Here at Marvelous Videos, we frequently return to the animated series that dominated television in the 1980s. People who grew up with cartoons will no doubt recall the legendary conflict between He-Man and Skeletor in the Masters of Universe series. The media franchise Masters of the Universe, which has a planet and sword theme, was created by Mattel.
In a world that combines sci-fi technology and medieval sword and sorcery, the main plot revolves around the battle between Prince Adam’s alter ego He-Man and the wicked Skeletor on the planet Eternia. But keep watching because this video is all about a brand-new Skeletor!
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – What is the story?
Numerous action-figure lines, animated television shows, comic books, computer games, novels, magazines, a daily newspaper comic strip, and two feature films — one animated and one live-action — have all been released since the franchise’s beginning.
Masters of the Universe has, for the majority of its run and in most of its iterations, centred on the story of its two main protagonists, the muscular and blond He-Man, “the most powerful man in the Universe,” and his villain Skeletor, a vile sorcerer with a skull face and blue skin, as well as numerous morally contentious interactions on the planet Eternia. In order to prevent Skeletor from taking Eternia and discovering the magical and powerful secrets of Fortress Grayskull, a bizarre old castle with a skull-shaped facade, He-Man battles Skeletor. The struggle takes place in a hybrid world of technical sci-fi and sword and sorcery.
Even if Skeletor is undoubtedly Skeletor, He-Man would not be He-Man if Skeletor did not exist, despite the fact that He-character Man’s is undoubtedly the most significant and iconic. While there are undoubtedly other antagonists and enemies that want to ruin Eternia and overthrow Prince Adam, Skeletor is undoubtedly the main planner and the only one who can even come close to matching He-Man. He typically appears as a humanoid with blue skin and a purple hood hiding his skeletal skull. Skeletor is dedicated to attaining the abilities of Castle Grayskull and elevating himself to the position of supreme ruler of the universe, but the foolishness of his subordinates frequently derails his schemes.
Masters of the Universe: Revelation – a new Netflix series!
Recently, Masters of the Universe has made a comeback to the small screen via a show titled Masters of the Universe: Revelation, that is now available on Netflix and fans will definitely find this one interesting. Why, you ask? Well, it is a direct sequel to how the original series ended in 1985, and most excitingly, it reimagines Skeletor, making him the coolest and baddest that he has ever been!
Before we move on to Skeletor, it is important to know the backdrop of the show and how it all began. The American animated superhero fantasy television series called Masters of the Universe: Revelation was created by Kevin Smith and Powerhouse Animation Studios. The story of Revelation examines unfinished stories from the original 1980s series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Filmation, which ran from 1983 to 1985. It ignores the events of The New Adventures of He-Man (1990). The first five episodes of the series were released on Netflix on July 23, 2021, followed by another five episodes on November 23, 2021.
He-Man’s appearance in the Masters of the Universe: Revelation film appears to be less spectacular than it actually is. It’s a straight sequel, not a reboot, and it picks up immediately after the original cartoon’s 1985 conclusion. The cast of characters is the same, but some of them are fairly ridiculous, including a wimpy battle cat and an extraterrestrial sorcerer who struggles with self-esteem. Skeletor continues to be a huge knobhead. However, the show manages to evolve into something that nearly feels brand-new because of a risky choice made early on – here is where good old Skeletor comes in.
The New Skeletor
Masters of the Universe: Revelation doesn’t spare any time in setting up the events, because it is a straight sequel. Skeletor is seen hatching a scheme to destroy Castle Grayskull in order to disclose its actual potential, so that he can wield all of the power. Unfortunately, his onslaught could also have the unintended consequence of wiping out all of existence in addition to the planet Eternia. This is how it all played out.
Skeletor had ultimately realised that Castle Grayskull was nothing more than an illusionary structure, whose only function was to protect the Orb of Power, and he wanted it for himself. The Lord of Destruction decided to make use of deception to enter the castle. He pretended to have been captured by He-Man, who was actually the robot Faker in disguise, along with Evil-Lyn, who was dressed as Clawful.
He also used the Shaping Staff to transform himself into one of his henchmen, Spikor. This trickery succeeded in fooling the Sorceress long enough for the Evil Warriors to invade Grayskull. Skeletor then gave the command for the rest of his forces to launch an all-out attack on the castle in order to confront the Heroic Warriors and Royal Guards who were obligated to defend Grayskull. Skeletor quickly gained entry to Grayskull’s interior and vanquished Moss Man, a formidable Nature God.
He then tricked He-Man into impaling him with his powerful sword so that it would also pierce the Orb of Power and unlock it like a key. Skeletor then smashed the sphere with his own Havoc Staff, breaking it open and unleashing the magic force that had forged Eternia and the entire cosmos.
The Sorceress was able to temporarily stop time so that she could speak with He-Man and Teela, because she knew that piercing the orb and releasing all the magic would mark the destruction of all existence. He-Man used his Sword of Power, which broke in two, to try and absorb the Orb’s magical powers. As a result, Battle Cat, his regal steed, changed back into Cringer and He-Man became Prince Adam once more.
Adam and Skeletor were both destroyed in the explosion brought on by the magical hit, as they attempted to take the two sword pieces for themselves. The top of Skeletor’s Havoc Staff was the only object left behind from the incident that removed the two most iconic characters from the show in the very first episode of the two-part series. Although they are obviously mentioned here and there and their larger presence is felt, they are thought to be dead otherwise, for all uses and purposes.
In this first episode, Skeletor is shown in his iconic form, wielding his havoc staff. Some fans seem to think that he was too well prepared and his henchmen carried out his plan to perfection, unlike their depiction in the older series. Thus, all in all, we see a pretty typical Skeletor, who this time around was definitely more determined to destroy Prince Adam and rule over the universe than he had ever been before. He fought tooth and nail, even defeating Moss Man in the process, which shocked He-Man.
However, if you thought Skeletor was really dead after the first episode, then well, the joke is on you. He had an elaborate plan which he carried out to perfection, that led him to become the new version of himself – Skelegod!
As it turns out, the blast which killed He-Man, did not kill Skeletor. In fact, a very small portion of Skeletor’s essence weathered the explosion and, unbeknownst to Evil-Lyn, found sanctuary in her wand staff. However, this is something we don’t find out until much later. In the meanwhile, we watch as all the side characters get story arcs of their own and Snake Mountain, once Skeletor’s lair, gets taken over by a weird machine cult that worships an entity called the Motherboard.
Thus, with the same cast of characters and setting, this premise allows the show to mostly shed its Saturday morning cartoon feel. The sci-fi and swords & sorcery blend in Eternia continue to be intriguing, as though Frank Frazetta and Ralph McQuarrie got together for a jam session. Sword-wielding warriors ride mechanised horses and armoured cats into combat alongside killer robots and beast men.
This time, there is a slightly more Mad-Max feel to the situation, as villagers battle for the remaining bits of magic, while being terrorised by the techno-cult. Teela has a new profession as a mercenary, Man-at-Arms has changed into a hermit in the Obi-Wan tradition, and Evil-Lyn is left lost without a ruler to back her up.
However, with magic running out and Eternia on the brink of apocalypse, Teela sets off on a mission to find the Sword of Power’s two pieces and combine them into one. Among the warriors who accompanied her were Evil-Lyn, who was guarding her with her wand, and Beast Man.
They saw Adam again in Preternia, the Eternian afterlife, who had forgone his eternal reward and with him, they returned to the world of the living so that he could summon the power of Grayskull and bring magic back to the cosmos. He-man’s return filled everyone with joy and relief as he summoned the power and almost restored the inner chamber of Castle Grayskull. However, all of that happiness was not meant to last for long.
Skeletor was ultimately able to rebuild himself when magic reappeared – the skull from his havoc staff levitated and hovered in the air as he slowly restored himself from the little fragment of his soul that had previously managed to survive. All the others present there including Evil-Lyn, the guardian sorceress, and Teela watched in horror as the villain they had believed to be long dead, materialised in front of their eyes.
Before anyone could react to him, he stabbed Adam in the back, preventing his transformation into He-Man by gravely injuring him – you know it’s bad when Prince Adam bleeds from the mouth and falls to the ground. Following his use of the Sword of Power, Skeletor invited Beast Man and Evil-Lyn to stand by his side while he usurped Grayskull’s power, becoming the one and only, Skelegod!
Beast Man and Evil-Lyn go back to serving their evil master as he invokes the power of Grayskull, and, with a bright blast of purple light and magic, he becomes master of the universe. This brings the first part to an end – a grim ending indeed.
The Most Epic Form of Skeletor – Skelegod!
We see the craziest thing happen in this series, and that is a sort of Pokemon-esque level up of Skeletor, as he transforms into his largest and most evil form yet – Skelegod. Therefore, in essence, Skeletor finally accomplishes his long-standing goal and becomes Master of the Universe in the first instalment of Kevin Smith’s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe sequel series, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, after obtaining the re-forged Power Sword and summoning the Power of Grayskull. With the exception of He-Man, Skeletor has always been a force to be reckoned with.
He possesses enough inherent magical power to defeat nearly all of the Masters of the Universe. The conclusion of Masters of the Universe: Revelation season 1 further emphasised the idea of his unbridled strength by showing that he was even capable of entering Evil-Lyn’s sphere to avoid death at a crucial juncture. But Skeletor now owned all of Grayskull’s magic in addition to his own skills. He became the universe’s most potent being, in all actuality. The upcoming Part 2 changed Skeletor’s name to Skelegod to reflect this.
He thus transformed into a massive character who proclaimed himself the Master of the Universe. It is in Part 2 that we see Skelegod carry out his evil plans, finally having usurped the magical power of Grayskull. This Skelegod now has massive devil horns, a hulking figure and a green flame burning in the place of his neck. He gathers up all those who could ever oppose him – Prince Adam, Teela and their allies. The first thing he does as Skelegod is he tries to the Sorceress of Grayskull while giving a bizarre evil lecture about power, gloating about he wielded it all.
However, Prince Adam strikes back with the help of his tiger, Cringer. A major fight ensues as the Man-at-Arms, Teela and Adam try to take on the new and improved Skeletor. However, they are unable to stop him and escape castle Grayskull, getting stuck between a locked door and the evil villains. Seeing the dismal situation of the defenders of Eternia and Caste Grayskull, the sorceress decides to fight Skelegod herself. But he proves to be far more powerful than she had ever imagined. Her magic is no match for him and while he manages to teleport He-Man and Teela away, she herself falls victim to Skelegod, who impales her on his sword.
He then names Evil-Lyn as her replacement as the sorceress of Grayskull, the mistress of magic. However, he also reveals to her how he had practically latched onto her at the very last moments of his life in an attempt to survive, feeding off her and covertly directing her to come back to castle Grayskull. She realises that she had been used, but could not really complain since Skelegod shared some of his power with her, making her the sorceress of Grayskull. However, she realises that being the mistress of magic meant that she would be bound to the castle, developing resentment for her master.
He proceeds to reveal his gigantic form to all of Eternia, appearing as a large green projection in the purple sky. He uses his powers to conjure up an army of the dead, turning regular people into demons. Further, the moment he spots Prince Adam and his allies, he begins pursuing them, using his corrosive mist tendrils and then overtakes the souls of the deceased Fisto and Clamp Champ in a hideous display of his newfound strength and uses them to attack Teela and Prince Adam. He is the embodiment of evil in the second part as he unleashes havoc and chaos.
One specific scene comes to mind where Skeletor’s hulking new form, which symbolises the fact that he has absorbed all magical power in the cosmos, is seen hovering over Castle Grayskull, with his signature emerald coloured ethereal energy surrounding him.
He continues to pursue Prince Adam as he proclaims that he not only had command over life and death, but he also had control over afterlife as well – showcasing the full extent of his newly acquired power.
In addition to this major reveal, Mattel has made available the Skelegod Action Figure from the Masters of the Universe Masterverse Revelation, which features the antagonist in his upgraded form and formally establishes “Skelegod” as his new name going forward. The Power Sword is one of the several accessories that come with the figurine. So, for all of you who like collector’s items, this one might be worth checking out!
The Fall of Skelegod
While he did become imbued with immense power, he underestimates He-Man and his allies. After He-Man was teleported to safety by the sorceress, Teela discovered the magic that had been within her this entire time and used it to heal Prince Adam, closing his wounds and resuscitating him. They go on the run, but Skelegod spots them and hunts them down to the royal castle where he goads Prince Adam into a battle, but well, he calls upon his own doom.
Laughing at the frivolity of Skelegod’s words, Prince Adam reveals that he never needed the Power Sword to wield the power of Grayskull at all – the sword was just a conduit. The spark resided in him and he transformed into a large raving beast known as the Savage He-Man to destroy Skelegod. He is more than a match for Skelegod and the villain’s horrific rule comes to a swift end. In fact, people who Skeletor had thought would always remain by his side, such as Evil-Lyn, also left him to join forces with his sword enemy, He-Man.
The episode plays out in an epic manner – Prince Adam extends his empty hand towards the sky and calls forth the power of Grayskull. Thunder and lightning follow his invocation of power and in the blink of an eye, he is transformed into Savage He-Man, an enhanced version of He-Man. Seeing his transformation, Skelegod is shocked and Savage He-Man almost effortlessly pushes him, throwing him out of the castle walls. He is then attacked by the horde of demonic soldiers but kills them all with ease.
Finally, Skelegod and Savage He-man face off against each other in a one-on-one battle with Skelegod using his magical powers to try and defeat the hero. Savage He-Man on the other hand uses only brute strength to overpower him and take him down. No amounts of portals or magical blasts were enough to stop this new version of He-Man – if Skeletor had gotten an upgrade, then so had he. Skelegod summoned up demons from Subternia, and surrounded the city of Eternia. However, Leena was able to call upon her magical powers and transport all of them to safety, seeing that it would be impossible to take on all of them at once.
An infuriated Skelegod comes back and blames Evil-Lyn for his mistakes, searching for answers as to how Prince Adam could wield the power of Grayskull. He makes enemies of the only people who were ever loyal to him. The age old saying goes, don’t bite the hand that feeds you and Skelegod would suffer the consequences of doing so.
Due to his terrible treatment of Evil-Lyn, she turns against him, finally shaking off the love and devotion she felt towards the villain. She convinces Skelegod to power down into his original Skeletor form, seducing him into doing so and stealing the Power Sword in the process. She invokes the Power of Grayskull using the sword and transforms into God-Lyn, an awesome new form, designed brilliantly to showcase her best features. She reveals herself to the people of Eternia, and chaos ensues as she believes that the world must return to the chaos it was born from.
Skeletor shows up and offers to help Prince Adam. But as usual, he is of no real help and only looks out for himself. Although he does try to help Adam in his effort to defeat God-Lyn. Chaos ensues as God-Lyn destroys Preternia and unleashes hell on Eternia. She also tries to kill Prince Adam, but Orko, the little quirky mage who had died in the first episode, comes back from the dead to protect him.
Orko tries to reason with God-Lyn, but to no avail. She attacks him and they engage in battle and during this, the Power Sword flies out of her hands and lands square in the hand of Prince Adam, who invokes the power of Grayskull, transforming into good old He-Man. Further, Teela decides to take matters into her own hands and convinces God-Lyn to join forces with her and He-Man before she destroys Eternia.
Skeletor regains his Skelegod form during the battle and attacks He-man, who defeats him once and for all, like he was nothing more than a child.
In the end, Skeletor came face to face with all the series was really about during the decisive confrontation with He-Man. It’s not about us, He-Man said, ushering in a new age for Eternia. Things won’t always remain the same, and people won’t always remain in their current positions. Evil-Lyn decided to give up her magic. Teela evolved into a different kind of sorceress after becoming one. The new Man-At-Arms is Andra.
Skeletor finds himself on a strange new planet, so he turns to the only people he thinks he can trust, and those happen to be his previous generals. Skeletor needs his sidekicks, even if they had betrayed him and were attempting to collect all the magical objects in Eternia. He infiltrates the Motherboard cult and, enraged that Trap Jaw and Triclops refused to assist him in defeating He-Man, tries to overthrow their authority. Skeletor strikes the Motherboard statue in an effort to blow it to pieces after they refuse to submit to him.
This series does a brilliant job of juxtaposing good against evil, chaos versus order. But, what it does best is show us a Skeletor who finally fulfils his goal, but is too selfish and power-hungry to ever see his downfall coming. He is portrayed in a way that will make fans reminisce about the good old days of Masters of the Universe shows, and everything about this bad guy is done so extremely well.
Right from Mark Hamill’s genius voice acting, which really brings the character to life, to the animation which perfectly embodies Skeletor. This series is now available for streaming on Netflix and for those who want more, we have good news! In June 2022, Netflix announced a follow-up series named Masters of the Universe: Revolution. So, we could potentially see Skeletor making a comeback!
What do you think about Skeletor’s new form? Let us know in the comments section below!