Hugo Coghlan

Hugo Coghlan
Real Name	Hugo Coghlan
Aliases	Hugo Hercules
Gender	Male
Citizenship	None
Affiliation	Captain Nemo, Janni Dakkar, Jack Dakkar
Appearances	Nemo: River of Ghosts The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume IV: The Tempest
Status	Alive
Species	Demigod

“

But if I'm honest, it didn't seem like a big enough old world for two of us great strappin' lads, both called Hugo. And when all's said and done, I was the first.

”

Hugo Coghlan (Hugo Hercules,) is an incredibly strong man and considered to be one of the first American superheroes (or "super-fellers" in his words).

History

Early Years

Coghlan is the son of Cú Chulainn, said to be an incarnation of the god Lugh, who was also said to be his father.

Modern History

In his later years, Coghlan, now going by the name Hugo Hercules, worked as a mercenary and assassin for hire. During his visit to Cactusville, Texas, he sired a child who grew up to be Desperate Dan.

In 1890, Hugo was sent to kill Captain Nemo under the orders of Doctor Nikola but hesitated when he realized Nemo was in the middle of his honeymoon which is against one of his principles. Furthermore, Nemo hired him at a better price to kill Nikola instead and keeping him on retainer for Nemo and his family ever since.

Shortly after World War I, Hugo was hired by Clark Savage Sr. to kill Hugo Danner in order to get rid of competition with his superhuman son. He confronted Danner in the ruins of Utopia, where Danner planned on creating his version of Utopia built by "perfected humans." After putting up a fight, Hugo finally killed Danner by pulverizing his skull with a headbutt. Hugo was also employed by the Pink Child.

In 1954, Hugo was responsible for wiping out the last of the giant mutant ants in America. He also fought and destroyed a “[Japan] atom-bomb lizard” (presumed to be Godzilla) and have met (and possibly fought) the Yu-Atlanchi gods in South America - the latter of which he claimed were old acquaintances of his father.

In 1975, he accompanied Janni Dakkar in her pursuit of the Ayesha clones. Following the ordeal, Hugo was instructed by a dying Janni to carrying out her final wish to have Hira and Manfred Mors to rule Lincoln Island until her grandson Jack comes of age.

Source material

Hugo Coghlan is from the comic strip character Hugo Hercules, created by William H.D. Koerner, running in the Chicago Tribune from September, 1902, to January, 1903. In the comic strip, Hugo Hercules, “the boy wonder,” would wander around the city helping those in need. He would stop runaway carriages simply by grabbing them, or catch a falling safe, or lift up an elephant.

Hugo Danner, arguably a derivative character loosely based on Hugo Hercules, was the protagonist of Philip Wylie’s novel Gladiator and the inspiration for Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's Superman. He died when struck by a bolt of lightning.