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'''He-Man''' is a fictional, hero character featured in the [[Masters of the Universe]] [[media franchise]]. In most variations he is the [[alter ego]] of Prince Adam.<ref>{{cite news|title= Video: A He-Man for All Seasons
'''He-Man''' is a fictional, homosexual character featured in the [[Masters of the Universe]] [[media franchise]]. In most variations he is the [[alter ego]] of the equally homosexual Prince Adam.<ref>{{cite news|title= Video: A He-Man for All Seasons
|work= Time|date=1985-01-07|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,956236,00.html
|work= Time|date=1985-01-07|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,956236,00.html
|accessdate=2010-03-08}}</ref> He-Man and his friends defend the realm of [[Eternia]] and the secrets of [[Castle Grayskull]] from the evil forces of [[Skeletor]].<ref name="Panda director 'for He-Man movie">{{cite news
|accessdate=2010-03-08}}</ref> He-Man and his slave defend the evil realm of [[Eternia]] and the dark secrets of [[Castle Grayskull]] (whenever they are not busy indulging in sodomy that is)from the noble forces of [[Skeletor]] the Brave.<ref name="Panda director 'for He-Man movie">{{cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7860384.stm|title= Panda director 'for He-Man movie|accessdate=2009-09-24 |work=[[BBC News]] |publisher= |date= 2009-01-30}}</ref>
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7860384.stm|title= Panda director 'for He-Man movie|accessdate=2009-09-24 |work=[[BBC News]] |publisher= |date= 2009-01-30}}</ref>


Revision as of 23:46, 3 November 2011

This article is about the character. For the franchise featuring He-Man, see Masters of the Universe.
He-Man
Masters of the Universe character
Created byMattel
Portrayed by
List
In-universe information
AliasAdam
NicknameThe Most Powerful Man of the Universe!
GenderMale
TitlePrince
FamilyKing Miro (grandfather)
King Randor (man-hoe)
Queen Marlena (main squeeze)
She-Ra (bunk buddy)

He-Man is a fictional, homosexual character featured in the Masters of the Universe media franchise. In most variations he is the alter ego of the equally homosexual Prince Adam.[1] He-Man and his slave defend the evil realm of Eternia and the dark secrets of Castle Grayskull (whenever they are not busy indulging in sodomy that is)from the noble forces of Skeletor the Brave.[2]

Origin of He-Man

In 1976, Mattel's CEO Ray Wagner declined a request to produce a toyline of action figures based on the characters from the George Lucas film Star Wars.[3][4][note 1] Upon the commercial success of the film trilogy during the next few years and all related merchandise, Mattel attempted to launch several unsuccessful toylines, none of which captured the public's imagination or made a significant dent in the toy market.[3][note 2]

In the race to design the next hit action figure, Roger Sweet, a lead designer working for Mattel's Preliminary Design Department throughout much of the 1970s and 1980s, realized simplicity was the key to success.[3][4] According to his book Mastering the Universe: He-Man and the Rise and Fall of a Billion-Dollar Idea published in 2005, Sweet knew that if he gave marketing something they could sell, he'd won 90% of the battle.[3][5][note 3]

"The only way I was going to have a chance to sell this [to Wagner] was to make three 3D models - big ones. I glued a Big Jim figure [from another Mattel toy line] into a battle action pose and I added a lot of clay to his body. I then had plaster casts made. These three prototypes, which I presented in late 1980, brought He-Man into existence."

"I simply explained that this was a powerful figure that could be taken anywhere and dropped into any context because he had a generic name: He-Man!"[note 4] [3]

—Roger Sweet[4]

It has been rumored that Conan the Barbarian was a source of inspiration for the He-Man character. According to this rumor, Mattel had a licensing agreement to make the Conan action figures associated with the 1982 film of the same name starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Apparently, such idea had to be modified in order to avoid objections from parents concerning that a toyline for kids was promoting a film with nudity and violence. In addition, brown-haired prototype versions of the He-Man action figure with a strong resemblance to the Conan character created by Robert E. Howard were produced and given away as promotion through an unknown mail-in order by mistake.[6]

This rumor has been refuted by Roger Sweet claiming that he conceptualized and developed the He-Man/Masters of the Universe franchise in late 1980, two years prior to the release of the Universal Pictures film. The toyline existed prior to the movie, starting production in 1981 and marketed in 1982. At that time, Mattel did not have a license with Universal to make toys for the film, which resulted in Conan Properties suing Mattel over copyright infringement with He-Man's similarities to Conan.[6]

From the lawsuit of CPI vs. Mattel:

"In 1980, CPI, through its agent, Conan Licensing Company ("CLC"), began negotiations with Mattel regarding the possible licensing to Mattel of certain toy rights in CONAN. During this time, Mattel received a substantial quantity of material on the CONAN character. On July 31, 1981, CPI and Mattel executed a License Agreement whereby Mattel was granted "the right to make and sell certain plastic action figures of CONAN and ancillary characters as depicted in the CONAN movie." Amended Complaint, para. 12. The Agreement provided, however, "that nothing in the License should be construed as an assignment or grant to Mattel of any right, title or interest in or to CONAN, and that all rights relating thereto were reserved by CPI (except only for the licensee to use the property as specifically agreed to)." Amended Complaint, para. 14. It was also agreed that, after the termination of the License Agreement, Mattel would not make or sell any CONAN toys."

"In January 1982, Mattel requested that the License Agreement be terminated. On April 14, 1982, CPI and Mattel entered into a termination agreement which provided that "all materials created and or developed by Mattel for use in connection with products under the CONAN License" would be delivered to CPI's agent, CPC, which would have "the exclusive right to use such material." Amended Complaint, para. 17."

"In February 1982, Mattel introduced a fantasy character, "He-Man," as part of its new "Masters of the Universe" toy line of action figures. Since that time, Mattel has also featured He-Man and the other Masters of the Universe characters in, inter alia, a television series, comic books, and video tapes. Thereafter, CPI commenced this action asserting that these figures are copies of CONAN, were created under the License, and are CPI's property. Amended Complaint, paras. 20, 21."

In the end, Mattel won the lawsuit against Conan Properties to retain the rights over He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.[6]

Originally, He-Man was presented to Mattel executives, not as drawings and wax models, but in the form of the He-Man Trio, three three-dimensional prototype models, each being He-Man, as a barbarian, a soldier, and a spaceman. Out of the three concepts, the barbarian version was chosen to be the basis of the toyline. Taking into consideration that the Conan character was created almost 50 years prior to the development of the He-Man franchise, it is likely that the Masters of the Universe borrowed many aspects from Conan, but it appears that it was not intended to be a toyline for the film after legal agreements were dissolved.[6] Additionally, Roger Sweet has claimed also to have been "real impressed" by the paintings of fantasy artist Frank Frazetta when creating He-Man.[4] To further expand on this initial barbarian theme, Mattel hired comic book writers and artists such as Donald F. Glut and Earl Norem to create additional characters and their backstory, posters, package inlays, box art and mini-comics to be distributed with the action figures.

The very first prototype He-Man was black haired with a deeply tanned eastern European or Middle Eastern appearance. His helmet had no horns. Later, at the direction of Tom Kalinske, then in Mattel's upper management, He-Man was made more clean-cut and changed to a blond... Plus, He-Man's skin was lightened, though definitely still tanned.

—Roger Sweet[3][4]

Fictional character biography

Early mini-comics

In the illustrated books released with the first series of toys,[7] He-Man is a barbarian from an Eternian tribe. The planet's inhabitants are dealing with the aftermath of the Great Wars, which devastated the civilizations that once ruled supreme over all lesser beings. The Wars left behind advanced machinery and weaponry known only to select people. An early incarnation of the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull gives He-Man some of these weapons, and he sets out to defend the secrets of Castle Grayskull from the evil villain Skeletor. He-Man possesses one half of the Power Sword; the second half is possessed by Skeletor, who uses it as his main weapon. When joined, the two halves of the Power Sword will provide the key to Castle Grayskull. This is why the two figures' swords could combine into one sword, when the action figures were initially released. In one early illustrated story, He-Man and Skeletor actually united their two Power Sword halves to form the true Power Sword in order to defeat a common enemy.

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

By the time the animated series was developed, He-Man's origins had been revised as follows: his true identity is Prince Adam of Eternia, son of King Randor and Queen Marlena, an earthling, who rule the Kingdom of Eternia on the planet of the same name. The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull endows Prince Adam with the power to transform into He-Man, which Adam does by raising his Power Sword and proclaiming: "By the power of Grayskull." Once the transformation is complete, he continues "I have the power!"[2] The differences from Prince Adam and He-Man are minimal, He-Man possessing a slightly deeper voice, and with slightly darker skin and hair.

Prince Adam's pet is a cowardly green tiger named Cringer. When Adam becomes He-Man, he similarly transforms Cringer into a brave armored green tiger named Battle Cat by pointing his sword at him - an ability Adam discovered accidentally the first time he turned into He-Man; Cringer, naturally, cowered in fear at seeing what Adam had become and while reassuring him that nothing had really changed, Adam pointed the sword at Cringer, which sent a bolt of energy toward the tiger and transformed him. Battle Cat has served as He-Man's steed and fierce fighting companion ever since.[8]

Adam is friendly with the beautiful and strong-willed Teela, who unbeknownst to her is the daughter of the Sorceress. Teela was adopted by Prince Adam's mentor, Man-At-Arms (proper name Duncan). Adam and Teela grew up together and now, as Captain of the Guard, Teela is entrusted to protect the prince. She often sees Adam as lazy and cowardly because she is unaware of his alternate identity as He-Man.[9]

Man-At-Arms is He-Man's closest companion and the Eternian royal family's innovator of technology and weapons. In many episodes, Man-At-Arms unveils new and fantastic weapons or devices that help He-Man and his friends.

File:PrinceAdam.jpg
Prince Adam

Castle Grayskull is the source of He-Man's powers. Inside the Castle lives the Sorceress, who grants Prince Adam his transformative abilities, and communicates telepathically with He-Man.

To protect his family, He-Man keeps his double identity secret, sharing the knowledge only with Orko, Man-At-Arms, Cringer/Battle Cat and the Sorceress.

The spin-off cartoon series She-Ra: Princess of Power later revealed that Adam has a twin sister, the Princess Adora, a leader in The Great Rebellion against Hordak on the planet Etheria. Adora, like Adam, is given the gift of the power of Grayskull and has her own sword which she uses to transform into She-Ra, Princess of Power.[10] He-Man makes a number of appearances in the She-Ra: Princess of Power television series.[11][12]

He-Man's chief adversary is Skeletor, a blue-skinned sorcerer with a skull for a head, wearing a cowl. He is skilled in black magic as well as all forms of combat. Though his origin is mysterious, and the cartoon describes him only as a "demon from another dimension," a tie-in comic implies that Skeletor's true identity is Prince Keldor, older brother of King Randor, thus making him He-Man's uncle. It is revealed in the animated motion picture He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword that Skeletor was Hordak's right-hand man up until his capture (Hordak refers to Skeletor as "my old pupil" and Skeletor's throne-room in Snake Mountain, as "my old throne-room" to which Skeletor promptly retorts saying - "my throne-room now"), and supposed release. Skeletor is accompanied by a group of henchmen who aid with his evil schemes.

Masters of the Universe (1987 film)

In 1987, Cannon Films produced a live-action film, directed by Gary Goddard, Masters of the Universe which featured Dolph Lundgren in the role of He-Man. It was a commercial failure at the cinema.[2] In this film, Prince Adam is not seen at all, and only He-Man is shown. This He-Man was much more aggressive than his 1980s TV series counterpart, attacking with lasers, his sword, and bare fists several times throughout the film. The film ends with a spectacular and violent clash with Skeletor, which ended with Skeletor being flung deep beneath Castle Grayskull, to a pit filled with steaming liquid. The film ended in a post-credits scene with Skeletor emerging from the liquid and proclaiming 'I'll be back!'.

The New Adventures of He-Man (1990)

After the demise of the MOTU toy line, Mattel attempted to reinvigorate interest in He-Man by producing a new toy line, simply titled He-Man.[13] The accompanying storyline in the minicomics packaged with the figures explained that He-Man had now left Eternia and pursued Skeletor into the depths of space, where Skeletor had now set his sights on conquering the distant world of Primus, a planet with high technological resources. He-Man was shown to have given up the identity of Prince Adam altogether to permanently become He-Man, basing himself on the world of Primus where he had allied with a team of defenders known as the Galactic Guardians and become their leader. He-Man's appearance was re-designed for the new toy line, with a space helmet and golden armor added to his attire to give him a more futuristic appearance, and his sword was also completely redesigned. In the insert comics issued early in the toy line's run, He-Man begins to transform, only to be grabbed by Skeletor, who was astonished to see that Prince Adam was casting some kind of strange spell, not realizing he was about to transform into He-Man. Still holding onto Adam, Skeletor was caught in a backwash of power as the comic proclaimed 'Prince Adam is no more. Long Live He-Man!' As such, He-Man is directly responsible for Skeletor's cybernetic chestplate seen on the figurine.

A cartoon series was produced by Jetlag Productions to accompany the toy line, titled The New Adventures of He-Man. Although generally in-keeping with the story line from the mini-comics, with certain deviations, such as Skeletor already having the cybernetic chest-plate and never discovering that Prince Adam and He-Man were the same person, this series maintained the double identity of Prince Adam and He-Man. On the world of Primus, Prince Adam posed as a traveling merchant and the nephew of the character of Master Sebrian in order to disguise his secret identity. His transformation oath was also altered slightly to become "By the Power of Eternia".[14][15]

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

To tie-in with a new line of revamped action figures based upon the original toyline, a new He-Man cartoon series was produced in 2002-03 by Mike Young Productions, again titled He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.[16][17] This series retold the MOTU story from the very start. He-Man's origin was told in a 90 minute episode that began the series, in which the 16-year-old Prince Adam is summoned to Castle Grayskull by The Sorceress to take upon the identity of He-Man and the role of Eternia's defender.[18] The portrayal of his character in this series was mostly consistent with Filmation's portrayal, although the character of Prince Adam was shown to be much more brash and youthfully energetic than his 1980s counterpart, to convey the image of a teenage boy saddled with the overwhelming responsibility of defending the entire planet from evil.[19] The Adam/He-Man character was also significantly redesigned to give each dramatically different appearances to make the character's secret identity more credible.[20] The second season episode "The Power of Grayskull" also revealed He-Man to be a descendant of King Grayskull, an all-powerful barbarian hero from Eternia's ancient past, who sacrificed his life to save Eternia from the Evil Horde and was the original wielder of the Sword of Power. He was the original owner of Castle Grayskull, and his sword was concealed in the castle for centuries before being given to Prince Adam, who inherits his ancestor's own power which is channeled through the sword (thus giving an alternate meaning for the phrase "By the Power of Grayskull").

Masters of the Universe Classics (2009)

The latest action figure line attempts to bring together elements from the He-Man universe and fuse them together into a single cohesive storyline through the creation of biographies on the figures packaging.[21] These bios also posit that several "He-Men" have come into existence, such as Vikor (based on an early concept design for the vintage He-Man figure), and Wun-Dar (based on the infamous "Wonder Bread" He-Man figure) but Prince Adam is the only one who actually wielded the Power Sword and transformed into the true He-Man.

Actors who have played He-Man

In the 1980s series, He-Man and Prince Adam are both voiced by John Erwin. In the 1987 live-action feature film, He-Man is played by Dolph Lundgren. Gary Chalk provides the voice of He-Man for the 1989 series The New Adventures of He-Man, and later the voice of Man-At-Arms for the 2002 series. He does not provide the voice of Prince Adam; Adam is instead voiced by Doug Parker. In the 2002 series, both characters are voiced by Cam Clarke.

Powers and abilities

He-Man is characterized by possessing superhuman strength. The extent of He-man's strength is unknown, but on one occasion he was able to hoist Castle Grayskull and send it through a dimensional doorway. He has also demonstrated his immense strength by lifting mountains and icebergs, and hurling them far away to the desired target. In the episode, She-Demon of Phantos, He-Man is shown to be the only person to break Photanium, which is claimed by Man-At-Arms to be the strongest metal in the Universe. In comics, he is shown to be able to go one-on-one with pre-Crisis Superman. On the original figure's boxing tagline, and in the intro sequence of the 1980s cartoon series he claims to be "The Most Powerful Man in the Universe". His strength is derived from the magical powers within Castle Grayskull.[22]

It is unknown if there is a limit to how long Prince Adam can remain He-Man before he reverts back to his original form of Adam; but in the 2002 series, He-Man is shown enduring the brunt of the Ram Stone of Zalasia, a gem whose mystic force can pierce any barrier or topple any obstruction. He survives, but reverts back to Adam in the process. Also when in combat against the Snake God, Serpos, He-Man was struck by the giant entity's tail and sent crashing into a mountain. When he fell to the ground, he was again in Adam's form. This suggests there is a limit to He-Man's strength and stamina.

His physical prowess is not limited to strength, he is also depicted as being extremely fast and acrobatic. And 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.

On the other hand, He-Man as a character is largely non-violent and usually only resorts to combat as a last resort. He uses his genius-level intellect more often, preferring to outsmart his adversaries as most violent actions typically consist of body throws. As per broadcast standards of the period, in the Filmation cartoon, He-Man was not allowed to use his sword as an offensive weapon. Nor was he allowed to directly punch or kick anyone. He was only allowed to destroy robotic enemies. The 1987 film and 2002 series show him fighting more aggressively. He-Man is also depicted as a leader, most noticeably in the movie adaptation where he is referred to as the leader of the resistance and Skeletor intended to force him into submission rather than simply killing him fearing that doing the latter would just turn He-Man into a martyr that would inspire others to fight.

He-Man's primary weapon is his sword, but he also uses other weapons, such as a laser-gun in the film and mini-comics, and a shield and other equipment while battling his foes. His sword is apparently totally indestructible and able to deflect bolts of energy both magical and technological. Interestingly his sister Adora's sword of Protection is not as indestructible, as the stone in the hilt was once damaged, preventing her from transforming. This could imply that the swords have a weak-point or that Adora's sword is somewhat inferior to Adam's. In addition, the sword gives him the ability to transform him from Prince Adam into He-Man and back by utilizing the powers of Castle Grayskull. He also uses the sword to transform Cringer into Battlecat. Originally, He-Man's primary weapon was an axe. The chest piece on his battle harness is made of an Eternian mineral called Corodite that helps add to his physical strength. The origin of the battle harness is explained in the episode "Evil-Lyn's Plot" written by Paul Dini.

Notes

  1. ^ The rights to manufacture the Star Wars toyline were later taken over by Hasbro.
  2. ^ These included: Kid Gallant, a medieval knight; Robin and the Space Hoods, a sci-fi figure; and the daredevil Kenny Dewitt, pronounced "Can He Do It?"
  3. ^ Authorship of the He-Man character has been subject to debate, as two other designers, Mark Taylor and Jill Barad, have also taken credit for creation of the superhero.
  4. ^ Other names considered by the design team were Mighty Man, Megaton Man, Strong Man and Big Man.

References

  1. ^ "Video: A He-Man for All Seasons". Time. 1985-01-07. Retrieved 2010-03-08.
  2. ^ a b c "Panda director 'for He-Man movie". BBC News. 2009-01-30. Retrieved 2009-09-24.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Mastering the Universe: He-Man and the Rise and Fall of a Billion-Dollar Idea by Roger Sweet and David Wecker". Pop Matters. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  4. ^ a b c d e "The Birth of He-Man". The Sneeze (blog). Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  5. ^ Sweet, Roger; David, Wecker Mastering the Universe : He-Man and the Rise and Fall of a Billion-Dollar Idea, Emmis Books July 11, 2005, ISBN 1-57860-223-8
  6. ^ a b c d "Conan The He-Man - The REH Forum". Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  7. ^ "He-man and the Power Sword". Mattel. 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
  8. ^ "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Season One, Volume One". IGN. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
  9. ^ Hart, Hugh (2002-08-11). "Who da man? 'He-Man'". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
  10. ^ Villarreal, Phil (August 4, 2006). "Phil Villarreal's Review: Still a surefire hit with 6-year-olds". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  11. ^ "Remembering She-Ra and He-Man: Interview with Lou Scheimer". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  12. ^ "The Best of She-Ra: Princess of Power Review". IGN.com. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  13. ^ "Masters Cast - Episode 25". Masters Cast. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
  14. ^ "DVD Review: The New Adventures of He-Man - Volume 1". The Trades. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
  15. ^ "DVD Review: The New Adventures of He-Man - Volume 1". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
  16. ^ Owen, Rob (2002-08-16). "On the Tube: Cartoon Network brings He-Man, the Masters back for 20th anniversary". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2010-03-05.
  17. ^ "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Complete Series (2002) DVD Review". IGN. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
  18. ^ Mowatt, Raoul V (2002-08-16). "Improved `He-Man' series heads to Cartoon Network". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2010-09-06.
  19. ^ "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Season One, Volume One". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  20. ^ "Masters of the Universe 2002": The Power Returns, In Style". Toon Zone. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  21. ^ "There's No Disguising That MOTUC Preternia Disguise He-Man Is A Great Action Figure!". MTV. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  22. ^ "Scribes take on "Masters of the Universe"". Reuters. 2010-04-12. Retrieved 2010-08-08.


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