Witch-Goddess Hecate, in league with Kyknos, son of Ares, has
turned Brooklyn into a hellscape with eerie trees, vicious monsters and a
miasma of fear. The injured Hercules’ brain is filled with he voices of his
worshippers. He mounts Griffin in his winged lion form and flies off two face
his enemies in their Coney Island lair. They are attacked by bewitched police
officers mounted on flying dragons which were once horses. Griffin is seriously
burned by dragon’s breath and he and Herc crash to the ground. Herc is attacked
by goblin-like creatures but Man-Bull and Basilisk arrive to fight them with
Herc, who unleashes the Shield of Perseus to turn them to stone. The baddies
saw Griffin and came to help Herc; Basilisk is then grabbed by a giant purple
tentacle and dragged down into he subway. Hercules races down there and chops
the monster up, pulling Basilisk from its gullet. The goblins comes after them,
Herc realizing that the petrifying effects of his shield are lasting seconds
rather than days, probably an effect of Hecate’s magic. The train pulls in but
it turns out to be a giant centipede-like monster. Herc and the baddies jump
aboard and the centipede carries them away. The “train” pulls out of the tunnel
and into daylight. Bas asks Herc if he can summon some kind of help but they
see Manhattan in flames and the Statue of Liberty destroyed. So Herc’s Avengers
pals are likely busy. As police dragons descend on them, Man-Bull suggests
prayer. So Hercules prays to his father Zeus for aid and a bolt of lightning
crashes down, revealing Hermes, messenger of the gods. Hermes explains that the
crisis is worldwide, brought on by the renegade Norse god called the Serpent.
Odin and Zeus have forbidden their people to take part. And now Zeus commands
Hercules to return to Olympus; Herc responds that he is no longer a god. Hermes
notes that Zeus can always give him back his divinity. Herc ponders but refuses
as if he were again a god, Zeus would have forbidden him to intervene and many
mortals are in danger. Hermes doesn’t see his point but promises to convey his
refusal back to Olympus….
Herc and pals ride the centipede to Coney Island where Kyknos
and his army have established a base in MCU Park, a minor-league baseball
stadium. There, the Son of Ares commands his followers to maim and kill one
another, illustrating the Warhawks’ “All Versus All” philosophy. Herc notes
that Kyknos’ followers must be bewitched and besides, there are far too many of
them to fight so Herc comes up with a plan….
Helene Panayiotou drags Rhea through the
stadium, telling her that when the ground is bloodied enough, Ares will return
and Rhea and Herc’s three captive worshippers will be his first sacrifices.
Rhea is surprised to discover that Herc really has worshippers and is less then
pleased to find they are all nerds, as they are locked in a cell at the center
of a giant wicker effigy of Ares. Then the three baddies step forward,
Man-Bull, Griffin, and Basilisk, demanding attention and they bring the
greatest kill: the petrified form of Hercules….