Hercules and the Gorgon

Hercules and the Gorgon is a cartoon written by Madellaine Paxson and directed by Phil Weinstein, being the twelfth episode of Season 2 of Hercules: The Animated Series. It features Hercules, Medusa, Hades, Aphrodite, Icarus, Philoctetes, Cassandra, Pain & Panic, Zool, Chipacles and Hephaestus. Additionally, series recurring characters Apollo, Helen of Troy and Adonis make non-speaking cameos.
==Plot==
After she saves Hercules from drowning following his falling into a rushing river to rescue Icarus, the gorgon Medusa develops an infatuation with him and seeks to befriend him, but is prevented by her monstrous appearance. Rejecting Aphrodite's advice about being herself (and her offer of enchanted glasses to cancel out her petrifying stare), Medusa makes an ill-advised deal with Hades to turn her human in the daytime if she'll do his evil bidding by night… Can Medusa get through to Hercules before he completes the gorgon-slaying mission on which he now finds himself sent by Philoctetes?
===References===
* Medusa's gaze can only turn mortals into stone, not deities and other supernatural beings. Looking at herself in a mirror in her true form results in the mirror cracking.
===Continuity===
*Likely coincidentally, the comic story The Magic Mirror of Mad Medusa (2009) concurred with the cartoon in its portrayal of a Medusa ill-at-ease with the perceived ugliness of her gorgon body, and in depicting her appearance as having the ability to crack mirrors.
*Hercules would later fight another gorgon, sent by Hades, as seen in a brief shot of the Zero to Hero montage in the original Hercules (1998).
*He is also seen to fight an older and more villainous version of Medusa herself in the Hercules (1998) PlayStation video game
==Behind the scenes==
This episode of Hercules: The Animated Series was released in January of 1999.
It is notable for ending on a hopeful note about Hercules and Medusa's relationship, a loose end which was never picked up intentionally, even though the relationship obviously cannot have lasted long so as to allow for Hercules's later, canonical romance with Megara as seen in the feature film. Though using a different design for Medusa (such that the two treatments of the character were obviously never intended to be continuous with one another), the Hercules PlayStation 1 video game featured an enraged, monstrous Medusa as a boss, with Hercules fighting and eventually petrifying her.
Category:Stories
Category:Films
Category:Cartoons
Category:Hercules: The Animated Series episodes
Category:Madellaine Paxson stories
Category:Phil Weinstein stories
Category:1999 stories
Category:Hercules stories
Category:Hades stories
Category:Medusa stories
Category:Aphrodite stories
Category:Icarus stories
Category:Philoctetes stories
Category:Cassandra stories
Category:Pain stories
Category:Panic stories
Category:Chipacles stories
Category:Hephaestus stories
Category:Apollo stories
Category:Helen of Troy stories
Category:Adonis stories