The Executioner is the name of different fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics .
127-514: Skurge , an Asgardian , is originally depicted as a supervillain who wields a magic double-bladed battle axe. Skurge falls in love with the Enchantress and is frequently used in schemes by her and the trickster god Loki . He is a long-time antagonist of Thor and other heroes of the Marvel universe and is a member of the original Masters of Evil . Eventually, he joins the heroes of Asgard in
254-506: A bank. They had all recently escaped from the Raft during the breakout caused by Juggernaut, who was transformed into Kuurth: Breaker of Stone. Hercules soon discovers that the woman is actually the witch goddess Hecate . During the fight, Hecate looks into the Shield of Perseus and regains her memories of taking over Brooklyn. She then teams up with Kyknos (the son of Ares) in order to take over
381-558: A bar in order to incapacitate him. Hercules, however, manages to return to Avengers Mansion and singlehandedly engages the Masters of Evil, being eventually beaten unconscious by Goliath , Mister Hyde , and the Wrecking Crew . Although the Masters of Evil are defeated, Hercules remains in a coma as a result of his injuries. The next storyline, titled, "Assault On Olympus" deals with the consequences of Hercules's injuries, as he
508-972: A beloved hero and pampered celebrity, while the Hulk is a hated and feared fugitive. The character teamed up with the Avengers in issue #38 (March 1967), but was not yet an official member; he was merely a guest of the Avengers during his banishment from Olympus. In issue #45 of The Avengers , Hercules became a "full-fledged Avenger" by way of Goliath's announcement to the press during the first annual "Avengers Day". Hercules also guest starred in Marvel Team-Up #28 (December 1974) and Marvel Premiere #26 (November 1975) before starring along with four other heroes in The Champions which ran for 17 issues (October 1975–January 1978). After this, Hercules made
635-511: A brand new Hercules series, entitled Herc , featuring the hero without powers, but wielding mythical arms. Marvel Comics continuity has been retconned so that the character Hercules, introduced in Young Allies #16 ("Battle of the Giants" by artist Charles Nicholas ; summer 1945), was incorporated in the version of Hercules introduced in 1966. Hercules first appears when pulled from
762-644: A call about a supervillain attack, and spring into action. Hercules and the other Avengers joined forces with the Champions in order to prevent the High Evolutionary from merging Earth 1 and Earth 2. The original Champions (Hercules, Iceman, Angel, Ghost Rider and Darkstar) reunite at the location of their former headquarters in Los Angeles to mourn the death of the Black Widow. They battle
889-486: A depowered Thunder God (punished by Odin for loving the mortal woman Jane Foster ). Hercules unwittingly becomes the slave of fellow Olympian god Pluto when he signs a contract which he thinks is for a film, but actually states that he will now rule the Netherworld instead of Pluto. Hercules is eventually rescued by Thor (now at full strength) who battles and defeats Pluto's underworld minions. Pluto opts to void
1016-777: A disruption in New York City caused by the Olympian Ares , the Avengers travel to Olympus and free both Hercules and the Olympian gods who have been turned to crystal by Ares using the Ebony sword. They find out from the Black Knight's spirit he lost his memory after being thrown from Olympus and drifting for six days and nights. Hercules continues to aid Thor in several connected storylines. Thor mistakenly battles Hercules when trying to rescue an Asgardian goddess from
1143-463: A fictionalized version of himself, Zeus punishes him for this "travesty" by sending him on a mission to restore the lost faith of Magma , an active worshiper of the Greek gods. Hercules's demonstrations of strength and heroism fail to convince Magma that he is the real Greek god, and Zeus ignores his pleas to show her Olympus. However, she comes to believe Hercules after witnessing his eloquent reaction to
1270-480: A god, competing against Vali Halfling and the Pantheon and teaming up with Thor. Once Cho becomes a god and attains omniscience, he realizes that he is inadequate to wield such power. First he returns Hercules to Earth, then transfers all his new powers into him. During the events of Chaos War , Amatsu Mikaboshi arrives on Earth with an army of slave gods, destroying the dream dimension and causing people all over
1397-631: A group of decommissioned Sentinels while out at a West Hollywood nightclub. When the Human Torch starts losing his powers he asks Hercules for advice on how to restore them. Hercules had recently found a way to get his own powers back after losing them fighting the Chaos King. Johnny and the Thing find him at a bar in Brooklyn drinking non-alcoholic beer. He tells them about how he was healed by
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#17327911296071524-574: A guest appearance in Marvel Two-In-One #44 (October 1978). Hercules starred in two limited series by writer-artist Bob Layton , with both set in an alternate universe. A 24th century version of Hercules starred in Hercules, Prince of Power #1–4 (September–December 1982), which was popular enough to spawn a sequel, Hercules, Prince of Power #1–4 (March–June 1984). The storylines dealt with Hercules's exile from Olympus , completion of
1651-621: A humorous series of events, Hercules is forced to disguise himself as Thor and eventually marry Alflyse, the Queen of the Dark Elves. During the " Dark Reign " storyline Cho finds out that the activities of the Elder God Chthon are causing a "chaos cascade". To meet this threat Cho and Hercules form a new team of Mighty Avengers along with U.S. Agent, Vision, Hank Pym, Stature, Quicksilver and Jocasta. The team goes on to break into
1778-534: A magic sword called the Sword of Peleus, the Shield of Perseus (an unbreakable shield that turns anyone who looks at it to stone), arrows that can penetrate through anything, and the Helm of Hades (a helmet of invisibility). He gets a job bartending at a Greek run bar and restaurant in Brooklyn. He later battles Hobgoblin in a construction site, who was attempting to intimidate the owner of the restaurant into selling it to
1905-521: A minion of Immortus , although that appearance was revealed to be an impostor in the limited series Avengers Forever (December 1998–November 1999). The character's first formal appearance in the Marvel Universe became Journey into Mystery Annual #1 (October 1965), which established Hercules as being a rival of the Norse god of thunder , Thor . Hercules became a regular guest star in
2032-586: A mission to Hel , where he sacrifices his axe to destroy Naglfar , the ship of the dead, and delays Ragnarok , sacrificing his life to hold the bridge at Gjallarbrú so the heroes can escape the forces of Hel. After a time trapped in Hel, he joins the honored dead in Valhalla . The name was later used by two other characters: an axe-wielding android member of the Crazy Gang and a vigilante named Daniel DuBois ,
2159-532: A mortal's death. Together with Thor, Hercules confronts the Wrecking Crew once again, and recovers his confidence and defeats the villains when the Thunder God feigns defeat. After a brief appearance in the "Black Galaxy" saga, where he is trapped inside a Celestial, Hercules rejoins the Avengers as a reserve member and is upgraded to active status during the "Collection Obsession" storyline, aiding
2286-466: A number of abilities including cutting rifts into other dimensions and control over fire and ice that he could project at his enemies. Skurge also sometimes wore an enchanted impregnable horned helmet that completely covered his head. In his first appearance, Skurge demonstrated a 'super-human falcon hunting vision', that enabled him to find Jane Foster in a crowd. The second Executioner is a vigilante with no super powers. Asgard (comics) Asgard
2413-424: A place of honor beside her on it at the battle of Ragnarok . Enraged at being manipulated, Skurge destroys the ship with his axe, forestalling the end of days. The group is pursued out of Hel, and at the bridge Gjallerbru Thor swears to hold the bridge as long as he can so that the souls of the mortals can reach freedom. Seeking redemption for a wasted life, Skurge knocks Thor unconscious, and tells Balder he will take
2540-565: A scientist named Rachna Koul. He takes them to her secret lab ( located somewhere in the forests of Colorado ) where she explains that she was able to repair the biological conduit connecting Herc to the source of his godly power. During the events of No Surrender , Hercules is sent to the Roman Colosseum with Rogue ‘s team of Avengers in order to battle the Lethal Legion . The team then traveled to Antarctica to fight against
2667-589: A series of quests and opportunity to leave his past behind and create a new identity. Hercules remained a constant guest star in both Thor and The Avengers , playing a significant role in the "Avengers Under Siege" storyline in The Avengers #270–277 (August 1986–March 1987), involving supervillain team the Masters of Evil . The story lead directly into the "Assault on Olympus" storyline in The Avengers #281–285 (July 1987–November 1987), in which Hercules left
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#17327911296072794-477: A way to transport the entire Earth into the safety of the Continuum universe. Hercules is able to seal off the Chaos King in the Continuum, saving the world. Hercules then uses up all of his power in order to restore the universe, leaving him reduced to a mortal man once again. Hercules reappears in Brooklyn, armed with an array of Olympian weapons stolen from the armory of his deceased brother Ares. They include
2921-620: Is a fictional realm and its capital city appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . Created by Stan Lee , Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby , the realm first appeared in Journey into Mystery #85 (October 1962). Based on the realm of the same name from Germanic mythology (particularly Norse ), Asgard is home to the Asgardians and other beings adapted from Norse mythology. It features prominently in stories that follow
3048-747: Is able to reset reality. Although successful, Athena dispatches Hercules and Cho to Hades to find Zeus as he is needed to counter Hera. The pair are waylaid in Hades by the Dark Elf Malekith the Accursed - disguised as the Asgardian god Balder the Brave - who requests the characters embark on a mission into Svartalfheim, the home of the Dark Elves. Despite Pluto using the spirit of Hercules's adoptive father, they are able to retrieve Zeus. During
3175-649: Is all part of Thor's plan to force her to remove the curse, which she does before the thunder god can destroy Hel. Afterwards, Skurge tells Thor he guessed that Thor was truly in control when the Destroyer spared his life rather than killing him. Thor asks Skurge if there is anything he could do, and Skurge reminds Thor of his promise to have a drink in his name. Recognizing that Skurge's honor and courage belonged somewhere better, Hela allows him to depart her realm and releases him to Valhalla. Thor and Balder are said to have many drinks to Skurge's name. While there, his spirit
3302-474: Is devastated to learn that the Avengers - and the Fantastic Four - have apparently sacrificed themselves to stop the entity known as Onslaught , although they have really been sent into a pocket universe. Hercules briefly joins the commercial superhero team Heroes for Hire , and travels to Greece with Spider-Man to meet the threat of Dr. Zeus. He eventually reunites with his Avenger comrades, aiding
3429-526: Is dismissed by Iron Man , believing he cannot even spell 'registration'". Hercules helps the Secret Avengers escape after the cyborg Thor clone is first released. Hercules, however, kills the cyborg Thor clone in the final battle between the two sides, claiming that it is an insult to the Odinson, before smashing its head open with a hammer while yelling 'Thou art no Thor. Hercules also stars in
3556-478: Is enough." He was eventually overrun and killed by Hela's forces. Following his death, he remains in Hel until Thor - currently cursed by Hela so that his bones would become brittle and never heal while simultaneously being immortal - assumes control of the Destroyer and attacks Hela's domain. Skurge attempts to use diplomacy to reach Thor's spirit inside the armor, but is knocked out by Thor. Unknown to all, this
3683-408: Is highly skilled in archery , boxing , Greco-Roman wrestling , and claims to have invented the martial art Pankration . In combat, he occasionally wields a golden-looking adamantine mace – stated and shown to be equal in durability to Thor's own mystical hammer Mjolnir (though it is not enchanted with additional abilities as Mjolnir is) - forged by the Greek god Hephaestus . As an Olympian, he
3810-707: Is inhabited by Angels . It was cut off from the rest of the realms following the Angels' attack on Asgard which led to the apparent death of an infant Angela . Asgard later established the Congress of Worlds which consists of the representatives of the Nine Realms. After Heven was reintegrated with the other Realms, representatives of Heven started appearing as members of the Congress of Worlds. The Asgardian dimension contains several distinct regions. The six races of intelligent humanoid beings known to reside within
3937-440: Is later revealed that this Executioner is the son of Princess Python , and knows Kate Bishop from school, and is aware of her secret identity, knowledge that he uses to try to blackmail his way onto the team. Executioner is not aware of his mother's identity as Princess Python until it is actually pointed out to him. However, it may be that he was simply in denial about this matter, as Norman Osborn comments that if his mother
Executioner (character) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4064-469: Is prevented when Ares warns Zeus. Hercules discovers that Madison was actually a construct created by Zeus to lure out Hera, and attacks his father. Zeus is angered by "his son's lack of respect", and strips Hercules of his immortality and half his strength, forbidding him from ever returning to Olympus. A despondent Hercules helps the Shi'ar warrior Deathcry return to her homeworld, and on returning to Earth
4191-551: Is returned to normal. During the Spider-Island storyline, the Greek owners/operators of the bar where Hercules works have fled the dangers of New York City and returned to Greece, leaving Hercules in charge. He befriends an elderly African man named A. Nancy who loves stories. One night Herc is bitten by a bed bug that gives him spider powers, which he uses to fight crime. The Queen of Spider Island reveals herself to Herc and makes him her slave. She sends Spider-Herc against
4318-709: Is taken from the hospital by fellow Olympian Hermes and returned to Olympus. The Avengers eventually pursue - also aided by sometime member Namor the Sub-Mariner who is kidnapped by Greek god Neptune - and discover they are being blamed by Zeus for Hercules's condition, as Hercules mentioned them in his coma. As the Avengers battle several of the gods and Zeus himself, the Titan Prometheus restores Hercules to full health using part of his life force, Doctor Druid uses his powers to restore Hercules's sanity, and Zeus accidentally attacks Hercules, after which he stops
4445-565: Is the son of an unnamed Storm Giant and an unnamed Skornheim goddess, making him a half-giant . He later becomes a warrior, gaining the name Executioner after fighting in a war against the Storm Giants. Skurge has always had feelings for Amora, the Enchantress , and regularly aids her in various evil schemes to gain control of Asgard. However, the Enchantress only manipulates him, using her charms to keep Skurge under her thrall. Loki ,
4572-536: Is three times denser than similar human tissue, contributing to their superhuman strength and weight. An average Asgardian male can lift 30 tons (27.2 metric tons ); an average Asgardian female can lift about 25 tons (22.7 metric tons). Asgardians are immune to all terrestrial diseases and resistant to conventional injury (however this resilience seems relatively incapable of defeating the zombie plague in Earth-2149 that affects even Asgardians). The metabolism of
4699-696: The Asgardians of the Galaxy in securing the Nagalfar Beacon. During the " War of the Realms " storyline, Executioner and the Asgardians of the Galaxy fought against Malekith the Accursed's forces. Executioner was hit many times by the arrows fired by the Asgardian Angels. Before he died from his injuries, he opened a portal from Heven so that Angela can kill the Queen of Angels. Executioner
4826-599: The Avengers . The character has appeared in various forms of media, including television series and video games. Brett Goldstein portrays the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). Hercules was adapted from the Greek mythology god Heracles by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby . The character debuted in The Avengers #10 (November 1964) as
4953-525: The Black Order . Later Hercules, and his teammates attempt to stop the Hulk from rampaging through Avengers HQ. Hercules and Sunspot use their combined strength to stabilize the "world-engine" that is protecting the Earth while Thor and Lightning recharge it. Herc, Thor, and Wonder Man travel to Asgard to celebrate their victory. When Hercules tried to track down his resurrected family, he instead
5080-539: The Defenders , and resumed his alliance with the Enchantress. Skurge attacked Dr. Strange alongside Enchantress, but they were defeated. He later battled the Defenders and the Thing as the Enchantress's ally. Skurge led an assault on Asgard, and fought Balder again. With the Enchantress, he serves as Loki's lieutenant during his brief rule of Asgard. With the Enchantress, he joined with the forces of Asgard against
5207-605: The Elder of the Universe the Collector is freed (with the other Avengers) by comrade Hawkeye to battle the cosmic entity Korvac who has absorbed power from Galactus's ship, giving him god-like power, and traveled from the 31st century to remake the Universe. Although killed in battle, Hercules and many of the Avengers are resurrected by the entity before dying. Hercules also appears in a humorous story with Fantastic Four member
Executioner (character) - Misplaced Pages Continue
5334-653: The Japanese gods when they attempt to overrun Olympus. Hercules eventually wins back his lost fortune in a poker match with the Constrictor. During the " Civil War " storyline Hercules is depicted as an opponent of the Superhuman Registration Act , and calls the pro-registration heroes "traitors". Taking the alias of "Victor Tegler" - an information technology consultant with help from Nick Fury - to hide from pro-registration forces, Hercules
5461-583: The Kingpin . After defeating him, Hercules discovers that the owner's daughter sold him out to Hobgoblin and confronts her, until Kingpin appears and tells the owner he can keep the restaurant, taking Hobgoblin with him. After his victory becomes public, the restaurant becomes successful and Hercules becomes a local hero and celebrity. During the Fear Itself storyline, Hercules comes across Basilisk , Griffin , Man-Bull , and an unidentified woman robbing
5588-583: The Skrull gods directing the invasion of Earth. Hercules is made leader of the team, as the representative of the Western Gods. When Nightmare asks for the team's fears as they try to get his help to get to the Skrull gods, he sees Hercules's fear from losing his armor bearer Hylas. Hercules and Snowbird form a romantic attachment, and together slay Kly'bn, the leader of the Skrull pantheon by impaling him with
5715-467: The Thing . Hercules reappears during the " Celestial saga", joining an invasion force comprising Olympian gods and other allies that storms the realm of Olympia (occupied by the Eternals ). After a cameo appearance with the Avengers, Hercules reappears and aids the heroes of Earth against an invasion of New York City by the legions of the fire demon Surtur . Hercules rejoins the Avengers and aids
5842-532: The Warriors Three are sent to retrieve golden apples from the branches of the tree. Odin once hung himself from the tree for nine days and nights as a sacrifice to gain knowledge of the runes . Thor repeated this action during Ragnarök. Later Amora the Enchantress attempt to destroy the tree in an effort to free the body of Skurge the Executioner from its roots, an action that nearly tore apart
5969-519: The " Fear Itself " event, Odin passes control of Asgard to the Vanir , headed by the "All-Mother", a triumvirate of female deities consisting of Freyja , Gaea and Idunn. Tony Stark 's company, Stark Resilient then rebuilds Asgard over Broxton, Oklahoma, where it is rechristened as " Asgardia ". During the " Original Sin " storyline, it is revealed that there is a Tenth Realm in Asgard called Heven that
6096-451: The " World War Hulk " storyline, featuring a flashback to a period when the superhero team the Champions are still together. In the flashback the team mistakenly attack the Hulk , with the delay almost killing a gravely ill Jennifer Walters . Hercules and former Champions teammate Angel reconcile with the Hulk. Together with several other super beings, Hercules forms a loose-knit group called
6223-400: The "Renegades" to attempt to stop the Hulk when he invades New York City, then helping with rescue and recovery operations in the ruins of the destroyed city then departing before being apprehended. After the conclusion of World War Hulk, Hercules embarks on series of adventures with companion Amadeus Cho , a teenage genius and "sidekick". Hercules encounters long-time foe Ares, who poisons
6350-411: The Asgardian dimension. ^2 Not to be confused with the dragon Fafnir . Although they look human, all Asgardians possess certain superhuman physical attributes. They are extremely long-lived (though not immortal like their Olympian counterparts), aging at an extremely slow rate upon reaching adulthood (through the periodic consumption of the golden apples of Idunn ). Asgardian flesh and bone
6477-414: The Asgardian dimension. The tree is supported by three roots that extended far into the other worlds; one to the spring of Hvergelmir in Niflheim , one to the well of Mimir in Jotunheim , and another to the well of Wyrd in Asgard. Though Midgard is not physically connected to Yggdrasil, it is said that the Earth's axis is in alignment with the tree. In the limited series Thor: Blood Oath , Thor and
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#17327911296076604-403: The Asgardians but shorter than giants, around seven feet (2.1 meters) tall, although some trolls are considerably taller. Trolls tend to be extremely strong, stronger than the average Asgardian, dwarf or elf and on par with giants. Trolls like Ulik rival Thor in strength. There are different flora and fauna in Asgard: Yggdrasil ; the world tree is an immense ash tree that is central to
6731-480: The Asgardians gives them superhuman stamina in all physical activities. Demons are beings of fire and tend to be about the same stature as the Asgardians. Dwarves are smaller in stature than the Asgardians, and have short, stocky bodies. Their average height is four feet (1.2 meters). Elves vary greatly in size from four to eight feet (1.2 to 2.4 meters). They tend toward slender bodies and proportionately longer limbs. The dark elves tend to be darker in color than
6858-399: The Asgardians. Loki and the Executioner are both children of giants despite their diminutive six or seven foot (1.8 or 2.1 meter) stature. Trolls are the least human-looking of the denizens of Asgard, possessing body characteristics that are almost simian. Trolls are stocky and massive, have thick body hair (almost fur) and tend toward a ruddy orange color. They are on average taller than
6985-475: The Asian sub-continent with an army of trolls due to the valuable diamonds that were there, and fought Hercules in another dimension he had transported them to with his axe, but was beaten and thrown at a giant the Enchantress had created to defeat the Scarlet Witch , destroying it. He next led a Troll invasion of Asgard . Odin banished him to the realm of Casiolena. Skurge abandoned the Enchantress to become Casiolena's co-ruler. He led Casiolena's forces against
7112-452: The Avengers make a plan to defeat Kang for good. They assemble the original Avengers from the past and join forces to attack Kang's alternate versions at the same time. After defeating Kang, each of the Avengers return to their timelines. The Avengers are then recruited by a reformed Doctor Doom operating as Iron Man to defeat a coven of young witches. They later battle Avenger X, a member of the original New Avengers, who attempted to eliminate
7239-413: The Baxter Building, battle the Unspoken in China, visit the Inhumans to return their stolen Xerogen crystals, fight a cosmic cube empowered Absorbing Man, and capture Loki for information about the Scarlet Witch. When Pym requests that Loki join the team, Hercules and the others lose faith in him as a leader and quit. Hercules teams with both the Mighty and New Avengers to stop Hera from remaking
7366-522: The Conqueror. While the others are trapped in limbo as a result of time paradoxes created by Kang, Hercules (immune to Kang's current tactics of targeting the infant Avengers as nobody knows exactly where or when he was born) goes to Vietnam where he fights two versions of Kang attacking a temple who were looking for an infant version of Kang. After Hercules finds the child, the Avengers return from limbo and start fighting until Vision sends Wasp back in time to return baby Kang to his era. After Wasp succeeds,
7493-434: The Executioner helps Zemo escape from Captain America by knocking out Cap. Skurge remained with Baron Zemo's Masters of Evil for some time. The Masters of Evil created Wonder Man , who was meant to trick and destroy the Avengers. When the Executioner was defeated by Wonder Man testing his power, he worried about controlling him, though Zemo revealed Wonder Man would die within a week unless given an antidote. The gloating Skurge
7620-496: The Marvel Comics superhero Thor . Asgard has appeared in comics and various media adaptations, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and the Disney+ series Loki (2021). Eventually, Asgard was relocated to Earth in Norway and appeared in Avengers: Endgame and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). According to Asgardian legend, in
7747-592: The Tomorrow Man once pulled him and eight other villains out of the Timestream to battle the Thor Corps, but he was defeated. Odin later recruits Skurge to aid Eric Masterson in fighting off the influence of the Bloodaxe , the former weapon that Skurge wielded. Enchantress attempts to attack Yggdrasil to free Executioner from Valhalla, although doing so threatens all reality. She is stopped by Thor, Loki, and Balder, who convince her that her actions are dishonoring Skurge's memory. Kid Loki disguised himself as Enchantress to get Executioner out of Hel so that he can assist
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#17327911296077874-420: The X-Men are forced to watch. While Arachne is preoccupied, A. Nancy breaks into her home and steals her mythical woven tapestry. He reveals himself as the African spider god Anansi , a collector of stories, when he's attacked by Elektra , who takes the tapestry from him. Hercules is later cured of his spider transformation by Peter Parker, along with everyone else infected. Hercules later encounters Zeus, who
8001-434: The X-Men students remain at Avengers Academy while many join the fighting, and Hercules reflects that while the older generation has only found war, at least some of the kids were able to find peace. As part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel event, Hercules, isolated and shunned by the hero community, attempts to regain his reputation as a true hero, by adapting himself into modern society. During that time, he takes on
8128-455: The X-Men, who were in town after fighting lizard people in the sewers. They try to reason with him, but he attacks them with the Sword of Peleus. Due to the mutagenic properties of Spider-Man's powers, Spider-Herc mutates into Herc-Spider mid-battle. Shortly after, the X-Men are trapped in a magic web, and the Greek goddess Arachne appears. Instead of fighting, it is revealed that Arachne is very attracted to Herc's new form and they embrace, while
8255-418: The academy) escapes and the faculty members of both schools try to keep him from reaching the students. Hercules is defeated because Shaw is able to absorb the magic energy from his weapons. Shaw then tells the X-Men students to escape before fleeing himself. Hercules urges Tigra to let the kids join the fight if they want to, believing they had no right to hold them against their will in the first place. Some of
8382-414: The ancient heroes, known as the Gods of War, Hercules informs them of the situation when the Uprising Storm suddenly show up. They begin to battle, with the Uprising Storm getting the upper hand. In the middle of the fight, Hercules begins to destroy the city when Cryptomnesia uses the brand he placed on him to turn him into a God of Chaos, forcing the others to fight him while the Uprising Storm watch. During
8509-400: The apartment to kill them, while Catastrophobia and Cryptomnesia are killed by Gilgamesh and Hercules respectively. After killing Cryptomnesia, Hercules is congratulated by Athena, who offers him a place in Olympus. Hercules turns it down so that he can continue to live on Earth as a true hero. In the aftermath of Civil War II , Hercules rejoins the Avengers, where they foil an ambush by Kang
8636-400: The battle, Hercules is confronted by Steve Rogers, Captain Marvel , Spider-Man and Medusa who attempt to stop his rampage. After a brief fight, the Gods of War inform the heroes of the Storm and the curse placed on Hercules, though they don't see them. Steve and Gilgamesh then go to free Hercules from the curse which Steve does by yelling "Avengers Assemble". After the brand disappears and
8763-406: The beating of Hercules by the Masters of Evil. Hercules finds and attacks Josten until former Avenger Hawkeye (now leader of the Thunderbolts) convinces him to stop, although at the cost of their friendship. Hercules also aids the Avengers against the avatar group, the Exemplars . Hercules becomes a drunkard, dismayed at the dissolution of the Avengers during the " Disassembled " storyline, and
8890-420: The beginning there was nothing, but in time two worlds came into being on opposite sides of the void. The one to the north was named Niflheim , a world of clouds and shadows in whose center surged the fountain Hvergelmir , from which flowed twelve rivers of ice. The one to the south was named Muspelheim , which teemed with rivers of fire. Eventually the warm air from the south carved out the ice giant Ymir from
9017-414: The bodies of mortal men and women. Asgard's location on Earth makes the city a target during the " Secret Invasion " by the Skrulls led by a Super-Skrull named Godkiller, whose powers mimic Thundra , Titania , Volcana and Battleaxe . The aliens are repelled with help from Thor's ally, Beta Ray Bill . When Thor is forced to abdicate the throne and is exiled for killing his grandfather Bor , who
9144-484: The city. The pair manage to turn some people against Hercules due to the chaos that the Serpent 's Worthy created. Basilisk and Man-Bull flee when they see Hercules use the Shield of Perseus. The Griffin has an unexpected reaction to the magic forces at work, which cause him to devolve into a savage beast. He saves Hercules's life and becomes his new steed, allowing him to fly around the city. Hercules recovers upon hearing
9271-579: The contract rather than accept the destruction of his realm. While under the contract, Hercules has a chance encounter with the Hulk , fighting the monster to a standstill. Hercules reappears as the thrall of the Asgardian villainess Enchantress who is using water from the spring of Eros and tries to use him to destroy the Avengers, but after being freed from the spell by one of Hawkeye's arrows using brimstone, and being banished from Olympus for one year by Zeus for going to Earth without permission, aids
9398-613: The dead Atum's spine (with Amatsu-Mikaboshi assuming this role and ending the intervention by Skrull divinity). This event is immediately followed by the storyline "Love and War", in which Hercules and allies Cho; Namora and the goddess Athena attempt to thwart Amazon leader Artume, who reshapes so that the world is dominated by the Amazon females. Hera and Pluto take advantage of the chaos and an absent Zeus to attempt to kill Hercules and Athena. Hercules aids Cho's lover - Delphyne - slay Artume and take her place as queen , and with Athena
9525-528: The destruction of Asgard and disappearance of Thor. Hera takes advantage of Hercules's vulnerability and via her pawn Eurystheus (an ancient rival of Hercules during the Twelve Labors) proposes he complete a modern version of the classic Labors for a reality television show . Despite opposition from villains such as the Abomination , the organization HYDRA , and awkward tasks such as retrieving
9652-470: The fabric of reality. Hercules (Marvel Comics) Hercules Panhellenios is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books , the character is based on Heracles of Greek mythology (despite using the name of his Roman equivalent, Hercules ). Since his first appearance, he has been a perennial member of the superhero team
9779-451: The facility be used to hold the younger members of the X-Men until the fighting is over. Kavita Rao and Madison Jeffries urge their students to comply with the Avengers, but many are resentful of the confinement. Hercules arranges an Olympic competition between the two schools in order to ease tensions and avoid an actual fight from taking place. Sebastian Shaw (who was also being held at
9906-546: The fight. He hears from his son that the Avengers are not at fault. After that Zeus decides to ban the Olympians from Earth. During the "Evolutionary War" storyline, Hercules defeats a misguided High Evolutionary by mutating "beyond godhood". Hercules eventually returns to his normal form and aids Thor against villains such as the Mongoose and Doctor Doom . After Hercules stars in a Hollywood film of dubious quality as
10033-429: The forge that created Mjolnir and creates new uru hammers for his army. The entirety of Asgard and its inhabitants are destroyed in the resulting battle. After Ragnarök, Donald Blake awakens Thor from the "Void of Non-Existence". Thor returns to Earth and rebuilds Asgard outside of Broxton, Oklahoma , purchasing the land with gold from the treasury. Thor then goes about restoring the Asgardians, who have been reborn in
10160-422: The group. Skurge is tempted by the appearance of Amora, who claims Heimdall had slain her. This was not Amora, but Mordonna , a shape-shifting sorceress in the employ of Hela. The disguise is revealed when Skurge decides to trust Balder more than the desires of his own heart. Hela whisks Mordonna away before Skurge can gain revenge. Naglfar , the ship of the dead, is nearing ready to sail, and Hela promises Skurge
10287-585: The hero with venom from the mythical Hydra . After being driven mad by the venom and embarking on a destructive rampage, Hercules is eventually stopped by former Champions teammate the Black Widow (who also neutralizes Cho when he attacks spy organization S.H.I.E.L.D. ). Hercules plays a pivotal role in the " Secret Invasion " storyline, forming a team called the God Squad (consisting of Ajak ; Amatsu-Mikaboshi ; Demogorge and Snowbird ) to neutralize
10414-430: The ice in the north. Ymir became the father of all the giants, and his cow Auðumbla licked out of the ice the first Asgardian, Buri. Buri had a son named Borr, who married the giantess Bestla. Borr and Bestla had three sons named Odin , Vili, and Ve, who were known as the Æsir . Odin and his brothers grew to hate the giants and slew Ymir, and his blood formed a great sea. Odin and his brothers then raised Ymir's body from
10541-687: The imprisoned Inhumans. While attacking Hydra forces at the United States Capitol, the Underground are surprised by Steve Rogers, who was wearing a Cosmic Cube-powered armor. They later witness the final battle between the Hydra Steve Rogers and the real Steve Rogers and the restoration of America. In the aftermath of the event, Hercules and Vision go to a coffee shop where they discuss about immortality and its ups and downs. They're later signaled by Sam and Thor, who received
10668-681: The infirmary to heal until Hydra arrives and attacks the base. The heroes then battle Hydra's Avengers and a revived Bruce Banner as the Hulk until the base explodes. After their hideout is destroyed, the heroes witness Sam Wilson reassuming the mantle of Captain America. With the use of the Cosmic Cube fragment, they manage to help destroy the Planetary Defense Shield and the Darkforce dome over Manhattan and liberate all
10795-417: The island of Manhattan (though this was later retconned to be merely a boast he had made, and not a genuine feat). His superstrong legs allow him to run at speeds of over 100 mph, and leap over a hundred feet into the air. He can withstand blows from Thor, and possesses a complete resistance to high caliber bullets. He is able to recover from injuries with superhuman speed and efficiency. Hercules
10922-548: The legions of the most powerful fire demon Surtur . Once Amora the Enchantress set her sights on Heimdall as a potential lover, Skurge sought to ease the wounds of his heart in battle, joining Thor, Balder, and the Einherjar on a rescue mission into Hel . A group of souls belonging to living humans had been trapped there by Malekith the Accursed , and Hela had refused to permit them to return to Midgard (Earth). Despite initial misgivings, Thor permitted Skurge to accompany
11049-420: The light elves. Both types have natural proclivity towards magic. Giants are basically humanoid in appearance and color although they tend toward the neanderthalic in body and bone structure. Their most distinguishing feature is their height. The average giant is twenty feet (6.1 meters) tall, although some may reach thirty feet (9.1 meters). On occasion giants will produce stunted offspring who look similar to
11176-600: The name of the third volume of the Incredible Hulk series to The Incredible Hercules , effective as of issue #113 (Feb. 2008), and written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente . The series concluded with The Incredible Hercules #141 (April 2010), and was followed by the 2-issue mini-series Hercules: Fall of an Avenger (March–April 2010). The mini-series is scheduled to lead into the relaunched new title, Prince of Power #1 (May 2010), also written by Pak and Van Lente. Writers Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente started
11303-623: The new Executioner. The Executioner is a silent android swathed in a long robe and hood and armed with an axe. It follows the commands of the Red Queen and seems to lack any real intelligence. It was destroyed under unknown circumstances, but it had been destroyed and repaired before. A character named The Executioner (Daniel DuBois) appears in Dark Reign : Young Avengers . He is described as "a rich and organized urban vigilante who hunts and kills criminal scum. And likes to hurt pets." It
11430-472: The new leader of the Olympus Group. Amadeus travels to Hades, only to discover that Hercules is, in fact, not dead. Cho tells Athena he intends to use all their resources to find Hercules and bring him back. Cho teams with Bruce Banner to build a machine that can scan all of reality, but discovers it would take over a billion years to locate Hercules. Amadeus then embarks on a quest to gain the power of
11557-490: The other heroes leave, Hercules informs his friends about the Storm's true intentions, total destruction, and that they must be stopped. Later, while Hercules, Sigurd, Gilgamesh, Beowulf and Theseus ambush the Storm in their hideout, an abandoned hotel, Ire, Lorelei and Tiresias perform a ritual to weaken the Storm. Initially, the ritual has no effect until Horrorscope is defeated and killed by Ire and Lorelei, when she teleported to
11684-467: The other heroes, Hercules encounters the Uprising Storm, who tell him of their plan to destroy the world and turn him into one of them by teasing him into believing that the other heroes don't want him anymore. Back home, he confines his encounter to his friends and, after a pep talk from his landlady Sophia, decides to reunite the ancient heroes in order to battle the Uprising Storm. Upon gathering
11811-549: The past by the villain Immortus to battle the Thunder God Thor . This story is not referenced in the character's next appearance, which depicts Hercules and Thor as apparently meeting for the first time. The discrepancy is eventually explained when it is revealed that the first "Hercules" encountered was actually an alien Space Phantom in disguise. Hercules guest-stars in an extended Thor storyline, defeating
11938-563: The prayers of his worshipers and finds himself in the Griffin's care, only to discover that Brooklyn has been reshaped into a nightmare landscape. Hercules and the Griffin manage to find where Basilisk and Man-Bull are hiding and recruit their help. The villains approach Hecate and Kyknos using a ruse involving Hercules being turned to stone. Hercules quickly revives and saves the villains by killing Kyknos, then prevents Ares from being resurrected by kicking over his altar. Hecate flees and Brooklyn
12065-593: The reunited Avengers , although Asgard itself is toppled by the Sentry . Immediately following the Siege, Thor reerects Heimdall 's observatory atop Stark Tower as sign of solidarity with Midgard and appreciation for the Avengers' aid. Thor restores Odin to the throne when the nine realms are invaded by "the World Eaters". However, after Thor and Odin's long-forgotten brother Cul , kill each other in battle during
12192-414: The sea and created Midgard between Niflheim and Muspelheim. With Ymir's bones they created mountains, and with his hair they created trees. They then raised Ymir's skull upon four pillars to create the heavens. Within the skull contained sparks from Muspelheim, which became the sun, moon, and stars. When Midgard was complete, Odin and his brothers created a home for themselves above it called Asgard. Between
12319-511: The shield of Captain America , Hercules is successful. Hercules is also forgiven by former wife Megara , who Hercules accidentally killed - a deception revealed by a humbled Hera. Hercules encounters Thor for the second time in a retrospective story; and guest stars in a humorous story with heroine She-Hulk , Hercules being successfully sued by the villain Constrictor for injuring him. Hercules also aids fellow Greek god Ares against
12446-458: The son of Princess Python . Skurge has made several appearances in media, such as animated television series, video games, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Thor: Ragnarok (2017), in which he was portrayed by Karl Urban . The Executioner first appeared in Journey into Mystery #103 (April 1964), and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby . Skurge was born in Jotunheim ; he
12573-483: The team against Morgan Le Fey . before choosing to remain an inactive member. After a misunderstanding Hercules is manipulated into fighting Thor, but aids the Thunder God (together with the Asgardian entity the Destroyer ) against the Dark Gods, who have conquered Asgard. Hercules decides to locate Erik Josten - now reformed and renamed "Atlas" and a member of Thunderbolts - who as "Goliath" participated in
12700-540: The team against Thane Ector and the Elder of the Universe the Collector and then during the Operation: Galactic Storm storyline. The other gods continue to feud with Hercules, with Ares - possessing the body of Eric Masterson who currently wields a missing Thor's power - launching an unsuccessful attack. When Hercules falls in love with a mortal woman called Taylor Madison, the goddess Hera intervenes and attempts to kill her, although this
12827-532: The team against threats such as Maelstrom ; the Blood Brothers ; the android Vision when malfunctioning; Terminus ; the space pirate Nebula and the villains Kang the Conqueror and Immortus . During the "Avengers Under Siege" storyline, Baron Helmut Zemo assembles an army of supervillains to form the fourth version of the Masters of Evil . Courtesy of a paid pawn, Hercules is drugged at
12954-760: The team for an extended period against foes such as the Mad Thinker ; Namor the Sub-Mariner ; Diablo ; Dragon Man ; the Red Guardian ; Whirlwind and the Titan Typhon who has imprisoned the Olympians in the Land of Shades, until leaving for Olympus . The character returns briefly during a storyline set directly after the Kree-Skrull War in which the returning Avengers witness an amnesiac Hercules being abducted by two Titans. After dealing with
13081-478: The team goes to locate a Cosmic Cube fragment which is in possession of Ultron. Upon arriving, they encounter Hydra's Avengers led by Steve Rogers and are captured by Ultron. They later manage to escape while Ultron gives the team his fragment. During a mission in Madripoor, Hercules got turned to stone by Gorgon though he managed to knock him down amongst his petrification. Back at their hideout, Hercules goes to
13208-527: The team until Wasp shrinks her to sub-atomic levels. During the Secret Empire storyline, Hercules appears as a member of the Underground following Hydra's conquest of the United States. Hercules and Quicksilver lead a strike force to find the Cosmic Cube fragments so that they can use it to restore Captain America to normal. Upon convincing Sam Wilson to smuggle them out of the country,
13335-458: The team. The character starred in the self-titled limited series Hercules vol. 3, #1–5 (June–Sep. 2005), and guest starred in the limited series Thor: Blood Oath #1–6 (Nov. 2005-Feb. 2006), a retrospective story that depicts the second meeting between the Hercules and Thor. At the conclusion of the " World War Hulk " storyline, Hercules received a self-titled publication when Marvel changed
13462-480: The threats of the Uprising Storm, a group of new gods consisting of Catastrophobia: God of War, Horrorscope, and Cryptomnesia: God of Data as they plan to wipe out the old gods. During the Civil War II storyline, Hercules is seen at a bar talking to Amadeus Cho, who has become the new Hulk, when the city is suddenly under attack by a Celestial and both spring into action. During the battle, while Amadeus helps
13589-565: The thunder god's place. Skurge's last request is to ask Balder to promise that Thor and he would drink to the memory of Skurge. Balder consents, and he, the Einherjar and the mortal souls depart Hel with the unconscious Thor. Skurge defends Gjallerbru with the M16 rifles the Einherjar had brought from Earth for the expedition, and does not let a single demon pass. An impressed Hela pays him tribute, saying, "He stood alone at Gjallerbru. And that answer
13716-461: The title The Mighty Thor , appearing in issue #126 (March 1966). The character guest-starred in Tales to Astonish #79 (May 1966), and his deadlocked battle with the Hulk , as told by Lee, Kirby, and Bill Everett , has come to be regarded as a classic. The tale parallels Hercules and the Hulk's titanic strength, short temper, and simple-mindedness, while contrasting their lot in life: Hercules being
13843-575: The title Thor , aiding Asgardian goddess Sif locate an artifact called the Runestaff of Kamo Tharnn. Hercules also visits California and battles old foe Typhon. Hercules becomes a founding member of the superhero team the Champions , aiding the mortal heroes against the machinations of Olympians Pluto and Hippolyta . The character appears during the Korvac saga, and after being kidnapped by
13970-433: The trickster god, also has used Skurge many times. In his first appearance, the Executioner teams with the Enchantress to battle Thor at the behest of Loki. He exiles Jane Foster to another dimension and tries to get Thor to surrender his hammer to him in exchange for Jane. Thor agrees to this, but when the Enchantress turns Skurge to a tree for bringing Foster back he releases Thor from the bargain, whereupon Thor returns
14097-414: The two to Asgard. The Executioner and the Enchantress are exiled to Earth by Odin , where they learn of Zemo from a newspaper. They become members of Baron Heinrich Zemo 's original Masters of Evil and fight the Avengers . The Executioner disguises himself as a former aide of Zemo, and lures Captain America to Zemo's kingdom, while the Enchantress uses her powers to turn Thor against the Avengers. Later
14224-456: The two worlds they stretched a rainbow bridge and called it Bifröst . Once a year Odin must undertake the Odinsleep to regain his strength. During this time Asgard is vulnerable to attack from its many enemies, most notably Odin's adopted son, Loki . Loki first takes command of Asgard during the Odinsleep, using his right as the 'son' of Odin before Thor could claim it, but fled when Asgard
14351-582: The underworld, but together they defeat instigators Ares and Pluto who are trying to take over Olympus; battle the Destroyer and then Herald of Galactus Firelord before a confrontation with Ego the Living Planet on Galactus's behalf, as Galactus has been defeated by Ego. Hercules is temporarily possessed by the entity the Dweller-in-Darkness and guest stars with hero Spider-Man in title Marvel Team-Up . before reappearing in
14478-624: The universe with a device called Continuum. Hercules battles Typhon in the alternate Continuum universe and defeats him. Athena appears after the fight, but instead of coming to help she seemingly destroys the Continuum universe with Hercules still inside. She explains that he had to die so that Amadeus Cho could replace him as the new "Prince of Power". A funeral service is held at the Parthenon in Athens, where many of Hercules's comrades pay their respects and share memories. Athena appoints Amadeus as
14605-421: The vampire invasion. Hercules possesses the typical powers of an Olympian god, including superhuman strength, durability, speed, reflexes, stamina and endurance. He is the strongest of the Olympians, being capable of feats such as lifting and hurling a giant sequoia tree, smashing rocks to powder, sealing an entire cliff around an opponent with his bare hands, knocking out a yellow-crested Titan, and dragging
14732-495: The villains all had their memory of this event erased. Apart from the Enchantress, Skurge attempted to establish an empire by the conquest of an alternate future 25th Century Earth. He battled the Hulk after he was accidentally transported there. He was reunited with the Enchantress, and joined the Mandarin 's attempted world conquest with four other villains after being taken to his base by teleportation technology. He attacked
14859-401: The witch's home and Herc, with Elektra's help, defeats Baba Yaga. He then lets Zeus absorb the magic from the artifacts, restoring his godly powers, and they part ways. Hercules is called upon to act as a guest instructor at Avengers Academy when most of the main faculty are preoccupied with the events of Avengers vs. X-Men . The school is suddenly visited by Captain America, who asks that
14986-509: The world to enter a sleep-coma. He then destroys the afterlives of all the cultures of the world, freeing the dead to walk the Earth. The newly super-powered Hercules assembles a second God Squad to battle Mikaboshi, who now calls himself the Chaos King. The combined efforts of the God Squad, Alpha Flight , the Hulk family, and deceased members of the Avengers and X-Men manage to keep the Chaos King's armies at bay, while Cho and Galactus work on
15113-468: Was Princess Python, then he would like to think he would know and Kate Bishop immediately realizes who she is upon meeting her. Skurge possessed the superhuman abilities of a typical male Asgardian. Due to his unique hybrid physiology, with a half Storm-Giant and half Skornheimian pedigree , Skurge's physical strength, stamina and durability were considerably greater than those of the average Asgardian male. He also possessed superhuman visual acuity. Skurge
15240-591: Was brought from the past and driven mad by Loki, control of Asgard passes to Thor's half-brother, Balder . Asgard is destroyed yet again after Norman Osborn seizes control of S.H.I.E.L.D. following the Secret Invasion as he seeks to expel Asgard from U.S. soil in an effort to consolidate power. Osborn leads the Dark Avengers in the Siege of Asgard . The invading forces are defeated with help from
15367-539: Was captured by them. He was freed by the reformed Guardians of the Galaxy . He aided the Guardians in stopping the mad gods, but at the cost of Star-Lord 's life. Following the battle with Gamora 's West Spiral Arm Guardians, Hercules began a relationship with Noh-Varr . During the " Blood Hunt " storyline, Hercules is among the superheroes who join Captain America's branch of the Avengers when fighting
15494-632: Was depowered by his wife Hera because of his infidelity and womanizing. During that time, he discovers Elektra stealing a museum artifact from the Hand. After battling the Hand ninjas, Hercules discovers, through Kingpin, that Elektra is stealing mystical artifacts for Baba Yaga , a Slavic witch who was summoned by the Russian mob, who plans to absorb the magic of the artifacts to gain a youthful appearance and increase her power. He manages to locate Baba Yaga after Elektra steals his weapons. Herc and Zeus infiltrate
15621-423: Was derided by Wonder Man, who did not like the need for trickery and deceit. The group's plan to kill the Avengers was thwarted by Wonder Man, and Skurge and his allies were defeated. The Executioner menaced Jane Foster, and fought Balder as any ally of Loki. He was later among the legion of villains assembled by Doctor Doom to destroy the Fantastic Four using a mind-control machine, but due to Mister Fantastic
15748-500: Was extremely long-lived, aging at a much slower pace than human beings, though not truly immortal . His body was highly resistant to physical damage, and he was immune to terrestrial diseases, toxins, and some magic. In the event of injury, Skurge's godly lifeforce would allow him to recover with a superhuman rate. Skurge had proficiency at hand-to-hand combat, and mastery of most Asgardian weapons. He would often fight wielding his large, enchanted, double-bladed battle axe that allowed him
15875-556: Was invaded by Mangog as he realized that this new foe was too powerful. Loki later usurped the throne of Asgard by taking the Odinring, but fled again when Asgard was invaded by the fire demon, Surtur . The throne of Asgard later passes to Thor after Odin is killed in battle by Surtur, when the demon invades Earth. It was prophesied that Loki would lead Asgard's enemies in a final conflict known as Ragnarök , which would lead to its destruction. This comes to pass when Loki obtains
16002-658: Was summoned from Valhalla by the Grandmaster as a member of his Legion of the Unliving , and he battled Thor. His spirit was freed from Hela's prison when he led the other escaped Einherjar to join an assault on Hela's forces by the Asgardians and New Mutants . He earned for himself a place in Valhalla , Asgard's place for honored dead. After his death, the Enchantress realized that she truly possessed feelings for Skurge and mourned his demise. The time-travelling villain Zarkko
16129-563: Was surprised to find himself in Valhalla. After Skurge's death, Amora gave his Bloodaxe to a mortal called Brute Benhurst, making him a replacement Executioner. Thor initially thought the new villain might be Skurge returned from the dead, as he wore a mask. Thor tried not to fight him until the Executioner hit Kevin Masterson (son of Eric Masterson ). Thor recognized hitting a kid as an ignoble thing which Skurge would never do, and defeated
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