Issue(s): Marvel Comics Presents #12 (Hercules & Namorita stories only)
Cover Date: Feb 89

Hercules
Title: "Noble fathers have noble children!"
Credits:
C.J. Henderson - Writer
Don Heck - Penciler
Randy Emberlin - Inker

Namorita
Title: "Spring break!"
Credits:
Scott Lobdell - Writer
Frank Springer - Penciler
Fred Fredericks - Inker

Mike Rockwitz - Assistant Editor
Terry Kavanagh - Editor

Review/plot:
Hercules is the sort of God that will help little old ladies getting bullied by young whippersnappers.

But J. Jonah Jameson doesn't like people walking around calling themselves Gods, so he assigns a reporter to catch him in a bad light.

So the reporter follows Hercules around while he does a series of good deeds...

...and, sure, a little partying.

But when Herc winds up in a situation where some particularly nasty humans try to take advantage of him...

...Herc's dad shows up and tells him it's time to start punishing some mortals.

But when Hercules stands up to his father, Zeus tells him it was just a test.

Watching all of this, the reporter decides not to turn in his hit piece on Hercules, even though it will cost him his job.

In our next story, Namorita beats up a bunch of drug smugglers, and after a run-in with the cops that serves as a kind of introduction for her...

...she says that she's leaving for a place where problems like drugs don't exist.

But before she makes it to Atlantis proper, she runs into a bunch of weirdos.

And then more weirdos.

And it turns out that Atlantis does indeed have its share of problems.

Namorita fights the "School", the Oppressors of the Oppressed, and then an Atlantean guard named Arkus shows up.

She then decides to leave Atlantis, only to return when she's reached the potential to solve the problems of Atlantean poverty.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: For Hercules, he's in his original costume and walking around New York, so it should probably occur after he's rejoined the Avengers in Avengers #249 but before his costume is destroyed in Avengers #252 (i suppose it could also take place much earlier). For Namorita, there's no mention of who is running Atlantis, but Namorita is treated like a member of the royal family. For that reason, i'm placing this prior to 1984's Sub-Mariner solo series. That series also showed slums of the Atlantean kingdom similar to what we're seeing here.

References:

• A footnote in a passage explaining Atlantis points us to Saga of the Sub-Mariner #1.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A