History WesternAnimation / TheHerculoids

When trouble arose, Zandor commanded a small army of exotic beasts: Gloop and Gleep, a pair of [[BlobMonster gelatinous]] [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shape-shifters]]; Igoo, [[EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys an ape]] with [[NighInvulnerability rocklike skin]]; Tundro, [[MixAndMatchCritters a rhino-triceratops-like creature that could shoot burning rocks from its horn]], and Zok, a [[GiantFlyer flying]] [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragon]] capable of firing [[FrickinLaserBeams laser beams]] [[EyeBeams from its eyes]] and tail.

%% * EyeBeams: Zok's FrickinLaserBeams eyes.

%% * FrickinLaserBeams: Zok, one of "The Gladiators of Kyanite" and the "Laser Lancers".

->All brave, all strong, all heroes!

%% * ActionMom: Tara, very rarely. Most of the time she was a DamselInDistress.

%% * BatmanCanBreatheInSpace: Zandor and Zok in "Sarko the Arkman".

%% * DeadlyDisc: Zandor's shield.

%% * EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: Igoo, and the flying monkeys in "The Beaked People".

%% * FastballSpecial: Gloop changes to a giant slingshot to throw Igoo, and also throws Gleep once.

%% * HornAttack: Tundro's signature attack, especially of the shooting variety.

%% * MuggedForDisguise: Several Crystalite guards in "The Crystalites".

%% * RubberMan: Gloop and Gleep

%% * ShrinkRay: Used on the protagonists in "Tiny World of Terror".

%% * TreasureRoom: "The Raider Apes" had one in the villagers' cave system.

* AlternativeForeignThemeSong: The Japanese dub has a different song that the original. See it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6pHynlUnaY&feature=related here]].

* ThroughAFaceFullofFur: Gleep in "The Time Creatures". He angrily turns red after getting zapped by a laser from one of the floating machines, then morphs into one of them and returns fire at it.

%% * DamselInDistress: Tara.

** "The Pirates": The pirates wear jet packs while flying their hover vehicles. When Tundro smashes one of the vehicles and Zok destroys another vehicle with his laser eye beams, the pirates piloting them fly away using their jet packs.

** "The Pirates": The pirates wear jet packs while flying their hover vehicles. When Tundro smashes one of the vehicles, a pirate flies away using his jet pack.

%% * JetPack: Used by enemies in "Queen Skorra" and "The Pirates"

* %% TreeBuchet: Igoo to Dorno in "The Raiders".

* MoneyMauling: Gotron almost escapes The Herculoids and justice aboard his longboathich is laden with so much gold that it can barely move. Zandor pitches one more sack of gold at Gotron, which not only knocks him off his feet, but causes his boat to sink. Gotron never surfaces; either he can't swim, or his greed wouldn't let him unhand his gold.
* MuggedForDisguise: Several Crystalite guards in "The Crystalites".
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Zok.
* PlanetaryRomance

* PrecisionGuidedBoomerang: Zandor's shield.
* PutTheirHeadsTogether: "Invasion of the Electrode Men" and "Ruler of the Reptons".
* RedAlert: In "Prisoner of the Bubblemen" after Zandor and Tara escape.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: The title characters in "The Mutoids" and "The Crystaloids".
* ReversePolarity: In "Revenge of the Pirates", Zok does this with his eye beams.

* RockBeatsLaser: Several enemies of the Herculoids have far more advenced tech, but lose to them either way.
* RockMonster: Igoo's body is made out of (or at least covered in)dense granite.
* RubberMan: Gloop and Gleep
* SelfDestructMechanism: "Malak and the Metal Apes". Standard feature in the Metal Apes (robots).
* ShrinkRay: Used on the protagonists in "Tiny World of Terror".
* SkintoneSclerae

* StockPhrases:
** GladHesOnOurSide: Dorno says, "I'm glad you're on our side," to Tundro in "The Lost Dorgyte".
** ItsQuietTooQuiet: Zandor in "Mission of the Amatons" and "The Island of the Gravites".
** LeaveHimToMe[=/=]SeizeThem: The king of "The Mole Men", referring to Zandor.
** WeMeetAgain: Mekkano in "Mekkano, the Machine Master"
** WeWillMeetAgain: Sta-Lak says, "I will be back!" at the end of "Return of Sta-Lak''.
* TakenForGranite: Subverted when a medusa-type villain tried to do this to Igoo, who already ''was'' granite.
* ThrowingYourShieldAlwaysWorks: Zandor in multiple episodes.
* TimmyInAWell: All of the animal members, but especially Gloop and Gleep.
* TrapDoor: "Sarko the Arkman" and "The Antidote".
* TreasureRoom: "The Raider Apes" had one in the villagers' cave system.
* TreeBuchet: Igoo to Dorno in "The Raiders".

* VoluntaryShapeshifting: The title creatures in "The Mutoids". And of course, Gloop and Gleep.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: Zandor and Dorno.

* AlternativeForeignThemeSong: The Japanese dub has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6pHynlUnaY&feature=related this]].
* ActionMom: Tara, very rarely. Most of the time she was a DamselInDistress.
* BadassFamily
* BatmanCanBreatheInSpace: Zandor and Zok in "Sarko the Arkman".
* BigRedButton: "Malak and the Metal Apes" has one, used to activate a SelfDestructMechanism.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: The title aliens of "Mutoids" were shapeshifters who had evil looking red eyes and fangs, but disguised themselves to look more human to outsiders. When we see one revert back to "monstrous" it's meant to be our first tip-off that they're evil, and Zandor even states that he was only fooled due to their altered appearance.
* TheBlank: The title villains in "Attack of the Faceless People".
* BlobMonster: Gloop and Gleep are friendly ones.
* ByTheLightsOfTheirEyes: The eyes of the monsters of the Stone Forest in "The Lost Dorgyte".

* DamselInDistress: Tara.
* DeadlyDisc: Zandor's shield.
* DeployableCover: "The Time Creatures" and "Invasion of the Electroid Men''.
* DisintegratorRay: Many {{villains}} had these.
* DivingSave: Dorno to Gleep in "Swamp Monster".
* DressingAsTheEnemy: "The Crystalites" and "Ruler of the Reptons".
* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: Igoo, and the flying monkeys in "The Beaked People".
* EvilLaugh: Most of the villains.
* ExoticWeaponSupremacy: The heroes had slingshots loaded with Tundro's explosive rocks.
* EyeBeams: Zok's FrickinLaserBeams eyes.
* FastballSpecial: Gloop changes to a giant slingshot to throw Igoo, and also throws Gleep once.
* FrickinLaserBeams: Zok, one of "The Gladiators of Kyanite" and the "Laser Lancers".
* GiantEnemyCrab: One of the microscopic monsters in the "Tiny World of Terror".
* GiantFlyer: Zok the dragon.

* HandSignals: Igoo and Zandor in "The Raiders".
* HarmlessFreezing: Igoo in "Mekkor".
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Gorvak, the leader of "The Android People."
* HornAttack: Tundro's signature attack, especially of the shooting variety.
* HostageSituation: Tara and Dorno, occasionally.
* HypnoTrinket: "Ruler of the Reptons". The Reptons use a crown to MindControl Tara.
* ImprovisedParachute: Multiple examples, all involving Gloop and Gleep.
* IncredibleShrinkingMan: Happens to the protagonists in "Tiny World of Terror".
* InstantSedation: Used by "Sarko the Arkman" on Zandor.

* InvincibleHero: Every member of the cast except for Tara and Dorno.
* ISurrenderSuckers: The Mutoid leader Mutak in "The Mutoids".
* JetPack: Used by enemies in "Queen Skorra" and "The Pirates"
* TheLastStraw: Zandor uses this against the gold-stealing "The Raider Apes".
* MoneyMauling: Gotron almost escapes The Herculoids and justice aboard his longboat, which is laden with so much gold that it can barely move. Zandor pitches one more sack of gold at Gotron, which not only knocks him off his feet, but causes his boat to sink. Gotron never surfaces; either he can't swim, or his greed wouldn't let him unhand his gold.

* {{Crossover}}: In [[TheSixties the sixties,]] they appeared in the ''WesternAnimation/SpaceGhost'' cartoon "The Molten Monsters of Moltar", part 4 of the six-part "Council of Doom" serial. The two crossed over more frequently on ''WesternAnimation/SpaceStars'' in [[TheEighties the eighties.]] And they got to meet ''everybody'' from WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest to [[WesternAnimation/{{Birdman}} Birdman]] in ''Comicbook/FutureQuest.''

* {{Crossover}}: They appeared in the ''WesternAnimation/SpaceGhost'' cartoon "The Molten Monsters of Moltar", part 4 of the six-part "Council of Doom" serial.

In the early 1980s, the Herculoids joined Space Ghost in the AnimatedAnthology series ''WesternAnimation/SpaceStars''. They also joined most of the 1960's Hanna-Barbera adventure heroes for the [[MassiveMultiplayerCrossover massive multiplayer crossover comic book]] ''Comicbook/FutureQuest.''

In the early 1980s, the Herculoids joined Space Ghost in the AnimatedAnthology series ''WesternAnimation/SpaceStars''. They also joined most of the 1960's Hanna-Barbera adventure heroes for the MassiveMultiplayerCrossover comic book ''Comicbook/FutureQuest.''

In the early 1980s, the Herculoids joined Space Ghost in the AnimatedAnthology series ''WesternAnimation/SpaceStars''.

* SpaceAmish: Zandor and his family certainly know about aliens and spaceships and such, and are even friends with Space Ghost, but they choose to live a primitive life.

-OpeningNarration

* StockPhrases

->Tundro the Tremendous, Gloop and Gleep the formless,
->fearless wonders!