Sorceress of Castle Grayskull
Template:Infobox He-Man/She-Ra Character The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull is a fictional character from the toy line Masters of the Universe.
Early minicomics/DC comics
A green-skinned Sorceress first appears in He-Man and the Power Sword under the name of Sorceress, wearing cobra-armor that would later belong to Teela. In the second series of minicomics, the character is now white-skinned, still wearing snake-armor and occassionally referred to as "The Goddess." As in later depictions, the Sorceress gives He-Man his amazing powers. The minicomic The Tale of Teela shows Teela as the clone/daughter of the Goddess, created by Skeletor (explaining why both characters were originally represented by the same toy).
Later depictions
The Sorceress is the mistress and guardian of the secrets of Castle Grayskull, the source of He-Man's great power.
In the Filmation series, the Sorceress demonstrates many saint-like qualities inspiring other characters, most notably Adora (She-Ra), to take action against evil. Although she is considered one of the most powerful beings on Eternia, the Sorceress exemplifies humility and a truly unselfish nature never seeking credit for her efforts or aid. She dwells alone within Grayskull keeping watch over Eternia and practicing magic. It is said that the role of the Sorceress is to "fight the constant war against evil and comfort those in need."--'Origin of the Sorceress.'
The Sorceress is also the mother of Teela, childhood friend of Prince Adam and Captain of the Royal Guard, whose aggressive, gung ho temperament was a far cry from that of her soft-spoken mother. When Teela was an infant, the Sorceress gave her to Duncan, to raise as his own, because the Sorceress felt that Castle Grayskull was too dangerous a place for her daughter to be raised. At one point, Teela set out to discover the truth of her mother from The Oracle of the Crystal Sea and succeeded, but the Sorceress erased the revelation from Teela's memory for her own good, even though she desperately wished she could tell Teela the truth.
The real name of the current Sorceress is Teela'Na. Her history is revealed in the episode The Origin of the Sorceress, in which Morgoth (an old nemesis of the Sorceress) returns and attacks Eternia. While waiting for Morgoth to reappear, the Sorceress explains to He-Man how she became the guardian of Castle Grayskull. The Sorceress is generally considered to be one of the most powerful practitioners of magic on Eternia. However, since her powers are tied to Castle Grayskull, they disappear when she leaves the castle. The Sorceress usually does so by transforming into her falcon-form, known as Zoar. On many occasions the Sorceress uses her powers to increase those of He-Man, once giving him the power not only to lift Castle Grayskull, but also to hurl it into a dimensional portal.
No one knows the true age of the Sorceress, but it is clear that she is not immortal, as the previous Sorceress before her had grown fairly old, suggesting that she and the other Sorceresses do age. With a vast knowledge of magic and history, she is among the wisest beings on Eternia. He-Man often seeks her counsel especially when situations are at their worst. The Sorceress sometimes appears to characters who are in need of guidance.
The New Adventures of He-Man (minicomics and TV series)
In The New Adventure, the first NA minicomic, the Sorceress, appearing in her classic falcon-like form, warns Prince Adam that the Galactic Guardians, tricked by Skeletor, are siphoning the Power of Grayskull. She later appears with a totally different chrome armor (evoking the futuristic feeling of the new series) saying that He-Man would not become Prince Adam again, and that He-Man now had to say the name of the Starship Eternia in order to transform. In the NA animated series the Sorceress wears an amalgam of her classic falcon suit and chrome armor. She often appears in He-Man's mind, giving him advice.
2002 Series
In the 2002 series, the attire of the Sorceress was redesigned to evoke an Egyptian goddess rather than a mere falcon. She is still Teela's mother, of which fact Teela is still unaware despite the internal pain it causes the Sorceress. An episode briefly reveals a part of the Sorceress's past and how Teela was conceived after the Sorceress married an unnamed soldier who supposedly died in battle. When not in formal attire, the Sorceress looks strikingly like Teela, only taller. Had the series continued, it was intended for the third season that Teela would discover that the Sorceress was her mother, but would not have lost the memory as she had in the original series.
The Sorceress is also shown as a capable fighter on two occasions: in one episode titled Out of the Past, she saves a village from a band of marauders, while in another, Rise of the Snakemen Part II, she fights against King Hiss by unleashing an atomic-like blast against the evil snakemen, though she is still defeated.
Powers and abilities
The Sorceress possesses a vast array of magical and spellcasting abilities, and is considered the most powerful magic-wielder on modern Eternia.[citation needed] Some spells she performs on a regular basis, including transforming into her alternate form known as Zoar the falcon.
She is perhaps most noted for projecting her telepathic image to others, especially He-Man. Her telepathy is very powerful as she can contact He-Man across great distances as well as sense the thoughts, emotions, and motives of others.
According to the episode Teela's Triumph, the Sorceress can look into both the past and the future. She frequently uses a mystic mirror within Grayskull to keep watch over current events on Eternia.
The Sorceress can also teleport herself and others across vast distances, and in the episode The Cosmic Comet she temporarily grants He-Man the ability to fly.
Other times she exhibits telekinesis, the ability to project images, as well as create fire, to generate bolts (or spheres) of energy of nigh-cosmic magnitude,[citation needed] and produce magical shields.
In the 2002 series, the powers of the Sorceress are altered slightly. The three principal differences include:
- The power to fly in human form
- The tendency to focus her spells through a mystic staff
- When using magic, her eyes often emit a golden light
Portrayal
In the 1980s series, the Sorceress is voiced by Linda Gary (who also voiced Teela, Evil-Lyn, and Queen Marlena among others). In the 1987 film she is played by Christina Pickles. In the 2002 series, the Sorceress is voiced by Nicole Oliver.
Trivia
 | This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. (June 2007) |
- It is a closely guarded secret that the Sorceress transforms into Zoar the falcon.
- Despite being a recurring character, the Sorceress only performed one moral sequence in the original series, for the episode The Starchild.
- The Sorceress would often serve as a Deus Ex Machina, either by teleporting characters who were in dire straits or using her powers to augment those of He-Man, thus saving the day.
- In the original animated series, there are few moments when the Sorceress exists outside of Grayskull in her human form. In the episode Return of Evil, she transforms into a humanoid while in the Tar Swamp, then back to Zoar before returning to Castle Grayskull. Also in Origin of the Sorceress, she uses a magical crystal to maintain her human form and use her magic outside of Grayskull to battle the sorcerer, Morgoth. In the five-episode miniseries Secret of the Sword the Sorceress is also shown battling Hordak outside Snake Mountain in her human form, alongside Man-At-Arms.
- The episode "The Taking of Grayskull" is the only independent episode to feature the Sorceress running. The other is an episode of the Secret of the Sword which (for the 2nd time) depicts the Sorceress and Man-At-Arm's rescue attempt of infant Adora at Snake Mountain.