The End

[colonel_green]

Four scans from Incredible Hercules #141, the final issue.
 

Home for reading week, a snowstorm hit on comics day, and the store did not open in the morning.  It appeared that, having shepherded this series through three different incarnations of s_d, I would not be able to post about its final issue first.  I was despondent.  But the store opened at 4 PM, so I still made it.  The day was saved.

So, in the leadup:  Typhon kills Zeus, Athena gets Zeus' power, and Hercules fights Typhon.  He's losing pretty hard, thanks to the Aegis breastplate, but he hits Typhon with the Lethe water, which makes him forget some stuff, like how to use the Aegis.






The alternate universe generated by the machine collapses, causing a huge explosion.

I'm not sure I see her logic here:  his death isn't inevitable Fate, but she seems quite certain that there can only be one Prince of Power at a time, and she's not the sort to make arbitrary rules, so presumably there's some reason.  Powerful scene, anyway.  For all the comedy, this is one of Marvel's best dramas when it needs to be.

And in the backup strip, Venus becomes a real goddess when Aphrodite decides to quit because she's stopped being about real love.
 

Comments

[shadowpsykie]

:( not sure how to feel about Athena, a really touching moment. I understand the whole "there can be only one," thing, but why did Hercules have to die?

[sailorlibra]

Dramatic, but not unexpected. I hope there's a way he can come back from the dead and maybe not be the "prince of power" or something. I know Amadeus is going to try damn hard to get him back.

[thandrak]

Dude, it's obvious.

With One Mighty Word... SHAZAM!

They're gonna do the old Negabands trick with Herc's mace!

[arilou_skiff]

Oooh... That could work.

[majingojira]

Damn my wait for trade habits!

Powerful stuff, I just wonder where Athena will go from here and if she will get retribution for this (as is want to happen with Greek Gods 'n all).

I'm also wondering where Delphyne is in all this.

[colonel_green]

(as is want to happen with Greek Gods 'n all).

The Gods themselves are more known for doing whatever they please, generally.

I'm also wondering where Delphyne is in all this.

Is that a request for information, or just a statement?

[majingojira]

My Greek myths are a little rusty, but I thought that the gods were subject to the furies and fate (or was it just fate).

That'll teach me to focus mostly on the monsters.

But yeah, that was sort of a request.

[colonel_green]

The Gods are subject to the Fates, definitely (the only beings in creation that are superior to Zeus), and in some circumstances they cannot obstruct the Furies from punishing mortals, but when the Furies do or don't appear is extremely random.

Delphyne's back as a Gorgon now that Athena is alive, and for her botched assassination attempt ("Time to learn the first rule of Deicide: don't miss.") is sentenced to dwell forever in the basement of the Olympus Group building.

[arilou_skiff]

Even the gods get cursed for spilling family blood, generally. Which is why they tend to settle for imprisoning people in various exotic locales.

[yaseen101]

Which is funny, because my first thought to seeing someone ask where Delphyne was; As long as she is stuck in some sort of pot hole, I'll be happy and that's aslmot exactly what happened.

[shadowpsykie]

also Kudos on a greek god/goddess knowing that she is not doing her job and stepping down

[yaseen101]

Once again, I am (constantly) taken aback by how fucked up Greek relations can be.

[shadowpsykie]

eh, its all greek to me

*snicker*

[halloweenjack]

"Greek relations", you say?

[sherkahn]

what was that quote from way back... gods can be monsters, too?

[yaseen101]

Also your biological sister can also turn out to be your metaphorical mother.

Also that random goat you just fucked with may have just been a random goat and not Zeus or any of the other Gods.

[darkblade]

I've always wondered how many ancient Greek women commited adultry and blamed any resulting children on Zeus.

[nothingbutcake]

Getting impregnated by a god wasn't actually a good thing, socially.  You are still an unwed mother; nobody likes that.

[cainofdreaming]

Can? It seems to be a requirement for even an entry level position in that job.

[jaybee3]

So, with Hercules dead and Ares dead and we know they're both coming back (and Zeus too I assume) I wonder if it'll be all forgive and forget with Athena when it happens. Or they could continue making her into a (well-meaning) villain ala Ares, which would be more enjoyable.

And I never buy the whole "I love you more than the world but I have to kill you" thing, it's become so hackneyed and unbelievable its pretty much a trope onto itself.

[lakrids404]

Perhaps she really did love him so much, but she loved herself more

[colonel_green]

She seems to be the "greater good" type. Really, the whole series up to this point has been about how gods exist to make choices like this (Athena herself, Snowbird, and Zeus have all said that in one way or another).

[cricharddavies]

Except that this isn't serving any greater good. "There can only be one Prince of Power" -- so it's going to be the one that she's chosen.

That's not a greater good. That's simply egotism.

[colonel_green]

The greater good being defeating Mikaboshi and saving the universe, something she seems convinced that Cho (and only Cho) can do (and seemingly, that having Hercules around will be an impediment to that somehow).

[cricharddavies]

Mikaboshi? The threat she let out? The one whose rise to power was greeted with the words "All going according to plan" from her?

How self-serving can you get?

[silverzeo]

Wasn't Herc's main fault is that he outlived some of the women he truly loved... well, if he is gone to pass.... he can be with them now.

[nothingbutcake]

I missed Spider-Woman the first time and thought Amadeus was defeating Argos with MATHEMATICS.

[selke]

*blinks* Wait, what?

[proteus_lives]

I am reminded of the old cartoon Hercules theme song.

You might enjoy this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PrLVgR6J84

[magus_69]

Moral Event Horizon: crossed.