Intro:
In
continuing with the recent series of reviews of Marvel Universe figures, which
mainly consisted of Marvel’s greatest powerhouses, we hereby review yet another
powerhouse – Hercules.
Yes,
it’s none other than the illegitimate son of Zeus, who has been a long running
character since 1965, and has been a constant rival to Odinson – the Mighty
Thor. I guess there’s no debate here because both are arguably the most well
known mythical figures from their respective folklores.
Hercules
is of course the strongest amongst the Olympian Gods, and after having
stalemated Hulk in an issue of Tales To Astonish, he is acknowledged as being
one of the stronger powerhouses in the entire Marvel Universe.
Now,
although I do love the mythical character Hercules from the Greek myths and
legends, I have to say that I am not really a fan of Hercules the comic
character.
Still, having
said that, I do make it a point to collect all of the Class 100 powerhouses – I
already have Hulk and Juggernaut in hand. While Colossus and She-Hulk (reviews
coming soon), during their inception into the Marvel Universe may not be a
Class 100 powerhouse, their later incarnations have seen these characters
developed way into the Class 100 category.
And now that
I’ve finally gotten myself Hercules, that only leaves me with a few more to go
(some have been released, while some are pending) – Thor, Beta Ray Bill, Silver
Surfer, Apocalypse, Red Hulk, Gladiator, Hulkbuster Iron Man, Maestro, Thing,
Skaar, Sentry and Abomination. Grey Hulk is an exception because I am a sucker
for Hulks. There are many other Class 100 powerhouses around, but these are the
few significant ones in the Marvel Universe.
Then again, I
guess I still have a long way to go to complete this list…
Anyways, back to
Hercules. He’s been a constant presence in the Marvel Universe since the
mid-60’s and has been involved with numerous (mis)adventures. The most
memorable of which was when he fought against World War Hulk.
Just for the
record, Hercules is also known for his flings with several female Marvel
characters.
Anyways, the
character proved to be so popular that The Incredible Hulk comic series was
renamed The Incredible Hercules, post-World War Hulk.
Hercules is a
Series 4 release, numbered 017.
Figure:
I
have to say, though I have never planned on getting this figure in the first
place, it has been growing on me ever since. Now that I got him, he’s actually
a perfect sparring partner for Colossus, although Colossus is definitely taller
and bigger than the Olympian – kinda odd considering that Hercules is
supposedly stronger than Colossus, although the current incarnation of Colossus
does put him at a Class 100 strength class.
Anyways,
back to Hercules. His head sculpt is quite accurate to his numerous comic
depiction – head gear, facial hairs and questionable hairstyles are all there.
Hercules
also comes with a harness-like vest and a belt with the “H” emblem on it. The
vest and the belt are separate pieces from the main figure, although removing
them may require some effort, or worse, damage the accessories themselves.
 |
| Hercules - the perfect sparring partner for Colossus in terms of physical size |
Articulation-wise,
Hercules has also the standard joints and movements that are quite synonymous
with the Marvel Universe line. The only slight differences would be his lower
body movements. The ankles don’t rotate; instead the movement is replicated
with a joint right above the sandals. The ankles themselves, apart from
providing the normal up and down motions, are capable of a wider range of
motions, due to its unique ankle joints.
 |
| Herc vs World War Hulk -- a Reenactment from the World War Hulk Comics |
So
yeah, Hercules would probably be able to do a lot more pose that you would
probably could with some other Marvel Universe figures.
 |
| Herc's Adamantine Mace - an equal to Thor's Mjolnir |
Hercules
also comes with a magical adamantine mace, said to be forged by the Greek God
Hephaestus, and to be an equal to Thor’s magical hammer Mjolnir.
 |
| By the Power of Greyskull, I HAVE THE POWER!!! ... Ooops, wrong show... |
Also,
Hercules comes with a miniaturized The
Incredible Hercules comic cover.
 |
| Hercules, with one of his many, *ehem*, exploits -- the She-Hulk |
One
complaint that I do have with this figure though is with his right arm. The swivel
joint below the shoulders seemed quite loose that it always pops off. I haven’t
faced any similar problems with other figures that I have, which do lead me to
the conclusion that this may be been just an isolated quality issue.
Otherwise,
I don’t think I have much to complain about this particular figure.
Summary:
I
have to say, this Hercules figure has truly been a pleasant surprise for me.
While he’s not really one of my favorite characters from Marvel, I really can’t
find any fault with this figure. Hasbro actually did all the right things with
this figure.
If
you’re like me, who am trying to hunt all of the Class 100 Strength level
characters, then Hercules is definitely a must. There are only a few characters
out there that could rival Hulk in term of strength – Thor, Juggernaut, Silver
Surfer, and of course, Hercules. So it made sense for me to actually go out and
get him.
Overall,
a really good figure.
Final
verdict, 10/10.
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