The Inspiration:
If you haven't heard about Zoloworld's realm of the Underworld figures, stop reading and go directly to underworld figures(dot)com.

OK, your back and now you have seen for yourself how awesomely retro these figures are, why they are a great way to build a new collection or supplement your MOTU, Remco or other fantasy knock off collections. I also don't need to tell you that they are made for customizing. Awesome.

The Story:
Hercules is one of the main heroes in the ROTU universe (the dark skinned, lion pelt wearing specimen you see with Zues in the pics) and I wanted his father, Zeus on my shelf. In my mind, Zeus can sense that the time of Gods is passing and that the age of man is rising - and accepts it. He know's that Hades, lord of the Underworld, isn't as willing to fade away gracefully and is preparing to unleash his undead horde on earth - led by the Sorcerer/Warrior, Acromancer. Zeus commands his fellow Olympians to stand down and let man fend for himself, proving they deserve a chance to live out from under the thumbs of the Gods. Zeus doesn't leave us defenseless, he sires a child with a mortal - a powerful demigod blurring the lines between human and divine to level the playing field and inspire men to fight back against Hades.

The Build:
It's a throw-back toy made with throw-back methods. A buck from Remco, metallic vinyl and cord for the tunic (blue trim was had painted), and a heavily modified head from Tattoo, a figure from the Remco "Pirates of the Galaxseas" line. The Lighting Javelin was taken from the Zeus figure in Chap Mei's Legendary Heroes line. Looks better with my figure :)

You might be wondering why Zoloworld made Hercules so dark skinned. I hear they wanted him to look swarthy and olive complicated like a true mediterranean, but to the factory that got translated as: Black. Which actually works for me, as he is less of a He-Man clone and stands out on my shelf. But if you need historical context to validate a black Hercules in your collection, just tell yourself Zeus conceived Hercules with a maiden from the northeastern greek village called Avato. There, one can still find the Black Greeks of Thrace, a dark skinned population of Greeks who could easily be mistaken for African Americans. Their ancestors came to Greece from the Sudan (Africa) during Ottoman rule, as the slaves of local beys. There you go, black Hercules.