He-Man is a superhero and the main protagonist of the sword and planet Masters of the Universe franchise, which includes a toy line, several animated television series, comic books and a feature film. He-Man is characterized by his superhuman strength and in most variations, is the alter ego of Prince Adam. He-Man and his friends attempt to defend the secrets of Castle Grayskull, the planet Eternia, and the rest of the universe from the evil forces of his archenemy Skeletor.
Masters of the Universe is a sword and planet-themed media franchise created by Mattel. The main premise revolves around the conflict between He-Man and Skeletor on the planet Eternia, with a vast lineup of supporting characters in a hybrid setting of medieval sword and sorcery, and sci-fi technology. A follow-up series, She-Ra: Princess of Power revolves around He-Man's sister She-Ra and her rebellion against The Horde on the planet Etheria. Since its initial launch, the franchise has spawned a variety of products, including multiple lines of action figures, six animated television series, several comic series, video games, books and magazines, a daily newspaper comic strip, and two feature films.
Skeletor is a supervillain and the main antagonist of the Masters of the Universe franchise created by Mattel, serving as the archenemy and uncle of the protagonist He-Man. He is typically depicted as a blue-skinned humanoid who wears a purple hood over his bare-bone skull. Skeletor is determined to gain the powers of Castle Grayskull and rule the planet Eternia, and the entire universe; however, the incompetence of his henchmen is always an impediment to achieving his ambitions.
Oracle "Orko" is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe franchise. A sorcerer and the last of his species, Orko first appeared in the 1980s Filmation series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, also making feature appearances in episodes of the shows' direct spinoff series She-Ra: Princess of Power and then in the 2002 remake of the original series. In 2021, Orko returned for Masters of the Universe: Revelation which serves as a continuation of the original 1980s series. The character was named Gorpo in the early original series drafts, but he was renamed Orko. Orko was not part of the original toy collection on which the 1980s show is based, but when he was created by the show's writers as comic relief, a toy figure of him was then manufactured.
The New Adventures of He-Man is an animated series which ran in syndication in the fall of 1990 while Mattel released the toy line He-Man, an update of their Masters of the Universe line. The cartoon series was intended to be a continuation of Filmation's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series, but Filmation's parent Westinghouse Broadcasting had shut down the studio a year earlier before being retconned by Masters of the Universe: Revelation in 2021. Instead, while existing in the same continuity, a new central story was created for this series. It's also the first He-Man series to feature a Canadian voice cast.
Hordak is a fictional demonic character in the Masters of the Universe franchise who opposes She-Ra and He-Man, as well as the franchise's main villain, Skeletor, to whom he was once a mentor, and the cause of the latter's ambition and pursuits of evil. Hordak is the main antagonist of the She-Ra: Princess of Power animated series, in which he is the archenemy of She-Ra, He-Man's twin sister.
Castle Grayskull is a fortress located on the fictional planet Eternia. It forms a central location in the Masters of the Universe toy/comic/animation universe and also appears in the 1987 live action adaptation. The concept is credited to Donald F. Glut. The toy set was invented by Roger Sweet. Castle Grayskull was a "major feature of Mattel's line", and was "one of the most famous playsets of all time".
King Randor is a fictional character, a warrior king who appears in the popular 1980s Masters of the Universe franchise. In early material, the character is called King Miro; this was later given in the Filmation cartoon series as King Randor's long-lost father's name.
Beast Man is a supervillain in the toy line and cartoon series Masters of the Universe; the savage right-hand man of Skeletor, he can control many wild creatures and has brute strength.
Evil-Lyn is a supervillainess in the Masters of the Universe toy line and the accompanying cartoon series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, also known as Teela Na, is a fictional superhero from the Masters of the Universe franchise. Her first appearance was in "He-Man and the Power Sword" (1981).
King Hiss is a fictional supervillain, and the ruthless king of the Snake Men in Mattel toyline He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Although he never appeared in the original animated series by Filmation itself, Hiss made a belated animated debut in the 2002 revamped He-Man animated series Masters of the Universe vs. The Snakemen by Mike Young Productions, as the main villain of the second season. In both incarnations his default appearance is human but he is capable of shedding his skin revealing everything from his waist up to be a writhing mass of serpents. Hiss possesses a host of somewhat vague magical powers.
Masters of the Universe is a 1987 American superhero film directed by Gary Goddard, produced by Yoram Globus and by Menahem Golan and written by David Odell. The film stars Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, Jon Cypher, Chelsea Field, Billy Barty, Courteney Cox, Robert Duncan McNeill, and Meg Foster. It is based on the Mattel toy line of the same name and tells the story of two teenagers who meet He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe, and his friends, who arrive on Earth by chance from their home planet Eternia and go on a mission to save the universe from He-Man’s archenemy, the evil Skeletor.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an animated television series. Developed for television by Michael Halperin, who created the original series, it was animated by Mike Young Productions. It served as an update of the 1980s Filmation series, produced to coincide with Mattel's revival of the Masters of the Universe franchise eleven years after its previous attempt. The series ran on Cartoon Network's Toonami programming block between August 16, 2002, and January 10, 2004.
The Power Sword, also referred to as the Sword of Power or the Sword of Grayskull, is a fictional sword from Mattel's Masters of the Universe toy line. In the original mini-comics produced with the toyline in 1981, the Power Sword was a mystical object split into two parts, which Skeletor tries to obtain and put together in order to gain control over Castle Grayskull. In these early stories, He-Man uses an axe and a shield, rather than the magical sword.
The Masters of the Universe media franchise has appeared in several comic book series. Most were small publications, which were included as bonuses with action figures. Standalone comic-book series were also published by DC, Marvel Comics, London Edition Magazines and Image Comics.
The Fountain of Life is a 2012 fantasy-adventure fan film based on Mattel's Masters of the Universe franchise and Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper. The film was directed by John F. Carroll and Russell Minton during the winter and spring of 2012 around Austin, Texas and the Hesse, Germany.
The Trials of Darksmoke is a 2013 fantasy-adventure fan film based upon Mattel's Masters of the Universe franchise. It is the third and final film in a trilogy that includes The Wizard of Stone Mountain and The Fountain of Life. The film was directed by John F. Carroll during the Winter and Spring of 2012 around Austin, Texas and the Texas Hill Country.
He-Man/ThunderCats was a comic book crossover that was released between 2016 and 2017.
