170-509: Castle Grayskull is a fictional castle that forms a central location in the Masters of the Universe toy/comic/animation universe and also appears in the 1987 live action adaptation . The concept is credited to Donald F. Glut . The toy set was invented by Roger Sweet . Castle Grayskull was a "major feature of Mattel's line", and was "one of the most famous playsets of all time". In the storyline of
340-408: A reboot of the franchise for a contemporary audience in 2002. It is also noted for featuring early script-writing work from J. Michael Straczynski , later the creator of Babylon 5 ; Paul Dini and Brynne Stephens , both of whom who would go on to write acclaimed episodes of Batman: The Animated Series ; Beast Wars story editor Larry DiTillio ; and David Wise , later the head-writer of
510-414: A "Commemorative Series" rerelease of the classic action figures in 2000, Mattel relaunched the toy line with all-new action figures, playsets, and vehicles, sculpted by Four Horsemen Studios in 2002. As part of the relaunch, a modern updated animated series was also created by Mike Young Productions, lasting for 39 episodes; featuring He-Man and his ensemble of heroic warriors , now called the "Masters of
680-420: A Big Jim figure [from another Mattel toy line] into a battle action pose and I added a lot of clay to his body. I then had plaster casts made. These three prototypes, which I presented in late 1980, brought He-Man into existence. I simply explained that this was a powerful figure that could be taken anywhere and dropped into any context because he had a generic name: He-Man!" —Roger Sweet Originally set under
850-512: A barren plain just on the edge of the Evergreen Forest. It serves as home to the Sorceress and to the mysterious and rarely seen Spirit of Grayskull, as well as a place of refuge for He-Man and all those considered his friends. Its origins are unknown except for the fact that it was constructed to protect an unspecified source of power from those who would misuse it. It is a frequent target for
1020-551: A bionic neck, searching for his lost son), Roboto (robotic alien explorer marooned on Eternia), Sy-Klone (spinning tornado-like warrior, who appears without a backstory), Moss Man (transforming plant being and spy), and several characters that would not receive action-figure releases in the original line such as Lizard-Man , the Royal Archeologist Melaktha, Trollans Dree-Elle and Montork, Avion bird people Delora and Hawke, Adam's grandfather King Miro, Squinch and
1190-422: A cartoon to promote their toyline. Based on their animated commercial work for Mattel, including a spot for the toyline, Filmation was chosen to produce the series. Mattel hired screenwriter Michael Halperin, experienced in live-action TV, to write a pitch bible (submitted on December 1, 1982) to flesh out the backstory both for merchandising and for the cartoon. The bible introduced He-Man's alter-ego, as well as
1360-501: A compilation of what would become the first five episodes of the She-Ra cartoon series. The series would run for two seasons, 93 episodes, from 1985 to 1987. She-Ra: Princess of Power was produced in lieu of continuing He-Man and the Masters of the Universe for a third year; however, He-Man often appeared in episodes of She-Ra to aid his sister, and several other characters from He-Man and
1530-631: A creation of Man-At-Arms rather than a wandering alien, as in the Filmation series. Stinkor and Spikor starred in their own mini comics as well, in The Stench of Evil and Spikor Strikes , which also included Moss Man, Sy-Klone (referred to as "Tornado"), and the Spydor vehicle. Only the mini comic The Obelisk followed the established continuity more closely and did not feature any of the new characters or vehicles. Michael Halperin and Christy Marx wrote many of
1700-504: A dim-witted but likable bouncing warrior). Appearing with much less frequency in the series are He-Man's recurring allies Zodac (less neutral and more of an omniscient cosmic peacekeeper, often assisting He-Man), Man-E-Faces (presented this time as a master of disguise, an actor who occasionally employs his abilities to help He-Man), Buzz-Off (leader of a race of bee people), Fisto (debuts as powerful loner and adversary of He-Man before joining forces), Mekaneck (loyal warrior with
1870-497: A flat surface) were also produced in this third wave. Skeletor's evil warriors received new recruits as well, with Clawful ("warrior with the grip of evil"; crab-like creature with an oversize pincer for a hand), Jitsu ("evil master of martial arts"; human warrior with a gold chopping hand action feature), Kobra Khan ("evil master of snakes"; reptilian warrior able to be filled with water to spray "poison" mist on his enemies), Webstor ("evil master of escape"; spider-faced warrior with
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#17330939938802040-409: A large bashing club arm), Battle Bones ("collector's carry case" and dinosaur skeleton brought to life in the mini comics), Land Shark ("evil monster/vehicle"; Skeletor's tank with a purple chomping shark mouth), Night Stalker ("evil armored battle steed"; a recolored Stridor toy, often associated with Jitsu), and Spydor ("evil stalker"; Skeletor's giant mechanical spider). The largest addition to
2210-581: A large helmet that encloses his head and upper torso; and Man-E-Faces , an actor with face-changing abilities. Skeletor is originally described as an evil being from another dimension and in some later MOTU lore as a disfigured and vengeful relative of the royal family, known as Keldor. From his lair on Snake Mountain , Skeletor would assemble his "Evil Warriors" to assist in his various schemes to conquer Eternia . These core minions usually include Beast Man , an orange-furred, apelike master of beasts; Mer-Man , an aquatic fishlike ocean warlord; Evil-Lyn ,
2380-456: A line of toys; advertising to children was itself controversial during this period. In the United Kingdom, advertising regulations forbade commercials for He-Man toys to accompany the program itself. In similar fashion to other shows at the time, notably G.I. Joe , an attempt to mitigate the negative publicity generated by this controversy was made by including a "life lesson" or "moral of
2550-502: A magic orb to spy on He-Man and his friends. Often this group of evil minions consists of the cunning female sorcerer Evil-Lyn (making her full debut into the MOTU mythos as Skeletor's most dangerous counterpart in the Filmation series) and his most frequent sidekicks: the bumbling Beast Man (who possesses the ability to control various creatures through telepathy) and the equally inept weapon-armed Trap Jaw . Skeletor's original henchmen in
2720-567: A main storyboard artist, along with Tom Tataranowicz , Warren Greenwood, Robert Lamb, Don Manuel, Bob Arkwright, and many other contributors. Writers on the show included Larry DiTillio , David Wise , Robby London, Michael Reaves , Doug Booth, J. Brynne Stephens , and many others, including early script-writing work from Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski , Paul Dini of Batman: The Animated Series fame, and one episode, "Battle Cat," by D. C. Fontana of Star Trek fame. The series, although still popular, would not be renewed for
2890-453: A new character, named Castle Grayskullman, described as the "Heroic Embodiment of Castle Grayskull" was created by Daniel Benedict and was the winner of the 30th Anniversary "Create-A-Character" Contest. The figure of Castle Grayskullman was released in November 2012. The origin of Castle Grayskull was related in the read-along book "Castle Grayskull" as once being the beautiful "Hall of Wisdom,"
3060-570: A number of magical doors inside the castle, most of them in the Portal Chamber, that serve as portals to various locations on Eternia, including Snake Mountain, and at least one that leads to Etheria . The castle also plays a key role in and is consistently featured in She-Ra 's transformation, in the spinoff series She-Ra: Princess of Power . In the live-action movie , Castle Grayskull is finally captured by Skeletor's forces. The first image of it seen
3230-400: A number of story differences between the various versions of Masters of the Universe. In most continuities from the Filmation series onward, He-Man is the secret identity of Prince Adam , the son of King Randor and Queen Marlena , the ruling royal family of Eternia. Adam becomes He-Man by holding aloft his magic Power Sword and uttering the words "By the power of Grayskull…" and serves as
3400-590: A plastic sword which could be joined into one "complete" sword, corresponding to the storyline in the included mini-comic. Together, the combined sword was used as a key to open the jawbridge to the Castle Grayskull playset. According to the original storyline, the Sorceress (as she is called in the very first minicomic "He-Man and the Powersword") had split the sword into two and scattered the pieces, in order to protect
3570-615: A plethora of characters, including Swift Wind, Kowl, Light Hope, Broom, Mantenna, Leech, Grizzlor, Modulok, Horde Prime, Multi-Bot, Rattlor, Orko, the Horde Troopers, and many of the Twiggits; while his daughter, Erika Scheimer , took a more prominent role in this series, providing the voices for Loo-Kee, Queen Angella, Frosta, Imp, and several of She-Ra's female associates. She-Ra: Princess of Power would air its final episode, "Swifty's Baby," on December 12, 1987, with no real finale for either
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#17330939938803740-438: A powerful sorceress and one of Skeletor's most feared and competent associates; Trap Jaw , an iron-jawed criminal with a mechanical arm that can be fitted by a various assortment of weapons; and Tri-Klops , a mercenary swordsman with a rotating three-eyed visor. The series overall would feature a wide and ever-expanding cast of heroic and villainous characters added to the toy line, the Filmation cartoon, and other media; with
3910-514: A replica of He-Man's sword featuring a smooth blue gem in its hilt. Unlike He-Man's sword, She-Ra's possesses the ability to transform into different weapons and accessories, such as a lasso, a shield, or a flaming blade. Like her brother Adam, however, Adora's transformation into She-Ra is similarly triggered by holding her sword over her head, but with her own unique invocation: "For the honor of Grayskull…I am She-Ra!" Also similar to He-Man and Cringer/Battle Cat, She-Ra transforms her horse Spirit into
4080-588: A skilled swordsman/mercenary in The Terror of Tri-Klops and Trap Jaw portrayed in The Menace of Trap Jaw as a criminal from another dimension. In these pre-Filmation stories, the primary characters of Prince Adam , Cringer , Orko , and Evil-Lyn did not yet feature in the series; although the Eternian Palace and Royal Court with King Randor and Queen Marlena (both yet unnamed, looking decidedly older than in
4250-629: A small water-squirting dragon chained to Skeletor's armor). Heroic warriors included in the line were Moss Man ("heroic spy and master of camouflage"; a fuzzy pine-scented retooling of the Beast-Man mold), Roboto ("heroic mechanical warrior"; featuring moving gears and multiple weapons that could be inserted into his arm socket), and Sy-Klone ("heroic fist-flinging tornado"; with a dial on his waist allowing his torso to be spun around continuously). Evil warriors in 1985 consisted of Spikor ("untouchable master of evil combat"; covered in purple rubber spikes with
4420-495: A song about He-Man. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is considered the most successful animated series ever made by Filmation. The show, as it was created to promote hyper-consumerism in children, left itself vulnerable to criticism. Many parent groups were also critical of what they saw as the show's homoeroticism. In 2009, IGN ranked the series as the 58th greatest animated show of all time in their Top 100 list. In 1983–1986 RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video released
4590-425: A storyline at that point and he thought to himself that it might be Skeletor's base. The original concept art and prototype show a large swamp surrounding the castle, which was going to be printed on a playmat that would be positioned beneath the playset. This moat playmat was not included with the finished toy, in order to keep costs down. Castle Grayskull was made as a playset for both the 1980s and 2002 Masters of
4760-505: A third season in 1985. However, the characters would make occasional guest appearances in the She-Ra: Princess of Power Series , which was set in the same universe and followed the same continuity. The She-Ra series began with a 5-part animated serial which was later condensed into the animated movie The Secret of the Sword , released theatrically in the spring of 1985 and featuring most of
4930-525: A thousand bodies"; a unique figure with 22 segmented body parts that could be taken apart and reassembled into more than 1,000 different combinations). Hordak's lair, the Fright Zone, was also released as a playset in 1985, although it bore no resemblance at all to the mechanical-/industrial-looking Fright Zone seen in the animated She-Ra series. Series four of the mini comics in 1985 began to depart from some aspects of Filmation's continuity, as each member of
5100-496: A three-eyed rotating visor), Trap Jaw ("evil and armed for combat"; with alternate weapons to place in his arm socket), Panthor (Skeletor's "savage cat"; a fuzzy purple adaptation of Battle Cat's toy mold), Screeech (Skeletor's "barbarian bird"; a purple recast of the orange Zoar), Faker ("evil robot of Skeletor"; a blue-skinned clone of He-Man, seldom featured in MOTU media, without an introductory mini-comic during his initial release), and Evil-Lyn ("evil warrior goddess";
5270-591: A three-issue miniseries at the start of 1983 (all written by Paul Kupperberg , with artwork by Curt Swan and George Tuska ). These issues would introduce the Eternian Royal Family, most notably Prince Adam (DC Comics Presents #47), and his transformation into He-Man in the series. This version of Adam, however, was originally depicted wearing a blue vest and portrayed as somewhat of a philanderer, rather than his later more wholesome pink-vest-wearing character. Also unique to these issues, Adam transforms inside
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5440-467: A trident for an arm), Two Bad ("double-headed evil strategist"; whose spring-action arms allowed the figure to punch himself in either face), and Stinkor ("evil master of odors"; a foul-smelling reworking of the Mer-Man mold and the only character from the 1985 line that would not make an appearance in the Filmation cartoon). Vehicles produced in this fourth wave were Bashasaurus ("heroic combat vehicle"; with
5610-511: A wise loyal veteran soldier and inventor; and his adopted daughter Teela , a spirited and skillful female warrior, often portrayed as captain of the Eternian Royal Guard and a potential love interest of He-Man/Prince Adam. The childlike Trollan magician Orko also often features as one of He-Man's closest allies; as does Stratos , a flying bird-man from the kingdom of Avion; Ram-Man , a stout dimwitted warrior with springlike legs and
5780-521: A working grappling hook/backpack pulley system), and Whiplash ("evil tail-thrashing warrior"; reptilian with a rubber tail) all added to the line in 1984. Vehicles produced in 1984 include the Dragon Walker ("sidewinding beast/vehicle"), Road Ripper ("warrior carrier," with a fast-action pull cord), Roton ("evil assault vehicle," with a round rotating outer disc), and Stridor ("heroic armored war horse," often paired with Fisto). The major playset that year
5950-505: Is Teela (now firmly depicted with red hair, she is the Captain of the Royal Guard, the adopted daughter of Man-At-Arms, and secret child of the Sorceress; who serves as a teasing and semi-antagonistic love interest of Adam and He-Man throughout the series). Also featuring in the series with semi-regularity are Stratos (the flying leader of the bird people of Avion) and Ram-Man (portrayed as
6120-406: Is at the center of the universe. In the film, the exterior of Castle Grayskull was designed by production designer William Stout . It was presented as a matte painting, and only appeared once, to reduce the cost of sets and models. The castle's purpose and history are significantly changed in the 2002 series , as are the variety of locations shown in the castle. For the new series, Hall of Wisdom
6290-474: Is introduced in the first mini comic, He-man and the Power Sword , as a wandering barbarian , leaving behind his jungle tribe on Eternia . The world of Eternia is initially depicted as dealing with the aftermath of a great war that has devastated once-powerful civilizations, leaving behind their fantastical machinery and weapons. The events of the war have also opened a rift between dimensions, which has allowed
6460-477: Is not officially acknowledged by Mattel, and authorship of the He-Man character has been subject to debate. According to various former Mattel designers, Roger Sweet drew inspiration for the designs of his first He-Man prototypes from fantasy drawings of Mattel packaging designer Mark Taylor, which included a drawing of a He-Man-like character called Torak . Roger Sweet presented the He-Man concept to Ray Wagner at
6630-408: Is of its interior as Skeletor, victorious at last, makes the long march across the castle's Throne Room. The throne resides in the posterior section of the room just beyond the section's seemingly incomplete marble foundation which rests atop pillars and framework that extend from a deep abyss. This foundation is formed in such a way that there are four large holes of sizes that altogether occupy most of
6800-555: Is originally led by Queen Angela (winged queen of Bright Moon, freed by She-Ra from the clutches of Hunga the Harpy) and her daughter Glimmer (pink-haired magic user with the ability to manipulate light), with the main cast of the Princess of Power cartoon also including the skilled archer Bow (the main male heroic character of the series), Bow's timid companion Kowl (a flying owl-/koala-like creature with large rainbow-colored ears), and
6970-569: Is still existent on other media in circulation. However, complications over the rights to it prevented it from being inserted back into the DVD release. An adult Netflix Original series Masters of the Universe: Revelation , was released in 2021. Although initially announced as a direct sequel to the 1983 TV series, director Kevin Smith later admitted the series is not set in the same continuity as
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7140-425: Is supported in these initial stories by his heroic allies: Battle Cat (without the dual form of Cringer), Man-At-Arms, Teela , and Stratos , the winged warrior (who erroneously came fighting on the side of Skeletor in the initial mini-comic). Skeletor, in turn, enlists the help of the brutish apelike Beast Man and fishlike Mer-Man to battle He-Man or his heroic warriors. Other major characters introduced
7310-543: The He-Man or She-Ra series) is a sword and planet -themed media franchise created by Mattel . The main premise revolves around the conflict between He-Man (the alter ego of Prince Adam) and Skeletor on the planet Eternia, with a vast lineup of supporting characters in a hybrid setting of medieval sword and sorcery , and sci-fi technology. A follow-up series, She-Ra: Princess of Power revolves around He-Man's sister She-Ra and her rebellion against The Horde on
7480-524: The Sword of Power aloft and proclaims "By the Power of Grayskull! I have the power!” he is endowed with "fabulous secret powers" and transformed into He-Man , the most powerful man in the universe. Together with his close allies, Battle Cat (who undergoes a similar transformation from being Adam's cowardly pet tiger Cringer), The Sorceress , Teela , Man-At-Arms and Orko , He-Man uses his powers to defend Eternia from
7650-622: The Sword of Protection and seeks to learn the true evil of the Horde. After first transforming into She-Ra and seeing the error of her ways, she becomes a member of the Great Rebellion ; a secret small band of rebels, living in the Whispering Woods and fighting to free Etheria from the tyrannical rule of Hordak . Just as Prince Adam transforms into He-Man with the use of his Sword of Power, Adora transforms into She-Ra via her Sword of Protection,
7820-451: The mini-comics that accompanied the action figures throughout the duration of the line (with 49 distinct comics being issued from 1981 until 1987). The original four mini comics, He-Man and the Power Sword , The King of Castle Grayskull , Battle in the Clouds , and The Vengeance of Skeletor were made by Mattel in 1981 and written by Donald F. Glut , with artwork by Alfredo Alcala . He-Man
7990-698: The "Cavern of Power," instead of his more famous "By the power of Grayskull!" line. The Sorceress, now residing in the Cavern of Power, is still depicted wearing the Teela Snake Armor, and is often referred to as "The Goddess" throughout the series. Other entries into the Masters of the Universe mythos, such as Cringer as the alter ego of Battle Cat, Zodac as a neutral cosmic enforcer, Stratos as leader of his home world of Avion, and Adam's mother, Queen Marlena, as an astronaut hailing from Earth, were all partly introduced in these early DC issues. In 1983, Masters of
8160-570: The "center of Eternian culture and a storehouse of all knowledge of the universe." The Hall was the meeting place of the Council of Elders. One day, the elders saw a vision of a beautiful woman dressed in snake armor who warned of future danger and also the coming of He-Man . The Elders concentrated all of their power into a magical orb. The Elders then magically transformed the Hall of Wisdom into Castle Grayskull in order to frighten away intruders and protect
8330-570: The "dragonfly attack vehicle", known as the Fright Fighter. At a less expensive price point, several accessory packs of smaller vehicle/weapons included the Megalaser, Jet Sled, and Stilt Stalkers in 1986; and the Scubattack, Tower Tools, Cliff Climber, Beam Blaster, and Artilleray set and several small transforming egg-shaped creatures, known as Meteorbs, late into the line in 1987. He-Man and
8500-507: The 1982 Conan movie . However, with Mattel introducing the Masters of the Universe toy line in 1982, the rights-holders sued Mattel claiming the character was an infringement on the character of Conan. Mattel eventually won the lawsuit and after legal agreements were dissolved, it was stated that the toy line was never intended for the Conan film. However, some Conan influence can be seen, as Roger Sweet has claimed to have drawn some inspiration from
8670-450: The 1984 and 1985 mini comics, while Lee Nordling often served as editor. Larry Houston, Michael Lee, and Alfred Alcala composed most of the artwork for these issues, while DC Comics' Bruce Timm was the illustrator for Grizzlor - The Legend Comes Alive! In 1984, Mattel and Filmation decided to diversify the Masters of the Universe line beyond its traditional realm of "male action," in
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#17330939938808840-482: The 1985 Masters of the Universe toy line came in the form of the Evil Horde , whose characters were set to debut in the animated He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword motion picture. Although villains in the soon-to-debut She-Ra: Princess of Power animated series, five out of the six initial Evil Horde action figures were produced for the Masters of Universe line instead of the Princess of Power toy line (with
9010-485: The Barbarian , a cartoon series could feature a muscular superhero who was actually allowed to hit people (although he more typically used wrestling-style moves rather than actually punching enemies), though he still could not use his sword often; more often than not He-Man opted to pick up his opponents and toss them away rather than hit them. The cartoon was controversial in that it was produced in connection with marketing
9180-567: The Elders. Prior to its bestowal upon Prince Adam, the Sword of Power was also stored in the depths of the Crystal Chamber. Other locations within the castle include the Throne Room (trophy room); a massive library (blue room); a room that houses an enormous, mystical mirror used to view both the past and present; an underground colosseum; a secret chamber devoted to King Grayskull ; the area behind
9350-563: The Evil Horde appeared in their own titular mini comic, focusing more on their attempts to attack He-Man and invade Eternia rather than anything She-Ra/Princess of Power–related. Likewise, Skeletor's dragon-blaster and He-Man's thunder-punch powers were never seen in the animated series, but debut here in the mini comics Skeletor's Dragon and The Treachery of Modulok . Roboto also received an alternate origin story in The Battle of Roboto , being
9520-432: The Filmation series), Modulok (deranged and mutated scientist, once known as Galen Nycroft), Clawful (a far more cunning villain in this version than other representations of the character), and Whiplash (appearing the most out of the later henchmen). Some of Skeletor's rogues would appear only once in the Filmation cartoon, such as Faker (appearing only briefly as a magical clone of He-Man before being tossed into
9690-472: The Force Squad. The Force Squad, lead originally by Adora and now by Catra (raven-haired villainess with a magic mask, giving her the ability to turn into a vicious panther), consists of the bug-eyed Mantenna (whom Hordak loves to torment, often dropping him through trapdoors), the fearsome Beast Island operator Grizzlor, the hulking life-force-draining amphibian-like Leech, the whiny shape-shifting Imp, and
9860-604: The He-Man/She-ra movie and the Christmas special were Filmation productions, set in the same continuity as the original He-Man cartoon, and with the same production cast and crew. Reruns continued to air in syndication until 1988, at which point USA Network bought the rights to the series. USA aired He-Man until September 1990. The success of the toy based show in syndication greatly influenced other animation houses to produce half hour "cartoon commercials", and considerably changed
10030-549: The Horde Trooper ("evil collapsing robot" and the only generic troop/soldier figures of the toy line). New versions of the lead characters were also produced, with "Flying Fists" He-Man, "Terror Claws" Skeletor, and Hordak in two new forms ("Hurricane" Hordak and "Buzz-Saw" Hordak). The Evil Horde obtained their first vehicle/creatures in the toy line with Mantisaur ("the evil insectoid steed") and Monstroid ("the ultimate battling monster", that had an entirely different depiction in
10200-453: The Horde villainess Catra being the sole exception). The new main villain Hordak ("ruthless leader of the Evil Horde") was followed in action-figure form by his underlings, Mantenna ("evil spy with the pop-out eyes"), Leech ("evil master of power suction", with suction-cup hands and mouth), Grizzlor ("hairy henchman of the Evil Horde", with actual imitation fur), and Modulok ("evil beast with
10370-666: The Horde, Horde Prime , who held leadership over both Hordak and Skeletor, was also introduced during the She-Ra Filmation series. Some of the other popular one-off heroes and villains were Spinnerella , Huntara , General Sunder, False-Face, Colonel Blast, the Red Knight, Granita the comet warrior, Sorrowful the Dragon, the Meteorbs , and the Star Sisters. She-Ra and Adora were voiced in
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#173309399388010540-542: The Masters of the Universe He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (often referred to simply as He-Man ) is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel 's toy line Masters of the Universe . The show was one of the most popular animated shows of the 1980s. It made its television debut in September 1983 and ran until 1985, consisting of two seasons of 65 episodes each. Towards
10710-445: The Masters of the Universe animated series. Debuting in the fall of 1983, the Filmation series ran 130 episodes over two seasons until November 1985. Since its inception, Masters of the Universe has usually placed its focus on the two primary characters, the blond muscular He-Man , "the most powerful man in the Universe," and his nemesis, the evil skull-faced, blue-skinned sorcerer Skeletor and their many moral-themed encounters on
10880-411: The Masters of the Universe , both heroic and evil, also appeared in multiple crossovers. She-Ra was born as Princess Adora on Eternia, Prince Adam/He-Man's twin sister and daughter of King Randor and Queen Marlena. As an infant, Adora is kidnapped by Hordak (vampire/demon-faced sorcerer with a cowl of bones, who can transform his body into various mechanical devices) and Skeletor (Hordak's apprentice at
11050-400: The Masters of the Universe and introduce many of the new characters and concepts behind the new series (with the backstory developed by Filmation writers Larry DiTillio and J. Michael Straczynski). Filmation's She-Ra: Princess of Power first aired "The Sword of She-Ra Part 1: Into Etheria" on September 9, 1985. The Secret of the Sword animated movie from earlier that spring was essentially
11220-460: The Masters of the Universe branding. The character Catra was the only villain to be released in the first wave of the Princess of Power figures, with Mattel downplaying her connection to the Evil Horde in the toy line. In 1986, a new "Scratchin' Sound" version of Catra was joined by her feline pet Clawdeen and fellow Horde-Villainess Entrapta . She-Ra (with a new "Starburst" version) was accompanied in
11390-628: The Masters of the Universe franchise, releasing various new comic book series from 2012 until 2020; featuring crossovers with the DC Comics Universe , ThunderCats , and a new origin for She-Ra, culminating in Hordak's conquest of Eternia. In 2020, Mattel released a new line of 5.5" scale action figures, vehicles and playsets under the Masters of the Universe Origins line. Netflix and DreamWorks released an animated series entitled She-Ra and
11560-499: The Masters of the Universe would appear for the first time in the pages of DC Comics with DC Comics Presents Issue #47 , in the story From Eternia With Death , followed by a special insert comic in many DC's titles from November 1982, entitled Fate is the Killer . In these first two DC MOTU stories, Superman ends up on Eternia, joining with He-Man to combat Skeletor and his minions. He-Man's original DC comic run finished up with
11730-547: The Mattel Product Conference, in the form of three large three-dimensional plaster prototype models, which Sweet dubbed the "He-Man Trio." These prototypes were molded from extensively modified Big Jim action figures ( Battle Cat would also be adapted from a tiger in the Big Jim toy line). The He-Man Trio models were an axe-wielding barbarian, a tank-headed soldier, and a spaceman with a Boba Fett –like helmet. Out of
11900-551: The Princesses of Power in 2018, which released five seasons until 2020. This was followed in 2021 by Masters of the Universe Revelation , a new Netflix animated series produced by Kevin Smith . Mattel began development of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in the late 1970s with Conan the Barbarian –inspired concepts from Roger Sweet , Mark Taylor, Donald F. Glut , and several other contributors. The catalyst for
12070-545: The Rebellion included Adora's swashbuckling love interest Sea-Hawk , the flirtatious ice queen Frosta , powerful sorcerer queen Castaspella , the mermaid princess Mermista , flower-loving Perfuma , net-tossing Netossa , far-seeing Peekablue , butterfly-like Flutterina , and the intergalactic scout Sweet Bee . With the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon no longer in production, MOTU toy-line characters also appeared in
12240-534: The She-Ra cartoon did not receive action figures in either the original POP or MOTU toy lines—such as Madame Razz (or her Broom), Light Hope, the Twiggits, Sea-Hawk, Shadow Weaver, Scorpia, Imp, Octavia, or Hunga the Harpy, though nearly all of these omitted (from the original toy-lines)characters would receive action figures in the 2008-2016 produced Masters of The Universe Classics revival line for collectors. She-Ra would also feature in 13 of her own mini comics (packaged with
12410-535: The She-Ra or He-Man Filmation series. Released in 1985, Mattel's toy line Princess of Power (sometimes abbreviated as POP) featured almost exclusively female characters, all of whom featured an emphasis on hair and clothing, with "real" hair and partially soft-goods costumes. Described as "fashion action dolls," essentially the line attempted to fuse the appeal of Masters of the Universe with Mattel's successful line of fashion dolls , Barbie , and added many "Fantastic Fashions" clothing accessories packs to complement
12580-484: The She-Ra series, such as the elephant warrior Snout Spout (referred to as "Hose Nose"), and the Comet Warriors Rokkon and Stonedar . A special character, Loo-Kee , was also introduced, hiding somewhere in the background of nearly every episode of the series; emerging at the end of the episode, revealing to viewers where he had been hiding and relating the moral of the story. The ruling antagonist faction of
12750-491: The Sorceress, Evil-Lyn, and Queen Marlena; and executive producer Lou Scheimer providing the voice work for a multitude of other characters such as Orko, King Randor, Stratos, Trap Jaw, Tri-Klops, Man-E-Faces, Mekaneck, Fitso, Clawful, Kobra Khan, Spikor, and Two Bad, to name a few. The series was often produced by Lou Scheimer and Hal Sutherland and directed by Gwen Wetzler , Marsh Lamore, Lou Kachivas, Steve Clark, Ernie Schmidt, Ed Friedman, and others; with Tom Sito serving as
12920-587: The TV version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Real Ghostbusters . In 2016, a new episode of He-Man was released. The series' music was composed by Shuki Levy and Haim Saban . The opening theme, snippets of which are used whenever Prince Adam transforms into He-Man and during interludes, is in C Mixolydian . In 1984, a soundtrack album was released in France and Argentina by CBS Records and reissued on compact disc by XIII Bis in 2012, featuring music from
13090-418: The United Kingdom, the closing "morals" were often edited out of the original broadcasts). The series featured the voice talents of John Erwin , who starred as He-Man/Prince Adam, Beast Man, Ram Man, Webstor, Whiplash, and many others; the aforementioned Alan Oppenheimer, voicing Skeletor, Man-At-Arms, Battle Cat/Cringer, Mer-Man, Buzz-Off, and many others; Linda Gary as much of the female cast with Teela,
13260-473: The Universe toy lines. The 1980s incarnation was one of the more popular Christmas presents for pre-adolescent boys in the 1980s. The castle was user-friendly, possessing many settings and functions suitable for the 5" action figures it was built to complement. Castle Grayskull was released by Mattel for inclusion in their Masters of the Universe Classics action figure line (mid to late November 2013), and
13430-405: The Universe would debut perhaps its most famous incarnation, with the animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe . Created by Filmation under the direction of executive producer Lou Scheimer , the cartoon made its television debut on September 5, 1983, with the episode "The Diamond Ray of Disappearance". Running through two seasons, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was one of
13600-588: The Universe," battling Skeletor's minions and, later, King Hiss , the ancient and evil lord of the Snake Men . Characters such as Mekaneck , heroic warrior with a mechanical extending neck; Buzz-Off , heroic beelike flying Andreenid warrior; Clawful , large villainous crab-like henchman; Whiplash , evil reptilian Caligar with a deadly tail; Stinkor, foul-smelling mutated Paleezean; and many others would gain more prominent backstories during this series. Several volumes of comic books were also produced to go along with
13770-439: The Universe: Revelation , a continuation for an adult audience and another is a family-oriented animated CGI reboot, also titled He-Man and the Masters of the Universe . The series takes place on Eternia , a planet of magic, myth and fantasy. Its lead character is Prince Adam, the young son of Eternia's rulers King Randor and Queen Marlena . Prince Adam is also the twin brother of Princess Adora . Whenever Prince Adam holds
13940-602: The Universe: The Complete Series (ASIN B002DQL34G). Commemorating the 30th anniversary Masters of the Universe brand, Mill Creek Entertainment finally released the 30th Anniversary Commemorative Collection of the Masters of the Universe DVD. The 22-disc set features all 130 episodes of the 1983 series, 20 fan-favorite episodes of the 1990 series , as well as all 39 episodes of the 2002 series . Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released all 130 episodes of
14110-638: The Widgets, and the wise and ancient dragon Granamyr . He-Man's nemesis, the evil wizard Skeletor (now famously portrayed by voice actor Alan Oppenheimer as a cackling and more comedic villain), still wishes to conquer Castle Grayskull and learn of its secrets, but also now desires to take over the royal palace and rule Eternia; often seeking ancient and mysterious beasts and artifacts to try and stop He-Man and his allies. Skeletor often hosts his rogues gallery inside his headquarters, Snake Mountain , gathered around his bone-filled throne, plotting and peering through
14280-483: The absent-minded magician Madame Razz and her wise-cracking sidekick, Broom . Also appearing in many episodes are the small imp-like forest-dwelling Twiggits (mainly Sprockett, Spritina, and Spragg) and the mystical Light Hope , who serves as a "Sorceress of Grayskull–type" guide to She-Ra, residing high atop Mount Skydancer in the Crystal Castle. Throughout the series, recurring characters and members/allies of
14450-475: The action figure line in 1984 were new "Battle Armor" versions of He-Man and Skeletor, who could be "battle damaged" when the mechanism on the figure's chest was pressed. These new renditions of He-Man and Skeletor did not appear in the animated series or the mini comics, but several new characters in the Filmation series found releases in these third and fourth waves of action figures. Making their toy-line debuts in 1984 were He-Man's allies Buzz-Off ("heroic spy in
14620-527: The animated movie, Filmation went on to produce 93 episodes of the series She-Ra: Princess of Power , which ran until the end of 1987, along with the He-Man & She-Ra: Christmas Special . Other main characters of the She-Ra series would include Swift Wind , winged unicorn and alter ego of She-Ra's trusty steed Spirit; Light Hope , mystical living beam of light and mentor to She-Ra; and her Great Rebellion allies Glimmer , magically inclined onetime leader of
14790-422: The animated series); while the Horde's Slime Pit playset (a dinosaur-skull-headed torture device) proved to be quite popular in 1986, coming complete with canisters of green ooze to pour over the action figures, while held in place with a giant claw. Also that same year, "the land and sky disc launcher", Blaster Hawk, and "the road rocket", Laser Bolt, were produced for He-Man's heroic warriors; while Skeletor gained
14960-461: The battle between Galactic Guardians and Space Mutants on the planet Primus. Jetlag Productions would go on to produce 65 episodes of the New Adventures cartoon, with a few mini comics and adventure magazines also created for this new series. Ultimately, though, the series would not be as successful and the entire franchise would go on a hiatus for more than a decade. After some success with
15130-440: The bottomless abyss outside Castle Grayskull), Jitsu (called "Chopper" in the script), Batros, Icer, Fang-Man, Dragoon, and Strong-Arm. Other villains not allied with Skeletor would occasionally appear as well, such as the powerful wizard Count Marzo , the plant-demon Evilseed , Kothos, Shokoti, Negator, and the rabbitlike space pirate Plundor, to name a few. Despite the limited animation techniques that were used to produce
15300-574: The cartoon also include Mer-Man (with a distinctive gurgling voice portrayal, also by Alan Oppenheimer), Tri-Klops (with a more robotic voice and persona), and Skeletor's purple pet feline Panthor . Other henchmen making a few appearances later in the series are Webstor (one of Skeletor's more intelligent henchmen, often paired with Kobra Khan), Kobra Khan (menacing Repton able to spray sleeping gas from his cobra hood), Two-Bad (bumbling henchman with two often arguing heads), Spikor (depicted as possibly Skeletor's most dimwitted minion in all of
15470-469: The castle and its source of universal power. The toy set was the centerpiece of the toy line, and sold more than 3.5 million units. An early concept sketch by Mark Taylor featured "the Dwell of Souls", an idea that evolved into Castle Grayskull; it featured a skull-shaped entrance. The original packaging art by Rudy Obrero showed Skeletor inside the jaw bridge; which was done because Mr. Obrero had not been given
15640-420: The castle was almost entirely forgotten by the populace. Its true purpose, and the secrets within, are now known to only a very select few. Like the Filmation version, it is surrounded by a seemingly bottomless abyss and is backed by a sheer cliff. This abyss was revealed to have been created during the final confrontation between King Grayskull and Hordak. A 1984 New York Times article noted He-Man had become
15810-413: The collector's market, the series made up an entirely new story in "Classics bios" and used various elements from previous Masters of the Universe lore, many times changing those elements to suit the new story, with characters from all previous incarnations (and also featured a continuation of the original mini comics line). DC Comics would soon follow suit and relaunch a new grittier, contemporary version of
15980-465: The content based primarily on the Filmation He-Man and She-Ra series. The live-action film Masters of the Universe was released in 1987 by Cannon Films , starring Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella . The later 1980s mini comics, Marvel comics series, and UK magazine comics continued the adventures of He-Man and She-Ra past the end of the two Filmation series. However, popularity had waned by
16150-504: The creation of He-Man began in 1976, when Mattel's CEO Ray Wagner declined a request to produce a toy line of action figures based on the characters from the George Lucas film Star Wars , with the film's toy rights being acquired by Kenner instead. Upon the commercial success of the film trilogy and all related merchandise during the next few years, Mattel attempted to launch several unsuccessful toy lines, none of which captured
16320-520: The elephant-headed Snout Spout ("heroic water-blasting firefighter"); the rock warriors: Rokkon ("young heroic comet warrior") and Stonedar ("heroic rock people leader"); the Snake Men: Tung Lashor ("evil tongue-shooting Snake Men creature") and Rattlor ("evil Snake Men creature with the quick-strike head"); and the Horde members: Multi-Bot ("evil robot of a thousand bodies", similar to the prior interchangeable body-segment Modulok figure) and
16490-506: The end of 1987 and a planned continuation of the original toy line under the heading of "The Powers of Grayskull" (set in ancient Eternia, featuring the villain King Hiss and He-Man's ancestor He-Ro ) was started, but eventually scrapped. He-Man would be brought back in 1989 in an entirely new and space-based cartoon series and toy line known as " The New Adventures of He-Man ." Only He-Man and Skeletor would return as major characters to join
16660-516: The end of the show's original run, it spawned one feature length theatrical movie He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword , which served as the introduction for the show's spinoff literal sister series She-Ra: Princess of Power . There was also a primetime Christmas special, " He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special ", which served as an extension of both the He-Man show and the She-ra show, and which featured cast and major locales from both shows. Both
16830-531: The episode "Double Trouble", an evil doppelganger of He-Man's friend Kol Darr also comes across the chamber that houses the Secrets of Castle Grayskull. It is a room with two doors, between which sits the Guardian, one of which houses the secrets, the other one is the only destruction. The castle is surrounded by a bottomless abyss, which doubles as a moat in at least one episode, and a Jawbridge (a drawbridge formed by
17000-554: The evil forces of Skeletor . Skeletor's main goal is to conquer the mysterious fortress of Castle Grayskull , from which He-Man draws his powers. If successful, Skeletor would have enough power to rule all of Eternia and possibly the entire universe. The Mattel company released the first wave of the Masters of the Universe toyline in 1982. After the Federal Communications Commission relaxed its ban on toy-based children's programming, Mattel decided to commission
17170-496: The evil warlord Skeletor to travel into Eternia. This inaugural incarnation of Skeletor sets his sights on obtaining both halves of the Power Sword (originally split in two in these early stories), in order to gain entry into the ancient Castle Grayskull (depicted, in these early comics, as being inhabited by the ghostly "Spirit of Castle Grayskull"). The main premise being that whoever attains control of Castle Grayskull will gain
17340-597: The evil warriors: Blast-Attak ("blast-apart robotic warrior"), Ninjor ("evil ninja warrior"), and Scare-Glow ("evil ghost of Skeletor"); the Snake Men: King Hiss ("dreadful disguised leader of the Snake Men"), Sssqueeze ("evil long-armed viper"), and Snake-Face ("most gruesome of the Snake Men"); the Hordesmen: Dragstor ("transforming warrior/vehicle") and Mosquitor ("energy-draining insectoid"); and
17510-419: The eye sockets of the castle's facade; and, numerous corridors that are draped in illusions to confound invaders. It is revealed that Castle Grayskull was once home to King Grayskull , an ancestor of Prince Adam, who died defending his kingdom and Eternia as a whole from Hordak. Upon his death, King Grayskull transferred his power into his sword that now forms the basis of He-Man's power. His wife Veena became
17680-498: The female action figures. The 1985 line of Princess of Power figures included She-Ra (without a separate action figure for Princess Adora), Bow (the only male figure in the POP line, without his moustache, as seen in the cartoon series), Glimmer ("the guide who lights the way"), Kowl ("the know-it owl"), Angella ("angelic winged guide"), Frosta ("ice empress of Etheria"), Castaspella ("enchantress who hypnotizes"), Catra ("jealous beauty" and
17850-480: The figures), along with several children's books, comic magazines, and read-along record/cassette-tape books. The final series of action figures and mini comics, in 1986 and 1987, would continue on the adventures past the animated series and its sequel in the She-Ra line, introducing new characters not seen in the cartoon series such as the heroic warriors: Rio Blast ("transforming gunslinger"), Clamp Champ ("master of capture"), and Extendar ("master of extension");
18020-473: The figures: Swift Wind for She-Ra, Arrow for Bow, and Storm for Catra. The Princess of Power toy line ran from 1985 to 1987, for which Mattel would release a total of 22 action figure/dolls (with 12 creatures, two playsets, and 16 clothing accessories). Apart from the main Princess of Power line, the preeminent villains of the She-Ra series, Hordak and the Evil Horde (originally created by Filmation in collaboration with Mattel), were released by Mattel under
18190-652: The final overseas releases from the original line coming from Italy in 1988. A major proponent of the 1980s action-figure boom, Masters of the Universe figures proved to be very popular and were produced and marketed all over the world. Most of action figures were made in Taiwan and Malaysia. However, Mattel also had production facilities in the United States, Mexico, France, Spain, and joint ventures with Leo Toys of India, Top Toys of Argentina, Estrela of Brazil, Rotoplast of Venezuela and Takara of Japan. In July 1982, He-Man and
18360-414: The final production sculpt of the original He-Man action figure was completed by Tony Guerrero and the first vehicles were designed by Ted Mayer. Brief descriptions of the characters would appear on the packaging and box art (with illustrations by Errol McCarthy, Rudy Obrero, William Garland, William George, and others). However, the lore of Masters of the Universe would be first fully explored through
18530-414: The first Sorceress, and his advisers became the Council of Elders. He also had an enormous green lion as a mount, bearing the same armor as Battle Cat , and is presumably where Battle Cat gains his powers. Once made of white marble, and at the center of King Grayskull's bustling kingdom, the castle fell into a state of disrepair following a devastating battle with the forces of Hordak. Over countless years,
18700-666: The first animated series produced directly for weekday syndication , as opposed to reruns primarily based on Saturday mornings . Totaling 130 episodes, with each season of 65 episodes stretching across 13 weeks, the series last episode, "The Cold Zone," on November 21, 1985. Similar to the comics that came before, the series is set on Eternia, which is ruled by King Randor and Queen Marlena (visibly younger in age and with more colorful attire than their previous comic versions). Their son, Prince Adam (now wearing his more familiar pink vest), pretends to be somewhat lazy, clumsy, and irresponsible, much like his pet tiger Cringer (depicted in
18870-676: The first-season episodes of the same name. There were some differences from Filmation, however, as can be seen in The Temple of Darkness mini comic with the Sorceress, now in her birdlike Filmation attire, but in an all-white version of the costume. The mini comics He-Man and the Insect People and The Clash of Arms included many of the new characters from the toy line such as Buzz-Off, Mekaneck, Fisto, Stridor, Webstor, Clawful, and Whiplash; while others such as The Secret Liquid of Life , Slave City , and The Siege of Avion had less to do with
19040-471: The floor's area leaving a few wide catwalk walkways. The large posterior section of the room is lined with several tall statues of elders along each side whereas the much thinner, less tall, anterior section of the room is an open hallway lined with columns along each side. Near the throne, Skeletor has trapped the Sorceress within an energy field, which, little by little, transfers her power to him. The castle serves as Skeletor's main base of operations throughout
19210-470: The flying unicorn Swift Wind . Though strong like He-Man, She-Ra is shown to have additional powers as well, such as the ability to heal with her touch and communicate with animals via telepathy. The premise of the She-Ra TV series was the reverse of the He-Man cartoon, where the heroes are actually rebels countering an evil establishment (rather than Skeletor trying to conquer Eternia). The Great Rebellion
19380-498: The following year in these early waves of action figures included He-Man's allies Ram Man ("heroic human battering ram"; with spring-loaded legs), Man-E-Faces ("heroic human…robot…monster"; with three alternate faces), and Zoar ("the fighting falcon"; whose sculpt was taken from the Big Jim toy line's "Eagle of Danger Peak"); along with Skeletor's evil warriors Tri-Klops (described on his packaging as "evil and sees everything"; with
19550-555: The forces of evil. Although it is mostly viewed from the outside, there are a few notable internal locations: the Throne Room; Main Chamber (including the Walkway of the Elders); the Hall of He-Man; the Portal Chamber (in the skull top); a laboratory (basement); Mirror Room (basement); the Sorceress' den (where she studies and practices spells; in the right tower); and, the Sorceress' bed-chamber. In
19720-418: The form of Zoar the falcon), Man-At-Arms (now sporting a mustache and often referred to by his first name Duncan; he is portrayed as scientific inventor as well as a warrior), and Orko (making his full debut as a mainstay in the franchise, Orko is presented as a floating childlike Trollan magician, often used for comic relief and as a point-of-view character for children). Rounding out the main cast of heroes
19890-420: The franchise far outshining prior expectations, continuing to grow through 1983 and 1984. The release of the animated cartoon movie He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword in the spring of 1985 introduced He-Man's twin sister She-Ra (with her secret alter ego Princess Adora) and the arch-villain Hordak (leader of the Evil Horde and the former master of Skeletor) on the planet Etheria . Stemming from
20060-510: The franchise, it is the target of numerous attacks by Skeletor , Hordak and the Snake Men , all of whom believe that the secrets inside will allow them to conquer Eternia and the entire universe , and become the titular Masters of the Universe. Castle Grayskull plays a key role in the transformations of both He-Man and his twin sister She-Ra in the 1983–1985 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series, and in its 1985–1987 spinoff/sister series She-Ra: Princess of Power . Castle Grayskull
20230-418: The front, with a hinged "Jawbridge" allowing access to the interior, through the "mouth" opening. The interior has a throne room, elevator, and a trap door. Multiple accessories are also included – a ladder, removable flag pole, turret cannon, weapons rack with 9 weapons, and a "battle trainer" device. When the initial Mattel toy line was introduced in 1982, the He-Man and Skeletor figures each came with half of
20400-508: The highest-rated children's television program in America. It noted how children would often mimic the show, shouting with plastic swords held aloft, "By the power of Grayskull, I have the power!" "That's how you can tell adults with children these days, if they know what that means", said one commentator. Masters of the Universe Masters of the Universe (sometimes referred to as
20570-411: The hopes of bringing in a young female audience as well. Thus, She-Ra , a feminine warrior-woman heroine, in the same vein as He-Man, was proposed with an all new line of dolls/action figures for girls. In conjunction with the toy line, Filmation would begin work on a new animated series titled She-Ra: Princess of Power , featuring this new main character. She-Ra would be revealed as Princess Adora ,
20740-400: The idea of an animated TV special. This would eventually lead to a meeting with Filmation head Lou Scheimer and the creation of the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series. Earlier in 1980, the rights-holders of Conan the Barbarian had been negotiating the character's toy rights with Mattel and they entered into an agreement the following year regarding characters from
20910-548: The last figure released in this wave, she would not yet feature in any MOTU media until her prominent role in the Filmation animated series). The Attak-Trak vehicle and the Point Dread & Talon Fighter playset were also released in the 1983 line. This second series, consisting of seven new mini-comics and released in 1982–83, was produced by DC Comics , written by Gary Cohn and featured artwork by Mark Texeira . These mini-comics would devote several issues toward introducing
21080-511: The later series) are featured in several of these DC mini-comics, as are the mystical falcon Zoar (not yet an alternate form of the Sorceress) and the Attak-Trak (battle machine, based on the toy, and not yet a robotic-voiced van-like vehicle, as in the Filmation cartoon). The storyline concept of Teela as the secret daughter of the Sorceress (albeit as a clone) and adopted daughter of Man-At-Arms
21250-408: The long-lost twin sister of Prince Adam/He-Man, living on Eternia's sister planet of Etheria , ruled by Hordak , the main antagonist of the new series and the tyrannical leader of the Evil Horde . She-Ra would first be introduced in the animated feature He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword , released in theaters on March 22, 1985. The film would feature most major characters from He-Man and
21420-463: The lower jaw of the castle's "mouth") is used to come across it. When Prince Adam transforms into He-Man, sparks shoot up from the abyss towards He-Man's sword. This phenomenon is seen in the episode "Into the Abyss", when Teela falls into the abyss and witnesses this spectacle from a unique vantage point. In the same episode, He-Man states that the abyss actually leads to the center of Eternia. There are
21590-558: The main characters from both cartoons. The characters would continue to appear in guest roles throughout the She-Ra series, as well as a Christmas Special. The very last appearance of Filmation's He-Man and Skeletor is in one of the final She-Ra episodes, entitled "Assault on the Hive," airing December 13, 1986. Sales of the toy line continued to increase with the exposure of the animated series, and new waves of figures and vehicles were produced during this peak of popularity. First introduced into
21760-406: The main female antagonist), and Double Trouble ("glamorous double agent"; created only for the toy line and mini comics, never appearing in the Filmation cartoon series). She-Ra's main playset was Crystal Castle, a "shimmering castle of fantasy and fun for She-Ra and her friends!" Enchanta, a large swan creature/vehicle, was also produced in the first wave of toys, as were several horses to accompany
21930-538: The movie. According to the film, it houses a giant circular portal called "the Great Eye of the Galaxy", which only opens when Eternia's moon reaches its zenith, granting whoever stands before it god-like power. It is never explicitly stated, though visuals strongly indicate, that for this to happen the Sword of Grayskull must be inserted into a small column near the portal. The opening narration implies that Castle Grayskull itself
22100-669: The new action figure characters into the line. Cohn did not continue the same canon as was set in the first four minicomics. He-Man's new ally Ram Man is initially tricked into fighting on the side of Skeletor in He-Man Meets Ram-Man . Man-E-Faces is introduced in The Ordeal of Man-E-faces as an Eternian actor turned into a monster by Skeletor, freed by the Sorceress, only to be magically possessed by three multiple personalities: man, monster, and robot. Skeletor's evil warriors also get their own introductory mini comics, with Tri-Klops as
22270-400: The orb. This was to have all taken place several centuries before the coming of He-Man. The Castle was then largely forgotten until Man-At-Arms eventually led Prince Adam to Castle Grayskull, where Prince Adam became He-Man using the Sword of Power. In the original television series , Castle Grayskull is a legendary/mythical location situated on a pedestal of bones jutting out of an abyss in
22440-440: The original "Masters of the Universe" 5.5-inch action-figure toy line. Masters of the Universe, often abbreviated as MOTU, would begin its mythos through the minicomics that accompanied the toys throughout the 1980s. These initial mini comics were soon followed by several children's books and issues of DC Comics . However, the Masters of the Universe franchise would become best known through Filmation 's groundbreaking He-Man and
22610-704: The original 1983 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series on DVD in Region 1 on October 1, 2019, as He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Complete Original Series . This release includes "He-Man & She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword" and "He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special". In Region 4, Madman Entertainment released the entire series on DVD in Australia in 4 volume sets (similar to BCI Eclipse releases). These releases have been discontinued and are now out of print. A complete series box set
22780-437: The paintings of Frank Frazetta , a fantasy artist with many works depicting Conan the Barbarian, when creating He-Man. The "Masters of the Universe" toy line was created by Mattel in 1981, and first released to stores in 1982 as 5½-inch action figures (as opposed to the 3¾-inch size used by Kenner's Star Wars and Hasbro's G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero lines). The two main characters, He-Man ("the most powerful man in
22950-431: The pincer-clawed scorpion woman Scorpia. The Horde was later joined by others, including Skeletor's former scientist henchman Modulok, his robotic creation Multi-Bot , the future Snake Men Tung-Lashor and Rattlor , Entrapta the evil inventor with deadly braids, the octopus woman Octavia , the Horde zookeeper Vultak , and the robot Horde Trooper commander Dylamug . The overarching interplanetary supreme leader of
23120-459: The planet Eternia, Queen Marlena's origin, among others. Unfortunately, it was not considered viable, so the bible was reworked by Filmation staff writer Tom Ruegger, having already developed Blackstar along similar lines. Most of the character designs were handled by Herb Hazelton. Some time after, both firms pitched the idea to the ABC network , who turned it down. Then, on Lou Scheimer's suggestion,
23290-399: The planet Eternia. Set in a hybrid world of sword and sorcery and technological sci-fi , He-Man battles with Skeletor to prevent him from conquering Eternia and discovering the secrets of Castle Grayskull —a mysterious ancient fortress with a skull-shaped facade, containing great power and magic. As with many toy franchises that have been transferred to several different media, there are
23460-446: The planet Etheria. Since its initial launch, the franchise has spawned a variety of products, including multiple lines of action figures , six animated television series , several comic series , video games, books and magazines, a daily newspaper comic strip, and two feature films ( one animated , one live action ). He-Man and the accompanying Masters of the Universe franchise would make their debut in 1982 with Mattel 's release of
23630-404: The power to become Master of the Universe. To combat Skeletor, He-Man is given special powers, armor, and weapons by the Sorceress (she has green skin in her debut appearance and is wearing the "snake armor" that came with the original Teela action figure, instead of adorning her more familiar birdlike attire, as seen in the Filmation series). He-Man (not yet with the dual identity of Prince Adam)
23800-456: The premise behind the toy line had not yet been fully established. The backstory of He-Man was first conceptualized for special mini-comic books that Mattel marketing director Mark Ellis promised distributors would accompany the toys. Mattel had DC Comics mock up a comic book, with the earliest storybooks written by Donald F. Glut . With major distributor Toys "R" Us concerned that "five-year-olds don't read", Mark Ellis then first proposed
23970-467: The protector of good on Eternia. He is first given this ability by the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull , a powerful magic user and mystic guardian of the castle, who in many depictions is able to transform herself into the falcon Zoar . Upon Adam's transformation into He-Man, his cowardly green pet tiger Cringer becomes the mighty Battle Cat , a giant armored feline that He-Man often rides into battle. He-Man's most prominent allies include Man-At-Arms,
24140-524: The public's imagination or made a significant dent in the toy market. In the race to design the next hit action figure, Roger Sweet , a lead designer working for Mattel's Preliminary Design Department throughout much of the 1970s and 1980s, according to his book Mastering the Universe: He-Man and the Rise and Fall of a Billion-Dollar Idea , was the first to conceptualize the idea of He-Man. However, this
24310-826: The rebellion; Bow , skilled archer and the main male protagonist of the series; Kowl , Bow's owllike, rainbow-eared companion; Madame Razz , absent-minded witch with her sarcastic sentient Broom ; and Queen Angella , Glimmer's mother and angel-winged queen of the Bright Moon; along with Hordak's spell-casting witch Shadow Weaver ; shape-shifting spy Imp ; bumbling bug-eyed henchman Mantenna ; Force Squad captain Catra ; evil scientist Modulok ; beastly warrior Grizzlor ; energy-draining Leech ; and thuggish henchwoman Scorpia . Various children's books, magazines, comics, read-along records/cassette tapes, and other merchandise were also released worldwide around this time, with much of
24480-404: The rights from Classic Media to re-release the series on DVD in America. They have subsequently re-released the complete first season in one eight-disc set as well as two smaller 20-episode volume releases. The complete second season was released on September 13, 2011. The 2002 series, composed of four discs; 960min, was also released in 2010 by Mill Creek Entertainment, and is titled Masters of
24650-669: The second wave by her allies Flutterina, Mermista, Peekablue, Perfuma, and Sweet Bee. "Crystal" translucent plastic versions of Swift Wind and the horses Sun Dancer and Moonbeam were also released in wave two, along with the Butterflyer and Sea Harp creature/vehicles and the Crystal Falls playset. The third and final wave saw diminished sales and production in 1987, with the releases of Netossa, Spinnerella, and Loo-Kee; along with "Bubble Power" She-Ra, "Royal" Swift Wind, "Silver" Storm, and "Shower Power" Catra. Several recurring characters from
24820-776: The series and an adaptation of "A Friend in Need" (French release)/"Diamond Ray of Disappearance" (Argentine release); La-La Land Records released a two-disc, limited-edition soundtrack album in 2015, containing the musical content of the 1983 LP and much previously unreleased material. The Latin American Spanish-language version of the show features an actual theme song complete with lyrics unique to this version, with vocals by Chilean singer Memo Aguirre (a.k.a. "Captain Memo") based on Levy and Saban's original musical score. In 1986, Brazilian children’s music group Trem da Alegria recorded
24990-437: The series as being very cowardly and with the ability to speak). For the first time, Prince Adam is shown to transform into He-Man by holding aloft his magic sword and saying the magic words, "By the power of Grayskull… I have the power!!! " It is revealed in the introduction that Prince Adam's secret identity of He-Man is known only by the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull (now with the familiar birdlike costume, who often takes
25160-422: The series by Image Comics and MVCreations. Although popular with longtime fans and collectors (with mini-statue figures being released by NECA until 2007), the new series failed to catch on with a larger audience and was canceled in 2004. From 2008 to 2020, a new assortment of Masters of the Universe action figures has been released under the banner of "Masters of the Universe Classics." Primarily geared toward
25330-605: The series by Melendy Britt (who also voiced Catra, Castaspella, Mermista, and Octavia); George DiCenzo was the voice of Hordak, Bow, Sea-Hawk, Tung-Lashor, and a few others; and Diane Pershing provided the voice for Netossa and Spinnerella. Alan Oppenheimer and John Erwin would reprise their roles from the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series, as would Linda Gary with Teela and the Sorceress, while providing additional voice work for Glimmer, Madame Razz, Sweet Bee, Shadow Weaver, Scorpia, and Entrapta. Credited as "Erik Gunden," Lou Scheimer returned as well to provide voices for
25500-984: The series in VHS and Beta. BCI Eclipse LLC (under its Ink & Paint classic animation entertainment label) (under license from Entertainment Rights ) released all 130 episodes of the original 1983 series of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe on DVD in Region 1 in 2005/2006, in 4 volume sets. Each episode on BCI Ink & Paint's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe DVD releases were uncut, unedited, fully restored and digitally remastered for optimum audio and video quality and presented in its original broadcast presentation and story continuity order. Each volume contains an extensive array of special features including documentaries, character profiles, commentaries, DVD-ROM features, trivia, photo galleries and more. As of 2009, these releases have been discontinued and are out of print as BCI Eclipse ceased operations. On December 10, 2010, Mill Creek Entertainment announced that they had acquired
25670-411: The series, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was notable for breaking the boundaries of censorship that had severely restricted the narrative scope of children's TV programming in the 1970s. For the first time, a cartoon series could feature a muscular superhero who engage in on-screen combat (although most of the time wrestling -style moves were utilized instead of direct violence). The cartoon
25840-510: The series, the Evil Horde (whose members are often depicted with a bat-like insignia), is led on Etheria by Hordak (as voiced by George DiCenzo , portrayed with a snorting laugh and temperament slightly more fearsome than Skeletor's), who rules Etheria from the industrial-/technological-looking monstrosity known as the Fright Zone. The Horde enslaves the people of Etheria through Hordak's legions of armored robot-like Horde Troopers, mechanized vehicles, and his special task force of henchman known as
26010-466: The show was re-pitched and sold at the 1983 NATPE conference to independent stations. By March 28, the show had cleared 60% of the country; by August 29 half of the 65 episodes were completed. The resulting series, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe , debuted through barter syndication in September 1983, and became the first syndicated show to be based on a toy. By 1984, it was seen on 120 U.S. stations and in more than 30 countries. By mid-1985, it
26180-427: The sky"; beelike insectoid warrior with wings), Fisto ("heroic hand-to-hand fighter"; bearded warrior with a large smashing fist as an action feature), and Mekaneck ("heroic human periscope"; featuring an extending bionic neck). The first action figures for Prince Adam ("heroic secret identity of He-Man") and Orko ("heroic court magician"; utilizing a pull-cord feature that sent the figure spinning around when placed on
26350-465: The spinning-top-like Energy Zoids: Rotar and Twistoid . Aside from these new characters, longtime MOTU staple characters King Randor ("heroic ruler of Eternia") and the Sorceress ("heroic guardian of Castle Grayskull") were finally represented in action-figure form. Other later MOTU characters that had only appeared in the She-Ra: Princess of Power animated series also saw release in the form of
26520-432: The story" at the end of each episode. This moral was usually directly tied to the action or central theme of that episode. The show was so successful that it spawned a spin-off series, She-Ra: Princess of Power , following the adventures of He-Man's sister, Princess Adora. Mattel's subsequent attempts to relaunch the He-Man toy line also led to the short-lived sequel series The New Adventures of He-Man in 1990, and
26690-400: The syndicated cartoon market. The franchise has been adapted many times in comic book and comic strip form, and a live-action film was produced in 1987. A rebooted series, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, renamed Masters of the Universe vs. The Snake Men during season 2, released on Toonami on August 16, 2002. Two series were released in 2021 for Netflix : one is Masters of
26860-399: The three concepts, the barbarian version of He-Man was chosen to be the basis of the toy line (this original trio-prototype idea was released around 30 years later as the figure Vykron, and the barbarian concept on its own as Vikor, in the "Masters of the Universe Classics" line). "The only way I was going to have a chance to sell this [to Wagner] was to make three 3D models—big ones. I glued
27030-439: The time) and taken to the world of Etheria (a planet ruled by the Horde, and the main setting of the She-Ra series). Adora is raised and brainwashed by Hordak and his confidant Shadow Weaver (a red-robed witch with a hidden face, powerful in dark magic), to eventually become Force Captain of the Horde. After encountering her brother He-Man (who is on a mission from the Sorceress to find her on Etheria), she eventually acquires
27200-526: The toy line and introduced new original mini-comic characters instead, such as He-Man's childhood friend Prince Dakon, the evil Geldor, the Kobold master Lodar, and Haramesh the demon. The 1985 wave of action figures again included new versions of He-Man and Skeletor with special action features: Thunder-Punch He-Man (whose backpack could be loaded with plastic ring caps to create a loud "bang" when turning He-Man's waist) and Dragon Blaster Skeletor (which included
27370-559: The universe") and his arch-enemy Skeletor ("evil lord of destruction") were the first released in action figure form, along with other core characters of the series: Man-At-Arms ("heroic master of weapons"), Beast Man ("Skeletor's savage henchman"), and Battle Cat ("He-Man's fighting tiger"). Later on that year, the first wave of action figures in 1982 would also include Teela ("heroic warrior goddess"), Mer-Man ("evil ocean warlord"), Stratos ("heroic winged warrior"), and Zodac ("the cosmic enforcer"). The Teela action figure
27540-617: The working title "Lords of Power," the name "Masters of the Universe" came into being when it was suggested that the former name of the toy line was too religious in nature. The roster of characters would soon expand past the main hero, He-Man, and Mark Taylor would draw inspiration for the series main villain, Skeletor, from his 1971 sketch entitled The King of Styx , along with early renderings of his characters Demo-Man and D-Man. Taylor would create preliminary designs for several other original characters as well, with additional ideas or direction from Mark Ellis and Paul Cleveland, among others, but
27710-411: Was Skeletor's evil stronghold, Snake Mountain (looking quite unlike the Filmation version, with a giant ghoulish face molded into the plastic and a voice-distorting wolf-headed microphone). Series three of Mattel's MOTU mini comics contained stories similar to the Filmation animated series, with mini comics such as Dragon's Gift , Masks of Power , and Double-Edge Sword adapting stories straight from
27880-439: Was airing on 152 stations across the U.S., and was the most popular syndicated program with children 2–11 with a 10.9 rating in that demographic. Despite the limited animation techniques that were used to produce the series, He-Man was notable for breaking the boundaries of censorship that had severely restricted the narrative scope of children's TV programming in the 1970s. For the first time since Ruby-Spears 's Thundarr
28050-426: Was also groundbreaking in that it was produced in connection with marketing a line of toys, as advertising directly to children was controversial during this period. As an attempt to mitigate the negative publicity generated by these controversies, a "life lesson" or "moral of the story" was played at the end of each episode, which was usually tied to the action or central theme of the episode in question (although in
28220-463: Was an entirely separate location from Castle Grayskull, though built later than Grayskull and existing at the same time. The most significant of the expansions made is the addition of a large Crystal Chamber, accessible only by a secret "door" in the floor of a secluded chamber (which existed already in the vintage books by Golden). Within this chamber is the Orb of Power, within which lies the combined powers of
28390-412: Was conceived as the central location for the battle between the forces of good and evil. The original playset was released in 1982, and all other depictions of the castle originate from it. It is a large hollow green castle, consisting of two halves connected by a hinge. The toy is designed to open for play and close for storage. A carrying handle is molded into the top of the castle. A large skull decorates
28560-516: Was first introduced at this time as well in the mini comic The Tale of Teela . A special comic and record entitled The Power of Point Dread/Danger at Castle Grayskull was also produced for the Talon Fighter and Point Dread playset. Additional waves of action figures, creatures, vehicles, and playsets were released every year until 1987, totaling 70 distinct figures in all (including 24 creatures, 12 vehicles, six playsets, and 10 accessories) with
28730-666: Was originally proposed as representing both the Sorceress character (when wearing the figure's "snake armor") and the Teela character (when without the "snake armor"), as Mattel believed there would not be enough demand for two female action figures in the initial wave. Alongside the first wave of figures were the Battle Ram ("mobile launcher") and Wind Raider ("assault lander") vehicles and the playset Castle Grayskull ("fortress of power and mystery"). These first figures as well as Castle Grayskull were primarily designed by Mark Taylor, although
28900-500: Was released by Madman on June 24, 2009; this is still available. The pilot episode, "Diamond Ray of Disappearance", has a minute or so of footage missing due to the master tapes being damaged. In the original version, after teleporting the King and Queen and Man-At-Arms away to another dimension, Skeletor turns the ray onto Orko, who gets stuck inside a vase which deflects the beam. Orko escapes to warn He-Man. This footage has not been lost; it
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