Why did Skeletor have half of He-Man's sword? And what is up with that flag? MOTU toys explained!

Scott ToyGuru Neitlich reviews the original designs for the Masters of the Universe toy line from Mattel and how the designers "intended" kids to play out adventures in their basement and backyards.

[@ryansargent661]

As an early adopter into the MOTU brand, I remember reading the mini comics and then being confused with the animated series. My dad came up with the explanation that once He-man was able to claim and secure Greyskull, the right to rule Eternia fell to him. Feeling he was not yet wise enough to rule he passed the Kingdom to his father who was the leader of the village He Man leaves. He takes on the persona of Adam his birth name. Having the full power sword allowed him to draw on the magic of Greyskull to make him more powerful. It’s cheesy I know but my dad and I would do this a lot just talk and patch up backstories that were different from one form of entertainment to the next. I love your videos, because they bring up memories of my dad I had forgotten, thank you.

[@DrDavidReilly]

I’m sure your father would be both proud and touched that you remember him so fondly.

[@mrfld]

@@DrDavidReilly for sure. Dads like this are awesome.

[@spectorcreative1872]

If these videos do nothing else, I am SO glad they bring back happy memories!

[@sonicguyver7445]

Your dad sounds like a great guy. My dad while not quite as creative in story work alway followed the shows and toys with me and my brothers.

[@doctorx2105]

@Ryan Sargent That's actually a pretty damn good backstory!

[@oldschooltommyim]

Love how that first pic of Skeletor had a chewed sword

[@darkwoods1954]

Those swords were so chewable

[@spectorcreative1872]

Provides essential vitamins too.

[@bigdee77]

Don't judge me! I was only 7!

[@TheReverendJonnyNemo]

my parents had a mutt miniature collie they never punished who relished in using my toys as chew toys.... ive always hated dogs after because their destructive BS

[@mmestari]

I accidentally pulled a milk-tooth out with that chewable sword.

[@cartoonraccoon2078]

I found my Skeletor staff in the trash can, and when I asked why it was there my step dad said, "Because I thought it was a coffee stirer, and I hate coffee stirers." Yeah, he's was a real gem.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Wait, it's not a coffee stirer?

[@JSteez5024]

Coffee has No Need for a stirrer. Lol grind, brew, drink! ☕️

[@soundpreacher]

“By the power of Starbucks... I HAVE THE CREAMER!”

[@arx3516]

@@JSteez5024 no sugar?

[@peterclarke7240]

Coffee should be drunk in it's true form- black, bitter and strong. Any other way is heresy unto the Bean Demons. Unless it's from a chain. And there is a special hell reserved for people that think what Starbucks and their ilk sell is coffee.

[@lionrams]

Someone named Lion-O and his Sword of Omens would like to have a word with you about more iconic sword of the 80s

[@spectorcreative1872]

I might argue that. While iconic, I don't know if the average person on the street would know it. But hey, it is a valid point

[@TheRockinDonkey]

@@spectorcreative1872 This average person on the street doesn't know either of these swords. And I grew up in the 80s

[@DrFranklynAnderson]

Yeah… Y’all are forgetting a certain movie called _Excalibur._ 😉

[@Starr_Apathy]

I agree with you. I think it was equal in being iconic.. I also do not believe the average person in the street nowadays would know he-man's sword.

[@R-Lee-]

@@TheRockinDonkey the average person on the street does know He-Man nine times out of ten, I would say they know lion o three times out of 10. My wife knows all about He-Man and the swords because girls watched She-ra. She knows nothing about thundercats.

[@johndavidson2365]

And Skeletor victorious, with both halves of the Power Sword, opens the Jawbridge, and is promptly killed when the thing fell on top of him!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well yeah pretty much

[@SerifSansSerif]

I was huge into He-Man and Thundercats as a kid. I *actually* remember this part of the story, and was confused why it never came up again as a kid.

[@spectorcreative1872]

It really is odd how much it changed from the original intent.

[@d.l.9517]

I found out the swords combined strictly on accident but I remember only using He-Men's half to open the draw bridge, I guess I was cheating it lol

[@jeremygeorgia4943]

That reminds me of "Blackstar". There was a Starsword that was split in two, and Blackstar & his foe each got a half of the sword.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Check out more here! kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHSsaYqFpNKYl6s

[@RichardX1]

Which was also made by Filmation.

[@integratingkali1607]

Blackstar was a much better cartoon.

[@jeremygeorgia4943]

@@integratingkali1607 It took itself a bit more seriously, which was a bit rare, for a Saturday Morning cartoon. And, the acting was more straightforward & less dramatic than the Hanna Barbera stuff. He-Man sometimes tackled serious topics, but it always felt more like a Kid's cartoon.

[@chrisj2991]

I have a feeling someone at Mattel caught a few episodes of Blackstar on Saturday Mornings 1981 (it did come out a year before any inkling of MOTU)...... Also, the Blackstar toyline didnt come out until a few years after MOTU was already out. The show had been cancelled by then (it was only 13 episodes long)- but it was Galoob's way of scooping up a property on the cheap that they thought could compete with MOTU.

[@robertwishin2868]

Somehow my He-Man lost his sword early on. He was always borrowing a weapon, or a pencil, or a hairpin, or whatever to jimmy open the Jawbridge. The original weapon pack with the blue sword became the default weapon for my He-Man as he could finally open the door without feeling like he was breaking in.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yeah, amazing how a toothpick can have the same ability of the Power Sword!

[@michaelbenjmitchell1]

@@spectorcreative1872 Funny thing I had Castle GreySkull as a kid but nobody in my family had HeMan or Skeletor. LOL

[@turtleflipper9935]

@@michaelbenjmitchell1 in my house Castle Greyskull was also used by Action Force as a base of operations.

[@YaMuthasOnion]

The 80's were the golden age for animated swords; He-Man, Lion-o, & Voltron

[@spectorcreative1872]

A big reason for that was a supreme court case that changed the way companies could do animation and toys. I've got a video in the works on this.

[@orionsshoe2424]

@@spectorcreative1872 Awesome!!

[@kingfromonepice3522]

I remember all of these and im 13

[@munkeemojo]

Don't forget Thundarr the Barbarian

[@In_The_80s]

And Quazar!

[@RandomAmerican3000]

Four minutes in an I"m constantly screaming "Get to the point!"

[@spectorcreative1872]

Ah yes the point. What was I trying to say again?

[@jonathanrayne]

@Airock the Atheist Thank you!!!

[@haraldblatand5362]

@@spectorcreative1872 I just wanted to add that I never thought that. I was enjoying all of it since I had no idea about the mini comics.

[@DaRealJV]

It means he's doing his job well👀

[@martinfiedler4317]

@@spectorcreative1872 Obviously you are entering hyperspace, whenever you talk about your (our) favorite childhood toy. So, your point becomes a line, a long, blurred line. Great videos, though. Thanks! :)

[@timestampskip]

"Youngling Killer 2000" is my new steam name now

[@spectorcreative1872]

muhahaha.

[@plaidjunky]

An instrument of maximum plot point...

[@jacobturnerart]

Awww. It's like one of those friendship pendants that you split in two and give to your bestie.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Just like that. But more weapon like.

[@mahna_mahna]

I want the alternate He-Man backstory where he and Skeletor used to be besties.

[@itsdantaylor]

I watched "the power of grayskull" documentary on netflix and was blown away by this just for the fact that, as a idea for toy, back in that time period, this was GENIUS. It makes sense that filmation would make grayskull he man's lair considering you can't have it changing hands throughout the series, further cementing he-man's ownership of the castle by putting it into one of his catchphrases for the cartoon. but it's interesting to see it's origins as just two groups of warriors playing capture the fort with each other.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yeah what a different storyline and play pattern it had in the beginning!

[@zarathos9397]

The nerd in me has to make a fast correction. Aragorn’s sword is actually Andruil “the flame of the West.” It was reforged from the shards of Narsil. 👍🏻

[@spectorcreative1872]

Oh yes, I even apologized for that in a later video!

[@SpoodleyDoodles]

Andúril

[@Jake_E57]

Of course the biggest flaw in all this was that either half of the sword the original He-Man and Skeletor came with could open the jawbridge. It may have been designed to combine both halfs to unlock the castle, but in function it was far easier to stick either half of the sword in and unlock it. It's also interesting that with all the variants in the original run Mattel never bothered to design a new complete sword, the always used the half sword mould.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yeah you would have thought eventually we would have gotten a "full sword" with a He-Man.

[@wallaroo1295]

Almost 40 years later, today - I had a childhood question, finally answered. 🤣 Thank you!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well you are most welcome! Please do share with anyone else who might enjoy!

[@Getloose360]

The dual combining sword gimmick was originally found in MOTU's predecessor Blackstar. This was an extremely fun video, thank you!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yes, but I think this is more of two ideas that are similar developed separately.

[@edwarddeguzman3258]

I’m really hoping Kevin Smith does a crossover with Blackstar and Bravestarr

[@Getloose360]

@@spectorcreative1872 that's fair. In terms of execution MOTU's toy story was actually more interesting than the animation turned out to be.

[@markus5862]

@@Getloose360 I agree, much more

[@neilarmstead]

I remember Blackstar. Do you remember Bravestar?

[@sammccloud3395]

You put them together to open the drawbridge to Castle Grayskull of course...

[@spectorcreative1872]

Exactly!

[@hulksmash8159]

@@spectorcreative1872 Well yeh, that was the whole point of them.

[@richarddanielscott..polyma165]

Really?

[@driprubies2464]

Imagine me many many years later finding out the swords clip together..... my childhood was a lie!!!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Everything is a lie. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something.

[@barrystoltz5137]

Same, had both, never even clicked to stick em together

[@brushstroke3733]

Creating characters (or re-imagining characters) and telling stories is so much fun! I can imagine how fun it was for many of the people working on the Masters of the Universe toys, cartoons, artwork, stories, etc.! Imagine someone gave you He-Man and Skeletor toys with no storyline and let you create the whole Eternian universe! Wow, you had a fun job dude!

[@spectorcreative1872]

I really did and remain so grateful for the experience I had!

[@brushstroke3733]

@@spectorcreative1872 And I am grateful for your videos talking about and sharing the experiences you had at Mattel and with the Masters of the Universe toy line! I love hearing your insights about how the characters and stories were created. For someone who grew up with the Filmation series, it's a fascinating behind-the-scenes look!

[@Kj16V]

In the 2002 He Man series, Skeletor had a double-sided sword that he would split to surprise his opponents during combat. I wonder if this is where the animators got the idea from?

[@spectorcreative1872]

Actually, yes. The sword for 200X was designed by the Four Horsemen. Their original concept for the series/story was that Skeletor had acquired both halves of the sword and He-Man had to have a replacement made. This concept was dropped but the two Keldor/Skeletor swords remained as just his weapon of choice.

[@OldNavajoTricks]

Watch the Skeletor origin story on YT, pre-skeletal Skeletor/Keldor has a splittable sword.

[@jamesdlin7]

Even as a kid in the 1980s, I always thought that the half-sword idea was interesting and hated that Filmation abandoned that entirely. I also feel like Skeleton owning half of the power sword makes him a more credible threat.

[@spectorcreative1872]

It really does. The original concept does have a lot of merit

[@enjoyer6201]

Filmation also overpowered He-Man a little bit. Even as a kid it bothered me that Skeletor never posed a real physical threat to He-Man. DC and Marvel do this to their characters, too. Way too powerful. There are probably a handful of characters in both companies that could actually withstand nuclear assault. Yawn.

[@Twistedwolf-ru2qk]

Blackstar already did the two half sword thing in 1981.

[@bossbullyboy195]

This is exactly how I played when I was a kid, Greyskull was always the thing we tried to take

[@spectorcreative1872]

It did work so well as a "way to play"

[@chito4154]

Ah yes, He-Man, my favourite Kingdom Hearts spin-off

[@spectorcreative1872]

Oh come on, we all now He-Man was a spin off of Happy Days like all other shows.

[@arcburn6340]

Oh come on, we all know Happy Days was a spin off of Shakespeare's works like all other stories.

[@jeremymullens7167]

Oh come on, He-Man is a rip off of King Arthur. Some magic lady giving him some magic sword. So original.

[@Thalatash]

This is interesting to my 80's kid self. I always wondered about the swords when I was a kid, once I noticed that they tabbed together I'm fairly sure I left them together and had He-man wield it from then on. I got castle Greyskull and a few of the figures second hand at a flea market so I didn't get the comics and apparently many of the accessories for the castle. Flags? Laser cannons? I guess I'm lucky it had both halves and the gate. I had lots of fun anyway but I think I'm glad I didn't know what was missing back then. I had no idea the swords were the key either. I kinda wish I still had them to mess around with now.

[@spectorcreative1872]

I do wonder if the new Origins Castle will include these elements or just be more of a castle. Glad you liked the video and it brought back great memories!

[@weirdkitty07]

This is some deep MOTU lore here, and actually that new Revelation show does address this sword splitting thing, which was in the comics and was canon. Cool they did a throwback to that.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yeah that is one thing I liked about Revelations was they incorporated a lot of lore from way back in the day

[@geechie-don7157]

I had He-Man and Webstor as the only official MOTU figures. Rest were bootleg including Wundar. Anyways, the Axe was always his weapon during play and the castle was viewed as belonging to Skelly since it had pretty much his face on it. Thanx for the video and the work you put in for MOTUC; I’m still looking for Scareglow to complete the line.

[@spectorcreative1872]

With Halloween coming up now is a good time to look for Ghosts.

[@ilikethecokev2]

Did you ever get any of the figures from the Galaxy Warriors series?

[@geechie-don7157]

@@ilikethecokev2 yes! I had the Tiger guy. I did not know what line he was from til much later because we often got second hand figures out of package. Wish I could find him now...

[@ilikethecokev2]

@@geechie-don7157 Ah, so you had Tiger Man. I semi recently got a figure of Spikes (the one with the Spartan helmet)

[@jphasson]

I still have those storybooks. As a kid, I would read them every night.

[@spectorcreative1872]

I treasured mine too!

[@MidoriNatsume]

"Every hero has his sword." Thor: " *Hammer Time* " Great video btw 💪

[@spectorcreative1872]

Point taken.

[@MrDrokkul]

I knew that the sword was represented differently between the show and the mini comics, but I really don't ever remember questioning it as a kid. I remember more thinking I wish they made a gray sword opposite half that I could make He-Man's sword look whole and it annoyed me that if you put Skeletor's half in his right hand the "ugly" side of the sword faced out.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yeah as a kid I never questioned it either. Interesting though when I was an adult and learned the full back story it made more sense.

[@anthonybernero9720]

@@spectorcreative1872 that is interesting. Because you are obviously no smarter than you were back then.

[@SmartGoblin8]

My parent gave me this castle as a Christmas Present from Santa one year as a kid. That was the year I knew he wasn't real. I saw them put it next to my bed at night, and thanked them the next day for it.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well at least you had wonderful play memories!

[@willmurphy5438]

Omg same thing happened to me, but I found it and all my presents in garage lol

[@paulypoobrain2929]

That was the greatest Christmas for me as a kid. I got both castles and a load of other MOTU toys from various family members.

[@reload54]

When I was a kid me and my neighbor played with the comic stories in mind, when the cartoon came out we liked it but thought the comics were the true story, in fact we never played with prince adam, in our mind he-man always had the power and it didn't come from grey skull. Most of the time we played with Skeletor controlling the castle and he-man used his battle axe more than the sword as it was just a key in our minds.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Hey any way we play with toys is the right way!

[@freevideo07]

The mini comic stories were much cooler than the cartoon. I always went with then being more canon than the cartoon. But I made up a bunch of my own stuff for play as any kid should. Prince Adam's sword(magenta?) could be combined with Faker's sword(orange) since they were all the same molds just different color plastic. You could make four different versions of the Power Sword depending on which halves you combined. I wrote two pages listing the different powers and abilities each "power sword" had with the He-man/Skeletor version being most powerful and Prince Adam/Faker being least powerful. My friends thought I was crazy at first for spending so much time on it. But after reading it they all made copies of it so they could use it lol.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Maybe some of this will wind up in the origins line?

[@jakexou812]

Had an argument with a friend over this a few years back, well not really an argument but he only remembered the Cartoon but didn't collect the figures while I had all the little mini-story books when I was young. He didn't believe me when I told him about the deal with the two swords. Now the flag, that I do not remember and that is another cool detail to rub in his face LOL Thanks!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well now you can show him this video! It be true says I!

[@jarldagr]

Also before the rise of MOTU there was a little known cartoon called BlackStarr and the Hero and Villian of this story each had half of the fabled star sword. And I do believe this cartoon had influence on the creation of Masters of the Universe as both are properties of Funimation.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Ah! Common misconception about the influence. I just did a video addressing just this topic. Look for it to be posted soon!

[@timgillott9290]

I had the original toys when I was a kid, and never new this aspect of it. Thank you.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Glad you enjoyed. Amazing how the concept was there in the toys, but from the story it was dropped pretty quick

[@roblebeau7779]

I remember having a HeMan handheld toy sword that came split, I'm pretty sure one side glowed in the dark

[@spectorcreative1872]

I don’t recall a glow in the dark one, but I am wrong all the time

[@agro419]

I had the same. One half was the grey sword like the cartoon, other half was yellow and, yes, it did glow in the dark. I also had the Sword of Omens with the light up Eye of Thundara. Good memories!

[@FoxholeIndustries]

Yep you are correct. I had it as well. It was awesome. I’ve tried to find one on eBay for a long time.

[@grunions9648]

Yep, half silver, half glow-in-the-dark. it was excellent, but not as good as the Sword Of Omens with the light-up logo.

[@horrorstew3577]

I had two of these swords as a kid. If I remember correctly they were released in conjunction with the 2nd cartoon... Which was actually titled He-Man and was set in the future

[@The_Cosmic_Yog-Sothoth]

*The only way to reconcile the introduction of Prince Adam in the minicomics,* with the older minicomics, is to state that Prince Adam is He-Man's alter ego in the minicomics, just like Clark Kent is Superman's alter ego. This is different from the cartoon, where Price Adam is the default setting, and He-Man is his alter ego. Thus, in the minicomics, He-Man's half of the Power sword, does not grant super strength, but allows the already super strong He-Man, to quickly discard his Prince Adam disguise. Also, in the minicomics, Prince Adam/He-Man must have been the adopted son of King Randor and Queen Marlena, as he is clearly shown to have originated from a barbarian tribe, and not as a royal family member. Before the introduction of Prince Adam in "Dragon's Gift" minicomic, we see He-Man sat at the dining table with the King and Queen in both "The Magic Stealer" and "The Ordeal of Man-E-faces". This could be the precursor to him being adopted as their son, in his disguised form as Adam. As a side note, the Queen seems totally unaware that Adam is He-Man, in "He-Man and the Insect People", yet King Randor must be aware of this fact, because He-Man calls him "Father" to his face in "The Search for Keldor". Thus, we can conclude that He-Man/Adam's relationship was closer with the King than with the Queen, leading up to him to being adopted as their son.

[@PrinceSaschaVykos]

There is no more iconic sword in all of pop culture... Excalibur: hold my ale

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yes, but it does not have a clear visual

[@bryanalexander7571]

Not really pop culture

[@minimanukuk]

Mead

[@tritone11]

So funny how He-man is just Adam with a tan and less clothes🤣

[@spectorcreative1872]

Animation is expensive!

[@Thunderwing88]

Seriously, who didn’t watch the video didn’t already know this? *checking notes for first two series of mini comics* Only Skeletor gets both halves of the power sword and enters the castle in the first series. The first time we see He-Man with his half is when he and Skeletor have to defeat Trap-Jaw in issue 2.4, “The Menace of Trap-Jaw”. The last time we se He-Man’s half is on pages 12 & 13, the later they actually duel, of 2.6, “The Magic Stealer.” I still don’t own “The Tale of Teela”, so I don’t know on that one.

[@spectorcreative1872]

From what I have seen in the comments, this channel gets both super MOTU fans and VERY casual fans. Some of my videos are aimed much more at the casual fan, or even the pop culture fan in general without much MOTU knowledge.

[@kilroywashere513]

I didn’t know about the part about the flag and the swords thing though.

[@michaelbenjmitchell1]

@@kilroywashere513 I actually forgot about it it's been 38 years since I had the greyskull set when I was a kid.

[@cheeseburger12]

Well, it was an original idea that was quickly dropped from the line. It was sort of brought back in that Skeletor had a sword that could separate into two in the 2000 era relaunch. But it wasn't He-man's power sword.

[@michaelbenjmitchell1]

@@cheeseburger12 Did you notice that the new HeMan toys almost resemble the old 1982 toy line? or are they Mattels version of the Vintage Collection that Hasbro has for Star Wars?

[@AdrienHebert12]

Ah yes, my favourite kind of video, videos on a subject I know almost nothing about, but watch because it looks interesting.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Well glad you enjoy! Please do share with friends online, it helps the channel a ton

[@OrlockBJ]

What you described in this video was exactly how I played with my figures and Castle Greyskull. I loved MOTU before I saw the cartoon and my play was based on the origins and storylines in those mini-comics. It felt so good to combine those two halves of the sword and unlock the jawbridge for the first time on Christmas morning way back then. ♥️

[@spectorcreative1872]

Cool right? I kinda hoped Origins would bring this concept back

[@xjunkxyrdxdog89]

Skeletor's portal plan sounds like the plot of the modern she-ra.

[@spectorcreative1872]

I haven't seen the Netflix She-Ra show, but I don't doubt ideas get recycled.

[@goldenage]

cool. I actually prefer the inferred toyline's story over what the He-Man cartoon established.

[@spectorcreative1872]

It does have a lot of merit.

[@ddeleckijr]

I thought everyone preferred OG barbarian he man.

[@goldenage]

@@ddeleckijr I do for sure.

[@ddeleckijr]

@@goldenage i need to find all the comics and golden books that lean heavily into the two halves being the key to greyskull. It was perfect.

[@matthaeusprime6343]

@@ddeleckijr Dark Horse comics put out a really nice hard cover of all the mini comics in one collection. I want to say 5 years ago. It's amazing!

[@ryvlaw]

I think you can't argue with the fact that lightsabers are pop culture's best known and most beloved swords.

[@spectorcreative1872]

I was thinking more a metal sword

[@drdoom-skull2244]

I still have the story book and my original He-man from 1982. I loved the story and the characters. I remember being very disappointed by the Filmation reboot. Reboots were not common back then. It ruined MOTU for me and I moved on other toy lines. Only warmed up to MOTU years later as a toy collector, sadly. Thank you for educating people on this rather forgotten aspect of MOTU.

[@caitactsd]

This smells of Blackstar. You know John Blackstar, with the power sword and the star sword becoming the powerstar.he

[@spectorcreative1872]

While it is similar, I don't think it was related. I'll do a video just on this as there has been so much interest

[@mynameismudd3134]

My brother and myself had the original toys in the early 80s. When the cartoon came out we were disappointed they ditched the original story.

[@violetdusk1968]

I didn't even watch he man yet this is so interesting. You really got a passion!

[@spectorcreative1872]

I have been very blessed with amazing opportunities to work on brands I love.

[@Renserin]

I'd read years ago that He-Man started out as a completely different idea, and this just re-confirms it. Though I didn't know specifically about swords being part of Greyskull, so thank you for that.

[@spectorcreative1872]

OH yes his history is full of all sorts of changes. See this video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJqWkGR3j6qEo8U

[@adamofgrayskull7735]

People forget the golden books version and the Ladybird versions of witch I have both

[@spectorcreative1872]

I'll need to get to those too!

[@icarustanovic3097]

Everybody's forgotten the Skeletor Arena, where he would put heros into fight. That was coolest one, with entrance, thorns, etc. Comic book that comes with Clawful is one just a bit about those tournaments.

[@AintNobodyAtAll]

I remember as a kid trying to pull out the little parapet floor and trying to clip the flagpole to the inside of it in order to show the other side of the flag. The flagpole only had a clip on one side, so you couldn't actually reverse the flag. It would be stuck in place. Eventually the sticker loosened and it could be reverse, but then it would just slide down the flagpole. Weird how these videos can bring back such vivid memories of when I was like, six years old. I love that you're continuing on with these.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Glad you are enjoying them! And yes, for a flag that was supposed to be reversible the clip only worked one way! Epic fail.

[@ericfisher1360]

When I think of He-Man it's always the aesthetic of those little books that come to mind. I kind of wish it had stayed that way throughout the series.

[@spectorcreative1872]

You are not the only fan with that wish!

[@ricogoldstar]

I think they may have borrowed from Blackstar, which was an earlier Saturday Morning Cartoon series created by the same people. The PowerStar was a mighty magical weapon that was split in two through unknown events, with Blackstar and the Overlord each possessing one half. Blackstar's weapon, the Star Sword, is able to absorb, store, and reflect any external form of energy, and is virtually indestructible. It can also produce blasts of pure energy capable of destroying a target

[@spectorcreative1872]

I've heard the Blackstar comparison made, but I think this may have been more of two ideas generated separately.

[@liljenborg2517]

Actually, you're dealing with TWO different creators, Kenner (who made the toys) and Filmation (who made the TV show - and had made Blackstar just a year or two earlier). One of the reasons, I think, Filmation didn't use the two-halves of the sword thing Kenner had created for the toys when Kenner tapped the to do the TV show, was because it was something of a rip-off of Filmation's Blackstar series from a year or two before. They were still, at the time, trying to get Blackstar back on TV and a toyline to go with it (they actually did get a toy-line, but never got Blackstar renewed). I think they intentionally didn't go with Kenner's story from the minicomics precisely because it was too similar to their Blackstar IP.

[@ricogoldstar]

@@liljenborg2517 ah, very interesting. Filmation was notorious for using the same format, animation style, music and sound effects for many of their series. Since Blackstar came first, just an assumption that many ideas from that story line was transferred to The Masters of the Universe series.

[@brandonmaze6119]

Not about the swords but I remember He-Man riding a pink version of Warlock in one episode. As a kid I thought that was so cool

[@peterglen8396]

I have many heroes in life, but you, sir, are my new hero. This...was....awesome!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Nice to hear! Please do feel free to share these videos with others, it helps the channel a ton!

[@nakiaanderson3371]

I like how everybody seems 2 forget that they stole certain aspects of a earlier cartoon "Blackstar" whereupon both the hero and villan also had halves of one sword......but no one talks about that cuz he was native american...

[@spectorcreative1872]

I don't really think the idea was stolen from Blackstar, especially as the MOTU series from Filmation came years later. But they are very similar I will give you that.

[@RedSiegfried]

Blackstar was Native American? I don't remember that. I think you're getting him confused with Bravestarr who was definitely a Native American dude, in another Filmation cartoon. A very underrated cartoon if you ask me!

[@nakiaanderson3371]

@@RedSiegfried John Blackstar was native american,it's wasn't a well known fact considering it the time it aired but it's true....

[@Kaosjeff12]

I was trying to think of the cartoons name thanks

[@anthonybernero9720]

@@RedSiegfried I like BraveStarr too. 30/30 is the shit.

[@Nono-hk3is]

Thank you. I've been wondering about the half-swords for about 35 years.

[@spectorcreative1872]

And now you know! And knowing is half of the sword.

[@NathanOakley1980]

[@spectorcreative1872]

I"d put that at a close # 2. But that is me

[@nate_d376]

I never realized the swords clipped together, of course I didn't have the castle though.

[@spectorcreative1872]

They never really explained that feature very well

[@Marveryn]

i would love to combine the two ideas. The He-man is actually an ancestor of prince Adam. Adam is his reincarnation and with the sword Adam is able to pull his ancestor into his present to fight his mortal enemy. So the story of He man in the comic are those prior to Adam being born with the filmention cartoon are the one after.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Hey not a bad take on the mythos at all!

[@JSBrown303]

Perhaps to expand it and tie in other stuff you could have the ancestor He Man be King Greyskull.

[@domls1317]

@@JSBrown303 so where does that leave He-Man?

[@JSBrown303]

@@domls1317 I don't know. Perhaps when Prince Adam pulls the ancestor into his present like the op suggested they have to combine (Greyskull sort of has to possess Adam in a sense) and the result is the He Man we know. I'm just kind of spitballing here. I just thought it would be interesting if King Greyskull was the ancestor of Marveryn's idea since he is Adam's ancestor. Figured it would be an interesting tie in.

[@domls1317]

@@JSBrown303 King Grayskull kind of is He-Man.

[@guruuvy]

Great channel! I recognized your voice after a few minutes because I used to work with with Bill and Terrence on your team at JAKKS and we all came to Mattel within months of each other. Nice to see you using your powers for good!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Awesome! So glad you found the channel. Drop me a line if you want through Spectorcreative.com! Always great to catch up and keep the toy industry focused on "the good"!

[@guruuvy]

@@spectorcreative1872 -Most Def!

[@tonilarios]

I would say the Lightsaber is by far the most recognisable sword ever in pop culture, then maybe the Sword of Omens far behind and then He man's sword. I'm into he man more but I feel the muscular figure and castle gay skull are more recognizable than the sword itself. Idk.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Not discounting the Lightsaber, I was talking more of an actual metal sword vs an energy blade.

[@NorthSpider]

Wel the Atlantian sword of Conan is most likely one of the more recognised swords from 80's cult movies.

[@haraldblatand5362]

Of course I can only speak for myself, but to me the sword is pivotal to He-Man and I can't see how anyone wouldn't know the sword if they know about He-Man. The one thing that is stuck on peoples mind, and what people think of when they hear the name He-Man, is the Filmation transformation scene, and it's all about the sword. It's in focus for the whole sequence and it's made abundantly clear that it is very special. I just can't see how you would know He-Man but not the iconic looking sword as well.

[@peezeezee8162]

Skeletor's sword looked like a Four Testicled Clover Sword

[@spectorcreative1872]

Exactly what they were going for!

[@jbrecken]

Mer-Man's "ear of corn" sword almost worked as a key to the castle.

[@spectorcreative1872]

I wonder if it would work on the Classics playset?

[@geoffrichardson2538]

I had the original castle and yes hemans sword was the key to the door of castle.

[@stevenc.c4138]

Most well known in pop culture? Thundercats says otherwise

[@spectorcreative1872]

I;d put that at a close #2

[@stevenc.c4138]

@@spectorcreative1872 Conan's sword is more identifiable. Never seen a replica of He-Mans sword for sale. I myself have been looking for the Beastmaster sword but thats not cheap or easy to come by lol

[@JapiCustoms]

4:25 Men , this is Gorgeous

[@spectorcreative1872]

Glad you like!

[@jerkfudgewater147]

This is the sort of video you make when you’re born without genitals

[@spectorcreative1872]

Huh?

[@spencerwelchii573]

I would say that The Sword of Omens is a better known sword...and cooler looking.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Its a toss up

[@nbriez-c5914]

It by far is

[@SerifSansSerif]

Dude... He-Man may have some weird homoerotic undertones, but the sword of omens is literally wielded by a 13 year old in an adult body It's a one eyed sword that grows when things get exciting... The jokes write themselves.

[@Glitch-Gremlin]

5:29 Skeletor has his lap covered with that robe, because he was literally so happy he finally got in Castle Grayskull, he had to hide his MASSIVE Purple... uh.... Bone... lol, Skeletor, Bone...perfect. Then Teela saw what was going on and wanted to Climb his.... SNAKE MOUNTAIN!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Oh dear

[@AustynSN]

No more iconic sword in pop culture? Uhm... Excalibur.

[@michaelpayton9164]

I was thinking that too. Actually, I think the lightsaber and Sword of Omens might be more iconic as well.

[@AustynSN]

@@michaelpayton9164 The lightsaber might be more iconic, but it's a series of weapons, not a specific single particular weapon as the power sword is. As to the sort of omens? I'm pretty sure He-Man has Lin-O beat out there. (though I did prefer the Lord of The Thundercats to the Prince of the Eternia when I was a kid.)

[@mrspeigel3593]

Stormbringer

[@AustynSN]

@@mrspeigel3593 That's a hammer, not a sword.

[@mrspeigel3593]

@@AustynSN wrong weapon the hammer is named after the Sword, Stormbringer the black blade, the OG daemon weapon and one of the most powerful pieces of personal equipment in fiction, welded by the eternal champion Elric

[@terminuscoagule3059]

I always remembered skeletor and he-man's swords were 2 halfs of the same sword.

[@spectorcreative1872]

And now you know why! Unless you did know that. In that case you know why more.

[@frank0stein]

This is the He-Man I remember...getting storylines from the mini comics instead of the cartoon.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Many people feel the same way

[@residentrump3271]

In the mini comic I recall Tri-clops saying Beast Man's pelt would look great hanging on a wall. Seems he had every intention of taking it until Skeletor stopped him. I miss being a kid.....

[@CaptainStrudle]

I remember having all this stuff as a kid. I also remember ignoring all of it. Taking all the figures and putting those little plastic football helmets on them and lining them up. And that's how the Greyskull Bowl was started.

[@spectorcreative1872]

The Grayskull Bowl? Awesome!

[@edgexl8327]

I had both He-Man and Skeletor as a kid and I didn't realize at the time the swords could fit together. It took the kid next door - a girl - to show me that.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Pretty much everything in life takes a woman to make things make sense.

[@NYCQuint]

Simp

[@The_Rude_French_Canadian]

She was used to inserting

[@YoureNotAlexander]

So the girl next door showed you how to properly insert the sword into the hole? Makes sense. XD

[@tobiaspain]

The original story ( before the cartoon ) was that He-Man’s strength did not come from the sword. He was already naturally the most powerful man on Eternia. The vest thingy ( given to him by the sorceress ) amplified his strength.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yup. See this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnzImZKHg5iVb5I

[@Jinx_Skeel]

c'mon, lion from thundercat's sword is waaaaaaay more iconic than he-man's will ever be

[@spectorcreative1872]

Is it though? To mass people who are not toy and comic fans?

[@rootbeer_666]

@@spectorcreative1872 I wouldn’t consider myself a toy/comic fan-I collect neither-and I remember the Sword of Omens pretty clearly. I didn’t even know He-Man’s sword had a name.

[@StarlasAiko]

More people know of He-man and respectively more people know that the Sword of Power exists (knowledge of the existence of the Power Sword is increased by She-ra, but the Sword of Omens is more recognisable.

[@Erykthebat]

Skeletor's sword in the 2002 series was a reference to this as the original story in that series is that skeletor got both half of the power sword so duncan and the sorceress had to create a new power sword for he man so he could transform, they changed it before the show came out as a reboot instead of a sequel

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yup. But that reference went away and Mattel went with a different direction. It was a cool nod though!

[@MotiviqueStudio]

Aragon? Yeeouch. Also: Excalibur.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Yeah, I am in shame land.

[@cesareonthemidway]

I have a He-Man sword tattoo on my forearm and the number of people who commented on it is really surprising. 40-50 year old men always light up when they see it.

[@spectorcreative1872]

I really should do a whole video on MOTU tattoos. It is a very popular thing

[@HandofOmega]

I feel like there almost HAS to be some connection to the cartoon Blackstar, which featured a powerful magic sword, The PowerStar, that was split into two, each wielded by the hero and villain of the show, and which the villain always tried to possess by combining both together! The fact that Blackstar was also made by Filmation makes this being a coincidence unlikely...tho not impossible. EDIT: Full eps of Blackstar are up on KZbin, check `em out and let us know what you think! (and I see that the voice actor of Skeletor also voiced Blackstar's main villain, The Overlord! Hmmm...!)

[@spectorcreative1872]

Oh I am very familiar with Blackstarr and while it is possible the double sword influenced the designers of the 1982 line, I don't have any insight either way.

[@HandofOmega]

@@spectorcreative1872 Fair enough! Speaking of comic/storybooks, I swear I remember having a comic or picture book where Superman found himself in Eternia and Skeletor used his magic sword to control him into fighting He-Man...did I imagine this, or have you seen it too?

[@RamManNo1]

Hand -of-Omega DC Comics Presents 47 www.comics.org/issue/36483/ Then a few months later there was a free 16 page motu stand alone story inserted into various dc comics. And then a few months later a 3 issue mini series by DC. This was all pre filmation.

[@blackpatflynn]

Even though He-Mans power sword came first, there is something more epic and spectacular about the Sword Of Omens

[@spectorcreative1872]

Not saying there isn't but to main stream culture I don't know if it is as well known

[@luigimaster111]

Regarding the intro, Jack Sparrow's iconic weapon was arguably his flintlock.

[@spectorcreative1872]

True. But also not a sword

[@soundpreacher]

His jar of dirt.

[@MetaSynForYourSoul]

1:00 "...iconic pop culture sword than He-Man..." *_Lion-O has entered the chat_*

[@spectorcreative1872]

Lion-o should know that with the public at large, his sword is not as well known as he thinks it is

[@MOOSEPUNK]

Lion-o’s sword is more iconic. Fight me!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Where? Behind the school yard or next to the ice cream shop?

[@MOOSEPUNK]

@@spectorcreative1872 😂😂😂

[@niccoloandretti5681]

I got your back

[@MOOSEPUNK]

@@niccoloandretti5681 Hell yeah brother! We’ll practice karate in my garage beforehand! 😂

[@TheGamesNexus]

I grew up in Hungary, we didn't have access to the cartoon series, we only got the mini-comics to build the setting for our games. There were also some German MotU magazines that helped, but those were a kinda strange mix of fantasy and weird horror.

[@spectorcreative1872]

I know Germany had audio plays too. Did you ever listen to those?

[@TheGamesNexus]

@@spectorcreative1872 Nope, but you've got the point, I think the magazines were done by the same team, so they might be worth checking out.

[@jaymethysell5111]

Thundercats Sword of Omens is more iconic than He-Man's sword.

[@spectorcreative1872]

With the general public, I'd put that at recognition level #2, but that is just my opinon

[@cultoay0utube]

My vote for the most iconic signature sword in pop culture is to The Sword of Omens.

[@spectorcreative1872]

And I"d put that at a #2, at least with the population at large!

[@rodrickadamginsburg8960]

One of the greatest villains ever!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Way more evil compared to the Hamburgler. .

[@Gay_Priest]

This guy says there’s no more iconic sword in pop culture than he-man’s sword right after bringing up Luke’s lightsaber

[@unlimiteddj3908]

Lion-o is also fed up with this foolishness

[@spectorcreative1872]

I was talking about metal swords

[@Gay_Priest]

@@spectorcreative1872 Master Sword then

[@antfrancis9941]

Sword of omens being a close second.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Close second yes.

[@SK4M_Freal]

He-man and Lion-O need to fight to find out which sword 'shwings' better. Big ups on the Wu bro.💯👐

[@antfrancis9941]

@@SK4M_Freal yes my fellow wu brethren. I see you there with the cappadonna logo.🙌

[@SK4M_Freal]

@@antfrancis9941 ive got loads of WU logos bro. This one my Fave. Wu4eva.💯👊💯👐

[@SK4M_Freal]

@@antfrancis9941 ive subd to ya bro. You got some sick playlists there my G.💯👊

[@6661313]

i never even knew the swords could be clipped together

[@spectorcreative1872]

Crazy right! Faker's works too.

[@RetroActionUK]

9:28: The Great Duel! Scott vs. Design. Spector succeeds. Raise the flag!

[@spectorcreative1872]

Flags noted

[@herbie_the_hillbillie_goat]

How AWESOME were our toys!

[@spectorcreative1872]

The most awesome

[@franciscoortega7938]

my cousin was a huge fan of the series and had almost every toy. i can say, with all confidence, that the swords did not clicked together. the mold used for both swords was exactly the same and the holes and inserts were in the same place. we were always puzzled what the purpose was for the swords to look unfinished and flat on one side.

[@spectorcreative1872]

Sometimes the swords may have been produced incorrectly.

[@d.l.9517]

I had both the swords and actually combined them together. The tab on one of the swords was just a small, curved, tab. I think your cousin had a production error, might be worth money.

[@franciscoortega7938]

@@d.l.9517 i hope he still has them...

[@franciscoortega7938]

@@spectorcreative1872 perhaps... he bought the first line that came up. i am sure they produced them in a hurry.

[@juddery]

No more iconic sword in pop culture than He-Man? A: He-Man himself isn't a sword. B: I'm pretty sure that the sword of Omens is more iconic and definitely has a name that way more people would recognise. C: Excalibur: hold my scabbard! D: I doubt most people would even know what He-Man's sword is called without hitting up Google, (mostly because its name is quite forgettable and in my opinion, a bit lame, although the sword itself is great). So although the shape and design of He-Man's sword is definitely very recognisable to anyone who watched the show or had the toys, the sword of Omens and Excalibur both have very well known and recognisable names, which is not the case for He-Man's sword. One caveat though, is that Excalibur probably wouldn't be recognisable visually, as its depiction has varied with every appearance in media and also it would largely look like the majority of other swords of its time, although perhaps a little fancier. On the flip side, He-Man's sword would be visually recognisable, as mentioned above.

[@spectorcreative1872]

The issue with Excalibur is their is no one definitive visual. As for the Sword of Omens, I'd put it up there, but I think He-Man sword is more well known among the general public. Just my opinion! Thanks for commenting though. It is appreciated!

[@TheSickNeeds]

I grew up on the 80s.... own some thundercats figures..... and until today I didn't even know that it was called the Sword of Omens. I'm not even sure how long that cartoon ran here in Canada.... I reached out to some friends to see what they can come up with. It wasn't even a fraction as popular as He-man. By that time there were so many toy lines going it was lost in the mix.

[@juddery]

@@TheSickNeeds From the sounds of it, I think it's likely that Thundercats was more popular and well known here in the UK than it was overseas, although I agree that He-Man was more popular as a cartoon and also as a toy line too. In fact, I had quite a few He-Man toys myself, but I think by the time Thundercats came along, I'd pretty much reached an age when I'd stopped playing with action figures, so didn't get any Thundercats toys at all. Obviously this is all just from my own perspective, but I just feel that the sword of Omens was way more popular with myself and my class mates at least. Regardong names, I actually had to look up what He-Man's sword was called, before making my original comment, because I literally couldn't remember. In fact, I don't remember it ever being referred to by name in the cartoon, but I suppose it must have been at some point. I do know that the sword of Omens was definitely referred to by name multiple times in the Thundercats cartoon though. Isn't it amusing how different people can have wildly different experiences, perceptions and memories of the same things. 😁

[@juddery]

@@spectorcreative1872 agreed regarding Excalibur. I still think that it's more well known, but concede to the lack of definitive visual recognition. I said something similar in my original comment in fact. I still think the sword of Omens is more iconic, but perhaps that's my own bias talking, lol. I'm also thinking that perhaps Thundercats was more popular here in the UK than it was elsewhere in the world. It was certainly very popular amongst my school friends. At the end of the day though, both shows were very much enjoyed and I guess that's what counts. 😀

[@TheSickNeeds]

@@juddery I wouldn't blame anyone for not knowing the names of weapons..... the name of Darth Vaders light saber? I believe its name was "Darth Vaders light saber".... right? The long form of its name was "Darth Vaders light saber....its red". He-mans sword was just called He-mans sword.... its what it did that made people remember it...... and for the record I'd say the most popular sword in pop culture would be the light saber..... and not anyone's in particular..... if you hit someone in the 80s with a roll of gift wrap it was a light saber!

[@dolfan29]

Well the two swords marketing worked for me. After buying HeMan I had to get the Skeletor figure so I could combine the swords. LOL

[@spectorcreative1872]

Another satisfied customer

[@Denver_Risley]

A more iconic sword in pop culture than a lightsaber? One thing you did say that was pretty awesome...Bonesword. Totally.

[@spectorcreative1872]

By sword I meant more of a metal sword. I suppose I assumed Laser Swords were their own thing. Now a Bone Lightsaber... lets make that happen

[@Shadownasty]

Power sword was definitely iconic, but I believe Lion-o's Sword of Omens may be a little better known & qualify as the "most" iconic 80s cartoon weapon.

[@spectorcreative1872]

I would put the Sword of Owens as a good # 2 with the general public. But that is just me.