Hercules' efforts to win over the new girl in school, Andromeda, get complicated when Icarus insists he accompany him to the Myklos convention, a celebration of Icarus' favorite comic scroll character. Meanwhile, Hades sets Pain and Panic to spread the new disease they came up with, a terminal illness called Catastrophia that has only one cure.
Afraid of being scorned as a geek, Herc tells Icarus a whopper of a lie that quickly spins into worse consequences. Herc lies that he has Catastrophia, and Icarus, in the vein of his favorite hero, bravely goes to find the cure, which is in the giant Briarus' back yard. Hercules may not be in danger of dying, but Icarus certainly is, and it's up to him to set things right before his best friend is crushed to death.
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- Appeal to Flattery: When Briarius catches him trying to get the berries which cure Catastrophia, Icarus calls him "good and kind" in a blatant effort to get the giant to allow him to take them.
- Bad Liar: According to Phil, all heroes tell lies poorly. Hercules definitely does, as it trips him up even to lie about his name. He gets slightly smoother after some practice with Cassandra, but ultimately tells the truth again.
- Commonality Connection: Icarus winds up solving the problem with Briarius and getting him to give Hercules the cure when it turns out that he and Briarius are both major Myklos geeks.
- Dishing Out Dirt: A bizarre variant; Briares is called the "Hundred-Handed Giant", despite having only the normal two hands. However, he can materialize "hands" out of the dirt anywhere.
- Do Wrong, Right: When Hercules brings up the possibility of lying to get out of the convention, Phil dismisses it, telling him that heroes have no skill in lying.
- Fan Community Nicknames: In-Universe, fans of Myklos are known as Mykloids.
- Find the Cure!: While Icarus is stopping by Speedy Pita to pick up some "comfort food" for Hercules, Cassandra goes into a trance and sees him grabbing the berry bush that cures Catastrophia. Unfortunately, it happens to be in a giant's backyard. The euphoric Icarus insists on going so he can cure his best friend, regardless of the danger.
- Foreshadowing: Briarius' indignation at Pain and Panic trying to take unfair advantage during the "game" could serve as an early hint about his interest in Myklos, given that the hero's motto is "honesty, bravery, and fair play."
- It's All My Fault: To get out of embarrassment at the convention, Herc tells Icarus that he has Catastrophia, a serious disease that Hades is trying to spread. Icarus puts himself in danger to retrieve the cure and Herc blames himself for getting him into this mess. Played with when he adds to Cassandra that it's also partly her fault for urging him to lie to get out of it.
- Let's Fight Like Gentlemen: Briares, the hundred-handed giant, challenges Hercules to a game for the cure to Catastrophia. When Pain and Panic try to crush Hercules' hands while he's hanging off a cliff, Briares intervenes and has two of his hands toss them away.Briares: Hey! I play hard, but I play fair!
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Cassandra, who's normally deadpan and serious, dances with glee when Icarus tells her that he's taking Herc and not her to the Myklos convention this year.
- Plaguemaster: Hades tasks Pain and Panic with spreading the terminal disease Catastrophia.
- Proud to Be a Geek: Icarus shows absolutely no shame about his comics scroll fandom and defiantly declares such to the mocking Adonis. Herc doesn't feel the same.
- Undesirable Prize: Herc wins a raffle that allows him to get his image painted on a vase along with an actor playing Myklos. For most people at the convention, that would be amazing. However, Herc got dragged there, isn't a fan, and doesn't want the social embarrassment of such geeky recognition. This leads him to lie to get out of it. Ultimately, he gives the prize to Briares, who does enjoy it.
