The Roman hero Hercules, based on the Greek demigod Heracles, has been one of the most popular mythic figures to be adapted for modern audiences. Most likely, this is due to his hailing from two camps: the realm of the gods due to his father, Zeus, and the world of mortals, like his mother Alcmene. With so many adaptations throughout history, there are bound to be some that are better than others. Which ones? We’re glad you asked.1. Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995-1999): Kevin Sorbo was born to play Hercules (or at least this show’s version of Hercules), and he proved it over 6 seasons. The show borrowed characters from Greek mythology and placed them in new stories. For instance, the original villain was Hera, Zeus’s wife, who sent monsters to destroy Hercules (in the myth, she sent him into a rage to kill his children). Other villains included Ares and Dahak (based on a figure in Persian and Zoroastrian mythology).2. Hercules (1997): This Disney animated film also used several characters from the mythology, including Hades, god of the underworld, and the satyr Philoctetes. However, the film also worked in some classic Disney songs (performed by the Muses) and some meditations on the price of fame and what it means to be a hero.3. Hercules (1965-): Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the Marvel Comics universe’s version of Hercules for the first Journey into Mystery Annual. He was originally a villain for Thor sent out by Immortus (although it was later revealed that this was actually an alien Space Phantom). However, Hercules later joined the Avengers, helped found the team the Champions, helped defeat the fire demon Surtur, and battled numerous other villains. This version of Hercules isn’t the Greek version, but it shows how mythological conceits change over history.4. Hercules (2005): RHI Entertainment produced a 3-hour miniseries which adapts some of the elements not normally included, most notably Hercules’s murder of his family, and five of the twelve labors he undertook as penance. Hercules is played as Paul Telfer, who also played Gannicus in 2004′s Spartacus TV movie and Hephaestion in Young Alexander the Great (2007).5. Hercules (1983): Lou Ferrigno, who played the title character in the CBS series The Incredible Hulk, took on the role of Hercules in this campy film by Luigi Cozzi. While the film is not a faithful adaptation in the least (at one point, Hercules fights giant robots), it is included here because it shows the elements that are most often associated with Hercules: massive feats of strength, seductive women, vicious monsters. How many of our modern action films stem directly from Hercules, or similar warriors of legend?