He Man

He Man (The Most Powerful Man in the Universe) is a heroic fictional character in the toy series Masters of the Universe produced by Filmation Studios. The syndicated series premiered in 1983 and ran until 1985, for a run of 130 episodes. In the series, He-Man and his friends defend Eternia and the secrets of Castle Grayskull from the evil forces of Skeletor. This was followed in 1990 by The New Adventures of He-Man which has He Man summoned to the future world of Primus.

It began when in 1980, Ray Wagner, Mattel President US, requested that Mattel designers come up with a male action line for the company. Wagner wanted a strong line to compete with the popular Star Wars. Thus He-Man came into existence and was initially embodied in the He Man Trio, originated, designed and constructed by Roger Sweet. These were three 91/2 inch tall prototype figures, each a different version of He Man. One a barbarian fantasy theme, another a military enhanced G.I. Joe theme and third, a futuristic military enhanced Star Wars theme. The series had limited animation and thus relied more on its storytelling. He-Man was to become one of the most memorable animated shows ever produced! In 1987, Cannon Films produced a film starring Dolph Lundgren as He Man. Although the film was not received well, it developed a strong cult following over the years.