Jump to content

Princess of Power

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Dwanyewest (talk | contribs) at 10:25, 18 October 2012. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Princess of Power
TypeDolls
Inventor(s)Mattel
CompanyMattel
CountryUnited States
Availability1986–

Princess of Power (commonly abbreviated to POP; and sometimes informally referred to as She-Ra, after the lead heroine) is a toyline created by Mattel. Among others, it features the characters of She-Ra and Catra on planet Etheria. With its launch in 1985, the toyline spawned a variety of products, including three lines of fashion action figures.

The Toys

In 1985, Mattel and Filmation decided to diversify the Masters of the Universe line beyond its traditional realm of "male action" in the hopes of bringing in a young female audience as well. Thus, Mattel created a new line Princess of Power and invented She-Ra as its feminine warrior-woman heroine. The toyline featured almost exclusively female characters, all of whom featured an emphasis on hair and clothing, with "real" hair and partially soft-goods costumes. Essentially, the line attempted to fuse the appeal of Masters of the Universe with Mattel's most long-standing success, Barbie. Like its predecessor Masters of the Universe, the She-Ra toy line actually lasted longer than the Princess of Power (POP) cartoon series itself.

Cartoon Series (1985-87)

Main article: She-Ra: Princess of Power

The animated series She-Ra: Princess of Power was produced by Filmation and made its television debut in 1985.

Etheria is ruled by Hordak and the Evil Horde. Raised by Hordak, but actually the long-lost daughter of King Randor and Queen Marlena of Eternia, Princess Adora joins the Great Rebellion to fight against the oppressive Horde.[1] Princess Adora possesses a magic sword, and when she holds it aloft with her right hand and says the magic words, "For the honor of Grayskull... I AM SHE-RA!!!" she is transformed into She-Ra, "The Most Powerful Woman in the Universe." She-Ra is a beautiful blonde woman dressed in a short, skimpy white dress and a red cape, with a golden tiara on her head.[2]

Masters of the Universe 2002 Redux

Only one Princess of Power character was redone as an action figure for the new Masters of the Universe line in 2002: She-Ra, herself.

Actually released as an exclusive in 2004, the new She-Ra figure was made to appeal to both fans of the original toyline and the new line, as well as fit in more closely with the other redesigned Masters characters. The new She-Ra still had the rooted, combable hair, but all of her clothing (except for her cape) was made out of molded plastic instead of cloth (unlike the original fashion action figure, who had both a cloth cape and skirt).

Masters of the Universe Classics: 2008-

This new line of collector-oriented figures features previously released characters with "classic" retro sculpting and levels of articulation unprecedented for Masters of the Universe toys, and exclusively available online from Mattel's website mattycollector.com. They are once again sculpted by the Four Horsemen, but are predominantly based on the original 1980's line of figures. The line plans to eventually include characters from all aspects of the Masters of the Universe franchise, including She-Ra (Princess of Power).[3]

The first Princess of Power figure will be Princess Adora, as revealed at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con, and she will be available January 2010. Since then, Adora's alter-ego She-Ra has been released in the Classics line along with Princess of Power male lead Bow and chief villainess Catra.[4] Although they made their original toy appearances in Masters of the Universe, She-Ra villains Hordak, Leech and Grizzlor are also available.[5] New additions to the line from She-Ra include the upcoming variant Bubble Power She-Ra and her horse Swiftwind, with more characters expected to be announced in the next few months.

References

  1. ^ Villarreal, Phil (August 4, 2006). "Phil Villarreal's Review: Still a surefire hit with 6-year-olds". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 2011-05-03.
  2. ^ "More than Girl Power: She-Ra on DVD". Toon Zone. Retrieved 2011-05-03.
  3. ^ "By The Power of Grayskull: HE-MAN ART Show!". Newsarama. Retrieved 2011-05-03.
  4. ^ "Masters of the Universe Classics Bow Will Steal Your Heart". MTV. Retrieved 2011-05-03.
  5. ^ "Furry and Ferocious: Masters of the Universe Classics Grizzlor Review". MTV. Retrieved 2011-05-03.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Princess_of_Power&oldid=518486704"