By Marc Strom
When someone told Hercules to "make love not war," evidently he didn't see the two as mutually exclusive.
"Love and War," the new story arc beginning September 17 in the pages of INCREDIBLE HERCULES #121, sets off a massive melee between the Amazons and Atlanteans with our titular hero and his faithful sidekick Amadeus Cho in the middle of it all.
Series co-writer Fred Van Lente says the Greek god's tricky position should come as no surprise.
"Herc is what scientists call a 'man-slut,'" he points out. "He's romanced both the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta, and Namora, princess of Atlantis. So Herc and Cho are off with the Atlanteans visiting Namora when the Amazons decide to strike—but these aren't the Amazons you're used to seeing in super hero comics. They're warlike, ruthless, and armed to the teeth with modern weaponry—very much the Amazons of myth."
"It was all too perfect," continues Greg Pak, the other half of Herc's writing duo, on how the story came together. "Herc's mythological past was entwined with Amazons. In recent comic book continuity, he'd been involved with Atlanteans. And then we dug up the myths of the Amazon/Atlantean war of legend. Complete with Gorgons and Atlas references! And Namora was a member of the Agents of Atlas! Crazy! How could we resist?"
Even though comic book fans have some exposure to the Amazons, Van Lente promises that the warrior women in INCREDIBLE HERCULES will differ quite a bit from the Distinguished Competition's:
"At the same time [as we were writing this arc], and entirely by coincidence, I was working on researching the history of comics for my comic book history of comics, called, shockingly enough, '
Comic Book Comics.' I was fascinated by Dr. William Moulton Marston, creator of comics' most famous Amazon, and how radically his ideas deviated from those in the Greek myths.
"So I was inspired to bring our Amazons a little closer to the mythological model...and indulge in a little satire along the way..."
Add to the equation Amadeus' new Amazonian girlfriend, and surely some tension will arise between the seventh smartest person on the planet and his godly companion, right?
"Yes," confirms Van Lente. "Although it might be worth noting that tensions first crop up when Herc and Namora ditch Amadeus to explore the intricacies of the 'Atlantean Crab Hold…'"
Pak chimes in: "Don't ask."
The relationship between Amadeus and Hercules has formed much of the spine of INCREDIBLE HERCULES, with Van Lente noting that "it's one of—if not the—main throughlines of the series."
"Sacred Invasion," the series' most recent story-arc, brought out the similarities in Hercules' mind between Amadeus and Hylas, the Greek Goliath's sidekick during Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece. But Herc's writers see Amadeus as a different breed of traveling companion:
"Unlike Hylas or Iolaus, Amadeus is probably the only one who can hold his own right now," Van Lente insists. "Amadeus has gobs of ability. What he lacks is maturity, and that's what he's learning from—if only by way of negative example—Hercules."
"Amadeus is also about 15 times cockier than any other sidekick Herc's ever had," Pak tags on. "In fact, Amadeus is one of the very few people on the planet with an ego—and a mouth—as big as the Lion of Olympus'."
With Herc and Amadeus' bond strengthened by the conclusion of "Sacred Invasion," it seems as though little could come between the two. Pak, however, remains slightly dubious.
"These guys have quickly become the greatest friends either of them has ever had," the writer remarks. "But Reed Richards and Doom were best friends once, weren't they? Not that I'm saying anything, but ya know, just saying..."
The climactic battle between the God Squad and the Skrull deities also set up a number of other plotlines, with the Japanese trickster god Mikaboshi asserting his control of the deities' forces and hinted that Athena, Herc's sister, has a few machinations of her own in the works.
With so much going on, Van Lente says that fans should expect the series' larger story to build even more as "Love and War" rolls along.
"As we move along here through these next few issues and arcs, the various pieces that are the gigantic uber-arc of INCREDIBLE HERCULES will begin to fall into place—you've just mentioned two of the bigger pieces, but there are more to fall, and at least one more happens in 'Love and War,'" the wordsmith teases.
And now with Amadeus' pup, Kirby, revealed as a Skrull infiltrator, Pak remains tight-lipped on whether or not we'll ever see the real deal again:
"We're working on a little story. Buy everything that Fred and I write and you'll be set."
Until then, though, Hercules' fans should have plenty to keep them entertained.
"Romance! Action! Magic! Explosions! Comedy! Ares! The Sub-Mariner!" Van Lente teases on what the coming months have in store. "And the introduction of the main INCREDIBLE HERCULES villain! Bum-bum-bummmm..."
"And Love! And War!" echoes Pak. "And obscure real-world history about the founding of Washington, D.C.! And
gorgeous,
gorgeous art by Clayton Henry and Salva Espin!"
"Love and War" kicks off in INCREDIBLE HERCULES #121 on September 17. Until then, enjoy more Hercules with Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited!
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