Masters of the Universe

Masters of the Universe is the collective name of the popular toy series by Mattel, featuring characters such as He-Man and Skeletor. Since its initial launch in 1981 it has led to numerous spin-offs, including four animated series and a film. more...

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Designer Roger Sweet claims to be the chief creator of He-Man and MOTU, although this is not officially acknowledged by Mattel.

Characters

Versions of He-Man and spin-offs

As with many toy franchises which have been transferred to several different media there are a number of story differences between the various versions of Masters of the Universe. Complicating matters further, several mediums have made implicit attempts to change details to realign with other versions, with the result that internal discontinuities arise.

Mineternia: the original minicomics (1981-1983)

All the toys came with minicomics that sought to tell stories involving the characters.

In the earliest comics, He-Man is a wandering barbarian in Eternia, a world dealing with the aftermath of a Great War that has devastated the civilizations that once reigned, but has left behind fantastical machinery and weapons. The events of the Great War allowed a rift to open between dimensions, which has allowed the evil warlord Skeletor entry to Eternia, and he has now set his sights on the ancient Castle Grayskull, the 'fortress of mystery and power'. Whoever attains control of Grayskull will gain the power to become Master of the Universe. To prevent Skeletor from achieving his goal, He-Man has been given special powers and weapons by The Sorceress (often referred to as 'The Goddess' in early stories) and sets out to defend the castle from Skeletor. He-Man is supported by several heroic allies, such as Man-At-Arms, the Eternian master of weapons, and Teela, the adopted daughter of the latter. Skeletor has managed to find one half of the Power Sword, a great weapon which is itself the key to Castle Grayskull. He-Man has been given the other half by The Sorceress, and must prevent Skeletor from linking the two halves to gain access to the castle. To distinguish them from the TV cartoon-influenced minicomics that would follow, this first version of Eternia would later be dubbed 'Mini-eternia' or Mineternia.

The DC Comics (1982-3)

Shortly after the end of the toy line, DC Comics began publishing a MOTU comic series, which made several adjustments to the story. These comics established the existence of the kingdom of Eternia, ruled over by King Randor (called King Miro in early appearances) and Queen Marlena. In this comic series, He-Man now has a secret identity- his true identity is Prince Adam, the son of Eternia's rulers. Prince Adam has been chosen by The Sorceress to be given the powers to turn into He-Man and take on the role of Eternia's defender. His identity is kept a secret from all but The Sorceress and Man-At-Arms. The characters of MOTU were introduced in DC Comics Presents #47 in which Superman is transported to Eternia where he teams up with He-Man; later returning for a second adventure.

Read more at Wikipedia.org