HERCULES: FULL CIRCLE

"FULL CIRCLE"
Story and Art: Bob Layton
Letters: John Workman | Colors: George Roussos | Design: Ed Magalong
Editor: Gregory Wright | Executive Editor: Mark Gruenwald
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Layton's graphic novel picks up a thread from his first limited series, years before. Thirty years after his trip to the planet Wilamean in HERCULES (vol. 1) #2, Hercules is drawn back to that world when its emperor, Arimathes, demands audience with him. It turns out Arimathes is Hercules's son by Layana Sweetwater, the young con-artist our hero had encountered on that world three decades before. Layana, angry at Hercules for spoiling her plans and abandoning her, has poisoned Arimathes against his father, and turned him into an arrogant, unjust leader. Hercules eventually duels with his son, teaching him humility in the process, and Armathes finally sides with Hercules against Layana.

Hercules is joined as always by his loyal Recorder robot, and by Skyppi the Skrull. He also befriends a member of Arimathes's armed forces, Fortnite, and a beautiful starship thief named Lucynda Thrust. Hercules is surprisingly chaste throughout the story, which leaves little time for romance, but a mutual attraction between him and Lucynda is teased.