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88-482: The series began in the aftermath of World War Hulk with The Incredible Hulk receiving a title and focus change to Hercules. Though the title does not change until issue #113 the first issue of the first story arc of The Incredible Hercules appears in issue #112. The ongoing series concluded with issue #141 in February 2010, with two succeeding miniseries announced. This was followed by Chaos War . Picking up from

176-634: A Jewish population of 2,000, the largest Jewish community in any Byzantine city of the 12th century, except for Constantinople. Though severely plundered by the Normans in 1146, Thebes quickly recovered its prosperity and continued to grow rapidly until its conquest by the Latins of the Fourth Crusade in 1205. Thanks to its wealth, the city was selected by the Frankish dynasty de la Roche as its capital, before it

264-644: A Mycenaean settlement and clay tablets written in the Linear B script, indicating the importance of the site in the Bronze Age . Thebes was the largest city of the ancient region of Boeotia and was the leader of the Boeotian confederacy. It was a major rival of ancient Athens , and sided with the Persians during the 480 BC invasion under Xerxes I . Theban forces under the command of Epaminondas ended Spartan hegemony at

352-585: A U.S. Army force. The Hulk then encounters Doctor Strange , who mystically merges with a powerful old enemy, Zom . Hulk defeats the Zom-possessed Doctor Strange, causing the demonic entity to flee. An imprisoned Tony Stark (Iron Man) communicates with S.H.I.E.L.D. , revealing an emergency plan to engulf Manhattan in the Negative Zone , thereby annihilating the Hulk and all other positive matter on

440-873: A battle with the Eternals . Gathering the Council Elite of Pantheons in San Francisco, she proposes to confront and slay the Skrull Gods, Kly'bn the Eternal Skrull and Sl'gr't of the Infinite Names, before the invasion can succeed. The force consists of Hercules (representing Europe) and Cho, Snowbird (representing the Gods of North America), Atum (representing Africa), Ajak (representing South America), and Amatsu-Mikaboshi (representing Asia). The Australian Skyfather contributes

528-576: A contingent of 400 was sent to Thermopylae and remained there with Leonidas before being defeated alongside the Spartans, the governing aristocracy soon after joined King Xerxes I of Persia with great readiness and fought zealously on his behalf at the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC. The victorious Greeks subsequently punished Thebes by depriving it of the presidency of the Boeotian League and an attempt by

616-511: A democratic constitution was set up in place of the traditional oligarchy. In the consequent wars with Sparta, the Theban army, trained and led by Epaminondas and Pelopidas , proved itself formidable (see also: Sacred Band of Thebes ). Years of desultory fighting, in which Thebes established its control over all Boeotia, culminated in 371 BC in a remarkable victory over the Spartans at Leuctra . The winners were hailed throughout Greece as champions of

704-533: A hostage, and had learnt much of the art of war from Pelopidas . Philip had honoured this fact, always seeking alliances with the Boeotians, even in the lead-up to Chaeronea. Thebes was also revered as the most ancient of Greek cities, with a history of over 1,000 years. Plutarch relates that, during his later conquests, whenever Alexander came across a former Theban, he would attempt to redress his destruction of Thebes with favours to that individual. Following Alexander

792-449: A power vacuum throughout much of Greece, which contributed, in part, to Thebes' besiegement by Demetrius Poliorcetes in 293 BC, and again after a revolt in 292 BC . This last siege was difficult and Demetrius was wounded, but finally he managed to break down the walls and to take the city once more, treating it mildly despite its fierce resistance. The city recovered its autonomy from Demetrius in 287 BC, and became allied with Lysimachus ,

880-454: A returning Snowbird slay Kly'bn. Sl'gr't then seemingly kills Mikaboshi, only for it to be revealed that in fact it was Mikaboshi who survived, now in command of the Skrull gods' army of thralls - a watching Athena is pleased with this development. Following their victory, Hercules and Cho go on vacation to the tropics adjoining Atlantis , where Hercules and Namora frolic. They are interrupted by

968-594: A severe defeat on an invading force of Athenians at the Battle of Delium , and for the first time displayed the effects of that firm military organization that eventually raised them to predominant power in Greece. After the downfall of Athens at the end of the Peloponnesian War, the Thebans, having learned that Sparta intended to protect the states that Thebes desired to annex, broke off the alliance. In 404 BC, they had urged

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1056-492: A special Athenian embassy, led by Phocion , an opponent of the anti-Macedonian faction, was able to persuade Alexander to give up his demands for the exile of leaders of the anti-Macedonian party, and most particularly Demosthenes and not sell the people into slavery. Ancient writings tend to treat Alexander's destruction of Thebes as excessive. Plutarch, however, writes that Alexander grieved after his excess, granting them any request of favors, and advising they pay attention to

1144-513: A special weapon to turn Athena to stone, an act which undoes the Gorgon curse on her. The reborn Zeus convinces Hera to stop her plan only for Typhon to reveal that he is no longer under Hera's control. He slays both Hera and Zeus before Hercules successfully defeats him. Athena then reveals that he must die so that Cho can become the new "Prince of Power". She destroys the Continuum machine with Hercules in

1232-601: A stolen SHIELD laptop, wants to destroy the entire agency. Ares, Wonder Man , and Black Widow pursue the two. Ultimately, Hercules defeats Ares and talks Cho down from his desire to destroy SHIELD. The two then join Athena, only to be informed of a coming planetary invasion . Informed of the Skrull invasion, Athena perceives this holy war as a threat to the Earth's deities, who will be replaced and consumed if it succeeds. The group travels to San Francisco, where they are briefly waylaid for

1320-537: Is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled limited series and various titles published by Marvel Comics in 2007, featuring the Hulk . The series consists of five main issues titled World War Hulk , with Greg Pak as writer and John Romita Jr. as penciller , and three other limited series : World War Hulk: Front Line , World War Hulk: Gamma Corps , and World War Hulk: X-Men . It also ran through several other Marvel comics series. The plot

1408-581: Is a real god) is appalled by. Hercules, Athena, and Cho are confronted in New York City by Hera, who is accompanied by a now-freed Typhon . Hera demands that Athena apologize for going to the Council Elite (in "Sacred Invasion) and disregarding her position as head of the Pantheon, which Athena refuses to do - Hera then hints at Aegis' death. The group track Aegis' breastplate to a remote warehouse, where Hera and her forces are waiting, including Delphyne Gorgon, who

1496-625: Is disgusted with Hercules' behaviour, and becomes a fan of Thor through reading of his heroic exploits. Thor then appears, accompanied by the Warriors Three , and poses as Hercules in order to stop the invasion. The two fight, with Thor winning. It is then revealed that Malekith the Accursed was posing as Balder to bring about these events, but his scheme humorously unravels and Zeus easily defeats him. Hercules reveals his true identity to Alflyse, who considers his sexual prowess sufficient compensation for

1584-529: Is hilarious." Comics blogger Chris Sims has repeatedly compared it to the famous Walt Simonson run on Thor for "complex, interweaving plotlines that built organically over months, and paid off beautifully" and "big action, emotional moments balanced out with lighthearted humor, and a blending of mythology with the Marvel Universe." The series has been collected into a number of hardcover and trade paperbacks : World War Hulk " World War Hulk "

1672-452: Is not worthy to wield it permanently, instead transfers it to the returned Hercules. Hercules senses the impending return of Amatsu-Mikaboshi, and hurriedly departs to gather other heroes to face him. The series has garnered high praise since its debut in 2008. In its coverage of the initial arc, IGN labelled the first issue a surprising success, and, in its review of #115, singled out the series' distinctive humour: " Incredible Hercules #114

1760-720: Is the culmination of a series of events that began with the Hulk being tricked into space by the Illuminati and a Life Model Decoy of Nick Fury . Planet Hulk shows the Hulk's subsequent exile and his imminent return to Earth to seek revenge on the Illuminati. The story, a crossover throughout various series, began in the one-shot World War Hulk Prologue: World Breaker (May 2007), written by Peter David and penciled by Sean Phillips , Al Rio , and Lee Weeks . Marvel followed this with Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #106–111 and World War Hulk: Frontline #1–6 as parallel stories following

1848-518: Is the largest city in Boeotia and a major center for the area along with Livadeia and Tanagra . It played an important role in Greek myths , as the site of the stories of Cadmus , Oedipus , Dionysus , Heracles and others. One myth had the city founded by Agenor , which gave rise to the (now somewhat obscure) name "Agenorids" to denote Thebans. Archaeological excavations in and around Thebes have revealed

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1936-732: Is the largest town of the regional unit of Boeotia. In 2011, as a consequence of the Kallikratis reform , Thebes was merged with Plataies , Thisvi , and Vagia to form a larger municipality , which retained the name Thebes. The other three became units of the larger municipality. Archaeological excavations in and around Thebes have revealed cist graves dated to Mycenaean times containing weapons, ivory, and tablets written in Linear B . Its attested name forms and relevant terms on tablets found locally or elsewhere include 𐀳𐀣𐀂 , te-qa-i , understood to be read as * Tʰēgʷai̮s (Ancient Greek: Θήβαις , Thēbais , i.e. "at Thebes", Thebes in

2024-635: Is waiting for them, where he is putting Zeus on trial for crimes against creation. Cho visits with his dead parents, and discovers that his sister Maddy is not, as he believed, dead. Hercules attempts to defend Zeus, despite the latter's contempt, and his heroics ultimately convinces Zeus to drink the waters of the River Lethe . He is reborn on the surface as a child, and Athena and Hercules agree he must be protected from Hera. Cho, who believes Athena knew of his sister's survival and withheld this information (as well as an earlier warning from Delphyne), abruptly leaves

2112-563: The Athens–Thessaloniki railway connect Thebes with Athens and northern Greece. The municipality of Thebes covers an area of 830.112 km (320.508 sq mi), the municipal unit of Thebes 321.015 km (123.945 sq mi) and the community 143.889 km (55.556 sq mi). According to the nearby weather station of Aliartos , Thebes has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification : Csa ) with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. During

2200-549: The Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC, with the Sacred Band of Thebes , an elite military unit of male lovers, celebrated as instrumental there. Macedonia would rise in power at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC , bringing decisive victory to Philip II over an alliance of Thebes and Athens. Thebes was a major force in Greek history prior to its destruction by Alexander the Great in 335 BC, and

2288-645: The Latin Archbishop of Thebes , Simon Atumano . Latin hegemony in Thebes lasted to 1458, when the Ottomans captured it. The Ottomans renamed Thebes "İstefe" and managed it until the Greek War of Independence (1821, nominally to 1832) except for a Venetian interlude between 1687 and 1699. In the modern Greek State, Thebes was the capital of the prefecture of Boeotia until the late 19th century, when Livadeia became

2376-428: The dative - locative case), 𐀳𐀣𐀆 , te-qa-de , for * Tʰēgʷasde ( Θήβασδε , Thēbasde , i.e. "to Thebes"), and 𐀳𐀣𐀊 , te-qa-ja , for * Tʰēgʷaja ( Θηβαία , Thēbaia , i.e. "Theban woman"). * Tʰēgʷai was one of the first Greek communities to be drawn together within a fortified city, and that it owed its importance in prehistoric days—as later—to its military strength. Deger-Jalkotzy claimed that

2464-630: The 2009 What If series, there was a What If? World War Hulk one-shot which examines two alternatives to the storyline: In the last issue, the Earth-Z version of Hulk became infected while on the moon, the rest of the Warbound being devoured by the zombie Inhumans (with the Hulk eating Elloe Kaifi when the infection takes control of him). Instead of seeking revenge on the Avengers and Earth, he returned to Earth to satisfy his hunger, and in turn, infects

2552-481: The Amazons' base to rescue the captive Poseidon , but Artume's group escapes with Cho, their goal revealed to be the location of the omphalos , which will allow them to remake the world. Cho and Delphyne become attracted to each other, and she agrees to help him escape. Artume notices the potential betrayal, however, her attempt to execute Delphyne fails due to inadequate knowledge of Gorgon anatomy. Artume succeeds in using

2640-498: The Great while he was campaigning in the north was punished by Alexander and his Greek allies with the destruction of the city (except, according to tradition, the house of the poet Pindar and the temples), and its territory divided between the other Boeotian cities. Moreover, the Thebans themselves were sold into slavery . Alexander spared only priests, leaders of the pro-Macedonian party and descendants of Pindar. The end of Thebes cowed Athens into submission. According to Plutarch,

2728-550: The Great's death in 323 BC, Thebes was re-established in 315 BC by Cassander , one of the diadochi who was ruling in Greece. In restoring Thebes, Cassander sought to rectify the perceived wrongs of Alexander – a gesture of generosity that earned him much goodwill throughout Greece. In addition to currying favor with the Athenians and many of the Peloponnesian states, Cassander's restoration of Thebes provided him with loyal allies in

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2816-529: The Greek Gods' seat of power on Earth, and plot against Athena and Hercules. A flashback issue reveals Hercules' early years in Thebes , and the roles of both Athena and Hera in his creation. Hercules' actions encourage his fellow citizens to use weapons consecrated in temples (and thus, meant to be off-limits) against the enemy, which pleases Athena but offends Hera, who vows that both Hercules and Athena will suffer in

2904-410: The Hulk disappeared, Warbound member Miek attacks Banner. Rick Jones pushes Banner aside and is injured, causing Banner to return to Hulk form. As the Hulk attacks the Warbound, Miek reveals the explosion that started this war was not caused by the Illuminati, but by Red King loyalists. Miek chose not to prevent it, hoping the incident would encourage the Hulk to keep destroying. Overwhelming rage causes

2992-428: The Hulk to unwillingly radiate energy that threatens Earth. Stark activates a series of weaponized satellites that open fire on the Hulk, leaving him unconscious in his Bruce Banner form. S.H.I.E.L.D. later imprisons Banner in a facility three miles underground, with the other Warbound members having been taken into U.S. military custody. Namor was spared from the Hulk's wrath, as Hulk discovered early on that Namor

3080-559: The Mighty Avengers to battle Hera. Hera, reveals her plan meanwhile: to erase all existence and replace it with a new universe devoid of human life. She is able to do this by using an invention called "Continuum" which was created by the mortal Pythagoras Dupree. The Avengers trick their way into the Olympus building, but are quickly confronted by Hera's forces who have the upper hand in battle. In alliance with Hephaestus , Delphyne Gorgon uses

3168-476: The October 10 Diamond Dateline retail newsletter that the final titles in the crossover would be delayed until mid to late November. After the Illuminati ( Black Bolt , Tony Stark , Doctor Strange , and Reed Richards ) banished Hulk from Earth , the spacecraft they used explodes, killing Hulk's pregnant wife . Blaming the Illuminati for her death, and more powerful than ever because of his time spent absorbing

3256-560: The Olympus Group, with Hebe working as his assistant, spends half a trillion dollars in order to have Bruce Banner build a device capable of scanning the multiverse to find Hercules. However, it is determined that this will take over a billion years to work. After a battle with the Griffin , Cho is visited by Vali Halfling , the leader of the Pantheon , who proposes an alliance in order to gather

3344-502: The Olympus Group. Apollo challenges Athena for leadership of the Olympians, leading a brawl between various champions, with Athena and her allies triumphing. Cho then travels to Hades to find Hercules, but is told by Persephone that Hercules is not there. Realizing that Hercules must be alive somewhere, he accepts Athena's offer to lead the Olympus Group, and vows to use the Olympus Group's resources to find Hercules. Cho, now in charge of

3432-505: The Spartans to expel it from the Delphic amphictyony was only frustrated by the intercession of Athens. In 457 BC Sparta , needing a counterpoise against Athens in central Greece, reversed her policy and reinstated Thebes as the dominant power in Boeotia. The great citadel of Cadmea served this purpose well by holding out as a base of resistance when the Athenians overran and occupied the rest of

3520-451: The Spartans. The result of the war was especially disastrous to Thebes, as the general settlement of 387 BC stipulated the complete autonomy of all Greek towns and so withdrew the other Boeotians from its political control. Its power was further curtailed in 382 BC, when a Spartan force occupied the citadel by a treacherous coup de main . Three years later, the Spartan garrison was expelled and

3608-483: The Theban exiles who returned to resettle the site. Cassander's plan for rebuilding Thebes called for the various Greek city-states to provide skilled labor and manpower, and ultimately it proved successful. The Athenians, for example, rebuilt much of Thebes' wall. Major contributions were sent from Megalopolis , Messene , and as far away as Sicily and Italy. Despite the restoration, Thebes never regained its former prominence. The death of Cassander in 297 BC created

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3696-454: The arrival of the Amazons led by Princess Artume and Delphyne Gorgon , who abduct Cho (who they mistake for Hercules' eromenos ), needing him to decipher an Atlantean tablet. Cho is infatuated with Artume, and ignores the warnings of Delphyne. Artume is revealed to be leading a rogue sect of Amazons, and slays her mother Queen Hippolyta to become the new ruler. Hercules, Namora, and Namor raid

3784-509: The balance of power against its ally, preventing the formation of a Theban empire. With the death of Epaminondas at the Battle of Mantinea (362 BC) , the city sank again to the position of a secondary power. In the Third Sacred War (356–346 BC) with its neighbor Phocis , Thebes lost its predominance in central Greece. By asking Philip II of Macedon to crush the Phocians, Thebes extended

3872-450: The battlefield where the Battle of Plataea took place. The proximity to other, more famous travel destinations, like Athens and Chalkis , and the undeveloped archaeological sites have kept the tourist numbers low. A notable portion of the inhabitants of Thebes are Arvanites . The record of the earliest days of Thebes was preserved among the Greeks in an abundant mass of legends that rival

3960-430: The capital. Today, Thebes is a bustling market town , known for its many products and wares. Until the 1980s, it had a flourishing agrarian production with some industrial complexes. However, during the late 1980s and 1990s the bulk of industry moved further south, closer to Athens . Tourism in the area is based mainly in Thebes and the surrounding villages, where many places of interest related to antiquity exist such as

4048-477: The cathexis ray later used to create the Red Hulk . A sequel arc titled World War Hulk II is shown in the issues of The Incredible Hulk . After returning from a restored Sakaar, Amadeus Cho's Hulk faces off against Phalkan. His Hulk form's persona changed to where it easily defeated Phalkan and used his "computer brain" to leave Phalkan with a broken arm, a broken foot, a punctured lung, and some broken ribs. For

4136-428: The city served as a regional administrative center, home to a local elite, a major producer of silk textiles, and an important regional market, all of which contributed to urban and demographic growth. Although there is no specific data on Thebes' overall population, estimates suggest it housed between 20,000 and 30,000 inhabitants, typical for a major Byzantine provincial city. Benjamin of Tudela reported that Thebes had

4224-437: The complete destruction of Athens; yet, in 403 BC, they secretly supported the restoration of its democracy in order to find in it a counterpoise against Sparta. A few years later, influenced perhaps in part by Persian gold, they formed the nucleus of the league against Sparta. At the Battle of Haliartus (395 BC) and the Battle of Coronea (394 BC), they again proved their rising military capacity by standing their ground against

4312-474: The country (457–447 BC). In the Peloponnesian War , the Thebans, embittered by the support that Athens gave to the smaller Boeotian towns, and especially to Plataea, which they vainly attempted to reduce in 431 BC, were firm allies of Sparta, which in turn helped them to besiege Plataea and allowed them to destroy the town after its capture in 427 BC. In 424 BC, at the head of the Boeotian levy, they inflicted

4400-402: The death, as a cheering audience watches. The Hulk declares his intention was for "justice and not murder", and nobody had to or would die. He plans to destroy New York City and leave the Avengers to their shame. The Sentry arrives and attacks the Hulk. Sentry and the Hulk battle, leveling the city, until they revert into Robert Reynolds and Bruce Banner with Reynolds passing out. Angered that

4488-504: The deception. Determined to uncover the truth behind the death of his family and the disappearance of his sister, Cho travels to Excello, Utah , the home of the company that ran the contest that uncovered his intellect. He encounters a familiar face from his past in Agent Sexton, who attempted to warn him about something shortly after his house exploded, but becomes enmeshed in a web of realities set up by Pythagoras Dupree, who claims to be

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4576-579: The decision to send the Hulk off-planet, admits he would have agreed with the decision, but also tells him he would not have agreed to permanent exile. The Hulk defeats several teams of X-Men and battles the Juggernaut but leaves after learning of the M-Day incident , believing that Xavier has suffered enough. The Hulk returns to Manhattan and battles the superhuman-operative team Gamma Corps and Ghost Rider . Hulk defeats Iron Man , destroying Stark Tower in

4664-543: The end of World War Hulk , Hercules and Amadeus Cho are now on the wrong side of the law. Hercules intends to make peace with S.H.I.E.L.D. , while Cho only wants to continue his campaign to bring it down. However, on being confronted with his half-brother and longtime nemesis Ares, God of War , now a Mighty Avenger and in charge of Hercules' case, Hercules changes his mind and, together with Cho, runs. Hercules aims to seek shelter with his sister Athena in Vermont, while Cho, using

4752-404: The first issue sold out, Marvel announced a second printing would have a variant cover by John Romita Jr. Ancient Thebes (Boeotia) Thebes ( / ˈ θ iː b z / ; Greek : Θήβα , Thíva [ˈθiva] ; Ancient Greek : Θῆβαι , Thêbai [tʰɛ̂ːbai̯] ) is a city in Boeotia , Central Greece , and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It

4840-557: The former's power within dangerous proximity to its frontiers. The revulsion of popular feeling in Thebes was expressed in 338 BC by the orator Demosthenes , who persuaded Thebes to join Athens in a final attempt to bar Philip's advance on Attica. The Theban contingent lost the decisive battle of Chaeronea and along with it every hope of reassuming control over Greece. Philip was content to deprive Thebes of its dominion over Boeotia; but an unsuccessful revolt in 335 BC against his son Alexander

4928-532: The four Avengers Chronicles tables as downloadable content for Marvel Pinball , Zen Pinball 2 , Pinball FX 2 and Pinball FX 3 . This table is set in the ruins of New York City and features voice acting and battles between the Hulk and the superheroes he sought to confront as revenge for his exile. World War Hulk No. 1 was at the top of the Diamond Comic Distributors ' sales chart for June 2007, selling an estimated 178,302 copies. When

5016-415: The future. The backup story concerns Cho's attempt to locate his missing coyote Kirby, who is revealed to now be fully grown with a mate, and no longer wants to travel with him. Huntsman , one of Hera's minions, ambushes and kills Aegis , a mortal given superpowers by Athena to fight crime. At the same time, Hera meets with Norman Osborn to share details of her plan, which Osborn (who does not believe she

5104-697: The group, to Hercules' befuddlement. Traveling to hide the young Zeus with the Mighty Avengers , Hercules and Zeus are separated from Athena by attacking Harpies, and then recruited by Balder the Brave to pose as Thor in order to avert a war between Asgard and the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim . Hercules is delighted by the opportunity, and upon arriving in the kingdom quickly seduces Queen Alflyse, only to accidentally marry her. Alflyse then prepares to invade Asgard in order to install her "husband" on his throne again. Zeus

5192-599: The impact of the Hulk's return on various characters. The crossover extended into regular issues of Avengers: The Initiative , Ghost Rider , Heroes for Hire , Irredeemable Ant-Man , The Punisher War Journal , and Iron Man , as well as a miniseries starring the Hulk and the X-Men and a newly created group, the Gamma Corps . The stories ran from summer through fall, beginning in issues cover-dated July 2007. Initially scheduled to end in October, Marvel announced through

5280-566: The invasion of Asia, and that if he failed, Thebes might once again become the ruling city-state. Although Thebes had traditionally been antagonistic to whichever state led the Greek world, siding with the Persians when they invaded against the Athenian-Spartan alliance, siding with Sparta when Athens seemed omnipotent, and famously derailing the Spartan invasion of Persia by Agesilaus . Alexander's father Philip had been raised in Thebes, albeit as

5368-480: The island, should the heroes fail. The Hulk and the Warbound transform Madison Square Garden into a gladiatorial arena. Meanwhile, he repels an assassination attempt from Scorpion , and a confrontation with the Initiative . Following speeches from the Hulk's human supporters, the Hulk arranges for Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Black Bolt, and Mister Fantastic to fight a tentacled alien and later battle each other to

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5456-647: The king of Thrace, and the Aetolian League . After the dissolution of the Boeotian League after the Achaean War of 146 BC, Thebes came under Roman rule. In 27 BC, the city was included in the newly established Province of Achaia. Thebes was assigned to the Eastern Roman Empire after the imperial division of 395. During the early Byzantine period it served as a place of refuge against foreign invaders. In

5544-509: The late 6th century BC, the Thebans were brought for the first time into hostile contact with the Athenians , who helped the small village of Plataea to maintain its independence against them, and in 506 BC repelled an inroad into Attica. The aversion to Athens best serves to explain the apparently unpatriotic attitude which Thebes displayed during the Persian invasion of Greece (480–479 BC). Though

5632-709: The late 7th century, Justinian II created the Theme of Hellas with Thebes as the capital. The Holy church of Luke the Evangelist was built around the 10th century to commemorate the saint's tomb and relics at the location of his death. During the Byzantine–Bulgarian war of 913–927 , Thebes was sacked by Simeon I of Bulgaria . From the 10th century, Thebes became a centre of the new silk trade, its silk workshops boosted by imports of soaps and dyes from Athens. The growth of this trade in Thebes continued to such an extent that by

5720-557: The late LHIIIB, according to Palaima, * Tʰēgʷai was able to pull resources from Lamos near Mount Helicon , and from Karystos and Amarynthos on the Greek side of the isle of Euboia . As attested already in Homer 's Iliad , Thebes was often called "Seven-Gated Thebes" (Θῆβαι ἑπτάπυλοι, Thebai heptapyloi ) ( Iliad , IV.406) to distinguish it from " Hundred-Gated Thebes " (Θῆβαι ἑκατόμπυλοι, Thebai hekatompyloi ) in Egypt ( Iliad , IX.383). In

5808-416: The middle of the 12th century, the city had become the biggest producer of silks in the entire Byzantine empire, surpassing even the Byzantine capital, Constantinople . The women of Thebes were famed for their skills at weaving. Theban silk was prized above all others during this period, both for its quality and its excellent reputation. Benjamin of Tudela visited Thebes around 1161 or 1162. At that time,

5896-403: The myths of Troy in their wide ramification and the influence that they exerted on the literature of the classical age. Five main cycles of story may be distinguished: The Greeks attributed the foundation of Thebes to Cadmus, a Phoenician king from Tyre (now in Lebanon) and the brother of Queen Europa . Cadmus was famous for teaching the Phoenician alphabet and building the Acropolis , which

5984-428: The necessary ingredients to become as powerful as the Skyfathers: Hebe's ambrosia , the golden apples of Idunn , the spells of the Book of Thoth , and the amrita cup of Dhanavantari . Cho steals the list from Vali and goes to Asgard himself, only to find that Vali had already stolen the apples, framing him for the theft. Cho battles Thor, but convinces him of his innocence, and recruits him to stop Halfling and use

6072-405: The omphalos to remake reality, but her scheme is ultimately undone within the reality itself, and Delphyne slays her, becoming the new queen. Now bound to have nothing to do with men, she bids Cho adieu; meanwhile, Namora and Hercules break up angrily over her attraction to Namor. The two dispirited friends agree to go out for pizza. Meanwhile, Hera and Pluto stage a takeover of the Olympus Group,

6160-589: The oppressed. They carried their arms into Peloponnesus and at the head of a large coalition, permanently crippled the power of Sparta, in part by freeing many helot slaves, the basis of the Spartan economy. Similar expeditions were sent to Thessaly and Macedon to regulate the affairs of those regions. The predominance of Thebes was short-lived, as the states that it protected refused to subject themselves permanently to its control. Thebes renewed its rivalry with Athens, which had joined with them in 395 BC in fear of Sparta, but since 387 BC had endeavoured to maintain

6248-515: The other Olympians to confront Hera, but are rejected; meanwhile, Hercules travels to retrieve Hebe, who, after being exiled from the Olympus Group by Hera for her betrayal, ended up working with May Parker in a homeless shelter. May set her up with Peter Parker on a date, something that enrages Hercules. After an extended fight, Hebe breaks it up, and she and Hercules are reconciled. Spider-Man and some of his fellow New Avengers join Hercules and his teammates U.S. Agent, Hank Pym and Quicksilver from

6336-680: The other world, seemingly killing him. Following Hercules' apparent death at the conclusion of the series proper, crowds flock to the Parthenon to honour his legacy. Cho is met there by a large body of heroes from Hercules' past, led by Thor and Bruce Banner . Thor contributes a story of his past adventures with Hercules, followed by Namor , the various women from his past ( Black Widow , Snowbird , Namora , Queen Alflyse) speaking of his sexual prowess, and Bruce Banner. Afterward, Athena arrives, accompanied by Pluto, Poseidon, Apollo , Artemis and Hebe, and announces that she intends for Cho to take over

6424-622: The power to instead locate and rescue Hercules. They play into Halfling's hands by allowing him to retrieve the Book of Thoth from the Egyptian realm, but succeed in stopping him from using the full formula. Meanwhile, Delphyne escapes from her cell and, somewhat reluctantly, allies with Athena to return control of the Olympus Group to the gods, who Halfling had incapacitated by extinguishing the Promethean Flame. Cho gains true godhood, but, realizing that he

6512-544: The process. The Hulk and his Warbound next defeat the New Avengers , the Mighty Avengers , Doc Samson and the Fantastic Four (including Black Panther and Storm ). The Hulk attaches "obedience disks" to the defeated, imprisoned superheroes, preventing them from using their powers. After a brief battle involving Hercules , Amadeus Cho , Namora , and Angel , the Hulk defeats General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross and

6600-574: The radiation levels on Planet Sakaar, Hulk returns to Earth for revenge with his allies, the Warbound : Hiroim , Korg , Elloe Kaifi , Miek , No-Name of the Brood , Arch-E-5912, and Mung. Stopping at the Moon, the Hulk defeats Inhuman king Black Bolt . The Hulk proceeds to Manhattan, New York where he demands the presence of The Illuminati. He travels to the home of the X-Men , where Professor X , absent from

6688-511: The ship on which the God Squad will travel. After a sidetrip into the realm of Nightmare , Hercules and Snowbird have sex, before she seemingly sacrifices herself to allow the rest of the group to make it through to the Skrull gods, after a Skrull sleeper agent posing as Cho's coyote companion Kirby sabotages their ship. In the final battle, Kly'bn blows up Ajak (who, as an Eternal, will regenerate), and Sl'gr't destroys Atum, before Hercules, Cho, and

6776-418: The sixth-smartest man in the world. Cho eventually realizes that Dupree is attempting to prevent him from realizing the true power of his mind, the "hypermind", which he uses to break the illusion. It is also revealed that Sexton is in fact Athena in disguise; Cho demands to know why she did not prevent his parents' deaths, which Athena says is not how gods work. Cho angrily goes to confront Dupree, who reveals he

6864-534: The statue base from Kom el-Hetan in Amenhotep III 's kingdom ( LHIII A:1) mentions a name similar to Thebes, spelled out quasi-syllabically in hieroglyphs as d-q-e-i-s , and considered to be one of four tj-n3-jj ( Danaan ?) kingdoms worthy of note (alongside Knossos and Mycenae). * Tʰēgʷai in LHIIIB lost contact with Egypt but gained it with "Miletus" ( Hittite : Milawata ) and "Cyprus" (Hittite: Alashija ). In

6952-675: The story of Hercules and Amadeus Cho. A continuation of both "Planet Hulk" and "World War Hulk" began in May 2009. A special stand-alone prologue and Skaar: Son of Hulk #11 saw the beginning of " Planet Skaar ", an arc intended to bring Skaar directly into the middle of the Marvel Universe . Following the return of the Silver Savage (the Silver Surfer ), events begin to spiral, forcing Skaar to not only abandon Sakaar but also head toward Earth. As

7040-534: The version of the Sentry that was responsible for the outbreak in the first place. This Hulk goes on to join Spider-Man 's team of New Avengers when the Sentry turns against him. In Chris Giarrusso's Mini Marvels comics, a World War Hulk three-story series had been written. Zen Studios developed a virtual pinball adaptation of the limited comic series, releasing it on the comic's fifth anniversary in 2012 as part of

7128-511: The winter months, Thebes is sometimes affected by the Aegean sea-effect snow , with snow depths reaching over 50 centimetres (20 in) on several occasions. Due to its inland location, Thebes may also record very low minimums. In recent years, as registered by the meteorological station operated by the National Observatory of Athens within the city limits, the record minimum temperature

7216-502: Was Athena's original choice for champion, but rejected the position, and began killing anyone who might possibly lead Athena to him; however, he does not know where Maddy is. Cho declines to fight him, saying he is not worth it, a declaration which leads to Dupree committing suicide. Cho uncovers evidence of a superweapon called "Continuum" that Dupree developed for Hera, and shares this information with Athena: both conclude they must immediately find Hercules. Athena and Cho attempt to gather

7304-560: Was named the Cadmeia in his honor and was an intellectual, spiritual, and cultural center. Thebes is situated in a plain, between Lake Yliki (ancient Hylica ) to the north, and the Cithaeron mountains, which divide Boeotia from Attica , to the south. Its elevation is 215 m (705 ft) above mean sea level . It is about 50 km (31 mi) northwest of Athens , and 100 km (62 mi) southeast of Lamia . The A1 motorway and

7392-626: Was permanently moved to Athens. After 1240, the Saint Omer family controlled the city jointly with the de la Roche dukes. The castle built by Nicholas II of Saint Omer on the Cadmea was one of the most beautiful of Frankish Greece. After its conquest in 1311 the city was used as a capital by the short-lived state of the Catalan Company . In 1379, the Navarrese Company took the city with the aid of

7480-434: Was revealed by series writer Greg Pak , Mister Fantastic , Reed Richards, is not amused with the arrival of another Hulk -like being, and the meeting between father and son will not be very pleasant for the Hulk. In the 2010 " World War Hulks " storyline, it is revealed that the satellites used to revert Hulk to Banner at the end of "World War Hulk" siphoned off the gamma radiation from his body, in order to collect it for

7568-558: Was the most dominant city-state at the time of the Macedonian conquest of Greece. During the Byzantine period, the city was famous for its silks. The modern city contains an archaeological museum, the remains of the Cadmea (Bronze Age and forward citadel), and scattered ancient remains. The Holy Church of Luke the Evangelist is also in Thebes and contains Luke's tomb and relics. Modern Thebes

7656-534: Was the sole Illuminati member who voiced his opposition to banishing the Hulk from the outset and predicting Hulk's eventual return and quest for vengeance. With the conclusion of the "World War Hulk" storyline, the series The Incredible Hulk was replaced with The Incredible Hercules , which officially replaced the title of the previous series with issue #113, even though the story arc started one issue earlier in The Incredible Hulk #112. The series continued

7744-399: Was unaware that Cho would be there. The skirmish is interrupted by the arrival of Osborn's Dark Avengers , tipped off by Hercules' estranged wife Hebe (who is working as Hera's assistant). The battle allows the heroes to escape, before an alliance between the two groups of villains is concluded. Athena sends Hercules and Cho to Hades to attempt to rescue Zeus in order to counter Hera. Pluto

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