Ares is a fictional deity in the Marvel Comics Universe based on the Greek God of the same name. It is also the name of a mini-series written by Michael Avon Oeming that focuses on this character.

Ares first appeared in the pages of Thor #129, written by Stan Lee and drawn by Jack Kirby. He would often appear as a villain in both Thor and the Avengers, but in the recent Ares mini-series, he has been portrayed as an anti-hero.

Character history

---

Ares is the son of Zeus and is the Olympian God of War. Ares revelled in war and combat in all its forms, not caring about sides or victims. With the rise of Christianity, Zeus allowed the worship of the Greek Gods to die out though, and Ares became more and more displeased with his father. Over the years he would lead several revolts again his father, but was always stopped by his half-brother Hercules. Ares has hated Hercules ever since Hercules killed Ares' pets, the monstrous Stymphalian birds, and his hatred increased when he noticed Hercules being favored by their father, while he was shunned for his brutal behaviour.

An attempt by Hades to conquer Mount Olympus with an army of the dead led to a stalemate that the Gods and Demi-gods (including Hercules and Achillies) were unable to break. In desperation to end the siege of Olympus, Zeus called upon his son Ares who defeated Hades' army almost single handedly. Hoping that this would allow him to join his kind in Olympus, Ares was disappointed to hear his parents and the other gods disparage his "crude" and "dishonorable" nature. Leaving before the gods could make a polite invitation to join them, he resigned his position to live on Earth as a builder/carpenter. During this time he had a son, Alexander, with an unidentified human woman though he raised him on his own, not wanting the boy corrupted by the "softness" a woman would bring into his life.

The 2006 mini-series begins as Alexander is kidnapped by Achillies, trying to force Ares to help Olympus. Olympus is again under siege, this time by Amatsu-Mikaboshi (the Japanese god of evil). Mikaboshi is taking advantage of the chaos left by the fall of Asgard to extend his influence and hopes that by first capturing Olympus and defeating the Olympians, a proud and strong pantheon, other pantheons will more readily yield in fear of him.

Mikaboshi kidnaps Alex a second time from Achillies and begins to turn him against his father by revealing the brutal history and patricides committed by the Greek gods. Mikaboshi clouds Alex's mind hoping to create a new god of war to use against Ares. He promises Alex that as god of war he can turn war into an instrument to impose order and peace. In the end however, thanks to the power of Zeus, and Ares' love for his son, Alexander breaks out of Mikaboshi's contorl, and slays Mikaboshi with the Greasscutter sword. The gods of the east, allied with the Greek gods though a plan by thier respective messanger gods (Hermes/Mercury for the west and Inari for the east), help destroy Mikaboshi's armies. Later, Ares and Alexander are found recouperating in Africa, and Alex decides to want to see the world and learn his heritage (and learn of his currently unnamed mother) with his father.

Powers and abilities

Ares has superhuman strength and endurance like all Marvel Olympians (class 40), but he is far stronger than most Olympians(class 80, perhaps higher). He is also immortal; he doesn't age, is immune to all terrestrial diseases and poisons and while he can be wounded, most wounds he will receive will heal quickly. Only extreme force would be able to kill him and even then his divine essence may be untouched, allowing him to be resurrected. Olympian godhood also gives him other, more rarely used abilities; he can walk among humans unseen and possess any mortal, like he once possessed Erik Masterson.

He is, as fits his station as the god of war, an impressive fighter of unparalleled skill and an expert in many (if not all) weapons. In his earlier appearances, he preferred ancient weapons like axes and spears, but in the mini he seems to favour modern weapons like guns.

Mythology in comics | Fictional immortals | Marvel Comics Olympians