The Pen Is Mightier Than the Sword... Or Is It?

 is the 7th episode of The New Adventures of He-Man.

When painted animals start to come alive and attack several locations on Primus, He-Man suspects that the artist Helm from Darius-7 has something to do with it.

Plot Summary
In Gorn City, Flogg and Skeletor search for new recruits for the Mutant space force. Skeletor stops when he sees a moving painting of a dragon in a shop window, sensing there’s something strange about this particular painting, he goes off to find its owner inside, leaving Flogg behind.

Inside, Skeletor is told that the paintings were done by a man named Helm, who is currently on his way to Primus on a trade mission.

On Primus, Helm is sitting in Master Sebrian's house, explaining that his paintbrushes and special Temperic oil paint were given to his by his grandmother, whom Sebrian knew. Helm gives Master Sebrian and Mara paintings, but leaves Adam out, who leaves, sounding a bit annoyed.

Outside, Adam is taking a walk with Gleep. Gleep points out that its Mara that’s on Adam's mind, leaving a thoughtful looking Adam behind. C Back on Denebria, Skeletor and Slush Head are trying to get onboard a Space Caravan to Primus, negotiating with a small Rabbit in pilot's gear named Captain Tibbar. After Skeletor threatens the Captain with an unfortunate ‘accident’, he is let on board, as Captain Tibbar hilariously hops away.

Some time later, the Caravan has arrived in Primus airspace, and Lieutenant Tuskador, Spinwit and Artilla are checking it out. Captain Tibbar leads them into an area of the ship where he keeps wild animals, and because of the terrible smell and the Captain's objections, the Galactic Guardians decide to cut the inspection short and let him go on ahead. After they have gone, Skeletor pops his head out a of nearby bail of hay, sighing ‘The things I go through…’

Skeletor and Slush Head steal a shuttle and land in a cave in the wastelands of Primus, where Skeletor uses a spell to bring the dragon within the painting he bought earlier to life. Skeletor doesn’t use his Skull Staff to perform the spell, instead using a rhyming incantation. The Dragon tries to attack Slush Head and he cries ‘That’s a bad dragon!’. Skeletor then sends the dragon to cause some chaos around Primus.

Meanwhile, in Levitan, Gepple and Meldoc are arguing over who invented a new surveillance device as Hydron and Flipshot look on. Using their new surveillance device, they spot the dragon heading towards them. Hydron orders the defense of the city, but their firepower has no effect on the dragon, which simply destroys their weapons with its fire breath. It then carries on to Master Sebrian's home.

At Sebrian's house, Adam transforms to He-Man and goes to face the Dragon, which arrives as he gets outside. He-Man manages to drive back the dragon with a blast from his sword, just as Hydron and Flipshot arrive in the Starship Eternia and attack the dragon from behind. They then discover that the dragon can only defend itself against laser blasts if it sees them coming, and He-Man quickly dispatches the dragon, which dissolves into flakes.

Adam and Helm accompany Meldoc and Gepple to their lab, where they examine the flakes which the dragon dissolved into, with Adam becoming suspicious of Helm. His suspicions increase when the Scientists reveal the strange flakes are in fact, Temperic Oil paint, the very substance Helm uses in his drawings.

Back in the cave, Skeletor performs another spell to bring all of the paintings Helm owns to life, ‘Life to the paintings that they might be a vessel to carry evil from me!’. Slush Head makes a comment about putting a beat to the spell and making it into a song as he taps his foot to the rhythm, leaving Skeletor to say ‘Why do I bother to bring you with me?’.

Adam is scolding Helm back in the lab, pointing out how coincidental it is that nothing like this happened until he arrived on Primus. Helm sarcastically points out that Adam is more jealous of Mara. Adam denies it, just as a painting of a butterfly in the room comes to life and begins shooting acid around. Adams runs off, supposedly to call Hydron, and transforms into He-Man. Gepple throws a jar over the paintings and melts it, as He-Mans sword now has no effect. Gepple also tells He-Man that there was Quagmi Swamp particles in the paint, and He-Man deduces Skeletor is behind the paintings.

Meanwhile at Sebrian's home, he and Mara are being menaced by the paintings Helm gave them, which have now been brought to life. Fortunately, Sebrian is using image projectors to confuse them. Skeletor and Slush Head set off in their stolen shuttle to attack, as He-Man and Helm arrive. He-Man is attacked by a giant Snow Leopard, and Helm quickly sketches a hunter which is brought to life and he uses to fight off the Leopard.

Helm doesn’t want to destroy any more of his creations, but a few wise words from He-Man change his mind. ‘If you know something do it!’ He-Man tells him, and Helm breaks apart his paintbrushes, destroying the giant bird attacking Sebrian and Mara. Skeletor and Slush Head arrive, but the hunter Helm drew knocks Skeletors staff out of his hand, realizing the paintings have turned against them, Skeletor and Slush Head make their escape.

The Primans have a good laugh, and Helm asks ‘Where is Adam?’, to which Mara replies ‘A question I often ask’. He-Man apologizes for Adams suspicions of Helm, who accepts, and understands his reasons.

Moral
Mara tells Tuskador to wear bright clothes when walking at night, or he risks himself to not be seen by drivers. As expected, Flipshot crashes into Tuskador while riding a speeder.

Behind the Scenes

 * Captain Tibbar is physically similar to Plundor from the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe episode Quest for He-Man.
 * This is one of three episodes in which Skeletor and Slush Head team up and travel to Primus, they would work together like this again in Sanctuary and Council of Clones.
 * First appearance of Artilla, Spinwit and Tuskador. A later flashback episode The Galactic Guardians, tells the tale of how they joined the Guardians.

Galactic Guardians

 * Adam of Grayskull / He-Man
 * Artilla (first Jetlag productions appearance) (non speaking role)
 * Flipshot
 * Hydron
 * Spinwit (first Jetlag productions appearance) (non speaking role)
 * Tuskador (first Jetlag productions appearance)

Scientists

 * Gepple
 * Meldoc

Allies

 * Helm (first and only Jetlag productions appearance)
 * Mara
 * Master Sebrian

Evil Mutants

 * Flogg
 * Slush Head

Evil Warriors

 * Skeletor

Others

 * Denebrian Art Dealer (first and only Jetlag productions appearance)
 * Captain Tibbar (first and only Jetlag productions appearance)

Creatures

 * Painted Butterfly (first and only Jetlag productions appearance)
 * Painted Dragon (first and only Jetlag productions appearance)
 * Love Bird (first and only Jetlag productions appearance)
 * Snow Leopard (first and only Jetlag productions appearance)

Technology

 * Gleep
 * Vision Phone (mentioned)

Locations

 * Darius-7 (mentioned)
 * Denebria
 * Gorn City
 * Quagmi Swamp (mentioned)
 * Primus
 * Levitan
 * Oasis
 * Master Sebrian's Home
 * Onnor

Vehicles

 * Astrosub
 * Mutant Mothership (mentioned)
 * Space Caravan
 * Starship Eternia

Minerals

 * Kritorium Steel

Cast

 * Don Brown as Hydron and Gepple
 * Garry Chalk as He-Man
 * Ted Cole as Slush Head and Gleep
 * Anthony Holland as Master Sebrian
 * Campbell Lane as Skeletor
 * Scott McNeil as Flipshot
 * Doug Parker as Adam of Grayskull and Meldoc
 * Alvin Sanders as Flogg and Tuskador
 * Venus Terzo as Mara