In the beginning, before Creation, there was Darkness.
From the primordial explosion emerged...
the fire of Chaos.
Chaos merged with Darkness...
and from this union were born the elements:
Night...
Day...
Matter...
and Air.
Then, out of this misty radiance of the Cosmos...
there came forth a jar, golden and glittering.
Pandora's jar.
It was filled with all the essences, both good and evil...
of life itself.
From the fragments of the jar...
the planets and the solar system were formed.
Saturn or Cronos...
the world of mystic rings.
Other fragments became the flaming energies that gave shape to...
Mercury.
Yet another fragment gave birth to the colossus...
Jupiter, the titan of the skies.
And so the worlds of the universe were created...
along with the moons that accompany them.
And then, Earth.
And on Earth, there was life everywhere.
But the first beings that the mists of creation offered forth...
were not men.
They were of the supreme essence, and became gods.
They claimed the moon as their home.
There, to deliberate and to decide...
the ultimate fate of mankind...
and of all that lived.
Pandora's jar is broken...
and the forces of evil have been let loose.
The world of mortal men is facing its hour of decision.
It will go down to destruction...
or else, it will survive.
This is their moment of trial.
They've got to show themselves worthy of everything we gods have given them.
But evil is dark and strong.
And it may be that the scales of fate...
are not yet in full balance.
What can I do to equalize both sides of the struggle, Athena?
If you don't want to increase the powers of all men...
then why don't you increase those of one...
so that he may fight for all the others?
Now...
a man who is stronger and more intelligent...
than all other men.
A hero...
with a body forged in the furnace of 1,000 suns...
a body capable of undergoing every labor and every pain...
practically invincible.
Made from the purest of all energies: Light.
Descend to the earth now, Light. As a living being.
And incarnate your mighty energies...
in the body of a newborn man.
Thebes in the Bronze Age.
Four thousand years from this moment...
the royal palace.
Hercules, the newborn son of Amphitryon, King of Thebes...
and of his queen, Alcmene.
He will be Zeus' hero.
Even as the hero is born...
the forces of evil are at work in Thebes.
Commander.
The sacred sword has been stolen from the Temple of Hera.
- The guards have been killed. - Sacrilege.
I'll give the alarm at once, and I'll order all the doors closed.
Have you notified anyone else?
- You're the supreme commander, sir. - Good.
Thebes will repay you like this.
What a shame you didn't see that it was all planned.
Princess!
Now that my man has stolen the sword...
we can go ahead with our plan.
Let the soldiers think it was the king who violated the temple.
They will follow you, and you will be ruler of Thebes...
and of most of Greece.
Provided you kill the king and the queen tonight...
and their son, the newborn prince, the little Hercules.
For you and your father, King Minos of Thira...
the sword that stops the fire.
And for me...
the throne of Thebes.
The evil rebels attacked the loyal guards...
and soon, Thebes became a tragic battlefield.
The loyalists were killed, and the crown was overthrown.
There, Valcheus. Now Thebes is yours.
Excellent.
The son?
I've left that sublime pleasure for you.
Farewell, little king.
You'll never wear a crown.
- Sostratos. - Yes?
The baby!
Where is the king's son? Where's Hercules?
- I don't know. I thought... - Valcheus.
One of the maids fled with the child.
Someone saw her heading for the secret passageway.
Get her. Capture her!
- Mama. - Kill him!
Don't bother.
It's no use. The river will get rid of the child for us.
Back to Thebes, our job is done.
So the newborn baby, poor little Prince Hercules...
sailed on and on along the river, mile after mile...
adrift and alone.
Put that back in the river.
All right.
But Zeus, you put it past the rapids, where it's safe.
You didn't say where to put it. You just said, "in the river."
Zeus is clever. He intervenes for his divine son.
But it's up to me to right the balance.
Poor thing.
- Abandoned on the bank of a river. - Where do you suppose he comes from?
There are no cities nearby.
Perhaps the gods heard my prayers and sent us the baby we couldn't have.
Dear, he'll be like our own son.
In the cosmic chess game between the gods, this was yet another move...
toward the final encounter between good and evil.
And now, among men, where time hurries on...
your hero is growing, and his strength is increasing.
The strength that you gave him, Zeus.
- Your hands possess the power of Zeus. - I know, Father.
But I don't know why.
There must be some purpose for it.
When the time comes...
the gods will tell you what it's for.
Let's finish chopping the trees and carry the wood home.
It must be near lunchtime.
I can finish this forest before you get home.
All right, hurry up.
Hercules?
Is that you?
Father!
That's how all your heroes end up: as stars.
I wonder, how many constellations will there be before you can stop Hercules?
Don't let that worry you, my dear.
I've plenty of followers already preparing themselves...
to attack the champion of men.
Daedalus!
Embodiment of knowledge, reason, and curiosity...
the great genius of invention, master of science.
I, King Minos of Thira...
call on you...
to step into time and space. Materialize out of Chaos.
I need your help.
Minos, when you ask me to help, it means...
you want to serve the gods.
What does Hera want this time?
We have to eliminate Hercules.
One day, Minos, you will have to choose between the gods and science.
Daedalus
You know me. I am dedicated to science.
I do not believe in the gods.
But doing them a little favor can't hurt, can it?
Anyway, the problem is Hercules.
This favorite of the gods must be stopped.
And this is my solution to Hercules.
A small solution to such a big problem.
My dear, size, like time and space, is relative.
Relative also to atmospheric conditions, right?
And on hitting the earth's atmosphere, it will grow...
big, huge, immense...
terrifying.
He is programmed to destroy Hercules.
And whoever gets in his way.
Naturally.
Go, my little metallic friend...
fulfill your destiny.
Turn into the colossal exterminator you really are.
Go, kill, my deadly toy.
Hercules!
- Your mother is in danger! Come! - What?
Mother!
Tell me what happened, please.
Farewell, Mother.
What are you doing?
It's your own house.
I don't have a house anymore, or a family.
I'll have no peace until I find the reason for all this.
Why am I stronger than other men?
Why does my strength bring so many sorrows on my head?
Where will you go?
To Tyre, to seek my fortune.
The King there is holding games...
to find the best warrior for an important mission.
That man is different from the others. He has incredible strength.
Who is he?
I don't know, he just came and passed through all the tests.
Quite a surprise.
There's still the chariots, Your Majesty.
That's a very hard test, Dorcon. Maybe too hard...
isn't it?
But you've got to be absolutely sure, Your Majesty.
Very well. Let them begin!
He seems to be the final winner.
We'll soon see, Your Majesty.
With your permission, there are still the wrestlers.
You have won, valiant youth.
You are the victor of these games. I'll put your might to good use.
How?
You'll accompany my daughter Cassiopea to Athens.
This is no easy task.
Hellas is menaced by evil and mischief, as you well know.
They say these demons come from Thira, the black island...
and are the creatures of the evil king Minos...
and his wicked daughter, Adriana.
I will take your daughter to Athens, sire.
One moment, Your Majesty. We must be careful.
- Very careful. - How do you mean?
This man is a true champion, yes...
but how can we be sure he isn't part of the evil and mischief you mentioned?
- We can't. - Permit me, Your Majesty. We can.
We can put him to the test in a sacred place...
where no evil can enter.
The sacred stables of Cybele...
where the goddess' 1,000 horses are kept.
- And the test? - A simple one:
To clean the stables by tomorrow morning.
Father, that's impossible.
Those stables haven't been cleaned in years.
It's an impossible task.
Do you feel equal to this test, Hercules?
Come at dawn, sire, and you will see.
So you've already given up, I see, Hercules.
The moon is almost down, and there you sit.
- It looks like Dorcon was right. - You think so?
No.
But I knew no one could possibly pass this test. Not even you.
It is an impossible task. That's why Dorcon suggested it.
He's jealous.
Why do you wear a veil, Cassiopea?
I'm promised to Diomene of Athens.
But the oracle said I would marry whoever first saw my face...
after my eighteenth summer was past.
So since then, I have worn this veil.
It's a shame no one can see you.
- I've heard you're beautiful. - Tend to your own affairs.
Such as how you're going to explain your failure.
Not so fast.
I'm taking things easy because I know what I'm going to do.
Really?
If you doubt it, then let's make a pact.
If I should succeed...
you will remove your veil.
No, I can't do that.
You said yourself, no one can pass the test.
Do you accept?
All right, then.
I'll remove my veil, but only for you, if you succeed.
But if you fail, Hercules, then I'll have you run out of Tyre.
Now I've got a reason to hurry.
Let's go to the river. Come on.
The river? What for?
I was told to clean the stable, but not how. Come down to the river. Come on.
- I don't understand. - There. You see the river?
It will do the job for me.
I've done what I promised.
Now it's your turn.
Your Highness, here.
There. It's just as Hera said.
Carry the princess to my boat.
We'll keep him that way until...
we're well out to sea.
Then we'll feed him to the sharks.
Poor Hercules. Destined to die just for being in love.
He's not dead. I only stunned him.
Cassiopea was promised to the son of Hera.
If I hadn't struck Hercules with my lightning...
- she would have done worse. - But is it wrong to be in love?
To have a heart?
- If he isn't dead, he will be soon. - Don't underestimate him.
He knows how to take care of himself.
For seven days and seven nights he swam...
this champion of men.
He swam through becalmed waters...
and he swam through titanic storms.
- You're hurting me. Let me go! - Who are you?
Who are you? This is my island, and you are the intruder.
- My name is Hercules. - I know.
- I know everything. - Why did you ask then?
To test your sincerity.
Come.
Where?
Into my mansion, where I'll give you rest and food.
Just as the fairy goddess Athena instructed me to.
You've really got a strong appetite, young man.
There, some wine.
I need help, witch.
- Will you help me? - I would if I could.
Your enemies are my enemies.
King Minos and his evil daughter Adriana left me here...
and stole from me the one thing I could have used to help you.
What?
The charm that Athena gave me.
It is our only hope.
It is the only way we have of leaving this island.
So we're lost? Trapped here?
I can't believe it.
There is another way, but no. It's too risky.
- How? Tell me! - Calm down.
There is a way...
but, first of all...
What are you doing?
I need 10 drops of your powerful blood...
in exchange for what I have to tell you...
if you want to see your sweetheart again.
Who are you?
I'm Circe, the sorceress.
There it is, over there...
with its 90 cities and Atlantis, its capital.
And now, all is arranged.
When the seventh moon rises, we shall sacrifice to the Goddess Hera...
who stands by our side.
And that sacrifice will be you.
This is a Garden of Eden. Why would a sorceress like you live here?
I told you...
I tried to defy the wickedness and evil of King Minos with my magic.
But his evil power is so overwhelming that he defeated me.
And so I was exiled from Thira and placed here.
And then I came to rescue you because Athena urged me to do it.
To help you work out your destiny, and to advise you what to do.
Then tell me.
We need the charm to carry us wherever we want to go...
- even to Thira. - But you said they stole it.
Yes, and they threw it where no one can possibly get it...
except someone like you.
But you will have to overcome the most terrible obstacles.
Take those.
That shield and that sword...
will protect you from the dangers that lie ahead.
Circe has tricked Hercules into helping her retrieve her talisman.
He's just liable to do it.
If he does, Circe will be coming back to Thira...
and this time with Hercules.
You know what a mess she made the last time, all by herself.
I've got to stop.... We have to stop them, Daedalus.
My little creation should do the trick.
My three-headed metal monster will consume Circe and Hercules in its flames.
- Another mechanical monster? - And why not, Minos?
The last one didn't work so well, you know.
It spits cosmic rays of deadly fire.
- Do you know what that means? - Cosmic rays?
That means that...
Hercules and Circe will disintegrate, nothing left.
Could I just see it grow a little bit?
It would mean a great deal to me. Please?
The Hydra. The three-headed dragon that guards the gates of Hell.
The shield! Reflect the rays back at him!
Destroy it with its own rays. Lift the shield!
There, the endless stairway will lead us to the center of the earth.
Follow me, if you ever want to reach Thira.
On the green isle of Thira, in its capital, Atlantis...
Cassiopea awaits hopelessly the night of her sacrifice.
Meanwhile, Hercules and the sorceress Circe...
cross the rainbow that will lead them to the gates of Hell.
Well? Where do we go from here?
There, inside the Skull Mountain.
Yes, it's the Temple of Eternity.
It is the center of Hell. That's where my charm is.
Hercules, you must get it back for me.
- How can we get there? - Trust me.
That's Charon, the boatman of the River Styx.
He'll take us across.
There, Hercules, under the Hand of Destiny...
is the soul of the world.
It is the primal seed of everything that exists.
Inside it is my charm.
Don't be taken in by appearances.
It looks simple, but only you can get it...
if you can pass the test.
What test?
The soul is inaccessible, protected by a barrier.
A triple barrier of magic, such as that around Thira...
and which keeps everything away from the soul.
Stretch your hand out and you'll see.
- How? - Try it again, Hercules.
But be prepared for a terrible test.
Hold strong, Hercules.
Now the cold is coming.
After the Heat of the Soul, the Supreme Freeze...
the final barrier.
Resist. Only you can do it.
You can make the barrier disappear.
The talisman. Get it now. Take it quickly.
I've got it.
The talisman. Now I can get to the Island of Thira.
- Just a moment. - Give it to me.
I kept my side of the bargain, now you must show me you have not lied.
Are you ready to take me to Cassiopea now?
I can't take you to Thira, not even with the talisman.
The magic of King Minos and Adriana cancels mine out.
- A curse on you! - Stop, please.
I beg you.
Give it to me, Hercules. Otherwise it will be lost forever.
Please.
Can you at least take me near Thira?
That I can do. Pass me that talisman.
Creator of the light...
possessor of the keys and of the burning breath...
and of the glowing soul, hear me.
God of the Empire, conductor of the planets...
highest of all the gods, God of the sky and of the earth.
Take me as close as possible to Thira!
Now.
Another one of your tricks, witch.
This does not look like the Island of Thira. This does not look like the place.
Yes. But here you shall have the most precious gift of all...
- Prometheus' winged chariot. - But the winged horses are lost in infinity.
With your strength you'll find a way of making them fly again...
but first, you must win it from Xenodama...
the King of Africa.
I hope I haven't come all this way for nothing, Circe.
Some years ago, you promised me Prometheus' chariot...
if I could open a channel in this dry strip of land.
You may have it, if you grant my wish. But how will you do it?
Just wait and see.
My strength alone can't do it.
Is there anything you can do to help me?
O Goddess who created the chant that all honor...
you who are the indescribable, secret, echoing, resplendent bud...
you who with one look can make the mist and darkness disappear.
You, O Goddess, who can move the cosmos with the beating of your wings.
Give now to Hercules the size and height he calls for.
Grow, Hercules.
Thus, with the help of the gods...
Hercules and the sorceress created the great continents...
by separating Europe from Africa.
You've given too much to your champion and to the sorceress, Zeus.
They've had to work hard for everything they have won.
But they have used magic, magic that belongs to us.
Enough, Hera.
The opposing sides are even. The victor will win by his own strength.
And I think a time of trouble has come for Hercules and Circe.
Because, for the sake of balance, I'm going to give Circe a little gift.
A gift from Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
But you know very well that the sorceress mustn't fall in love.
Let's let them decide for themselves.
There's the chariot.
But we need something to replace the magic horses.
Can you think of anything?
I need a rope tied around this stone, sorceress.
Now, tie the other end of the rope to the chariot.
Thank you, sorceress. You've been a great help to me.
- Now our roads must part. - I'm coming to Thira with you.
How is that? You can't be concerned about Cassiopea's safety.
You're right, I'm not.
But I am concerned for yours, Hercules.
- Are you absolutely sure you want to come? - You'll find me very useful.
Even your great strength won't mean much against Minos and Adriana.
All right. Get on.
Why did the rope break? What happened to your powers?
You made me fall in love...
and when that happens to a sorceress, she loses all her powers.
It's the law of Aphrodite.
I, the enchantress, have been enchanted.
Never mind, we're here. Look.
Dress the little princess.
Dear Cassiopea, purified by the seventh moon...
sweet and submissive, thanks to the Black Lotus...
in this, the night set for your sacrifice.
Hercules and Circe finally reached their destination...
the green isle of Thira.
This is as far as I go.
That cave will take you directly to the center of King Minos' palace...
through his underground labyrinth.
There you'll find your Cassiopea, but you must hurry.
The seventh moon is high in the sky and the sacrifice is about to be made.
Now everything depends on your incredible strength, Hercules.
Come with me, Circe.
This is your destiny. You must go alone.
Hercules!
Circe.
You must think of Cassiopea now.
She is the woman chosen for you by the gods.
You must win for her, and to give a future to your world.
And for me, too.
Minos!
Hercules has entered my labyrinth in Thira.
He's in a trap. There's no sorceress to help him this time.
And I have plans for him.
Daedalus, we've done it this time.
You've earned a rest.
You can go back to Chaos, beyond time and space.
I can handle it from here on in. And Daedalus...
I promise you, the next time I call on you will be for the final showdown.
Not science in the service of the gods...
but science to eliminate the gods.
Only then will I return.
Science for the sake of science.
Hercules has fallen deep into the dungeons of Atlantis.
Cassiopea is being taken to meet her tragic end.
King Minos' treacherous plan is about to be fulfilled.
Will evil triumph over good?
The gods are powerless this night...
in the land of Thira.
Cassiopea is ready for the sacrifice, Father.
The great play is drawing to an end. Hera has won.
It couldn't have gone differently, anyway.
Poor Circe, she never did understand...
that her witchcraft was messy, caused chaos.
The pure magic of perfect knowledge, science, is impeccable.
The absolute dictator of the universal forces.
If I told her once, I told her a thousand times:
creation came out of chaos, is surrounded by chaos...
and will end in chaos.
But while we're here, we must have perfect order.
Here in Thira...
we have eliminated all emotion...
all hope, all doubt.
There is no uncertainty.
Where was I? Hercules.
Now that Hercules is in our power, we must make good use of him.
Use your charms on him. He's yours.
If he resists, use the Black Lotus. It's quicker.
From your union will be born a race of supreme champions...
that will govern the earth.
Have no fear. I will convince him.
I have no doubt, my dear.
And now it is your turn, my lovely virgin.
Your groom is eager to inflame your passions.
Minos means to give you to me...
and he couldn't have chosen better.
The Black Lotus.
Its nectar numbs the mind...
and awakens the senses.
Drink. Drink deep, my hero...
to enhance the thousand pleasures I will give you.
Where is Cassiopea?
She is about to be turned to ashes.
Stop him! Don't kill him, but don't let him escape!
Go, block him.
Open.
Take me to Cassiopea, now.
Follow me.
This is the phoenix, the fire bird.
At last in my power.
You captured the phoenix?
And it's here, in this volcano?
Yes, my dear, this volcano...
with its inexhaustible energy, is concentrated here...
dedicated to the glory of Thira.
It is the source of my strength.
Just as the phoenix is renewed in the destruction...
of its own ashes, so my strength...
is renewed every summer of the seventh equinox...
when I offer it a virgin bride.
This night, Cassiopea...
you will become bride of the phoenix.
You will descend into the sea of fire in this golden shell...
and be fused into total energy.
- But that's the sword... - Yes.
The sacred sword of Thebes.
Adriana stole it for me from the temple of Hera, 20 years ago.
It's the sword that holds the key to my power.
It was made by the ancient makers of weapons...
from pieces of a star that had fallen from the sky.
A small, lost star that had the power to control fire.
Beyond this point, the phoenix cannot rise.
I, King Minos of Thira, control the fire bird.
I forced it to make its nest here in my volcano.
The beginning and end of all energy...
into which you will now descend.
Cassiopea, I command you. Get in.
Tell them to open that door.
Tell them now.
Guards, kill him!
- At last, you fail! - Damn you!
You....
You're too reliant on your strength, my hero.
You look muscle-bound, but you're pretty agile, aren't you?
Hercules, I'm down here!
I had another fate in store for you, Hercules.
Pity it has to end like this.
Don't touch that sword. You'll free the phoenix.
The volcano will erupt!
This sword consecrated to Zeus fears nothing!
- Hercules, please hurry. - Cassiopea!
Hercules, hurry.
The volcano is erupting.
Stop.
You've won, but she's dead.
That way.
The phoenix is free from the evil that held it prisoner.
Its fire is free now to serve the universe.
The world has nothing more to fear.
Neither do I, with you in my arms.
- Kiss me, Hercules. - Wait.
Are you really Cassiopea?
Or Adriana in a new form? Or Circe reborn?
I'm all of them, and none of them.
I'm the one who truly loves you.