Zeus

**Zeus the Narcissistic Ocean-Going Tug** is one of the main antagonists in the Seventyverse's TUGS spinoff series, and was the sixth member of the Z-Stacks.

## Backstory

Zeus used to serve in the Navy and served in the same regiment as Hercules during the First World War, but also secretly served as an informant for Hans and Otto. A few years after the war, both Zeus and Zilly were sold cheaply to Captain Zero, who was looking for an ocean-going tug to compete with Hercules of the Star Fleet for the former. They arrived at the same time as Zob, who had been bought from the Pennsylvania Railroad. However, on his first day, Zeus ended up getting himself quarantined for forty days in an ill-fated attempt to steal Nantucket from Sunshine when she was tempted to tow him into Bigg City Port. Despite this, Captain Zero gave him another chance - albeit on menial jobs until Zeus could be trusted again. However, despite this, Zeus would often boast his superiority to the Star Tugs and even the Z-Stacks. As most of the Z-Stacks began to soften, he and Zak were disgusted and willingly joined with Ursula to try and take over Bigg City Port. They would also team up with Jacob Burke, Ebenezer Blair, Mr. Jebediah Broke, Corona, Nightshade, Oleander, Foxglove, Hans and Otto. The evil gang launched a series of attacks during the Second World War, which included the murder of Zeus' little brother Zug, whom Zeus never cared for. Zeus met his end thanks to Zorran who rammed him and Zak, who had Ursula Zero on board into a fuel barge inside a burning warehouse. The explosion killed all four of them. Those who survive to the present day have never missed him - and frankly, never will.

## Relationships

### Zorran

Zorran saw the worst of himself in both Zak and Zeus. As he started to turn him around, he would make sure to Zak and Zeus whenever they stepped out of line. During the final battle, Zorran challenged Zeus to a duel and although Zeus was stronger, Zorran was smarter and soon had the upper hand. Zorran then rammed Zeus, Zak and Ursula Zero into a burning warehouse where the explosion killed all four of them.

### Zebedee

Zebedee never got with Zeus, especially when the former turned himself around.

### Zak

Although neither Zak or Zeus got on, they clearly bought out the worst in each other and both were disgusted at seeing the rest of the Z-Stacks going soft to the point where they sided with Ursula Zero.

### Zug

Zeus was Zug's big brother but, unlike Ten Cents and Hercules, Zeus wanted nothing to do with Zug, seeing him as a 'scrappy little switcher'. He and Zak even went as far as threatening Zug as well as Zip and Zilly with an 'accidental' Final Firing. In fact, Zeus participates in Zug's actual Final Firing.

### Zip

Zeus saw Zip as a 'scrappy little switcher and, along with Zak, once threatened her, Zug and Zilly with an 'accidental' Final Firing. As time went on and Zip turn herself around, she began to get snarky with Zeus.

### Zob

Zeus and Zob never got on and the latter would often make snarky comments about the former.

### Zilly

Zeus, along with Zak, once threatened Zilly, Zip and Zug with an 'accidental' Final Firing.

### Ten Cents

Hercules never spoke about Zeus in favorable terms and after meeting him, Ten Cents could see why. Ten Cents tried to beat Zeus to Nantucket, only for O.J. to stop him. Ten Cents and Warrior also stopped Zeus when they saw him with a barge of bad coal. When Zeus was rude to Penny, Ten Cents defended her and even tricked Zeus into thinking that Nantucket was in quarantine again.

### Big Mac

Zeus would refer to Big Mac as a 'Glaswegian scruff'.

### O.J.

Zeus saw O.J. as clapped out and after the accident with Felicia, Zeus told O.J. to get himself scrapped.

### Top Hat

Neither Zeus or Top Hat ever got with each other.

### Warrior

Ten Cents and Warrior both stopped Zeus when they saw him with a barge of bad coal. Zeus would later steal Warrior's barge off him.

### Hercules

Zeus viewed Hercules his buddy, but Hercules thought differently of him, especially after an incident where Zeus poisoned Hercules with bad coal during the naval maneuvers.

### Sunshine

Zeus saw Sunshine as annoying and tried to get Nantucket off her, only to end in quarantine.

### Meridian

When Zeus made rude comments about switchers, Meridian hit him with a barge. Meridian was not happy to learn that Zeus was part of the Z-Stacks.

### Venus

Venus and Zeus never got on due to the latter's obnoxious attitude. Venus' resentment only grew when Zeus was revealed to a Nazi sympathizer as well as Hans and Otto's informant during the the First World War, even saying that Zeus didn't deserve to be named after the king of the Greek Gods. When Zeus tried to attack Zip, Venus defended her sister against him.

### Penny

When Zeus stated how Hercules could never stick to one woman, Penny argued he would. Years later, Penny met Zeus again in Bigg City Port and Zeus rudely called her a 'birdbrain'.

### Nantucket

Zeus has never forgiven Nantucket for getting him quarantined on his first day on Bigg City.

### Captain Zero

Even Captain Zero despised Zeus due to his constant mess-ups. After Captain Zero turned himself round, he began to despise him and Zak even more as they got worse in their behaviour, especially when the two refused to help when Zebedee, Zip, Zug and Zilly were framed for treason. Captain Zero warned that if the two messed up just one more time, they would be fired. Sure enough, Zak and Zeus were revealed to be working with Ursula Zero behind his back and allying themselves to the Nazis, Captain Zero fired them both - but was killed by Ursula moments later.

### Ursula Zero

When Zak and Zeus were disgusted to the rest of the Z-Stacks for 'going soft in the head', they agreed to team up with Ursula Zero in a plot to take over Bigg City Port.

## Personality

Zeus was a narcissist who wouldn't stop boasting his achievements and superiority from the Navy to the other tugs. He also threatened Zig, Zug and Zilly with an 'accidental Final Firing'. As time went on, it became clear how dangerous he and Zak were as they were both only too good to murder Little Owl and agreed with the Nazis in Germany. Deep down though, he was little more than a coward as when he felt threatened by Captain Zero, he would beg for mercy. Needless to say, no one missed him after his untimely death.

## Technical Details

### Basis

Zeus is based on USS Goliah, a John H. Dialogue and Sons ocean-going tug which served in the United States Navy as a patrol vessel and tug from 1918 to 1919.

### Livery

Zeus was painted in the corporate Z-Stacks livery. This consists of a black hull, a maroon superstructure and black funnel with a stripe.  His name is painted on the sides of his bow in white and he has the number "6" on his funnel. Like the rest of the Z-Stacks, he wears a black fedora with a white stripe.

(Info regarding Wake Up Call)

## Trivia

* The preferred voice actor for Zeus is Richard White, who voiced Gaston in the original *Beauty and the Beast* film.
	+ Originally, he was going to be based on former US President, Donald Trump, right to the speech and mannerisms and his preferred voice actor was going to be Jeff Bergman, who voiced Donald Trump in *My Cartoon President.* However, it was decided this would be controversial due to Victor Tanzig's poor use of political humour in his recent shorts. As a result, it was decided to make him an expy of Gaston from *Beauty and the Beast* instead. Thanks to the aforementioned controversy, Jeff Bergman's Donald Trump voice will not be repurposed to someone else at all.
* Zeus is based on the original concept of the fourth Z-Stack, whereby Zeus would have been a harbour tug.
* Zeus' worst nightmare is being shown up by someone better than him, which does happen, with Hercules. Not that he'd admit it.