He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

You get a power-up, and you get a power-up etc, etc

Oookay. Where to start.

First, it all sounds really silly. But maybe it's not the representative tone of the whole series? Tie-ins often touch lighter subjects to avoid messing with the main story, especially when they're released early. I'm sure there are plenty of tie-ins of the second and third TMNT cartoon that make them feel sillier. Though the fact that it sounds as if Castle Grayskull was the main source of siliness raises some eyebrows.

It looks like Adam (with Kringer) isn't the only wielder of Power Of Grayskull. Ok, I can get that. It was always a problem with the franchise that He-Man had all those allies that he didn't really seem to need. Does that mean that Teela will have a superhero name? Side-note, I hope that not many characters will use two names. Most of the "real" names of MOTU characters are just silly, but not in a good way. I'm used to Netflix She-Ra way, treating Scorpia and Catra as their real names. I mean, Krass? (That's Ram Man BTW)

We get Age Lift, that was to be expected. I'm just surprised Man-At-Arms might be de-aged. I know he's one of the main characters but I would expect him to be the older mentor figure, like Storm and Wolverine in evolution. I wonder how it will go. Will any villains be teens? Will everyone look much older when using Power of Greyskull like they're Shazam?

And last shot, Greyskull will now be heroes' headquarters. Cause what kid heroes don't have an awesome hideout. Kinda ruins its mystery but I suppose if He-Man suppose to protect it, it makes sense. Wonder where Sorceress fits in.

I don't think Man-at-Arms is going to be de-aged. The synopsis doesn't actually say that'll happen. He'll probably still be same age and still be the mentor.

Edited by Trooper924 on Apr 18th 2021 at 5:21:15 AM

Possible. Power Trio would make sense and Duncan's technological powers don't feel very Greyskully.

I assume that graphic novel is about the CGI show, not Relevations. I don't mind the CGI show being more silly, while Relevations is more serious.

Yes, it's for the 3DCG reboot, not Revelations.

I mean, preferably I'd get a show that can find happy middle like 2012 Ninja Turtles.

But for reals, I hope most characters won't use their real names. That was one of the worst additions to the franchise. Tell me, do you honestly think that names like

Beast Man

Moss Man

Grizzlor

Leech

Mantenna

Modulok

Man-E-Faces

Buzz-Off

are way too silly and things can be improved by stating that characters are actually named

Raqquill Rqazz

KREANN'OT N'NOROSH

Gur'rull Gu'rrooowarrrk

K'ull'leusshhhh

Glieeb-Tolio Jak-Us

Bliddeon Black

Perkaedo

Tzzzzt zz zzTTTzz

Speaking of names, If Adam and Krass turn into He-Man and Ram Man that would imply Teela will also have a super name. At first, I've considered "She-Ra" but now I wonder...maybe "Sorceress"?

It seems like they'll be following the She-Ra reboot's lead and dispensing with the secret identity thing.

That's actually rather surprising since last I checked, Mattel kinda loathed the She-Ra reboot. But yeah, the whole Adam/He-Man secret identity thing doesn't really mean much when they're basically the same dude in different outfits, right? I mean, it works for Superman, but He-Man? Not quite... And since it was brought up last page, yeah, it does sound more practical to have the HQ be Castle Grayskull itself.

x3: Going by the announcement article from Entertainment Weekly on Dec 2019, I feel that's a fair bet for the tone.

Bryan Q. Miller (Smallville, Batgirl (2009), Justice League vs. Teen Titans) is stated to be story editor, along with other DC alumni like Jeff Matsuda and Christopher Keenan (Justice League, Batman Beyond) as producers.

Edited by XMenMutant22 on Apr 18th 2021 at 2:47:13 PM

I remember in the 2002 He-Man series, He-Man was much buffer than Adam. Like so so much larger and considerably taller. So at least there was some attempt to justify that no one was able to put two and two together. Also, I guess no one thought that He-Man had a secret identity in the first place. Like, with Batman, you know he is a person under that mask, but with He-Man I can see why you'd think he was born He-Man, and he is He-Man 24/7. Speaking of being He-Man all the time, there was one comic adaptation where the "Adam is He-Man" thing became public knowledge, so Adam just decided to be He-Man 100% of the time and never turned back. So, if everyone already knows Adam is He-Man in this series, why not just be He-Man permanently? I feel they might add a time limit or something similar to justify it.

Edited by WillKeaton on Apr 18th 2021 at 1:00:47 PM

I don't really ask for much in the way of seriousness from He-Man. I mean, his name is He-Man for instance

I don't recall if any reason was ever given for Adam's keeping his He-Man-ness a secret. It seemed like the just wanted to shoe-horn Master's of the Universe into the classic super-hero mold in this regard. I remember that originally the story (as told in the mini-comics included with the action figures) was much different, with He-Man simply being a powerful warrior (whose strength was boosted by the harness he wore—said harness's abilities to boost his strength were, I think, referred to in a single episode of the Filmation cartoon after the shift to the Prince Adam continuity) and the power-sword an artifact that both he and Skeletor were after to gain entry to Castle Grayskull, which would make whoever did so the "Master of the Universe." I don't know where Prince Adam was first introduced, but I recall the basics for that version being present in DC Comics's various early treatments of the property.

You know who I wish had gotten more play? Zodak. The DC treatments kind of portray him a bit like Metron from Jack Kirby's New Gods, and I think he appeared only once or twice in the Filmation cartoon. Always thought he was kinda cool.

I mean, don't get me wrong. Taking He-Man too seriously worries me just as much if not more than all-goofy. Fact that Revelations is apparently going to both edgy and sequel to the original cartoon sounds perplexing.

Yes, early mini-comics had a way different canon that rebooted early on when the cartoon came out, few stories were even adaptations. It was around 3 toy wave when they released Orko and Prince Adam toy.

Prince Adam very first appearance was in a crossover with Superman which makes way too much sense if he was writer's idea.

The one suspense of disbelief for me is that 80's Skeletor is definitely getting characterized in Revelations as a Knight of Cerebus Complete Monster who eats babies for breakfast... When in the cartoon's canon he'd claim he will but would've just kept the babies because he grew attached to them and won't admit it

Funny thing is that Filmation's Skeletor is one of the few versions of the villain, who is not a Complete Monster

There is an old, now defunct site called Encyclopedia Obscura I used to visit back in the day, that had an article about that He-Man/Superman comic. Here's From Eternia With Death!

I do recall a Christmas special where Skeletor, much to his own chagrin, came to the defense of some children.

Not only that, but 80's Skeletor was so un-evil that kids would send letters to the creators to ask for episodes where Skeletor won, and they had him constantly team up with He-Man against bigger evils for the sake of giving him some victories of any kind

They made a sequel movie to the GI Joe 80s series in 2009 where Cobra Commander become a mass murderer. Really doing the same with Skeletor wouldn't surprise me. Mini comics Skeletor was that bad.

Any softening of Cobra Commander was done, I think, because of the limits of what you could show in a kid's cartoon in the '80's. He was supposed to be a megalomaniacal dictator, so I think a portrayal of him as a mass-murderer is not a derailment or significant re-imagining just the logical extension of his original portrayal, adjusted for what they're now allowed to portray. It's how he would have been portrayed, if not for censors. Skeletor's portrayal fluctuates between the mini-comics and the Filmation cartoon, because even though both were meant for the same audience the tone is very different between them. Skeletor from the Filmation cartoon is your typical cartoon super-villain surrounded by idiot henchmen, more often fueled by a desire to tweak the heroes than by his proclaimed villainous goals, whereas in the mini-comics he's a dark sorcerer out to rule the universe. I mean, while I'd say Skeletor is the more competent sorcerer, Gargamel is more consistently nasty than Skeletor (and Gargamel did leave two kids to die in the snow in a Smurfs Christmas special).

Edited by Robbery on Apr 19th 2021 at 9:45:48 AM

More tie-in materials for the reboot are being teased, including a stand-alone book called Ork-O's Day Off.

Yes, that's how they spell Orko in the reboot. Description in the spoiler box.

Award-winning-author-illustrator Tom Angleberger brings Mattel's Masters of the Universe together for a new adventure in the first book of this middle-grade series. Full of sorcery and epic showdowns, this highly illustrated novel introduces young readers to the Masters of the Universe - starting with Ork-O, a zany techno-magician who is one of He-Man's closest allies. Author Tom Angleberger brings his signature humor, crafting ability, and wit to this series starter, perfect for young fantasy and super hero fans.

Orko is now spelled "Ork-O"?

Uhhhhhhh...

...why?

Edited by TargetmasterJoe on Apr 20th 2021 at 7:50:45 AM

Spelled like that, it gives the idea that something is up. Even if the hyphens seem fairly common in Eternia stuff, it kinda makes it sound like "Ork O", as if it was a designation more than a name.

Eh, not much revealed, just that Orko exists, is spelled differently and he's a techno-wizard. Actually looking at He-Man and Battle Cat, I wonder if techno-magic will be a common thing in this show. Not like it wouldn't fit with MOTU previous works. Maybe Man-At-Arms will have powers from Grayskull after all.

Now I'm wondering if Ork-O is actually the 15th in a line of Ork cyber-units that are named after letters of the alphabet. Or something.

So if techno-magic is in the cards, can we expect Frickin' Laser Beams?

Edited by TargetmasterJoe on Apr 20th 2021 at 11:08:56 AM