10 DC Characters Derived From Ancient Myth
5. Hades
Hades occasionally features in Wonder Woman comics, often in a villainous capacity. His DC debut is found in Wonder Woman #16 (1946). Since then he has appeared in various subsequent stories, including the New 52. In the New 52 he adopts the name ‘Hell’, and once again faces off against Wonder Woman.
In Greek myth (like in DC comics) Hades is the god of the dead and ruler of the underworld, a domain allocated to him after he and the other gods overthrow the Titans ruling before them.
His siblings take stewardship of the various other domains; for example, Zeus takes the sky, and rules as King from Olympus’ throne.
Contrary to his depictions in much of pop culture, in Greek myth Hades is not considered a malevolent entity. He simply presides over the natural phenomenon of death in an impartial way. Although, he is also a strict judge, and punishes wrongs accordingly.