An aspect of the Origins minicomics that causes annoyance is how too much content is forced into a small number of pages. The stories feel chaotic simply because so much is crammed into the text boxes. You will see that here.
Frequent continuity problems also arise. The tales are muddled and inconsistent. This is even more frustrating when the story relates to a Vintage concept because it leads to contradictions. The quality is distinctly lacking.
SOUL KEEPER
A theme from the end of the Vintage era was how Keldor became Skeletor. This was expanded during the Classics era when it was stated that Hordak created Skeletor by fusing Keldor with an evil entity named Demo-Man.
This story attempts to record the tale in minicomic form. It works apart from one very obvious contradiction: Evil-Lyn excises the entity from Skeletor after He-Man was shown to have done that already during an earlier battle.
TERROR OF THE TECHNOMANCER
This story relates to a Vintage comic named The Warrior Machine! in which Hordak modifies Extendar. In the new tale Hordak captures Extendar so he can take back the heroic warrior’s power source and use it in a new creation.
It’s a simple story and that is to its credit. It is a credible sequel to the original minicomic. Extendar fights his way from Hordak’s lair without He-Man’s help this time. Hordak nonetheless succeeds in making a new creature.
LEVIATHAN’S WAR
Another rubbish story that is a sequel to the Origins minicomic The Sword of the Serpent and basically duplicates much of the plot. Skeletor seems to have shaken off the Snake Men’s influence but still wears their armour.
Lady Slither fails to bring her fleet to Eternia but sneaks through a portal in a shuttlecraft. Various Snake Men make suicidal demands and betray each other. King Hiss comes back from the dead with a plan to restore his reign.
PLAGUE OF THE IMMORTAL
A Vintage minicomic titled The Secret Liquid of Life! introduced Geldor as a villain on a quest for immortality. He didn’t find it and was eaten by a tree before he could consume the elixir. This story finds him alive and well.
The tale doesn’t work. There are contradictions from the original plot and even within the story itself. Geldor’s change of heart following the appearance of a never-seen-before wife is forced and unconvincing. It’s a mess.
STARMARSHAL
Rio Blast defeats some Horde interlopers and steals their spaceship. He discovers fellow star marshals from his home planet whom he thought were dead. He asks them to go to Eternia with him to battle against the Horde.
The story is not over-complicated like other Origins minicomics, and it is better for it, even though Rio Blast is a boring character. It’s an adequate good-versus-evil tale that came with the limited-edition Rio Blast figure.
HE-RO’S JOURNEY
A decent origin story for He-Ro. One of the interesting developments in Masters of the Universe lore is how Moss Man has been presented as an ancient deity. Back in the Vintage days, I imagined him as a Green Man character.
He-Ro was a prototype character for the cancelled Powers of Grayskull line. He was given some prominence during the Classics line. This minicomic accompanied the limited edition Origins figure on Mattel Creations.