Legendary Journeys
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Proteus was an Olympian god who had the ability to "shape shift" into the form of any other living being he wanted. His natural form is that of a small, grey and wrinkled creature. As a child, the other gods made fun of him mercilessly. Even Hercules admitted that he used to make fun of Proteus until his mother, Alcmene, taught him to be respectful of those who were different. After that, Proteus and Hercules became friends.

Once, while in the form of a handsome young warrior, Proteus stumbled upon Daniella who was bathing in a lake near Volos. He fell in love with her instantly but Daniella noticed his reflection in the water. His reflection showed Proteus' true appearance. Daniella was frightened and scorned Proteus. After that, angry and frustrated, Proteus began committing small crimes in Volos and each time he did, he took the form of a local villager. Finally, he took the form of Daniella's father, Thanis. In that form, he knocked Trilos unconscious and stole his money. The real Thanis was convicted of the crime and nearly had his hands cut off as a sentence until Hercules was able to convince Proteus to admit to his crimes. He did so and the villagers released Thanis. After he apologized, Proteus turned himself into a dove and flew away from Volos.

Background

  • In the final credits, Proteus is misspelled as "Proteas."
  • The Disclaimer for this episode compares Proteus to Bob Dole, the Republican candidate in the 1996 United States presidential election.
  • In mythology, Proteus was either the son of Poseidon or Oceanus. He could tell the future and so many tried to capture him to use his power. He changed his shape to avoid this.

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