The Twelve Labors of Heracles. What if we take a superhero out of the picture and examine the fruits of his labors? Known for his inability to control his rage, Heracles may have seen ferocious "Nemean Lion" in a normal lion, the Lernaean Hydra" in a water snake, and the Erymanthian Boar" in a wild boar. Even some ancient writers questioned Heracles' victims' monstrosity. Humans have progressed from a desire to dominate nature (to defeat the "monsters") to a desire to accept and comprehend it.