Who the Clix? is a series of articles featuring information on comic book characters that have been made into figures for the popular tabletop game Heroclix. These articles are meant to help Heroclix players learn more about the characters behind their favorite pieces.
Today we look at the secret first child of Zeus and Hera: First Born
Appearances in Heroclix: Superman/Wonder Woman
First Comic Appearance: Wonder Woman vol. 4 #13
Team Affiliations: N/A
Created By: Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang
Before recorded history, Hera and Zeus have a son. This son is their first born and on the day of his birth a witch foretold his future. She predicts that Mount Olympus will be under his sole absolute control with death and destruction in his wake. Because of this vision Zeus fears that history will repeat itself with his infant son one day slaying him, just as he had done to his father and his father had done to his grandfather. Zeus orders the boy killed though Hera cries out for her child’s life. The witch takes pity on the boy and leaves him on the African plains were he is adopted and raised by a pack of hyenas.
While he grows, the First Born instinctively knows he is the son of Zeus and endeavors to gain his father’s attention through feats of strength and savagery. Once he reaches manhood he realizes he will never gain Zeus’ favor from the plains and instead chooses to conquer the emerging human world. With his pack he creates an armgy of Hyena-men and conquers the human lands with it. Still, his father ignores him. Growing more and more frustrated the First Born decides that rather than wait for his father, he will seek him out.
The First Born gathers his army and marches on a recruitment drive to every corner of his kingdom. The massive force stands before Mount Olympus and First Born demands his father come out before throwing a spear at the mountain. In answer, Zeus sends a tidal wave that decimates his son’s army and nearly drowns his son. Zeus finally appears before the defeated First Born and condemns him, letting the Earth swallow him to its core. After this day only five beings stood witness to this rebellion: Zeus, Hera who believes her son dead, Poseidon who commanded the wave, Hades who received the First Born’s army and the witch, who chronicled the tale on her skin.
The First Born survives his imprisonment and spends the next seven thousand years clawing his way back to the surface. In the modern day he bursts from ice in the Antartic not long after Apollo takes the throne of Olympus. The First Born is approached by a group of scientists, led by Cassandra who had learned of his tale from the mummified witch’s tattoos, who do not understand his alien tongue. He eats one of them and then is able to communicate with them in their own tongue. The group offers to help him but he refuses their help and sets about his revenge.
He first collects his weapons and armor made from dragon’s hide and bones. He then bargains for his army from Hades and Posiedon, promising to leave them alone in return as well as killing the Last Born: Zeke. This brings him into conflict with Wonder Woman who is unprepared for his strength. While Wonder Woman and her allies retreat to New Genesis, the First Born lays claim to London and waits three days for their return. Upon their return, Wonder Woman, Orion and Ares join together to the defeat the First born at the cost of Ares’ life. This leads to Wonder Woman ascending to become the new God of War.
Apollo takes the First Born and attempts to torture him into subservience. This backfires, however, as the First Born escapes and takes Mount Olympus. The First Born then goes on a campaign of revenge: he kills Hades and feeds him to Chronos, he nearly kills Demeter and prepares to invade Themyscira.
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