Hello and welcome to another awesome character spotlight, right here in Marvel Snapshot! This time, we’ll focus on one of my favorite villains from the section of godlike entities that reside in the Marvel U. His name is Ares, and he’s proven to be quite a thorn in the side of a few people, but especially Hercules! Ares was created (the Marvel version) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1966 (Thor #129).
Back in the Silver Age, there were quite a few comics that were mining the pantheons of mythology for new characters. Thor, being the most visible, and then Hercules as well. When you get these characters, you also get their baggage. This means crazed family members, childhood adversaries, and so on. In the case of Ares, we see a tortured soul that basically exists to fuel the fires of war and combat.
His first appearance was in Thor, and he teamed up with Pluto, but they were routed by Thor and Hercules. Ares next partnered with the Enchantress, and again, Hercules was the target. He failed again, though, but this time shamed Hercules, and Herc was cast out of Olympus for a year. The next big story was in the pages of the Avengers, when Ares steals the Black Knight’s Ebony Blade. He then uses the blade and along with his army, defeats the forces of Olympus and takes over. He then sends two of his minions to kidnap Hercules, as well. The climax shows an all out brawl between The Avengers and Ares on Mount Olympus!
In 2006, the Ares mini-series was released. It was quite good and focused more on Ares’s relationship with his son, and a subsequent battle when his son is kidnapped. He’s more of an antihero than a villain in the book, and that side of his personality was quite refreshing to see. Eventually, the war known as Siege came to pass. Norman Osborn recruited Ares into his version of the Avengers (Dark Avengers), and they laid waste to Asgard, and fought the Avengers. In this battle, Ares learns that he was duped by Osborn, and goes after him for revenge. He gives Daken a beating, but is then attacked by the Sentry. Ares, even being a god himself, is no match for the Sentry. He puts up a valiant fight, but in the end is torn in half!
When or where Ares will show back up in this reality, no one knows, but rest assured that when he does, he’ll be looking for payback, and most likely to plague Hercules again, too! Here are some of Ares’s best cover shots, along with some recommended reading! See you next time!
Recommended reading
Essential Avegners vol. 2, & 5 – Tpb
Avengers: Assault on Olympus – HC
Ares vol. 1 – Tpb (2006)
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net