For decades now, wherever there is He-Man fighting the good fight, you’ll find Skeletor doing the exact opposite. If there is evil work to be done, then ol’ bone face won’t be far behind.
Ever since he made his first appearance in a Masters of the Universe minicomic back in 1981, Skeletor has been causing chaos, performing feats of evil, and generally doing bad things. It’s in his nature, it’s who he is, and it’s what he lives for.
But who is Skeletor, and why is he so bad? Let’s take a look, and fill you in on a few key details.
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Minicomic
For those new to Masters of the Universe, Skeletor is a chief villain on the planet, Eternia, and He-Man’s greatest nemesis. A skilled sorcerer and master of dark magic, Skeletor has appeared in various iterations of Masters of the Universe, from cartoons and comics, to toys, films, and games.
Skeletor made his first appearance in the 1981 minicomic, He-Man and the Power Sword. Minicomics were small comic books, which came packaged up with the Masters of the Universe action figures, and helped flesh out the characters and background details for young fans unfamiliar with the Mastersworld.
During his early appearances, Skeletor was depicted as a warlord from another dimension, who had been transported to Eternia during ‘The Great War’ – a huge conflict which had devastated the planet and had left behind high-tech machinery and weapons. Keen to make the most of his time on Eternia, Skeletor seeks power from Castle Grayskull so he can reopen a dimensional rift, to bring his race to the planet, and conquer.
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Keldor
In 1986, the minicomic, The Search for Keldor, would flesh out Skeletor’s origin in a new direction. Here it was heavily implied that Skeletor was Keldor, the brother of King Randor, which in turn would make Skeletor the uncle of Prince Adam/He-Man, as well as the uncle of Princess Adora/She-Ra (Adam’s twin sister).
In the comic, Keldor supposedly disappeared while in pursuit of magic. It is implied he became Skeletor as a result.
The original toyline which carried the minicomics ended before the Keldor storyline could be developed further, but the idea of Skeletor being Keldor has persisted in other forms of the Masters media. The 2002 Masters of the Universe cartoon from Mike Young Productions depicted Keldor as a warlord whose face is splashed with acid and is eventually transformed into Skeletor, while the 2008 Masters of the Universe Classics toyline had Keldor as Randor’s half-brother (his mother was a member of the Gar race).
In the 2021 Netflix cartoon, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Skeletor is the younger brother of King Randor. After attempting to gain the power of the Havoc Staff he was transformed into his skeletal appearance.
Different versions of Masters of the Universe have presented Skeletor’s backstory in different ways. Some have tried to explain who he is and where he comes from, while others have simply made it clear he is evil and that’s all that matters.
Is there a definitive origin? Not really, there are various tweaks and changes depending on the story being told.
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Weapons and powers
One thing which has remained consistent with Skeletor is just how powerful and resourceful he is. You don’t get to his position of villainy without having the ability to back it up, and this is something Skeletor can surely do.
In addition to being a master of dark magic, Skeletor is a skilled fighter, as well as a strategist. He often wields the mighty Havoc Staff, commands an army of goons (Evil-Lyn, Beast-Man, Karg, etc), and rides the mighty Panthor, a ferocious and loyal beast.
In the 2021 Netflix series, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, Skeletor also managed to transform himself into Skelegod – a god-like being of immense power. For Skeletor, there is no limit to the power he wants to amass or the things he is willing to do to get there.
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Legacy
To truly understand the power and reach of Skeletor, not just in the fictional world but far beyond this, Skeletor has appeared in all iterations of Masters of the Universe. From the 1983 cartoon by Filmation, as well as the 1987 live-action movie (where he was played by Frank Langella), through to various comics, books, and games, Skeletor has taken centre stage.
In the 1990 cartoon series, The New Adventures of He-Man, which featured very few connections to established Masters of the Universe characters, Skeletor appeared as the main adversary to He-Man. Likewise, in a series of 2017 commercials for Money Supermarket, Skeletor appeared alongside He-Man as the only other character from Masters of the Universe to help promote the brand.
In essence, Skeletor is the Lex Luthor to He-Man’s Superman. He is as important to Masters of the Universe as He-Man is, and you won’t find one without the other.
Heck, during the early days of the action figures from Mattel, Skeletor came packaged up with one half of the mighty Power Sword, with He-Man carrying the other half. Only together would Masters fans be able to ‘unlock’ the secrets of Castle Grayskull by uniting the swords.
So, where there is one you’ll find the other. If there is He-Man, there is Skeletor.
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about Masters of the Universe. For more posts be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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