The History of Prince Adam and Grayskull

Too many of us, our favorite childhood memories surround the fantasy world that we saw in comic books and cartoons. They ignited our curiosity and made us feel like we could be like them. It was the great things that they could achieve and their humble origins that made us look beyond the everyday troubles of being a kid. One of the most beloved and popular cartoons of the 80s and 90s is He-Man and the Masters of the universe. It is a fan favorite and continues to be a part of the hall of fame in terms of pop culture masterpieces. They’re even making a new movie with a fresh, all new cast. As much as we love the characters, how much do we really know? Do we really know the origins of Prince Adam? What exactly is Grayskull? Here we will explore the character of prince Adam from He-Man and the Masters of the universe, as well as the origins of Grayskull.

He-Man First Appearance  

He-man first appeared in a series of mini-comics between 1981 and 1983. They were produced by Mattel and were designed with creative elements from the Conan the Barbarian aesthetic as well as the Biblical Samson. He-Man first appeared in the mini-comic “He-Man and the Power Sword”. With this episode starts the He-Man character universe we all know and love. 

He-Man is described here as a mighty figure from a jungle tribe on the planet of Eternia. He saves a sorceress from a giant monster. In return, she gives him access to the guarded costumes and weapons inside a mountain. His next recorded encounter is saving the warrior goddess Teela from Beastman and Skeletor at Castle Grayskull. Skeletor broke into the castle in order to join the two halves of the power sword and control the universe with it. Of course, He-Man and the sorceress show up, take the power sword, and save Castle Greyskull. The sorceress vowed to keep the two halves of the power sword hidden and protect Castle Greyskull using set halves as a sort of key.

Alter Ego, Prince Adam

It wasn’t until the DC comic books that the man had a dual identity. He was Prince Adam, a man of exceptional strength. In the first DC comic book, you can see him tying a barbell in half. In the comic books, his strength becomes magnified exponentially as he transforms into He-Man in his Cavern of Power. This Cavern of Power is a continuity point with the first appearance in the mini-comic. It is also where the sorceress resides. In that original DC comic series, Superman actually finds himself on Eternia. He teams up with He-Man and combats Skeletor’s hoard.

Filmation He-Man

The third and most popular incarnation of the Prince Adam story, the one that Noah Centineo will be playing in the new 2021 movie, is in the Filmation American TV show He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. It catapulted He-Man to astronomical fame and recognition. In the show, prince Adam is the son of the King and Queen of Eternia: King Randor and Queen Marlena. Prince Adam is portrayed as a bit of a spoiled brat. He is definitely smarter, stronger, and greater in training than his peers, yet he mysteriously disappears whenever there’s trouble in Eternia. This is why he’s given the reputation of being a coward. Even his pet, a small green tiger named Cringer, is seen as a scared little cat. 

In the first episode, Adam is in the woods and sees a falcon. He decides to follow it through the woods to see where it’s going. passed a clearing, he sees Castle Greyskull. What he thought was a falcon was actually the sorceress, who proceeded to explain a prophecy in which Adam is the chosen one. Even though Castle Greyskull had been sealed for centuries, the sorceress opens it to Adam. 

By The Power of Greyskull!

Once he’s inside Castle Greyskull, Prince Adam is given the power sword. This provides the backdrop for one of the most popular scenes in all of animation history. He strikes the sword against the stone and yells “By the power of Greyskull!” Prince Adam is magically transformed into the most powerful man in the universe: He-Man. He swears an oath, committing himself to the cause of keeping Eternia safe from the evil masters of the universe, led by Skeletor. Only three people in Eternia know the true Identity of he-man. There’s his mentor Man-At-Arms, Orko, and Zodac. The reason for the secrecy is to keep the evil Skeletor from attacking the royal family directly. If Skeletor knew who he-man really was, he would direct his forces to the family. This is why his identity is kept secret by the three that he trusts.

He-Man continues today as a nostalgic and beautiful relic of childhood in the 80s. It is generation X’s fondest memory and still the most popular cartoon ever. Give it a chance, if you haven’t seen it. It’s a beautiful glimpse into the life and sensibilities of an 80’s kid.