It wasn't long ago that Hercules' key issues were reserved for only his hardcore fans. If the movie rumors are to be believed, soon everyone will want a piece of the Prince of Power.
In the comics, Hercules has been getting added attention lately. He's getting a new costume, and he has played a major roll in the recent "Avengers: No Road Home." The bigger news is that he is rumored to be the main protagonist in the MCU Phase Four Eternals movie.
Marvel Studios reportedly is looking for an openly gay actor to play a major roll in the Eternals. Fans have been connecting the dots as fans do, and which character in the comics fits the bill for a movie linked to the Greek/Roman gods? Hercules, who has been portrayed as bisexual in the pages of the comic books, is the logical choice. There's even an alternate timeline in which he and Wolverine are a couple since they're both more or less immortal.
After Endgame restructures the state of the MCU, we can expect more announcements regarding the Eternals, which has been among the most discussed Phase Four projects. It would make sense, then, if Kevin Feige and company choose to add Hercules to the lineup.
What that will mean is that Hercules' key issues will spike very quickly, and you'll want to be ahead of the curve for that. It will be a situation similar to that of Taskmaster. As soon as he was announced as the antagonist for the Black Widow solo movie, suddenly everyone is a fan. Last year, I wrote about "Nobody's Favorite: Hercules," and it could pan out that he will gain a host of new fans before 2019 ends. What issues should you be watching for, then?
JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY ANNUAL #1
Herc's first appearance in Marvel Comics was in the pages of Journey into Mystery, and it was an epic dream match: Hercules versus Thor! Since then, Herc and Thor have had many brawls, and they've had their share of teamups, and it all began here.
Of all the Hercules keys, this is the most significant, and it will be the first to feel the shock wave of a movie announcement. Already it's feeling the effects of the rumors; an 8.5 sold for $600 last month after averaging $300 in 2017. However, the lower grades are still affordable. In the case of the 4.5, it's actually at a two-year low with a 90-day average of $115 after sporting a fair market value of $144 in '17.
Where Hercules gained his modest popularity was in the pages of The Avengers, and this is when he joined the team. Although he has had numerous series, his Marvel identity is as much tied to his role as an Avenger as any of his other adventures. Whether or not he will join the team in the MCU (in the event that he is part of the Eternals movie, that is) is anyone's guess, but it would only add value to this issue if he does become an onscreen Avenger. The best part is you can get this issue on the cheap. At the moment, you can go all the way up to a 9.2 and spend less than $200 on average.
Despite being incorporated into the Marvel Universe in 1965, the Greco-Roman deity didn't get his own series until 1982. The legendary Bob Layton set him on a cosmic adventure fraught with politically incorrectness that would have him tarred and feathered in this era. While you can still get a 9.8 Hercules #1 for less than $100, keep in mind that it has been gaining value over the past two years. Although it has only sold twice in 2019, it has averaged $77 as opposed to the $43 average from 2017.
This isn't a Hercules key issue so much as it is a Champions key. Still, the Prince of Power is the main focus on a cover filled with heavy hitters Ghost Rider, Black Widow, Iceman, and Angel, which is a testament to Herc's importance in the title. Like the other issues on the list, it's budget friendly. A 9.6, for instance, sold for a modest $95 last month.
