She-Ra: The the Most Powerful Woman in the Universe

Loved her as a kid, still secretly wishes I was her. As a fan that knows information about this character... the kind that very few would find useful, I thought I have a blog I can write whatever the hell I want. Why not about the 'Most Powerful Woman In The Universe'?

She-Ra was an anomaly - an action-based series for girls at a time when most animated series and toy lines aimed at girls were more traditionally feminine. The character was just as strong as her famous brother, He-Man, but no less glamorous for that fact. She-Ra's toys proved as odd a hybrid as the character herself, combining the comb-able hair and fashion appeal of a Barbie doll with the sword-swinging action and accessories of a traditional boy's action-figure.

Defying conventional wisdom, this anomaly proved popular. Soon She-Ra was a pop-culture icon whose toys sold an estimated $60 million in her first year of existence alone. Yet for all of the character's popularity, there's still so much that her fans don't know about her.

Her skirt defied gravity by executive order:

Maybe it comes of spending so much time working in a world of innocence on entertainment aimed at shaping young minds but the history of animation is rife with examples of adult humor and fan-service being snuck into children's programming.

Presumably aware of this and how She-Ra's costume design would draw accusations of being too revealing in any event, Executive Producer Lou Scheimer lay down the law with Animation Coordinator Dori Littell-Herrick early on during the show's production. Scheimer decreed that under no circumstances would the cartoon depict She-Ra's underwear, no matter how high her kicks or acrobatic her flips.

Her action figure's headdress was also a mask:

Versatility is a key feature of many of the fashion dolls aimed at little girls. Dresses made of reversible fabric that become a dress of a different color are commonplace and there are numerous changeable accessories that present dozens of options in dressing up your doll.

The original She-Ra action figure was designed in a similar fashion, with the Princess Adora figure donning a special headdress whenever she was transformed into She-Ra. A key detail that many missed.

Her part in the live-action Masters of the Universe movie was cut:

Few realize that the movie was originally planned to include She-Ra as well as He-Man. Indeed, artist William Stout - who has done design work on over 30 films including Pan's Labyrinth and The Prestige - crafted a design for She-Ra (pictured above) among other pre-production sketches.

Ultimately, director Gary Goddard cut the part, deciding it would be better for the first movie in the assumed blockbuster franchise to focus on He-Man. Sadly, the sequel starring She-Ra would never come to light.

My opinion? The 1987 Masters Of The Universe film was an incredible disappointment.

She was more popular with boys than girls:

Surprise to you? Not so much to me.

It's no surprise that She-Ra was a popular figure with young girls in the 1980s. Sales on the She-Ra toys helped to boost the floundering sales of the Barbie doll line. What proved astonishing to many in the toy business was that She-Ra proved more popular with young boys.

A 1989 study by the Center for Media Literacy revealed that 70% of the boys they surveyed preferred She-Ra as a potential mother, friend, or girlfriend compared to Barbie or Mrs. Heart. Girls were more likely to prefer Mrs. Heart as a friend or mother, but still saw She-Ra as the best mentor of the three characters.

She was pitted against Hordak to sell He-Man toys:

At the same time Mattel's toy designers were developing Hordak and The Evil Horde - a new group of world-conquering villains for He-Man to fight - Filmation was winding-down production on the He-Man animated series, in order to begin work on the She-Ra cartoon.

Basically, the She-Ra animated series was reworked to establish The Evil Horde as the main antagonists, despite the She-Ra toy-line being based around the feline-themed Catra as She-Ra's main enemy. Mattel banked on the She-Ra tie-in cartoon being able to promote the He-Man toy-line as well, despite She-Ra nominally being created to capitalize on a need within the market for girls' toys.

sigh

The mini-comics that came with her toys were sexist:

Holy shit, really? I meanm something like that would never— enough of that.

While the world of the He-Man mini-comics was darker than the cartoons, seemingly drawn from the works of Howard and Frazetta, the She-Ra mini-comics were a neon feminist nightmare.

Rather than defending Etheria from the armies of a space-Nazi cyborg-vampire, the mini-comic's version of She-Ra concerned herself with thwarting the evil schemes of Catra. Said evil schemes usually involved stealing the affections of She-Ra's love interest, the bard Bow, but Catra also plotted to destroy the garden of the flower-loving Perfuma with magical weeds. She also once kidnapped talking fish with the intent of forcing them to perform in the water-park she was opening... to impress Bow. Rolls eyes.

She was blamed for killing He-Man:

All good things must come to an end and such was the case with He-Man's legendary sales. The Masters of The Universe line sold only $7 million worth of product in 1987, compared to $400 million in 1986.

Uh-oh...Why?

Mattel, they put the blame firmly on She-Ra. Mattel received comments that the boys lost interest in He-Man when their sisters started running around shouting "I have the power!" as well. Heaven forbid...

The real problem? Mattel overproducing new figures and not enough of the original line.

She had the healing touch:

One power which She-Ra displayed that He-Man did not was the ability to heal other people with a touch. She-Ra first displayed this power, much to He-Man's astonishment. I remember The Secret of the Sword time while she trying to comfort her flying unicorn mount, Swift Wind, who had been shot by a Horde trooper, She-Ra's hands began to glow, restoring Swift Wind to full health within seconds. I was impressed!

She could communicate with animals telepathically:

Could she get any cooler?!

Another power that She-Ra possessed which her brother lacked was the ability to communicate telepathically with animals. She-Ra first displayed this ability in The Secret Of The Sword.

Unfortunately, She-Ra rarely used this ability in her animated series and never as a means of offense.

She-Ra seemed to display this power even in her unpowered form as Princess Adora, who showed an ability for talking to animals.

The character of Huntara was based on Grace Jones:

Huntara - a master trapper and warrior Hordak recruited to capture She-Ra. Naturally, the truth was revealed and both heroines teamed against Hordak in the end.

Looking at Huntara, it's not hard to see her resemblance to actress/singer Grace Jones. Indeed, Larry DiTillio's script refers to Jones when describing Huntara's physicality and her animation model sheet describes her as having ebony skin.

She first appeared in The Secret Of The Sword:

Originally released on March 22, 1985, The Secret of The Sword was a ground-breaking movie. While stringing a bunch of episodes and making a 'movie' was not a new concept. The Secret sword was the first to get a theatrical release.

Prince Adam (aka He-Man) being sent to the world of Etheria with a twin to his own Sword of Power, being told only that he must find someone who was lost. He discovers Etheria under the grip of The Evil Horde and that the woman he was sent to find is Force Captain Adora, a high-ranking Horde officer.

Adora is quickly revealed to be Adam's twin sister, kidnapped in infancy by The Horde during a failed invasion of He-Man's homeworld of Eternia.

She-Ra is a gay icon:

Much like Wonder Woman, She-Ra has a tremendous following in the LGBTQ community. Comparisons between the two are apt, with both heroines having an secret identity that transforms into a more glamorous alter-ego and both shows having an understandable degree appeal.

For little people of the 1980’s She-ra was a must see. A blast to watch for me. In the same way He-Man appealed to young 1980’s boys, She-ra wowed. With her incredible strength, and she was fast, acrobatic, she had healing powers, she fought for what was right, the adventures of this lady in her animated series was a fun packed enjoyable watch. She-ra simply rocked. She was an early hero, gentle, beautiful and kind. The little girl till wishes to be her.

Adora: For the Honor of Grayskull!

[Adora becomes She-Ra]

She-Ra: I am She-Ra!