Warning: contains spoilers for Masters of the Universe: Forge of Destiny #1!
For over 40 years, He-Man has helped keep Eternia safe from Skeletor, Hordak and all others who would seek its power for themselves. In Masters of the Universe: Forge of Destiny #1, readers get a peek at He-Man early in his career, and learn his sudden arrival actually had a detrimental effect on one of his staunch allies.
Masters of the Universe: Forge of Destiny #1 is written by Tim Seeley, drawn by Eddie Nunez, colored by Brad Simpson and lettered by Andworld Design.
Dark Horse’s new Masters of the Universe is a ‘Year One’ tale, an origin story depicting how the noble Prince Adam became He-Man, protector of Eternia. As the issue depicts, this has an early negative effect on Teela, one of He-Man’s staunchest allies.
Teela Is A Fierce Warrior On He-Man’s Level
In Forge of Destiny #1, King Randor sends a diplomatic initiative to Anwat Gar, and Teela and Prince Adam accompany the entourage. Adam sneaks out one night, much to Teela’s chagrin, as she is assigned to watch the Prince. When he returns, she chides him for his perceived irresponsibility, telling him that before He-Man arrived, Randor was going to give Teela a promotion, which would have come with her own fort and troops. Teela does not know Adam’s secret identity; that when he sneaks off, he is actually turning into He-Man.
Adam’s “sneaking off” is seen as a sign of youth and folly – rather than the birth of a hero.
Prince Adam Shares A Dilemma With Many Great Superheroes
As Teela explains in Forge of Destiny #1, Randor canceled her promotion, so she would stay to watch over the seemingly irresponsible Prince. The daughter of Man-At-Arms and the Sorceress, Teela is a fierce fighter – and unknown to her at this time, a being of great magical power. She is the Captain of the Palace Guard, meaning that along with her father, she commands the army of King Randor. Teela is one of He-Man’s greatest allies, and a pillar of the Masters of the Universe – but as revealed in Forge of Destiny #1, He-Man’s arrival initially had a negative impact on her life and career.
Like most superheroes, He-Man has a secret identity: Prince Adam. The son of King Randor and Queen Marlena, Adam is heir to the throne. While Adam loves his parents and Eternia, being a king is not for him. He would rather work to save people as He-Man than rule as king. Unfortunately, He-Man experiences the same dilemma as other heroes: how to balance a heroic and social life. For He-Man, finding the balance has been difficult. His position as a prominent citizen makes it difficult for him to sneak off and turn into He-Man, so he has to continually invent excuses that make him look like a milquetoast and a layabout.
The original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon played around with Prince Adam’s continued need to get away to transform, but it was always handled in a lighthearted fashion. In Forge of Destiny, fans learn that He-Man’s arrival, and Adam’s increasingly erratic behavior as a result, has a negative effect on Teela. All set for a promotion, Adam’s behavior ended that dream. As seen in this issue, Teela still harbors resentment towards Prince Adam. He-Man’s arrival on Eternia should have been a cause for celebration for all the Masters of the Universe, but for Teela it meant losing what she wanted the most.
Masters of the Universe: Forge of Destiny #1 is on sale now from Dark Horse Comics!
