Prince Adam (DC Comics)

Prince Adam as he appears throughout DC storylines and mini-series.

Pre-Crisis
Originally in the Masters of the Universe franchise there was no concept of a Prince Adam. This is evident in the earliest, original four mini-comics and that of the second wave. However, in the series of comics published by DC the concept of Prince Adam made his debut. In the original run of DC Comics, Adam pretends to be a very happy go lucky young man, disinterested in the day to day troubles of the Kingdom of Eternia and usually acompanied by his pet, Cringer. He seems to be only interested in having fun, especially with young ladies. However, this is all a ruse so that people will not suspect him of having an heroic alter ego, He-Man.

Adam had already been given the powers of Grayskull before the start of the first DC adventures. In fact, he posessed quite impressive strength in his princely form, as made evident when he was seen training with Man-At-Arms. However, in this continuity Man-At-Arms did not know Adam's secret and would often become as impatient with the Prince as Teela. Adam also did not use a sword to transform into He-Man, but rather would enter the Cavern of Power, usually together with Cringer who would tranform into Battle Cat.

In private Adam would lament about the heavy burden of having to pretend to be uninterested in the well being of his planet. When He-Man first met the King and Queen face to face, he was afraid they might recognize him as their son, as only his clothes differentiated the two identies from each other. While the Queen did notice a resemblance between He-Man and Adam, the King did not, and lamented the fact that he did not have as strong and powerfull an heir as He-Man.

Trivia

 * An action figure representing Prince Adam as he appeared in Fate is the Killer & To Tempt the Gods! was released in released by Super7 in a Made-to-order 3-pack in 2017 together with figures based on the Minicomics versions of Stratos and Trap Jaw. Another version was avalable in an exclusive 2-pack with a He-Man figure at San Diego Comic Con 2019.

Appearances

 * From Eternia -- With Death!
 * Fate is the Killer
 * To Tempt the Gods!
 * The Key to Castle Grayskull (appears in flashback)

The problem with power
It was shown to Adam that if he would never stop being He-Man, he would grow to become a cruel, ruthless, hedonistic king who ruled Eternia with an iron fist. Due to his cruel nature and villainous nature, he drew the ire of his own sister, She-Ra who attempted to slay him to save the world. Unfortunately, it was revealed that her attempts to save the world would be mute, as Adam's reign would bring about the end of the universe as a whole.

Personality
Adam has a somewhat complicated personality. In his youth, Adam was prone to mood swings and defeatist behavior but always showed a level of kindness and bravery that made him an inspiration of others. He displayed a caring personality throughout his life, always trying to look out for his people, loved ones and allies. It was revealed however that if he stayed He-Man for to long, he would eventually lose his humanity, devolving into a hedonistic and ruthless king. However, this was only a premonition of what could've been, and instead, Adam grew into a righteous and beloved king as he grew.

Equipment

 * Power Sword

Abilities
As He-Man, Adam has superhuman strength. He's strong enough to wrestle with Superman as his equal and effortlessly defeat foes such as Solomon Grundy and Deathstroke. He-Man is so strong that with just one arm, he overpowered Bane.

Injustice

 * "To Eternia with Death"
 * "The Double Edged Sword"
 * "The City of Darkness"
 * "The Ultimate Battleground