The He-Man are pop culture icons, but fans may be shocked to learn they share an epic backstory. Two of the most popular toy lines of the 1980s, Thundercats and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe have also spawned multiple animated series and comics, and in 2017 DC Comics brought the two together in one epic miniseries. He-Man/Thundercats revealed the two share a link, thanks to Skeletor.
In issue two of He-Man/Thundercats, written by Rob David and Lloyd Goldfine and drawn by Freddie E. Williams II, Skeletor has captured Mumm-Ra the Ever Living. The Ancient Spirits of Evil, Mumm-Ra’s patron deities, have grown tired of his inability to get anything done, and have now brokered a deal with Skeletor. He reveals to a captive Mumm-Ra that the Ancient Spirits seek their freedom from the Black Pyramid - and if he frees them, they will give him the ability to destroy He-Man and the Masters once and for all. Skeletor goes on to reveal that his lair, Snake Mountain, is a tribute to one of the Ancient Spirits - namely the Serpent, who was one of the lost Spirits.
He-Man and the Thundercats Share Ancient Gods
The Masters of the Universe, led by He-Man, debuted in 1982 as a toy line from Mattel with an animated series premiering a year later. The line was a massive success, selling millions of toys and creating a pop-culture juggernaut. The Thundercats were created to compete with Masters of the Universe and were also a hit, with the franchise spawning a toy line of its own as well as a multimedia empire including a popular cartoon. Despite originating in the 1980s, the two franchises have been revived periodically, introducing these characters to new generations. Since the 1980s, fans have clamored for the two to meet, and in 2017 DC gave them their wish, revealing the two share a link - their dark elder gods are of the same pantheon.
The Thundercats' Ancient Spirits of Evil Have an Extensive Reach
In the original Thundercats mythos, the Ancient Spirits of Evil weren't explored in depth, allowing them to be linked to He-Man’s continuity. In their combined canon, the Ancient Spirits’ had a lost member, the Serpent, and Snake Mountain was built in tribute to this dark god as a place of archetypal evil. In other incarnations of the He-Man franchise, Snake Mountain had been the domain of King Hiss and the Snake Men. While He-Man/Thundercats makes no attempt to reconcile the two origins of Snake Mountain, they do not necessarily contradict each other. Perhaps the Snake Men were granted their powers and abilities by the Serpent.
He-Man/Thundercats slyly leans into the similarities the two pop culture giants share. Both were anchored by a muscle-bound, sword-wielding hero who fought demonic entities and their hordes, and was assisted by a lively and colorful band of adventurers. Castles, such as Castle Grayskull and the Cat’s Lair, also factor prominently into both franchises. Their real-world connections and similar aesthetics beg for a combined mythology, and He-Man/Thundercats provided it, explaining that both franchises deal with the same ancient gods - Thundercats with the Ancient Spirits of Evil, and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe with their errant sibling the Serpent.
