He man and the masters o.., p.1
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, page 1
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for and may be obtained from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-1-4197-6602-2
eISBN 978-1-64700-904-5
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE™ and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned by, and used under license from, Mattel. ©2022 Mattel.
Edited by Howard W. Reeves
Book design by Deena Fleming and Brann Garvey
Published in 2022 by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS.
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TO MY INCOMPETENT MINIONS: IF YOU HADN’T RUINED EVERYTHING, I WOULDN’T HAVE FOUND THE TIME TO WRITE THIS BOOK.
—SKELETOR
ETERNIA
The planet Eternia has a rich and varied history filled with great warriors and kings, devious lords and tyrants, powerful magicians and sorceresses, and fascinating creatures and monsters of all types. Home to some of the most advanced technology in the universe, Eternia has seen the rise and fall of many civilizations and kingdoms, but none has lasted as long as the house of the great King Grayskull. His heirs presided over centuries of peace and prosperity, until a menacing force arose within the palace walls.
With the kingdom of Eternos in danger, a new champion stepped forth, one who was noble and pure of heart and purpose. A brave warrior who could wield the Sword of Power, call upon the Power of Grayskull, and transform into He-Man, the most—
What is this drivel? I thought this was my book. Enough He-Man, already. Let’s move on.
CAST OF
CHARACTERS
THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
HE-MAN: When sixteen-year-old Adam wields the Sword of Power and calls upon the Power of Grayskull, he transforms into the most powerful man in the universe. Adam didn’t like the idea of keeping the Power of Grayskull to himself, so he shared it with his best friends, turning them into Masters of the Universe.
Again, not really sure why we’re starting with my nephew. Isn’t this my story?
SORCERESS: The brave and resourceful teenage magician Teela, who first brought the Sword of Power to Adam, channels the Power of Grayskull to become the incomparable Sorceress. Flight, teleportation, and illusions are a few of her many and varied abilities.
She should have brought the sword to me! I’m still annoyed, even if I’ll take a staff over a sword any day.
BATTLE CAT: The wise old tiger Cringer found six-year-old Adam—the lost prince believed to be dead—abandoned in the jungle. For ten years, Cringer raised Adam as one of his own cubs in the Tiger Tribe. Although Adam found his real father eventually, his ties to Cringer are strong, and he wouldn’t want to be He-Man without the fearsome Battle Cat at his side.
No corrections. Honestly, though, I’m a little jealous of the cat. I want one.
MAN-AT-ARMS: Brilliant young inventor Duncan was once the trusted assistant of the villainous weapons master Kronis. Now he fights at He-Man’s side as the tech genius Man-at-Arms, using the Mace of Technology to generate force-field shields, launch drones, and fire missiles. Also known as the Power Mace, the tool comes in handy when smashing stuff, too. When Duncan uses his Master Strike, Speed Build, he can slow time to a near standstill and rapidly construct fantastic and complex weapons.
What a disappointment! He had potential. Then he started trying to do the right thing all the time. I blame Kronis. He has no idea how to groom a minion. On a side note, the kid bakes a great cake.
RAM MA’AM: Brash, exuberant, and arrogant, Krass grew up with Adam in the Tiger Tribe—and those roots mean everything to her. When Adam charges her helmet with Grayskull power, she becomes Ram Ma’am, Master of Demolition. Rocket-enhanced armored boots allow her to race at impossible speeds. Her trusty helmet morphs into the Helm of Demolition—radiant, crystal-inlaid armor with boosters at the back. And you do not want to get in her way.
Really, you don’t—colliding with her does sting. I admire her fiery temper. Delightful dark side, too. Sadly, though, she chooses to stifle that side of her personality. What a waste!
THE DARK MASTERS
SKELETOR: Jealous of his brother’s reign, the rebellious Prince Keldor set out to steal the Power of Grayskull and take control of Eternos himself. The castle sensed his evil character and transformed Keldor into Skeletor, the Dark Master of Havoc. Skeletor’s staff channels the primordial power of Havoc, enhancing his strength. An expert at crafting devilishly strategic schemes, Skeletor is the one force who could defeat He-Man’s effort to protect Eternia.
That’s it? How about: very funny, with a penchant for timely one-liners. Handsome, debonair, courageous, immensely powerful. Oh, and uniquely brilliant. Let’s not leave that out.
EVIL-LYN: The Dark Master of Witchcraft was once King Randor’s court magician, but she grew frustrated with his refusal to use his full power to rule—and soon swore her allegiance to Keldor, the king’s scheming brother. When Skeletor infuses her with Havoc, Evelyn turns into Evil-Lyn, gaining such complete control over the supernatural that she doesn’t even need to speak a spell. At this point in the story, however, Evelyn and Skeletor have had a little falling out, and the powerful magician is off pursuing a mission of her own.
It’s complicated. It’s always complicated between us.
TRAP JAW: Once the man-at-arms to King Randor, the weapons master Kronis now serves Skeletor as Trap Jaw, Dark Master of Weaponry. By swallowing existing technology and weapons in his spinning maw, he can quickly create new and more devastating devices.
A serviceable minion. Occasionally rebellious, but generally a good team member.
BEAST MAN: Now that he’s sworn his loyalty to Skeletor, the former poacher Rqazz has become the fearsome Beast Man, armed with a devastating whip known as the Lash of Beasts, heightened senses, nearly unmatched strength, and the ability to conjure dangerous spirit animals out of thin air. Also, he refers to himself in the third person, and wishes Skeletor would pet him more.
No. Absolutely not. Out of the question.
OTHER CHARACTERS
STRATOS: The ruler of Avion, one of the three main kingdoms on the planet, in addition to Eternos and the undersea world of Leviathae. Avion is a vast collection of technologically advanced floating cities in the clouds, and as its king, Stratos believes he should lead the Masters of the Universe, not He-Man. He’s a skilled flyer and capable warrior, but his vanity gets in his way. The only thing worse than messing with his people? Ruining one of his statues of himself.
He has statues of himself? I had no idea. #jealous
ELDRESS: The guardian of Castle Grayskull, known as Eldress to the Masters of the Universe. This incredibly powerful sorceress watched over the mystical fortress and its many secrets in the days before He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Her responsibilities to the kingdom of Eternos extended beyond the walls of Grayskull. The guardian of Grayskull also has the right to choose—
ENOUGH! This is infuriating. This is my book, and I only get a paragraph? Meanwhile all these minor little players are showered with attention. I’m bored. There are other characters in this tale, but let’s not give them too much attention here. We need to focus on me, Skeletor.
1.
I’m not evil. I’m misunderstood. Does it make you some kind of villain if you want everyone to do as you say all the time? No, I don’t think so. And it’s not like I’m selfish. At my last birthday party, I actually invited my subjects into the palace throne room. They desperately wanted to sing to me and shower me with gifts, and I graciously allowed them, even if the presents were underwhelming. Was Randor ever so welcoming? Doubt it.
Randor is my older brother. Short, stocky, bearded, loves robes with fur trim. You know him, I’m sure. Me? Well, I was born Prince Keldor of Eternos, the smartest and best-looking son of King Miro and Queen Mara, though I have gone through a few . . . changes since then. My eyes have adopted a menacing shade of red. My face has become bony, green, and beautiful, and my left hand, too. I’m at least a hundred times as strong as I used to be, with muscles that make the Masters of the Universe cower in fear, and I don’t even work out.
These days, Eternia knows me as Skeletor.
Did that line land well? I hope so. If not, I’d suggest reading the sentence again, pausing before pronouncing my name, then lowering your voice to a menacing, frightening growl. You can add a devilish laugh at the end, too, but that’s not essential. A terrifying, high-pitched cackle is a nice touch, though.
There. Did that work? Good. It’s important to get the delivery right. My name sends shivers down the spines of the greatest warriors in the universe, including that notorious muscle-head known as He-Man. Do they know of me on other planets? In other dimensions? Probably. And if not, they will soon.
I intend to rule the universe.
Although I’m not yet finished with my life’s work, I’ve already enjoyed many adventures on my path to cosmic magnificence. Enough to fill several books, really. You probably want to know about what I was like as a kid. Was I always this brilliant? Was I always funny? Did I play any sports? I’ll share a few details, a telling anecdote or two. Yet I’d be cheating you, reader, if I neglected to focus this story around the legendary Sigil of Hssss. Normally, I don’t mind cheating people. Especially children. I enjoy it, actually. But not as much as I like a good story.
This one begins with a quest.
2.
Eternos sits high atop a hill, as any decent city should, and it’s surrounded by lush farmlands to the south and the desolate Badlands to the north. Small villages are clustered below. Hundreds of homes are carved into the hillside. Above it all rises the center of town. Here you’ll find an enormous semicircle of workshops and residences, some of which seem to hover above the city, and a towering palace topped by a giant golden griffin that gazes out at the lands beyond. This is where I grew up.
The griffin, a winged lion, is the symbol of our royal family. My great-grandfather commissioned the structure, so I suppose I should be proud. Family history and all. But his choice never really made sense to me. If you’re going to pay some Eternian artists to craft a sculpture, why not have them make one of you? My beautiful, golden head atop the palace would be so much better. Oh, well. Maybe one day.
I moved back into the palace recently, after an extended hiatus. It’s nice. The throne is a little overdone, though, and ruling really does keep you busy. It’s time-consuming, distracting work, so I concoct my evil plans at night.
One evening at dusk, I was wandering the quiet halls, working through a difficult question. I’d already talked to my Dark Masters about the Sigil of Hssss. The ruler of the vanquished Snake Men, King Hssss, had crafted the sigil from three magical fragments to give himself the power to defeat the legendary King Grayskull and rule Eternia forever. Not a bad scheme, right? If you’re going to devise an evil plan, think big.
Naturally, I wanted the sigil myself, but I just couldn’t find any clues to its whereabouts. That evening I stopped before a painting in the map room. I’ve always enjoyed this spot. Pictures of Eternia’s three kingdoms are depicted on the marble floor. There’s the nation of Eternos, of course—the surface of the planet and my rightful kingdom. The underwater world of Leviathae stretches across and beneath the seas, and hovering above us are the aerial cloud cities of Avion. When I was younger, I liked to study these other worlds. As an older, wiser ruler, though, I preferred to jump from one to the other, stomping on them. Sometimes I’d simply stare at the three kingdoms and think: Mine. All mine.
But let’s get back to that painting. The canvas depicts King Grayskull in all his armored glory. He stands above several writhing Snake Men, holding the Sigil of Hssss and wielding that annoying Sword of Power. In Grayskull’s time, the three separate kingdoms were unified under his rule. Each agreed to the alliance as long as Grayskull was their king. Hssss, the notorious leader of the Snake Men, wanted to rule Eternia himself, so he forged the sigil to make himself invincible. But Grayskull had a trick of his own up his armored sleeve—one the Eternian history books won’t tell you about.
The painting depicts his great victory, when he vanquished Hssss and broke the sigil into several fragments. After Grayskull died, the alliance faltered. Eternia split into the three kingdoms, and a fragile peace reigned for a thousand years.
I kinda broke that streak.
Whoops.
Anyway, that evening at dusk, as I stared at the painting, I thought about the provenance of the artwork and the strange history of the individual who’d given it to my father. I’d never really wondered why our former tutor proffered the gift. When you rule a kingdom, people are always giving you free stuff. Then it occurred to me that our tutor, an individual whose secrets had secrets, may have harbored some ulterior motive or hidden scheme. What if he’d hidden a clue in the scene? Out of instinct, or genius, I decided to wave my staff across the canvas. Hidden green lines suddenly glowed, revealing a true castle. Visible only to someone who could channel the primordial power of Havoc, this was not some overdesigned tower adorned with a golden griffin. No, this was a terrifying and frighteningly beautiful lair.
Snake Mountain.
3.
The sun was setting over the city as I summoned Evil-Lyn. Trap Jaw was busy with another assignment, and my loyal henchman Beast Man was tracking a suspicious drone I’d caught listening to one of our conversations. So Evil-Lyn and I hurried into our rotons and rushed out of the palace immediately.
The sky was dark when we reached the Fright Zone—a desolate, rocky wasteland scattered with the bones of the fantastic monsters of Eternia’s past. Claw-like rocks stick up out of the ground, as if you might be grabbed and pulled below the surface at any moment. I love the place. Why no one vacations there, I’ll never understand.
The sky and clouds were tinted purple—my favorite color. The bright green glow from the vast, simmering lake of liquid Havoc was positively uplifting. I don’t mean to brag, but I did the landscaping work myself. Previously, the entire property was dry. The feel of the place was appropriately ominous, but it needed a little energy. Some pop, you know? Snake Mountain sits atop a once-dormant volcanic peak, but you won’t find standard magma churning in the chambers beneath the surface. Pure, liquid Havoc pools below the ground, and with my newfound powers, I forced this sleeping volcano to erupt. The former lair of the ruler of the Snake Men Empire is shaped, fittingly, like an enormous serpent. The stone body of the fearsome creature winds around a sort of castle carved into the volcanic peak. A menacing, fanged head stretches out, almost daring the distant kingdom of Eternos to attack. When I forced out the hidden Havoc, this enchanted slime flowed out through the gaping mouth of the serpent, filling the enormous toxic lake. Rivers of Havoc bend and swerve into the distance.
As Evil-Lyn and I approached, I savored the scene and breathed in deeply. Even the air felt diabolical. Yes, it was good to be back.
Our journey had given me a chance to concoct a villainous plan to take the sigil for myself. A frighteningly powerful hovercraft was under my control. I had a resourceful witch at my side. All in all, it was shaping up to be a wonderful evening.
Evil-Lyn and I were speeding up the main entrance to Snake Mountain when I spotted the Wind Raider, the technologically enhanced chariot of He-Man and his puny friends, parked on the ground in front of us. I’d been told the so-called Masters of the Universe had been decimated when my soldiers attacked Castle Grayskull. My minions had sworn the job was done. So why was their ship in my favorite parking spot?
“Evil-Lyn,” I said, “please tell me Kronis swiped the Wind Raider for us. If I find out that the Masters survived our onslaught . . .”
“I’m sorry, Lord Skeletor, but it appears they lived.”
Indeed, the little brats were standing in the mouth of the serpent, looking down at us. The nerve! My nephew Adam was there with that blasted sword at his back. The enormous tiger, Cringer, too. The girl with the ramstone in her helmet, Krass, was with them as well, and the boy genius, Duncan. A fifth figure, too. Not Teela, though, and not that master of chaos, the magical droid Ork-0. Had they picked up an extra Master? That would be totally unfair. And typical. Cheaters.
“They don’t look vanquished,” I noted to Evil-Lyn. “They look alive and well. And they’re standing in my throne room.”
