From Eternia— With Death! is a Superman/Masters of the Universe crossover published in DC Comics Presents #47 (April, 1982). Written by Paul Kupperberg and illustrated by Curt Swan, it served as an introduction to the new franchise prior to the first comic series and the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983) cartoon.
In the world of Eternia, Prince Adam is having fun behaving as an irresponsible braggart who takes nothing seriously -except drinking and brawling- when he is summoned to the Cavern of Power. Adam and his pet tiger Cringer quickly hurry to the sacred place, and after transforming into their super-powerful alter egos He-Man and Battlecat, meet the Sorceress, who warns that their enemy Skeletor is threatening Eternia again.
Meanwhile, Skeletor is looking to break into Castle Grayskull and gain control of its secrets to rule Eternia. Nonetheless, the castle's gates can only be opened by the wielder of the Power Sword. Skeletor holds only one half of the Sword, but even so he is prideful enough to believe that nothing can withstand him. Skeletor strikes the gates with the Sword, triggering an explosion of energy. The whole planet trembles, but the castle remains unmoved. And, unbeknownst to Skeletor, the unleashed power forms a space-warp over the castle.
In another universe, Superman is patrolling over Metropolis after having fun trolling his co-workers as clumsy, klutzy Clark Kent, when he spots a strange storm cloud appearing suddenly. When Superman tries to examine the odd phenomenon, he is pulled by an irresistible force into the cloud and through a dimensional warp before being thrown out in another world.
Skeletor sees -a very confused- Superman emerging out of the cloud-like warp and guesses that he has been sent by Castle Grayskull to stop him. After a brief scuffle, Superman is blasted away, landing right in the way of He-Man and Battlecat, who are approaching the castle. Superman tries to explain he is a stranger from another land, but the Champion of Eternia has heard of both his world and him (thanks to her mother coming from Superman's world). He explains that Skeletor is usually his problem, but Superman is welcome to help out. Superman happily joins He-Man, although he wishes he knows what he has gotten into.
This story was followed by "Fate Is The Killer", a special preview published in sixteen of DC's November 1982 books, which was a prelude to the first MotU comic-book series.
This story got a shout-out in the Injustice vs. Masters of the Universe's first issue, titled "To Eternia with Death".
Tropes:
- Above Good and Evil: Skeletor declares he will open the gates of Castle Grayskull, even if he lacks the required magical device, because he is "above the puny laws of man and god alike".
- Adjective Animal Alehouse: Prince Adam warns Teela he will go to the "Dragon's Breath Inn" later to have a drink and hopefully get in a brawl.
- Aliens Speaking English: After crash-landing on the parallel alien world of Eternia and listening to Skeletor's ramblings, Superman wonders why the natives speak English (justified with He-Man, whose mother is from Earth).
- Always Someone Better: Superman is stronger than He-Man. Superman may be weak to magic, but if he can dodge magical attacks, then he can easily defeat even the likes of Skeletor.
- Another Dimension: Superman gets thrown through a storm cloud-like portal into a parallel dimension called Eternia, where technology and magic coexist.
- Anti-True Sight: When Superman finds a strange storm cloud appearing suddenly over Metropolis, he guesses that it cannot be a natural weather-pattern. And he is proved right when his X-Ray Vision fails to pierce through the cloud's outer layers.
- Bad Boss: When Beastman asks Skeletor for help, Superman states he doubts his boss cares about his safety, and Skeletor praises Superman's observational skills.Beastman: AIIIEEE! Master!— Save your loyal servant!"
Superman: "Don't count on it, Beastie. Something tells me the last thing your master's concerned with is your well-being."
Skeletor: "You are truly perceptive, Caped One!" - Bar Brawl: Adam is having a drink in the Dragon Breath's Inn when a burly man called "Crusher" starts picking on his pet tiger Cringer. Since "Crusher" is clearly looking for trouble, Adam decides to oblige him and take it outside, but Crusher chooses to start the fight right there by punching Adam through one door.
- Bodyguarding a Badass: Prince Adam is bodyguarded by Teela, a member of Eternia's Royal Guard and a very capable warrior. However, Prince Adam's secret identity is He-Man, the Champion of the realm. Whereas he can deal with anything Teela can handle, the opposite is definitely not true.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: When he is attacked by the combined forces of He-Man, Man-At-Arms and Superman, Skeletor puts a mind-control spell on Superman and forces him to attack He-Man.
- Breaking the Bonds: Skeletor breaks free from the shell of frozen lava which he had been encased on with a mighty flex of his arms.
- But Now I Must Go: The story ends with Superman admitting that, although he is happy to have helped vanquish Skeletor, he does not yet understand a lot of what just happened. He-Man is willing to explain everything, but Superman has noticed another dimensional warp which can take him back to Earth, so he says goodbye and hurries into the rift before it disappears.
- Cape Snag: He-Man grabs and pulls Superman's cape during their forced fight.
- The Comically Serious: Man-At-Arms is a serious, circumspect and responsible man who gets endlessly exasperated by Prince Adam's clownish antics. When Adam suggests he should have some fun, Man-At-Arms replies he actually likes having a little fun, but there is nothing funny whatsoever about Adam's buffonery.
- Convection, Schmonvection: Superman melts the ground beneath the feet of Skeletor, who looks merely surprised and mildly annoyed about being standing on bubbling lava.
- Cool Gate: Superman runs into a strange storm cloud which his X-Ray Vision cannot pierce through. Suddenly, he is pulled into the cloud by some irresistible force and thrown out into the parallel world of Eternia.
- Crossover: Superman and He-Man cross paths for the first time.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: This is the first Masters of the Universe story, so it is rifed with elements which would be soon discarded.
- Prince Adam shows up for the first time, and his secret identity is depicted as a boisterous, loud braggart who cannot take anything seriously, rather than an unreliable, foppish princeling. His He-Man identity is armed with one axe instead of the Power Sword and he doesn't transform into He-Man by screaming his iconic "By the Power of Grayskull!" catchphrase.
- Man-At-Arms also makes his first appearance. He's young and lean instead of a bulky middle-aged man, he ignores He-Man's secret identity, and he lacks his iconic, bushy moustache.
- Sorceress is called "Goddess", is not wearing her iconic bird costume, and dwells in the Cavern of Power instead of Castle Grayskull.
- Skeletor wields one half of the Power Sword but does not wield his Havoc Staff.
- Establishing Character Moment: In his first appearance, Skeletor praises Superman out loud for being perceptive enough to realize that he couldn't care less for his underlyings' well-being. Later, upon being defeated, Skeletor teleports away as swearing revenge, and He-Man confirms his nemesis has made a habit of it.
- Fighting from the Inside: Superman struggles against Skeletor's mind-control spell, but he cannot break free until he uses a trick to break Skeletor's focus.
- The Ghost: Prince Adam's parents never physically appear, although several people guess the king considers his son to be a disappointment, and Adam mentions he has heard of Superman and his homeworld because his queenly mother is a lost traveler from Earth.
- Instant Costume Change: He-Man has not yet his iconic transformation sequence, so Sorceress transforms Adam (and his clothes) into He-Man (and his barbarian getup) instantly.
- Kirby Dots: When Skeletor strikes the gates of Castle Grayskull with the Power Sword, a pink flare erupts as Skeletor and Beastman are showered with a mass of black energy dots.
- Let's You and Him Fight: Skeletor mind-controls Superman into fighting He-Man.
- Metronomic Man Mashing: When a mind-controlled Superman attacks He-Man, the latter snags the former's cape and slams him into the ground.
- Mugging the Monster: A brawler called Crusher tries to start a fight with Adam, believing him to be a pampered princeling, ergo easy pickings for a bully. Their fight is ended when Teela and three royal soldiers show up and tell him "Go away or get shot", but should the brawl have continued, Crusher would have learned that, even when he is not transformed into the powerful He-Man, Adam still has super strength.
- The Need for Mead: After training, Adam heads towards the "Dragon's Breath" Inn to have a drink and hopefully pick a fight.
- No-Sell: Skeletor tries to break into Castle Grayskull by striking the gates with Power Sword. Nonetheless, even though the Power Sword's unleashed energies can and do open up dimensional rifts, it is unable to put even one scratch in the wall.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Prince Adam behaves like a brainless, irresponsible, fight-loving braggart so that nobody suspects he is the Eternia's greatest protector; and Clark Kent exasperates his co-workers by intentionally tripping over cables.Clark Kent: (thinking) "Poor Josh. Sometimes I really hate doing these things to him— But I've got an image to maintain as Klutzy-Clark Kent— and I'd hate it even more if anyone ever saw through that image to the real me— the anything but Klutzy Superman!"
- Off with His Head!: Skeletor threatens cut Superman's head off if the latter does not bow down to him.
- "Open!" Says Me: Subverted. Skeletor gloats that he will break open Castle Grayskull's indestructible gates because SKELETOR WILL NOT BE DENIED, hits the door with the Power Sword...and does not even make a dent. Skeletor promptly throws a fit.
- Outside-the-Box Tactic: During a training session, Man-At-Arms wants to Prince Adam stop a rotatory machine. Rather than finding a safe way to grab the spinning arms, as he was supposed to do, Adam grabs and lifts the tripod supporting them. His instructor gets mad, despite Adam pointing out that it was a perfectly valid tactic.
- Poorly Disguised Pilot: This story introduced the world of Eternia from the Masters of the Universe. It was followed by another prologue published in several DC Comics, then the first Masters of the Universe comic series later that year, and then the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983) original cartoon.
- Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: Beastman tries to tackle Superman, who lampshaded how bad of an idea that is.Superman: "You really ought to train your pets better, Skeletor. If they're not kinder to strangers— they're liable to get their noses slapped— but good!"
- Punched Across the Room: Crusher knocks Prince Adam through one door and out in the street during one bar brawl.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Downplayed. Beastman does not run off when his attempt to tackle Superman has gotten it slammed into the ground as his boss Skeletor bluntly says he is not concerned with his well-being at all...but he takes cover behind a big rock and stays there watching Skeletor fight the heroes without interfering.
- Secret Identity Change Trick: Adam needs an excuse to change into He-Man and meet up with Sorceress, so he pretends to be annoyed at Teela ruining his evening (when she stopped a bar brawl) and dashes off quickly before she can follow him.
- Spin Attack: Beastman tries to tackle Superman, who shakes him off by taking off and performing an aerial loop.
- Surveillance as the Plot Demands: Sorceress uses a magic spell to monitor Skeletor's attack on Castle Grayskull from the distant Cavern of Power.
- Taking the Fight Outside: Prince Adam is enjoying himself in an inn when a man called "Crusher" mocks his pet Cringer to try to pick a fight with him. Adam is happy to oblige, so he sits up and suggests to go outside. The man agrees and punches him out of the tavern.
- Tempting Fate: Superman starts his daily patrol, expecting to not run into any trouble, and he then finds a strange cloud forming over Metropolis.Superman: "That strange storm cloud seems to have popped out of nowhere! Well, I suppose that's what I get for thinking this would be a routine patrol."
- Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny: The story pits the Man of Steel against the Champion of Eternia, their respective dimensions' strongest men.
- Unstoppable Force Meets Immovable Object: Skeletor tries to break into Castle Grayskull, but its gate remain undented after withstanding a blow which opened a rift in the fabric of reality. Later, after mind-controlling Superman, Skeletor wonders whether his unparalleled strength might succeed, and orders him to smash the gates down. Nonetheless, Superman breaks free of the spell before crashing into the doors, so the outcome of such a clash remains uncertain.
- Villainous Breakdown: Skeletor throws a screaming temper tantrum when he fails to smash the Castle Grayskull's doors down, despite his claims of being above of gods and devils.
- Villain Teleportation: When Skeletor is caught by Superman, his body flashes before vanishing.
- We Need a Distraction: While struggling against Skeletor's mind-control spell, Superman comes up with the idea of heating-visioning and freezing the ground under Skeletor's feet. The shock of seeing the ground melting under his feet and then hardening around him is enough to break Skeletor's focus, allowing Superman to break free from his spell.
- We Will Meet Again: Upon being defeated, Skeletor swears he will return again before teleporting himself away. In response to Superman's question, He-Man confirms that Skeletor has the habit of popping up to plague Eternia once and again.
