The (third) Golden Age HERCULES!

Quality missed having the first (or second) Hercules character by one month!! They were beaten by Timely with MYSTIC COMICS #3 (June 1940) and Archie Comics with BLUE RIBBON COMICS #4 (June 1940)!!

Three Hercules heroes in 2 months!! Whoda thunk? This one is probably the funnest! And he's got to be the most flamboyant!

From International Hero:

First Appearance: HIT COMICS #1 (July 1940)

Joe Hercules grew up in the North Woods, and by the time he reached adulthood, he was incredibly strong. Naturally he got himself a job working at a local circus. After criminals illegally foreclosed on his widowed mother's house, causing her to die of a heart attack from the shock of being told her home was to be repossessed, Joe sought revenge. He tracked the villains to New York, where he beat up some of the gang, only to be thrown into jail for his trouble. There he chanced upon a comic telling of the exploits of Doll Man, which inspired him to break out, put on a costume, track down the leader of the gang, and force him to confess his crimes. Using just his mythic surname, Joe decided to continue his newfound career as a crimefighter.

Now let's read a fun story. "Wheee!" You go boy!

from
HIT COMICS #12 (June 1941)
written by ?; art by Reed Crandall; cover by Lou Fine



You can download HIT COMICS #12
and lots of other awesome golden-age goodness
from Golden Age Comics Downloads!