 After a routine brawl aided by Iolaus to prevent a hanging, Hercules returns home and sees his beloved wife and little boys burnt to a crisp by a fire ball while Hera laughs, and swears revenge. After some reminiscing about happier family days sitting by the river, he tells his cruel fate to Iolaus, who expected him to help in the forge, curses the cowardice of his foul father Zeus and tells his friend to stay back. Farmer Lycus from Ister seeks Hercules  help, is turned away and foul-mouths him in the bar, where Iolaus verbally takes him on and yet promises to come help himself against the she-demon who turns the village men into stone and gives their souls to Hera s sister Hekate, as punishment for not sacrificing their first-born sons to the queen of gods. Meanwhile Hercules sets fire to his home and visits his mother Alcmene who was told by Zeus and insists he grieves first, then warns Hera will attack anyone he loves because of Zeus  infidelity. He sets out to destroy Hera s seven temples. On the way to Ister Iolaus does his usual bragging to incredulous Lycus, then they witness village adolescent Orestes being petrified by the demon s tail; he enters her cave hoping to cut it off, but is turned into stone himself. In a mountain temple Hera s guards are no match for Hercules, even while he has his hands full with slave-girl Agina he saves from human sacrifice; he accepts to take her back to Ister, as it has a Hera-temple. Old Thoas greets them, insisting they flee and reports Iolaus  death, so the hero feels guilty. Lycus meets them, planning to run from his doomed home. Hercules enters the cave to revenge his friend, and dodges her tail which however grabs his stake, nearly gets him but finally gets stuck, and misses him to petrify her, which reverts her curse.