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Comic Books: DC: Masters of the Universe

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About This Series
Issues
Pictures



About This Series:

    This three-issue mini-series presents a very different version of "Masters of the Universe" from what we came to know in the later cartoon series and other intrepretations.  This was NOT based on the cartoon, as there was no cartoon at the time.  It is an original story based on Mattel's "Masters of the Universe" toys.  Although a good series in story and art, it's not the MOTU we know.  Truth be told, I like the later, "real" version of MOTU better, myself.

    DC's comic series is not made for young kids.  They were tailoring this for an older crowd.  One sign of this is the fact that there is swearing ("hell" and "damn"), something you'd NEVER see in the later He-Man comics from Marvel.  But there are other indicators.

    There is actually death in these He-Man comics.  And the swords actually cut, instead of projecting energy beams.  The overall tone of the He-Man saga is very serious, where the later cartoon and other intrepretations kept it light.  Another put-off is the "ancient talk" of the characters.  Sounds like a Hercules movie, or Marvel's "Thor".  Certainly not the contemporary dialogue of later MOTU.

    King Randor and Queen Marlena are unnamed here, and much older than we see in later incarnations.  They actually have white hair!  Marlena even looks kind of chubby in this series, rather than the vixenish redhead we know.  Orko is NOT a character at all in this series.  The royal wizard is Tarrak, a very human-looking old man.

    The Sorceress is NOT called "The Sorceress" in this series, but "The Goddess".  She is referred to only once in the first issue as a "sorceress".  Even more strange, "The Goddess" looks like the character we later know as Teela, dressed in snake armor.

    Teela, on the other hand, looks nothing like the Teela we know from the cartoon, toys, etc.  In the first issue, she is a half-naked strawberry blonde with long, flowing hair.  Although rather cool-looking, the publisher must have put the "kabosh" to this look, because she was covered up more in the second issue, wearing the traditional white unitard.  No snake armor, though.

    Man-at-Arms has no mustache here.  Skeletor has no Evil-Lyn, his witchy henchwoman.  And instead of one Beast Man, there are many Beastmen.  Another interesting thing is that Prince Adam does not say, "By the power of Grayskull, I have the power!" to change to He-Man.  He just changes.

    The major heroes in this series include:  Battlecat/Cringer, Goddess (Sorceress), He-Man/Prince Adam, Man-at-Arms, Stratos, Teela, and Zodac.  The major villains include:  Beastmen (Beast Man), Mer Man, and Skeletor.

Issues:

#1:  December, 1982.  Written by Paul Kupperberg.  Art by George Tuska.  Cover by George Tuska and Dick Giordano.

#2:  January, 1983.  Written by Paul Kupperberg.  Art by George Tuska.  Cover by George Tuska and ? Janson.

Pictures: