| Mercury | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Other Names |
Hermes, Turms, Lugus |
|
First Appearance |
Roman Myth |
|
Created by |
Unknown |
Origin[]
Mercury is a major god in Roman religion and mythology, being one of the 12 Dii Consentes within the ancient Roman pantheon. He is the god of financial gain, commerce, eloquence, messages, communication (including divination), travelers, boundaries, luck, trickery, and thieves; he also serves as the guide of souls to the underworld and the "messenger of the gods".
In Roman mythology, he was the son of Maia, one of the seven daughters of the Titan Atlas, and Jupiter. In his earliest forms, he appears to have been related to the Etruscan deity Turms; both gods share characteristics with the Greek god Hermes. He is often depicted holding the caduceus in his left hand. Similar to his Greek equivalent Hermes, he was awarded a magic wand by Apollo, which later turned into the caduceus, the staff with intertwined snakes.
The cult of Mercury is ancient, and tradition has it that his temple on the Aventine Hill in Rome was dedicated in 495 bce. There Mercury was associated with Maia, who became identified as his mother through her association with the Greek Maia, one of the Pleiades, who was the mother of Hermes by Zeus; likewise, because of that Greek connection, Mercury was considered the son of Jupiter. Both Mercury and Maia were honoured in the Mercuralia festival on May 15, the dedication day of Mercury’s temple on the Aventine.
Mercury is sometimes represented as holding a purse, symbolic of his business functions. Artists, like followers of Roman religion themselves, freely borrowed the attributes of Hermes and portrayed Mercury also wearing winged sandals or a winged cap and carrying a caduceus (staff).
Fawcett[]
When Billy Batson transformed into Captain Marvel he would gain the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury. The wizard Shazam, Captain Marvel Jr., and the Lieutenant Marvels also possess the same powers.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Mercury from before January 1, 1930 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Aeneid
- Fasti
- Orlando Furioso
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- America's Greatest Comics #5
- Boy Comics #10
- Hit Comics #31, 33, 38
- Yellowjacket Comics #1-2, 10
- Four Color #692
- Kid Eternity #5, 9
- Jumbo Comics #31
- Skeleton Hand in Secrets of the Supernatural #6
- New Fun #4
- Wham Comics #1
- National Comics #32
- Humdinger vol. 1 #4
Notes[]
- The planet Mercury was named after the Roman god.
- Mercury features in the first published comic book story of Jack Kirby, Mercury in the 20th Century, published in Red Raven Comics 1, 1940.
- The Digimon Mercurymon was named after the Roman god.
Gallery[]
