Hera (Marvel)
Hera is a female comic deity character who features in Marvel Comics.
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Biography
Origin
Hera Argeia
Long ago, she was one of the many gods that were to be eaten by Cronus after he heard a prophecy that spoke of one of his children overthrowing him. Unknown to him, the child Zeus was hidden by his mother Rhea where he reached adulthood and freed the gods. He then proceeded to lead the gods against the Titans in a mighty war that was known as the Titanomachy. (Incredible Hercules v1 #130)
At some point, she was pregnant with the god Hephaestus and gave birth to him but despised his appearance. Within minutes, she cast her infant son from Olympus into the ocean where unknown to her he was saved by the sea-nymph Thetis. She came to raise him and he learnt the art of craftmanship where he made many things in her underwater grotto. Eventually, Hera came to notice these exquisitely crafted items and regretted discarding Hephaestus and offered him a place once more among the gods. In addition, he offered the goddess Aphrodite to be his wife as an effort to make amends with him. (Incredible Hercules v1 #140)
Prophesying that the gods would one day be attacked by monsters that could only be slain by a mortal bearing the lion's sign, Athena arranged for Zeus to father Hercules, a savior for the world of gods and men from monsters and fearsome giants when they would rise in revolt against Heaven. Hera became incensed when Zeus chose a mortal to birth his personal champion, rather than her. (Incredible Hercules v1 #130)
Athena led Hera along that Earthly path to find the young infant Alcaeus. Not knowing the infant's identity, Hera accepted Athena's suggestion to suckle the infant. Hera did so until the infant bit down onto her bosom with inhuman power, at which point she hurled him away from her; her divine breast milk allegedly granted the infant virtual invulnerability and also led the boy to be renamed Heracles ("The Glory of Hera"). (Incredible Hercules v1 #126)
Hera and Athena watched Hercules help Thebes defeat Minyan armies. Hera wasn't pleased that the humans defied their gods by taking temple offerings to fight the Minyans. She promised that Hercules would never become champion of Olympus and that Ares would slay him. (Incredible Hercules v1 #126)
Zeus romanced Semele, who fell in love with him. The jealous Hera tricked Semele into asking Zeus who had sworn to grant her any wish to reveal himself to her in all his glory. Feeling honor bound to comply, Zeus did so, and Semele was consumed by his energies. (Incredible Hercules v1 #130)
After Hercules had passed out from a night of heavy drinking, Hera took control of his mind, forcing him to slay his wife, Magara, and their children. (Hercules v3 #5)
Olympus Group
After a battle with Pluto, Hera met with the other gods of Olympus as they discussed how distasteful Ares' brutality was to them. (Ares v1 #1) Hera witnessed Ares' return to Olympus after his son Alex Aaron had been stolen by Mikaboshi, the Japanese demon who had come to invade Olympus. Ares was infuriated that his family had taken Alex to Olympus just to provoke him to come to their aid, and blamed Hera for the decision, although she apologized to him. (Ares v1 #2) She then fought for Olympus as it was invaded by Japanese demons led by Mikaboshi, and looked to Ares for strategy on the battlefield. (Ares v1 #3) Hera stood at Zeus' side as Asklepios helped heal him of injuries incurred battling Mikaboshi. (Ares v1 #4) Later, she joined the Olympians in their last battle against Mikaboshi's forces. During the battle, she saw a centipede-like creature come at Hercules from behind, but did not warn him, being ever spiteful. Aided by benevolent gods of the east, the Olympians prevailed, but they could find no trace of Zeus in the aftermath. (Ares v1 #5) In the aftermath, Hera financed Pythagoras Dupree in his agenda to kill all possible candidates Athena could use to find him and to create Continuum for her. (Incredible Hercules v1 #137) By Hera's order Neptune was attacked by Hippolyta during meditation in Melanesia. She and her warriors easily defeated Neptune, who had been weakened since he had to stay on Earth after Olympus' destruction. The Amazons brought Neptune to their stolen Atlantean base and Hippolyta forced him sign over his shares in the Olympus Group to Hera and Pluto. (Incredible Hercules v1 #123) Hera then sent Hippolyta to recruit Ares for her cause, but Ares had no interest. (Incredible Hercules v1 #121) Hera called in a meeting of the Olympus Group after Zeus' death without Neptune, Ares and Athena. Though Apollo didn't want to start the meeting with so many gods missing, Hera insisted that they start the meeting, after hitting Apollo with a lightning bolt. She revealed that Neptune had signed over his shares of the company to her and Pluto and that they would now create a new Olympus for true Olympians with their main goal being the death of the half-breeds Athena and Hercules. (Incredible Hercules v1 #123) Hera reformed the board of the Olympus Group with Huntsman, Delphyne, Pluto and her taking Typhon as her lover who also operated as her bodyguard. (Assault on New Olympus Prologue v1 #1)
She was present as the Hulk sought to challenge her husband with her admonishing the Green Goliath for daring to fight Father Zeus. The lord of Olympus then decided to give the challenger his wish leading to the two fighting a brutal battle. Zeus came to seriously injure the Hulk with Hera believing this to be the end for the mortal but she came to learn that he was actually fighting for a safe place for his fellow gamma mutations. Father Zeus though had him strung up and fed upon by giant vultures though Hercules alongside the Hulk's friends sought to free him. Hera believed that Zeus should consider finding champions that would show the price of disobedience but the Olympian King decided that he had demonstrated his power already and that no further action needed to be taken against the mortals. (Incredible Hulks v1 #622)
Dark Olympians
Overview
Personality and attributes
The god Hephaestus was noted for being one of her children. It was said that Mother Hera had despised his appearance and that minutes from his birth she had cast him from Mount Olympus. Hera only came to regret her decision upon seeing the craftmanship of her son who was rescued by the sea-nymph Thetis who raised him and gave him a workshop in her underwater grotto. (Incredible Hercules v1 #140)
Powers and abilities
She could use her powers to read into the minds of others and learn their true intentions. (Incredible Hulks v1 #622)
Notes
- Hera was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby where she made her first appearance in Thor v1 #129 (June, 1966).
- The character was based on Hera from Greek Myth.
Appearances
- Thor v1: (1966)
- Incredible Hercules v1:
- Incredible Hulks v1:
- Guardians of the Galaxy v6:
External Links
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