Although live-action, both Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys were like cartoons. The shows were over-the-top in their comedy and action, bringing a playful spirit and a slightly subversive subtext. 2005 Rittenhouse Xena and Hercules: Animated Adventures trading cards make the cartoon inclinations a reality.
As one would expect for a product that combines two franchises directly, there’s a good amount of depth to it. That said, the unfamiliar look to the iconic leads makes some of the top cards more affordable than comparable photo-based cards found in other products.
2005 Rittenhouse Xena and Hercules: The Animated Adventures Checklist Overview
The 72-card base set covers direct-to-video Battle for Mount Olympus animated feature. So there’s not making much up there.
However, some of the inserts go beyond the single feature and imagine the franchises as something bigger.
Autographs lead the way, landing two per box. Both lead actors, Lucy Lawless (Xena) and Kevin Sorbo (Hercules), are included on the checklist. Others include Bruce Campbell, Renee O’Connor and Hudson Leick. If you’re one for deals, this may be a place to look. The signers are known more for being themselves than cartoon characters. And like a lot of live-action properties that get an animated spin, these autographs aren’t quite as popular as regular ones.
Collectors can also look for a pair of dual autographs, although they aren’t in packs. One signed by Lawless and O’Connor is a two-case incentive. Lawless and Sorbo signed a card together that was given to those buying six cases.
2005 Rittenhouse Xena and Hercules: Animated Adventures has several additional insert sets. Casting Call, Mythical Beasts and Extras are all character-based checklists. ArtiFEX Montage cards are as well, although they add a puzzle spin as well.
Also available are The Musical Xena and Hercules, Hercules and Xena in Action and a lone Limited Edition cards that’s numbered to 150 copies.
Finally, each case came with a John Czop SketchAFEX sketch card. North American cases featured Callisto while European cases had an Alti card.
2005 Rittenhouse Xena and Hercules: Animated Adventures Checklist
Click on links to shop for cards or check current market values on eBay.
Cards per pack: 5
Packs per box: 40
Boxes per case: 12
Release Date: October 19, 2005
Shop for 2005 Rittenhouse Xena and Hercules: Animated Adventures boxes on eBay.
Base Set
72 cards.
1 Title Card
2 Hercules Shows His Might
3 Victorius Hercules
4 Xena & Gabrielle
5 Xena Packs a Powerful Punch
6 Xena & Ares
7 Planning Next Moves
8 Alcmene and Zeus
9 Hercules Enraged
10 Beautiful Aphrodite
11 Hera’s Gaze
12 Zeus and Ares
13 Artemis
14 Hera Steals the Chronos Stone
15 Hercules to the Rescue
16 Xena Restores Order
17 Prphyrion Confronts Hercules
18 Gabrielle Spots the Titans
19 Ares and Aphrodite
20 Hera Plays It Cool
21 Hercules Stands Firm
22 Artemis
23 Gabrielle
24 Xena in Despair
25 Tethys
26 Fly, Gabrielle, Fly!
27 Xena & Artemis
28 A Suspicious Xena
29 Climbing Mt. Olympus
30 Powerful Zeus
31 The Awesome Titans
32 Battling the Titans
33 Aphrodite Tries to Escape
34 Ares Battles Porphyrion
35 Xena to the Rescue
36 In Search of Alcmene
37 Iolaus in Action
38 Hercules Saves His Mother
39 Iolaus Wields a Mighty Sword
40 Xena Casts Her Deadly Chakram
41 Hercules Carries Alcmene to Safety
42 Iolaus Strikes a Blow
43 Xena in Battle
44 Iolaus & Xena
45 A Skeptical Hercules
46 A God or a Mouse?
47 Hercules Enjoys a Laugh
48 Returning to Safety
49 Xena Stuns Hercules
50 Xena Confronts the Gods
51 A Tortured Hercules
52 Artemis the Bunny
53 What Next?
54 Xena and Hercules
55 Face of a Warrior
56 Hercules Forms a Plan
57 Hera in Charge
58 Crius
59 Hera Loses Control
60 Hercules Leads the Attack
61 Sizing Up the Titans
62 Taking On the Titans
63 Iolaus Battles Hard
64 Looking for a Solution
65 Hercules Breaks the Chronos Stone
66 Xena Prevails
67 Hercules Tested
68 Hercules Shows His Strength
69 Hercules Pushed to the Limit
70 The Return of Gabrielle
71 The Gods Restored to Power
72 A Fearsome Foursome
Autographs
29 cards, 1:20 packs.
Trebor exclusive to binder.
Rarity Scale: Very Limited – 200-300 copies, Limited – 300-500 copies.
Bruce Campbell as Autolycus – Limited
Danielle Cormack as Ephiny – Limited
Josephine Davison as Alcmene – Limited
Josephine Davison as Artemis – Limited
Meighan Desmond as Discord – Limited
Tamara Gorski as Morrigan – Limited
Michael Hurst as Iolaus – Limited
Paris Jefferson as Athena – Limited
Tsianina Joelson as Varia – Limited
Jaqueline Kim as Lao Ma – Limited
Lucy Lawless as Xena – Very Limited
Hudson Leick as Callisto – Very Limited
David Mackie as Porphyrion – Limited
Renee O’Connor as Gabrielle – Very Limited
Timothy Omundson as Eli – Limited
Victoria Pratt as Cyane – Limited
Ted Raimi as Crius – Limited
Ted Raimi as Joxer VL
Peter Rowley as Zeus – Limited
Karen Sheperd as Enforcer – Limited
Kevin Sorbo as Hercules – Very Limited
Claire Stansfield as Alti – Limited
Robert Trebor as Salmoneus
Alexandra Tydings as Aphrodite – Limited
Alison Wall as Mnemosyne – Limited
Alison Wall as Tethys – Very Limited
Joy Watson as Hera – Limited
Adrienne Wilkinson as Eve – Limited
Adrienne Wilkinson as Livia – Limited
ArtiFEX Montage
6 cards, 1:40 North American packs.
CZ1 Heroes
CZ2 Heroes
CZ3 Heroes
CZ4 Villains
CZ5 Villains
CZ6 Villains
Casting Call
14 cards, 1:14 packs.
C1 Xena
C2 Hercules
C3 Gabrielle
C4 Iolaus
C5 Ares
C6 Aphrodite
C7 Alcmene
C8 Artemis
C9 Hera
C10 Zeus
C11 Porphyrion
C12 Tethys
C13 Mnemosyne
C14 Crius
Extras
18 cards, 1:20 packs.
X1 Callisto
X2 Autolycus
X3 Joxer
X4 Amarice
X5 Morrigan
X6 Livia
X7 Ephiny
X8 Salmoneus
X9 Alti
X10 Demetrius
X11 Eli
X12 Athena
X13 Cyane
X14 Varia
X15 Nebula
X16 Discord
X17 Lao Ma
X18 Enforcer
Hercules and Xena In Action
9 cards, 1:14 packs.
HX1 Xena
HX2 Hercules
HX3 Xena
HX4 Hercules
HX5 Xena
HX6 Hercules
HX7 Xena
HX8 Hercules
HX9 Hercules and Xena
Limited Edition
3 cards, 1:240 packs.
CT1 Xena and Gabrielle /150
CT2 Iolaus and Hercules /150
XH1 Hercules and Xena /150
The Musical Xena and Hercules
9 cards, 1:14 packs.
M1 Across The Sea of Time
M2 Across The Sea of Time
M3 Across The Sea of Time
M4 Titan’s Song
M5 Titan’s Song
M6 Titan’s Song
M7 Xena’s Song
M8 Xena’s Song
M9 Xena’s Song
Mythical Beasts
6 cards, 1:60 packs.
B1 Hydra
B2 Echidna
B3 Golden Hind
B4 Arachne
B5 Dahak
B6 Centaur
Dual Autograph
2 cards.
Lucy Lawless as Xena, Renee O’Connor as Gabrielle – two-case incentive
Kevin Sorbo as Hercules, Lucy Lawless as Xena – six-case incentive
SketchAFEX
2 cards.
Sketch cards drawn by John Czop.
Alti – UK case topper
Callisto – North American case topper
Promo Cards
P1 Xena, Hercules – General Distribution
P2 Gabrielle, Xena – Non-Sport Update
P3 Iolaus, Hercules, Xena, Gabrielle – Binder
UK Iolaus, Hercules – UK
