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He-Man is a
fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
and the main
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
of the
sword and planet Sword and planet is a subgenre of science fantasy that features rousing adventure stories set on other planets, and usually featuring humans as protagonists. The name derives from the heroes of the genre engaging their adversaries in hand-to-ha ...
''
Masters of the Universe ''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. The main premise revolves around the conflict between He-Man (the alter ego of Prince Ada ...
'' franchise, which includes a toy line, several animated television series, comic books and a feature film. He-Man is characterized by his superhuman strength and in most variations, is the
alter ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I", " doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a differen ...
of Prince Adam. He-Man and his friends attempt to defend the secrets of
Castle Grayskull Castle Grayskull is a fortress located on the fictional planet Eternia. It forms a central location in the '' Masters of the Universe'' toy/comic/animation universe and also appears in the 1987 live action adaptation. The concept is credited to ...
, the
planet A planet is a large, rounded astronomical body that is neither a star nor its remnant. The best available theory of planet formation is the nebular hypothesis, which posits that an interstellar cloud collapses out of a nebula to create a you ...
Eternia ''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. The main premise revolves around the conflict between He-Man (the alter ego of Prince Ad ...
, and the rest of the
universe The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. Acc ...
from the evil forces of his
archenemy In literature, an archenemy (sometimes spelled as arch-enemy) is the main enemy of someone. In fiction, it is a character who is the protagonist's, commonly a hero's, most prominent and most-known enemy. Etymology The word ''archenemy'' sometim ...
Skeletor Skeletor () is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the ''Masters of the Universe'' franchise created by Mattel, serving as the archenemy of the protagonist He-Man. He is typically depicted as a blue-skinned humanoid who wears a purpl ...
. The character was created by designer
Roger Sweet Roger Sweet is an American designer. He grew up in Akron, Ohio and graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and the Institute of Design in Chicago, Illinois. He served as a lead designer at Mattel throughout much of the 1970s and 1980s a ...
, who intentionally created the character in such a way for him to be abstract and generic enough to be applied into any context and genre; Sweet also chose the name "He-Man" for being generic. Presenting three different versions of the figure to Mattel—including a
soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
and a spaceman—the
barbarian A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either Civilization, uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by som ...
version of the character was chosen and developed into the character's current form. He-Man has achieved gay icon status and amassed an LGBT following—specifically amongst
gay men Gay men are male homosexuals. Some bisexual and homoromantic men may also dually identify as gay, and a number of young gay men also identify as queer. Historically, gay men have been referred to by a number of different terms, including ' ...
. According to various insiders and employees,
Mattel Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
is aware of He-Man's gay icon status and following, a following which the company has accepted.


Development

In 1976,
Mattel Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
's CEO Ray Wagner declined a deal to produce a
toyline A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pet ...
of
action figure An action figure is a poseable character (arts), character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are ...
s based on the characters from ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'', due to the $750,000 license ($3,645,724.96 in 2021 dollars) required up front. Following the commercial success of the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy and its related merchandise, Mattel launched several successful competing toylines which captured the public's imagination and significantly influenced the toy market. In the race to design the next popular action figure,
Roger Sweet Roger Sweet is an American designer. He grew up in Akron, Ohio and graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and the Institute of Design in Chicago, Illinois. He served as a lead designer at Mattel throughout much of the 1970s and 1980s a ...
—a lead designer for Mattel's Preliminary Design Department—realized that simplicity was the key to success. According to his 2005 book '' Mastering the Universe: He-Man and the Rise and Fall of a Billion-Dollar Idea'', Sweet knew that if he gave the marketing department something it could sell, he had won 90 percent of the battle. Sweet stated that "to sell this
o Wagner O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), pl ...
, he glued a Big Jim figure—another Mattel toy line—into a battle action pose, added clay to its body, and had plaster casts made. These three prototypes would later go on to become He-Man. Furthermore, to sell this toy, Sweet stated that as a powerful figure, it could be applied into any context because the character had the generic name of He-Man.


Appearances


Comics

In the illustrated books released with the first series of toys, He-Man is a
barbarian A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either Civilization, uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by som ...
from an
Eternia ''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. The main premise revolves around the conflict between He-Man (the alter ego of Prince Ad ...
n tribe. The planet's inhabitants were dealing with the aftermath of the Great Wars, which devastated the civilizations which once ruled supreme. The wars left behind advanced machinery and weaponry, known only to select people. The
Sorceress of Castle Grayskull The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, also known as Teela Na, is a fictional superhero from the '' Masters of the Universe'' franchise. Her first appearance was in "He-Man and the Power Sword"  (1981). Appearances Original MOTU mini-comics The S ...
gave He-Man some of these weapons, and he set out to defend the secrets of
Castle Grayskull Castle Grayskull is a fortress located on the fictional planet Eternia. It forms a central location in the '' Masters of the Universe'' toy/comic/animation universe and also appears in the 1987 live action adaptation. The concept is credited to ...
from the evil
Skeletor Skeletor () is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the ''Masters of the Universe'' franchise created by Mattel, serving as the archenemy of the protagonist He-Man. He is typically depicted as a blue-skinned humanoid who wears a purpl ...
. He-Man possessed one-half of the
Power Sword The Power Sword, also referred to as the Sword of Power or the Sword of Grayskull, is a fictional sword from Mattel's '' Masters of the Universe'' toy line. In the original mini-comics produced with the toyline in 1981, the Power Sword was a m ...
; Skeletor had the second half, and used it as his main weapon. When joined, the two halves provide the key to Castle Grayskull. In one early illustrated story, He-Man and Skeletor united their two Power Sword halves to form the true Power Sword, defeating Trap Jaw.


''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' (2012)

In June 2012,
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
began publishing a six-issue
limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
, ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'', alongside the weekly digital first series ''Masters of the Universe''. In ''He-Man: The Eternity War'', He-Man is shown as married to Teela.


Television


''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' (1983)

In more than a few comic book and animated series He-Man's (and She Ra's) origins had been revised: his true identity was Prince Adam of Eternia, son of
King Randor King Randor is a fictional character, a warrior king who appears in the popular 1980s ''Masters of the Universe'' franchise. In early material, the character is called King Miro; this was later given in the Filmation cartoon series as King Rand ...
and
Queen Marlena The ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' franchise debuted in 1982 with the creation of American company Mattel and the toyline of the same name. This is a list of characters that appear in the toyline, television series ''He-Man and the Mast ...
(an earthling), who gave birth to twins Prince Adam/He-Man and Princess Adora/She Ra (Adora was abducted by the Evil Horde led by Hordak) and ruled the Kingdom of Eternia on the planet of the same name. The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull endowed Prince Adam with the power to transform into He-Man, which he did by raising his
Power Sword The Power Sword, also referred to as the Sword of Power or the Sword of Grayskull, is a fictional sword from Mattel's '' Masters of the Universe'' toy line. In the original mini-comics produced with the toyline in 1981, the Power Sword was a m ...
and proclaiming, "By the power of Grayskull..." Once the transformation was complete, he would continue, "...I have the power!" The differences between Prince Adam and He-Man were minimal; He-Man had a slightly deeper voice, a different wardrobe, and slightly darker skin and hair. Prince Adam's pet was a cowardly green tiger named Cringer. When Adam became He-Man, he transformed Cringer into a brave armored green tiger named
Battle Cat Cringer is a fictional large cat in the ''Masters of the Universe'' franchise. He has green and orange striped fur, similar to that of a tiger (although his species is not truly known), and is Prince Adam’s feline companion. Whenever Adam tr ...
by pointing his sword at him – an ability Adam discovered accidentally during one of his transformations into He-Man. Cringer cowered in fear at seeing what Adam had become; while reassuring him that nothing had really changed, Adam pointed the sword of power at Cringer, which sent a bolt of energy toward the tiger and transformed him. Battle Cat served as He-Man's steed and fierce fighting companion ever since. in a couple of versions of He-Man, he can use his sword to change into different versions of He-Man depending on the type of battles he is in, and can also use his sword to give friends, allies (as seen in ''Revelation'' and the new CGI version of ''Masters of the Universe''), and animals besides Cringer power and enhanced abilities. Adam was friendly with
Teela Teela is a fictional superheroine from the '' Masters of the Universe'' franchise. She is the Captain of the Royal Guard at the palace of Eternos and thus responsible for training and protecting Prince Adam of Eternia. While Adam is He-Man, T ...
who, unbeknownst to her, was the daughter of the Sorceress and was adopted by Prince Adam's mentor Duncan/Man-At-Arms. Teela is Duncan's real daughter in the ''Revelation'' version, Fisto's daughter in the 2002 version; Sorceress is her mother. Fisto and Duncan are brothers in the 2002 version, which means he adopted his niece in the 2002 version. Adam and Teela grew up together and now, as Captain of the Guard, she was entrusted to protect him. Unaware of his identity as He-Man, she saw Adam as lazy and cowardly, an act he keeps up to prevent people from discovering his secret identity. Teela later learns his secret in a couple of depictions. Man-At-Arms was He-Man's closest companion and the Eternian royal family's innovator of technology and weapons. He often unveiled new weapons or devices to help He-Man. Castle Grayskull was the source of He-Man's powers, where the Sorceress lived, who granted Adam his transformative abilities and communicated
telepathically Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic W ...
with him. To protect his family He-Man kept his double identity a secret, sharing it only with Orko, Man-At-Arms, Cringer and the Sorceress. He-Man's archenemy was Skeletor, a blue-skinned sorcerer with a yellow skull for a head. He was skilled in
black magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 145 ...
and all forms of combat, being extremely cunning and intelligent. Skeletor was accompanied by a group of henchmen who aided his evil schemes. The spin-off series '' She-Ra: Princess of Power'' revealed that Adam had a twin sister:
Princess Adora She-Ra, real name Adora, is a fictional superheroine in the 1985 Filmation series ''She-Ra: Princess of Power'' and its 2018 Reboot (fiction), reboot ''She-Ra and the Princesses of Power''. A series of toys under her name was produced by Mattel ...
, a leader of the Great Rebellion against
Hordak Hordak is a fictional character in the '' Masters of the Universe'' franchise who opposes She-Ra and He-Man, as well as the franchise's main villain, Skeletor, to whom he was once a mentor, and the cause of the latter's ambition and pursuits of e ...
on the planet
Etheria ''Etheria: Ang Ikalimang Kaharian ng Encantadia'' (International title: ''Etheria: The Fifth Kingdom of Encantadia'') is a Philippine television drama fantasy series broadcast by GMA Network. The series is the second installment of the Encantad ...
. Adora, like Adam, was given the gift of the power of Grayskull and had her own sword which she used to transform into She-Ra, Princess of Power. He-Man made a number of appearances in the series. Filmation's Lou Schiemer pitched a sequel series called "He-Ro: Son of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" in which He-Man was King of Eternia, married to Teela, and had a son. The show was ultimately not picked up.


''He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special'' (1985)


''The New Adventures of He-Man'' (1990)

After the end of the Masters of the Universe toy line, Mattel attempted to revive interest in He-Man by producing a new toy line, entitled ''He-Man''. The storyline in the minicomics packaged with the figures explained that He-Man had left Eternia and pursued Skeletor into the depths of space, who had set his sights on conquering the distant world of Primus, a planet with great technological resources. He-Man was shown to have relinquished the identity of Prince Adam altogether, basing himself on Primus where he led a team of defenders known as the Galactic Guardians. He-Man's appearance was retooled for the new toy line, with a space helmet and golden armor added to his attire to give him a more futuristic appearance; his sword was also redesigned. A cartoon series was produced by Jetlag Productions to accompany the toy line, entitled ''
The New Adventures of He-Man ''The New Adventures of He-Man'' is an animated series which ran in syndication in the fall of 1990 while Mattel released the toy line He-Man, an update of their Masters of the Universe line. The cartoon series was intended to be a continuation o ...
''. Although generally following the story line from the minicomics, this series maintained the double identity of Prince Adam and He-Man. On the planet Primus, Prince Adam posed as a traveling merchant and the nephew of Master Sebrian to disguise his secret identity. His transformation oath was altered slightly, to become "By the power of Eternia..."


''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' (2002)

To tie in with a new line of action figures based upon the original toyline, a new ''He-Man'' cartoon series was produced in 2002-03 by Mike Young Productions, titled ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' and given the marketing subtitle "vs. the Snake Men" in its second season. This series retold the Masters of the Universe story from the beginning. He-Man's origin was told in a 90-minute series premiere, in which the 16-year-old Prince Adam was summoned to Castle Grayskull by the Sorceress to assume the identity of He-Man and his role as Eternia's defender. The portrayal of his character in this series was consistent with
Filmation Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live-action programming for television from 1963 until 1989. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1962. Filmation's founders and pr ...
's portrayal, although the character of Prince Adam was brasher and more youthfully energetic than his 1980s counterpart (conveying the image of a teenage boy saddled with the responsibility of defending a planet from evil). The Adam/He-Man character was redesigned, to make the character's secret identity more credible.


''Masters of the Universe: Revelation'' (2021)


''Masters of the Universe'' (CGI reboot, 2021)

In December 2019, it was announced that in addition to their other series, Netflix would also be developing a new ''Masters of the Universe'' series using CGI animation. With Rob David developing the series, producing it alongside Adam Bonnett, Christopher Keenan,
Jeff Matsuda Jeff Matsuda (born 1970) is an American animator and concept and comics artist who served as the chief character designer for both '' Jackie Chan Adventures'' and ''The Batman'' and is the president and creative director of X-Ray Kid Studios. Mats ...
and Susan Corbin.
Bryan Q. Miller Bryan Q. Miller is an American television and comic writer most notable for his work on the CW’s television series '' Smallville'' and DC’s comic book '' Batgirl''. Career Miller began work on ''Smallville'' as an unpaid intern during Season ...
serves as story editor on the series. Animation services are being provided by
House of Cool House of Cool Studios is a boutique animation studio based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and founded as a pre-production studio in 2004 by animation veteran Ricardo Curtis and finance expert Wes Lui, specializing in designing and storyboarding ...
and CGCG Inc.


Film


''He-Man and She-Ra:The Secret of the Sword'' (1985 animated film)


''Masters of the Universe'' (1987 film)


''Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers''

He-Man and Skeletor both make cameo appearances in the 2022 film '' Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers''.


Reboot film

On April 29, 2019, actor
Noah Centineo Noah Gregory Centineo ( ; born May 9, 1996) is an American actor. He began his career performing on television and had a main role in the television series '' The Fosters'' from 2015 to 2018. He achieved wider recognition by starring in the Net ...
confirmed in an appearance on ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...
'' that he would be playing He-Man in the ''Masters of the Universe'' film, which was due to begin production in July 2019 and set for a 2020 release. However, due to the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
he pulled out of casting two years later. In January 2022, it was announced that
Kyle Allen Kyle Allen (born March 8, 1996) is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). A native of Scottsdale, Arizona, he played high school football at Desert Mountain and was among the top football ...
had been cast in the role, with filming to begin that summer.


Merchandise


''Masters of the Universe Classics'' (2008)

This action-figure line combined elements from the He-Man universe into a cohesive storyline with biographies on the figures' packaging. These biographies suggested that several "He-Men" have come into existence – such as Vikor (based on an early concept design for the vintage He-Man), Oo-Larr (based on the jungle He-Man from the first minicomic. Adam takes over as King of Eternia as King He-Man, marries Teela, and they have a son named Dare.


Wife and Son

According to canon, the "main storyline" of He-Man concludes with He-Man (now King He-Man) ending up marrying his longtime sweetheart "Teela" and they have a son together named Dare, who later becomes He-Ro. The storyline was after defeating Skeletor, the couple ruled Eternia and their son's alter ego of He-Ro defeated the character called "The Unnamed One".


Powers and abilities

He-Man was characterized as possessing super speed, heightened agility, superhuman strength, increased stamina and endurance. The extent of his strength was unknown, but on one occasion he was able to hoist Castle Grayskull and throw it through an interdimensional portal. He-Man also demonstrated his strength by lifting mountains and icebergs and hurling them toward a desired target. On one occasion, he welded a broken metal chain together simply by pushing the links together. In the episode "She-Demon of Phantos", he was shown to be the only person to break Photanium (claimed by Man-At-Arms to be the strongest metal in the universe). In the comics, he was shown as being able to go one-on-one with pre-Crisis
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
. On the original action figure's packaging and in the introductory sequence of the 1980s cartoon series, He-Man is claimed to be "the most powerful man in the universe". His strength was derived from magical powers within Castle Grayskull. In the Episode of the original series "Eternal Darkness", He-Man was shown pushing a moon of Eternia into a specific orbit, and then later returning it to its original position by hand. He can remain as He-Man for as long as he wants but if he takes too much damage or uses too much raw force, he will revert to his original form of Adam. In the 2002 series, He-Man is shown enduring the brunt of at least two large explosions, which he survives, but reverts to Adam in the process, suggesting that even He-Man has a limit as to how much abuse he can endure before his superhuman strength and stamina are exhausted. For He-Man to change back to Prince Adam he holds out his power sword, says "Let the power return!", and then He-Man and Battle Cat would change back into Prince Adam and Cringer. In the 2002 series, He-Man was shown enduring the brunt of the Ram Stone of Zalasia (a gem whose mystic force could pierce any barrier or topple any obstruction). He survived, but reverted to Adam in the process. In combat against the snake-god Serpos, He-Man was struck by the giant snake's tail and sent crashing into a mountain. When he fell to the ground, he was again in Adam's form; this suggested that there was a limit to He-Man's strength and stamina. He-Man's prowess is not limited to strength; he is also depicted as being extremely quick and
acrobatic Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance (ability), balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sports, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most ...
. His speed has been demonstrated by running fast enough to escape massive explosions and moving his arms fast enough to counteract the winds of a tornado. He-Man is also shown leaping great heights, usually flipping through the air several times before landing safely on his feet. It is also suggested that He-Man possesses some form of
telepathic Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...
powers as well. There were several instances in the original TV series where He-Man was able to communicate and sense the presence of the Sorceress by telepathy. It was also shown that he has the ability to communicate with his sister
She-Ra She-Ra, real name Adora, is a fictional superheroine in the 1985 Filmation series '' She-Ra: Princess of Power'' and its 2018 reboot '' She-Ra and the Princesses of Power''. A series of toys under her name was produced by Mattel in 1984. Her f ...
across great distances. He-Man as a character is largely non-violent, only resorting to combat as a last resort. He used his intellect more often, preferring to outsmart his adversaries; most violent actions typically consisted of body-throws. In accordance with broadcast standards of the period, in the Filmation cartoon, He-Man could not use his sword as an offensive weapon or punch or kick anyone. He was only allowed to destroy robotic enemies. The 1987 film and 2002 series, however, showed him fighting more aggressively. He-Man was depicted as a leader – most noticeably in the film adaptation, where he is referred to as the "leader" of the resistance. Skeletor intended to force him into submission, rather than killing him – fearing that doing the latter would turn He-Man into a
martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
who would inspire others to fight. He-Man's primary weapon was his sword, but he also used other weapons (such as a laser-gun in the film and the mini-comics, a battle axe, a shield, and other equipment - including vehicles) while battling his foes. His sword, apparently indestructible, could deflect bolts of energy. His sister Adora's Sword of Protection was not entirely indestructible; the stone in the hilt was once damaged, preventing her from transforming. In addition, the sword gave him the ability to transform from Prince Adam into He-Man (and back) by utilizing the powers of Castle Grayskull. He also uses his sword to transform Cringer into Battle Cat. In the earliest versions of the story (for example, the first four minicomics) He-Man's primary weapon was an axe, because the sword was intended to serve as a plot device that would only be used in order to gain entry into Castle Grayskull. The breastplate on his power harness was made of an Eternian mineral (corodite) which helped add to his physical strength. The origin of the power harness was explained in the episode "Evil-Lyn's Plot" (written by Paul Dini).


Gender analysis

According to a book by
Michael G. Cornelius Michael G. Cornelius is an American scholar specialising in early British literature and an author. Background Michael Cornelius was raised in Summerhill, New York. After receiving a bachelor's degree at St. John Fisher College and a master's at M ...
, He-Man is considered a narrow definition of masculinity. Cornelius cited He-Man as the literal "strongest man in the universe" and says that his chief adversary Skeletor's primary weapon is his intellect, mirroring a Superman/
Lex Luthor Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: Apr ...
dichotomy.


Queer analysis


Response from Mattel and insiders

According to
Erika Scheimer Erika C. Scheimer (born March 28, 1960) is an American voice actress in cartoons of defunct animation studio Filmation. She is the daughter of Lou Scheimer, who was an integral member of Filmation and a voice actor in his own right. She is best ...
,
Filmation Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live-action programming for television from 1963 until 1989. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1962. Filmation's founders and pr ...
welcomed gay artists, and many members of the studio "long dto see themselves onscreen". In an interview with gay lifestyle
online magazine An online magazine is a magazine published on the Internet, through bulletin board systems and other forms of public computer networks. One of the first magazines to convert from a print magazine format to being online only was the computer magaz ...
''
Queerty ''Queerty'' is an online magazine and newspaper covering gay-oriented lifestyle and news, founded in 2005 by David Hauslaib. As of June 2015, the site had more than five million monthly unique visitors. History ''Queerty'' was founded by David ...
'', Rob David and Tim Sheridan, who work on the ''Masters of the Universe: Revelation'', discussed the character's homoeroticism and gay fanbase. According to David, who is an executive producer of ''Revelation'' and Mattel's Vice President of Creative Content, Mattel is "very comfortable" with He-Man's gay audience and their perception of the character as a gay man.


References


Bibliography

* * * * *


External links

* (1983–1985 series) * (1987 live action film) * (1990–1991 series) * (2002 series) {{Masters of the Universe 1980s toys Action figures Animated human characters Comics characters introduced in 1981 Extraterrestrial superheroes Fictional characters introduced in 1981 Fictional characters who can move at superhuman speeds fictional characters with immortality Fictional characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability Fictional characters with superhuman strength Fictional princes Fictional shapeshifters Fictional swordfighters Fictional twins Male characters in animated series Male characters in film Masters of the Universe Heroic Warriors Superheroes Television characters introduced in 1983