While fans of the new series anxiously await "Masters of the Universe: Revelation" Part
2, here's a quick rundown of what the ending of Part 1 means for the heroes and villains
of Eternia, and how it might lead into the events of the second part.
Sure, He-Man wears a hairy loincloth and Skeletor's a wizard with a skull for a head, but they're
two of the most iconic animated characters of the 1980s.
"Masters of the Universe: Revelation" treats them with a level of gravitas that dispels
all silliness while still staying true to who they are.
Most surprisingly, the series gets rid of them both by the end of the first episode.
Surprisingly, the pair are both vaporized when He-Man absorbs all the magic of Eternia
through the Sword of Power to keep it out of Skeletor's grasp.
It's a typical heroic sacrifice, but it's still a shock to see the series kill off its
most famous hero within the first episode.
However, He-Man's death paves the way for Teela to be thrust into the spotlight, as
she renounces her new "Man at Arms" status and goes off in exile as a mercenary.
But Teela eventually realizes that she has a purpose: Alongside Orko, Andra, and Evil-Lyn,
she journeys to reunite the two blades that make up the Sword of Power, and along the
way, she comes to understand that Eternia and all its realms are still worth fighting
for.
Although Teela has to grapple with the fact that those closest to her lied about Prince
Adam's muscly He-Man alter-ego, she doesn't let her bitterness get in the way of restoring
magic to Eternia.
Yes, she has difficulty working alongside the likes of Evil-Lyn and Beast-Man, but she
knows that it's all for the greater good.
As the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull reveals, Teela has to travel to the realms of Subternia
and Preternia to retrieve the two different blades that can be reforged into the Sword
of Power.
That's no small feat, since Subternia is a demonic realm home to a bizarre entity known
as Scare Glow, which can drain any person's life by forcing them to confront their worst
fears.
But let's get the most pressing question out of the way first: Is Scare Glow actually Skeletor?
He does have a similar skull-face, purple cape, and armor, after all.
Well, the demon has his own take on the situation, calling himself
"The shadow of a ruler.
Now ruler of shadows in this humble domain."
There's been some debate over whether Scare Glow is Skeletor's ghost from his eventual
death in the future, or if he's simply a being that Skeletor created.
That said, a toy from 2009 lists Scare Glow's real name as Karak Nul, and described him
as a former bounty hunter who was banished from another dimension.
Either way, Scare Glow is a formidable foe, and his presence forces Teela to confront
her bitterness about suppressing her own heroic status to live as a normal citizen after Prince
Adam's death.
Eventually, Teela overcomes the illusion and fights off Scare Glow by accepting her strengths,
her weaknesses, and her fear because they all make her who she is.
Giving any part of that up would be betraying herself.
Because good and evil are two sides of the same coin, the gate to Preternia, a heavenly
realm filled with the souls of fallen heroes, is carved into the walls of Subternia.
Teela, Evil-Lyn, Andra, Beast-Man, and Roboto cross over to the other side and arrive to
find none other than Prince Adam himself.
It's not exactly a happy reunion for Teela, because even though she just faced her own
inner demons in Subternia, she didn't expect to be faced with the cause of her trust issues.
Even when Prince Adam hands over the Preternian blade, it doesn't fix things for Teela.
She wasn't able to mourn the loss of Prince Adam because he was hiding a huge part of
his life from her, which she sees as a betrayal.
But now that Teela has both blades, she and Adam reforge it into the Sword of Power using
Roboto's Quark particle collider in his chest.
Although he already sacrificed himself to save Eternia at the beginning of the series,
Prince Adam gives up his place in the paradise to return home and restore magic to the universe,
knowing that he can never return to Preternia.
In a world like Eternia, a hero always needs a villain.
Otherwise, he's just a do-gooder with no real purpose -- nobody to save, and nobody to fight.
To balance the scales of Prince Adam's resurrection, Skeletor also makes a shocking return at the
end of "Masters of the Universe: Revelation" Part 1, impaling the hero with his ram-head
staff.
It's not the first time audiences have seen the villain get one up on Prince Adam/He-Man,
but this feels pretty dire -- especially since before this moment, it's explicitly pointed
out that if the titular hero dies again, he won't return back to the Preternian paradise.
But how did Skeletor make a comeback, anyway?
In typical villain fashion during episode 5 of "Masters of the Universe: Revelation,"
Skeletor waxes lyrical about sealing himself inside Evil-Lyn's staff
"When I was to be destroyed in the orb explosion, I was forced to seek refuge in your wand staff
to protect my essence."
And to add insult to injury, creator Kevin Smith and the series' writers give Skeletor
everything he's ever wanted: the Power of Grayskull.
Yes, that's right: It's taken just under 40 years, but the last episode of "Revelation"
Part 1 hands the keys over to Skeletor and beefs him up into a hulking version of himself.
It's a huge cliffhanger to leave on.
It'll be interesting to see how this huge power shift will affect the rest of Eternia
in Part 2, especially since reforging the sword was meant to bring magic back into the
world.
Will all types of sorcery and spells be warped now that Skeletor has the power?
Only time will tell.
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Looper videos about your favorite animated shows are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.