What started as a toy brand by Mattel has surely outlived any initial expectations and hopes. He-Man and The Masters of the Universe was an ‘80s phenomenon that unabashedly utilized the archetypes found within the fantasy genre. It’s safe to say the original iteration was formulaic, and across two seasons and 130 episodes, kids didn’t need to tune into every one to understand what was going on with the human Prince Adam, his fantastical alter ego He-Man, and his ever ongoing conflict between the diabolical Skeletor. With the summer release of the first part to Netflix’s revamped adult series about the superhero, enough time had passed that a formulaic plot just couldn’t cut it anymore. Serialized storytelling has become an important element to television audiences within the almost forty years that have passed since the original in 1983, along with character development and, as made clear in the title, revelations.
For audiences and returning fans, no doubt there was some hesitation on what exactly the story would be this time. For all intents and purposes, it seemed He-Man/Prince Adam was killed off in Part One of Masters of the Universe: Revelation, not once but twice. As if to quell the potential backlash, director and Revelation show creator Kevin Smith kicks off the beginning of Part Two in a brisk pace. Prince Adam is wounded but he survives, healed by Teela with some help from her late mother and great sorceress Teela Na, the latter who is killed off by Skeletor. But despite the setup in the first episode, the true endgame to this installment is revealed a few episodes in, along with asking several big questions. Who is Prince Adam without all the power? What does he become when he doesn’t have control of it? The first is solved relatively easily: Adam is a hero through and through, even as a mortal he will be courageous. The second presents a version of He-Man that is both incredibly powerful and primal, one also known as Savage He-Man. Without his power sword to control himself, he’s a raving beast. It’s the love and more specifically a physical hug from his father, Eternia’s King Randor, that saves him. Love and support from close ones proves to be an essential element and the backbone to this new series, with two other characters showing the very different roads one can take without it.
Teela learns the strength and magic she has within her, growing much closer to her mother after the sorceress’ death. Teela is destined to become the new socercess, confined to Castle Grayskull as its guardian but she finds a new way to make this work. She won’t be the only master of the universe and she will be powerful outside the castle walls, relying on the support she’s gained among allies and loved ones rather than being solo. The polar opposite to Teela, is Evil-Lyn, once Skeletor’s right hand, who now recognizes she too is on the threshold of her own immense power. Skeletor’s reign as a god and welder of the Sword of Power is short lived with this realization. After one too many insults and putdowns, Evil-Lyn is given a glimpse into the greater cosmos by Skeletor. The approaching Celestial Apex will place Eternia’s universe in the center of all the other planets. While Skeletor plans to use this for his selfish desire to finish off He-Man for good, Evil-Lyn sees another opportunity. Upon seeing how the universe began, she becomes lost in dark thoughts on her own painful childhood. If the cosmos was created seemingly by accident, perhaps she should destroy it on purpose. Stealing the Sword of Power easily, she becomes God-Lyn, with a new character design and a magnificent cape. A collision course is set between these two women who were never really given much to do in the original series. That surely can’t be said here.
If the old-school showdown between He-Man and Skeletor was about good vs. evil, the struggle between God-Lyn and Teela is over chaos and order. With the arrival of the Celestial Apex, the two clash amidst wildly colorful set pieces, ending with the very vibrant explosion of the cosmos. But it isn’t the end of everything, it’s the beginning of it and more than what Evil-Lyn witnessed earlier. Where she only saw no reason or purpose to it, Teela shows the beauty that infused the world, from nature to the very existence of the show’s cast of characters. God-Lyn rids herself of the Sword of Power, returning it to Prince Adam, and becoming Evil-Lyn once again, though with less emphasis on the "evil" part. There was even the return of a fan favorite thought to be gone for good to really sell the last episode of Part Two as an exciting finale.
During the showdown between God-Lyn and Teela, the witch summoned the underworld of Subternia to do her bidding. Led by Scare-Glow, a returning villain from the original series, the dead rose and fought against He-Man and his allies. But with the rise of the dead, so too among them is Orko, the little nervous sorcerer last seen sacrificing himself in Part One. And by the battle’s end, Evil-Lyn used her power to save Orko from having to return to Subternia. Various happy endings are given, but a big cliffhanger, too.
Teela and He-Man grow closer, partnering up as guardians of the universe. Andra, ally to Teela, wasn’t given much to do in this second chapter but for the allyship she displayed throughout, she was granted the title of Man-At-Arms, replacing Teela’s father Duncan. Skeletor is defeated once again but being displaced on Snake Mountain doesn’t humble the villain. He rages against the cultists that have taken over the lair during the “time without magic” from Part One. He goes to destroy Motherboard, the cyborg-like statue they worship, only for his magic to fail. Motherboard is revealed to be a living, technological entity, who nano-infects Skeletor into being one of its minions. There is a symbol upon it, drenched in red. It’s for the Horde, an intergalactic empire with ties to She-Ra, the female equivalent to He-Man.
With the release of these two parts that made up Season 1 of Masters of the Universe, nothing is made more important than giving new status to the supporting characters of the ‘80s show. In an Eternia without He-Man and then in an Eternia where there was only the mortal Prince Adam, Teela and Evil-Lyn took the lead in finding their place in the universe. And that meant a heap of making mistakes and self-doubts. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was about the simple premise of good and evil. Revelation made things complicated by making previously believed villains more human. At several points in Part Two, Beast Man actively engaged with Evil-Lyn, almost like a friend, pushing her to understand how much better of a leader she would make. As for Skeletor, his master plan to eliminate He-Man is drained of its agency. The same old routine won’t work this time around. In this modern Eternia where some of the bad guys may not be so bad and the good guys realize just how much more powerful they are with allies by their side, Masters of the Universe changed the game. If another season is greenlit, not knowing where this once formulaic show will go, might be the best revelation of them all.