Variant Comics

The History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie is in theaters — so we're breaking down the complete history of He-Man, from a failed Conan toy to the most powerful man in the universe. Forty years of toys, cartoons, comics, and reinventions, all in one video. Get the latest He-Man comic, The Sword of Flaws, at https://variantcomics.com! He-Man has what might be the most rebuilt origin in all of pop culture. He started life as a barbarian sketch Mattel designers were holding after the Conan figure deal collapsed — and across four decades he was created, scrapped, and rebuilt over and over. This video walks the entire timeline: the toy-aisle gamble that outsold Barbie, the Filmation cartoon that defined him, his first-ever comic appearance fighting Superman in DC Comics Presents #47, the She-Ra reveal, the 1987 Dolph Lundgren movie, the 2002 reboot, the DC and Dark Horse comic runs, Kevin Smith's Netflix Revelation and Revolution, and the new live-action film with Nicholas Galitzine and Jared Leto. We cover where He-Man ranks against Superman, Thor, and Hulk, the genius split-Power-Sword toy strategy, the Mark Taylor vs Roger Sweet creator dispute, and how the original Filmation series launched the careers of the people who'd go on to make Batman: The Animated Series and the original TMNT cartoon. Whether you grew up with He-Man in the 80s or you just walked out of the new movie wanting the full story, this is your guide. READING & WATCHING GUIDE Start at the beginning: the Mini-Comic Collection (Dark Horse) — all 68 original pack-in comics. Modern jumping-on point: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Vol. 1 (DC, 2012) by James Robinson and Keith Giffen, building to The Eternity War. Newest book: The Sword of Flaws (Dark Horse, 2025) by Tim Seeley and Freddie E. Williams II. On screen: Masters of the Universe: Revelation and Revolution on Netflix, plus the new live-action movie in theaters now. #HeMan #MastersOfTheUniverse #MOTU —————————————————— History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Host: Tim Connolly FOLLOW VARIANT TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@variantcomics Twitter: https://twitter.com/variantcomics Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Variant_official/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/variantcomics/