wearing a digital watch, the locals have declared your character a witch and want to burn them at the stake. Write your character reacting to the situation in whatever idiom is natural to them, whether it's with appealing to compassion, using logic, fighting their way out, terrifying them by playing death metal on their dying ipod, etc.

Hercules stood in the doorway of the small inn he’d been staying at and gawked in baffled wonder at the sight of a small mob of men and women heading his way waving pitchforks and carrying torches.

“Oh hell…” he groaned, smearing a meaty palm down his face, “Don’t tell me. It was that story about Hecate, wasn’t it?”

Someone behind him was quick to point out that being related to Hecate did technically count as consorting with witches. Which earned another groan from the big man, and had him weighing his options. He could fight his way out, but that would result in people getting hurt, and that wasn’t the ideal situation. Talking his way out? Probably not going to work. So, he decided to go for the next best thing.

Grabbing his satchel, Herc stepped out into the inn’s front yard to meet the mob.
“HERE I AM,” Hercules yelled out the timeless Scorpion’s hit refrain. He walked over to one of the watering troughs for the horses, lifting it up, water and all. “ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE!”

A sweeping motion of his arm send the water arcing into the crowd, dousing torches and soaking townsfolk alike. They stopped, gawking at this loon that’d just lifted a whole trough of water...and he was reaching for another. A second spray of water left them in stunned silence.

“The night is calling, I have to go,” he sang in a fair approximation of Schenker, Meine, and Rarebell’s masterwork…and then he took off at a dead run, taking advantage of their confusion. Into the night he fled, never looking back. Better to run than hurt someone who didn’t need it, he figured.


Network Sample: Your character's inner child has been separated from your character into its own individual entity by a powerful spirit, and your character can speak to them through the game's magic mirror network. The child has been commanded to listen in silence, and in an ultimate test of self-awareness, your character has been told they must talk to them and pass them wisdom and emotional honesty they've gained through life experience. Every time you character lies or is otherwise insincere about something from their adult life, they get zapped with a painful magical shock from the spirit.

[Herc stared at his younger duplicate for a long, tense moment. This wasn’t like the last time he’d had to deal with a double of himself, but it was still weird. Even for him, this was damn unsettling.]

Right. [He began slowly, a terseness to his tone.] First of all, your life isn’t going to be easy. I’ll tell you the exact same thing I told the boy: don’t expect anyone to hand you anything just because you are who you are. I know right now everything seems great, because you’re a demigod, and everyone loves you, but that’s not going to last.

[Honesty comes easy to him, at least in this and he lifts up two fingers.]
Second, don’t trust a damn word Hera says. I don’t care what Father says, that woman is nothing but trouble and she will destroy your life if you let her.

[Lifting a third finger to tick off an invisible list…Hercules continues.]
Next, you’re going to find yourself thinking that perhaps because of who Father is that you can get away with some things. Don’t think that. Forget all about that. You can’t, and you’ll do things that you’ll regret for the rest of your life if you don’t remember what I’ve said. Pride is our biggest failing, and if you can manage to rein that in, you will be doing a lot better than I have ever managed.

[Frowning more deeply, the big man lifts a fourth and final finger.]

Last thing, the biggest thing. You’re going to be saddled with a lot of heavy burdens. Tasks, labors, things that there is no way to get out of. Don’t complain about them. Don’t shirk. Do them and do them well. Those burdens are the things you’ll be remembered for. It’ll seem unreasonable, but if you’re anything like me? You’ll manage and be a better man for it.


Additional info:
I've got 1 item I'd like to request:
The Golden Mace: I'd like for Herc to keep his special mace. An unbreakable weapon doesn't seem particularly gamebreaking, but I figured I'd ask about it just in case.