Classics-Line Mini-Comics, a Summary and Explanation: Issue # 1 "The Legend Begins"

This is the first issue of the Classic-Line comics, but the title is misleading. The story picks up in the middle of an on-going crisis with very little explanation and the assumption that the reader already just "knows" what's going on.

The title "the Legend Begins" does not refer to the beginning of He-Man, but instead the beginning of King Grayskull's legend.

The Classics-Line "the Legend Begins" is actually a retelling of an older Masters of the Universe mini-comic from the Vintage era of the franchise.

There are minor and inconsequential differences, but the main plot is the same:

Specifically, our protagonists (He-Man, Teela, She-Ra, etc.) are losing ground on on the defensive against the multiple fronts of the Snakemen, the Horde, and Skeletor. The Sorceress is dead, Man-at-Arms has been transformed into a Snakeman, and our heroes are forced underground and living in caves.

Teela uses her newfound power as the New Sorceress in combination with the power of the newly risen Central Tower to send Adam back in time to the Preternia Era, the time of King Grayskull.

But Skeletor was also skulking around Central Tower (as one does) and saw Teela send Adam to the past. Before the portal closes, Skeletor sneaks through and follows Adam to the Preternia Era.

While in the past, Adam must disguise his identity to avoid causing a paradox.

Immediately after arriving in the past, Adam starts performing good deeds and saves a dinosaur that was being attacked by Snakemen. This dinosaur then becomes his steed for the reminder of time Adam is in the past.

Meanwhile, Skeletor looks up his ex-boyfriend former roommate, King Hiss.

Note how King Hiss makes mention of "the Unnamed One" on both. Even in 1987 Mattel had already planned for the concept that would eventually become Gorpo the Unnamed even back then.

The original Vintage version of this issue ends with the Sorceress (which is Teela-Na, not Teela in that version) telling Adam that he needs to find a wizard to help him.

The Classics-Line version of this comic ends with He-Ro (a wizard) helping Adam out then promptly vanishing.

Both endings set up for the next issue, but the 1987 issue never got a follow-up, while the 2012 version was just the first of a short run of comics that would be companion pieces for Mattel's 2010s collectors toy line.

Explanation:

The Classics-Line comics were packaged with Classics-Line action figures, which were marketed and priced for adults and toy collectors. The assumption was that the people buying the Classics-Line were the same children that had played with the toys in the 80s and were already familiar with Masters of the Universe characters and lore.

The audience was just supposed to already know what the Three Towers are, who Adam|He-Man, Teela, Skeletor, and King Hiss are, and so on. Any exposition given is the bare minimum and only when absolutely necessary.

You can read issue # 1 of the Classics-Line here:

Been a while since I last worked on this fic.

This is one of my "Evil-Lyn is King Hiss' daughter" AUs. Except this is the one where she's his adopted daughter not his biological child. She's all human in this one, not half-Snakeman. Nick never rescued her after she was kidnapped and instead of eating her, Hiss decided to raise her as his own.

In this chapter, Evil-Lyn has been struggling with feelings of not belonging for a while. In an effort to help Evil-Lyn realize just how important they are to Serpos, Hiss gives Evil-Lyn the vision tea to gain a hint of their destiny and how important they really are, not just to the Snakemen, but to the goddess Serpos herself!

But does Evil-Lyn's vision tell them to serve Serpos? Or should Evil-Lyn return to Bash-Or?