#he-ro

Duncan is one of the few real names from early canon. I believe Filmation established it? I know him raising Teela wasn't established until the second run of minicomics.

I think the problem with a lot of the earlier bios is that the writers frequently have a very distinct preference for the MYP cartoon. Like as far as density of information is concerned, Rohad would have been pretty easy to slip in here. Lose an adjective. Feed a nerd.

And the whole electronic Power Sword thing is because there's this (officially discarded) MYP meta where Skeletor Won and they had to build a new Power Sword, quick, thus the overly mechanical look. No clue how that would have worked out, magic-wise.

Image from poeghostal

Bios are all transcribed and searchable here

So I finally bought the MOTU art book off Amazon because it was on sale. It’s a fascinating read,there’s stuff that I haven’t seen before in this book and one of those things that caught my eye was this Preternia battle drawing that isn’t explained or has an artist credited.

This may be the most violent piece of MOTU art work I’ve ever seen: a three headed Snake Man being decapitated, Rattlor bitting some guy in the chest and blood gushing out, Spittor bashing some guys head in, and another Snake Man sniping someone while on a Turbodactyl.

And to top it off theirs Giants in the background destroying a whole city with their feet.

Gee, coming up with things for this was not unlike coming up with adventures for the Sorcerer’s Quest--brain farts galore! But I managed to come up with some stuff. I’ve got references to official MOTU canons, but I’m mainly doing my own thing because Trolla is free real estate for the most part. 

Okay, here we go. 

IRL you’d want a parent to be a chaperone, but Orko’s a Certified Good Boy, Montork trusts him to help keep an eye on children. 

Starting off by defining the Mage Emblems, because I’ve been looking for an excuse to do so in-story. Heck, this whole thing is an excuse for more Trolla worldbuilding, haha. 

Trollans Discover Magic

Birth of the Star Tree

Star Tree Blesses the Oracle

Coronation of a New Overlord

Doing a bit of exploring and seeing some prominent figures in Trolla’s history that I had fun coming up with (or rebranding into something else, i.e. Blim from the She-Ra episode ‘The Greatest Magic’ now being practically Santa Claus). 

And I’m skipping Dr. Seagg’s presentation because most of the artifacts he talks about aren’t really relevant to this tale, I will say he mentions belongings of the Ringbearers, and at some point, the Horn of Evil comes up. 

“Oh, he drives his sister up a wall, but he hasn’t done any property damage.”

Anyway, let’s go back to exploring this museum:

Considering that Ringbearers are extremely rare and Destroying Angels pop up at least once a generation, somebody had to keep them busy so that less innocents are killed in a rampage. DAs are extremely difficult to kill, you either need a Ringbearer or a Storm Spell cast by the Overlords (which was mentioned in an earlier post where one of Orko’s neighbors recounts the last Destroying Angel rampage), and the latter takes a bit of time to charge.

All right, I’ve saved this next stretch for last:

Whew! This was a long one!

Anyway, I admit to being a little nervous touching on Eternia. With it being the main setting of MOTU, I’m trying to strike a balance between being faithful to certain key factors and tones and stuff, but also putting my own little spin on it. 

It is kind of funny to have this story set on Trolla and portray Eternia as the mysterious world the Trollans wonder about from time to time. In this AU, Trolla’s been cut off since the Ultimate Battleground, so they have no idea what current Eternia is like.  

Orko can ask the questions when he ends up on Eternia. 

Also, say ‘Hi’ to Adam! 

I know that’s not what He-Ro’s staff looks like... I couldn’t figure out how to draw it. TT_TT

CGI King Grayskull is a interesting character, perhaps the most interesting version (due to being both a hero and villain, and it making sense), and he has a number of inspirations both in MOTU sources and those outside it.

Out of versions of King Grayskull, the DC comics one seems to have the most influence (which has sense Rob David large part in making both), were several characters stated King Grayskull was not as noble as it seemed. The issue being though, the two people stating it were not really reliable sources - Hordak and King Hiss (impersonating/wearing the skin of Adi, him doing it to persuade Saryn and other Gar to kill Grayskull).

Still, this caused He-Ro to have given a way disproportionate punishment, seemingly committing genocide against the Gar, and declaring them legal pariahs and exiles, even striping them from the ability to name themselves.

Yes, the Gar were also lead to commit horrible acts when lead/corrupted by King Hiss (impersonating Adi), but that's not a rational reaction, or proportional punishment.

About He-Ro, CGI King Grayskull, in many ways resembles an older He-Ro - he is a dark haired man in golden armor, wielding both the Sword of Power and a magic staff (as Grayskull stated he used the Havoc Staff even before infusing it with Havoc, making me think it's meant to be a corrupted version of He-Ro's staff, even resembling it in it's uncorrupted/dormant and semi-dormant form), as well as being both a warrior and sorcerer.

Making me think he is a composite character of He-Ro and King Grayskull, very probably taking inspiration from the 200X comics which were to do the same (ie revealing King Grayskull is an older He-Ro).

And with 200x MOTU, King Grayskull's helmet is also based on the one Randor wore as a captain in the 2002 cartoon, and as a prince during war in MOTUC comics:

Outside of MOTU, King Grayskull also is quite similar to Odin in Norse/Germanic mythology, and Marvel comics (and their adaptations):

Odin also has darker aspects, both in Marvel - seen as for example in Thor: Ragnarok, that Odin was a genocidal war criminal far in past. Or in myths that Odin was willingly sacrifice much and many, to give gods and humans a chance to survive Ragnarok, and in general despite having empathetic traits in myths, was heavily pragmatic. Odin's darker aspects are even visible in some of his names - Ginnarr (Deciever), Yggr (Terrible One), Draugadróttinn (Lord of the Undead), as well as his role as a god of death and dead (which is often overlooked).

Curiously King Grayskull also resembles gbagok's partly Odin-based semi-fan character, the All-Father (leader of the Ancients and brother to Nordor/Horde Prime):

Semi, as he is based on the (seeming) leader Magic Kings from ancient Eternia, whose spirits now inhabit the Anti-World, and who were implied to be the Ancients. These characters are from the German He-Man/MOTU comics.

It also does seem his helmet did inspire Randor's in the 2002 cartoon.

[EDIT: As clarified by @toonjukka, while designs of Randor's and the leading Magic King, are unrelated - as German comics only became available online in 2004, years after the production of the 2002 series pilot "The Beginning"]

Another Golden Armored Demigod could inspire CGI King Grayskull - the Emperor of Mankind of Warhammer 40k:

Like the Emperor of Mankind, King Grayskull is a well-intentioned extremist, who hypocritical used the power of what he fought against (ie King Grayskull proto-Havoc of the Snake Men; the Emperor either made a deal with the Chaos Gods for more knowledge and/or power, in order to arm himself against them, and broke it, or stole their knowlege and power). The Emperor though was not overtaken by Chaos.

Both also ended up as skeletons guarded by their most loyal servants (and some thinking/hoping he would come back), and both are remembered as saintly, when in fact they weren't, and their message was misunderstood.

L-R: Eldor with the Book of Living Spells, Gray, Gray as He-Ro the Most Powerful Wizard in the Universe

Gray’s older sister (headcanon based on “raised by” in his bio) Sharella as tribal archer.

Sharella would also learn magic and eventually become the Chosen of Serpos, perhaps when King Hiss is banished. I’m thinking her cobra headdress/top would connect to a floor-length skirt to make a backless evening gown, rather than the official duplicate of Teela’s classic outfit.

Byron, the Wizard of Zoar (bearded man with orange hat and She-Ra-inspired shirt). Would probably change his species (Avionian?).

His daughter Veena was created first (2003) and has only been seen as an adult already married to King Grayskull:

She would be destined to become the first Sorceress of Castle Grayskull after he, He-Ro and 3 other wizards make the ultimate sacrifice to create it.

(Alternative: if we want a long time to pass between the era of He-Ro and the era of D’Vann and Veena Grayskull, change first Sorceress’ name and look.)

Wizard of Zalesia. Zalesia is said to be the first human country on Eternia. Its oldest relic, the Havoc Staff of Bash-Or, is passed from one holder to the next by merit (kingship will be instituted when the ruling Council of Wizards is gone). Male or female non-human student earned it?

Keclar, the craftsman. The wizard whose last act before sacrificing himself will be to craft the two magic swords the Guardian of Grayskull will guard. Depicted in the 80s UK comics as a white man with a long white beard, make him younger and something else (it’s been suggested elsewhere than Trollans forged the Power Sword).

Noah. He taught Hordak magic, so he’ll be an old-looking Eternian all the way back when Hordak helped build Central Tower. The two of them worked with a Cat folk architect, who came up with its look.

A young Hordak with a normal fleshy head like his SPOP incarnation, blue or gray to match a vintage skin tone, would be the sixth young hero with He-Ro, Sharella, Byron, the Wizard of Zalesia and Keclar.

Hordak’s mother would be a witch who mated with the immortal demon Seferus Kur. Maybe she’s Gar and Hordak had bat ears intermediate between MotU Classics’ Horde Prime’s wing ears and Gar elf ears?

(Two boneheads with light and darker blue skin.)