Warning: contains spoilers for Masters of the Universe: Forge of Destiny #3!
He-Man’s adversary, Skeletor always had cool action figures, and now they have been brought into canon in the neatest way. In Masters of the Universe: Forge of Destiny #3, Skeletor makes his play for the Phlogista, a weapon of unbelievable power that will help him take Castle Grayskull once and for all. As Skeletor powers up, he takes on new forms, and long-time Masters of the Universe fans will have no trouble recognizing them.
Masters of the Universe: Forge of Destiny #3 is written by Tim Seeley and drawn by Eddie Nunez. The Phlogista is now in Skeletor’s grip, and he begins harnessing its magic for himself. Skeletor boasts of the power flowing through him, saying the Phlogista shows him “everything” he has been and why he has repeatedly failed over the years. As Skeletor’s powers grow, he cycles through three different looks, including one where he wears an armored chestplate, another with a dragon on his back and still another where he has long claws.
Finally, the Phlogista helps Skeletor achieve his ultimate, fiery form.
Skeletor Had Many Different Forms…All of Them Deadly
In the first Masters of the Universe toy line, released in the 1980s, Skeletor had at least four different action figures. The first, released in the line’s initial wave, was a simple action figure. Later, a “Battle Armor” variant was released in the third wave, with a “Dragon Blaster” version appearing in the next wave. Finally, in the line’s waning years, Mattel released a “Terror Claws” variant of Skeletor, complete with long, bony claws. While these different versions were fun and even had cool features, they never appeared in the cartoon or other tie-in media.
Yet now, with Skeletor on his way to godhood, these variants have not only returned but also have a canonical explanation. The Phlogista opens Skeletor’s mind to new possibilities and gives him insight into why he continues to wash out when fighting He-Man. Skeletor “sees” other versions of himself, some more powerful than him, and they take the forms of his various action figures. How exactly the Terror Claw and Battle Armor Skeletors are more powerful than the main one remains to be seen, but seeing these forms is a welcome treat for long-time Masters of the Universe fans.
Could He-Man’s Action Figure Variants Show Up Too?
Skeletor was not the only character in the Masters of the Universe line to receive variants. Both He-Man and Hordak received multiple action figures, each built around a particular gimmick. While the latter has yet to appear in the Forge of Destiny continuity, it is a possibility fans may see He-Man’s variants as well. A showdown between the two is coming, and the Phlogista may give He-Man a glimpse of his other selves just as it did Skeletor. If so, He-Man’s cool action figure variants will enter canon just as Skeletor’s did.
Masters of the Universe: Forge of Destiny #3 is on sale now from Dark Horse Comics!
