Ep 1. Hercules and the Apollo Mission
- August 31, 1998
Hercules: The Animated Series is a TV show that follows the adventures of the Greek hero Hercules, who is half-man and half-god. In season 1 episode 1, called "Hercules and the Apollo Mission," Hercules and his sidekick Icarus are chosen to participate in a space program by the god Apollo himself.
The episode begins with the god Apollo coming to Hercules' school, Prometheus Academy, to announce that he is starting a new space program called "Apollo 13". The program is open to all the students, and the ones who perform the best in the tests will be chosen to go to space. Hercules and Icarus team up and manage to score the highest marks in the tests, thus gaining a spot in the Apollo 13 mission.
While preparing for the mission, Hercules and Icarus struggle with the gravity training, which is designed to mimic the low-gravity conditions of outer space. Hercules struggles at first but eventually gets the hang of it. Meanwhile, Icarus keeps goofing around, causing trouble with the equipment and annoying the drill sergeant.
As the day of the launch approaches, Hercules and Icarus are excited and nervous. They meet their fellow crewmembers, including Cheiron, Apollo's son and the mission commander, and Cassandra, a psychic who can predict the future. The crew then boards the spacecraft and blasts off into space.
The mission is not without its challenges. The crew must overcome a series of obstacles, including a meteor shower and a malfunctioning spacecraft engine. In the midst of it all, tensions rise between Hercules and Cheiron, who have different ideas about how to handle the problems that arise.
Things get even more complicated when Cassandra's visions start coming true. She predicts a problem with the spacecraft's heat shield, which puts the entire mission in jeopardy. Hercules and Cheiron argue about how to solve the problem, with Cheiron insisting on sticking to the mission plan and Hercules wanting to take a riskier approach.
In the end, Hercules' risky approach pays off, and the crew manages to fix the heat shield just in time. They return safely to Earth, hailed as heroes. Hercules learns a valuable lesson about teamwork and following the rules, while Icarus gets a taste of the consequences of his reckless behavior.
Overall, "Hercules and the Apollo Mission" is a fun and exciting episode that introduces viewers to the world of Hercules in space. It features plenty of action, humor, and even a bit of drama. The episode has something for everyone, whether you're a fan of Greek mythology or just love a good adventure story.