Plot

The son of Zeus and Hera is stripped of his immortality as an infant and must become a true hero in order to reclaim it.

Hercules, son of the Greek God, Zeus, is turned into a half-god, half-mortal by evil Hades, God of the Underworld, who plans to overthrow Zeus. Hercules is raised on Earth and retains his god-like strength, but when he discovers his immortal heritage Zeus tells him that to return to Mount Olympus he must become a true hero. Hercules becomes a famous hero with the help of his friend Pegasus and his personal trainer, Phil the satyr. Hercules battles monsters, Hades and the Titans, but it is his self-sacrifice to rescue his love Meg which makes him a true hero.—Kristi Connolly <[email protected]>

After the monstrous Titans were imprisoned by the powerful Zeus, a baby was born to Zeus whom he names Hercules. But when Hercules is suddenly stolen from Mt Olympus by Pain and Panic, the henchmen of the villainous Lord of the Underworld Hades, he is stripped of his godly appearance but keeps his godly strength. Raised among the mortal world as a human, Hercules is confused about where he belongs. Hercules is told that if he proves to be a true hero on Earth, his true form as a god will be restored. So he learns from a satyr named Philoctetes all the ways of being a hero. But his journey towards his return home as a god is suddenly put to a halt when he crosses paths with a beautiful Dame named Meg, who works in secret for Hades. Falling in love while defending a town, Hercules soon realizes that it is his destiny to save both the Mortal world and Mt. Olympus from Hades, who plans to overthrow Zeus to rule Olympus forever.—Blazer346

Zeus, ruler of the Greek gods on Olympus, has great plans for his newborn son Hercules, but Zeus's brother Hades, whom the Fates warned the kid is destined to frustrated his plans for revenge for his banishment to rule the underworld after the Titans' defeat, sends demons Panic and Pain to magically render him mortal and eliminate the threat. Luckily the klutzes fail to do it properly, and fearing grim Hades's wrath leave the infant, whose strength was preserved, on earth. Unaware of his divine origin, Hercules is raised by Amphitryon and Alcmene, then learning his true heritage trained expertly by the satyr Philoctetes and receives from Zeus a mount for an Olympian: the flying horse Pegasus. eager to earn a place on Olympus, he champions humanity, fighting off monsters and falls in love with beautiful Meg, unaware she was sent by Hades but also falls for him. After Hercules helps defeat Hades's usurpation of Zeus's throne it's truth time for all.—KGF Vissers

After Zeus fights and sends the Titans to the underworld, he becomes the ruler of Mount Olympus, home of all greek gods. Hades is sent to rule the underworld, but he makes plans to throw Zeus out of Mount Olympus with the Titans' help. The three Fates warn him that his plans would be endangered if Hercules, Zeus newborn child, is still around by the time he tries to take over Mount Olympus. Hades sends Pain and Panic to turn Hercules into a mortal and kill him, but they fail in their attempt and leave him on earth with his divine strength to be raised as a human. Hercules grows up but later learns he is the son of gods, and in order to return to Mt. Olympus he must turn into a "true hero". He is trained by Phil the satyr and becomes the most famous hero in ancient Greece after battling monsters of all kinds. He even saves Mt. Olympus from Hade's take-over, but he only becomes a god again after he offers to exchange his life in order to save Meg, his love, from Hades' underworld and shows that a true hero must have a strong heart and not only physical strength.—Marcos Eduardo Acosta Aldrete

The story is narrated by the Muses namely Calliope (Lillias White), Melpomene (Cheryl Freeman), Terpsichore (LaChanze), Thalia (Roz Ryan) and Clio (Vaneese Thomas).

Mt Olympus, Zeus (Rip Torn) and his wife Hera (Samantha Eggar) give birth to a son named Hercules (Tate Donovan). They love Hercules very much. Zeus gifts him a flying horse called Pegasus. While the other gods are joyful, Zeus' wicked brother Hades plots to overthrow Zeus and rule Mount Olympus.

The Lord of the Underworld, Hades (James Woods), summons the 3 fates Clotho (Amanda Plummer), Lachesis (Carole Shelley), Atropos (Paddi Edwards) who tell him that in 18 years, when the planets align, if he unleashes the Titans (who were imprisoned by Zeus), he will defeat Zeus and rule over all. However, if Hercules fights, Hades will fail.

Hades assigns, Pain (Bobcat Goldthwait) and Panic (Matt Frewer) his henchmen, to turn Hercules mortal, and kill him by providing them with a potion that can strip a god of immortality. The two kidnap the baby, take him down to valley on Earth and feed him the potion. However, before Hercules drinks the last drop, two farmers pass nearby and startle the demons, causing them to drop the bottle. Hercules is stripped of immortality but retains his god-like strength. Pain and Panic attempt to murder the baby by turning into snakes, but Hercules easily overpowers them. The farmer couple adopt Hercules and Pain and Panic decide not to report their failure to Hades. Zeus finds Hercules, but since he is mortal now, he cannot be brought back to Mount Olympus. Zeus is forced to leave his beloved son in the mortal world.

As Hercules approaches his teenage years, Hercules is shunned by society as he keeps causing accidental destruction on account of his God-like strength. Hercules knows he doesn't fit in the world. His adoptive father Amphitryon (Hal Holbrook) and mother Alcmene (Barbara Barrie) tell him about how they found him with a medallion bearing the symbol of the gods.

Hercules sets off for the Temple of Zeus to find answers. Zeus comes to life, first scaring Hercules, but then explaining how he is the young boy's father. Zeus explains that if Hercules can become a True Hero, he'll be able to return to My Olympus and re-join them. Zeus provides Hercules with his forgotten childhood friend Pegasus and sends them off to find Philoctetes / Phil (Danny Devito), the trainer of heroes. Phil has retired in frustration after none of his past students managed to earn a constellation in the sky. Phil agrees to train Hercules after seeing his strength, and with persuasion from Zeus. After an intense period of training, Hercules grows from a scrawny teenager to a buff young man.

At Hercules' insistence to try what he has learned, Phil, Hercules and Pegasus head for the city of Thebes, which is plagued by a number of disasters and problems. On their way they are side-tracked by Megara / Meg (Susan Egan) being menaced by a centaur Nessus. Hercules rescues her & kills Centaur. Meg was actually working for Hades helping him recruit the centaur into his army. She had sold her soul to Hades previously to save a lover who then left her. After they leave, Meg meets with Hades, and his assistants, Pain and Panic. Meg was actually trying to get the centaur to side with Hades, but claims Hercules spoiled her plans. Upon hearing this, Hades angrily grabs his assistants, realizing they have lied to him. Pain and Panic manage to convince Hades that since Hercules is mortal, they can still kill him.

In Thebes, Hercules tries to convince the citizens that he is a hero, but no one is willing to believe him. Then Meg appears, saying that two boys are trapped under a large rock in a gorge. Hercules lifts the rock and rescues the boys, unaware that they are Pain and Panic in disguise, and unwittingly releases the Hydra. After finding out that cutting off one head produces 3 more, Hercules ends up crushing the beast with a rock slide. The defeat of the Hydra causes the citizens of Thebes to acknowledge Hercules as a hero, and further anger Hades.

Hercules defeats many other monsters, many of which are sent by Hades, and his popularity and fortune grow. Statues and merchandise are soon rampant with Hercules' face, and Hercules thinks that his fame will allow him to return to Mt Olympus. But Zeus tells him that fame alone is not enough to get into Olympus but refuses to explain what that means.

Back in Thebes, the conversation has upset Hercules, who wonders if he even has what it takes to be a hero. While in his home, Meg appears and gets Hercules to come with her for an evening rendezvous. However, Meg's intentions are to secretly find Hercules' weakness, but as the night goes on, she begins to find him charming. The mood is broken when Phil and Pegasus show up to take Hercules home. During the flight away, Phil ends up getting hit by a tree and falls off Pegasus. When he comes to, he sees Meg talking to Hades, with their conversation sounding as if Meg has been two-timing Hercules In reality Meg is refusing to cooperate with Hades, who wants Meg to seduce Hercules and kill him, in exchange for her soul. Back at Thebes Stadium, Phil tries to convince Hercules of what he saw, but Hercules angrily hits Phil. Phil, hurt by his protege's backlash, gets up and leaves.

Hades kidnaps Meg & asks Hercules to give up his powers for 24 hours and in exchange Hades will make sure that no harm comes to Meg. Hercules goes through with the deal, only to have Hades then tell Hercules how Meg was working for him. Now drained of his strength, Hercules can only watch as Hades lets loose the Titans that Zeus had imprisoned years earlier. Hades sends Cyclops to destroy Thebes. Even though Hercules is drained of his strength, he still tries to stop the creature. Fearing that he'll be killed, Meg and Pegasus find Phil, who they convince to return and help his student. With Phil's help and some ingenuity, Hercules ends up blinding and finishing off the cyclops, but in the process, Meg is gravely injured while saving Hercules from a falling building.

With her injury, the deal with Hades is off & Hercules gets his powers back. Hercules and Pegasus fly to Mt Olympus, where the Titans have all but over-powered Zeus and the other gods. Hercules helps turn the tide of battle, and ends up defeating the Titans, thus savings all the Gods on Olympus.

When Hercules returns to Thebes, Phil reveals that Meg has died. Upset by this, Hercules descends into the Underworld to get her back. Hercules makes a deal with Hades, that he will take Meg's place if he rescues her from the River of Death. Hades accepts the deal, sure that Hercules will die before he can save her. To recover Meg's soul, Hercules goes to the underworld and risks his life by leaping into the River Styx.

It seems Hercules will die, but upon reaching Meg, he suddenly begins to glow yellow, having achieved God status by risking his life to save her. Hercules manages to get Meg out of the River of Death, much to Hades ranting and protestations, several of which cause Hercules to send him flying into the river, where the dead attempt to drown him.

Hercules, Pegasus, Phil and Meg then fly to Mt Olympus where the Gods are waiting to welcome Hercules back, now that he has become a 'True Hero" through the "strength of his heart". However, rather than joining the gods, Hercules chooses to remain on Greece with Meg, and he deactivates his god powers to show this, but still be able to visit his family. The heroes then return to Thebes, where they watch Zeus form a constellation in Hercules' honor.