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This 1960s Animated Series from Hanna-Barbera was unlike its contemporary, Space Ghost, in that it was set on Quasar[1], a primitive planet protected by King Zandor[2]. Zandor's wife, Tarra, and their son, Dorno, were the only other known human inhabitants. For some reason, aliens kept trying to conquer an isolated, largely uninhabited jungle world full of monsters. Go figure.
When trouble arose, Zandor commanded a small army of exotic beasts: Gloop and Gleep, a pair of gelatinous shape-shifters; Igoo, an ape with rocklike skin; Tundro, a rhino-triceratops-like creature that could shoot burning rocks from its horn, and Zok, a flying dragon capable of firing laser beams from its eyes and tail.
In the early 1980s, the Herculoids joined Space Ghost in the Animated Anthology series Space Stars.
Tropes used in The Herculoids include:
- Action Mom: Tarra, very rarely. Most of the time she was a Distressed Damsel.
- Badass Family
- Batman Can Breathe in Space: Zandor and Zok in "Sarko the Arkman."
- Big Red Button: "Malak and the Metal Apes". Used to activate a Self-Destruct Mechanism.
- The Blank: The title opponents in "Attack of the Faceless People".
- By the Lights of Their Eyes: The eyes of the monsters of the Stone Forest in "The Lost Dorgyte."
- Crossover: They appeared in one part of a five-part Space Ghost cartoon.
- Deadly Disc: Zandor's shield.
- Deployable Cover: "The Time Creatures" and "Invasion of the Electroid Men.
- Disintegrator Ray: Many Villains had these.
- Distressed Damsel: Tarra
- Diving Save: Dorno to Gleep in "Swamp Monster."
- Dressing as the Enemy: "The Crystalites" and "Ruler of the Reptons".
- Everything's Better With Monkeys: Igoo, and the flying monkeys in "The Beaked People."
- Evil Laugh: Most of the Villains.
- Exotic Weapon Supremacy: The heroes had slingshots loaded with Tundro's explosive rocks.
- Eye Beams: Zok's Frickin' Laser Beams eyes.
- In a very small number of episodes Zok displayed the ability to breath fire, sadly this troper can not recall if he actually used it as a weapon so it's possible they some how managed to give a dragon a fire Breath Weapon while managing to avert Kill It with Fire
- Fastball Special: Gloop changes to a giant slingshot to throw Igoo and also throws Gleep once.
- Frickin' Laser Beams: Zok, one of "The Gladiators of Kyanite" and the "Laser Lancers".
- Giant Enemy Crab: One of the microscopic monsters in the "Tiny World of Terror".
- Giant Flyer: Zok the dragon.
- Hair of Gold: Tarra
- Hand Signals: Igoo and Zandor in "The Raiders".
- Harmless Freezing: Igoo in "Mekkor."
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Gorvak, the leader of "The Android People."
- Horn Attack: Thundro's signature attack, especially of the shooting variety.
- Hostage Situation: Tarra and Dorno occasionally.
- Hot Mom: Tarra
- Hypno Trinket: "Ruler of the Reptons". The Reptons use a crown to Mind Control Tarra.
- Improvised Parachute: Multiple examples, all involving Gloop and Gleep.
- Incredible Shrinking Man: Happens to the protagonists in "Tiny World Of Terror."
- Instant Sedation: Used by "Sarko the Arkman" on Zandor.
- Invincible Hero: Every member of the cast except for Tarra and Dorno.
- I Surrender, Suckers: The Mutoid leader Mutak in "The Mutoids".
- Jet Pack: Used by enemies in "Queen Skorra" and "The Pirates"
- Mugged for Disguise: Several Crystalite guards in "The Crystalites".
- Our Dragons Are Different: Zok
- Planetary Romance
- Precision-Guided Boomerang: Zandor's shield.
- Put Their Heads Together: "Invasion of the Electrode Men" and "Ruler of the Reptons".
- Red Alert: In "Prisoner of the Bubblemen" after Zandor and Tarra escape.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: The title characters in "The Mutoids" and "The Crystaloids".
- Redheaded Hero: Zandor
- Reverse Polarity: "Revenge of the Pirates". Zok does his with his eye beams.
- Rubber Man: Gloop and Gleep
- Self-Destruct Mechanism: "Malak and the Metal Apes". Standard feature in the Metal Apes (robots).
- Shrink Ray: Used on the protagonists in "Tiny World Of Terror."
- Skintone Sclerae
- Stock Phrases
- Glad He's on Our Side - Dorno says "I'm glad you're on our side" to Tundro in "The Lost Dorgyte".
- It's Quiet... Too Quiet: Xandor in "Mission of the Amatons" and "The Island of the Gravites".
- Leave Him to Me: The king of "The Mole Men", referring to Zandor.
- Seize Them: The king of "The Mole Men", again referring to Zandor.
- We Meet Again: Mekkano in "Mekkano, the Machine Master"
- We Will Meet Again: Sta-Lak says "I will be back!" at the end of "Return of Sta-Lak.
- Taken for Granite: Subverted when a medusa-type villain tried to do this to Igoo, who already was granite.
- Throwing Your Shield Always Works: Zandor in multiple episodes.
- Timmy in a Well: All of the animal members, but especially Gloop and Gleep.
- Trap Door: "Sarko the Arkman" and "The Antidote".
- Treasure Room: "The Raider Apes". In the villager's cave system.
- Tree Buchet: Igoo to Dorno in "The Raiders".
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: The title creatures in "The Mutoids".
- Wafer-Thin Mint: Zandor uses this against the gold-stealing "The Raider Apes."
- Walking Shirtless Scene: Zandor and Dorno.