From their inception, starting with the mini-comics back in 1982, through their run on the classic Filmation cartoons, spiced up in the later 200X relaunch and now honed for the modern adult collector from the folks at Mattel themselves, the official biographies of the cast of characters from the Masters of the Universe toy line have been hotly debated, confusing from the start, thrilling to some, horribly revisionist to others but always an integral part of understanding fans' love for the denizens of Eternia.
With the latest releases of the Masters of the Universe Classic line from Mattycollector, the bios have never played a more important role in the mythos of the franchise.
Keeping heads and tails of it all can be a bit daunting, so we've gathered together the official bios here in the spirit of allowing collectors and enthusiasts the chance to quickly research the latest cannon as it stands today.
Enjoy, and good luck pronouncing some of the names.
He-Man
Real Name: Adam of the House Randor
A direct descendant of the legendary King Grayskull, Prince Adam of Eternia was chosen to protect his ancestor’s Power Sword from evil. At first, he used a techno vest with a built-in force field to fight evil, but Adam has since learned to combine both halves of the Power Sword, using it to channel the energy of the Elders to become He-Man – The Most Powerful Man in the Universe! He guards the safety of all Eternia alongside the heroic Masters of the Universe.
Skeletor
Real Name: Keldor
Mortally wounded in battle with his half-brother Captain Randor, Keldor turned to his dark-arts master Hordak to save his life. Merging Keldor with the extra-dimensional being Demo-Man from Despondos, Keldor was forever changed into Skeletor, Overlord of Evil! He gathered together the greatest outcasts and evil warriors of Eternia in his quest to gain entry into Castle Grayskull and obtain what he believes is the universe’s ultimate power source.
Beast Man
Real Name: Raqquill Rqazz
After being banished from his home in the Vine Jungle, the beast man named Raqquill Rqazz joined up with a young alchemist named Keldor during a skirmish in the Berserker Islands. Like others of his race, Rqazz has the ability to control beasts and monsters. He currently uses this particular talent as chief henchmen to Skeletor, the Overlord of Evil.
Stratos
Real Name: Stratos of the House of Avion
Lord of Avion, a civilization of winged simians who live high on the peaks of the Mystic Mountains, Stratos is a brave honorable warrior allied with King Randor. Although all Avions have the ability to fly using the magical Emerald Staff, many, including Stratos, have augmented their armor with rocket packs and jets to increase their speed and distance. As a member of the Masters of the Universe, Stratos fights bravely against the evil forces of Skeletor.
Faker
Real Name: N/A
Originally built by Man-At-Arms to cover for He-Man when Prince Adam is needed, Faker was abandoned in the royal junkyard after his first mission and salvaged by the evil warrior Tri-Klops. At the request of Skeletor, Faker was reprogrammed to replace He-Man and convince the people of Eternia that He-Man had betrayed King Randor and turned to evil.
Mer-Man
Real Name: Squidish Rex
Ruler of the undersea realms of Eternia, Mer-Man was forced to serve in the armies of Skeletor after his kingdom was destroyed in a battle with rival ocean clans. His allegiance with Skeletor brings him to the surface world more often then he would like. Cowardly on land, Mer-Man prefers to stay in the murky waters of the Sea of Rakash, awaiting the evil call of Skeletor.
Zodac
Real Name: Zodac Zur
Once a member of Eternia’s Council of Elders, Zodac chose to retain his human form and left Eternia after Grayskull’s demise. Finding peace among the stars, Zodac was recruited by the Overlords of Trolla to become a Cosmic Enforcer, beings tasked with maintaining neutrality throughout the universe. Although he no longer calls Eternia home, the constant struggle over the Power Sword has often called him back to his native planet to maintain the eternal balance between good and evil.
Hordak
Real Name: Hec-Tor Kur
Second born heir to the Horde Empire, Hec-Tor Kur arrived on the planet Eternia while battling the cosmic warrior He-Ro. Taking the name Hordak, he raised an army and challenged the Snake Men for rule over the planet. Although he defeated King Hssss, Grayskull, leader of the free people of Eternia succeeded in banishing him to the dimension of Despondos. It was here that centuries later Hordak contacted a young alchemist named Keldor and began teaching him the ways of the dark arts in exchange for freedom from his extra dimensional prison.
Man-At-Arms
Real Name: Duncan
For two centuries, the Eternian weapons master and combat instructor to the royal family has been called the “Man-At-Arms.” Trained by the renowned tactician Dekker and a veteran of the Great Unrest, Duncan was asked by King Randor to step into this position and fortify his guard with an elite strike force, which he named The Masters of the Universe. In addition to his skills in combat, Duncan™ is also a great inventor and helped construct an electronic version of the Power Sword for Adam to use until he could unite both halves of the sword of King Grayskull. Man-At-Arms and his adopted daughter Teela often scout the borders of Eternia for signs of lurking evil.
He-Ro
Real Name: Ro
Given the sword of He by the Overlords of the Timeless Dimension on Trolla, Ro was told to “go forth and combat evil.” During one such epic battle, he was infected by a techno-organic virus by Horde Supreme and sent through a vortex to the magic planet of Eternia. Once there, he was healed by Eldor in a mystical pool which absorbed his virus. In gratitude, He-Ro swore to help free Eternia from the Snake Men and Horde Invaders. He defended the free people alongside the great King Grayskull, eventually bequeathing his sword to the King upon his noble death.