Famous for his superhuman strength, Hercules is the most popular hero in Greek mythology. The son of Zeus--king of the gods--and a mortal mother, Hercules faces the wrath of Zeus's wife Hera, who resents her illegitimate stepson and vows to bring him misery. With her magical powers, she tricks Hercules into performing a series of twelve seemingly impossible labors, each one a test of his strength, courage, cunning, and fighting skill. Is Hercules strong enough to foil her scheme? Features: maps, introductory notes, table of contents, glossary, further reading, websites, author and artist biographies, index