History
Origin
Arimathes was the 24th century son of Hercules and a Layana Sweetwater. Hercules and Layana met at Port Anteris and had a brief but loving affair with her. He apparently left Layana without knowing she was pregnant and this not only infuriated her, as it would any woman, it changed her from a sweet and caring person into a hateful and vengeful person.[1]
Emperor
Layana was aware that Arimathes' divine heritage would grant him abilities far greater than any normal man or alien race in the known galaxy, so she raised him to be an Emperor. Arimathes was backed and supported by his mother's obsessive thirst for power and revenge and his own superhuman abilities, helping him to quickly rise up the chain of command. By the time he was in his late 20's he had already built a vast empire which he ruled with fear and an iron fist.
At some time in Arimathes' thirties Hercules happened upon his throne-world and was recognized immediately by his former love Layana. Over the years Layana had poisoned Arimathes' mind with untruths about his father, so that Arimathes loathed Hercules' very existence. Arimathes sent out a squadron of his best warriors to test Hercules mettle and they were, of course, bested with ease. Upon learning that his son was emperor and that he was loathed by him, Hercules was distraught. The fact that his son hated him was bad enough, but the fact that he had also become an egomaniacal emperor who ruled like a tyrant was more than Hercules could bare. Hercules decided that the only way to reach his son and have any chance of a possible reconciliation was to humble him in battle.[citation needed]
Challenge
Hercules issued a public challenge to his son, a one on one hand to hand battle that was to take place on a desolate planet. Arimathes gladly and arrogantly accepted. Hercules realized that beating his son would be no easy task, but he needed not only to best him, but to humble him. So, once on the barren planet Hercules donned a blindfold and told Arimathes he could and would defeat him without the use of his sight. Arimathes was enraged, believing that no one could match his might in a fair fight, much less one in which his opponent had a handicap.
Hercules insisted and the battle ensued. Hercules first punch sent Arimathes flying into a mountain-side. Arimathes, uninjured talked constantly, bragging of his abilities and his invincibility. As he bragged, Hercules unerringly launched a massive boulder directly at his son. Arimathes quickly rose to his feet and obliterated the boulder before it could make impact. With blinding speed Arimathes picked up and hurled an enormous boulder of his own which landed directly on top of the blindfolded Hercules. Arimathes, thinking the battle over, decreed that anyone who stood against him would be destroyed just as his father had been. In mid boast the very ground beneath Arimathes feet erupted knocking him off of his feet. Hercules goaded Arimathes telling him he had never faced so pitiful an opponent. Arimathes, infuriated by Hercules' remarks rose to his feet and struck his father with all his strength.
Hercules stood unfazed and the two stood toe to toe trading punches. Arimathes continued to brag just as Hercules continued to goad his young son. Hercules was lifted in the air by Arimathes, and then brutally slammed to the ground. Apparently defeated, Hercules lie on the ground and Arimathes, still bragging, raised another boulder above his head with which to finish off his father. Before Arimathes could deliver his possible killing blow, Hercules rose and landed a vicious haymaker directly to Arimathes head. Launched in the air by the blow, Hercules had defeated his son blindfolded.[citation needed]
Reconciliation
Hercules, fearing the worst, sought out his sons body. When he came to Arimathes who was just awakening from unconsciousness he explained to his son how his arrogance and "wagging tongue" had been his downfall. He told him that if he had not been so headstrong and egotistical he could have defeated his father with ease. Arimathes realized that if his father had risked his life simply to teach him humility that perhaps all the derogatory things his mother had told him were not true. Arimathes in a show of his learned humbleness and his newfound trust in his father asked Hercules to teach him what he was lacking.[citation needed]
Hercules and his son forgave one another and, under the tutelage of his father, Arimathes eventually grew to become a worthy and honorable Emperor. Arimathes would go on to face a threat against his empire many years later in the form of the Secession Alliance, secretly supported by his mother, while his father also dealt with the death of Galactus and took his place.[2]