A
peace conference held at Anstice Castle is invaded by the terrorist band known
as the Warhawks who slaughter the delegates on orders from their leader, Ares,
Greek God of War….
Hercules
recalls his battles with his half-brother Ares which would often be broken up
by Zeus who made them drink of the Chalice of Forgiveness. He is visiting the Museum
of Greek Antiquity for reminders of home, shaken when he hears a kid say that
Hercules wasn’t real and the Avenger who claimed to be him was just some
“super-jerk who ripped off the name.” Herc is approached by SHIELD Agent Alex
DePaul, accompanied by Agents 33 and 72. DePaul says that in light of the
Onslaught event and the loss of so many heroes, SHIELD would like Hercules to
join the agency in fighting evil. Herc declines, even knowing that they want
him to fight Ares and the Warhawks. Agent 33 a/k/a Kara Lynn Palamas is a
mythology expert and she appeals to Herc but he still refuses….
At
his stronghold in South America, Ares is punishing a minion for failure by
ordering the man to impale himself on Ares’ sword while the rest of the gang
cheer their leader. Then Ares takes a call from the US, telling him that
Hercules won’t play the game so he changes his plans….
Hercules
wanders the streets, brooding over the number of people he has seen die,
perking up briefly to uproot a streetlamp and hurl it to disable some bank
robbers’ getaway car. He returns to the museum to greet the curator, Tharamus,
Greek God of Learning. Agent 33/Kara returns to persuade Herc to join SHIELD,
revealing that they suspect Ares has a traitor within SHIELD and they need an
outsider to help spot him. Then two Mandroids, Ares’ Dogs of War, smash through
the walls to fight Hercules with plasma blasts that, to Ares’ surprise, do not
kill the demi-god, even though his power had been reduced by Zeus. Herc rips
apart a Mandroid and questions the operator but the man swallows poison and
dies rather than talk. Meanwhile, Ares has gone into another room and fought
and killed Tharamus, who, though a scholar rather than a warrior, was trying to
stall him until Herc arrived. Agent DePaul arrives and tells Herc that, had he
joined SHIELD when first asked, his friend would not have died. Kara must
prevent Herc from killing DePaul for that remark. But, grieving over Tharamus’
body, Herc agrees to join the team….