Zone of Darkness

 is the 34th episode of The New Adventures of He-Man.

Mara and Master Sebrian crash-land in Freon on the planet Denebria where even the Evil Mutants fear to tread. He-Man, Tuskador and Sagitar go on a rescue mission and are met by the Freon Mutants, who say they are on their side.

Plot Summary
Master Sebrian and Mara are on their way back from a meeting with the Galactic Council in a double seating Astrosub when their ship is caught in a tractor beam and pulled towards Denebria. They manage to send a distress message to Primus which is received by both Werban and Adam of Grayskull, who transforms himself into He-Man and heads to the Starship Eternia. Sagitar and Tuskador are on guard duty and join He-Man in his rescue mission.

The Starship is unable to reach the Astrojet in time, and Master Sebrian realizes that they are headed for Freon, from which no one has ever returned. He tells He-Man not to follow him. But He-Man won't give up. The Astrojet crash lands in a jungle river. Skeletor and the Evil Mutants have witnessed the crash on their viewscreen and they also notice that unknown Freon lifeforms are already closing in on Sebrian and Mara. None of the Mutants want to go down there, but Skeletor forces Staghorn to do so.

He-Man and the Guardians meet a group of swamp mutants led by Corax, who claims that they were originally humans from Primus and says he will take them to their friends. Tuskador doesn't believe Corax's story and refuses to eat his food. He-Man asks Skeletor for advice, who tells him that things are not always what they seem. Then he and the Guardians see Corax talking to Flogg and the Mutants from a distance, and are more convinced that ever that they are being led into an ambush.

He-Man discovers Sebrian and Mara lying in suspended animation in large tubes connected to a strange machine that appears to be transforming them into the same kind of mutants as Corax and his people. From a distance, Flogg and friends are riding on Terrorclaws and Terrortreads and are pleased that Corax has led them to He-Man. Flogg contacts Skeletor, who decides to join them and exits the Mutant Mothership in his Doomcopter.

Sagitar and Tuskador want to release Sebrian and Mara from the machine, but Corax and several of his kin arrive and tell them not to. Corax explains that they are starting to look like mutants because that happens to all humans who spend time in Freon, and that the machine is treating their injuries and is the only thing keeping them alive. The device was created from parts of vehicles they took from the Evil Mutants. Furthermore, he says Flogg came to look for them, but he send him on a wild goose chase. He-Man trusts Corax and points out to the Guardians that all of their eyes have begun to change color, the first sign of them transforming into mutants like Corax as well.

The Evil Mutants attack Corax' camp with their vehicles. He-Man faces Skeletor and slices the jaw off of his Doomcopter. Tuskador fights Quakke hand to hand but gets help from Sagitar. Corax' people chase off Flogg in his Terrortread using laser weapons and He-Man further destroys the Doomcoputer by throwing a large baulder at it. Skeletor uses his Skull Staff to land safely in a cart. The remains of the Doomcoputer crashes into Flogg and Slush Head, who climb into Skeletor's new vehicle, with Staghorn and Quakke following on foot.

The Guardians, Sebrian, Mara and all of Corax' people return to Primus in the Starship Eternia. Corax wonders if they will be accepted by their old friends and family. The power of the three Priman sun's light returns the Guardians, Mara and Sebrian back to normal, though it will take much longer for Corax and his peole to regain their human forms. Despite of their looks, they are welcomed by the people of Primus with cheers and applause.

Moral
Sebrian, Mara and Gleep find hiding places when they fear an earthquake has hit the Oasis. It turns that Quakke is creating the tremors with his giant mace as a test. He-Man explains what to do in case of a real earthquake and lifts Quakke above his head, as his job is done.

Galactic Guardians

 * Adam of Grayskull / He-Man
 * Sagitar
 * Tuskador

Allies

 * Galactic Council (mentioned)
 * Mara
 * Master Sebrian
 * The Sorceress
 * Werban

Evil Mutants

 * Flogg
 * Quakke
 * Slush Head (non speaking role)
 * Staghorn

Evil Warriors

 * Skeletor

Others

 * Corax (first and only Jetlag appearance)
 * Freon Mutants (first and only Jetlag appearance)

Technology

 * Gleep (moral only)

Locations

 * Denebria
 * Freon
 * Primus
 * Oasis (moral only)
 * Master Sebrian's Home (moral only)
 * Onnor
 * Vasionic Resonator
 * Nordor

Vehicles

 * Astrosub
 * Doomcopter
 * Mutant Mothership
 * Starship Eternia
 * Terrorclaw
 * Terrortread

Cast

 * Don Brown as Quakke and Werban
 * Garry Chalk as He-Man
 * Ted Cole as Staghorn
 * Anthony Holland as Master Sebrian
 * Campbell Lane as Skeletor and Sagitar
 * Scott McNeil as Various
 * Doug Parker as Adam of Grayskull
 * Alvin Sanders as Flogg and Tuskador
 * Venus Terzo as Mara and The Sorceress