Author: Adam McCombs

Heroic Warriors, Mondo, MOTU Classics, MOTU History

From Mark Taylor to Mondo: A History of the Goddess

Posted on by Adam McCombs

Written by Adam McCombs & Jukka Issakainen

With the arrival of the new Mondo Goddess figure, we thought it would be a good time to take a look at the history of the character. We’ll cover her original concept design, her appearances in comics and toys over the years, and provide a look at the new 1/6 scale Mondo figure at the end of the article.

The name Goddess or Green Goddess, historically, did not apply to the character under discussion in this article, at least not originally. She appeared in exactly one comic and in one piece of concept art in the 1980s, and in both instances she was called the Sorceress. Nevertheless, since the name/title Sorceress has come to refer to the falcon-themed guardian of Castle Grayskull who appeared in the Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon, we’ve used the name “Goddess” in the title to avoid confusion.

Mark Taylor’s Sorceress

The Sorceress/Green Goddess was created by Mark Taylor for the original Masters of the Universe line. In her original design, she was not green-skinned, but actually wearing a green body suit, similar to Man-At-Arms. Her allegiance isn’t specifically stated, but she does have a slightly evil or at least crafty look to her.

A black and white version of the above artwork with green Pantone stickers is dated June 8, 1981, shown below. Mark notes that she was to use the same basic body as “Female Warrior” (Teela). Note that Teela’s gold decoration on her white tunic was supposed to be a separate overlay rather than something sculpted to her torso. So this figure would have gotten the snake headdress but not the gold fleur-de-lis-esque costume elements.

Years ago, I asked Mark Taylor what his original intent was for the character:

Adam: Teela and the Sorceress/Goddess (the one with the snake armor) were originally separate characters. Whose decision was it to combine them into a single action figure? How did you feel about that? Did you intend the sorceress character to be a hero or a villain?

Mark: She was actually supposed to be a changeling but the comic book guys had a hard time with that. Also, the head of girls toys wanted to rip her off for Princess of Power (because now the line was very hot!). She was intended to be like a spy and play both sides with some magic but the “professionals” felt that was too complex (I guess they don’t get Game of Thrones either).

Goddess/Sorceress face close-up

As Mark has explained in public appearances, he didn’t want to give up on the idea that Sorceress was a “bad person”. Her personality is perhaps mirrored in her stern, cold facial expression in Mark’s concept art. Mark has also said that, though initially “bad”, he had the idea that Sorceress could at times team up with either Skeletor or He-Man.

He-Man and the Power Sword

In the original Masters of the Universe mini comics, the green-skinned Sorceress appears only in the aforementioned He-Man and the Power Sword. Contrary to Mark’s conceptualization, she is unambiguously heroic, providing help for He-Man and defending the Power Sword and Castle Grayskull from Skeletor. Note that in this story her face is green, indicating that she’s not wearing a green body suit, as originally designed by Mark.

Alfredo Alcala’s illustration of Mark Taylor’s Sorceress

I’ve talked before about how Mattel elected to produce only one female figure for the 1982 Masters of the Universe debut, and so combined Teela and Goddess into one figure. In some early stories, when you are seeing what looks like Teela wearing her snake armor, it’s actually the Goddess (or often called the Sorceress). But in other early stories it’s just Teela with snake armor on. It could be quite confusing, and so the Sorceress character was redesigned by Filmation with a totally different look to make things clearer. You can read more about that in the two articles below. In this article we are focusing only on the green-skinned version of the character.

So, back to the Sorceress in her appearance in He-Man and the Power Sword. She appears in four pages in the story. She is the first person that He-Man meets when he leaves his home in the jungle, whereupon he saves her from a purple beast that had attacked her.

Interestingly in her first appearance in the story she is holding a staff topped with what looks like an animal skull with horns. Later in the story we see Skeletor holding this same staff, which is not quite the same design as his Havoc Staff. She is not holding this staff in her concept art, but instead holds a snake staff.

The staff in Alcala’s illustration above is somewhat reminiscent of the Skeletor’s prototype staff. However the version in the comic looks more like a cow’s skull than a ram’s skull.

Skeletor prototype

On the page below, we see He-Man fighting the beast, aided by some “mystical bolts of force” from the Sorceress. In this panel we can see that she actually has the same tiara that Teela was supposed to have, poking out from the top of her snake helmet. Perhaps this was taken from another (lost) piece of concept art, because she has no exposed hair in the existing Mark Taylor B-sheet.

After He-Man defeats the monster, the Sorceress rewards him with some treasures she has been guarding. She explains that they were made centuries before the Great Wars by Eternian scientists. The treasures include his harness (which, depending on the model, give him augmented strength or a force field), an axe, a shield, the Battle Ram, and the Battle Chariot (an unproduced vehicle designed by Ted Mayer). We can also see a sword (not the Power Sword), some boots, and a spear.

The Goddess does not show up again in the story until near the end, where she disarms Skeletor by taking the Power Sword from him and splitting them into separate halves again. She disappears and is never seen again in any vintage stories, at least not with this coloring.

Just a note for those not familiar with this comic or this topic- Teela was definitely a separate character from the green-skinned Sorceress, and they both appear in He-Man and the Power Sword. In the story, Teela was a warrior character with apparently no magical abilities who was captured by Beast Man and Skeletor. In the end she escapes and helps He-Man and Man-At-Arms to fight off the Evil Warriors.

Learn the difference: it could save your life!

MOTU Classics The Goddess

The ethos of the Classics line was, for some reason, to retcon concept characters into completely new characters to “justify” their inclusion in the toyline. Or, sometimes two characters would be combined into one. How that would “justify” them is unclear. I suspect this was really done to maintain one consistent and harmonized story in the bios that went on the back of the packaging. The Goddess was released as a figure for the first time in 2009 in the MOTU Classics toyline. Originally she was supposed to have opaque skin, like the Sorceress character in the first mini comic, but Mattel design opted to make her translucent, which lead to problems with the figure cracking at the pelvis.

The color scheme was based on one particular panel in He-Man and the Power Sword where she had white bracers. The white was probably an oversight by the artist – in all the others her bracers were brown, and they are also brown in Mark Taylor’s concept art. She came with a spear that was really intended for Teela, allowing The Goddess to use Teela’s snake staff. She reused Teela’s tunic, which was the only major point of departure from Mark Taylor’s design (recall that she wasn’t supposed to have the gold leaf pattern on her costume). This was no doubt done to save money.

MOTU Classics Goddess Prototype, sculpted by the Four Horsemen
MOTU Classics Goddess figure – note the change to a see-through body. She is holding Teela’s staff.

In her bio, she was given the real name of Sharella, a character from the Powers of Grayskull line. Originally there was no connection between these characters, and neither one was produced in the vintage line. This retcon was met with a mixed reception at the time.

The Goddess
Heroic Trainer of He-Man
Real Name: Sharella

After the death of King Grayskull, the Power of the Universe was transferred from the Sword of He to the Council of Elders who hid it deep within his castle. Knowing the full sword was the key to channeling the power, they split it in two to prevent it from falling into the hands of evil. For five centuries they waited for a worthy heir to be born. During this time their spirit guide, the creature known as “The Goddess” of Eternia, trained secret heroic guardians to keep the two halves of the sword separated. Many of these brave warriors took the name “He-Man” in honor of the sword they protected – giving birth to many different legends of the protector of Eternia.

Note: The Goddess’ real name Sharella did not appear in the original printing. It was added after the fact in a sticker. Image via Toy Habits.

Modern DC Comics (2012-2016) – The Goddess Conundrum

When interpreting the world of Eternia for modern comic stories, Rob David took the approach that there was a life force that created the Universe. It was worshiped by different races, each calling it by different names and viewing it through their own lenses, if you will.

So in the stories by Mattel/DC Comics, the Star Seed is “the First Light” and has been called the Life-Force, the Goddess, Zoar, Serpos, Horokoth. The characters refer to the being as The Goddess in the story.

Some fans who may not have followed the comic series regularly may have remembered from the 1980s stories that there was a character called the Goddess or the Sorceress, and were naturally confused when the heroes in this comic were searching a way to resurrect the Sorceress, and needed to go to the Goddess [an entity, not a person] for help.

In He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #12, in a battle with King Hiss and the Snake Men, Teela is knocked into the Star Seed. There she learns that her mother was the Sorceress, and that the job of the Sorceress was to be the oracle of the Goddess. Each Sorceress takes a different form, and Teela is transformed into the Sorceress of Serpos. Like the original Sorceress/Goddess created by Mark Taylor, she has green skin and snake armor (although she shows much more skin in this comic). In this continuity, she is not the Goddess, but a servant of the Goddess.

Teela continued as the Sorceress of Serpos for most of the DC Comics He-Man the Eternity War series, which ran from 2015-2016.

Snake Teela concept art by Gabriel De La Torre. Source: He-Man the Eternity War blog

In issue 14 of the series, when Teela in her Sorceress of Serpos form is on the brink of death, Man-At-Arms trades his life for hers. In the process she is restored to her human form.

Masters of the Universe Revelation & Revolution

The Masters of the Universe Revelation and Revolution animated series have utilized many aspects from the franchise’s long past, taking elements from existing media and putting them into new contexts. In the show, the concept of Preternia (Eternia’s distant past) becomes Eternia’s version of heaven. Or the underground world of Subternia (originating in 2002) with its caves and own inhabitants becomes a version of hell instead.

Revolution takes many cues from the He-Man the Eternity War comic series (thanks to executive producer Rob David). But it was never an animated adaptation of that story, as some fans thought when Revolution trailers arrived. In “Ascension,” Teela is transformed by the Staff of Ka into the green-skinned Sorceress of Ka, based on the Sorceress of Serpos from the 2014-2016 comics, but with several visual updates. Throughout the series we see Teela transformed by the ancient powers of the three primal gods of Eternia in the Revolution series: Zoar, Ka, and Ha’Vok. Eventually, with He-Man’s help, Teela is able to fuse all three powers into one, changing her appearance for a fourth time.

HD Screencaptures by Jukka Issakainen

Masterverse Revolution Sorceress Teela

The Sorceress of Ka was released as a figure in 2024 the Masterverse line as Sorceress Teela. For whatever reason she was produced in very low numbers, and so is difficult to get on the secondary market. The packaging artwork was done by Simon Eckert.

Below a Wallpaper version 😉 -Jukka

MOTU Origins Eternian Goddess

Masters of the Universe Origins brings once again a totally new continuity with its figures and storytelling. They use old official elements mixed with unused concept materials and insert them in the new story they are telling (for instance, Veena is no longer the wife of a King Grayskull). So the Origins stories are not a continuation of the vintage material, but, like the Classics bios before them, they represent a new canon on their own.

Origins has the Goddess appear in the pack-in mini-comic for the 2019 He-Man & Prince Adam 2-pack. The artwork is by Axel Giménez with colors by Val Staples.

She was released as a figure in the MOTU Origins line in 2021 as the Eternian Goddess. Her color scheme was changed a bit from the source material – she was give silver bracers and boot tops and blue bicep rings. Her accessories were also closer to red than to brown, especially in the production figure (the image below is a prototype pic that Mattel released).

The Goddess appeared in the modern MOTU Origins mini comic, Rock and a Hard Place. In the story, Prince Adam is overcome by Stinkor’s stench, and calls out to the Goddess for aid. The images below come from Vaults of Grayskull, and you can read the full comic on their site.

She also appeared in the MOTU Origins mini comic, Lost Legend. In this story she has the “real name” of Sharella, a detail taken from the MOTU Classics bio mentioned earlier in this article. Sharella transforms herself into the Goddess. Strangely, “Oo-Larr” (the MOTU Classics name for the “jungle” He-Man) is retconned as being the same person as “Wun-Dar.” This page comes from Vaults of Grayskull, and the full scan is available at their site.

Other Versions of the Goddess

The Goddess was released as a statue by Iron Studios, as a ReAction figure by Super7, and as a mini figure included with the Mega Construx Castle Grayskull set.

Mondo’s The Goddess: a short review

Mondo’s Goddess figure went up for pre-order March 2025 and was shipped out October 2025. The back of the package makes clear that this isn’t the original Sorceress from He-Man and the Power Sword, but rather the transformed Teela that appeared in the Masters of the Universe Revolution series. I should note that although her costume is similar to the Revolution Sorceress of Ka, this figure is really its own thing and is a blend of different influences, including the 2015 DC comics, the vintage Mark Taylor design, and even a bit of 200x Teela.

Still, on my shelves she’ll represent the original Sorceress character created by Mark Taylor. That was my approach in the Classics era too, with characters like “Oo-Larr” that were retconned into new characters. I just thought of “Oo-Larr” as He-Man from the mini comics, and I will think of Mondo’s The Goddess as the original Sorceress character envisioned by Mark Taylor. Call me a curmudgeon if you must!

The figure is at 1/6 scale, and is intricately detailed, sculpted and painted. I inspected my example for paint problems and other irregularities, but thankfully I didn’t find any. Her left ankle is slightly loose, but it doesn’t seem to inhibit her ability to stand. Otherwise all of her joints are good, neither too tight nor too loose.

The Goddess comes with three different heads. two of which have a placid expression. The neutral face is available with either a helmet or a snake tiara and long hair. The smiling face is available with the long hair and tiara. Any of the three can be used with the snake headdress. Mondo made the interesting choice of giving her gold eyes with dark red sclera, which enhance the snake theme, but also make her look slightly evil. I’m okay with that – the original concept seemed slightly sinister too!

There is also a removable skirt, although I found it challenging to get it looking right. I wasn’t that interested in it as an accessory, so I put it on for the photo, but otherwise it’s going to live in my parts bin.

The Goddess also comes with a spear, a sword and a shield. To me these are really Teela accessories. I see Goddess more as a spell caster than a warrior, but they are an option if you want them. For me, her snake staff (or Staff of Ka, as it’s come to be called) is her primary weapon.

Speaking of magic, she also comes with a mystical snake magic effect, which can be attached to either hand. She comes with a total of ten hands, so you have plenty of options there.

Adam: Overall she’s a beautiful figure, one of the best Mondo has ever done. There is something compelling about the character itself. Her roots lie at the very beginning of the Masters of the Universe mythos, and I feel she has an important role to play in it. But for a long time she was forgotten, and arguably brought back to life through the advocacy of artist Nate Baertsch back in the MOTU Classics era.

Jukka: I agree, that the (Green) Sorceress aka Goddess has gained popularity in the fandom, due to her striking color scheme in that single minicomic appearance. Big thanks to Nate “Baena” Baertsch for creating fan arts about her, which have spread online and added to her intrigue.

Images from New Eternia blog interview with Nate Baertsch

Adam: While I don’t totally sign onto the idea that she’s some kind of Teela variant, I’m happy that the figure is at least getting represented, even if the original character behind the figure is sometimes forgotten. What I’d really like to see though is a faithful figure based 100% on Mark Taylor’s original artwork – we haven’t gotten that yet. But I do have to say that the Mondo version of the Goddess is my favorite version to date.

Mondo Goddess and Sky Sled
From left to right: Customized MOTU Origins Goddess, Mondo Goddess, and MOTU Classics Goddess.

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5
Interviews

Rebecca Salari Taylor: Keeper of the Mysteries of Grayskull

Posted on by Adam McCombs

Rebecca Salari Taylor is an artist who illustrated the labels for the original Masters of the Universe line. She is also the wife of the late Mark Taylor, who designed the first 10 figures in the vintage line, along with Castle Grayskull. A big thank you to Rebecca for answering these questions!

Q: When did you know you wanted to become an artist?

My dad was a graphic designer. He had a studio/room, and I spent most of my time on the floor playing with his pastels and making collages out of his collection of colored scraps of paper. He was fun. It was fun, and I thought, “Yeah, this is it.”

Q: How did you meet Mark?

I walked into a night class in graduate school. I looked over, and this long-haired “hippy” type was watching me, and it was unnerving. I thought… “Oh no, a weird dude, and I’ll bet he doesn’t even know how to draw.” He got the last laugh on that.

Q: What were your first professional projects?

Projects for me were usually part of someone else’s because I was so young. In junior high, my dad started getting me to do travel brochure covers, and eventually, I started freelancing in college with Disney and some of the other entertainment companies around L.A. doing the work no one else wanted to do.

When Mark and I got together, we continued with some of my clients and some of his. We worked well together in everything.

Q: How did you get started working for Mattel (freelance in your case)?

Mattel was a freelance client that we picked up, and it seemed to suit us well. Mark soared because he wasn’t just an illustrator but a creative storyteller as well. He worked in 3D images and was a good problem solver. His work was just ready to go to the “magic place”.

That to me is when most of your true self comes together, all lights are on. Your memories, experiences, and your culture all start to consolidate, and even your dreams , good and bad, all seem to merge into “that thing” that you just have to do. The passion is stimulating and rewarding.

So we presented at Mattel and started doing freelance for the Barbie group. It was really fun for me because I had one of the first dolls when I was 10.

Q: I know you were more bothered than Mark was about others taking credit for Mark’s work, regarding the creation of Masters of the Universe. I feel like in the last 10 years Mark has gotten much more recognition for what he did. Has that been your perception?

Yes, it’s true. Mark didn’t care about it much; it happens to many artists, especially the ones that produce so much that they are on to the next projects and rarely look back. When I’d get “Latin” he would point to his temple and say, “Don’t worry Babe, there’s more where that came from.”

He was talking to the wrong woman. So yes, he kept me in check for as long as I could stand it, and finally I said “nope,” this is bullshit. $18k a year for He-Man, and then the credit is stolen too?

I made it my quest to get him the strokes he deserved, and with the power of you all, the great fans of the He-Man tribe, fakes fell by the wayside because the evidence became impossible to deny.

Q: Can you talk about anything you remember about Mark’s pre-Mattel illustrations that would eventually influence his designs for Masters of the Universe?

Yes , I have oodles of artwork clear back to before I knew him. His styles were very eclectic. He seemed to experiment (as you should in school) and researched everything; his curiosity was infectious, and it led him into many facets of art. I recall seeing illustrations of monsters and fantasy art as well as lots of figures and portraits. His illustrations at this time were captivating, and he always seemed to surprise the viewer with some different images not seen before.

Mark Taylor’s King of Styx illustration, from the early 1970s. This would influence his Skeletor design a decade later.

Q: When Mark first started working on He-Man at Mattel, what are your memories from that time?

It was an interesting time for both of us. Mark was a packaging director. He didn’t work on any product because it wasn’t in his job description, and frankly, R&D considered themselves the A-Team and guarded those positions.

So he would finish up his actual work and would sketch and develop his stories . People would gather in his office, and the buzz was that this guy was doing “really different stuff” that was exciting and new. Weird is what they called it.

Mark Taylor’s Torak illustration, dating to 1979.

Working at Mattel was like being on a college campus where you could learn from your colleagues who were experts in their own various disciplines. It seemed everyone was just happy to work for a toy company. It was fun, and the friends one made were turned out to be for life.

Q: Can you remember anything about your influences for the label illustrations you did for the Battle Ram?

Yes. My objective was to bring the splashiness look of the castle labels and develop a familial vibe with the vehicles. There were a lot of new ideas in the toy line that whenever I could I would try to give them “that look.” Most labels done at this time were flat graphics with clean, and pretty much all looked pretty similar in style of execution.

It was interesting because I was working on this project that was taking place in the past, future on Earth, in space, and whoa! It’s was boundless. We thought the labels should be different, iconic, and stir up some new “flavors.”

Battle Ram stickers, illustrated by Rebecca Salari Taylor

Q: Can you remember anything about your influences for the label illustrations you did for Castle Grayskull? Some of it was based on Mark’s previous work, correct?

Sort of. The line work followed his style, but the colors and the technique developed along the way were quite different. When Mark gave me the assignment, he said, “ Push the envelope on these. Try something different.” He suggested I have fun and see what happens. So we went for a slightly art nouveau /art deco vibe. First with the castle labels and eventually on anything else I myself worked on later on.

After I did the first one, I believe it was the cross-sword flags. I presented to Mark saying, “I don’t know if they’re going to like these.” He assured me, “Who’s they? Rebecca, I am “they.” So it’s very rewarding to know they “hit the spot” with the tribe.

Q: Do you recall attending any meetings or events at Mattel with Mark when He-Man was being developed?

Not officially, no. I don’t recall ever working on anything MOTU on campus because I was hired in-house to work for other departments like Girls Toys, Preschool, and Games. Most all the He-Man work was done as outside freelance.

There was a lot of buzz about this packaging guy doing a toy line because the president of Mattel happened to go into his cubicle to look at what the talk was about. The President of Mattel, Ray Wagner, was very interested, and so no one interfered with the first part of the development.

It was pouring out of a designer’s brain, it was new, exciting, and a bit scary. It happened quickly, and because they were both excited about the product, no one messed with his product until later.

He spent many hours at Mattel, late nights and weekends. This was an artist in the ZONE. This was BIG. And those of us close to Mark felt the rush of excitement when the kids at toy testing showed us all what a hit this was. We all got to experience that rush.

Q: What do you think are the main reasons Mark left Mattel after his work on He-Man?

Oh, this one is easy. Are you ready? He asked to go into R&D, and they didn’t want him to crash the party. This big toy hit in male action figures, which they didn’t have in many years, and guess what? You get to stay in package design. Sorry, you can’t get into Special Ops; the club is closed to you.

So together we decided it was time to go, knowing that it might be done again, but it would no doubt have to be at some other company. So he went on to create the toy line for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from a comic book. When he left, it became open season on getting credit for his work. So that’s why the wife was unhappy. LOL.

Q: Can you talk a bit about some of your and Mark’s experiences with fans in the modern era? I know fans really adore both of you!

We are so lucky to know these people. These are the folks that Mark created this line for. He remembered how he was as a young boy. He was thrilled to know in the end how much fun he tapped into you little guys (and girls) and was truly fulfilled as a toy designer because of all of your enthusiasm about the concept. That’s why my quest to get him his due was critical to me.

Mark later became very interested in 3D computer design and was able to dabble with that in the end. He never stopped learning. He made me a better artist and a better person.

Here are some questions from other fans. They asked that I share these with you:

Øyvind Meisfjord: I suppose that Mark never got rich in spite of creating one of the best-selling toylines of all time. But do you feel that he felt proud by the overwhelmingly positive reaction to his toyline? And did he feel himself awarded in his later years when fans learned of his contributions to Masters of the Universe and acknowledged him as its creator?

Oyvind, you are correct, I am extremely proud.

He showed no concern about the people trying to take credit because for him I don’t think it was ever about that at all. And of course, you are correct about the money, but this is a common disappointment.

I wanted him to get that recognition. LOL I was in his office in his new job when he got a phone call from the major perpetrator and on speaker phone a couple of us heard this: ”Well, you aren’t here anymore, why don’t you just say I did it. It doesn’t matter now.” I think that’s when the wife “me” loaded my pistols.

MOTUOriginsCork: I’d like to ask her if she already read Nino Ade’s comic and if she could pinpoint any specifics out of it that is directly related to Mark.

I am embarrassed to say I have not read it. I can’t seem to get past the great artwork Nino produced.

This is such a wonderful tribute, and I am so honored and grateful.

L’Kongick J. Fogarty asks: What were some of your favorite moments working on MOTU, and does something really stand out as being the most gratifying, and why?

It was really a fun time. It was like something really different was happening inside Barbie’s house. I felt that there was a buzz, and it became a driving force.

What’s he going to come up with next? What’s a Merman? Why is there a computer and a space suit in a castle? Who are those creatures in the pit?

What the heck kind of vehicle is that? It was FUN.

Lyca asks: I’m curious about her inspiration for the stickers! Did she have guidelines, did she just draw what looked cool and fit the space, did she color them, etc?

Here’s how it usually goes: the art director gives you some penciled areas where the label is supposed to fit, so let’s say you have 6 areas. They might point out that 2 of them are for a sweet princess bedroom or a dark and scary cave for an evil villain.

All those flare lines abreast become the ‘decor” or vibe of the toy.

So for me, as I have said before, was Mark telling me that I shouldn’t worry about making sense of anything but to take each label and try to be mysterious and memorable.

Use a different style (not so graphic) and tantalize with color. I decided to use the brightest inks available , Dr. Martens dyes.

Now I can’t swear those were exact words, but basically, he was saying, “ Have fun, give them something different because this IS different.”

I’m truly surprised that so many of you enjoy these. Thank you.

James Zimmerman asks: Can you ask what element did she add to the art/MOTU that wasn’t there before? When we ed look at the stickers, what story was she trying to tell? And what did she think of the brand?

James, I think I can only take credit for the line work and color. We both chose what might the icons would be.

Many of us got swept into Marks project. He was very specific about who he was going to hire to work on it, and he brought us together, as illustrators, sculptors, and other talented favorites of his.

Sometimes, let’s say, if Mark was sculpting the castle, he might have various secretaries and others visit his office where he might give them a small piece of clay to press into a part of the castle itself. There were many fingerprints.

He loved that.

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Comics, Filmation

Early MOTU canon comparison

Posted on by Adam McCombs

Written by Adam McCombs & Jukka Issakainen

Masters of the Universe has had a multiplicity of competing canons almost since the very beginning. Part of the reason for that is because Mattel didn’t exert consistent, tight control over the story during the course of the 1980s line. Canons have continued to multiply ever since, as the story has been rebooted with each new relaunch, and new writers want to put their mark on things.

In some cases, it’s a matter of different departments working under different guidelines. As a modern example, there are the 2012 Comics by Mattel (through DC Comics) contradicting and/or ignoring the story written for the MOTU Classics toy packaging by Mattel. Both existed as official canons at the same time. Sometimes, as in the case of the MOTU Classics bios, there is an attempt to retcon multiple existing canons together. However, retconning really just adds one more new canon to the pile of existing canons.

We thought it might be interesting to explore some of the early canons for Masters of the Universe, from the first mini story books by Don Glut and Alfredo Alcala to the Filmation animated series a couple of years later. We won’t be including every canon, just the major stories leading up to Filmation. In order to make the differences more clear, we’ve come up with some categories for each different canon of stories, involving how different characters, places and things are portrayed, or whether or not they even exist! That should hopefully make it easier to compare and contrast each one without going into exhaustive detail.

The Fighting Foe-Men – 1981

The Fighting Foe-Men was an early minicomic treatment written by Don Glut for Mattel. After Glut submitted it to Mattel, probably early in 1981, Mattel gave him some feedback for changes they wanted to the story, mainly making Castle Grayskull more mysterious, dangerous and containing hidden secrets, making “De-Man” (Skeletor) the main villain, and making He-Man more heroic. They wanted to write Teela out of the story, which obviously didn’t happen. They also asked that he add the “dimension/warp travel” aspect to the Battle Ram.

Summary

  • He-Man: jungle dwelling tribesman; arrogant, short-tempered, reluctantly heroic; gets extra strength or a forcefield from his costumes
  • Prince Adam: doesn’t exist
  • Sorceress: doesn’t exist; instead He-Man is awarded his weapons and outfit by his Tribal Elders
  • Skeletor: “De-Man,” a demon from another dimension thrown into Eternia when the Great Wars created a rift between dimensions. An underling of Beast Man. Has elemental powers and secretly desires to overthrow Beast Man and take the Power Gem for himself.
  • Snake Mountain: does not exist
  • Beast Man: the main villain, a jungle native at war with He-Man’s tribe. He can wear various costumes to take on the powers of other animals.
  • Teela: Teela is a passive character, playing the damsel in distress role. She is captured by Beast Man, who wants to marry her by force.
  • Stratos: heroic, practical joker. He had various wing options, including bird, bat and insect wings. His sense of humor made him annoying to He-Man.
  • Mer-Man: heroic warrior, last survivor from a world of underwater dwellers. He is even stronger on land than in water, but is vulnerable to heat.
  • Man-At-Arms: a rational, calculating planner and thinker. Master of weapons, who left his people to “right wrongs where he finds them.”
  • Zodac: doesn’t exist
  • Power Sword: doesn’t exist, instead factions fight over the Power Gem, the “product of both pre-war science and sorcery.” The Power Gem will make its possessor all-powerful and the “master of all Eternia.”
  • Castle Grayskull: ancient, ominous, “equipped with all manners of weapons, traps and devices”
  • Battle Ram: not mentioned
  • Other: two unproduced villains are named in the story, Woods-Man and Ka-Man,
  • Battle Cat: not mentioned
  • Cringer: there is no Cringer in this canon.
  • Eternia: Eternia is caught in a time warp, held in a timeless limbo; a post-apocalyptic land that was once technologically advanced, now thrown into war and savagery
  • Spirit of Grayskull: doesn’t exist
  • Orko: doesn’t exist
  • King/Queen/Royal Palace: they don’t exist here

He-Man and the Power Sword – 1982

He-Man and the Power Sword was the first published mini comic/storybook for Masters of the Universe. I’m putting it in a category by itself because it has a Sorceress character, while the rest of the first series of minis do not.

  • He-Man: a jungle dweller who leaves his home to protect Castle Grayskull. He saves the Sorceress from a monster and is rewarded with weapons and armor that grant him great strength or a force field.
  • Prince Adam: doesn’t exist in this canon.
  • Sorceress: a mysterious green-skinned woman, guardian of the Power Sword, and to some extent Castle Grayskull. She is very powerful, being able to remove the combined halves of the Power Sword from Skeletor’s possession.
  • Skeletor: the main villain, a demon from another dimension who unceasingly seeks to gain access to Castle Grayskull. There are others of his kind in his home dimension.
  • Snake Mountain: does not exist
  • Beast Man: Skeletor’s subservient henchman. He doesn’t appear to have much intelligence. In this story he has red fur and red armor.
  • Teela: Although in this story she is captured by Skeletor and Beast Man, she isn’t a helpless damsel in distress, but is instead a brave warrior goddess. She is often seen riding a unicorn.
  • Stratos: an evil warrior serving Skeletor.
  • Mer-Man: an evil warrior serving Skeletor.
  • Man-At-Arms: stoic and heroic. He and his people are masters of weapons and ancient technology.
  • Zodac: doesn’t exist
  • Power Sword: the main McGuffin of the story. Initially the two halves of the sword have nothing to do with entering into Castle Grayskull, but instead provide the owner with additional power. However at the end the Sorceress makes it so both swords are needed to enter the castle from that point onward.
  • Castle Grayskull: mysterious fortress with untold powers.
  • Battle Ram: mainly appears as the Sky Sled. It is mainly used by He-Man as a battering ram and space warp device. Stays low to the ground.
  • Battle Cat: doesn’t appear.
  • Cringer: there is no Cringer in this canon.
  • Eternia: a post-apocalyptic land that was once technologically advanced, now thrown into war and savagery.
  • Spirit of Grayskull: communicates with the heroes, even seems to help thwart Skeletor
  • Orko: doesn’t exist
  • King/Queen/Royal Palace: they don’t exist here

King of Castle Grayskull, Vengeance of Skeletor, Battle in the Clouds – 1982

  • He-Man: a jungle dweller who left his home to protect Castle Grayskull He has two identical harness that grants him great strength or a force field.
  • Prince Adam: doesn’t exist in this canon.
  • Sorceress: doesn’t technically exist (dropped from the story), although Teela sometimes plays this role under the name Teela
  • Skeletor: the main villain, a demon from another dimension hellbent on obtaining Castle Grayskull for himself.
  • Snake Mountain: does not exist
  • Beast Man: Skeletor’s beastial servant. He now has orange fur.
  • Teela: A tough warrior who also takes on the role of guardian of Castle Grayskull. She is often seen riding a unicorn. In one story she wears her snake armor. Her hair is sometimes blonde, sometimes red.
  • Stratos: a heroic warrior – he is flesh colored until Battle in the Clouds, where had his gray coloring for the first time. He lives in a mountain top realm.
  • Mer-Man: a cunning and powerful evil warrior, master of the seas and the creatures within it. He is vulnerable to heat. He is blue until Battle in the Clouds, where he appears with green skin.
  • Man-At-Arms: stoic and heroic. He and his people are masters of weapons and ancient technology.
  • Zodac: doesn’t exist
  • Power Sword: a mystical split sword – both halves are required to enter Castle Grayskull.
  • Castle Grayskull: mysterious fortress with untold powers.
  • Battle Ram: mainly appears as the Sky Sled. It used by He-Man as a flying vehicle.
  • Battle Cat: he lives in the jungle and appears when He-Man calls for him. He does not speak.
  • Cringer: there is no Cringer in this canon
  • Spirit of Grayskull: communicates with the heroes at the end of the story
  • Orko: doesn’t exist
  • King/Queen/Royal Palace: they don’t exist here.

DC Comics Series (full size retail comics), 1982

Note: the characters in this series speak a kind of watered down Early Modern English, similar to how Thor speaks in old Marvel comics. Many important changes were introduced by DC (written by Paul Kupperberg) that later influenced the animated series and stories going forth.

  • He-Man: Hero of Eternia. He is secretly Prince Adam, son of the King and Queen. It’s mentioned that prior to joining up with Battle Cat, he allied himself with a tribe of jungle warriors, as Prince Adam. They know of his secret identity in this story. This seems to be an attempt at retconning this canon with the earlier Don Glut/Alfredo Alcala stories. He-Man has his “power vest” which augments his strength and resilience.
  • Prince Adam: a womanizing prince who can turn into He-Man by entering the Cavern of Power. He has a wry sense of humor.
  • Sorceress: She looks like Teela with her snake armor on, but is a separate character. She uses Zoar the falcon to summon Prince Adam when He-Man is needed, but she does not turn into Zoar. She is called both the Sorceress and the Goddess. She guards both halves of the power sword until the true King of Eternia claims them.
  • Skeletor: the main villain, a demon obsessed with obtaining the power inside Castle Grayskull. It is said that he has caused massive destruction throughout the multiverse and conquered countless worlds.
  • Snake Mountain: does not exist
  • Beast Man: Skeletor’s beastial servant. He comes from a tribe of Beast Men who all have a similar look. He is subservient to Skeletor.
  • Teela: she has a temper in this series, and often trades sarcastic barbs with Prince Adam. She serves in the palace as captain of the guard. In one story only she wears a gold bikini top. She is the daughter of Man-At-Arms and fierce warrior. There is no indication that she was adopted. She has long blonde hair.
  • Stratos: He comes from Avion, home of the bird people. Stratos is their heroic leader and an ally of He-Man.
  • Mer-Man: a cunning evil warrior, who has his own underwater domain and loyal minions. He obeys Skeletor through threats of violence.
  • Man-At-Arms: a fixture in the palace, Man-At-Arms is Prince Adam’s mentor and He-Man’s ally in battle, the “imperial master at arms for the royal house of Eternia.” He is often hard on Prince Adam for being irresponsible. He doesn’t seem to know about Prince Adam’s secret identity. He says that he “deals in science” as opposed to magic. He is the father of Teela – there doesn’t seem to be any indication that she was adopted in this series.
  • Zodac: rider of a the space ways, a neutral cosmic enforcer who comes to keep the balance between good and evil. In one story he fights He-Man, but only to keep him from dying in a later battle, which would have upset the balance between good and evil.
  • Power Sword: a mystical split sword – both halves are required to enter Castle Grayskull. More than that, both halves grant the owner unlimited power.
  • Castle Grayskull: a mysterious seat of power, it can only be accessed by someone who has both halves of the Power Sword. However, in this series, a set of three magical talismans drop the heroes into the castle courtyard, with Zodac’s help.
  • Battle Ram: does not appear.
  • Battle Cat: in this series he talks, and is always thirsty for battle.
  • Cringer: Prince Adam’s pet cat Cringer is transformed into Battle Cat when Prince transforms into He-Man. He talks and seeks to avoid trouble.
  • Spirit of Grayskull: not specifically referred to, but when Skeletor tries to take the Talon Fighter from its perch on the castle, the castle resists, and eldrich green arms appear to try to hold on to the Talon Fighter.
  • Orko: doesn’t exist
  • King/Queen/Royal Palace: Prince Adam’s parents are the King and Queen, both white haired and not resembling the later Filmation versions. However the King still voices disapproval at Adam’s tardiness and unserious behavior, a hallmark of later animated stories. Queen Marlena is established to come from Earth, having landed on Eternia in a spacecraft. The Queen seems to suspect that He-Man is Prince Adam.

DC Comics Wave 2 Mini Comics – 1983

These stories are more straightforward compared to the full-size 1982 DC series. There are fewer plot and character details given. Two major details of this series are an absence of Prince Adam (despite his presence in 1982 DC comics) and the introduction of the one-off idea that Teela was the clone of the Sorceress/Goddess.

  • He-Man: Hero of Eternia. There is no mention of any Prince Adam secret identity. He does seem to hang out at the royal palace.
  • Prince Adam: there is no mention of Prince Adam, despite this coming from DC Comics, who featured Prince Adam in their 1982 comics.
  • Sorceress: She looks like Teela with her snake armor on, but is a separate character. She is called both the Sorceress and the Goddess. She seems to function as a kind of nature goddess. She is tasked with defending Castle Grayskull but doesn’t seem to live there and often warns He-Man of danger to the castle. She often uses Zoar as a messenger, but does not transform into Zoar. We learn that Teela is a clone of the Sorceress/Goddess.
  • Skeletor: the main villain, a demon obsessed with obtaining the power inside Castle Grayskull. He is described to live in a secret lair in caverns that honeycomb Eternia.
  • Snake Mountain: does not exist
  • Beast Man: Skeletor’s beastial servant.
  • Teela: She is the adopted daughter of Man-At-Arms and fierce warrior. She has long blonde hair. In this series she is the clone of the Sorceress/Goddess, something never brought up in the 1982 DC series.
  • Stratos: a flying heroic warrior
  • Mer-Man: a cunning evil warrior.
  • Man-At-Arms: a fixture in the palace, Man-At-Arms is the father of Teela – there doesn’t seem to be any indication that she was adopted in this series. He is the heroic master of weapons.
  • Zodac: he does not appear in this series
  • Power Sword: a mystical split sword – both halves are required to enter Castle Grayskull.
  • Castle Grayskull: a mysterious seat of power, it can only be accessed by someone who has both halves of the Power Sword.
  • Battle Ram: it appears as the complete vehicle. No warping ability is mentioned.
  • Battle Cat: He-Man’s loyal steed. He talks in this series but there is no mention of a Cringer alter ego.
  • Cringer: does not appear.
  • Spirit of Grayskull: does not appear.
  • Orko: doesn’t exist
  • King/Queen/Royal Palace: The king and queen are both white haired and not resembling the later Filmation versions. Although Prince Adam doesn’t show up in this series. He-Man is depicted at the same table with the king and queen, as well as Teela.

Golden Story Books series 1 – 1983

This first series of story books was published on September of 1983, the same month that the Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series debuted. These were very simple stories, with no Prince Adam and a small cast of characters.

  • He-Man: Hero of Eternia. There is no mention of any Prince Adam secret identity.
  • Prince Adam: is never referenced.
  • Sorceress: She is mentioned as someone who lives in Castle Grayskull and guards it, but she is not shown.
  • Skeletor: the main villain, the Lord of Destruction obsessed with obtaining the power inside Castle Grayskull.
  • Snake Mountain is mentioned as the lair of Skeletor. It is shown from the inside only, where it looks like a cave.
  • Beast Man: Skeletor’s beastial servant.
  • Teela: She is a fierce warrior, shown wearing her red snake armor.
  • Stratos: a flying heroic warrior, the “Prince of the Skies.”
  • Mer-Man: a cunning evil warrior and dreaded “Sea Lord.”
  • Man-At-Arms: a heroic warrior. We get almost no details about him in this early series.
  • Zodac: he is a “wizard” who appears once to help He-Man stope Skeletor from overturning the balance of good and evil.
  • Power Sword: a mystical split sword – both halves are required to enter Castle Grayskull.
  • Castle Grayskull: a mysterious seat of power, it can only be accessed by someone who has both halves of the Power Sword.
  • Battle Ram: it appears as the complete vehicle.
  • Battle Cat: He-Man’s loyal steed. He does not talk but seems to understand He-Man.
  • Cringer: does not appear.
  • Spirit of Grayskull: does not appear.
  • Orko: doesn’t exist
  • King/Queen/Royal Palace: There is no mention of any Royal Palace in this first series.

Filmation’s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983)

Filmation’s earliest scripts were started roughly in November 1982, and the Series Bible by Michael Halperin is dated Dec. 1st, 1982. The Series Bible mentions Eternia’s sister (darker) planet Infinita – though that is not brought up in the show itself. Later by Season 2 the Series Bible had addendums such as “there are no longer two planets”. Writer Robby London also worked on a Series Bible, accordingly acknowledging the DC Comics’ story with a clone Teela, but disregarding it.

  • He-Man: Hero of Eternia. His secret identity is Prince Adam, son of King Randor and Queen Marlena
  • Prince Adam: the son of King Randor and Queen Marlena. He exaggerates a lazy demeanor to hide the fact that he is also He-Man. He transforms into He-Man by raising his Power Sword and chanting: “By the power of Grayskull, I have the power!
  • Sorceress: She is the protector of Castle Grayskull, residing there. She dresses in a falcon costume, and can transform into Zoar the falcon to venture outside Grayskull (though the writers played fast and loose with this “rule”). She is secretly the mother of Teela.
  • Skeletor: the main villain, the Lord of Destruction obsessed with obtaining the power inside Castle Grayskull. He is an evil Demon from another dimension. He has been on Eternia for many years.
  • Snake Mountain: the lair of Skeletor, featuring a large stone snake wrapped around the mountain. Said to have been built by Skeletor with the knowledge he gained from the Golden Disks of Knowledge.
  • Beast Man: Skeletor’s beastial servant.
  • Teela: She is a fierce warrior. She does not wear her snake armor, and often uses a sword as a weapon. She is the daughter of the Sorceress (unbeknownst to her) and the adopted daughter of Man-At-Arms. She has red hair.
  • Stratos: leader of the bird people of Avion, and ally of He-Man.
  • Mer-Man: a cunning evil warrior and lord of the seas
  • Man-At-Arms: a fixture in the palace, Man-At-Arms is the adopted father of Teela. He is the heroic master of weapons and often creates new vehicles and devices for the Heroic Warriors. He knows Prince Adam’s secret. There has always been a Man-At-Arms in the long history of Eternia, one such Man-At-Arms saved the forest in which Skytree (the oldest living being) resides from the Witches of Fire.
  • Zodac: he is a neutral character who appears only rarely to keep the balance between good and evil. He is the last surviving member of the Council of the Wise.
  • Power Sword: the sword is whole, not split. Prince Adam uses the sword to transform into He-Man. It is He-Man’s primary weapon.
  • Castle Grayskull: a mysterious seat of power, it is guarded by the Sorceress.
  • Battle Ram: it appears as the complete vehicle and as the Sky Sled.
  • Battle Cat: He-Man’s loyal steed. He can talk and is eager to fight evil.
  • Cringer: Prince Adam’s cowardly cat, he is transformed into Battle Cat whenever he is needed. Found by a young Prince Adam and saved from a sabertooth tiger. He often complains to Prince Adam about having to be turned in to Battle Cat.
  • Spirit of Grayskull: appears as a red, floating head. He only appeared to He-Man once, when the Sorceress had disappeared and Teela was required to temporarily take her place.
  • Orko: heroic court magician, a child-like friend of the heroic warriors who came from Trolla. He saved a young Prince Adam and Cringer at the Tar Swamp (without him, there would be no He-Man as the Sorceress describes it). His magic is not very effective but he often helps the heroic warriors to save the day. He knows Prince Adam’s secret.
  • King/Queen/Royal Palace: King Randor and Queen Marlena are the rules of Eternia. Marlena was originally an astronaut from Earth who crash landed on Eternia. King Randor is often frustrated with Prince Adam’s behavior. The queen seems to know or suspect that Prince Adam is He-Man.

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5
Customs

He-Man Prototype replica by Snobro

Posted on by Adam McCombs

Written by Adam McCombs

I recently got a limited edition He-Man prototype replica from Aaron (aka Snobro), a customizer based in Germany. It’s a recreation of one of the non-articulated He-Man prototypes sculpted by Tony Guerrero in 1981. Since it relates to the history of Masters of the Universe, I thought it was only appropriate to review it on the Battle Ram Blog.

Tony Guerrero’s He-Man prototype

Tony Guerrero is known by He-Man fans for his fantastically detailed sculptures of the early Masters of the Universe figures. When I interviewed Mark Taylor many years ago, he talked about the process of working with Tony on He-Man:

Tony was a great artist and a really nice man and it was my honor to work with him. I also worked on another project, TMNT with a nice and super talented guy named Scott Hensey. Working with both of these sculptors allowed me to break custom by adding a step to the development process. On the He-Man line we did a looks-like beauty sculpt, non-articulated from my “B” sheet (design sketch) for testing and sales and until we got the first shots from China.  This was Tony’s idea and without this extra step, the confidence in this “weird” concept wouldn’t have happened. I repeated this process with the Turtles.

Mark Taylor

Wax Prototype

Tony sculpted a number of prototype versions of He-Man. One of the most famous is the early horned helmet version, which he sculpted first as an unarticulated “beauty sculpt” (as Mark called it) before it was molded and resin copies were created. At least one of the original wax sculptures still exists, in the collection of Luis Villagomez of The Power and the Honor Foundation. Below are some images of it from Luis and from Pete L. This version had shorter horns than the versions you’ll see a bit later in this article. You can see in the second image that it sustained some damage at one point in its life:

Image source: Pete L.
Image source: Luis Villagomez

This wax version also showed up in an old edition of Tomart’s Action Figure Digest:

Resin Prototypes

A number of resin copies were made. One of the most famous used to be owned by Roger Sweet. As I understand it, several people who worked on He-Man were given copies of this prototype at the time. It was originally unpainted, but Roger Painted his copy in his preferred color scheme:

You can see an original, unpainted copy of the prototype in pictures of the Battle Ram prototype:

Snobro’s custom is based on the unpainted version shown in the Battle Ram Polaroids.

Snobro He-Man Prototype replica

I was lucky enough to be one of about 40 people who got their hands on the replica prototype He-Man created by Snobro. His process was actually to reverse engineer Tony Guerrero’s original sculpture by starting with the Formo Legends of Dragonore Barbaro. Barbaro’s physique was based on the the original Tony Guerrero sculpture, although it had a different costume and head design.

Barbaro with armor
Barbaro without armor

Snobro resculpted the feet, lower legs, forearms, hands and head. The pelvis piece was made by making modifications to a vintage Masters of the Universe pelvis. You can see the final results below:

Here is the prototype replica compared to a vintage He-Man figure:

The replica came packaged on a collector friendly card, with Roger Sweet’s memo related to the development of He-Man on one side, and a black and white version of Mark Taylor’s He-Man B-Sheet on the other. The side with Mark’s B-sheet is signed by Rebecca Salari Taylor, Mark’s widow. The pre-production Masters of the Universe logo (probably a temporary placeholder logo created by Alfredo Alcala) is a nice touch.

Also included inside the packaging is a card designating the production number, with a photo of Rebecca on the reverse side. There is also another replica of the memo related to He-Man, and a picture of one of the unpainted prototypes sculpted by Tony Guerrero on the opposite side.

Finally, there are some of the photos Snobro used as reference for his project, as well as some quotes about Tony from Mark Taylor, Roger Sweet, Martin Arriola and Martin Arriola and The Power and the Honor Foundation. Throughout the project Aaron (Snobro) and I chatted about the history of this prototype, so it’s nice to be able to hold it in person now!

As I understand it, a few extras may be auctioned off later, so if you’re interested you’ll want to follow Snobro on Instagram to stay up to date!

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