Changes: Hades

Revision as of 23:14, 9 May 2009

Hades, voiced by James Woods, is the villain in the 1997 movie Hercules, based on the Greek god Hades. Unlike the mythological Hades, who is for the most part a relatively passive deity doing a sometimes nasty job, this version is a fast-talking, evil deity, reminiscent of Satan. The character's mannerisms were due to James Woods ending up using a "car-dealer"-style voice while the movie was being made. His hair is blue fire, and whenever he gets upset, it flares and becomes red. His hair-flame has also been shown to flare when he grows particularly excited (when the Fates tell him he will overthrow Zeus), although in this case it remains blue. Apparently the rest of the Olympian gods don't care for Hades, per the reaction glare they give him when he comes to view Hercules for the first time, sans Zeus, who basically treats him as a little brother. Hades later reappeared in Hercules: The Animated Series and the Kingdom Hearts series. In all of his appearances he was voiced by James Woods.

Hercules

In the 1997 animated film, Hades sought to overthrow his older brother Zeus and rule Mount Olympus for himself. Upon visiting the Fates, he learned that he could succeed, but there was a catch. If Zeus's son, his nephew, Hercules was to fight Hades, Hercules would win.

Hades sent his two demons, Pain and Panic, to kidnap baby Hercules and give him a potion that would render him mortal. Hercules needed to drink every last drop for it to work, but when a human couple comes along, the demons drop the bottle, breaking it and losing the last drop. Thus, Hercules became a demigod and spent his life on Earth.

Later, a young woman named Megara, or Meg, sold her soul to Hades so that he would rescue her lover. He did, but soon Meg's lover fled for another girl (in the series it is said that her lover was Adonis). Meg was stuck doing tasks for Hades.

After discovering that Hercules is still alive (Pain and Panic had kept the incident invovling the bottle secret for years), Hades sent numerous monsters to do away with Hercules, such as the Hydra, but none worked. When he found out that Hercules had fallen in love with Meg, he took this to his advantage and made a deal with Hercules. He asked Hercules to give up his powers for twenty four hours (when he was set to overtake Mount Olympus) in exchange for Meg's freedom. Hercules agreed, as long as Meg wouldn't be hurt.

Hades attacked Mount Olympus with the Titans and succeeded in overthrowing Zeus without Hercules to stop him. The Cyclops was sent to Earth. Hercules, despite being powerless, managed to take down the monster, using his wits instead of his strength.

However, Meg was fatally crushed saving Hercules from a falling pillar. This negated Hades's deal that Meg would not be hurt. Hercules was thus given his powers back and returned to Mount Olympus where he easily took down the Titans and freed the gods.

Hades was furious, but he taunted Hercules that he at least had a parting gift: Meg's soul. Hercules traveled to the Underworld to rescue her. He swam into the River Styx to retrieve her soul. It almost killed him, when his full Godliness was restored by willing to risk his life to save Meg. Hercules emerged from the pit.

Hades begged the hero to try and ease things with him and the other gods, but Hercules decided to let Hades spread his evil no longer and knocks him into the River Styx, where he was swarmed by the Spirits of the Dead. However, during the end credits of the film, Hades voice can be heard, and he complains about not getting a happy ending.

Hercules Animated Series

Later, with the return of Hercules on the form of an animated series, Hades also re-appeared, and had many appearances trying to take over the Olympus. One episode even had a crossover where Jafar makes a deal with Hades, in order to make Hercules and Aladdin fight each other.

Personality and traits

Like most Disney villains, Hades is portrayed as an egomaniac with violent mood swings, laid-back and humorous one minute and flying into a murderous rage the next. A psychopathic character, he is suave, charismatic, witty and often charming but utterly remorseless and cruel. He is also a Machiavellian individual as shown by his manipulation of Hercules, Meg and various other characters over the course of the film and TV series.

In many ways, Hades is like Scar in that both characters are dark, sinister individuals who are younger brothers of a king and envy their brother's power and position, feeling that they deserve it. Both have dim-witted henchmen and attempt to murder their brother and nephew. Both are also thrown off a cliff by their nephew and set upon by their minions at the climax of their respective films.

Trivia

Hades’s personality is based of Pluto from Marvel Comics.

The Greek god Hades was not evil as he is in Disney.

A different version of Hades (called Pluto) appears in the Silly Symphony The Goddess of Spring.

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 [[Category: Demons]]
 [[Category: Monarchs]]
-[[Category:Evil geniuses]]
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