Mer-Man

Mer-Man is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe toy line from Mattel and accompanying animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

Character history

The Mer-Man toy was part of the first series of Masters of the Universe action figures released by Mattel in 1981-1982. The character was conceived as Skeletor's most prominent henchmen after Beast Man.

Mer-Man features as a major character in almost all the various Master of the Universe media since the toyline's inception. This includes the original mini-comics that accompany the action figures, the Filmation animated series, both the DC Comics and Marvel Comics versions and the more recent animated series produced by Mike Young Productions. He is not present in the 1987 film Masters of the Universe.

In all these different interpretations of the Masters of the Universe mythology the major aspects of Mer-Man's character remain relatively unchanged. Mer-Man is apparently the king of a species of amphibious humanoid creatures who inhabit at least some part of the oceans of the planet Eternia. Sometimes it is stated that Mer-Man is not just the ruler of his own race but also the ruler of all that lies beneath the sea. Though a king in his own right Mer-Man is a thrall to Skeletor, the Lord of Destruction and ruler of Snake Mountain. Mer-Man's service of Skeletor means he is constantly at odds with He-Man and the other heroic champions of Eternia. When engaging the Heroic Warriors, Mer-Man is most frequently teamed up with Beast Man.

Physical appearance

File:Merman-motu.jpg

The Mer-Man toy.

Mer-Man's basic physical type can be described as humanoid, however he has green skin (blue in some versions), that in some renditions appears to be of a scaly texture like a fish. He has webbed feet and hands and two fins on either side of his head that appear to be his species' equivalent of ears. He has large bulbous eyes like a fish and a wide, fang-filled mouth. He has no apparent nose, however in some representations he has nostrils. The area around his eyes and upper lip is covered in a layer of rough orange scales; in the animated series the orange scales only surround his eyes not his lips. He wears yellow chest armor that is possibly made of fish hide. He also wears orange trunks. The character's original box art showed him to wear yellow gloves and ankles, although the original figure did not have these painted on (though in the early mini-comics he is shown wearing yellow anklets). In the Filmation series he is seen to wear yellow gloves and boots. He has a muscular build and is at least as tall as an average human male. He is armed with a yellow sword.

Powers and abilities

Mer-Man possesses a number of extra-human powers and abilities. It is unclear how many of these abilities are physiological traits possessed by his species and how many are skills unique to Mer-Man himself. Mer-Man is amphibious, being just as comfortable walking about on land, as he is swimming at the bottom of the ocean, although he is shown to be happier underwater. Although his strength level is not on par with that of He-Man, Mer-Man seems to possess a physical might that is greater than that of the average human. It is clear however, that his strength is much greater underwater than on land. Mer-Man also displays the ability to control a number of aquatic life forms through a primitive form of telepathy. It is stated in some stories that this power works only on cold-blooded sea creatures, having no effect on sea mammals. From time to time Mer-Man's sword also displays special properties: on some occasions causing it to discharge a sort of freeze ray, encasing his targets in ice. It is unclear if the sword is a product of magic or a product of advanced Eternian technology. A trident spear or lance has also been shown as his weapon at times.

Minicomics appearances

Although he was a central character in the earliest minicomics, Mer-Man appeared infrequently after the first series.

• He-Man and the Power Sword
• King of Castle Grayskull
• Battle in the Clouds
• The Vengeance of Skeletor
• The Tale of Teela
• Masks of Power
• Leech: The Master of Power Suction Unleashed!

Actors' portrayals

In the Filmation series, Mer-Mans distinctive gargling voice was provided by Alan Oppenheimer. In Mike Young Production's version, Mer-Man spoke in a somewhat different voice which was provided by Scott McNeil.

Additional information

• The mold of the Mer-Man toy was later reused by Mattel in 1986 to create Stinkor, another villain in the Masters of the Universe line. The only differences between Mer-Man and Stinkor are that Stinkor is painted black and white, wears different chest armor than Mer-Man and was chemically treated to smell musky.
• Mer-Man appears in the Three Kings episode of "Family Guy" as part of Ace Merrill's gang along with Beast-Man and Norm Peterson.