Hercules and the Arabian Night
Encyclopedia
"Hercules and the Arabian Night" is a crossover episode of Disney
's Hercules: The Animated Series
featuring characters from Aladdin
.
and they both have been defeated by "upstart boys", but each villain thinks his nemesis is superior. They make a bet that they can defeat each other's respective hero. So Hades gives Jafar a new snake staff, which makes him flesh and blood so long as he holds it, and tells him to attack Hercules while he's training on Philoctetes's island.
At said island, Phil is trying to teach Herc not to "barrel through" and to "use his noodle" from time to time. Suddenly, Jafar pops up and creates a huge bull-like red beast, a griffin
, and a minotaur
to go after Hercules. With Phil tied up, Herc does his best to wrestle the beasts. Jafar laughs at how slow Herc is, until Herc picks up Phil's "statue head" house, bashes the beasts and proceeds to smash it on Jafar, who gets knocked all the way back to the Underworld. Hades decides to send Pain and Panic to Agrabah to take Aladdin out. When the minions arrive in the Arabian city, they first mistake Abu for Aladdin, but the real Al, along with his wife Princess Jasmine
, arrive on Carpet. After a scuffle, Pain and Panic are about to finish Aladdin off, but Aladdin convinces them to look into his lamp (by telling them not to look into it). Genie's hand punches them all the way back to Greece and down into the Underworld (this is Genie's only appearance in this episode).
Hades admits that Aladdin is tough, but wants to concentrate on beating Hercules first. Then Jafar offers an idea: what if Herc and Al had a misunderstanding between them and get into a fight? Hades likes the idea and puts the plan into motion. The first part is kidnapping Abu from Agrabah and Icarus
from Prometheus Academy (both using bananas as bait). When Herc can't find Icarus, an old man (Jafar in disguise) fools Herc by telling him that a "young rogue named Aladdin" kidnapped him. Herc gets angry and runs off to find Al. Later, in Agrabah, Al and Jasmine can't find Abu, and Pain and Panic disguise themselves as Herc and tell him that Herc kidnapped Abu.
When Herc, Phil and Pegasus arrive in Agrabah, Al, Jasmine and Carpet give them a not-so-warm welcome. Herc and Al start the fight, Herc barreling in and Al sidestepping each blow. Al gets Herc to chase him through the alleyways of Agrabah to an old abandoned building. He then gets Herc to punch enough holes in the walls to bring most of the house down on top of Herc. When Herc holds it up, Al demands Herc to tell where he hid Abu. Herc responds by wanting to know where Aladdin took Icarus. Before they can work it out, though, the building collapses on both of them.
While Jafar and Hades believe the heroes have been destroyed, Herc gets himself and Aladdin out of the rubble. They piece together that it was a setup and that Hades and Jafar are holding Icarus and Abu in the Underworld. Aladdin wants to charge in to rescue them, but Hercules thinks of another way. While Hades tells Jafar of his plans for Olympian domination (and offers Jafar the 'Lord of the Dead' title while doing this), Pain and Panic yell that Herc and Aladdin are coming their way.
Jafar is sent to stop them. He blasts Aladdin in an ice block and creates a giant scorpion
to take on the slow Hercules. But there's one problem: the man in the ice is Hercules, disguised as Aladdin, and the one fighting the scorpion is Aladdin disguised as Herc. Shocked, Jafar is unable to stop Aladdin from nabbing the snake staff and tossing it to Herc, who snaps it in half. The spirit of Jafar is dragged down into the River Styx for good. Icarus and Abu meanwhile have escaped and begin punching Hades, until he threatens to make them "permanent residents".
Herc and Al congratulate each other before Al takes Jasmine, Abu and Carpet back to Agrabah. Aladdin tells Herc that he'll make a great hero someday. Icarus, having bonded with Abu, asks Hercules if they can get a monkey.
, probably of Abbasid Caliphate). On the other hand, some of Aladdin's enemies, such as Mechanicles, Queen Hippsodeth and Dominus Tusk, could easily be the same vintage as Hercules.
Princess Jasmine
mentions that she and Aladdin are married, indicating this episode takes place after the events of Aladdin and the King of Thieves
, which would explain Iago
's absence in this episode and also explain why Aladdin has the same outfit on which he wore in Aladdin and the King of Thieves. This is a bit strange, though, since the episode seems to indicate that Jafar died recently, though there was an entire movie, and indeed a TV series, between his death in The Return of Jafar
and this episode. It is possible that time passed differently in the underworld and that Jafar had to go through a waiting line before meeting up with Hades, as it is mentioned in many ancient texts (such as Virgil
's Aeneid
) that souls have to wait a long time to cross the river.
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
's Hercules: The Animated Series
Hercules: The Animated Series
Hercules is an animated series based on the 1997 film of the same name and the Greek myth. The series follows teenage Hercules training as a hero as well as trying to adjust to life. With his free-spirited friend Icarus, his future-seeing friend Cassandra and his teacher Philoctetes , he battles...
featuring characters from Aladdin
Aladdin (TV series)
Aladdin is an animated television series made by Walt Disney Television which aired from 1994 to 1995, based on the original 1992 feature. Coming on the heels of the direct-to-video sequel The Return of Jafar, the series picked up where that installment left off, with Aladdin now living in the...
.
Summary
As Hades goes through his usual job of bringing fresh souls in, Pain and Panic tell him that one of the souls is not cooperating. The soul approaches Hades, introduces himself as Jafar and all but demands to be sent back. Hades is at first unconcerned, but they find a common ground: Jafar tried to overtake Agrabah, Hades is trying to overtake Mount OlympusMount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
and they both have been defeated by "upstart boys", but each villain thinks his nemesis is superior. They make a bet that they can defeat each other's respective hero. So Hades gives Jafar a new snake staff, which makes him flesh and blood so long as he holds it, and tells him to attack Hercules while he's training on Philoctetes's island.
At said island, Phil is trying to teach Herc not to "barrel through" and to "use his noodle" from time to time. Suddenly, Jafar pops up and creates a huge bull-like red beast, a griffin
Griffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
, and a minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
to go after Hercules. With Phil tied up, Herc does his best to wrestle the beasts. Jafar laughs at how slow Herc is, until Herc picks up Phil's "statue head" house, bashes the beasts and proceeds to smash it on Jafar, who gets knocked all the way back to the Underworld. Hades decides to send Pain and Panic to Agrabah to take Aladdin out. When the minions arrive in the Arabian city, they first mistake Abu for Aladdin, but the real Al, along with his wife Princess Jasmine
Princess Jasmine
Princess Jasmine is a fictional character and one of the main characters of the 1992 film Aladdin and its sequels, The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves . She is voiced by Linda Larkin, with her singing voice performed by Lea Salonga in the first film and Disney Princess...
, arrive on Carpet. After a scuffle, Pain and Panic are about to finish Aladdin off, but Aladdin convinces them to look into his lamp (by telling them not to look into it). Genie's hand punches them all the way back to Greece and down into the Underworld (this is Genie's only appearance in this episode).
Hades admits that Aladdin is tough, but wants to concentrate on beating Hercules first. Then Jafar offers an idea: what if Herc and Al had a misunderstanding between them and get into a fight? Hades likes the idea and puts the plan into motion. The first part is kidnapping Abu from Agrabah and Icarus
Icarus (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Icarus is the son of the master craftsman Daedalus. The main story told about Icarus is his attempt to escape from Crete by means of wings that his father constructed from feathers and wax...
from Prometheus Academy (both using bananas as bait). When Herc can't find Icarus, an old man (Jafar in disguise) fools Herc by telling him that a "young rogue named Aladdin" kidnapped him. Herc gets angry and runs off to find Al. Later, in Agrabah, Al and Jasmine can't find Abu, and Pain and Panic disguise themselves as Herc and tell him that Herc kidnapped Abu.
When Herc, Phil and Pegasus arrive in Agrabah, Al, Jasmine and Carpet give them a not-so-warm welcome. Herc and Al start the fight, Herc barreling in and Al sidestepping each blow. Al gets Herc to chase him through the alleyways of Agrabah to an old abandoned building. He then gets Herc to punch enough holes in the walls to bring most of the house down on top of Herc. When Herc holds it up, Al demands Herc to tell where he hid Abu. Herc responds by wanting to know where Aladdin took Icarus. Before they can work it out, though, the building collapses on both of them.
While Jafar and Hades believe the heroes have been destroyed, Herc gets himself and Aladdin out of the rubble. They piece together that it was a setup and that Hades and Jafar are holding Icarus and Abu in the Underworld. Aladdin wants to charge in to rescue them, but Hercules thinks of another way. While Hades tells Jafar of his plans for Olympian domination (and offers Jafar the 'Lord of the Dead' title while doing this), Pain and Panic yell that Herc and Aladdin are coming their way.
Jafar is sent to stop them. He blasts Aladdin in an ice block and creates a giant scorpion
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
to take on the slow Hercules. But there's one problem: the man in the ice is Hercules, disguised as Aladdin, and the one fighting the scorpion is Aladdin disguised as Herc. Shocked, Jafar is unable to stop Aladdin from nabbing the snake staff and tossing it to Herc, who snaps it in half. The spirit of Jafar is dragged down into the River Styx for good. Icarus and Abu meanwhile have escaped and begin punching Hades, until he threatens to make them "permanent residents".
Herc and Al congratulate each other before Al takes Jasmine, Abu and Carpet back to Agrabah. Aladdin tells Herc that he'll make a great hero someday. Icarus, having bonded with Abu, asks Hercules if they can get a monkey.
Cast
- Tate DonovanTate DonovanTate Buckley Donovan is an American actor. He is known for his role in the FX drama Damages, as Tom Shayes, and for his role as Jimmy Cooper in the American teen drama television series The O.C....
as Hercules, a hero-in-training who is learning to not just barrel through, but use his head. He first encounters Jafar when Hades gambles that he can't beat him; Jafar is proven wrong, despite Hercules' clumsiness, and so they capture Hercules' friend Icarus. Jafar, in disguise, frames Aladdin, who Hercules pursues to Agrabah, being defeated due to unfamiliar surroundings and Aladdin's agility, and his overuse of strength. Once the two realize that both their friends have been captured, they deduce that Hades and Jafar have teamed up. Hercules then teams up with Aladdin to rescue Icarus and Abu by disguising himself as Aladdin, while he does likewise, as opposed to head-on assault. At the end of the episode, Aladdin tells Hercules he'll make a great hero. - Scott WeingerScott WeingerScott Eric Weinger is an American actor, television producer and writer, best known as the speaking voice of Aladdin in Walt Disney's eponymous feature film. Weinger would reprise the role in two direct-to-video sequels, for the Disney Channel television series, and the Kingdom Hearts Series. He...
as Aladdin, a street rat turned hero and heir to the throne of Agrabah, who is first encountered by Pain and Panic after they mistake Abu for him. He defeats them by having them look into his lamp. After realizing Aladdin is tricky, Hades has Jafar capture Abu and Pain and Panic frame Hercules for it. Confronting a newly arrived Hercules, Aladdin leads him around the city, dodging his blows but quickly discovering that he is too strong to face head on. After collapsing a building on Hercules, the pair realize that Jafar and Hades have teamed up and set them both up, and they go to the Underworld disguised as each other to defeat the villains and rescue their friends. Aladdin tells Hercules he'll make a great hero at the end of the episode. - James WoodsJames WoodsJames Howard Woods is an American film, stage and television actor. Woods is known for starring in critically acclaimed films such as Once Upon a Time in America, Salvador, Nixon, Ghosts of Mississippi, Casino, and in the television legal drama Shark. He has won three Emmy Awards, and has gained...
as Hades, Lord of the Dead, who is constantly irked by Hercules getting in the way. After encountering a reluctantly dead Jafar, he makes him human again so long as he holds his serpent staff, and bets correctly that he cannot defeat Hercules. However, when Hades sends Pain and Panic after Aladdin, he proves too tricky as well. Jafar then proposes that the pair have a "misunderstanding" involving their friends being captured, which Hades puts into effect. He offers Jafar title of "Lord of the Dead" after they are assumed dead. However, the two heroes realize they've been played, and come to the Underworld for their friends, who Hades reluctantly releases after Jafar is defeated. - Jonathan Freeman as Jafar, archenemy of Aladdin, who wants revenge on him, and to rule Agrabah. He convinces Hades to make him human again; however, this is conditional: Jafar only remains human so long as he holds his staff. He then attacks Hercules, who proves too strong despite his clumsiness; Hades likewise finds Aladdin too tricky to handle. Jafar then proposes that the heroes have a "misunderstanding" involving their friends being captured, which Hades puts into effect. Unfortunately for them, the two heroes realize the deception and come to the Underworld for their friends; Jafar doesn't realize that they are disguised as each other, and his staff is broken, with his soul going to the River Styx permanently.
- Linda LarkinLinda LarkinLinda Larkin is an American cinema and television actress. She is best known for providing the speaking voice of Princess Jasmine in the movie Aladdin and various Aladdin sequels and spin-offs, as well as in the Kingdom Hearts video game series...
as Princess JasminePrincess JasminePrincess Jasmine is a fictional character and one of the main characters of the 1992 film Aladdin and its sequels, The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves . She is voiced by Linda Larkin, with her singing voice performed by Lea Salonga in the first film and Disney Princess...
, Aladdin's wife, who helps Aladdin deal with Pain and Panic. Jasmine and Aladdin give Hercules a not-so-warm welcome after thinking he has captured Abu. She realizes that Hercules and Aladdin have been deceived, and helps deduce that Jafar and Hades are behind it. Jasmine is at first eyed by Phil, until she tells him sternly,"I'm married". - Robert CostanzoRobert CostanzoRobert Jason Costanzo is an American actor. He has an acting career spanning over thirty years and is often found playing surly New York types such as crooks or low level workers and mixes both drama and comedy roles...
as Philoctetes, Hercules' mentor, who constantly tries to convince him to not just barrel through things, but to use his head once in a while. He is trussed up by Jafar during their initial confrontation after advising Hercules this, but Hercules later uses this advice when invading the Undeworld. He seems attracted to Jasmine, until she replies sternly, "I'm married". - French StewartFrench StewartMilton French Stewart , better known by his stage name French Stewart, is an American actor, best known for his role as Harry Solomon on the 1990s sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun.-Early life:...
as IcarusIcarus-Space and astronomy:* Icarus , on the Moon* Icarus , a planetary science journal* 1566 Icarus, an asteroid* IKAROS, a interplanetary unmanned spacecraft...
, Hercules' best friend, who is captured by Hades and Jafar (using a banana trail). He and Abu bond while they are being held captive, and after Abu frees them, he asks Hercules if they can get a monkey. - Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
as Abu, Aladdin's pet monkey, who is kidnapped by Jafar using a banana trail. He is held with Icarus in the Underworld, where the two bond. Abu angrily confronts Hades until threatened with death, and leaves with Aladdin and Jasmine for Agrabah. - Bobcat GoldthwaitBobcat GoldthwaitRobert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film and television director. He is commonly known for his energetic, ravenous stage personality, his dark, acerbic black comedy, and his gruff but high-pitched voice.- Early life :Goldthwait was born in Syracuse,...
as Pain and Matt FrewerMatt FrewerMatthew "Matt" Frewer is a Canadian American stage, TV and film actor. Acting since 1983, he is known for portraying the 1980s icon Max Headroom and the retired villain Moloch in the film adaptation of Watchmen.-Life and career:...
as Panic, Hades' minions, who are sent first to deal with Aladdin, who tricks them into looking into Genie's lamp; his fist knocks them all the way back to Greece. Pain then disguises himself as Hercules, saying he has kidnapped Abu.
Chronology
An unusual aspect of this episode is that it indicates that Aladdin and Hercules existed around the same time, though one would logically conclude that they lived at least a millennium apart (Hercules being from ancient Greece, while Aladdin is from the era of the Islamic empiresCaliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
, probably of Abbasid Caliphate). On the other hand, some of Aladdin's enemies, such as Mechanicles, Queen Hippsodeth and Dominus Tusk, could easily be the same vintage as Hercules.
Princess Jasmine
Princess Jasmine
Princess Jasmine is a fictional character and one of the main characters of the 1992 film Aladdin and its sequels, The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves . She is voiced by Linda Larkin, with her singing voice performed by Lea Salonga in the first film and Disney Princess...
mentions that she and Aladdin are married, indicating this episode takes place after the events of Aladdin and the King of Thieves
Aladdin and the King of Thieves
Aladdin and the King of Thieves is a 1996 animated film that is the second direct-to-video sequel to the Disney animated feature Aladdin...
, which would explain Iago
Iago (Aladdin)
Iago is a fictional character in Disney's Aladdin franchise, starting out as a secondary villain and comic relief in the original film, and later supporting protagonist in the film's sequels and related TV series...
's absence in this episode and also explain why Aladdin has the same outfit on which he wore in Aladdin and the King of Thieves. This is a bit strange, though, since the episode seems to indicate that Jafar died recently, though there was an entire movie, and indeed a TV series, between his death in The Return of Jafar
The Return of Jafar
The Return of Jafar is a 1994 American animated film that is a direct-to-video sequel to the 1992 animated film Aladdin, both produced by The Walt Disney Company. The film was released on May 20, 1994 and serves as the origin of the Aladdin animated series...
and this episode. It is possible that time passed differently in the underworld and that Jafar had to go through a waiting line before meeting up with Hades, as it is mentioned in many ancient texts (such as Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
's Aeneid
Aeneid
The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of roughly 10,000 lines in dactylic hexameter...
) that souls have to wait a long time to cross the river.