Masks of Power (Filmation episode)


 * This article is about the animated episode. For the minicomic with a similar premise, see Masks of Power (minicomic)

Masks of Power is a first season episode of the animated television series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, produced in 1983. Written by Douglas Booth, directed by Marsh Lamore.

Synopsis
Adam, Man-At-Arms and Orko, while exploring, discover the long-lost City of the Ancients. Unknown to them, Skeletor is spying on them via a mecahnical bird. While he is still plotting, a young man and woman, Aran and Oona, arrive at Snake Mountain with the urge to serve Skeletor. Seeing an opportunity, he sends them to retrieve the Masks of Power, said to lie within the City of the Ancients.

Aran and Oona find the artifacts within the ruins; they place the masks on their faces, transforming them into Demos and Tyrella, two powerful magicians from Eternia's ancient past. He-Man battles Aroo, the enraged protector of the masks, whilst Demos and Tyrella head back to Snake Mountain.

He-Man, Man-At-Arms and Orko speak with the Sorceress, who tells them that Demos and Tyrella are after the Sword of the Ancients located deep under Snake Mountain. Demos and Tyrella defeat a startled Skeletor easily, and He-Man is forced to rescue the villain. Racing to beat the two ancient sorcerers, a tremendous battle takes place beneath the mountain. The Sword of the Ancients is retrieved by He-Man and joined with his own Sword of Power. With the Sword of the Ancients forever beyond their reach, Demos and Tyrella vanish, and Aran and Oona return, having learnt the cost of their evil employment.

Moral
Teela: "All of us make mistakes. And Oona and Aran made a big one. But when they realized what they had done, they didn't lie about it, they didn't try to cover it up. Instead they admitted it. As He-Man said, admitting you're wrong takes courage. But when you do, you've taken the first big step toward making up for it." Orko: "Of course, if you're like me, you never make a mistake." Teela: "Orko..." Orko: "I guess I'd better disappear. Oops! I think I made a mistake."

Heroic Warriors

 * Prince Adam
 * He-Man
 * Man-At-Arms
 * Orko
 * Sorceress
 * Teela (moral only)

Evil Warriors

 * Beast Man (mentioned)
 * Evil-Lyn (mentioned)
 * Skeletor

Villains

 * Aran
 * Demos
 * Tyrella
 * Oona

Creatures

 * Aroo

Artifacts

 * Sword of the Ancients

Technology

 * Robot Bird

Locations

 * Castle Grayskull
 * City of the Ancients
 * Snake Mountain

Vehicles

 * Wind Raider

Cast

 * John Erwin as He-Man/Prince Adam and Demos
 * Alan Oppenheimer as Skeletor and Man-At-Arms
 * Linda Gary as Teela, the Sorceress, Oona and Tyrella
 * Lou Scheimer (credited as Erik Gunden) as Orko, Aran and the Sword of the Ancients

Behind the Scenes

 * Script was approved on March 18, 1983 and final script revision was finished on March 21, 1983.
 * The character models for this story were finalized on May 2, 1983.
 * Elements from this story were adapted into a mini-comic written by Michael Halperin and illustrated by Alfredo Alcala that came with several Masters of the Universe action figures titled 'Masks of Power'. In this version, the human characters of Aran and Oona are replaced by two Orcs in the service of Skeletor and He-Man is accompanied by Fisto rather than Man-At-Arms.
 * Originally, act one was to end on a shot of Aroo looming over He-Man, but during script revisions this was requested to be changed as it could be considered as a 'life-death situation'.
 * The giant monster Aroo was described in the script as resembling Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god.

Continuity

 * The character model for Oona was recolored and reused as Karyn in "Wizard of Stone Mountain."
 * The design of the monster Aroo would be reused for that of Braylok in "The Return of Granamyr."
 * The animation of Orko recoiling was reused in The Problem with Power when he realizes Skeletor tricked He-Man.
 * The low-angle shot of the Sorceress on her throne at Castle Grayskull would be used again in The Rarest Gift of All.

Errors

 * Aran and Oona take the Maskts of Power and put them on, transforming into Demos and Tyrella. But later, when the Heroic Warriors face the giant Aroo, both masks are back on the wall behind him.

The He-Man and She-Ra Blog

 * A brief review #011 - "Masks of Power"
 * Memories #23 - Summer morning re-runs.
 * Happy Birthday He-Man #8 - Rarely seen Adam...