Hercules: The Legendary Journeys

The Goddess Discord needs a third witch to join Haleh and Sariah, and Seska, a troubled teen, seemed the perfect choice. Now Seska could take revenge on Magnus, the town bully. Hercules arrives to protect Seska from harm after Haleh frames her for witchcraft, for which the sentence is death. Haleh also makes Iolaus believe he was in love with Seska's mother, Lilith. Haleh uses the book of spells to summon Neibros, an evil warlock. But Seska had a change of heart and helps Hercules by undoing the spell. Haleh is then sent back to the beyond, while Seska renounces witchcraft.

Hercules and Iolaus arrive in Egypt just in time to save Queen Nefertiti from assassins. 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.

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 Cronus 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.

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 2. When Aphrodite offered to make Iolaus 2 a merman so he could be with Nautica, he agreed and said good-bye to Hercules forever.

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 Excalibur. 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.

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 2. 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 Iolaus2battled a giant snake and entered the labyrinth. After defeating Ares and Nebula, Hercules freed the Gods. The parallel Iolaus 2, wishing for a bright future in a new world, jumped through the vortex with Hercules.

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. Hollingfoffer 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 really is 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 Hollingsfoffer in disguise. The studio head had been working with Ares in exchange for his own network. Realizing the God of Waractually existed, the writers then wondered whether there might really be aHercules.

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 Cernunnos, 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 Cernunnos in battle. When Morrigan stopped Hercules from killing Cernunnos in cold blood, she realized she had finally embraced her new role as the Druid Guardian of Justice.

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 worshipping Druids, so they sent Morrigan, a half-God woman 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. The remaining Druids 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. Dumuzi 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 Sumer, 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 sacrifice 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.