The Series Two minicomics were written by Gary Cohn and illustrated by Mark Texeira, Tod Smith and Anthony Tollin. The stories add to the canon of the Series One minicomics by portraying Eternia as a rustic kingdom.
The enduring appeal of Cohn’s stories was unintentional. He thought the characters were weak and the toy line would fail. But he nevertheless produced stories which inspired the imaginations of many young fans.
The tales make great use of swords-and-sorcery archetypes. He-Man is very much the questing hero, defending the folk of the kingdom. Glimpses of Arthurian and Norse mythology can be seen in these minicomics.
HE-MAN MEETS RAM-MAN!
He-Man Meets Ram-Man! deals with themes of deception and friendship. While not the strongest of Cohn’s stories (Ram-Man is too easily swayed by Skeletor’s lies), it still enthrals and entertains.
The tale’s strengths lie in the questing hero archetype (He-Man ventures across the land like an Arthurian knight to protect the vulnerable villagers) and the calculating ruthlessness of the villain.
Cohn’s Skeletor is less psychopathic and more tactical than Glut’s. We also see evidence of an agrarian society. The Eternian landscape is still wild and unforgiving, but we now know something of its inhabitants.
This minicomic is celebrated for introducing the glorm, which is the greatest Masters of the Universe beast ever imagined. The motif of the terrorising monster has roots in countless mythologies. It’s a powerful image.
THE ORDEAL OF MAN-E-FACES!
After glimpsing rural Eternia in the first minicomic of the set, we now get to see inside the royal palace. We learn that Eternia is ruled by an elderly king and queen, and that He-Man and the other heroes are their champions.
The Ordeal of Man-E-Faces! is a tale of conflicted personalities trapped in one body. It recalls Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, although the menace here is not self-inflicted.
Skeletor’s role as a schemer is emphasised in this story. It is clear that, as an amoral character, he has no qualms about destroying another person’s life in the pursuit of his goals. Man-E-Faces is his unfortunate victim.
And, of course, the clever part of the story is its lack of a happy ending. The monster remains trapped inside Man-E-Faces, to be triggered once more when Skeletor next sees an opportunity.
THE MENACE OF TRAP JAW!
The Menace of Trap Jaw! tells how Trap Jaw arrives not just on Eternia but inside Castle Grayskull. Skeletor conceives a scheme to enter the castle from another dimension, but his plan meets an unforeseen obstacle.
It is clear that Trap Jaw is an incredibly powerful adversary. It takes He-Man and Skeletor working together (a first for the canon) to subdue the magically empowered villain when he threatens to overpower them both.
Skeletor attempts to rush inside the fortress while the jawbridge is open. He fails, but his consolation prize is to escape with the unconscious Trap Jaw, intending to force the defeated criminal into servitude.
Trap Jaw’s past is cleverly hinted at when we first meet him. The story is never recounted, but the fact that he is on the run from a fierce gang who are determined to catch him ‘this time’ tells us all we need to know.
THE TERROR OF TRI-KLOPS!
The Terror of Tri-Klops! is one of the most intriguing Series Two minicomics. The title character is introduced as a demon hunter. His acceptance of Skeletor’s challenge reveals him to be a mercenary for hire as well.
The challenge is to kill He-Man. Tri-Klops considers himself to be capable of such a feat. He defeats Battle Cat, Ram-Man and Teela before doing battle with He-Man himself, and he comes perilously close to victory.
A curious aspect of Tri-Klops’s character is witnessed in the fact that he does not kill He-Man’s allies even though he has the might and skill to do so. Tri-Klops evidently has his own sense of morality and is not inherently evil.
When Skeletor appears and fires a devastating energy blast from his sword at the warriors, Tri-Klops warns He-Man who is able to deflect the attack. Tri-Klops vanishes, indicating he has magical power as well.
THE TALE OF TEELA!
The Tale of Teela! links the appearance of the Point Dread outpost in the present to its appearance twenty years earlier. The story explains how Teela the warrior woman was created as a clone of the Goddess / Sorceress.
Skeletor’s plan was to raise the child, make her his bride and then use her magical ability to steal the power contained within Castle Grayskull. This was an unusual long-term strategy for Skeletor.
The hero of the tale is not He-Man on this occasion but Man-At-Arms. He intervened on the first occasion and comes to the rescue once again. Skeletor is thwarted when Teela and her mother briefly merge.
We learn that Man-At-Arms raised the young Teela because the Goddess’s duties prevented her from so doing. The Goddess is also named Teela. Point Dread is affixed to Castle Grayskull by magic at the end of the story.
THE MAGIC STEALER!
The Magic Stealer! is the best of all the minicomics. It is a great hero-quest tale and also contains interesting mythological themes and deeper symbolism. The jeopardy in this tale imperils the entire planet of Eternia.
Skeletor is never more determined and dangerous. The fact that his victims include the Goddess and Procrustus, the god of the inner world, is significant. This tale symbolises the destruction of the gods by a mortal.
Procrustus is a fantastic character. The concept of a giant god who holds the world together with his four arms is an incredible image. (He was finally made into a figure in the Masters of the Universe Classics line).
He-Man is not interested in a fair fight this time. He rips apart the Magic Stealer with his bare hands and, we can conclude, intends to leave Skeletor to his fate in the ensuing explosion. The barbarian remains untamed.
THE POWER OF… POINT DREAD!
The Power of… Point Dread! is a sequel to The Tale of Teela! After his earlier defeat, Skeletor discovers a way to capture the Talon Fighter aircraft and then uses it to rip Point Dread from the turret of Castle Grayskull.
A furious attack is launched against the royal palace. Skeletor flies the Talon Fighter while Beast Man uses the weapons of Point Dread and Tri-Klops leads an army of ochre trolls against the palace guards.
The assault is brutal and deadly but He-Man and Man-At-Arms fight back. He-Man takes to the air in the Wind Raider while his mentor leads the ground forces. Zoar, the fighting falcon, accompanies He-Man.
It is Beast Man who identifies He-Man’s tactic against Skeletor, but his shouted warning comes too late. Skeletor crashes the Talon Fighter into Point Dread. Skeletor rages when he sees them restored to Castle Grayskull.