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Masters of the Universe (sometimes referred to as the He-Man or She-Ra series) is a sword and planet-themed media franchise created by Mattel.[1] 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 the planet Etheria.[2] 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).[3]
Series overview and main characters[edit]
He-Man and the accompanying Masters of the Universe franchise would make their debut in 1982 with Mattel's release of 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 the Masters of the Universe animated series.[4] Debuting in the fall of 1983, the Filmation series ran 130 episodes over two seasons until November 1985.[5]
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 the planet Eternia.[6][7][8] 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.[9] As with many toy franchises that have been transferred to several different media, there are 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.[10][11] Adam becomes He-Man by holding aloft his magic Power Sword and uttering the words "By the power of Grayskull…" and serves as the protector of good on Eternia.[12] 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.[13][14] 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.[15]
He-Man's most prominent allies include Man-At-Arms,[16] 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.[17] The childlike Trollan magician Orko also often features as one of He-Man's closest allies;[18] as does Stratos, a flying bird-man from the kingdom of Avion;[19] Ram-Man, a stout dimwitted warrior with springlike legs and a large helmet that encloses his head and upper torso;[20] and Man-E-Faces, an actor with face-changing abilities.[21]
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.[22][23] 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;[24] Mer-Man, an aquatic fishlike ocean warlord;[25] Evil-Lyn, a powerful sorceress and one of Skeletor's most feared and competent associates;[26] Trap Jaw, an iron-jawed criminal with a mechanical arm that can be fitted by a various assortment of weapons;[27] and Tri-Klops, a mercenary swordsman with a rotating three-eyed visor.[28]
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 the franchise far outshining prior expectations, continuing to grow through 1983 and 1984.[4] 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)[29] and the arch-villain Hordak (leader of the Evil Horde and the former master of Skeletor) on the planet Etheria.[30] Stemming from 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.[31] Other main characters of the She-Ra series would include Swift Wind, winged unicorn and alter ego of She-Ra's trusty steed Spirit;[32] Light Hope, mystical living beam of light and mentor to She-Ra;[33] and her Great Rebellion allies Glimmer, magically inclined onetime leader of the rebellion;[34] Bow, skilled archer and the main male protagonist of the series;[35] Kowl, Bow's owllike, rainbow-eared companion;[36] Madame Razz, absent-minded witch with her sarcastic sentient Broom;[37][38] and Queen Angella, Glimmer's mother and angel-winged queen of the Bright Moon;[39] along with Hordak's spell-casting witch Shadow Weaver;[40] shape-shifting spy Imp;[41] bumbling bug-eyed henchman Mantenna;[42] Force Squad captain Catra;[43] evil scientist Modulok;[44] beastly warrior Grizzlor;[45] energy-draining Leech;[46] and thuggish henchwoman Scorpia.[47]
Various children's books, magazines, comics, read-along records/cassette tapes, and other merchandise were also released worldwide around this time, with much of 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.[48] 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.[49][50][51] However, popularity had waned by 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.[52][53]
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 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.[54]
After some success with 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.[55][56] 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 the Universe," battling Skeletor's minions and, later, King Hiss, the ancient and evil lord of the Snake Men.[52] Characters such as Mekaneck, heroic warrior with a mechanical extending neck;[57] Buzz-Off, heroic beelike flying Andreenid warrior;[58] Clawful, large villainous crab-like henchman;[59] Whiplash, evil reptilian Caligar with a deadly tail; Stinkor, foul-smelling mutated Paleezean; and many others would gain more prominent backstories during this series.[60] Several volumes of comic books were also produced to go along with 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.[61]
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 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 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.[62]
In 2020, Mattel released a new line of 5.5" scale action figures, vehicles and playsets under the Masters of the Universe Origins line.[63]
Netflix and DreamWorks released an animated series entitled She-Ra and 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.[64]
History and versions of the franchise[edit]
Origin of the franchise[edit]
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.[4] The catalyst for 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.[65][66][note 1] 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 the public's imagination or made a significant dent in the toy market.[65][note 2]
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.[65][66] However, this is not officially acknowledged by Mattel, and authorship of the He-Man character has been subject to debate.[67][68][note 3] 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.[4][69][70]
Roger Sweet presented the He-Man concept to Ray Wagner at 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).[71][72] The He-Man Trio models were an axe-wielding barbarian, a tank-headed soldier, and a spaceman with a Boba Fett–like helmet.[65] Out of 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).[73]
"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 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!"[note 4][65]
—Roger Sweet[66]
Originally set under 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.[74] 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.[7] 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 the premise behind the toy line had not yet been fully established.[4][75] 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.[71] Mattel had DC Comics mock up a comic book, with the earliest storybooks written by Donald F. Glut.[76][77][78] With major distributor Toys "R" Us concerned that "five-year-olds don't read", Mark Ellis then first proposed 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.[71]
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 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.[79] 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.[80][81] However, some Conan influence can be seen, as Roger Sweet has claimed to have drawn some inspiration from the paintings of Frank Frazetta, a fantasy artist with many works depicting Conan the Barbarian, when creating He-Man.[66]
Early action figures and comics[edit]
Original action figures and mini comics (1981–1982)[edit]
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).[4] The two main characters, He-Man ("the most powerful man in the universe")[82] and his arch-enemy Skeletor ("evil lord of destruction")[83] 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").[84][85][86]
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").[87][88][89][90] The Teela action figure 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.[17] 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").[91]
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Classic Masters of the Universe Theme using artwork from DVD cover and custom buttons with He-man’s crest faded into each button.
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