Summary
Warning: contains spoilers forMasters of the Universe: Revolution#1!Skeletor’s staff is one of his most important weapons, and nowMasters of the Universehas confirmed its stunning origin–and its connection to Eternia’s past. InMasters of the Universe: Revolution#1, from Dark Horse Comics, Hordak is seeking the ultimate weapon to further his ambitions. Seeking answers in the Fright Zone,Hordak finds his weapon, and it looks exactly like Skeletor’s ram-headed staff.
Masters of the Universe: Revolution#1 is written by Tim Sheridan, from a script by Sheridan, Rob Davis and Ted Biaselli and drawn by Daniel HDR. The issue opens with a recounting of Eternia’s origin, and how two opposing primordial forces: the eagle-like Zoar and the snake-like Ka, nearly destroyed the universe. However, a third force, resembling a ram, came to balance them out. This in time led to stagnation.
Later, when Shadow Weaver gives Hordak the Ha’Vok staff, it bears the head of a ram.
Astute fans will recognize the Ha’Vok staff as Skeletor’s.
Yet Skeletor’s Staff Never Got an Origin
Skeletor, the primary villain in theMasters of the Universefranchise, seeks the power of Castle Grayskull for himself. Over the years, Mattel,Masters of the Universe’sparent company,released different versions of Skeletor, but the classic remains by and far the best. The original Skeletor toys that went on sale in the early 1980s came with two accessories: one half of the Power Sword, as well as a ram-headed staff. As was the norm at the time, no background was given for the staff–it simply was. Not even later incarnations explored its origins.
The revelations about the staff’s origins inMasters of the Universe: Revolution#1 adds a new wrinkle to Skeletor’s backstory. The staff was seen regularly in the original cartoon series, and became synonymous with the character. Skeletor retained the staff when the franchise returned in the early 2000s. Yet the idea that Hordak thought it was for him is new, and not only casts new light on his relationship with Skeletor, but the staff’s origins. It originated with Shadow Weaver, who would become an adversary of She-Ra and it even receives a name: Ha’Vok.
Skeletor’s Secret Origin Redefines the Entire He-Man Franchise
Skeletor had a life before his evil transformation, giving him a fascinating legacy in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
Skeletor’s Staff Has a Far More Complex Backstory Than Fans Could Imagine
Skeletor’s Power Predates Even Eternia
The Ha’Vok Staff also has ties to the universe’s mind-bending origin. In the issue’s opening pages, the forces that would shape Eternia are at war. Their battle threatens all existence. The ram-headed balancing force that enters the picture brings peace, but only temporarily. The stagnation and corruption that followed the war’s end are an even more insidious force.Masters of the Universe: Revolution#1 makes a point to show the connection between the origins of Eternia and Skeletor’s iconic, ram-headed staff. Long an enigma in theMasters of the Universefranchise, it now has an origin of its own.
Masters of the Universe: Revolution#1 is on sale now from Dark Horse Comics!
Masters of the Universe: Revolution#1 (2024)
