Ancient Olympic Games - This idea is based on Hercules's guest appearance in Avengers Academy Vol 1 #29.
Sun Health Community Beach - This idea is based on the opening scene of Incredible Hercules Vol 1 #129 and the appearance of the Sun Healthy Community Beach in Hercules: Fall of an Avenger Vol 1 #1.
In Avengers Academy Vol 1 #29, Hercules is shown as a guest instructor giving a lesson in Ancient History. He does this by recreating the events of his participation in the Ancient Olympic Games while completely nude. https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Avengers_Academy_Vol_1_29
His reason for this is because it is how he competed in it.
While he is doing this, he asks Mettle and Strikers to help demonstrate how he won one of the events during the games.
This makes them nervous.
Before he can continue his lesson much further, he is interrupted by Tigra who is shocked, appalled, and disgusted by the sight of his nude body. He offers her an opportunity to help with the demonstration in spite of the fact that women did not participate or compete at all in the games. She becomes angry at him and insists that he cover himself up with his pants immediately. He refuses to do so and states that he no longer wears pants as he found them "too confining". She responds back to him asking him if he noticed that in the past several hundred years that nudity became a no-no. He then states that such a span of time is an eye-blink to the gods and that he is there to teach history as one who participated.
Their conversation is interrupted by Reptil who tries to inform them that the Avengers are arriving at the academy inside a ship.
In Incredible Hercules Vol 1 #129, Hercules and Amadeus are shown bathing in the waters of the Jersey Shore. Amadeus asks Athena why he and Hercules are doing this and she tells him that they have no time for the sanctifying rituals of the Eleusinian Mysteries and that the toxins of the Jersey Shore are the strongest potions she can find to burn away his and Hercules's sins before entering the afterlife. This excites Hercules. He and Amadeus are exiting the shore and drying off with towels given to them by Athena. He tells the story of his experience at the Eleusinian Mysteries. Athena cuts him off in annoyance and tells Amadeus not to listen to what he is saying. She then orders them to hurry up and get dressed as they only have a day's rental on the suits that were bought for them.
Athena stands behind them listening to their conversation waiting for them to emerge from the stalls dressed and ready to complete their mission.
While they are getting dressed behind individual stalls, Amadeus asks Hercules if the Eleusinian Mysteries were really "sanctifying". He then states that he didn't "make" the rules and that he just "enjoyed them".
Hercules: Fall of an Avenger Vol 1 #1, Venus and Namora are shown entering a beach called Sun Health Community. The sign for it has Hercules smiling on the front with the words "NO CLOTHING PAST THIS POINT". They soon realized that it is a nude beach that Hercules had owned during his lifetime. Namora states that she and Namora need to go talk to the people there about Hercules's death but she is reluctant. Venus cuts her off and strips off her clothes saying that she will be right back. While she is walking towards the beach, Namora says to herself that she will just wait right there for Venus while she goes gives the people on the beach the bad news.
Ten minutes later, Venus returns from the beach and puts her clothes back on. Namora asks her if the people on the beach believed her about Hercules's death and she says "Of course" as nobody ever thinks that she's lying about what she's saying to them. Namora then states that even for her, it's still hard to believe that they're traveling the world telling people about Hercules's death and that it's actually happening.
So, what do y'all think of these ideas for comic book stories focused on Hercules that could've been released by Marvel Comics? I think that these would've made excellent stories for Hercules. Over the years during his appearances in Marvel Comics, he has been known as the God of Strength.
My first idea would have Hercules actually participating and competing in the Ancient Olympic Games while completely nude since it was the tradition at that time. The events taking place in it would include racing, long jumping, swimming, wrestling, javelin throwing, discus throwing,
My second idea would have him actually using money on opening up a beach called the Sun Health Community Beach. Since he believes that the human body is a beautiful thing, he would make it a nude beach. The people visiting it would be able to partake in activities such as swimming, sunbathing, wrestling, and volleyball all without the hindrance of clothing.
So, what do y'all think? Would these have been great ideas for comic book stories focused on Hercules that could've been released by Marvel Comics? And if so, would the sales for them have been high or low? Would the reception/reviews for them have been positive or negative? Would they have portrayed Hercules in a good or bad light?
Please feel free to express your thoughts, feelings, or opinions in the comment section below for this post.
