Hercules

Hercules - Mystic Comics #3 - 4 (June 1940 – August 1940)

The origin of Hercules is a rather bizarre mix of the Doc Savage and Tarzan mythos. On a remote Arctic island, scientist, Dr. David raises his infant son, whose name we are never told, to be a "perfect physical and mental specimen". Years later, Millok and Garton, two circus promoters, travel to the frozen North, chasing rumors of the giant of Snow Island. Finding the now orphaned son of Dr. David, they subdue him with gas bombs, chain him up in the hold of their ship and haul him back to America to appear in their circus. Oddly, rather than be upset by this rough treatment, the kidnap victim decides that this is all fine since he, "always wanted to see America". Eventually, Hercules does run out of patience with Garton and Millok, and cracks their heads together – though he still doesn't quit the circus.

While there might be some doubt about his mental perfection, Hercules was pretty impressive physically. He was about 10 feet tall and could uproot fully grown trees with his bare hands. By the end of his origin tale, there seemed to be something developing between our hero and pretty girl reporter Bobbie Drew, but Bobbie is absent from the second, and final, Hercules story.
Neither of his adventures had artist or writer credits, but he was featured on the cover of Mystic Comics # 4, in a typically dramatic Alex Schomburg illustration.