Masters of the Universe The Power of He-Man Video Game

May 29, 2012 | Poe

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz5pax1GOU4&h=375&w=500]

While reading through the entire run of the 1980s Vigilante comic (don’t ask…), I came across the ad below on a back cover. Now, as I kid my family actually owned an Intellivision, so given my love of He-Man it’s unclear to me why we never owned this particular title. I’ll have to have a talk with the Parents Poe.

The video contains what appears to be an entire playthrough of the game. You repeatedly switch between shooting stuff in the Wind Raider and fighting walking fireballs thrown by Skeletor until you reach him and have a brief sword fight. He runs away and you hop back into the Wind Raider. Repeat ad nauseam and you have Masters of the Universe The Power of He-Man Video Game. (more…)

Poe’s Review > The Powers of Grayskull Part One: The Legend Begins

May 25, 2012 | Poe

"...and maybe my loincloth."

Story by Scott Neitlich
Written by Tim Seeley
Art by Wellinton Alves
Cover by Eric Powell
Colors by Michael Atiyeh
Letters by Nate Piekos of Blambot 

2012 is the thirtieth anniversary of the Masters of the Universe toy line, and it’s also the busiest year for MOTU media since the cancellation of the Millennium cartoon. We get not one, but two comic series – one a miniseries published by DC Comics due out this summer, and this, a three-issue “minicomic” miniseries. The minicomics are set in the Bio Universe, and the first issue was included with Thunder Punch He-Man. The second issue will be included with the infamous Snake Man-At-Arms, while the last will be included with a figure yet to be announced. (more…)

MOTUC Bio Discussion #59 > Star Sisters

May 24, 2012 | Poe

Inspired by He-Man.org’s Roast Gooble Dinner podcast, welcome to PGPoA’s latest MOTUC Bio Discussion!

Star Sistersâ„¢ Bios

Starlaâ„¢, Bright and Beautiful Leaderâ„¢
Real Name: Gemma,

Jewelstarâ„¢, Hidden Beautyâ„¢
Real Name: Devena

Tallstarâ„¢, Lovely Lookoutâ„¢
Real Name: Cassandra

In ancient times, an evil sorceress became jealous of the Star Sisters’ youth and beauty and trapped them in a shooting star. It was sent hurling through the cosmos until the three women crash-landed on Etheria. There, they remained magically confined in the side of a mountain until the day Swiftwind’s hooves accidently loosened the stone that concealed their prison. She-Ra quickly used her powers to melt away the star that held them captive. In gratitude, the sisters pledged their everlasting friendship. Jewelstarâ„¢ magically conjures gem armor to protect herself and others. Tallstarâ„¢ uses her magic to stretch to unbelievable lengths. Starlaâ„¢, with her pet Glorybird, can sense danger and project spells of light against her foes. Together, they stand side-by-side with She-Ra in the battle for freedom.

Not a whole lot to discuss here, is there? An origin story, a description of the characters and so on. I’m trying, but I just can’t find anything interesting to say about this bio.

These bio discussions have really lost a lot of their appeal, haven’t they? I think they work better in a live format, like the actual Roast Gooble podcasts. Then you usually get one person willing to play the devil’s advocate enough to make it interesting.

MOTUC Bio Discussion Archive

MOTUC Bio Discussion #58 > Battleground Evil-Lyn

May 22, 2012 | Poe

Inspired by He-Man.org’s Roast Gooble Dinner podcast, welcome to PGPoA’s latest MOTUC Bio Discussion!

Battleground Evil-Lyn Bio
Real Name: Evelyn Morgan Powersâ„¢

Cast aside by her secret husband after his transformation, Evil-Lyn sent their infant son into the future and plotted to overthrow Skeletor by releasing his enemies from their dimensional prisons. In a series of miscalculations, she helped free the Snake Menâ„¢, Hordak and Gygorâ„¢ — increasing her adversaries threefold! After Randor and Miro returned from Despondosâ„¢, the Three Towers rose and Evil-Lyn found herself again allied with Skeletor during the Second Ultimate Battleground. At the end, defeated and stripped of her powers by the new Sorceress of Grayskullâ„¢, Evil-Lyn used the Cosmic Keyâ„¢ and the Power of Central Tower to return to the future to find a new life with her long lost child — The Son of Skeletor!

Quite a bit of new information in this bio. First, we learn for certain that Evil-lyn actually married Skeletor at some point, albeit secretly, and they even had a kid. I’m a little unclear on how the events proceeded, but my guess is Evil-lyn got pregnant by Keldor, had the child secretly (probably after Keldor was transformed into Skeletor), sent it into the future (probably with the aid of her father, the Faceless One), then remained an Evil Warrior and began unleashing all of Skeletor’s enemies into the world, each of which backfires on her.

At the Second Ultimate Battleground newly-minted Sorceress Teela strips Evil-lyn of her powers, but she uses the Cosmic Key (doesn’t anyone ever keep an eye on that?) and goes to the future with “the Son of Skeletor.”

The “Son of Skeletor” plot thread may be a reference to “He-Ro, Son of He-Man,” a rejected 1996 cartoon pitch by Lou Scheimer Productions to bring back the He-Man franchise. The cartoon would have featured a teenager named Dare, a ward of King Adam, who could turn into the He-Man-like “He-Ro” using the Power Sword. If you skim through the pitch’s bible (via the link above), you’ll see there’s a lot of talk about the mystery of Dare’s parents. However, Mattel’s Scott Neitlich confirmed that Dare is not the son of Skeletor – which makes sense, since that would have been far too interesting a plot point for these bios.

MOTUC Bio Discussion Archive

Pics of MasterEnglish’s MOTUC Batman Custom

May 18, 2012 | Poe

I realized I never really gave you all some good pics of the custom MOTUC-style Dark Knight Returns Batman customizer MasterEnglish made for me.

As you can see, I also created a bio for him.

Poe’s Review > Thunder Punch He-Man (Masters of the Universe Classics, Mattel)

May 16, 2012 | Poe
How 'bout a nice Hawaiian punch?

Hurricane Hordak joins the nation's punched

Thunder Punch He-Man is yet another one of those He-Man guises that I never had as a kid; I never even knew anyone who had one. It was a gimmicky figure, given its use of caps to create a “super punch” sound, and action features like that never appealed to me as a kid. The figure also came along a little later in the line in 1985, by which time young Poe was obsessed with Transformers.

The vintage TP He-Man was a bit unusual because he featured some brand-new sculpting, specifically his chest and arms, as well as (if I recall correctly) a solid head rather than a rubbery hollow one. He also lacked the traditional He-Man uber-tan, for whatever reason. Mattel also sold replacement caps for the figure separately.

The Thunder Punch outfit made an appearance in the minicomic “The Treachery of Modulok.” At one point, Hordak has erected an impenetrable barrier of magical energy around himself. It’s a thorny problem, best solved by a counter-spell or a psychological ruse or– (more…)

Happy Stinkor Day!

May 15, 2012 | Poe

Image from He-Man.org

Link to the all-in-one page

It’s Stinkor Day! Whether you think the reversed forearms were a deliberate action by Mattel or an accident they tried to cover up…you’re getting one if you’re a subscriber.

It’s also Slush Head Day (congrats Mike Bock!), Mighty Spector Day, and Snake Mountain Stands Day. For you DC Universe Classics fans, it’s also Golden Age Flash Day.