This week sees the release of Michael Avon Oeming's "God Complex," a comic about a man named Paul who is actually the Greek god Apollo, trying to live a normal mortal life despite his divine family's best efforts at persuading him -- which, as this is comics, means trying to kill him.

Not only does "God Complex" sound like a lot of fun, but it's gotten us thinking about other uses of mythology in comics. After all, with their emphasis on super-powered figures taking an active role in the lives of mortal men, super-hero books are often looked as the modern equivalent to the myths and legends of centuries ago, and as a result, comics are carrying on the tradition to the point where there's more gods in Marvel Comics than in an Edith Hamilton book! So today, we've summoned ComicsAlliance's very own Oracle of Delphi, Chris Sims, to shed some light on some of the best uses of classic mythology in comics!



Marvel's Mighty Thor What with the fact that his entire deal is throwing around lightning while bashing villains' heads in with his magic hammer, the Norse god Thor would seem like a modern super-hero even if Stan Lee and Jack Kirby hadn't made him one of the core characters of the Marvel Universe. It was writer/artist Walt Simonson, however, who perfected an expert blend of Norse myth and the Marvel Universe, a combination that allowed Thor to do stuff like battling a mad fire giant alongside a cosmically-powered cyborg horse from space. Share digg_url = 'http://comicsalliance.com/2009/12/01/gods-mythology-in-comics/'; tweetmeme_url = 'http://comicsalliance.com/2009/12/01/gods-mythology-in-comics/'; tweetmeme_source = 'ComicsAlliance'; It's important to note, though, that characters like Volstagg were created exclusively for the comics, which we think is a definite improvement.

Marvel's Incredible Hercules



"Thor" isn't just responsible for bringing Norse mythology to the Marvel universe; Roy Thomas used the "Eternals Saga" to tie Thor to Germanic hero Siegfried, and Stan and Jack themselves used the Thunder God's "Journey Into Mystery Annual" #1 to start up the ultimate "who would win in a fight" rivalry by pitting Thor against Hercules in their first of many battles. Herc went on to be a long-standing member of the Avengers, bringing along his half-brother Ares, who was a long-standing villain before starring in his own miniseries where the Greek gods battled against the Japanese god Mikaboshi, then landing in "Dark Avengers."

Herc himself is currently enjoying a solo title, "The Incredible Hercules," that follows the Simonson mold with constant references to the classic myths...

...like a scene where he freed Cereberus -- the three-headed guard-dog of the underworld -- whom he had previously chained up as his twelfth labor.

Writers Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente even used the book as a springboard to bring in other myths with the "Secret Invasion" crossover...

...introducing a whole host of gods and tying them into Marvel characters like Snowbird and Ajak of the Eternals.