The Wedding of AlcmeneThe Wedding of Alcmene
On her way to Corinth, Hercules' mother Alcmene stops in a small village to meet her son, and arrives just in time to see Hercules and Iolaus defeat a band of thugs who have terrorized the local tavern. When Alcmene reveals that she's planning to marry Jason, a startled Hercules learns that she had an affair with his mentor-hero Jason long ago. Explaining that her love for Jason has recently been rekindled, Alcmene apologizes to her son for keeping the romance a secret for so long, and Hercules is moved to forgive her when he sees how happy she is. As Hercules and Iolaus escort her on to Corinth where Jason reigns as King, Patronius, the arrogant chief regent of the city, reminds Jason that if he marries a commoner, he will lose his crown and the right to be married in the castle. Jason replies that he understands what he is giving up, but adds that if he marries Alcmene within three days, the law will allow him to name his successor, thereby putting an end to Patronius' own dreams of power. Jason rides off to meet Alcmene on the outskirts of the city, while Patronius is visited by a mysterious Blue Priest under Hera's command, who solicits Patronius' help in a plot to kill Hercules. Back at the castle, Jason informs his visitors that he must give up the throne in order to marry Alcmene, and asks Hercules to be his successor. Though deeply honored by his trust, Hercules declines, and Jason sends Iolaus on a mission to summon his second choice for king. He also dispatches his Argonauts - Phoebe, Archivus and Domesticles - to deliver wedding invitations to his and Alcmene's friends. Meanwhile, Patronius hires a group of bloodthirsty mercenaries to kill the son of Zeus. Hercules, Jason and Alcmene are attacked by the ruthless thugs on a country road, but the two men drive off the murderers, only to realize that Alcmene has also vanished. She soon turns up breathless, having driven off the last of the attackers herself. Later, the Blue Priest sneers at the mercenaries' failed attempt at murder, noting that Hercules and Jason will now assume that the wedding can proceed without interruption. He then summons Perfidia, Hera's terrible sea serpent, and a young beauty named Sera, his secret ally in the plot against Hercules, who has volunteered the magnificent seaside estate of her late uncle as the wedding site. On the day of the wedding, all is ready. Amphion, who is set to perform the ceremony, is on hand with his wife Leah, the caterer Falafel, and dozens of guests, including Dirce and Deric the Centaur. No one suspects that Perfidia is lying in wait to attack and that all the servants are killers in disguise. Iolaus arrives with Jason's choice of successor - Iphicles, Hercules' brother, who is accompanied by his wife Rena. Soon after Iphicles is proclaimed King, Perfidia's attack begins. The Argonauts fight back valiantly as Iolaus and Iphicles guard Alcmene, but Hercules and Jason are swallowed by Perfidia and the hideous beast returns to the ocean. How will Hercules and Jason be able to escape the deadly acid of the monster's stomach? How can the attackers be destroyed so that Alcmene can marry the man she loves? |
