Nightmare Fuel / Hercules

WARNING: Spoilers are unmarked.

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The Disney film

Phil, what do you call that thing??
Two words! AM-SCRAY!

Even in a fantasy adventure as hilarious and blatantly inaccurate as this, per Disney tradition, there's usually bound to be some large buckets of scares and frights. Then again, considering this came exactly a year after one of the darkest animated films they made thus far, a switch in location doesn't mean it finally will stop the studio from injecting us all with pure uncut Nightmare Fuel. Is your bravery sharp enough, dear Troper?

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• The Titans are so scary, they almost looked like they were coming out of the screen.
  • Appearance-wise, they're respectively terrifying in a primordial Eldritch Abomination manner with the sole exception of the Cyclops. They're a two-headed rock giant, an icy being strongly resembling a skeleton, an amorphous humanoid made of lava, and a large tornado with arms. They invoke the imagery of the Protogenoi, the ancient gods prior to the Titans that were more physical embodiments of nature than the traditional humanoid ones of myth, and these Titans are natural disasters with only a sliver of intelligence beyond their overwhelming desire for destruction.
  • They are heartless killers, and it's implied in the opening song that the remains of their victims were literally everywhere. Considering they're portrayed as little more than mindless and hate-filled forces of nature that could not be reasoned with at all, only locked away, you can imagine that Hades would probably not bother much keeping them under control if he had won. The only reason he got them to stop was that he had a target for them. Once Zeus was gone, who's to say that Hades wouldn't give them free reign to do as they pleased?
  • The scene where they are freed at the start of the climax, for that matter, despite leading up to an otherwise hilarious punchline. The Rock Titan wipes an entire village off the map with a solid-rock foot the size of Rhode Island while the Fire Titan incinerates others in its wake (with no apparent clues that any of them were cleared out ahead of time) and the Ice Titan freezes a bunch of horses fleeing in terror with in a chillingly (no pun intended) realistic manner (it's a mercy that the Wind Titan only seems to plow through a small farm that seems to have been cleared out already save for an unlucky goat). For such an otherwise wacky and funny movie, Hercules' body count could potentially be up in the thousands.
  • When Hades first approaches the imprisoned Titans and asks them who put them down there, they all answer in a terrifying voice that sounds like a legion of damned souls furiously roaring from Hell:
    Titans: ZEEEEEUUUUUUSSSSS!!!
• The revelation that Hades is not like his neutral and mostly benign mythological counterpart but still rules over all the mortal souls that end up dying and essentially controls the afterlife. In the animated series, it's mentioned that Hades has no control over the Elysian Fields which Zeus reserved as a resting ground for heroes, but if you're not a hero like Hercules, then you're in Hades' clutches. This spells a lot of Fridge Horror for all of Herc's mortal friends and loved ones like Meg and Phil whose souls are vulnerable to eternal torture by Hades and his minions once they die. Granted, he doesn't actually seem to torture the souls of the Underworld, and if the Muses' song is correct, he prefers to ignore them for being "dull and uncouth", but if he actually wanted to torment a specific soul, he probably could. Even ignoring that, the Underworld is pretty gloomy even by Greek standards. It's not Hell, but you wouldn't want to spend eternity there.
• Cerberus. Especially with all those teeth. In fact, his introduction is him snarling at Hades as he's passing by.
• The Fates share an eye between them. One. Single. Eye.
  • If you think they're scary now, check out what they COULD have looked like◊.
  • They were based on the Graiae, which also shared one tooth and were purportedly even more hideous than the gorgon sisters!
  • Their introductory scene has them snip the thread of life of an innocent woman, complete with deathly wail and her soul being sucked into the underworld. They also display a certain sadistic glee in ending that woman's life (including cackling laughter), unlike their mythological counterparts who were viewed as stern and unyielding, but also as the stoic upholders of universal order.
• The first monster Hercules ends up fighting, Nessus, is introduced forcefully coming onto Megara when she clearly wants him to leave her alone. It’s also quite clear what he intended to do if Hercules wasn’t there to save Meg. Not helping is when he grabs Meg, holding her close to him while noting “he likes them fiery,” implying this is not the first time he’s tried to do such a thing.
• The Hydra. It's monstrous, no pun intended, and what makes it scarier is that it's like the one monster that gave Hercules trouble. Even more than the Titans, it was the only thing that came close to killing him.
  Hercules: [stuttering] Phil, what do you call that thing?
  Phil: [equally afraid] TWO WORDS!
  [The Hydra roars]
  Phil: AMSCRAAAAY!
  • Just the Hydra's design. Unlike the usual depiction of the Hydra as a snake or dragon, this version is a purple alien-like creature with bulging orange eyes, a flat and vaguely-humanoid face; and an under-bite with lots of pointy teeth. It was much larger than Herc's first monster Nessus (who was already bigger than him) as well as more frightening having a long neck, scaly skin and sharp fangs. Phil ran for cover while Herc staggered forward, clearly afraid, and even the crowd of Thebans were screaming in fear of the towering creature.
    • And if you thought its final design was terrifying, here's some concept art that is even worse (or better).
  • Not to mention with the cel-shaded CGI, it looks more realistic while blended with the traditional animation. Maybe it was more impressive in 1997, but even now it's still quite disturbing.
  • The fact that the Hydra is one of the rare moments where bleeding is fully shown in a Disney movie: bright green blood, but still. Not to mention an on-screen decapitation and a wonderfully gross cross-section of the Hydra's severed neck. Ew.
  • That thundering roar. And again, three times over, when the Hydra sprouts three new heads... It's telling that Phil, trainer of heroes who has stared down countless monsters and horrors, immediately wants to turn tail and run when the Hydra steps out of the darkness. The various growls and snarling shrieks it makes frightens the crowd of citizens and Hercules, who backs away after one roar.
  • It eats him alive! Followed by a horrifyingly loud belch and licking its slimy lips. It's a good thing Herc happened to have his sword on him at the time.
    • After it ate Hercules, it fully intends to fill up on the members of the audience.
  • In the first battle, the Hydra stomps its feet as it begins advancing towards Hercules, and instead of lunging right at him, the creature takes its time, as if it enjoys observing the terror of its prey. After crushing a boulder he throws at it, the Hydra even stops to laugh at Hercules. At the end of the battle, the Hydra takes its time trying to eat Hercules again when it has him pinned to the cliff. It's not just a mindless beast. It's a genuinely sadistic, evil creature that takes great enjoyment in the terror of its victims. This is evidenced after Hercules retrieves his sword, in which the Hydra wraps its tongue around his leg, throws Herc into the air, and catches him in its mouth, all while the young hero screams at the top of his lungs.
  • Hercules' desperate struggle against the Hydra. One head gave him enough trouble, but the Hydra is more difficult after it first revives. All we see are quick edits as Herc cuts and cuts, with more and more heads appearing. Finally, a look of pure horror on Herc's face as he stares down a massive forest of snarling Hydra heads. Even Phil's following comment probably can't erase the creepiness of that particular image.
  • You can tell Hercules is afraid of the Hydra. When it emerges, he stutters and backs up. After the monster grows three heads, Herc flees before Pegasus picks him up. He screams as the Hydra flips him in the air to swallow him whole, and again in terror as he falls right into the swarm of heads and while sliding down one of the monster's long necks. The Hydra is acknowledged as In-Verse Nightmare Fuel for Hercules alone in that it's a Super-Persistent Predator who loved the taste of the young hero after briefly eating him, so much so that it chased and attacked Hercules until it can eat him again.
  • There's also this line from Hades as the multi-headed Hydra is about to finish Hercules off while he gleefully watches. James Woods' eerie delivery of the line really sells it.
    Hades: My favorite part of the game... sudden death.
• Hades' mood swings. When he's angry, he goes from controlled blue flames to out-of-control red flames. They can overlap with Funny Moments, but just keep in mind that he's still the God of the Underworld. Hope you aren't terrified of fire.
• The moment Megara tells Hades that Hercules is alive in spite of being told otherwise, his irises briefly shrink. It's a brief but noticeable moment that sells he's madder than usual at this revelation.
  • His angry face is no picnic, either. Just imagine watching the close-up on the big screen as a kid. The most angry time is when he catches Pain and Panic using Hercules merchandise:
  Hades: I can't believe this guy! I throw everything I've got at him, and— [is cut off by the sound of rubber sandals squeaking, as he suddenly glances down at Pain] What. Are. Those?
  Pain: [wearing a pair of Air-Herc Sandals] I dunno, I thought they looked kinda... dashing.
  Hades: [Facepalms] I've got twenty-four hours to get rid of this... [flares up] bozo, or the entire scheme I've been setting up for eighteen years... goes up in smoke. [begins to burn out of control] And you... ARE WEARING... HIS... MERCHANDISE?!
  [There is a slurp, and Hades is interrupted mid-rage as he descends on Pain. They glance over at Panic sipping Herculade]
  Panic: [chuckles nervously] ...thirsty?
  Hades: [explodes into out-of-control flames] GUUUUUUUUAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHH!!!!
  [cut back to the crowd as Hades' scream of rage echoes far away, and an enormous mushroom cloud erupts in the background]
  • There's also the moment during his conversation with Megara when he goes from seemingly nice to exploding in fury complete with a Nightmare Face.
  Hades: Meg, Meg, Meg. My sweet, deluded little minion. Aren't we forgetting one teensy-weensy, but ever so crucial little, tiny detail? [suddenly bursts into flames] I OWN YOU!
  • Despite his previous mood swings, Hades darkest moment comes at the very end of the garden scene. Following her date with Hercules, Meg has not only fallen in love with Hercules and vice-versa but decided she isn't going help Hades anymore, no matter what the consequences. Hades attempts to force her co-operation, by reminding her that only he can free her, does not work, with Meg then proudly proclaiming that Hercules doesn't have any weaknesses. Her speech is cut short when she turns around to see Hades looking at her with a big Psychotic Smirk on his face.
    Hades: I think he does, Meg. I truly think he does. [burns the flower that Hercules gave Meg to a cinder just to prove the point]
  • That's right. For all his cruelty and outbursts, Hades is intelligent. With just a few short sentences, Meg has unwittingly revealed that whilst Hercules may not have any physical weaknesses, there is another way that Hades can get to him.
• The Cyclops, his bellowing taunting for a de-powered Hercules to fight him, and his eventual attempt to bite off Hercules' head: "HEERCCUULLEESSSS!"
  • Not to mention Hercules blinding him with fire.
• Meg is seen dying in agony and then shown clearly as dead as Disney can get away with on a G rating.
• The look of sheer rage on Herc's face right before he goes into the Underworld to confront Hades and save Meg.
• As Hercules dives into the river of souls and swims to rescue Meg's soul, he very rapidly ages into an old man. This must've given both kids and adults nightmares.
  • The Fates attempting to cut Megara and later Hercules' threads of life with scissors is enough to make viewers young and old cringe and hold their breaths in fright. The first time, they succeed in cutting Meg's thread; the second time, Herc's thread glows and becomes invulnerable with his ascension to godhood at the absolute last second.
• Hades getting pulled into the river of souls as he tries to escape after Hercules punches him in.
• When Hercules goes through with Hades deal to give up his super-strength in exchange for Meg's safety, he is clearly shown to be in pain as Hades drains his powers away. Not helping is how Hades gleefully takes the opportunity to kick him while he's down:
  Hades: You may feel just a little queasy. It's kind of natural. Maybe you should… (levitates barbells) SIT! DOWN! (flings the barbells right at Hercules, knocking him to the ground) Now you know how it feels to be just like everybody else. Isn't it just… peachy?
• Pain and Panic may be silly, but the scenes where they turn into snakes and ambush Pegasus shows them at their most terrifying.

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