Hercules: Origin

Hercules' origin story
==Characters==
*Hercules/Heracules
*King Eurystheus
*Hera
*Aria
*Hippolyta
*Iolaus
*Alcaeus
*Stheneius
*Athena
*Atlas
*Artemis
*Apollo
*Antaeus
*Abderus
*Megara
*King Minos
*Alcmene
*Amphitryon
*Theseus
*Pirithous
*King Creon
*Iphicles
*Zeus
==Synopsis==
Heracules is the result of an affair Zeus had with Alcmene. Alcmene is unaware of Heracules' father, as Zeus was disguised as her husband Amphitryon, a Theban general and father of her first child Iphicles. After Amphitryon arrives, Alcmene realizes it was not her husband who impregnated her.
Hoping to mollify Hera, who they knew would take her anger out on both Alcmene and the child, they name him Heracules. Hera sents snakes after Heracules but he kills them despite being a baby. As Heracules grows up, he becomes a warrior.
As reward for defending Thebes, Heracules is allowed to marry Megara, daughter of Theban king Creon. Hera causes a fit of madness that makes Heracules kill Megara and their children. Seeking atonement for his actions, Heracules serves King Eurystheus.
He also changes his name to Hercules. Hercules' first task is to slay the Nemean Lion. Arriving at where the lion is supposed to be, Hercules finds a woman too claims to have been captured by the lion. However, she then turns into the Nemean Lion and attacks Hercules.
Hercules tries shooting it with arrows but it's skin is impenetrable. Hercules kills the lion by shooting it in the mouth. Noting the lion's impenetrable skin, Hercules uses its own claw to tear it to make armour. When Hercules returns to Eurystheus wearing the lion's skin, the king is disturbed and forbids Hercules from entering the city, insteading displaying prove of his tasks outside the city gates with a messenger giving him the next assignment.
Hercules is next sent to slay the Hydra. Unknown to Hercules, Eurystheus' tasks are under Hera's orders. The Hydra, originally spawned by Typhon, is Hera's pet. Hercules is helped by his nephew by Iphicles, Iolaus and given a sword by Athena who does not get on with Hera.
When it becomes apparent that cutting the Hydra's heads off won't work, Iolaus suggests burning the necks after every decapitation. Hera sends a large crab to help the Hydra but Iolaus kills it. After the Hydra is killed, Hercules uses its poisonious blood to poison his arrows.
Next Hercules is sent after the Ceryneian Hind. Hercules spends the entire year trying to catch the hind until he finds it sleeping and catches it. As Hera planned, Artemus and Apollo attack Hercules as the hind is Artemus sacred animal but Hercules distracts them by revealing information that Athena gave him, Apollo was the one who sent the scorpion after Artemus' lover, Orion.
Hercules is then sent after the Erymanthian Boar. Hercules brings it back. At this point, Eurystheus is so paranoid of Hercules that he can the gate heavily armed for when Hercules brings proof of his tasks. Hercules' next task is to clean the Augean Stables which have not been cleaned for thirty years.
Hercules simply uses the river to clean them. Hercules is then sent to kill the Stymphalian birds. Then Hercules sent is capture the Cretan Bull. In Crete, King Minos gives permission Hercules permission to capture the animal as it has proven more trouble than it is worth.
After bringing the bull back, Hercules is sent to steal the Mares of Diomedes. Hercules brings Abderus, a demigod son of Hermes. The plan is for Adberus to steal the Mares while Hercules kills Diomedes but after Diomedes is killed, Hercules finds that the Mares have eaten Adberus.
After bringing the Mares back, Hercules is sent to get the belt of Hippolyta. Hercules brings with him Iolaus, Ares' daughter Aria and Minos' sons Alcaeus and Sthenelus. They then set off to Themiscyra. There they killed the Amazons, seemingly including Hippolyta at Aria's hands, taking her belt.
Hercules is then sent after the cattle of Geryon. There Hercules kills two headed dog Orthrus and his owner Eurytion. Hercules then kills the Geryon with a Hydra arrow. Hera send s Gadfly to scatter the cattle. Because of this it takes Hercules a year to get the cattle to Eurystheus.
Despite the fact, Hercules was only meant to do ten labours, Eurystheus says that the Hydra, Augean stables, Mares of Diomedes and Belt of Hippolyta don't count because Hercules was helped by Iolaus, used the river to clean the stables, was helped by Adberus and was helped by Alcaeus, Sthenelus and Aria.
For this, Hercules another four Labours to do. First, he has to steal apples from the Garden of Hesperides. Along the way, Hercules encounters Antaeus, a son of Gaia. As Antaeus is invinible when touching the Earth, Hercules lifts him into the air to kill him.
Reaching the Garden of Hesperides, Hercules gets Atlas to get the apples as he can't get in himself. In exchange Hercules holds up the sky for Atlas. When Atlas gets back, he threatens to leave Hercules holding up the sky.
Hercules threatens to drop the sky, destroying the entire world, forcing Atlas to take his place back. Hercules promises to free Atlas when he has the chance. On his way back, Hercules is attacked by Ladon, the dragon that guarded the apples, now driven mad by Hera.
Hercules kills Ladon. Eurystheus tells Hercules that the Labour doesn't count because he had help from Atlas, meaning he still has four Labours to do. Eurystheus sends Hercules to capture the Cerberus without weapons.
Hercules goes to Tanaerum, where he enters the Underworld. There he finds Theseus and Pirithous imprisoned for attempting to take Persephone with them. Hercules frees Theseus and finds Pirithous impossible to free.
Hercules then captured Cerberus and brought him to Eurystheus. Eurystheus is frightened enough to make Hercules' next Labour be to return Cerberus to the Underworld, leaving only two Labours left.
Category:Comic Stories