While Thor: Love and Thunder was not their best notch on the belt, Marvel still managed to pull off a decent movie and introduced some fascinating characters into the mix.
One of the most captivating scenes from the movie is when we are taken to the God world, where pretty much every single God and Pantheon is present. There we see Zeus governing the summit. Thus, the Greek Mythos is introduced, and with it, a whole range of characters to play with.
In this particular scene, Thor does not end things well with Zeus, leading to Hercules’s eventual cameo during the end credits. Now, if you don’t know who Hercules is, he is the son of Zeus and is known for his incredible strength and valor.
While greek mythology describes him as an honorable warrior, in the comics, he is closer to what you would expect from a Greek God. Full of himself and thinking of himself above everyone else. The end credits scene insinuates that we will see Hercules again, and the chances of a potential face-off with our God of Thunder are bound to happen at some point in the future.
These two gods have gone up against each other several times in the comics, and each has won their fair share of fights. Eventually, they both become a part of the Avengers, and one can only imagine they have squashed their beef.
Now that both these characters exist in the MCU, it begs the question of who would win. The Hammer Weilding Thunder God or the Lion of Olympus. Let’s break it down and find out!
Contents:
#5 Fighters Introduction
Thor Odinson’s Origin
Derived from characters of Norse Mythology, Thor Odinson is the God of Thunder and the future King of Asgard. In the comic universe, Thor appeared to early Vikings, and they worshiped him as the bringer of Thunder. These visits to Earth became more frequent to the point where his existence was made public, and he eventually joined the Avengers. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it was hard not to like their interpretation of this powerful Norse God.
Appearing first in the Journey into Mystery comics of the 1960s, this hero quickly became a favorite and one of the original members of the Avengers. Thor needs no particular introduction, especially making his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Thor was first introduced as a God that believed himself to be above his people and liked his status. However, his time on Earth changed his demeanor and showed him what it meant to be a true leader. Thor has saved Earth numerous times from gigantic threats and is considered one of the strongest members of the Avengers.
Hercules’s Origin
Hercules is the Son of Zeus and a mortal woman, making him a Demi-god with strength that would put Gods to shame. Since Hercules was born to a mortal woman with whom Zeus cheated on Hera, Hercules gained his family’s wrath. Hercules was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, as well as Charles Nicholson. By doing so, they opened a whole new world of Gods into their universe.
One of Hercules’s most famous conquests is the “Twelve Labors.”
From slaying the Hydra serpent, and taming the Nemean bull, all the way to bringing back the head of Cerberus from Hades. Hercules has done it all. He is almost the perfect specimen, except for his rage and over-flowing love for alcohol. This has both got him in trouble many times.
That being said, Hercules has largely been a force for good and has been a valued member of the Avengers several times. He often likes to challenge the strongest heroes just for fun. I think that many of these heroes can vouch that this Demi-god lives up to his name.
#4 Powers
To say that these two are powerhouses would be an understatement. Let us take a look at what they have hiding in their sleeve.
Thor Powers & Abilities
We’ll start with the most obvious, the power to bring the Thunder.
Literally!!!
Armed with Mjonlir, a mystical weapon that only Thor (Or someone worthy) can wield, Thor can channel his ability to call out lightning and direct it where he wants. It has been specified that Thor has control over lightning even without the hammer, but it does help him focus it better.
Another perk of this hammer is the fact that it enables Thor to fly. Spinning the hammer and throwing it does the trick. Oh, and like a little puppy, Mjölnir comes running every time he calls him. How cute is that? Thunder is not the only thing that the hammer helps Thor control. He is also known to be an effective weather manipulator.
Let’s not forget one of the most important powers of Thor. Brute, superhuman strength. Thor is known to go up against Hulk and Thanos on various occasions and has managed to go toe to toe with them. One of the most impressive feats of this strength is when he lifts the Midgard Serpent in Thor #327 (1983). The Serpent is said to weigh almost as much as the Earth. Imagine being able to bicep curl the Earth. Sheesh.
Hercules Powers & Abilities
Being the son of Zeus has its perks. One of them? A God’s physiology. This gives Hercules near God-like strength. This strength is his principal power as well. However, unlike Thor, the Lion of Olympia does not need a hammer to direct this strength. His massive fists seem to do the trick.
Hercules is the Olympian God of raw strength, making it impossible to know the upper limits of his strength. However, it is not infinite, as he was considerably weaker than the Chaos King. For the most part, Hercules’ strength is arguably evenly matched with Thor’s. Hercules takes the weight of the entire Earth from Atlas and carries the weight of the world on his shoulder.
Besides his strength, he is also a skilled warrior equipped with superhuman speed, reflexes, and stamina, to name a few. Oh, did we mention that both of these Gods are immortal?
#3 IQ Level/Experience
Technique and experience play a significant role in any fight. You don’t just go in their hammers blazing and fists swinging. Let’s see how smart these God cookies are.
Thor’s IQ & Battle Experience
Thor is not the smartest in the room compared to some of his Avenger peers. However, his exposure to advanced Asgardian technology and knowledge has given him a more in-depth understanding of how the universe functions and, thereby, his place in it.
All this studying would have improved Thor’s capacity to think critically and make smart, quick decisions on the battlefield. The access to this knowledge also means that Thor has access to the battles waged by his ancestors and has the opportunity to learn from their victories and failures.
An important thing to touch upon is how long these gods have been around, and Thor has been the God of Thunder for close to 2000 years. All these years of battles would have given Thor immense experience and a well of knowledge to draw from. At this point, he should have faced every kind of warrior and should be able to adapt to anything new rapidly.
Though initially a very brash warrior, Thor becomes known for his prowess in the art of battle and is a revered strategist.
Hercules’ IQ & Battle Experience
It may not seem like it at first glance, but Hercules is an intelligent fighter who does not only rely on his brute force. The Twelve labor required much strategizing, and he was able to complete all of them. Hercules has faced a myriad of opponents and has mostly beaten them out.
Hercules has been around since Ancient Greece and has been fighting the forces of evil ever since. The hundreds of years of fighting all kinds of threats would make Hercules a well-calculated warrior. Thor has lived longer than this Demi-God, but one argument to make here is that Hercules might be more well-versed in hand-to-hand combat than Thor.
The only problem he truly faces is his anger and his lack of control over it. It has often been the case that when Hercules hears something he dislikes, he loses control over himself and attacks when that is most unfavorable. So, if Thor finds a way to instigate Hercules, then he might have an edge.
#2 Support
You’re only as strong as the people in your time. Funnily enough, Thor and Hercules are excellent friends and would run to each other if one called out. Let’s see who would come if that wasn’t the case.
Who Can Thor Lean On?
Thor is one of the original members of the Avengers. If trouble came knocking on Thor’s door, the number of people he could call would be endless. The first is Captain America. Thor has stated how he finds Steve Rogers to be an honorable man and that he would follow him anywhere. The Captain shares that sentiment and would be the first to come. Having a tactical war genius on your side is incredibly helpful.
The second person to come running would be Tony Stark. Tony does not believe in God and has even knocked down Thor several times. However, the two have a good relationship. If Thor needed it, we’re pretty certain that Tony would create a suit for Thor.
Imagine how powerful he would be with that. A suit that he could power with his lightning. Thor would be unstoppable. Tony Stark showing up in his Iron Man suit would be helpful too.
As we said, the list would be too long. Thor would have the might of the entire Avengers to back him up. As a bad guy, you would rather not look up and see a bunch of heroes staring down at you like you’re lunch. Just ask Loki.
Who Helps Hercules?
Hercules is also a valued member of the Avengers, but probably not as close to the big guns as Thor. However, Hercules has his set of numbers on speed dial that he could call. For starters, many of the Greek Pantheon are friends of this Demi-God. Ares, the God of War, is one such friend. Having the God of War on your side cannot hurt one bit.
Hercules has been on many teams over the years – the Champions, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and even the Heroes for hire.
While Hercules has mostly done good, his inability to control his anger has gotten into spats with most of his teammates. At the end of the day, this does not make him the most liked guy in the universe.
Take the Maestro storyline. In this universe, we see a Hercules that uses his Godhood to establish authority over the people. It is not a good look and makes other heroes approach Hercules with a bit of caution. Whether we will get a different version of this Hercules is yet to be seen.
#1 Thor Odinson vs. Hercules, Which God Triumphs?
Now we come to the moment of truth, which of these powerful goods would prevail over the other if they were ever to battle, and who has won in their previous encounters?
Thor Vs. Hercules, Who Won In The Comics?
Thor and Hercules have gone up against each other numerous times. Sometimes for reasons as silly as Herc trying to steal Jane away from Thor. However, these petty squabbles gave us some incredible fights between the two.
Most of them ended in a draw or with one of their dads stopping the fight before it got worse. Good work, dads! However, their rivalry seemed to be never-ending, and this kept leading to battles between these two Gods.
There have been two definite instances where each of these Gods has one against the other.
In Thor #126 (1966), “Whom the Gods Would Destroy!” we find an enraged Thor attacking Hercules when the latter makes advances on Jane Foster, thus making Thor Jealous. Thor, however, loses in battle because the All-father has taken away half his power.
In another comic book, Avengers #349 (1992), “Death Wager,” We see Thor possessed by the God of War, Ares, so that he may take revenge on his brother. In this story, Thor brutally beats Herc. However, it can be argued that the knowledge Thor required to beat Herc came from Ares.
It appears that we have a tie between these two Gods.
Thor Vs. Hercules, Who Wins In A Fight?
This is a very hard one to answer. On paper, these two heroes are equally matched. They have the skill and power necessary to beat any being in the universe. If that isn’t enough, they have the right back up too.
In a one-on-one fight between the two, it is hard to tell. Thor would have the aerial advantage and the long-range lightning attacks to supplement his strength. However, Herc is nearly invulnerable, and very little in the universe could hurt him. Put side by side, Thor does seem to have the advantage here because of his long life.
Averagebeing’s Verdict
Drum roll, please.
We think that Thor would win in a battle between the two, provided that they are both at maximum power levels and equipped with their weapons. There are quite a few reasons why we believe this would be the battle’s outcome.
For starters, Thor has the power of Flight. While Herc can jump high, it does not compare to this advantage. Thor can go on the defensive and avoid Herc’s devastating punches. Secondly, Thor has a very effective Long-range attack, his Thunder. He could call down the lightning on Herc, and that would do some serious damage even to a God.
On top of all this, they are both evenly matched in strength. These extra advantages are enough for Thor to beat Herc. However, there is one more important thing. Experience. Thor has lived way longer than Hercules. That means that the battle experience is better, and Herc would not be able to match the combat IQ that Thor would bring to the table.
There you have it, folks. We at Averagebeing believe that Thor would plaster Hercules on the wall. No shade. Don’t you agree?
Who do you think would win in a fight between these two? Please let us know, and visit Averagebeing.com for more comic content, news, and articles!
Later, nerds.