seekquaze

@powerherc said:

Aside from some form of interdimensional teleportation to get from Olympus and Earth on his own I think any new powers should be related to his fists. I do not think he should have unlimited strength that he can will to any level. That opens up a can of worms I think is best left closed. Hulk tends to be regarded either as a joke or someone who can beat anyone thanks to that potential power. His strength is already worthy of respect on a cosmic level without increasing it. Imagine how bored he would be if it increased further. Instead, Herc's powers should aid him in what he already can do. I think like Zeus he should be able to negate healing factors to some degree. It would make sense because many of the beings he fights have them on some level. I could also see him accessing his inner divine powers to hurt creatures that can normally hurt by physical attacks like the Ghost Rider. Powers like this would allow him to fight and win against opponents he might not be able to normally harm.

I have a stack of Sif's JIM I need to read. Truth be told she has never interested me that much. I've read a lot of Thor stories and whereas the Warriors Three, Odin, and heck Tyr and Heimdall have all been given some degree of characterization aside from their base roles Sif never has before now. She was always the warrior who either fought beside Thor, waited at home for Thor, or hooked up with the nearest Thor lookalike. She never had any real depth that did not revolve around Thor. I think it is kind of sad that it it only now that she is getting some real character development. I am glad though and it is about time.

How would you say that compared to his death at the hands of Korvac? From what I've heard, back when Korvac had the power of a skyfather or greater he murdered a group of Avengers. Whereas everyone else took one shot Hercules took two. Would you say this was a better durability feat or lesser?

@rondoudou said:

I agree you cannot rationalize it. That is what separates it from science. At the same time you have to be careful with it so it does not come out of nowhere to resolve the plot like Dr. Strange has so often been used as. Magic usually has some sort of symbolism associated with it. An eagle's feather is part of a flight spell because eagle's fly. Get someones blood and it has a connection to them since it was from them. For me, the leap that those combination of items can turn someone into an abstract level being is a stretch. But then I admit anything that is supposed to grant you supreme, ultimate omnipotence tends not to sit well for me in recent years. It feels too easy of an out, far too easily acquired, and far too many have built up in Marvel over the years so what were once items that bestowed omnipotence like infinity gems and cosmic cubes are now greatly downgraded so the newest easily gained omnipotence is at the top of the food chain.

I guess another example would be Thor: Vikings by Garth Ennis. In it, somehow botched rune spell by a backwoods human conjurer powered by his blood that is supposed to cause the Vikings a thousand years of pain transforms them into undead killers with the captain being far mightier than Thor. Ennis used magic as a quick cop out.

The bit about Celestials is a reference to Thor #300 when Odin and other skyfathers were forced to make a pact with the Celestials to not interfere with their activities on Earth. It is alluded to every now and then.

I may have to pick this issue up.

In myth, the standard reward for Greek heroes was to become a king for a city-state. Theseus, Cadmus, Perseus, Odysseus, Jason and many others were all kings at one point in their lives. Why do you think Hercules never became a king? For that matter, why even in the possible future of the 23rd century does Hercules still reject kingship? Isn't that what every hero from Herc's culture wants?

@rondoudou said:

I suppose that is what Pak and Lente were going for, but it has never felt right by me. Gods and other beings struggle for centuries to go up the ladder of power only a few steps or have to shake the universe to its very foundation. Hercules gets it through a magic cocktail that puts him at the very top? Prince of Power and Chaos War each started out with good ideas but by the end had so many plot holes I honestly find it best not to try and rationalize it.

It was more because of the mix of particular items. Ambrosia, golden apples, and amirti all give the consumer immortality. Each is a different pantheon's version of essentially the same thing. The book of Thoth was the only thing that was different. So again even for magic it never made sense to me why this formula would augment a god so much. Maybe to a level equal to other skyfathers, but not to an abstract level.

Speaking of their looks. I can see the reasoning for nearly all of the redesigns except for Hades. Why is he a kid with semi-melted candles on his head? I cannot think of anything related to his mythology or godly responsibilities that would relate to that.

Interviews are one thing. Writers say a lot in interviews. It is what makes in in the comic itself. I do not recall Umar being worried about the Hulk or scared. Again, she was annoyed. Given how little Umar cares about other, that it was a single planet in her vast dimension, and other factors I don't see Hulk has being close to her in power.

Surfer's power is all over the place. One story he can fly through suns and black holes and the next a falling brick lays him low. He is worse than any other character in Marvel.

For fifty plus years the Hulk's power has been tied to his motivated he is primarily tied to his rage. He has never been able to "will" his strength to whatever level he wants like you are suggesting. It would take more than one story to suggest that he can. Even in this story it was not so much Hulk willing his strength to any level he wants as finally burning out his rage.