Hermes is a member of the Olympians, a group of humanoid beings that hail from the pocket dimension Olympus. He was worshipped by the Humans of Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. He was the Messenger of the Gods;[1] God of speed,[5] travelers,[1] travel,[6] commerce,[6][1] and thieves.[7]
History
Early Life[]
Hermes was the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia she gave birth to Hermes in secret.[1] She raised him, although due to his speed, she was unable to see that he sometimes left her side to steal the cattle of his half-brother Apollo. His brother forgave him and presented him with a Golden Lyre. On becoming an adult he was taken to Olympus and appointed Zeus' herald delivering messages between the Gods and mortals.[1]
Ancient History[]
Hermes had a son, Autolycus,[1] who became the God of Thieves.[8] The Eternal Makkari was often confused with Hermes (Rome name Mercury).[9]
Trojan War[]
Hermes passed messages between the warring Gods during the Trojan War.[10] Makkari was also present during the Trojan War,[9][11] where he was confused for Hermes.[11]
Roman Empire[]
In 146 BC, the Romans conquered Macedonia and then Greece. They even adopted Olympian Gods, changing many of their names in the process. Hermes became "Mercury".[12]
Age of Vikings[]
Hermes passed messages when the Olympians went to war with the Asgardians.[13]
20th Century[]
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Hermes circa 1949
In 1950, Mercury was ordered by Jupiter to assist Venus on two separate occasions. The first was when Venus and rocket scientist Randy Dover were trapped on the moon. Mercury used his strength and speed to hurtle their damaged rocket back to Earth.[17] Later, Mercury was ordered to bring Venus to the laboratory of scientist Michael Templar who was responsible for creating a device that was pulling the Earth into the sun, a situation Venus helped reverse.[5] In 1951, Mercury learned that Venus was prisoner of Sultan Khorok of Cassarobia. There Olympians couldn't use their powers, thanks to a spell cast on the area by Asgardian God Loki. However, Venus managed to escape to Olympus in planet Venus. There Mercury and Jupiter tried to persuade her not to return Cassarobia. Still she returned to her imprisonment because she didn't want to desert lovers with whom she has befriended in there. However, Loki was convinced to lift his spell and Venus managed to overthrow the sultan of Cassarobia.[18]
Modern Age[]
Hermes was sent on a mission by Zeus, just as Hercules was taken to the underworld.[19] He was a spectator when Hercules battled Thor over the magical pig of Dionysus.[20]
Fourth Host[]
With the arrival of the Fourth Host of the Celestials, Hermes confronted his mirror in the Eternals, Makkari, when Zeus and Zuras disagreed on how to address the Space Gods.[21] Hermes witnessed when Thor received energy from Zeus after he was killed by the Celestials.[22]
Battle with the Avengers[]
Hermes teamed up on a mission with Dionysus and Artemis to capture the Avengers. Using his speed he took out Captain America and the Black Knight with ease. He also caught Captain Marvel after she was taken out by Artemis.[23] As the Olympians battled the Avengers, Hermes teamed up with Hera and Prometheus to stop the fighting. They took Herc to Prometheus to be healed but when he was revived he went insane and hit Hermes. When Herc snapped back to normal he confronted Zeus and convinced him and the other Olympians to stop fighting and retreat from Earth.[24]
Other Missions[]
Aphrodite sent Hermes on a mission to find her son, Eros.[25] Hermes was to be sent to Asgard after Hades and Ares' accusation that Thor, the Thunder God had attacked them.[26] Zeus however decided to travel to Asgard himself.[26] Hermes and the other Gods attacked Thor after they were attacked by the Dark Gods, believing them to be Asgardians as well, but the truth was revealed and he was allowed to leave.[27]
Olympus Group[]
Hermes and the other Olympians settled on Earth forming the company the Olympus Group. During his time there, Hermes brought word to Zeus that Hercules was performing a new Twelve Labors, but interrupted the sky-father in an intimate moment with an employee.[28] Hermes attended a board meeting for the Olympus Group as Zeus confronted Hera for manipulating Herc. They board voted against interfering with the labors.[29]
Battle against Mikaboshi[]
Hermes visited Ares when he was living on Earth. He took the form of a skateboarding teenager and harassed him at his job on a construction site. He stopped long enough to ask him to return to Olympus and help battle Amatsu-Mikaboshi. Ares declined as he did not want to leave his son and his mortal life.[30] Eventually Ares joined the fight to save his son, Hermes met with Inari the messenger of the Amatsu-Kami to find ways to trick people into fighting Mikaboshi. Inari came to Olympus and offered help, but Ares refused. When he asked for water, Ares gave it to him. Inari then presented the water to the Amatsu-Kami as a gift from Olympus, and they agreed to join the fight.[31] He also witnessed Alexander, son of Ares, awarded godly status by the Council of Godheads.[32]
Hermes running to Hercules
Chasing Hercules[]
When Hercules became mortal he stole various weapons from the armory of Ares. Zeus sent Hermes to find Herc. He went to Dionysus and learned that Herc had been getting drunk at his bar. He then visited Hebe the ex-wife of Herc who tried to remind his that he saved them from the Chaos King. She revealed that he was in Brooklyn and found him at Sunset Park fighting Mr Negative and his Inner Demons. He helped Herc by knocking out the gunmen and freeing the hostages. He later returned dressed as a jogger and told Herc that he would report back that he could not find the thief and accepted that Herc would use the weapons to help mankind.[7]
When the Serpent was awoken, Hermes came to Herc to tell him the Olympians would remain neutral in the situation. He reminded him that he was no longer a God, but made the offer for him to return but he declined. Hermes promised he would return one day to help safely guide his soul to Hades.[33]
Dark Olympians[]
Following the massacre of the Olympians by the hand of the vengeful Goddess Nyx,[34] Hermes resurfaced as part of the reborn pantheon. However, the Olympians were revived as savage warmongers who razed planets and took tribute in blood and treasure, regularly rotating in and out of reality aboard the floating city of New Olympus.[4] The Guardians of the Galaxy clashed with the Olympians when they intercepted New Olympus in an attempt to stop the Gods' rampage.[4] They succeeded, but Star-Lord was stranded in the other side of reality alongside the Olympians.[35]
During their encounter, Star-Lord had become entangled with the Olympians and their power was locked away in himself and his Element Gun. Star-Lord lived unaging in the otherdimensional world of Morinus for over a hundred years until enough uses of the Element Gun freed enough of the Olympians' power to enable their return. Star-Lord lured the Olympians away from Morinus, using the Gateway to return to his home dimension.[36] The Olympians pursued him to reclaim their full power,[37] and confronted him and the Guardians of the Galaxy on Daedalus 5.[38] During their final battle, Hermes telepathically attacked Moondragon. With the help of Phyla-Vell's encouragement, Moondragon managed to summon the Dragon of the Moon, causing Hermes to flinch, which gave Moondragon the chance to transport Hermes inside the mind of her teammate Groot. Since Hermes was the God of Language but Groot's mind had evolved beyond it, he found himself unable to break its boundaries and remained trapped within it.[39]
Later, Hermes (or a fragment thereof) was among several gods across many pantheons used by the Arakkii Mutant Ora Serrata to fabricate Tumult, the Trickster Chimaera.[40]Attributes
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Powers
Olympian Physiology: Hermes possesses the conventional superhuman physical attributes of an Olympian.[1] However, some of his powers surpasses that of vast majority of his race such as his speed, stamina, durability, and strength.
- Godlike Speed: Hermes' primary power is his godlike speed.[41] As the Olympian God of Speed,[5] Hermes truly holds the potential of limitless speed, making him one of the fastest beings in the Marvel Universe.[5] He can also run and fly at speeds far exceeding those of any Olympian god or goddess,[1] making him the fastest of all the Olympian Gods.[41][42] Though the exact limits of Hermes' speed is unknown,[1] he can run at speeds of Mach 2 to Mach 4.6 (0.22-1.0 miles per second).[43]
- Superhuman Strength: Like all Olympians, Hermes is superhumanly strong.[41] Originally, his strength was equal with that of the average Olympian male, making him able to lift about 30 tons.[41] However, Hermes' current strength increased to being able to lift about 50 tons.[42]
- Flight Speed: Hermes is capable of flying at tremendous speed.[1] He is able to attain speeds that are just slightly under the speed of light (80% - 99.65% light speed),[43] which is 150,000 to 185,620 miles per second.[43] He is even capable of reaching warp speed as he can travel back and forth between the dimensional realms of Earth and Olympus.[44]
- Godlike Stamina: Hermes' highly advanced musculature produces no fatigue toxins, enabling him to sustain almost indefinitely.[43]
- Superhumanly Dense Tissue: Like all Olympians, Hermes' skin, muscles, and bones are about three times denser than similar human tissues.[45] This density contributes to his superhuman strength and weight.[11]
- Superhuman Durability: Hermes' body is highly resistant to physical injury than the body of a human. Hermes is capable of withstanding great impact forces, extreme temperatures and pressures, virtually all toxins, corrosives, punctures, and concussions without sustaining injury.[43] He can also withstand powerful energy blasts without any noticeable signs of injury. The tissues of his body are also specially adapted to withstand the tremendous friction and debilitating effects of moving at extreme velocities.[16]
- Superhuman Agility: Hermes' agility, balance, dexterity, and bodily coordination are in levels beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete.[43] His agility is heightened sufficiently to allow him to effectively coordinate himself while moving or flying at extreme velocities.[16]
- Superhuman Reflexes: Hermes' reflexes are in levels beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete.[43] His tremendous reflexes allow him to effectively coordinate himself while moving or flying at extreme velocities.[16]
- Regenerative Healing Factor: If injured, Hermes' godly metabolism enables his body to recover with superhuman levels of speed and efficiency. He is capable of healing large amounts of damaged or destroyed tissue in a matter of hours. He is not capable, however, of regenerating missing limbs or organs. The extent and speed of his healing powers are greater than those of the majority of his race.
- Disease Immunity: Hermes is immune to all known Earthly terrestrial diseases.[45]
- Immortality: Like all Olympians, Hermes is functionally immortal and cannot die by conventional means.Only stronger beings who can overpower him can kill him. He is immune to the effects of aging and has not aged since reaching adulthood.[45] Despite his true immortality, it was revealed that he and other Olympians have to consume Olympian Ambrosia (the nectar of the Gods) to remain virile and deathless.[46]
- Allspeak: Due to the Allspeak (also called All-Tongue), Hermes can communicate in all of the Earth's languages and dialects, languages, and in various alien languages.
- Tactile Telepathy: As the God of Boundaries, Hermes is capable of breaching into people's minds by crossing the boundaries of their being.[4]
- Power Distribution: Hermes can grant other beings a portion of his speed.[42]
- Invisibility: Like most others Olympians Hermes can turn himself invisible.[42]
- Shapeshifting: Hermes can alter his appearance.[42]
Abilities
- Gifted Intellect: Hermes is a wily and crafty deity. He is a gifted inventor, credited with creating a lyre from a sheep's gut and a tortoise shell.
- Master Combatant: Hermes is an extraordinary formidable hand-to-hand combatant,[43] particularly while using his speed in combat situations.[47] He mastered several forms of unarmed combat, particularly wrestling.[43][42] Hermes was able to rival his skill with powerful foes like Makkari in speed combat.[47]
- Medicine: As the god of scribes and medicine Hermes possesses great of medicine and pharmacology.[42]
- Thievery: Hermes is a skilled thief.[42]
Weaknesses
Ambrosia Consumption: like all other Olympians, he needs to consume the Olympian ambrosia to remain deathless and virtue otherwise he will grow old or die by turning to dust.[46]
Death by Unnatural Causes: While he can't die of old age, Hermes can die of unnatural causes including being grievously injured like being stabbed in the chest.[3]Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Talaria were winged sandals worn by Hermes. They were made by Hephaestus and allows the wearer the power of flight and super speed.[43]
Weapons
Transportation
See Also
- 48 appearance(s) of Hermes Diaktoros (Earth-616)
- 6 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Hermes Diaktoros (Earth-616)
- 12 mention(s) of Hermes Diaktoros (Earth-616)
- 8 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Hermes Diaktoros (Earth-616)
- 1 invocation(s) of Hermes Diaktoros (Earth-616)
- 19 image(s) of Hermes Diaktoros (Earth-616)
- 2 item(s) used/owned by Hermes Diaktoros (Earth-616)
Links and References
- Hermes Diaktoros on Marvel.com
- Hermes Diaktoros on Wikipedia.org
- Hermes at the Appendix to the Marvel Universe
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1 ; Hermes' entry
- ↑ Comedy Comics #12
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Avengers No Road Home #2
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 6) #1
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Venus #11
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Marvel Encyclopedia #1 ; 2009 edition; Gods of Olympus's entry
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Herc #6.1
- ↑ X-Men: No More Humans #1
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Marvel Mystery Handbook 70th Anniversary Special #1
- ↑ Thor Annual #8
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #8
- ↑ Thor Annual #5
- ↑ Venus #1
- ↑ Venus #5
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 Venus #7
- ↑ Venus #10
- ↑ Venus #12
- ↑ Thor #129
- ↑ Thor: Blood Oath #3–4
- ↑ Thor #291–293
- ↑ Thor #301
- ↑ Avengers #281–282
- ↑ Avengers #284–285
- ↑ Sensational She-Hulk #36
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Mighty Thor #465
- ↑ Thor (Vol. 2) #7
- ↑ Hercules (Vol. 3) #2
- ↑ Hercules (Vol. 3) #4
- ↑ Ares #1
- ↑ Ares #4
- ↑ Ares #5
- ↑ Herc #5
- ↑ Avengers No Road Home #1
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 6) #2
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 6) #9
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 6) #10
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 6) #11
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 6) #12
- ↑ Legion of X #4
- ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #9
- ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 42.4 42.5 42.6 42.7 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #14
- ↑ 43.00 43.01 43.02 43.03 43.04 43.05 43.06 43.07 43.08 43.09 43.10 43.11 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #22
- ↑ Herc # 5
- ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1 ; The Olympians' entry
- ↑ 46.0 46.1 Heroic Age: Prince of Power #1
- ↑ 47.0 47.1 Thor #291
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #14
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 14