Related Xena Episodes: Maternal Instincts.
Hope (Amy Morrison), the evil daughter of Dahak and Gabrielle, emerges from a dark cloud of ashes and is reborn into something truly grotesque. As she reforms into a vague humanoid figure, she approaches a terrified drunk, crushes his skull, wraps herself in his cloak and moves away into the darkness. Meanwhile, Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) and Iolaus (Michael Hurst) are building a wall for Hercules' mother Alcmene (Liddy Holloway). In the midst of their labors, Alcmene tells them that a messenger sent by Queen Leda has just arrived with bad news. The Queen's daughter has run away and gotten married and Leda is afraid that her husband, King Tyndareus (John Manning), who has been consulting with Ares (Kevin Smith), is about to start a war because of it. As Hercules and Iolaus head off to lend their help, Hope makes her way to the Ixion Caverns. Summoning up her extraordinary powers, she causes a blast which ruptures the hillside, freeing Callisto (Hudson Leick) who was trapped inside. Hope tells the warrior-goddess that her next mission is to rid the world of its greatest hero, Hercules. Callisto is very disinterested at first, but Hope promises that if she'll cooperate, her life will be redeemed in a way she never thought possible.
When Hercules and Iolaus arrive at Ares' Temple, they find King Tyndareus and the god of war plotting to kill the King's new son-in-law. But when they get the King alone, Hercules convinces him that a war would only create an insurmountable barrier between him and his beloved daughter. Tyndareus decides that Hercules is right and begins preparations for a wedding feast. Thwarted by Hercules, Ares is furiously unloading his frustrations on Strife (Joel Tobeck) when Callisto arrives at the temple. She and Ares circle each other seductively as they discuss the possibility of getting rid of Hercules. As the heat between them rises, they disappear, then reappear outside the temple on the precise spot where the gateway to the parallel universe once opened up. In an awesome display of power, the two combine their godly energies, unleasing fire and lightning, and the first sign of a tear in space appears. When the vortex finally rips fully open, out steps the Sovereign (Kevin Sorbo), the bearded leather-clad evil twin of Hercules who is wearing the pendant of Hind's blood around his neck. Ares quickly snatches the pendant and he and Callisto vanish. The Sovereign is confused and angry that he's been released into the wrong world.
Meanwhile, at a nearby pub, Hercules elicits an obviously frightened reaction from a peasant, who claims to have seen him tearing up the town of Arcadia that very morning. Hercules quickly realizes that his evil double must somehow have gotten loose and he and Iolaus head for Arcadia. When they find the Sovereign, they manage to knock him out with narcolepsus dust. But they notice that the Hind's blood, which is the only substance that can kill a god, is no longer around his neck and realize that whoever freed him must have it. Hercules and Iolaus take the Sovereign back to the place where the original vortex opened up and are met by Ares and Callisto. Iolaus notices instantly that Ares is wearing the Hind's blood pendant. Ares and Callisto combine their powers once again, causing the vortex to rip open. Hercules is able to shove Iolaus free but Hope, standing unseen behind Ares, makes sure that Hercules is sucked into the vortex along with the Sovereign before the gateway snaps shut. As Hercules and the Sovereign try to figure a way out of the Netherworld, the Sovereign attempts to kill Hercules and a massive fight ensues.
While Ares and Callisto are celebrating their victory, Callisto suddenly makes a grab for the Hind's blood pendant. They slug it out until, with Hope's help, Callisto rips the pendant from Ares' neck. Iolaus arrives seeking Ares' help to get to Hercules just before Callisto pours a little Hind's blood onto her dagger and kills Strife. The earth trembles, the sky strobes insanely and as the god dies, Ares finally begins to understand that they are in the presence of the one great Evil which may spell the end of gods and man alike. Iolaus convinces Ares that they need to get Hercules back in order to stop Callisto. Meanwhile, Hope again summons her awesome powers and sends Callisto back in time to prevent Hercules from ever being born. When Iolaus realizes that this means Callisto is traveling back into the past to kill Hercules' mother, he persuades Ares to send him back in time to stop the murder. Suddenly, Iolaus is back in old Corinth. The local gossips tell him that Alcmene (Kim Michalis) is currently with child even though her husband has died at war. Iolaus races to Alcmene's house but the young woman refuses to go with him for her own safety until Callisto appears and unleashes a blast of fire in her direction. Iolaus knocks young Alcmene out of the way, grabs her hand and the two take off running.
Starring: Kevin Sorbo (Hercules & Sovereign), Michael Hurst (Iolaus)
Guest Starring: Kevin Smith (Ares), Hudson Leick (Callisto), Kim Michalis (Young Alcmene), Joel Tobeck (Strife), Amy Morrison (Hope), Liddy Holloway (Alcmene), John Manning (King Tyndareus), Bernard Moody (Drunk), Mark Caldwell (Peasent), Rodney Cooke (Passerby), Les Dwight (Masher), Shirley Eliott (Gossip), Patrick Kake (Hercules/Soverign Double)
Written by Paul Robert Coyle
Directed by Mark Beesley