Hercules in Deities and Demigods

[mmadsen]

Re: regarding Herc

It was quite refreshing to have the hero actually be a nice, reasonably well-adjusted person after the whole slew of 80's angry, angst-ridden anti-heros. (KS even reffered to Herc as "Minnesota nice" once in an interview. I lived there for a year, and I agree!)

I have no problem with a "goody two shoes" hero, but why choose a character known for his murderous rage as the basis for your goody-goody hero? Why not choose Jason (of the Argonauts), or Perseus, or Theseus? Or even Odysseus?

 

[Triple H]

From what I have been able to surmise they used the epic level rules to get the base class. Then they use the "divine template". Basically according to divine rank. Like UK posted elsewhere on this thread. So a different template of every god rank? Perhaps. A class? Could be as well but I doubt it from the above stats given.

Also,I cant wait to see the requirments for becoming a god.

Proceeds to lift a mountain to imprees a god into elevating him

 

[mmadsen]

Am I the only one who thinks Hercules could be a fairly normal Barbarian 20 with high stats, a club, a bow, and a magic lion skin? Where are all these wacky powers coming from?

 

[Triple H]

Hmm, well it might be the class/template thing. Or maybe he turned 18 and his dad thought he deserved some cool stuff. Too bad Herc wanted a car. he got lion skin. What a jip

 

[Triple H]

Heres a thought: We know next to nothing about the book. Except two characters and the little hints that they have given us. Why dont we brainstorm in this thread or over AIM things we know. maybe then we can get the answers we want

 

[Darkness]

Am I the only one who thinks Hercules could be a fairly normal Barbarian 20 with high stats, a club, a bow, and a magic lion skin? Where are all these wacky powers coming from?

From becoming a god? Before he became one, he probably was just what you suggested...

 

[Sulimo]

Re: As an aside...

A bit off-topic, but there's a reason for that. After the Network screwed over Gerard Christopher to move from being Superboy to Superman, Sorbo had locked in the part as Kal-El on Lois & Clark. That went away the moment Dean Cain and Terry Hatcher evoked the Christopher Reeve/Margot Kidder chemistry and ramped it up to Moonlighting levels (Thus making a fantastic Moolighting 2, but a hideously awful Superman).

So really, Hercules (and Dylan Hunt, thank Goddess that Andromeda is back to normal.. It was getting grim, dark, dreary, realistic, and all the other things I hate and half the EN Members worship) is Kevin Sorbo playing Superman in another venue.

Hmm...I actually liked Sorbo as Hercules, even with the mangling of Myths. Definitely much preferable to Xena and her mangling of history. I couldnt stomach the Roman episodes at all, and gave up on the series once it reached India.

As for Lois & Clark, I quite liked it. At least the first season. It did go seriously downhill once Lois discovered Clark's secret.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Re: Re: regarding Herc

I have no problem with a "goody two shoes" hero, but why choose a character known for his murderous rage as the basis for your goody-goody hero? Why not choose Jason (of the Argonauts), or Perseus, or Theseus? Or even Odysseus?

Because Herc was the strongest. There is always a mystique to the big, strong guys - that's why in boxing the heavyweights get more attention than, say, welterweights, even though the lower weight classes usually have better fights.

This is an example of what I mentioned earlier - some characters touch upon something so universal that they survive down through the ages, and simply get updated by society itself as time marches along. Sorbo's Herc was certainly not the first depiction of the character as a straight-arrow do-gooder, especially in the last half-century. Herc has appeared in numerous cartoons (like the one mentioned earlier, which I remember from childhood), books, comics, and movies as the good guy, with nary a trace of rage about him. To a lesser extent, this is also true of Thor.

 

[mmadsen]

Re: Re: Re: regarding Herc

Because Herc was the strongest.

I almost brought this up in my earlier post, but decided against it:

If you're going to use a character known for two things: (a) terrible mood swings, and (b) great physical strength, how do you end up with a show about a goody-two-shoes hero who looks like a volleyball player?

So many Greek heroes could've fit that "generic good guy with athletic physique" role they created, but they decided on Hercules. I'm assuming it's simply because he's the best known Greek hero -- despite the fact that no one seems to really know anything about him.

 

[mmadsen]

From becoming a god? Before he became one, he probably was just what you suggested...

What makes you think a Greek god should have any of the immunities (or other powers) mentioned? Isn't it enough to have over 100 hit points and the ability to heal back from any injury (now that he's immortal)?