He-Man He-Man He-Man is the principal superhero of a series of comic books and several animated television series, characterized by his superhuman strength. In most variations, he is the alter ego of Prince Adam. He-Man and his friends attempt to defend the realm of Eternia and the secrets of Castle Grayskull from the evil forces of Skeletor. In 1976, Mattel's CEO Ray Wagner declined a deal to produce a toyline of action figures based on the characters from the George Lucas film "Star Wars," due to the $750,000 license required upfront. Following the commercial success of the original "Star Wars" trilogy
He-Man be a descendant of King Grayskull (a powerful barbarian and a hero from Eternia's ancient past), who sacrificed his life in order to save Eternia from the Evil Horde and originally wielded the Sword of Power. He was the original owner of Castle Grayskull; his sword was concealed in the castle for centuries before being given to Prince Adam, who inherited his ancestor's own power channeled through the sword (thus giving added meaning to the phrase "By the power of Grayskull..."). This action-figure line combined elements from the He-Man universe into a cohesive storyline with biographies on the figures' packaging.