Hercules: The Legendary Journeys

Evander, son of Ares, had the power to create anything he could imagine. Zeus, wishing to make amends with Hera, used the boy to free his former love from the Abyss of Tartarus. Unfortunately, the Titans were released, too. Helios and Oceanus tried to destroy Hercules and Iolaus but succeeded only in destroying each other. Meanwhile, the third Titan, Atlas, attacked Olympus. But Hera turned him into stone, condemning Atlas to hold the weight of the world on his shoulders forever. Hercules and Iolaus took Evander home to Nemesis, while Zeus and Hera began their reconciliation.

The goddess Discord needed a third witch to join Haleh and Sariah, Seska, a troubled teen, seemed the perfect choice. Now Seska could take revenge on Magnus, the town bully. When Hercules arrived to protect her from harm, Haleh framed her for witchcraft, for which the sentence was death. She also made Iolaus believe he was in love with Seska's mother, Lilith. Haleh used the book of spells to summon Neibros, an evil warlock. But Seska had a change of heart and helped Hercules by undoing the spell. Haleh was sent back to the beyond, while Seska renounced witchcraft.

Hercules and Iolaus arrive in Egypt just in time to save Queen Nefertiti from assasins. Iolaus suspected Princess Amensu of perpetrating the crime, because Amensu wanted Egypt to attack Greece while her mother did not. But the real traitor turned out to be Prince Ramses, who had appeared to support the Queen. He found the Necronomicon -- the Book of the Dead -- and used his new powers to send stone statues after Hercules and Iolaus. But they evaded the statues and retrieved the book. Ramses was destroyed upon reciting the book's incantation, while Nefertiti and Amensu were reconciled.

Autolycus joined Hercules on his way to the First Bank of Greece and promised not to rob it. Once in town, they found Autolycus' ex-wife Luscious starring in a show at Club Nymph-O-Mania. The next day, the bank was robbed and Autolycus' grappling hook was found at the scene of the crime. Luscious was to blame, but Autolycus took the fall and went to jail. To save his friend, Hercules set a trap for Luscious, recovered the loot and freed Autolycus without having to implicate his ex-wife. The events rekindled Autolycus' and Luscious' feelings for each other.

Hercules and Iolaus answered Vlad's call for help to defend his kingdom against vampires. Arriving in Dacia, they were joined by Galen, whose sister Nadia had gone to Vlad's castle and never returned. Soon they discovered the horrifying truth: Vlad was a vampire, and Nadia had long since joined the undead. Nadia managed to turn both Galen and Iolaus into vampires. In a clever move to save his friends, Hercules ate hemlock and gave his tainted blood to the vampires. Thus weakened, Vlad was no match for Hercules. Upon Vlad's death, the others returned to normal.

Hercules was not happy to find that Creon had taken the throne of Thebes from Oedipus. But Hercules had his hands full with Oedipus' daughter, Princess Antigone -- a brash drunk. As Hercules tried to restore her confidence, Creon and his defense minister plotted to destroy them both. When Antigone was captured by Creon, Hercules raced through a minefield to save her from being executed. Assisted by a group of rebels, Hercules drove off Creon, who fled -- only to be blown up by his own bomb. Reunited with Oedipus, Antigone took her rightful position as Queen of Thebes.

When Hercules saw the Amazons waiting tables and dancing in a chorus line, he knew they had to be under a spell cast by Aphrodite. Sure enough, the goddess of love was responsible. She had broken up with Hephaestus, which threw her powers out of whack. Meanwhile, Deimos put the Amazons to work in a mine, digging for the Chronus Stone. Finding it, he turned the Amazons against Hercules and Iolaus. But Aphrodite finally confessed her love for Hephaestus, breaking the spell. Deimos vanished, and the Amazons returned to normal.

Sin came looking for Hercules in the guise of Serena. She said she needed Hercules' help to recapture Xerxos, a murderer who had escaped from her world of evil souls. In truth Sin was in league with Xerxos. She poisoned Hercules in hopes he would take a life in anger, which would condemn his soul to her domain. But Iolaus was able to keep Hercules from killing Xerxos. The murderer found his sister, the criminal Arciana, and encouraged her to reform before it was too late. Xerxos and Sin returned to their realm.

The Archangel Michael was the harbinger of the apocalypse. He released the horsemen War, Famine and Pestilence upon the land. Meanwhile, the late Iolaus, who defied The Light on the other side to warn his friend of the approaching Armageddon, joined Hercules. Despite Ares help, Hercules and Iolaus could not stop the release of the final horseman, Death, whose first target was Iolaus. Determined to save his friend this time, Hercules fell with Death into a volcano. Hercules' sacrifice earned the world a reprieve, and Iolaus was sent back to Earth to continue his life at Hercules' side.

Iolaus 2 was shocked to learn that Nautica, his mermaid love, had been given legs and was about to marry Lysaka. Hercules went to see Triton to get to the heart of the matter, and found his former wife, Serena. They discovered Lysaka had stolen triton's trident, the source of his power, and Nautica was marrying Lysaka to get it back. Hercules got the Cabiri to fashion a new trident, then left Serena to return to Iolaus. When Aphrodite offered to amke Iolaus a merman so he could be with Nautica, he agreed and said good-bye to Hercules once more.

The Rock of Arges was cursed by Zeus. Villagers who handled it began to fade out of existance, so Hercules saved them by crushing it. Unfortunately, this caused the curse to transfer to Hercules -- which was exactly what Ares, Deimos and Discord had planned. But Hercules slowed his disappearance through sheer force of will, so Ares sent Deimos to finish the job. Feeling jealous, Discord decided to help Iolaus 2 and Hercules find the remaining two stones. When Deimos and Ares inadvertenly broke the stones, the spell was broken. Hercules returned to normal while Ares was sucked into oblivion.

Merlin hurled the vicious warlord Arthur of Camelot and his sorceress advisor Mab a thousand years back in time to Hercules' world. But Mab helped Arthur conquer Britannia. Later she wanted to go back to her own time, and to do that she needed to kill young Merlin with the sword of Excaliber. Hercules and Morrigan captured Arthur and the sword, but mab took Merlin hostage. A fierce battle ensued, during which Hercules dispatched a giant knight and a reformed Arthur displayed newfound heroism. Merlin smote Mab, and Arthur returned to his own time as a proponent of peace.

Nautica, a mermaid, wanted to see the world. But her father, Triton, had arranged a marriage for her. Nautica found a way out when Discord gave her legs. When she met Iolaus 2, they both fell immediately in love. Unfortunately, if Nautica did not return to the sea by sunset, the waters of Greece would turn to ice. When Brutus took her hostage, Iolaus found the strength in his love and handily defeated Nautica's captor. The lovers returned to the beach and after one last kiss, the mermaid swam out to sea.

Hercules and Jason arrived at Cheiron's academy to find things greatly changed. The youths were out of control, and the headmaster left the school in Hercules' hands. Zylus, an upperclassman, had a secret plan to take over the school. When Hercules discovered Zylus and his friends were the masked attackers he had fought off earlier, he expelled the group. Zylus tried to burn down the school, but was no match for Hercules. After the fight, Hercules named Jason the academy's new headmaster, and Lilith -- Jason's first love -- promised to visit often.

Havisha, a former priestess of the oracle of Cyprus, and her boyfriend Drayus were killed by thugs on the night he proposed to her. Havisha rose from the dead on a mission of vengeance. After killing the men who murdered her, she attacked the Oracle. Hercules arrived just in time convince Havisha to stop the killing. She departed with Drayus' spirit. The Oracle, meanwhile, gave up her job because in saving her, Hercules had defied the fate she foresaw. Morrigan, who had accompanied Hercules, departed for her own people, but the couple knew they would always have Cyprus.

Althea, Hercules' former dance partner, became a fashion designer and tried to enter her designs in Oena's fashion show. But Count Von Verminhaven barred Althea as a favor to Oena, who was Althea's rival. Hercules decided to help Althea hold her own show, but he was arrested by the fashion police for wearing leather in the summer. Things got worse when Oena stole Althea's designs and burned her work. With help from Hercules, Titus and the Widow Twanky, however, Althea's show was a great success. Twanky even got revenge on Verminhaven, who had wrongfully destroyed her reputation.

Hercules missed the original Iolaus. He remembered when a sacred ruby had been stolen from the head of the stone panther, and he and Iolaus went to retrieve it. Autolycus committed the crime, and he swallowed the ruby. At dusk the stone panther sprang to life, and a fierce battle ensued. When Iolaus grabbed Autolycus around the rib cage to pull him out of harm's way, the ruby srrang free. Hearing this story, Iolaus 2 hoped Hercules didn't expect him to be as brave as the other Iolaus. Hercules responded that no one could be.

Hercules jumped through a vortex into the Netherworld. There he found his evil double, the Sovereign, as well as the cowardly double of his late sidekick, Iolaus. Disguising himself as the Sovereign, Hercules learned that Nebula, the parallel world's evil ruler, conspired with Ares to imprison the Gods of Olympus in the Labyrinth of Eternal Memory. Hercules and Iolaus battled a giant snake and entered the labyrinth. After defeating Ares and Nebula, Hercules freed the gods. The parallel Iolaus, wishing for a bright future in a new world, jumped through the vortex with Hercules.

When a volcano threatened to destroy the people of Mount Pelion, Hercules decided to blow a hole in the far side of the volcano, allowing the lava to flow into the sea. The Amazon Ephiny joined him, and for a third, Hercules enlisted Kurth, a young man condemned to die for murdering the Centaur Nagus' son. Hercules convinced Nagus to help pull the wagon of explosive crystals. Most of the crystals were lost in a mishap, so the remainder had to be deposited directly in the crater mouth. Kurth took care of this suicide mission, redeeming himself in the process.

Dahak, chained to the altar in the body of Ioalus, hatched a plan to kill Ares, which would give him the power to break his bonds. Meanwhile, the demon showed Hercules how he had seduced Iolaus at the moment of death. Apppearing as Hercules, Dahak promised Iolaus the power to set everything right in the world. With time running out, Hercules was sucked into the spiritual world, where he found the real Iolaus. The two friends fought side-by-side once more, sending Dahak into a fiery chasm. Then they siad good-bye, and Iolaus disappeared into a shaft of light.

Hercules and his friends followed the demon Dahak to Corinth, where Dahak -- in Iolaus' body -- had set himself up as the people's savior. He wanted to return the world to a time when the Titans ruled. Hercules and Zarathustra, a man who resisted Dahak's teachings, found the Stone of Creation and joined Nebula, Morrigan and Jason at the Dark One's fortress. Hercules used the stone to harness the light of dawn. The light became metallic and bound Dahak to his own altar. Hercules then prepared to perform an exorcism that would allow Iolaus to rest in peace.

Studio head B.S. Hollinsoffer ordered the producers and writers to a retreat at Camp Wannachuck, where he hoped they would come up with some better ideas for Hercules episodes. Kevin Sorbo, who was really Hercules, arrived at the retreat and offered touching stories about Hercules and a noble death for Iolaus. He also saved his co-workers from three attempts on their lives, all perpetrated by Hollisoffer in disguise. The studio head had been working with Ares in exchange for his own network. Realizing the god of war really existed, the writers then wondered whether there might be a real Hercules.

Hercules and Morrigan were enjoying life on the island of Eire until they found the Druids slaughtered. Recognizing the work of the demon Dahak, Hercules and Morrigan returned to Sumeria. There, they found Nebula had been bothered by waking dreams of her dead love, Iolaus. When Hercules visited Iolaus' tomb, he found it empty -- and turned to find Dahak behind him, in the body of Ioalus. As they fought, hercules could not bring himself to slay his friend, even though he knew it was no longer Iolaus. Dahak escaped, with Hercules, Morrigan and Nebula in hot pursuit.

Odin believed the answer to the riddle ""When light dies, then will Ragnarok begin"" would bring about the end of all things. Loki went to Odin in disguise and gave him a metal mask. When the king of Norse gods looked into the mask, he was blinded -- which fulfilled the third tragedy. Loki then blew Gilma's Horn, which brought on Ragnarok, and he killed Thor witha poisoned dart. When Hercules poured paint into the Book of Fate, he returned to the moment before he accidently killed Balder. He exposed Loki's plan to Balder and thor, saving their lives.

Hercules wanted to save the Norse god Balder, but Balder explained that his death was foretold in the Book of Fates and could not be changed. Sure enough, Hercules was tricked by Loki, the god of mischief, into accidently killing Balder. An enraged Thor tried to kill Hercules with his huge stone hammer, but Hercules beat Thor and took him to Valhalla. There, Odin -- the king of the Norse gods -- explained that two parts of an ancient prophesy had been fulfilled. If the third part took place, the final nightfall and end of all things would occur.

On the island of Eire, Hercules organized the feuding Celtic tribes to fight Caesar's approaching army. He also helped the half-god/half-human Morrigan find the good within herself. She was the former servant of the cruel Celtic god Kernunnos, and she couldn't break away from him easily because he held their daughter, Brigid, hostage. Hercules agreed to help Morrigan get her child back, and together they defeated Kernunnos in battle. When Morrigan stopped Hercules from killing Kernnunos in cold blood, she realized she had finally embraced her new role as the Druid guardian of justice.

Salmoneus and Autolycus obtained a Sultan's lamp and released Jinni the genie, who gave them three wishes to share. Autolycus asked to be invisible. Instead Jinni made him intangible, so he couldn't grab anything. Salmoneus, meanwhile couldn't decide whether to ask for more sensitivity or more ruthless energy, so Jinni gave him both in the form of two clones -- Cry Baby Sal and Hyper Sal. Forfeiting their third wish, they were returned to normal and imprisoned inside Jinni's lamp. But they escaped, and Autolycus used the third wish to give the lonely genie a roomful of clones.

Bronagh, leader of the Celts on the island of Eire, told Hercules he was their "Chosen One" -- chosen to lead the Celts to freedom. But the gods of Eire didn't like the Celts worshiping Druids, so they sent Morrigan, a demigod assassin, to destroy the Druids. However, when she killed the Druid guardian of justice, she unwittingly took his place. Hercules, who finally stopped blaming himself for Iolaus' death, defeated Morrigan in battle, but the Druids explained that if she died, the spirit of justice would die with her. They disappeared, leaving Hercules to care for Morrigan.

Stricken with grief over the loss of Iolaus, Hercules vowed to bring him back from the Sumerian version of the Underworld. Nebula, who confessed her love for Iolaus in his final moments, accompanied Hercules on his journey. The son of Zeus rappelled down into a cave to confront Dumuzi, the Sumerian god of the Underworld. Dumzumi had been collecting human souls in order to survive, ever since King Gilgamesh had destroyed the sacred chalice. But Iolaus had already crossed over to the Underworld and was lost forever. Hercules' cry of rage shattered the mirrors surrounding Dumuzi's lair, destroying the god.

Nebula took Hercules and Iolaus to Sumeria, where the angry gods were leveling cities. To remedy the situation, King Gilgamesh took Hercules with him on a series of physical trials in a pyramid, where they retrieved a chalice of sacred nectar. But Gilgamesh betrayed Hercules by drinking the nectar and crushing the cup, becoming a disciple of the demon Dahak. Next, Gilgamesh tried to scarifice a warrior heart -- Nebula's. But Iolaus, who was in love with Nebula, saved her by taking the dagger himself. Hercules destroyed Gilgamesh, but he was too late for Iolaus, who died in his arms.

While Iolaus paid a visit to his mother, Hercules explored Olympus. He was hurt to learn the real reason his father had brought him there: Zeus needed protection from Hera and the other gods, who were conspiring against him. But Hercules couldn't turn his back on his father. Then Zeus allowed Hera to rip away his godhood in order to save Alcmene's spirit from eternal hell. Hercules went to the dark side of Olympus, where he overcame Apollo and Hera in battle. Zeus' godhood was restored, Alcmene returned to the Elysian Fields, and Hercules became a half-mortal again.

Upon Alcmene's death, Zeus asked Hercules to join him in ruling the gods of Olympus. Hercules, still bitter toward his father, couldn't decide. He recalled meeting Apollo, his half-brother, years ago. Apollo gave him ambrosia, which transformed him into a full god. But Zeus chastised his son, saying he was never destined for full godhood. Chagrined, Hercules relinquished his new powers but still fought Apollo to a draw. he then saved young Ariadne from Apollo's treachery. This recollection resolved Hercules' indecision: He agreed to join Zeus on Mount Olympus, where he could do the most good for mankind.

As Alcmene's health failed, Hercules recalled the time years ago when the Parthans invaded Caylan territory. Young Hercules, Jason and Iolaus joined King Eteocles and fought bravely to repel the invaders, but the King was killed. Many more died before Hercules and Jason were able to make an offer of peace, asking King Stavros to share the disputed land with the Caylans. Stavros was impressed by their bravery and agreed ending the conflict. Back in the present , Alcmene passed away and was buried by hercules and his friends. Suddenly his father, Zeus, confronted an angry Hercules.

Hercules' brother, King Iphicles of Corinth, was not with his wife when she died -- he was out controlling rioting soldiers. For this he blamed the vetern warriors led by Ajax and demanded they leave Corinth without dedicating a statue. Hercules and Iolaus, friends of Ajax, tried to intervene. But deadly battles broke out when Iphicles killed Phidias, the statue's designer. Ajax tried to kill Iphicles as retribution, but he ended up devoured by giant sand worms. Tired of the madness, Iphicles relented by officiating at the dedication of Phidias' statue and extending land to the veterns.

Autolycus convinced his former girlfriend, Cupcake, that he wanted to fix her up with Prince Alexandros at a royal ball. In truth, Autolycus wanted to steal the sapphire of Antioch from the prince. Introduced to Alexandros as Hermia, princess of Carpathia, Cupcake inadvertently delayed a war from breaking out between Carpathia and Antioch. But the traitor, prime minister of Antioch, stabbed Prince Alexandros. Finally King Georgas of Carpathia arrived and established peace, while the wounded Prince proposed marriage to Cupcake -- even though he knew her true identity. Too late Autolycus realized he was still in love with her.

The pig Katherine, who had fallen in love with Hercules, told him of her deisre to become human. Hearing this, Aphrodite turned Katherine into a woman in her own image. The human Katherine happily stripped off all her clothes to roll in the mud. Meanwhile, Ares punished Autolycus and Iolaus for turning Discord into a chicken. Mistaken for the big-footed, two-headed Forest People of legend, the pair was on display at a circus when Hercules rescued them. In the end, Aphrodite turned Katherine back into a pig, and the animal was happy to rejoin her family.

Discord shot Hercules with Artemis' bow, turning him into a pig. Then she sent the hunter Colchis after Hercules, but the pig jumped from Iolaus' arms and ran off. After a butcher caught him and threw him into a meat wagon, Hercules was befriended by a female pig, Katherine. Autolycus and Iolaus rescued the two pigs from a slaughterhouse, where Hercules communicated with his friends through Fleevio the parrot. Retreating to Alcmene's home, they eventually got the drop on Discord. Iolaus shot the mischievous goddess with Artemis' bow, turning her into a chicken, and Hercules returned to normal.

After an earthquake shook Los Angeles, the writers and producers of Hercules discovered their star, Kevin Sorbo, had disappeared. An emergency staff meeting was called in the show's production offices. Many solutions to the problem were suggested and rejected. Unable to find a suitable replacement to play Hercules, the writers and producers got into a brawl. Then Ares and Strife appeared, pleased at the pandemonium their earthquake had caused. Just before the show could be cancelled, Kevin Sorbo showed up, fresh from rescuing people throughout the area. Sorbo was in fact Hercules, just pretending to be a mortal actor.

While Hercules and his double, the Sovereign, were stuck in the Netherworld, Iolaus traveled back in time to protect young Alcmene. But he couldn't prevent Callisto from killing Hercules' mother. Callisto then found her own family and, through a series of instinctive actions, she killed her mother and father. As more events began to go wrong, Hercules sent Iolaus a telepathic message: Get the Chronus Stone from Xena's scepter to travel back in time without Ares' help. Using a makeshift lightning rod, Hercules joined Iolaus in the past and sent Callisto back into the vortex, setting the timeline right.

Hope, the treacherous daughter of Dahak and Gabrielle, went to the Ixion Caverns and freed Callisto. Hope gave the warrior-goddess a mission: rid the world of Hercules. Callisto joined forces with Ares, and the two reopened the vortex to the alternate universe. When the Sovereign appeared, Ares snatched his pendant of Hind's blood -- the only substance that can kill a god. But Callisto ripped the pendant from Ares' neck and used the blood to kill Strife. Hope then sent Callisto back in time to kill Hercules' mother, so Iolaus convinced Ares to send him back as well.

When Salmoneus and Autolycus were mistaken for the murderers of King Pholus, they disguised themselves as performers in the widow Twanky's all girl dance troupe. Autolycus promptly fell for the voluptuous Cupcake, while Salmoneus earned the unwanted affections of their pursuer, the late king's greedy brother Gekkus. Things got worse when the two men were forced to perform the Hootchi-Coochie-Jiggle-Wiggle in the buff, although Twanky was thrilled. The final showdown with Gekkus on stage was perceived by the audience as part of the show, Cupcake helped Autolycus and Salmoneus overcome Gekkus, who was hauled away as the king's killer.

When they were teenagers, Hercules, Iolaus and Jason banded together to kill the Ghidra, one of Hera's deadly pets. On their journey they met the beautiful young Medea, who decided to join their quest. Soon a love triangle developed in which Medea fell for Hercules while Jason was smitten with Medea. Their jealousies temporarily drove the friends apart, which was Hera's plan all along. But Medea wanted no part of Hera when the angry goddess struck down Jason. Medea healed Jason with her own powers and helped the three friends defeat the hideous, two-headed Ghidra in its lair.

Hercules' good deeds landed him on trial when Kazankis, a Hercules impersonator, was killed. Charged with manslaughter, sedition and undermining the authority of the gods, Hercules pleaded innocent on all counts. But Spencius, the government prosecutor, showed how Hercules' acts of heroism caused Kazankis and others to emulate his actions, putting themselves and their families at risk. Although Hercules began to doubt himself, he told the court that society needs heroes who are not afraid to risk their lives for others. The case was ultimately dismissed, and Hercules was freed.

Hercules reluctantly agreed to pose nude for King Armand's new museum centerpiece in exchange for the King's donation to the war orphans' fund. Meanwhile, the blacksmith, Atalanta, feeling lonely and frustrated, turned a pile of scrap metal into the towering , magnificent man of her dreams. But she didn't expect Hephaestus to bring the sculpture to life as a newborn Hercules. The evil goddess Discord prompted the impressionable ""Herc"" to commit murder, thus framing Hercules. In a final confrontation, Herc turned over a new leaf, helping Hercules save Atalanta's life. Herc was crushed in the process, his body reverting to scrap.

Ever since she was a little girl, Althea wanted to be a dancer. The awkward young woman endured taunts from the graceful Oena because she wanted to compete in the Panathenia ballroom dance competition. Then Hercules volunteered to be her dance partner. Anxious to make sure the duo would not defeat his niece Oena, Asterius tried to have them killed. But they thwarted his paln and took lessons from the widow Twanky. After fighting off an attack by Asterius' henchmen, Hercules and Althea arrived at the Panathenian just in time and performed the dance of their lives to thunderous applause.

Ruun's parents were killed by renegade Amazons, who blind ed the boy during their attack. Years later, Hercules freed Ruun from slavery and the two searched for Ruun's sister, Siri. When they found her, they discovered she had grown up to become a confident, battle-savvy Amazon warrior. The Amazon Mayhem had told Siri she was abandoned by her parents, and Hercules forced her to question this story. During a Fire Stakes ceremony in which Mayhem and Siri battled Hercules, Siri discovered the truth: Mayhem had betrayed her. The evil Amazon fell to her death and the siblings were reunited.

Fleeing from Ares' soldiers, Nemesis burst into Hercules' campsite and proclaimed him the father of her sixpmonth-old son, Evander. Then she slipped away, leaving Hercules and Iolaus with the child, who soon demonstrated god-like powers. When they found her again, Nemesis revealed that the child was the son of Ares. The goddess Discord was consumed by jealousy and tried to make off with the baby, but Evander dispatched her over a tower wall. The powerful infant returned himself to the arms of his mother, and after a vicious battle with Hercules, Ares gave up his struggle for the baby.

A lightning bolt from the dying Zeus opened a vortex to a parallel universe, where Iolaus was a jester and Hercules was the malevolent Sovereign. This alternate Hercules and the alternate Xena were lovers, and they were attempting to kill Zeus with Hind blood. Ares, meanwhile, was the god of love, not war, and Aphrodite was a modest, sensitive goddess. When the vortex reappeared, Hercules, Iolaus, the Sovereign and the alternate Iolaus all wound up inside and fought a furious battle. Each managed to return to his proper universe except the Sovereign, who was trapped inside the vortex.

The pirate captain Nebula tried to bury her stolen trunk of jewels in a seaside cave. But the horrifying Arachne, half spider and half woman attacked her. When Hercules and Iolaus showed up, they joined forces with Nebula to try and destroy Arachne before she could destroy them. Arachne swooped down from the ceiling of the cave and snatched Iolaus. Finding his friend wrapped in a cocoon, Hercules took on the spider-woman. During the fight he held up a reflective shield, and when Arachne saw her own image, she backed away in horror, right into a flaming cocoon.

Celestra -- also known as "Death" -- came for Jaris, Hercules old friend. The goddess' appearance prompted Hercules to remember the time when, as a cocky youth, he met Celestra for the first time. It happened when young Hercules accidentally killed Jaris' brother, Bartoc. Hercules had kept the truth from Jaris and his family family for a while, but finally revealed his secret when a teenage gang attacked. But that was all in the past; now Hercules had to stop his friend from a rampage against the evildoers of his town. Celestra finally took Jaris, leaving Hercules with his memories.

Iolaus was depressed by his failure to save a woman from falling to her death, and he told Hercules to find another partner. Fortune, the goddess of luck, was behind it all. Feeling bad for Iolaus, she tried to make amends by wiping his memory of the tradegy. Unfortunately, the meddlesome Fortune accidentally erased his entire memory, including Hercules. Iolaus went to work for the troublemaker Zeno and wound up fighting Hercules until the son of Zeus convinced his friend he had the heart of a hero -- not a killer. Then Hercules summoned Fortune, who restored Iolaus' memory.

With help from Autolycus, the king of thieves, Hercules set out to find Lianna, who had been kidnapped by the giant Typhoon and taken to a castle in the clouds. Climbing a huge beanstalk, the two men found Lianna in Typhoon's castle, caring for three golden eggs that belonged to the Harpies. Captured by the giant, Autolycus instructed Typhoon in the ways of romance. When the eggs hatched unexpectedly, Hercules saved them from a hungry snake-eel. He and Autolycus departed without Lianna, who decided her home was in the clouds with Typhoon and the Harpies.

After his transport ship went down at sea, Hercules found himself on the shores of Atlantis. There he met Cassandra, a beautiful woman whose premonitions told her Atlantis was doomed. But King Panthius, scorning Cassandra's warnings, arrested the young woman and her new friend Hercules. Soon they learned Panthius' crystal-powered cannon had caused Hercules' shipwreck, and enslaved sailors worked the kings crystal mines. Escaping the torture chamber, Hercules freed the sailors and came back for Cassandra. They soared away to safety in a glider as the foundation of Atlantis crumbled, destroying the island city.

Was Cassus innocent or did he really murder an entire family? Hercules was determined to find out before the angry mob lynched Cassus. After a fight, the two men found themselves trapped inside an abandoned mine. A large slab of rock pinned Cassus to the ground, crushing his lower body and condemning him to death. When Iolaus found Cassus' estranged son Nico, and brought him to his father, Cassus finally told the truth: he was indeed a murderer. He hoped his confession might save Nico from making the same terrible mistakes in his life.

Princess Melissa of Alcinia didn't want to marry the corpulent Prince Gordius of Lathia, but she didn't want to be sold into slavery either. Hercules unchained Melissa and the rest of the slave girls in the marketplace. Melissa's sister, Alexa, who had orchestrated the kidnapping, killed their ailing father and tried to claim the throne for herself. She attacked Hercules with the Fist of Tolas, burying him under rocks. But Hercules survived and broke the deadly machine in half. After Alexa was locked in the dungeon, Hercules said goodbye to Melissa, who developed an attraction to Gordius after all.

Hercules was in the middle of a fight with bullies when Autolycus stopped time. Autolycus had stolen the Cronus Stone from King Quallius' palace museum. Suddenly he traveled five years back in time. Hercules witnessed the first meeting of Ares and Serena, the Golden Hind Hercules had married and lost. When Ares tried to kill her, Hercules forced the god of war to spare the Hind's human half. Later, when he and Autolycus returned to the present, Hercules encountered Serena, now a happy wife and mother. History had changed, wiping out everything they shared together.

King Augeus had gone mad. Believing himself Zeus, the King ordered Aphrodite's temple to be rededicated to Hera. The evil goddess herself offered Augeus godly powers if he could kill Hercules by sunset. Aphrodite, angered by the king's actions, stepped in to reclaim her temples and protect the townspeople. Augeus - assisted by Hera - managed to imprison Aphrodite briefly, but the goddess joined forces with Hercules and battled the king until his delusion lifted. Augeus wasn't quite back to normal, however: Now he believed he was Ulysses.

The year was 1789, Count Francois Demarigny was not interested in joining the French Revolution, he just wanted the lady Marie deValle's money. He pretended to be the Chartreuse Fox, and his comrades Jean-Pierre and Robert pretended to be highwaymen. But the Lady Marie outsmarted them, for she herself was the Chartreuse Fox. When she was captured by the French police and taken to the guillotine, tales of Hercules - champion of the common man - inspired Robert and his friends to take action. They freed Marie, gave strength to the peasants and vowed to continue fighting injustice.

Searching for his missing cousin Regina, Iolaus and his companion, Moira, found Salmoneus instead. The craftly friend to Hercules and Iolaus had stumbled upon an underground city that appeared to be a Utopia. But the city's ruler, Kamaros, was brain-washing his subjects with opiate-laced food. Salmoneus and regina had fallen under Kamaros' spell, as had the beautiful Aurora and her 10-year old sister Lorel, whom Kamaros exalted as a supreme goddess. Before he could be ""programmed,"" Iolaus fostered a revolt. Kamaros, who was actually Karkis the Butcher of Thessaly, was slain and the commune dwellers escaped.

Hercules found it increasingly difficult to adjust to life without his superhuman strength. Meanwhile Ares and his nephew, Strife, plotted Hercules demise which didn't help matters. Then Hercules awoke one morning to find his wife lying dead beside him, murdered. He appeared to be the murderer, but in his darkest hour, his friends Iolaus, Xena and Gabrielle came to his aid, defending him against a lynch mob and exposing Strife as Serena's killer. Zeus gave back to his son the gift of incredible strength, and Hercules defeated Strife before the evil young god escaped with Ares.

Hercules asked Serena to marry him, and she found the courage to ask Ares for her freedom. But the jealous god of war was determined to destroy their relationship. Meanwhile, Serena and Hercules traveled to the Other Side to receive his deceased wife's blessing. Deianeira was hurt at first, but Hercules assured her that his love for her would last forever. Ares then acquiesced to the marriage, on the condition that Hercules give up his god-given strength and that Serena become mortal. With Iolaus serving as best man, the couple was married on the shores of a mountain lake.

Prince Nestor wanted the golden horns and hooves of Serena, the beautiful half-woman half-deer known as the Golden Hind. Nestor also wanted to kill Hercules with an arrow dipped in the Golden Hind's blood, and that was a plan Ares could embrace. After Hercules freed the Hind from a thorn wall trap, Ares presented the blood-stained thorns to Nestor. But Hercules evaded the prince's arrows, and Nestor was killed in one of his own traps. Out of danger, Serena and Hercules acknowledged their love for each other and hoped to find a way to stay together.

Alcmene, Iphicles, Jason, Falafel and Iolaus only wanted to throw Hercules a birthday party. Instead they got poisoned by the treacherous Callisto, who was on a mission from Hera to kill Hercules. To save them, Hercules agreed to travel with Callisto to the Labyrinth of the Gods, where the Tree of Life offered a cure. When they arrived, Callisto momentarily trapped Hercules and ate from the Tree, rendering her immortal. But Hercules engaged her in a fierce battle, incapacitated her, and returned home to cure his family and friends with fruit from the Tree.

King Orestes, Iolaus' cousin and identical look-alike, hoped to establish a League of Nations to bring peace to all the kingdoms in the area. But King Xenon of Garantus had other plans. His assissin killed Orestes, and Iolaus assumed his cousins identity to see the peace plan through. Thrust back into Queen Niobe's life, Iolaus and the young widow consummated their love for each other. But Xenon set Iolaus up for attempted murder and planned to slay the other kings. With Niobe's help, Iolaus foiled Xenon's plans and cleared the way for Niobe to continue her quest for peace.

A dragon named Braxis was on the loose in Laurentia, destroying villages and killing warriors who had been comrades of Iolaus and Hercules. The warlord Adamis and the evil Cynea were behind the dragon's actions. They manipulated Braxis and even convinced him that Hercules and Iolaus were responsible for his mother's death. First the two heroes had to fight Braxis until they could make him understand the truth. Then Adamis attacked, accidentally killing Cynea in the fracas. Braxis engulfed Adamis in a fireball, ending the warlord's reign of terror.

A dream convinced Iolaus to travel north, joining others equally compelled. Meanwhile, King Polonius and Queen Maliphone attempted to round up all the male children in the province to make sure their own child would inherit the throne. When Hercules interfered, Hera sent her Death Squad to destroy him, but Hercules and his friends vanquished the soldiers. The king was killed and the queen exiled, leaving the people free to elect their next ruler. Finally, Iolaus and the others followed a shining star to a stable, where a man and woman bent over a tiny cradle.

The ruthless Queen Parnassa of Kastus lost her son, Millius, in battle years ago. Working with Hera, who caused Hercules to suffer amnesia, the Queen formed a plan to make the son of Zeus think he was really Millius, the leader of her bloodthirsty army. But Kirin, Hercules' ""wife"", fell completely in love with him and helped Iolaus to convince Hercules of his true identity. The mention of Deianeira, Hercules' late wife, snapped him out of it before he could pledge his loyalty to Hera. But the victory was a bittersweet one, as Hercules bid farewell to the lovely Kirin.

Aphrodite was consumed but jealousy at the notion that Psyche, a mortal, was as beautiful as she. But her son, Cupid, was in love with Psyche. When Hercules was accidentally shot by Cupid's bow, making him fall in love with the girl, Cupid's jealousy transformed him into a green eyed monster. The change was not permanent, and Psyche began to return Cupid's affections. Finally Aphrodite allowed Psyche to keep her beauty on the condition that she live with Cupid on Mount Olympus. For Hercules, the spell was broken when his thoughts turned to his late wife, the only woman he ever truly loved.

Typhon, the gentle giant, and Echnida, the mother of all monsters, sent word of their newborn to Hercules. But the thief Klepto abducted the child, a squid-like creature named Obie. Klepto brought the little monster to the warlord Bluth, who had been promised power and riches if he could deliver Obie to Hera. Bluth tried to turn Obie into a killing machine, but Hercules handily defeated Bluth, who found himself impaled on his own sword. When they returned the child to Echnida, she saw Klepto's growing affection for Obie and forgave the remorseful thief.

When word of a female killing machine on the loose reached Iolaus, he expected to find the Enforcer. Instead he encountered the Enforcer II, a new and improved version of Hera's assassin. She mortally wounded Iolaus, whose last act was to warn Hercules. Hades sent the original Enforcer with Hercules to defeat the new assassin, but the Enforcer II complicated matters by abducting Hercules' mother. The original Enforcer fought an epic battle with her successor and lost, but Hercules managed to incinerate the new Enforcer with one of her own fireballs. Her destruction returned Iolaus to life.

Awakened by robbers, the mummy Ishtar walked again. Hercules set out to find the mummy with Ishtar's descendant, Princess Anuket. But the evil Sokar was also after the mummy. Sokar acquired the mummy's powerful golden pendant known as the ankh from Salmoneus and prepared to take over the Egyptian throne with the unwilling Anuket at his side. But Sokar was killed by the mummy, who absorbed his life force and grew to enormous size. Hercules defeated the mummy by giving the wrappings a mighty yank, unraveling the corpse. The skeleton spun helplessly into a pool of hot wax.

Hephaestus, the god of fire, secretly pined for Aphrodite. His devious assistant. Iagos, hatched a plan to give Hephaestus a substitute for Aphrodite in return for a powerful bronze shield. Iagos went to retrieve Leandra, a beautiful mortal who rejected Hephaestus 50 years earlier, prompting the god of fire to place her in suspended animation. Aphrodite, who had recently decided to give up matchmaking, went with Iolaus to Leandra's rescue. Iolaus destroyed Iagos and revealed he was Leandra's grandson. Meanwhile, sparks flew between Hephaestus and Aphrodite, who resumed her duties as goddess of love.

Daedalus the inventor was consumed with guilt over the death of his son, Icarus, who had flown too close to the sun. When Hercules found his longtime friend in Euboea, the unhappy Daedalus was inventing weapons of mass destruction for the cruel King Nikolos. Hercules knew the king was taking advantage of his friend's grief. Nikolos tried to kill Hercules with Daedalus' latest creation, the Megalith, but Hercules outsmarted the king, destroying the machine and Nikolos with it. Daedalus burned his blueprints for weapons and vowed to create only things that would help mankind.

The mercenary Derk had committed murder, and Hercules was bringing him to Sparta to stand trial when a terrible storm wrecked their boat. Stranded on a desolate island, Hercules pursued Derk even as a band of pirates chased them both. Fighting off hideous worm-like creatures while searching for water, Hercules and Derk reached an uneasy truce. In time, Hercules came to appreciate Derk as a man of pride and honor despite his wrongdoings. Finally arriving in Sparta and learning Derk would not get a fair trial, Hercules helped the mercenary escape - on the condition that he would change his ways.

No one ever came out of the Cave of Echoes. But Hercules and Iolaus were determined to rescue young Melina, who had disappeared inside the cave. Parentheses, a young writer whom they had recently befriended, joined them in the rescue effort. At first eager, Parentheses became more and more frightened by the bloodcurdling roars from deep within the cave. But he overcame his fear when Hercules sent him down into the pit to save the girl. Fortunately, there was no monster - only a tree root - but the adventure was enough to fortify Parentheses, who walked off arm-in-arm with Melina.

Hercules' old mentor, Ceridian the centaur, was dying. His last wish was for Hercules to find another of his prot�g�s, the bold and brash centaur Cassius, and persuade him not to wage war against the humans. But Hercules discovered the bigoted town magistrate, Gredor, was determined not to treat the centaurs with equality. He even planned to kill Cassius' girlfriend's father, Perdidis, and blame Cassius. When Hercules stopped the assassination and exposed the plot, humans and centaurs refused to resort to more violence. Gredor was driven out of town, and the village fountain was opened to the centaurs.

Deon was surprised to discover he had a magical gift: He could make others do whatever he wanted. First he made attacking bandits drop their weapons and depart. Then he made Salmoneus dance like a chicken. His mother, Aphrodite, who had spent one blissful night with his father, Jacobus, had given the power to Deon. Deon preferred his uncle Karis to his father and had a hard time believing Karis was the secret leader of the bandits. Finally Hercules and Jacobus convinced Deon of the truth. Karis was killed, and father and son were reconciled.

In the town of Corinth, Hercules' mother, Alcmene, prepared to marry King Jason. The marriage of the king to commoner meant Jason had to give up his throne, so he chose Hercules to succeed him. However, Hercules declined, so Jason sent for his second choice, Hercules' brother Iphicles. This enraged chief regent Patronius, who had his own dreams of power. Hera's mysterious Blue Priest summoned Perfidia, a terrible sea serpent, to attack the wedding party. Jason's Argonauts fought valiantly, but Perfidia swallowed Hercules and Jason. The two men eventually destroyed the creature and the wedding festivities continued.

Hercules' sculptor friend Thanis was framed for robbery and faced cruel punishment: the loss of both hands. When Iolaus and Hercules set out to prove their friend's innocence, they learned that the deformed god Proteus, who could change his form at will, had committed the crime. He was taking revenge on the village because Thanis' daughter, Daniela, had fled from him after seeing his real reflection. Forced to battle "himself", Hercules made Proteus look upon his own reflection, and the ashamed god gave up the fight. All he ever wanted was Daniela's love.

Iolaus agrees to stand in for his royal look-alike Prince Orestes on the day of the prince's coronation and marriage to the beautiful Niobe in order to prevent Orestes' brother Minos from usurping the throne.

In the town of Zebran, King Beraeus was about to marry Ramina when the warrior Tarlus abducted her. Hercules convinced the king to let him go after Tarlus, whom Hercules knew to be a good man. He and Iolaus rescued Ramina but she slipped away in the land of the Primords and returned to Tarlus, the man she really loved. Hercules rescued her again but lost her once more. Finally Hercules realized King Beraeus was forcing Ramina to marry him, so he switched sides and assisted Tarlus. After Hercules struck down Beraeus, Ramina married Tarlus.

Iolaus was delighted to meet Aphrodite, who offered him a special golden apple. The apple would make any woman Iolaus wanted fall hopelessly in love with him. The spell worked perfectly on Thera, but there was one problem: She was already betrothed to Epius. Their union would bring peace to the cities of Syros and Delos. Aphrodite didn't want peace; she wanted to control both cities and turn their gold into shrines. Hercules managed to prevent a Syros-Delos war by thrusting the apple into the joint grasp of both royals, uniting them as soul mates for life.

Hercules escorted a young Spartan named Damon back to the village of Propontus, where he discovered the residents were consumed with war. With help from his old friend Atalanta, Hercules organized a series of athletic contests for the warriors so they could prove who among them was strongest and fastest. Salmoneus named the event the Olympic Games. Tarkon the Elean was not keen on the idea, however. With help from Ares, his soldiers were transformed into Mesomorphs, who attacked the competitors. But the Spartan and the Elean athletes joined together to defeat Tarkon's men, allowing the Games to continue peacefully.

Hercules fell in love with Rheanna, a beautiful woman who needed his help. The ruthless King Melkos held the village of Colchis in his tyrannical grip, and he had killed Rheanna's husband. A freak lightning bolt gave Iolaus the ability to predict future events, and he warned his friend that Rheanna would betray him. But Hephates, Rheanna's sister-in-law, was the real traitor. Hercules, Iolaus and Rheanna managed to escape their guards and help the village rebels overthrow Melkos. Rheanna was stunned to find her husband alive, and Hercules bid her a sad farewell.

Hercules and Iolaus traveled to Corith to attend a reunion of Jason and the Argonauts. To their surprise, King Jason had lost his heroic spirit and become a drunk. He had left Medea for Glauce, and Medea took revenge by murdering Glauce and Jason's children. The worshipers of Hera called the Blood-Eyes, attacked and their leader, a masked demon, stole the Golden Fleece. Hercules accompanied Jason and the Argonauts as they pursued the Blood-Eyes to an isolated island and back, finally defeating the traitor Castor and nine skeleton warriors. They retrieved the Golden Fleece and were united in victory.

Nemesis allowed her love for Hercules to get in the way of her orders from Hera. As punishment, the evil goddess turned Nemesis into a mortal. Hera then created the Enforcer - a deadly, inhuman assassin bent on killing Hercules. Disguised as a beautiful woman, the Enforcer left Iolaus near death before finding Hercules. Nemesis tried to stop the Enforcer on her own, but her effort was in vain. Finally Hercules arrived and, after a wearying battle, he vanquished his foe by throwing the Enforcer into a forge, destroying her forever.

The legendary Sword of Veracity renders one incapable of lying. Hercules and Iolaus set out to find the sword in the Thalian Caves, believing the sword was the key to exonerating their friend, Amphion. Trachis, the evil tyrant of the town of Pluribus, had framed the peaceful warrior for murder. With the help of Leah, who turned out to be Amphion's fianc�e, Hercules and Iolaus found the Sword of Veracity and fought off several sword-wielding Minotaurs. Finally, they returned to Pluribus and made Trachis admit his treachery. Amphion was freed, and the town celebrated his marriage to Leah.

The innocent Timuron awaited punishment in the Underworld, and Hades wanted the real wrongdoer, King Sisyphus of Corinth, to take his place. Hades demanded that Hercules apprehend Sisyphus and bring him to the Underworld. It turned out that Queen Karis was unable to have children, and the King wanted Timuron's widow, Daphne, to bear him an heir. With help from Timuron, whose ghostly image scared away the palace guards, Hercules thwarted the king's plan and brought Sisyphus to the Underworld. In turn, Hades allowed Timuron and Daphne to enjoy one night together before saying goodbye.

When Hercules found Typhon held captive in a boulder, he freed the clumsy but kind giant. Together, they went to Plinth, where Typhon made friends with the villagers and their children. Then Hercules learned Typhon's wife was Echidna, the mother of all monsters, whom Hercules had sealed away in her lair forever. Hera freed Echidna and Typhon went to rejoin her. But Hercules could not allow Echidna to go free. Typhon interrupted Hercules' fierce battle with Echidna, and when the monster mother learned how Hera had kept her husband imprisoned for 100 years, she vowed to change her ways.

Hercules' friend Salmoneus hardly realized the trouble he was getting into when he made himself rich by selling off a magnificent treasure trove. The treasure was a gift from the goddess Hera to King Ores, and she was not pleased by Salmoneus' actions. Hercules rushed to defend Salmoneus against the lovely Nemesis, the goddess of divine retribution. Once she understood that the evil Zander was responsible, Nemesis freed Salmoneus from Zander's clutches. Hera sent the fiery monster Pyro after Hercules, but its flames killed Zander. Hercules killed the creature in the end.

Hercules didn't think he'd see his wife and children again - not in this life, anyway. But he was reunited with his deceased family when he went into the netherworld to rescue young Persephone from Hades. If Hercules did not bring Persephone back, the girl's mother - the goddess Demeter - would devastate the land with sleet and snow. To Hercules' amazement, Persephone was in love with Hades. In the end, she did return to her mother, but Demeter had to compromise with Hades, allowing her daughter to spend six months of every year on the other side.

Echidna was the mother of all monsters, and she was angry. Hercules had fought and killed several of her offspring in the course of his adventures. Now Echidna wanted revenge. She planned to force Hercules' mother, Alcmene, to witness the slaying of her own son before she, too, was put to death. The instrument of Echidna's plan was Demetrius, suitor to Alcmene, but Hercules pursued them to Echidna's underground lair. Weakened by an arrow wound, Hercules still managed to defeat the monster mother, sealing her in a tomb forever.

Beautiful Lucina was the main attraction at the unsavory pleasure palace in Enola. But she was also the wife of Atticus, the farmer who loved her. Wracked with guilt, Lucina had run off after a deadly fever took the lives of their two young sons. The dangerous Pilot was not inclined to let Lucina leave the palace, even when Hercules and Salmoneus got involved. But Hercules successfully defended himself against the attack by Pilot's thugs, and Lucina vanquished Pilot. Reunited, Atticus and Lucina departed to start a new life together.

Bigotry thrived like an infection in the town where Lyla lived with her centaur husband, Deric, and their son Kefor. Residents like Cletis, Merkus and Jakar were openly opposed to Lyla's marriage to a centaur. Their group, the Cretans, torched Deric's house in the name of "Athenian purity", killing Lyla. Deric, in turn, killed Cletis and Merkus in self-defense. Jakar then kidnapped Kefor and incited the town locals to lynch Deric. Hercules eventually rescued Deric, who was being stoned by the mob. Deric regained his freedom, his son and his wife, whom Zeus brought back to life.

Hercules and Iolaus were on a peaceful fishing trip when trouble interrupted them. Goth and his marauding barbarians were plundering a country tavern, so Hercules and Iolaus stepped in. They captured Goth and headed for Athens, determined to make the man stand trial. But Goth's brother, Bledar, pursued them, and Hercules' group was forced to take cover in a fortress deserted by all except Charidon and his daughter, Elora - once Goth's lover. Hercules and Iolaus valiantly fought off Bledar's attacks until Elora led them all through an underground tunnel to safety. Elora renounced Goth, who was still Hercules' prisoner.

Hercules' good name is sullied when his mortal half-brother, Iphicles, steals his identity. As Iphicles joins forces with the evil warlord Gorgus and prepares to marry Rena, Gorgus' stepdaughter, Hercules sets out to defend his name. But Gorgus and the warrior Pallaeus capture Iolaus and throw him into the perilous catacombs. Hercules then has to descend into the labyrinth to save his friend. Fending off booby traps, flying blades and the Mandrake monster, Hercules frees Iolaus. Iphicles' ruse is then discovered by Rena and which prompts him to fight side-by-side with Hercules to regain her love. Finally Gorgus and Pallaeus are defeated.

The beautiful Voluptua persuaded the legendary King Midas to create the Touch of Gold gambling palace. Hercules and Salmoneus visited the palace, where they discovered corruption and avarice. Hercules was even tricked into fighting soldiers as part of a show. When Midas had an ethical change of heart, Voluptua's henchman Segallus roughed him up and incarcerated him. To free the king and his daughter, Flaxen, Hercules beat a succession of adversaries in the boxing arena and defeated Segallus as well. Inspired, the townspeople revolted against Voluptua and destroyed the palace.

Iolaus thought he was helping a friend in need when he defended Autolycus from five attackers but Autolycus took off, leaving Iolaus with the box of stolen jewels from King Menelaus' treasury. When Hercules learned Iolaus had been arrested and sentenced to die, he worked with Dirce, the king's daughter and Iolaus' lawyer, to clear his friend's name. Eventually Hercules caught up with Autolycus, the "King of Thieves," in an abandoned castle, where they fought each other and faced many other dangers. Ultimately, Hercules saved Iolaus from execution.

Hercules and Xena thought Darphus had been killed in the battle over Parthis. But Ares resurrected Darphus, who headed off to cause more mayhem with his army. Darphus fed his victims to Graegus, Ares' man-eating dog, and the creaure grew more powerful with every meal. Working together, Hercules and Xena outwitted the evil Darphus and destroyed Graegus. They also fell in love. Although the passion they felt for each other was strong, Xena was compelled to make amends around the land for her past wrongdoings. She thanked Hercules for unchaining her heart and departed.

Hercules was angry to learn that the warrior princes Xena was raiding villages to increase her power and territory. What Hercules didn't know until later was that Xena's lieutenant, Darphus, was the cruel and heartless one. When Xena spared the life of an infant, Darphus forced her to endure the Gauntlet, a series of trials in which she was punished by her own soldiers. Fleeing on her own, Xena challenged Hercules to a duel - and lost. But he spared her life, so she joined him in defending the village of Parthis from her former lieutenant.

A mystery drew Hercules and Iolaus to the city of Tantalus. There, the bodies of fallen warriors were disappearing from the battlefields. Hercules learned that Ares, the god of war, was to blame. After King Memnos' death, his son Daulin had assumed the throne, Daulin's sister Poena, had taken up arms against him. She believed Daulin had killed their father. Ares had created the entire situation merely to satisfy the appetite of his bloodthirsty hound, Graegus. After leashing the vicious beast, Hercules explained the truth to Daulin and poena, bringing an end to the family war.

Menas Maxius, the wealthiest man in Apropus, enslaved innocent men and forced them to fight wild animals for the amusement of his friends and his wife, the evil Postera. One of those imprisoned was Gladius. His wife, Felicita, explained the situation to Hercules and Iolaus, who got themselves thrown into prison so they could free Gladius. Menas forced Hercules and Gladius to fight each other by threatening the lives of both iolaus and Felicita. But the two men turned on their captors and fought their way to freedom, denying Menas and Postera their sadistic pleasure.

The beautiful warrior woman Xena was intent on securing complete control of the region of Arcadia. To accomplish her goal, Xena decided that Hercules must die. She posed as a maiden in distress and effectively lured Iolaus away from his best friend. Xena then used all her beauty and charm on Iolaus, even preying on his loneliness. Hercules discovered Xena's true identity and went to rescue Iolaus. At first, Iolaus turned on Hercules rather than join him. But eventually Iolaus realized the truth. He and hercules fought Xena and her army until Iolaus was injured. Xena departed, vowing a vengeful return.

When Hercules returned to his childhood home to visit his mother, he encountered Oi-Lan on the trading block. The young woman had been taken prisoner by Belus, a notorious slave trader. Disgusted by the spectacle, Hercules bought Oi-Lan and set her free. Then Hercules and Oi-Lan joined forces to free her finace, Cyrus, who was being taken to Libya to be sacrificed to the lions. Belus was beaten in a pitched battle, and Oi-Lan and Cyrus were married at Hercules' mother's home. hercules then invited them to settle on the land he once shared with his family.

Pride and arrogance are ugly traits ill befitting an honorable warrior. Yet Iolaus succumbed to pride as the two men made their way to Thrace. First Iolaus fought a taunting bunch of thugs and had to be rescued by Hercules. Then he took his own path toward Thrace, determined to beat his friend to the city. On the way he met Lydia and escaped several dangers, but Hera sent Nemesis to kill Iolaus for the sin of pride. Only when Iolaus committed a selfless act of friendship toward Hercules did he earn his own reprieve.

In the town of Nespa, the winsome penelope was about to marry Marcus - much to the dismay of Nemis the Centaur. Nemis prayed to Hera for a way to win Penelope for himself, and she gave him a wicked cudgel. Hera's challenge to Nemis: kill Hercules. Nemis enlisted the aid of the centaurs Craesus and Deric, plus Deric's girlfriend, Lyla, who cunningly blinded Hercules. Nemis kidnapped Penelope, but Hercules used his sense of sound and touch as well as his wits, to even the odds in his fight against Nemis. Hercules prevailed, and Penelope was returned to Marcus.

Ares thrived on conflict and bloodshed. Hercules did not share Ares' passion for killing, and when Ares tried to assemble an army of teenage boy-soldiers to do his bidding, Hercules knew he had to stop him. With help from the powerful blacksmith Atalanta and the young widow Janista, Hercules freed Janista's son Titus and his friend Ximenos from Ares' spell. Then he confronted a representation of Ares in his cave, and after a fierce battle, Hercules beheaded his bloodthirsty foe. Titus learned that the way of the true warrior is not to kill, but to destroy forces of evil.

A power struggle threatened to send the peaceful kingdom of Meliad into war. Fearing the worst Queen Camilla summoned Hercules to the annual Festival of Dionysus. If Dionysus, the god of wine, did not find King Iphicles worthy to rule another year, ten lovely virgins would become drunk and slaughter the King in a terrible frenzy. Iphicles was a good king, but he was still in danger. Pentheus, the king's elder son, plotted with Ares, the god of war, to overthrow his father. Hercules battled a deadly eel and then overcame Pentheus, saving the king.

A group of refugees in search of a safe haven came upon the ghost town of Parthus, where the groups leader, Broteas, stole a golden chalice from Hera's temple. The theft brought down the wrath of Hera, and only Hercules could protect the refugees. The seer traveling with him explained that the cursed chalice had been a gift from Zeus to a young maiden of Parthus. Hercules saved the refugees from a violent rock storm, evil bounty hunters and a giant pterodactyl. He flung the chalice toward the horizon and saw the group safely to Calydon.

An entire village was terrorized by a giant Cyclops, prompting a visit from Hercules. It was true that the Cyclops had tossed a traveling toga salesman into a tree and diverted the village's water supply to irrigate Hera's sacred vineyard. But Hercules learned that there were two sides to every conflict. It turned out the villagers had persecuted the cyclops for years. Hercules defeated the Cyclops in battle but spared its life, and the two became allies. Together, they repelled Hera's bloodthirsty henchman, and the Cyclops made peace with the villagers.

After Hercules and his friend Iolaus stopped a band of hoodlums from robbing an innkeeper, Hercules went home to his family. The horror that followed was over almost before it started. A huge ball of fire burst through his bedroom window and consumed his wife, Deianeira. In the next instant the fireball took Hercules' three young children. His step mother, Hera, was to blame. Consumed by hatred, Hercules set out on a path of destruction. But the beautiful slave girl Aegina helped Hercules overcome his grief and set him back on an honorable path.