Achelous has dragged the
groggy Hercules to a limousine where Eurystheus awaits. Eurystheus reminds Herc
that they have long been enemies and fills in their history after Herc’s death
in the ancient world: he had made it his goal to stamps out everything
associated with Hercules but was captured in battle and brought before
Hercules’ mother Alcmena. The bereaved Alcmena put out Eurystheus’ eyes with a
knitting needle and had him beheaded. But his patron goddess Hera raised him back
to life and he replaced his head, sewing it back on, though nothing could be
done about his eyes. And now with centuries to recover, he is wealthy and
successful and has a proposition for Hercules, accompanied by director Gordon
Allsworth, assistant director Robert, and cameraman Jimmy. Herc wants to rip
his head off but Eurystheus informs him it is his only chance to become a hero
again so Herc unhands him. Herc’s reputation has suffered and, by extension
Eurystheus also looks bad so he proposes a new series of twelve labors for
Herc, to be covered in his reality show. Gordon is enthusiastic but Achelous,
in human form, enters, mocking Herc’s courage. Gordon asks Achelous for his
story: Achelous was a river god infatuated with Deianira but she had eyes only
for Hercules. The two fought, Achelous in his bull form, and he lost, losing a
horn as well. Herc gets in a bit of revenge for the sucker punch in the
previous issue and accepts Eurystheus’ offer….
A business-suited Hermes
dashes to Wall Street, enters the offices of the Olympus Group, interrupting the
boss and his sexy secretary, and reports on this latest development to Herc’s
father, Zeus….
Characters: Hercules, Eurystheus, Achelous, Zeus, Hermes