Long before his labors, Young Herc has several buddies and lovers: Atlas out-wrestled Herc—once; darkly handsome Alcaeus loves blond Helios; Diomedes and Leander, two beautiful lovers who quarrel all the time; and tall Atticus, who loves short, funny Nikos. When Spartans try to enslave them, Herc and his buddies sail to Crete; they meet Herc’s cousin, Theseus, and kill the Minotaur. They sail to Libya, become sex slaves to the Amazons, and battle giant spiders and snakes. When Herc is enslaved, his buddies rescue him; they ride to a city where Herc defeats a giant. A sorcerer puts Herc and half his friends under a spell; the others rescue them. Sailing back to Greece, they brawl and beat more Spartans. Theseus helps Herc and his friends settle on a farm between Athens and Thebes. They have peaceful years before Herc returns to Thebes—and his troubles begin.