Attend, O most devoted of worshipers! For, on this day have the eyes and ears of Olympus been reopened to you. 
- — Hermes src
Hermes is the messenger of the Olympian Gods.
History
He is a member of the Olympians, a extra-dimensional race once worshipped as a deity by the people of Ancient Greece. He is the patron of travelers and thieves, and also conducts the souls of the dead to Hades to be judged. He is the illegitimate son of Zeus the king of the gods and Maia, a female Titan he seduced who was accepted into the Olympian pantheon after proving his godhood and given the role of messenger and shepherd of souls.
Adventures With Wonder Woman
Hermes would later become involved with a coalition of the five goddesses who created the Amazons and be central figure in the Amazons' development to fulfill their mission, even lending his gift of speed and flight in the birth of Wonder Woman. During the Olympians' decision to leave the mortal realm to parts unknown in recovery of their attack by Darkseid, Hermes grew enamored with Princess Diana of Themyscira and saved Diana when she was captured by the malicious witch Circe out of disgust for the Olympians' abandonment of their most faithful follower. Hermes decided to abandon his fellow Olympians and went to Earth wanted to reassert the connection between men and gods. He tried to reconstruct a demolished temple in New Hampshire to fuel worship for him and attempted to earn mortal worship and Diana's love through gifts and shows of generosity, but failed when manipulation by the Children of Ares caused him to lose his powers and resulted in the deaths of various civilians.[1] Despondent and determined to learn more of modern womanhood to earn Diana's favor, Hermes took on the guise of a mortal and moved in with Steve Trevor as a roommate for some time, but prolonged presence on Earth had continuously drained him of his divinity, rendering him mentally disturbed and mortal, forcing Hermes to return to the Olympians to regain his godhood.[2]
War of the Gods and Resurrection
His body was destroyed by Circe in the War of the Gods out of revenge for his past interference and his soul was cast into the Underworld,[3] but he was retrieved and revived from Hades to continue his duties after Athena usurped her father's throne.[4]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Godly Physiology
- Flight
- Healing
- Superhuman Speed: Hermes is the fastest Oympian.
- Teleportation
- Dimensional Travel
- Superhuman Strength
- Decelerated Aging
- Invulnerability
- Telepathy
- Superhuman Stamina
- Magic
- Metamorphosis
- Power Distribution
- Size Alteration: Once he played with thieves, becoming very small into their bag.[5]
- Molecular Reconstruction: Once he created jewels and gold from thin air as a gift to mortals. [5]
Abilities
Weaknesses
- Power Loss: Hermes will gradually lose his powers without worshippers.[6]
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Sandals of Hermes
- Caduceus (sometimes mistaken with the Staff of Asclepius): this staff have two metal snakes which can be animated. The staff can heal living beings in a rate better than Hermes himself. It can also amplify sounds far from the wearer[5].
Notes
- This character or object is an adaptation of Hermes, a character or object in traditional stories. These include, but may not be limited to religious texts, myth, and/or folk lore. More information on the original can be found at Wikipedia.org.
Related
- 101 Appearances of Hermes (New Earth)
- 10 Images featuring Hermes (New Earth)
- 4 Quotations by or about Hermes (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Hermes (New Earth)
Footnotes