The story begins in ancient Greece with a fisherman named Spyros who discovers a fierce baby, Perseus, alongside his deceased mother after a sea burial. Spyros and his wife adopt Perseus and raise him as their own, although the boy occasionally wonders about his birth parents. As he grows up, Perseus becomes a fisherman like Spyros, though options are limited.

The family struggles to find fish, leading to frustration for Spyros, who blames the gods for their misfortune. His wife reminds him to be thankful to the gods for life, but Spyros finds it hard to express gratitude while hungry. The situation worsens when a violent storm hits their boat near the city of Argos, and Spyros is shocked to see soldiers dismantling a statue of Zeus, foreshadowing the challenges that lie ahead.