Hercules

You think you know the truth

about him? You know nothing.

His father was Zeus. The Zeus.

King of the gods.

His mother, Alcmene, a mortal woman.

Together, they had a boy.

Half human, half god.

But Zeus' queen, Hera, saw this

bastard child as an insult,

a living reminder of her

husband's infidelity.

Alcmene named the boy Hercules,

which means "glory of Hera,"

but this failed to

appease the goddess.

She wanted him dead.

Luckily, he took after his father.

Once he reached manhood, the gods

commanded him to perform Twelve Labors,

twelve dangerous missions. If he

completed them all and survived,

Hera agreed to finally

let him live in peace.

He fought the Lernean Hydra!

He battled the Erymanthean Boar!

But his greatest Labor

was the Nemean Lion.

This was no ordinary beast.

It had a hide so tough,

no weapon could penetrate it.

But even this monster was no

match for the son of Zeus.

- What a load of crap!

- Every word is true.

You know what I think? This friend

of yours doesn't even exist.

Laugh all you want. He's coming. And

be warned, Gryza, he despises pirates.

Macedonia has been good to us.

Plenty of villages

ripe for pillaging.

We are here to stay. Finish him.

The more you struggle,

the faster you drop.

Indeed, your fleet is strong. I...

Yet, as I was about to explain

before I was so rudely interrupted,

the Nemean Lion was strong, too.

Yet, he still destroyed it.

And not with a sword or

a spear or arrows. No!

I did it with my bare hands!

Or so they say.

- Hercules.

- Is this all the men you have?

There's 40 of us. One of you.

The king of this land has offered

me gold to dispose of you.

So leave, or die.

I get paid either way.

Make him bleed.

Five men with a single blow.

Still think you can

destroy the son of Zeus?

Bring me his head!

Seems they need more

convincing, Autolycus.

That's why we're here.

Atalanta.

Amphiaraus.

May Zeus forgive you.

Tydeus?

Die, Hercules!

Ah, good man.

Hurry! Hurry! Uncle!

Uncle, hurry! Hurry! Hurry!

Any longer, Uncle...

And the girls would finally

be safe from your attentions.

The rest of you may go.

But not you.

Thirteen,

14, 15, 16,

- 17, 18, 19, 20.

- That was fun.

Twenty pirates at two

gold pieces a head,

minus the headless ones. Let's see.

Not a bad night.

You see how the pirates ran?

My story softened their resolve.

Their resolve must be broken, Iolaus.

When you spread the legend of

Hercules, make it bigger, scarier.

The more they believe Hercules

is truly the son of Zeus,

the less likely they are to fight.

Oh!

Aye.

- Amphiaraus?

- Mmm?

Care to join us here on Earth?

A lion and a crow in strange alliance,

fighting across a sea of corpses.

If you're going to use those herbs,

Amphiaraus, at least share.

Huh?

Hold it! Hold it! Hold it! Hold it!

Fight it!

Keep practicing, boys!

So who's next? You? You?

Ah!

That's a pretty sight.

One more payday, Autolycus,

that's all we need.

Then we get to live like

the kings we've served.

Or live simply.

You still dreaming

of barbarian lands?

Beyond the Aegean.

At the shores of the Black Sea.

That is where I will live out the

rest of my days in solitude.

- Boring, if you ask me.

- Maybe so, Autolycus.

But I'll never find peace unless

I move as far away as possible.

What of Tydeus? Without you to temper

his rage, I fear what he may become.

Tydeus will go with me. Civilization

has become too civilized for us.

Uncle!

Join us. The girls are

eager to welcome you.

See? I told you I knew Hercules.

- Are you his servant?

- I'm his nephew.

- Are you, really?

- I tell of Hercules' Twelve Labors,

like the Nemean Lion,

the Apples of the Hesperides,

the Belt of Hippolyta with its buxom

naked Amazons and exciting bondage.

- I immortalize him...

- He talks, while the rest of us fight.

It is a wonder you share the

same blood as Hercules.

Have fun.

- Ladies.

- Oh...

- What do you want with Hercules?

- My words are for him, not you.

Atalanta, it's all right.

- You certainly are a hard man to find.

- Maybe I don't want anyone to find me.

I'm not just anyone. My name is

Ergenia, daughter to Lord Cotys.

Your father is most fortunate

to have such a beautiful heir.

My father is most unfortunate.

He battles a warlord, Rhesus.

Our land is torn by civil war. Every day,

villages are destroyed, crops ruined,

- innocents slaughtered.

- We all have problems.

Well, perhaps I can convince you

to make our problems your own.

Unfortunately, My Lady, Hercules is fully

committed till the Feast of Dionysus.

We could, however, advance you to

the front of the line, for the right price.

Hmm. I thought heroes

fight for glory.

But mercenaries fight for gold.

- Lord Cotys is a rich man.

- I like him already.

If you agree to aid him,

he will pay your weight in gold.

Eat up.

"A lion and crow in

strange alliance."

Told you.

Where are we going?

It is good to see you safe, My Lady.

This war claims more victims every day.

We were concerned, My Lady.

Thank you, General Sitacles.

I was well protected.

Ah.

The mighty Hercules. An honor.

Though not quite as big

an honor as I expected.

General, go tell my

father Hercules is here.

Uncle? Hera. Impressive.

It's meant to be. It took five years and

a thousand men to build her temple.

Hera is the patron goddess of Thrace.

Everyone knows the legend,

how Hera seeks to destroy Hercules.

Perhaps the right cause

might finally reconcile you.

Mother!

Arius.

- You're Hercules.

- That's right.

My name is Arius. I know

all your Labors by heart.

You killed the giant

Geryon with a single blow,

- cleaned the Augean stables in one night.

- Hercules is probably tired.

And the Labor of the Hide,

and the Labor of the Mares.

That's enough, Arius. Come along.

Stay away from him. Men who

deal in violence attract violence.

But he's Hercules. He's no

mere mortal. He's the greatest!

Lord Cotys will see you now.

Have you ever met royalty, Hercules?

Once or twice.

Father!

Megara.

Welcome home, my love.

Hercules!

Whenever I'm here, I imagine this

is what Elysium must look like.

Well, men like us have the means to

create our own paradise on Earth.

Look. Magnificent, aren't they?

Well, do not keep us in suspense.

Are we safe from the monster Hydra?

The Hydra's heads, Your Majesty.

The masks of serpents.

No wonder men thought

they were monsters.

You've done your sovereign

a great service. Come.

Let the people have their hero.

All hail King Eurystheus.

And the mighty protector

of Athens, Hercules!

Hercules! Hercules! Hercules!

A man faced with such adoration might

be tempted to think himself a god.

I only want to be a

husband and a father.

Lord Cotys awaits.

Hercules.

Welcome.

An honor to host such a legend.

Lord Cotys.

But in legend, you fight alone.

My reputation would not

exist without my comrades.

Autolycus of Sparta.

Tydeus of Thebes.

Atalanta of Scythia.

Iolaus of Athens.

- And Amphiaraus of Argos.

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