He-Man (Filmation)

He-Man is the alter ego of Prince Adam and also the twin brother of She-Ra. He-Man and his friends defend Eternia and the secrets of Castle Grayskull from the evil forces of Skeletor.

History
By the time the Filmation series was being developed, He-Man's origins had been revised as follows: his true identity is Prince Adam of Eternia, son of King Randor and Queen Marlena who live in the palace of Eternos along with Adam and the rest of their inner circle. The Queen, originally Captain Marlena Glenn, was a lost astronaut from the planet Earth. The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull endows Prince Adam with the power to transform into He-Man, which Adam does by holding aloft his Power Sword and proclaiming: "By the power of Grayskull..."

Prince Adam's pet is a faint-hearted green tiger named Cringer. Whenever Adam becomes He-Man, he similarly transforms Cringer (in the latter's presence) into a lion-hearted armored green tiger named Battle Cat. Battle Cat serves as He-Man's "steed" and fierce fighting companion; like He-Man, he was created prior to his alter ego.

Adam is sociable with the ravishing and strong-willed Teela, the adoptive daughter of his mentor, Man-At-Arms/Duncan. Adam and Teela grew up together and now, as Captain of the Eternian Royal Guard, Teela is entrusted to defend the prince. She often sees Adam as work-shy and faint-hearted because she is unaware of his alternate identity as He-Man. Teela is revealed to be the only daughter of the Sorceress and the future inheritor of Grayskull; the Sorceress chose adoption for Teela after her father passed away, when she was just an infant.

Duncan, also known as Man-At-Arms, is He-Man's closest companion and the Eternian royal family's innovator of technology and weapons. In many episodes, Man-At-Arms unveils new and fantastic weapons or devices that assist He-Man and his allies.

Castle Grayskull is the source of He-Man's powers. Inside the Castle lives the Sorceress, who grants Prince Adam his transformative abilities, and communicates telepathically with He-Man. The episode Evil-Lyn's Plot reveals (in dialogue He-Man delivers) that she also created He-Man's harness from a rare Eternian mineral called coridite, which adds to his physical strength.

To guard his family, He-Man keeps his double identity secret, sharing the knowledge only with Man-At-Arms, Orko, Cringer/Battle Cat, and the Sorceress; with the advent of the She-Ra: Princess of Power series, this list is expanded to also include Adora/She-Ra, Spirit/Swift Wind, Light Hope, Loo-Kee, Madame Razz and Kowl. The original cartoon series also includes the dragon Granamyr and the cosmic enforcer Zodac being in on He-Man's secret. The episode The Rainbow Warrior also strongly hints that Queen Marlena has worked out He-Man's secret but will not confess. He-Man is typically accompanied by an assortment of allies in his battles, such as Ram Man and Stratos.

The spin-off cartoon series She-Ra: Princess of Power later revealed that Adam has a twin sister, the Princess Adora, a former force captain of the Horde turned leader in the Great Rebellion against Hordak on the planet Etheria. Adora, like Adam, is given the gift of the power of Grayskull and has her own sword which she uses to transform into She-Ra, Princess of Power. He-Man makes a number of appearances in She-Ra: Princess of Power.

He-Man's chief adversary is Skeletor, a blue-skinned sorcerer with a skull for a head, wearing a cowl. He is skilled in black magic as well as all forms of combat. Though his origin is enigmatic, and the cartoon describes him only as a "demon from another dimension". It’s revealed in the animated motion picture He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword that Skeletor was Hordak's right-hand man up until his capture, and supposed release. Skeletor is accompanied by a group of henchmen who aid with his wicked schemes.

According to Lou Scheimer, executive producer of the Filmation animated series, the idea of He-Man having a teenage alter-ego was derived by from the Fawcett/DC Comics character Captain Marvel, about whom Filmation had already produced two TV series: Shazam! and The Kid Superpower Hour with Shazam!. He-Man's twin sister She-Ra was created as a female spin-off, as Captain Marvel's twin sister Mary Marvel would have been.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983)
Season One (1983)
 * 1) The Cosmic Comet
 * 2) The Shaping Staff
 * 3) Disappearing Act
 * 4) Diamond Ray of Disappearance
 * 5) She-Demon of Phantos
 * 6) Teela's Quest
 * 7) The Curse of the Spellstone
 * 8) The Time Corridor
 * 9) The Dragon Invasion
 * 10) A Friend in Need
 * 11) Masks of Power
 * 12) Evil-Lyn's Plot
 * 13) Like Father, Like Daughter
 * 14) Colossor Awakes
 * 15) A Beastly Sideshow
 * 16) Reign of the Monster
 * 17) Daimar the Demon
 * 18) Creatures from the Tar Swamp
 * 19) Quest for He-Man
 * 20) Dawn of Dragoon
 * 21) The Royal Cousin
 * 22) Song of Celice
 * 23) The Return of Orko's Uncle
 * 24) Wizard of Stone Mountain
 * 25) Evilseed
 * 26) Ordeal in the Darklands
 * 27) Orko's Favorite Uncle
 * 28) The Defection
 * 29) Prince Adam No More
 * 30) The Taking of Grayskull
 * 31) A Tale of Two Cities
 * 32) Search for the VHO
 * 33) The Starchild
 * 34) The Dragon's Gift
 * 35) The Sleepers Awaken
 * 36) The Search
 * 37) It's Not My Fault
 * 38) Valley of Power
 * 39) Trouble in Arcadia
 * 40) House of Shokoti Part 1
 * 41) House of Shokoti Part 2
 * 42) Double Edged Sword
 * 43) The Mystery of Man-E-Faces
 * 44) The Region of Ice
 * 45) Orko's Missing Magic
 * 46) Eternal Darkness
 * 47) Keeper of the Ancient Ruins
 * 48) Return of Evil
 * 49) Return of the Gryphon
 * 50) Temple of the Sun
 * 51) City Beneath the Sea
 * 52) Teela's Trial
 * 53) Dree Elle's Return
 * 54) Game Plan
 * 55) Eye of the Beholder
 * 56) Quest for the Sword
 * 57) Castle of Heroes
 * 58) The Once and Future Duke
 * 59) The Witch and the Warrior
 * 60) The Return of Granamyr
 * 61) Pawns of the Game Master
 * 62) Golden Disks of Knowledge
 * 63) The Huntsman
 * 64) The Remedy
 * 65) The Heart of a Giant

Season Two (1984-1985)
 * 1) The Cat and the Spider
 * 2) The Energy Beast
 * 3) Day of the Machines
 * 4) The Gamesman
 * 5) Fisto's Forest
 * 6) The Rarest Gift of All
 * 7) The Great Books Mystery
 * 8) Origin of the Sorceress
 * 9) Island of Fear
 * 10) To Save Skeletor
 * 11) The Ice Age Cometh
 * 12) Trouble in Trolla
 * 13) Betrayal of Stratos
 * 14) Disappearing Dragons
 * 15) The Shadow of Skeletor
 * 16) The Arena
 * 17) Attack from Below
 * 18) Into the Abyss
 * 19) Fraidy Cat
 * 20) The Rainbow Warrior
 * 21) A Trip to Morainia
 * 22) Things That Go Bump in the Night
 * 23) Three on a Dare
 * 24) Just a Little Lie
 * 25) One for All
 * 26) Jacob and the Widgets
 * 27) The Littlest Giant
 * 28) Trouble's Middle Name
 * 29) Journey to Stone City
 * 30) A Bird in the Hand
 * 31) Battlecat
 * 32) The Time Wheel
 * 33) Search for the Past
 * 34) Hunt for He-Man
 * 35) The Greatest Show on Eternia
 * 36) Not so Blind
 * 37) Revenge is Never Sweet
 * 38) The Good Shall Survive
 * 39) The Secret of Grayskull
 * 40) No Job Too Small
 * 41) The Bitter Rose
 * 42) The Gambler
 * 43) Teela's Triumph
 * 44) Orko's New Friend
 * 45) The Problem with Power
 * 46) Double Trouble
 * 47) The Eternia Flower
 * 48) Happy Birthday Roboto
 * 49) Battle of the Dragons
 * 50) Time Doesn't Fly
 * 51) Here, There, Skeletors Everywhere
 * 52) Beauty and the Beast
 * 53) Orko's Return
 * 54) Visitors from Earth
 * 55) Monster on the Mountain
 * 56) The Magic Falls
 * 57) Search for a Son
 * 58) Mistaken Identity
 * 59) The Toy Maker
 * 60) Bargain with Evil
 * 61) Capture the Comet Keeper
 * 62) The Ancient Mirror of Avathar
 * 63) The Games
 * 64) To Save the Creatures
 * 65) The Cold Zone

She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985)
Season One (1985)
 * 1) Into Etheria
 * 2) Beast Island
 * 3) She-Ra Unchained
 * 4) Reunions
 * 5) Battle for Bright Moon
 * 6) King Miro's Journey
 * 7) He Ain't Heavy
 * 8) Horde Prime Takes a Holiday
 * 9) The Eldritch Mist
 * 10) The Price of Freedom
 * 11) A Talent for Trouble
 * 12) Gateway to Trouble
 * 13) Loo-Kee Lends a Hand

Season Two (1986)
 * 1) Day of the Flowers
 * 2) Just the Way You Are
 * 3) She-Ra Makes a Promise
 * 4) Sweet Bee's Home
 * 5) The Inspector
 * 6) Assault on the Hive

Movie/TV Special

 * 1) The Secret of the Sword
 * 2) He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special