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News He-Man anime series from Kevin Smith coming to Netflix

In the 2002 version the Sorceress only trusts Man-at Arms with the secret, most likely because he is already keeping HER secret. Orko and Cringer follow them and observe the transformation accidentally and when any of them are tempted to tell anyone else Man-at-Arms or the Sorceress gently remind them to stfu. Marlena I believe just put two and two together because she's smart compared to most of the other characters.
 
Watching Kevin Smith's Fatman Beyond podcast with Griffin Newman (the voice of Orko).

"You're gonna get more He-Man than you thought you wanted."
 
Maybe we see the end of Adam in the next episodes. Maybe the next transformation into He-Man can somehow not be reversed?

I like that they included pieces of all iterations of He-Man. E.g. the two halves voncept of the power sword from the first mini-comic (That's what I have started with, when the toys came out. I never liked that Adam = He-Man thing), they included many things from the 2002 series, and even from the Motu movie from 1987. The flying discs now used on Preternia.
I was sceptical of the new series, because of the rumours about Teela being the main character. But in relation to the story, it absolutely makes sense.
 
I think that's the intended implication that's been eating at her, but she hasn't said it aloud yet because she's either afraid to admit it to herself, afraid of the answer, or because she thinks she already knows. Or all of those knotted into one ball of rage and insecurity.
Somewhere deep down, she feels like she's unworthy somehow. The orphan girl, the one made into a playmate an minder for the soft, lazy prince, the one they all pity.
She's wrong, and will likely find out exactly how wrong before the second part is complete, but we're not there yet.

For my part, I'm in agreement that the secret identity concept was never executed very well in MOTU. Especially given that in Adam's case, he winds up looking foolish and immature when that doesn't necessarily have to be his identity relative to what He-Man does. It could be handled much better.

I do think that the secret identity trope of protecting those you care about from extra harm can be useful, when it's employed correctly. I was thinking today about how one of the earlier Supergirl eps (S1E16, "Falling") dealt with that, alongside the main plot.

In that episode, Supergirl gets unwittingly exposed to a form of red kryptonite, which Maxwell Lord made in a botched attempt to make normal kryptonite. He didn't intend her as the target, but it causes a highly destabilizing effect on her personality. Supergirl's morals and inhibitions are suppressed until she becomes outright villainous, and she causes a lot of damage to the city in addition to her crazy mentality (tossing Cat Grant off a building and only narrowly saving her, among other things). As another emotional burden, the Martian Manhunter (who'd been disguising himself as a human to aid her without endangering himself) reveals who he is to the public in order to fight her on equal terms and stop Kara from destroying everything she loves. She has to deal with the fallout not only of her evil persona, but that her actions led to the Manhunter exposing himself and being arrested by the DEO as a possible threat. It's a very good episode, and the ripples of that incident echo in some of the later ones.

It'll be interesting to see if Part 2 meets some of the potential expectations. You know the ones I mean. :D

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I'm surprised nobody has made a connection to the idea of a Superhero being doxxed when their secret comes out. Plus the fact that the entire internet runs on the idea that people don't know who says what. Someone can accuse you of bad things but since you don't know who it is that gives people power. So you got good reasons to want to keep your identity secret but also people have a good reason to maybe fear a hero with scary powers if they have no idea who they are.
 
I don't think Eternia has the internet. Hell, it doesn't even seem to have roads, or infrastructure of any kind! Most places seem like they're lucky if they can swing running water.
 
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I don't think Eternia has the internet. Hell, it doesn't even seem to have roads, or infrastructure of any kind! Most places seem like they're lucky if they can swing running water.
Well, the 99% of Eternia appears to be on a medieval technological level. Except the Royals, who have tanks, robots and flying machines. Things that in their infinite wisdom they have decided not to share with anyone else.

Screw the plebeians.
 
Incidentally, it appears that Marlena, a thoroughbred American, had no problem becoming the queen in an absolute monarchy. Evidently "democracy" and "representation" are small folkloristic frivolities that can be easily left behind.
 
Eternia is more of a post apocalyptic hellscape; "Mad Max with Magic and Lasers", one might say. A once great civilization torn apart and fallen into decay and barbarism. The few city states and scattered villages that remain are but shadows living in ruins of technology they can barely understand. Everything else in vast open wastelands ruled by marauding tribes, despots and infested with mutated beasts.
 
I'm surprised nobody has made a connection to the idea of a Superhero being doxxed when their secret comes out. Plus the
fact that the entire internet runs on the idea that people don't know who says what. Someone can accuse you of bad things but since you don't know who it is that gives people power. So you got good reasons to want to keep your identity secret but also people have a good reason to maybe fear a hero with scary powers if they have no idea who they are.

Green Lantern Kyle: Girlfriend murdered and folded into a fridge.

Green Lantern John Stewart: Sent to a South African prison, and tortured for the crimes of Hal Jordan, because there's only one Green Lantern. ;)

Captain America: Nothing.

Daredevil the first time: Kingpin destroys mat murdock's life until he is Homeless.

Daredevil the second time: he sued the news paper that outed him, for 10s of millions of dollars, won, and owned the paper after that because they couldn't pay up.

Moon Knight: No one cared.

Dazzler: Lost her record contract.

Spider-Man: Aunt May is shot. His marriage is annulled.

Marvel boy: Prison, then it was the first season of Oz.

Gold Balls: Cancelled on social media for being a mutant.

Eternia is more of a post apocalyptic hellscape; "Mad Max with Magic and Lasers", one might say. A once great civilization torn apart and fallen into decay and barbarism. The few city states and scattered villages that remain are but shadows living in ruins of technology they can barely understand. Everything else in vast open wastelands ruled by marauding tribes, despots and infested with mutated beasts.

You're thinking of Genesis of the Daleks?

But if they are all a million years old, and there's no birth rate to speak of?

If all they need to survive is a little magic water now and then, then there's no need for a social welfare safety net or an economy at all.
 
Eternia is more of a post apocalyptic hellscape; "Mad Max with Magic and Lasers", one might say. A once great civilization torn apart and fallen into decay and barbarism. The few city states and scattered villages that remain are but shadows living in ruins of technology they can barely understand. Everything else in vast open wastelands ruled by marauding tribes, despots and infested with mutated beasts.
I admit that I'm not so well versed in MOTU lore, but in the Filmation versione Eternia seemed relatively at peace except for the occasional Skeletor's shenanigans and Man-At-Arms seemed more than capable to repair and build new machines. I mean, he created a sentient robot!

Still the Royals seemed more interested in organizing jousts and similars than actually helping the poor people of Eternia.


Well, Adam, I hope you are enjoying your little hobbies. I'm sure the farmers who break their backs cultivating the land all day long using only hoes and animals are having a lot of fun too!
 
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You all got it Wrong.

It's not about protecting Adams' Family.

It's about the power Sword.

Take the Sword, get the power.

Adam is hiding the sword, not hiding his secret identity.

Consider, if you knew that a neighbour kept 4 million dollars in a pillow, and their security was shit.

Hardly locked the door, and was always out of the house at work and play.

Maybe you won't take it, but a lot of low lifes' will try.

If Skeletor can activate the sword's power, then anyone can.

Think that makes the most sense of all the possible reasons and is the most likely explanation.
 
Maybe we see the end of Adam in the next episodes. Maybe the next transformation into He-Man can somehow not be reversed?

I like that they included pieces of all iterations of He-Man. E.g. the two halves voncept of the power sword from the first mini-comic (That's what I have started with, when the toys came out. I never liked that Adam = He-Man thing), they included many things from the 2002 series, and even from the Motu movie from 1987. The flying discs now used on Preternia.
I was sceptical of the new series, because of the rumours about Teela being the main character. But in relation to the story, it absolutely makes sense.
Yes I think think fans of the 80s cartoon may not have spotted some of the nuggets from the action figures, including inserting the combined sword into a slot to gain the secrets of Greyskull.
 
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I admit that I'm not so well versed in MOTU lore, but in the Filmation versione Eternia seemed relatively at peace except for the occasional Skeletor's shenanigans and Man-At-Arms seemed more than capable to repair and build new machines. I mean, he created a sentient robot!

Still the Royals seemed more interested in organizing jousts and similars than actually helping the poor people of Eternia.


Well, Adam, I hope you are enjoying your little hobbies. I'm sure the farmers who break their backs cultivating the land all day long using only hoes and animals are having a lot of fun too!
I'm talking more about the implications of what's depicted rather than the text, since it's all filtered through a very sanitised lens of Saturday morning toy adverts. You wouldn't get a hundred plus episodes on a peaceful planet with no conflict, and you certainly wouldn't get the Eternian army. There'd be no need. There's more than just Skeletor causing trouble, there's all kinds of rogue despots, sorcerers and the like. Read between the lines and you'll see it.

Also, let's be honest here; a privileged member of the aristocracy having leisure time is hardly what I'd call proof of a fair, just, and peaceful society.
 
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I want to repost a comment I wrote on Tor.com in response to a couple of haters who complained about the new show being "too political" and "feminist":

Let me make this clear, speaking as a first-generation fan who grew up with Filmation shows and had my values shaped by them: Filmation Associates was always “political.” It was always liberal and inclusive in its values. Filmation included characters of color in shows like Star Trek, Fat Albert, Space Academy, and Tarzan and the Super 7 when most of Saturday morning was lily-white. It gave Sulu and Uhura bigger roles in Star Trek: The Animated Series than they ever got in the live-action series, featuring the first female security guards in the Trek franchise and putting Uhura in command of the Enterprise twice. It created its own female heroes, Isis and She-Ra, to be counterparts to the male heroes Captain Marvel (Shazam!) and He-Man, in order to give girls heroes they could identify with. Filmation’s predecessor to He-Man, Blackstar, was originally intended to have a black lead, which was shot down by the network. Filmation’s last series, BraveStarr, took what was then the unusual step of having its (space) cowboy hero be a Native American.

Filmation’s co-founder Lou Scheimer was the son of politically liberal Jewish immigrants, and he claimed in his autobiography that his father once punched out Adolf Hitler before his rise to power, beating Captain America to it by nearly two decades. Scheimer had a lifelong hatred of discrimination and prejudice, and it shaped the shows he co-created and produced.

I grew up admiring Filmation for being more activist, more progressive, and yes, more political than its contemporaries, telling stories that had a moral message and advocated tolerance, peace, and respect for others rather than just being empty action. I attribute my own progressive values and moral compass as much to Filmation’s influence in my formative years as to Star Trek‘s influence or that of my family. So when I see people complaining about a remake of a Filmation show being “too political” because it practices the same kind of inclusion that Filmation strove for, I can only roll my eyes. It’s completely missing the point.



So He-Man is not really like Superman, but Shazam?

Pretty much, like the modern portrayal where "Shazam" (it's Captain Marvel, dang it) is just Billy in a powerful adult body, as opposed to the original version where CM was more like a separate entity that switched places with Billy. Or like the original '60s version of Thor when he was just Donald Blake transformed into a more powerful form, before they retconned it to the actual Norse god.

Of course, in the original show and toys, Adam and He-Man had the same character model with different clothes and skin tones. But Adam had normal human strength until he called on the power of Greyskull and became The Most Powerful Man in the Universe.


By the way, I just realized how strange it is that the Revelation version of Adam's transformation sequence has him say "I have the power!" before he actually transforms into He-Man, instead of after. It doesn't make sense for him to say that when he doesn't actually have the power yet.


It's the other way around, Hordak (and the Evil Horde) was created as toys for the He-Man toyline, but the He-Man cartoon was ending so they ended up in the She-Ra cartoon instead.

Edit to be more accurate: The Evil Horde was developed by Mattel and Filmation in conjunction for the MOTU toyline and the She-Ra cartoon. Catra appears in the Princess of Power-toyline while the other horde characters (Hordak, Leech, Grizzlor, Mantenna) are in the MOTU toyline.

As a teenager, I found the toys very sexist in comparison to the shows. On TV, She-Ra was an undeniable badass because she fought Skeletor's ex-boss, but in the toys, He-Man fought the Horde and She-Ra and her allies were just fashion dolls with combable hair.


And if this was the case, why Duncan and Orko were exempt?

According to the series bible, Duncan was there at the beginning when the Sorceress first gave Adam the power, and Orko (or "Gorpo" as he was called in the bible) accidentally discovered Adam changing to He-Man because of his tendency to materialize in odd places, and was sworn to secrecy.
 
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