Summary
- A shocking twist in Masters of the Universe reveals that an unlikely member of the Masters team has known He-Man’s secret identity all along.
- The revelation of He-Man’s secret to Sy-Klone is a major departure from established lore, but it adds depth to the character and shows the potential for new directions in the franchise.
- Regardless of whether or not Sy-Klone remembers the encounter, the act of trust from He-Man has the potential to make Sy-Klone one of He-Man’s most trusted allies.
Warning: contains spoilers for Masters of the Universe: Forge of Destiny #3!
Masters of the Universe confirms that a shocking hero has known He-Man’s secret identity this whole time. In the Masters of the Universe franchise, regardless of incarnation, very few people know that Prince Adam is secretly He-Man. Yet, as seen in Masters of the Universe: Forge of Destiny #3, another, unlikely member of the Masters team also knows He-Man’s secret.
This bombshell was dropped in Masters of the Universe: Forge of Destiny #3, written by Tim Seeley and drawn by Eddie Nunez. He-Man’s former friend Dash, who is being transformed into Sy-Klone has been corrupted by Evil Lyn’s magic and is out to kill He-Man, who he erroneously blames for his condition. In order to convince Sy-Klone he is innocent, He-Man “returns the power,” reverting back to Prince Adam.
Seeing the truth helps Sy-Klone to begin throwing off the conditioning he received at Evil Lyn’s hands.
Sy-Klone Just Got a Rare Masters of the Universe Honor
Sy-Klone knowing He-Man’s secret is a major step forward for the franchise. The opening credits to the original Masters of the Universe cartoon let fans know that only three people knew Prince Adam was actually He-Man: the Sorceress, Man-At-Arms, and Orko. This also holds true in the 2002 reboot as well. The only incarnation that bucked this trend came during DC’s 2010s series. Set on an Eternia conquered by Hordak, He-Man dispensed with the pretenses and told everyone who he was, much to their shock. However, this remains an outlier in the larger Masters of the Universe lore, which opts to keep his identity a secret.
Not only is Masters of the Universe: Forge of Destiny treating fans to a “back to basics” approach to the franchise, but is also taking risks and charting new directions, and Sy-Klone knowing He-Man’s secret identity, is one of them. Forge of Destiny is as much Sy-Klone’s story as it is He-Man’s, one that grounds him front and center and shows the potential in this underused Master of the Universe. Letting Sy-Klone in on He-Man’s secret elevates him to a very select company, and bolsters his profile in the Masters of the Universe lore. Of course, there is a possibility Sy-Klone will remember nothing of this encounter.
Sy-Klone Will Become an Ally of He-Man
Regardless of whether Sy-Klone remembers He-Man’s secret or not is irrelevant, as it is a symbol of trust. It speaks volumes to He-Man’s character that he not only showed Sy-Klone the truth, but did so when his friend was emotionally and physically compromised. He-Man appealed to Sy-Klone’s humanity and the end of the issue hints he got through to him. He-Man even went as far as to share the Power of Grayskull with him. If Sy-Klone remembers all of this when the dust settles, he will become one of He-Man’s most trusted allies and confidantes.
Masters of the Universe: Forge of Destiny #3 is on sale now from Dark Horse Comics!