Line #53 ComicBook/HeManThundercats


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/he_man_thundercats.jpeg]]
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3	A 2016-2017 {{Crossover}} between two DuelingShows from TheEighties – ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'' and ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats1985''. It was published by Creator/DCComics.
4
5	After Mumm-Ra once again fails to destroy Thundercats, the Ancient Spirits of Evil order him to go to Eternia, steal He-Man’s Sword of Power and use it to finally do the deed. However, not everything is as it seems...
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7	There is a sequel, more-or-less, in ''ComicBook/InjusticeVsMastersOfTheUniverse''.
8	----
9	!!This series provides examples of:
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11	* AchillesHeel: Mumm-Ra, as in his home show, has panic attacks and flees upon seeing his own reflection. [[spoiler: When Skeletor absorbs him it turns out he's inherited this weakness, much to his confusion.]]
12	-->'''Lion-O:''' Not sure why that works... But I never grow tired of it.
13	* AllYourPowersCombined:
14	** [[spoiler: Skeletor manages to steal both Mumm-Ra's and He-Man's powers.]]
15	** [[spoiler: Mumm-Ator, who possess all the powers of Skeletor, Mumm-Ra and the Ancient Spirits of Evil.]]
16	* AsLongAsThereIsEvil: Mumm-Ra, obviously. [[spoiler: Skeletor hijacks this power.]]
17	* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler: Lion-O uses Mumm-Ra's sarcophagus to resurrect He-Man.]]
18	** [[spoiler: Skeletor thinks he has vanquished Mumm-Ra forever, but Mumm-Ra not only returns but informs Skeletor that as long as evil exists, he literally cannot die and will ''always'' come back from death.]]
19	* BadassBoast: Skeletor gets to have one when fighting the Thundercats. Lion-O responds with his own.
20	-->'''Skeletor:''' Ha. Please. Don't trouble yourselves. You foolish felines haven't a Third-Earthly clue what you're up against. I am more than just the handsome rogue you see before you. I am Skeletor! The supreme dark mage of Eternia! Lord of Destruction! I am everywhere. Unstoppable. I AM INFINITE! While you are only seven. Here begins the fall of the Thundercat Empire.
21	-->'''Lion-O:''' You claim to know us, Skeletor, but if you think we fall so easily, it is you who knows nothing! We Thundercats survived the destruction of our home world and we will survive you! Feel ''my'' magic, "dark mage"! Hear my roar!
22	* BadBoss: [[spoiler: The Ancient Spirits of Evil, sick and tired of Mumm-Ra’s failures, have no problems double-crossing him for Skeletor. This comes back to bite them.]]
23	* BloodierAndGorier:
24	** Downplayed. There is very little blood, mostly when [[spoiler: Mumm-Ra stabs Prince Adam]]. But considering the source material, it qualifies just by the fact any blood is shown at all.
25	** Played straight but justified in issue #4, which shows us a very short vision of a BadFuture where Skeletor and Mumm-Ra win. It's brief (two-pages spread) but shows the brutal deaths of many characters.
26	* ByThePowerOfGrayskull: Not only is the comic starring the TropeNamer, but Mumm-Ra is also known for this. [[spoiler: Skeletor gets to do both their transformations combined.]]
27	* CardCarryingVillain: Both Mumm-Ra and Skeletor. The latter even refers to them as "two evilest bastards from distant worlds."
28	* DeconstructionCrossover: There are slight and often subtle elements here and there.
29	** He-Man's IncorruptiblePurePureness turns out to be a key to his SecretIdentity when facing someone like Mumm-Ra, who can sense vile and sinful thoughts deep in the heart of every person. So when Mumm-Ra finds someone in whom he cannot sense any, he quickly figures out it must be He-Man in his human form. [[spoiler: He then uses his shapeshifting abilities to exploit Adam's blind trust in the Sorceress.]]
30	** Mumm-Ra learns the hard way that the Ancient Spirits of Evil [[spoiler: only keep him alive after so many failures, because they don't have anyone to replace him with and wouldn't hesitate to stab him in the back for someone else, like Skeletor.]]
31	** Skeletor is used to battles against He-Man with either strength in numbers behind his back or his minions to counterbalance whichever allies He-Man is with at the moment. [[spoiler: Despite the recent powerup]] facing the Thundercats alone he has a hard time keeping up with their ever-changing tactics and teamwork. Once he gains the upper hand, he loses it by focusing too much on Lion-O, allowing the rest of the team to regroup and counterattack.
32	** As a king Lion-O wonders if he actually has the right to risk the survival of the last members of his race to save another planet. This leads him to recklessly rushing at his opponents, putting his own life at bigger risk to protect his teammates.
33	* DarkerAndEdgier: Downplayed as well. It's nowhere near as dark as reboots of both franchises DC published in the past. In fact, it plays ''much'' closer to the spirit of original shows but portrays both Skeletor and Mumm-Ra as much more competent and threatening, so the stakes feel much higher.
34	* EvilCounterpart: Mumm-Ra could be considered one to The Sorceress, to the point of actually disguising himself as her at one point. Both are bound to a mystical building (The Black Pyramid and Castle Grayskull, respectively) where most of their power derives from and from which they can't leave for more than a short time; The Sorceress has vowed to protect the world of Eternia while Mumm-Ra is the destroyer and ''de facto'' ruler of a desolated Third Earth; The Sorceress provides Prince Adam with a powerful magical sword to make him a hero, while Mumm-Ra is constantly trying to steal the Sword of Omens from Lion-O (and actually steals He-Man's Power Sword specifically to match it) etc
35	* FusionDance: [[spoiler: Skeletor and Mumm-Ra fuse into Mumm-Ator]].
36	* GenreSavvy: There are two instances where it appears a villain has been killed. Both times somebody points out they NeverFoundTheBody and cites their past experience with the villains to back it up. [[spoiler: Both times they're right.]]
37	* GroinAttack: Skeletor delivers one to Lion-O while saying "You want magic? "Abracadabra!" The future generations of Thundercats disappear!".
38	* HamToHamCombat: Skeletor and Mumm-Ra during their battle [[spoiler: over control of their shared body]] in issue #3. Quickly dissolves into them yelling insults at one another.
39	-->'''Skeletor:''' You decomposing dolt! I'll destroy you!
40	-->'''Mumm-Ra:''' You and what army, jackass?!
41	-->'''Skeletor:''' Imbecile!
42	-->'''Mumm-Ra:''' Skele-bore!
43	-->'''Skeletor:''' Dumb-Ra the Ever-Drooling!
44	* HeroKiller: [[spoiler: Mumm-Ra quickly identifies Prince Adam as He-Man, pretends to be the Sorceress to gain his trust, and immediately and literally stabs him in the back, with Adam dying from his wounds two issues later. He not only kills He-Man, he does it easily.]]
45	* HopeSpot:
46	** Issue #3 has [[spoiler: the Thundercats defeat Skeletor and take the Sword of Power from him and race to deliver it back to a wounded Prince Adam. Meanwhile, Skeletor ends up trapped with Mumm-Ra in one body, with the Sorceress hoping they'll be fighting over control forever. Then it turns out the Thundercats arrived too late and Adam had passed away. Meanwhile, Skeletor and Mumm-Ra not only strike an alliance but enslave the Ancient Spirits of Evil to attack Castle Greyskull.]]
47	** Another one in issue #5: [[spoiler: After an exhausting battle, the Ancient Spirits of Evil are destroyed. However, before the heroes are even allowed to help their wounded, Skeletor and Mumm-Ra absorb their power and fuse, becoming Mumm-Ator.]]
48	* ILetGwenStacyDie: In issue #4 [[spoiler: Cringer]] blames himself for [[spoiler: Adam's]] death. Lion-O tells him [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre he can see the great hero in his heart]]. [[spoiler: And then he uses the Sword of Omens to unleash said hero, resulting in a new SuperMode.]]
49	* InvincibleVillain: [[spoiler: Mumm-Ra makes it clear he is called "The Ever Living" for a reason. Skeletor destroys him with the help and blessings from Mumm-Ra's very own masters, and it ''still'' doesn't stick, with Mumm-Ra flat-out stating that permanently killing him is ''impossible''.]]
50	* {{Irony}}: [[spoiler: The Ancient Spirits of Evil have betrayed Mumm-Ra to Skeletor for his numerous failures, yet the first issue of this story shows Mumm-Ra being more effective and successful than he has ''ever'' been, starting off with him ''murdering'' He-Man and taking the Sword of Power while causing calamities on two worlds. It's especially ironic that they betray him to ''Skeletor'' whose own track record prior to the story isn't really any better than Mumm-Ra's, and he needs help from the Ancient Spirits and Mumm-Ra himself to achieve anything in this story too.]]
51	** KarmicOverkill: As horrible a being as Mumm-Ra is, many fans agree that [[spoiler: the Ancient Spirits of Evil double-crossing him]] was just a total dick move.
52	* KickTheDog: A cat actually. Which Mumm-Ra does after he's done [[spoiler: finishing off Prince Adam]] to punch Cringer, just because he hates cats. Skeletor gets his moment when he electrocutes Snarf.
53	*** TheDogBitesBack: All of those actions result in this. Cringer runs back and bites Mumm-Ra, actually forcing him to flee, Snarf later drops bombs on Skeletor from the Thundercats' plane and [[spoiler: Mumm-Ra pays the Ancient Spirits of Evil back by devising a plot with Skeletor to enslave them]].
54	* LargeHam: Mumm-Ra.
55	* MakeMyMonsterGrow: A heroic example. [[spoiler: Orko accidentally turns Snarf into a giant, knocking out one of the Ancient Spirits of Evil in the process.]]
56	* MirroringFactions: After she starts yelling orders and insults at him, Ssslithe angrily tells Evi-Lyn that if he'd known the Evil Warriors would be trying to boss him and his Mutants around, he never would have agreed to a VillainTeamUp. Two pages later, Vultureman starts giving orders to Trap Jaw and Tri-Klops, and they complain they never would have taken this job if they'd known the Mutants would be so bossy.
57	* NarratorAllAlong: The narrator of each issue is one of the characters in the story, with their identity only being revealed at the end.
58	* PlanetaryRelocation: In order to acquire the Sword of Power from He-Man for his masters, Mumm-Ra uses his magic to move Third Earth out of its orbit and into Eternia's. No mean feat considering the latter planet is in an entirely other dimension. Even Skeletor, who's narrating the events, finds this impressive.
59	* PunchClockVillain: Most of the Evil Warriors and Mutants admit that they're only attacking He-Man because Skeletor promised them tons of money. [[spoiler: Later Monkian, Jackalman, Beast Man and Tri-Klops break into the Black Pyramid to loot it.]]
60	* PungeonMaster: Skeletor. This trait keeps him from becoming too scary, now that he is more competent.
61	* ShutUpHannibal: Skeletor tries a HannibalLecture on Lion-O during their duel, but the latter just points out Skeletor forgot to keep an eye on the other Thundercats, who launch their attack at him.
62	* TheStarscream: [[spoiler: After being double-crossed by them, Mumm-Ra initiates a plan that allows him and Skeletor to enslave his masters, the Ancient Spirits of Evil.]]
63	* SuddenlyVoiced: This is generally thought of as an AlternateContinuity to DC's other ''Masters Of The Universe'' comics due to Cringer being able to talk here.
64	* SuperMode: Issue four introduces two new ones to both franchises. [[spoiler: Sensing the true heroism hiding within him, Lion-O uses the Eye of Thundera to transform Cringer into a (Thunder) Battle Cat Man, who proves to be just as (if not more) formidable than when he's empowered by Grayskull. Then, finding He-Man's might to be light years beyond his own, he calls upon the Sword of Omens to give him "Strength Beyond Strength", briefly making him He-Man's physical ''equal''.]]
65	* SupermanSubstitute: [[spoiler:When going through various realities in Issue 6, one finds [[ComicBook/{{Superman}} Adam at the Daily Planet working as a reporter alongside Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen]]. Both He-Man and Lion-O decide to leave right before Adam can change into a familiar looking costume with He-Man’s cross insignia in the shield instead of an 'S']].
66	* UnderestimatingBadassery: The combined forces of Mutants and Evil Warriors think they'll have no problem taking He-Man out, now that [[spoiler: Mumm-Ra had stolen his sword]]. Boy, does he prove them wrong.
67	* VillainousFriendship: Skeletor and Mumm-Ra, once they actually start to work together, quickly get to this level. It seems they're outright enamored with [[InLoveWithYourCarnage how much evil they can do together]].
68	* VillainTeamUp: The Evil Warriors and the Mutants join forces to assault He-Man. Skeletor and Mumm-Ra do it later [[spoiler: once they figure out they have to work together if they ever want to be separated from each other]].
69	* VitriolicBestBuds: Man-At-Arms and Panthro develop into this, to the point that when the former attempts a HeroicSacrifice and later risks his life to save him, neither stops bickering.
70	* WhamEpisode: Pretty much OncePerEpisode.
71	** Issue #1: Mumm-Ra brings Third Earth into Eternia's orbit, causing devastating catastrophes on both planets. He then [[spoiler: figures out He-Man's secret identity, impersonates the Sorceress, steals the Sword of Power, and uses it to stab Adam]]. Later [[spoiler: the Ancient Spirits of Evil betray Mumm-Ra, who is reduced to ashes by Skeletor]].
72	** Issue #2: [[spoiler: Skeletor absorbs Mumm-Ra, becomes Ever Living and then steals He-Man’s powers, leaving Adam powerless and dying from wounds from his earlier fight with Mumm-Ra.]]
73	** Issue #3: [[spoiler: Prince Adam dies. Skeletor and Mumm-Ra end up trapped in one body and enslave the Ancient Spirits of Evil to lay siege on Castle Greyskull.]]
74	** Issue #4: [[spoiler: Lion-O takes Adam's coffin to the Black Pyramid, intending to use it in order to resurrect the Prince. He also uses the Eye of Thundera to power up Cringer into (Thunder) Battle Cat Man, who promptly makes short work of Tri-Klops and most of the Evil Mutants. He-Man returns in a state of madness, but snaps out of it after an epic fight, once Lion-O places the Sword of Omens before his gaze. A terrible vision of Skeletor and Mumm-Ra ruling the ENTIRE UNIVERSE is glimpsed...right at the very moment both are getting ready to crack Grayskull wide open.]]
75	** Issue #5: [[spoiler: The Ancient Spirits of Evil are slain, but their power gets absorbed by Skeletor and Mumm-Ra, who combine into one monstrous being, Mumm-Tor.]]
76	* WrongGenreSavvy: The Sorceress says that Skeletor and Mumm-Ra will never become allies because evil cannot share. She quickly has to admit this was just wishful thinking once they actually do join forces (though to be fair, it's because they don't really have any other good options left to them).
77	* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler: The Ancient Spirits of Evil betray Mumm-Ra for Skeletor.]]

Context ComicBook / HeManThundercats