Eternia

Eternia is the name of the fictional planet that serves as a setting for the Masters of the Universe toy collection and animated series.^[1][2]

History

Origins

According to the 36th produced episode of the 1980s series, "The Search", and the 1987 motion picture, Eternia is at the center of the universe. Although little mentioned in the franchise, at the planet's center lies the Star Seed, a spark left over from the creation of the universe. Possessing it would grant infinite power to its holder. Skeletor, upon discovering this information, tries to obtain it, but He-Man is able to get it first. After resisting its corrupting influence, he then gives it to Zodac, who disposes of it. In another episode it is noted that Eternia exists at the juncture of alternate universes, which is an explanation for why the laws governing both magic and science work on Eternia.

Prehistory

Eternia's prehistoric era is known as "Preternia." It seems to have featured dinosaur-like monsters, including some bionic variations of unknown origin, giants, and cavemen. Some of these dinosaurs are preserved within Eternia's Tar Swamp.

According to the Filmation series bible, Eternia used to be an incredibly advanced civilization that evolved through centuries of barbarism, enlightenment and scientific technology.

Some of Eternia's ancient civilizations possessed very advanced technology, and left many ruins and artifacts behind. One such race is the Egyptian-like Osirians, who used to live in the Sands of Time.

The oldest being still alive on Eternia is an enormous sentient tree named Skytree. The second oldest is Granamyr, ruler of the Dragons of Darksmoke, who has always envied the tree's status.

Earlier drafts of the 1987 live-action film's script (great portions of which take place on Earth) reveal that the Eternians in this version are descendants of Earthlings, and feature a NASA space probe and US flag being found in the vaults of Castle Grayskull, prompting the explanation that human life arrived on Eternia when it was colonized by a space exploration team from Earth's future. This scene appears in the comic adaptation of the movie.

Castle Grayskull

In the original series, Castle Grayskull was a fortress of mystery and power, and to control it was to control the universe. At least once, it was described as a storehouse for the Ancients' knowledge and power. Beyond that, not much was revealed about the castle's origins in the original series.

In keeping with the notion detailed above, the 2002 series explained that Castle Grayskull held the Orb of Power, in which dwelled the knowledge and power of the Council of Elders. It was also the place where King Grayskull's Sword of Power was stored until the day it was claimed by Prince Adam. This sword contained the very essence of King Grayskull's noble attributes and strengths, and allows its wielder to call upon those same gifts.

According to both series, Castle Grayskull is protected by a powerful guardian.^[3] Typically, this person is a woman who calls herself the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, who will occasionally adopt a falcon-like guise known as Zoar in order to travel the planes of Eternia.

Modern Eternia

The original concept of Eternia is as a world with a barbaric civilization, recovering from an ambiguous Great War, that has wiped out advanced civilizations, but has left behind advanced technology, vehicles and machinery, as well as powerful magic.^[4]

In the animated series, the concept of a Great War was abandoned, instead focusing on a stable society and its constant battle against the forces of evil, led by Skeletor. Eternia features an incredible variety of lifeforms, from monsters to sentient races, including non-humanoids, and hidden civilizations.^[5]

In both series depictions, Eternia also appears to be a comparatively small planet; as characters are often seen traversing between locations in far-flung regions of the planet, in short amounts of time. This is also supported by the fact that nearly all Eternian creatures seem capable of jumping extraordinary heights and distances, relative to their own size—as a smaller planet would also have comparatively weak gravity.

Frequently visited locations in the modern age of Eternia include Castle Grayskull, the Evergreen Forest, the Vine Jungle, the Palace of Eternia, the Mystic Mountains, and Snake Mountain. It should be noted that there seem to be very few "modern" or contemporary locations in Eternia. Many, if not most, of the cities, castles, and regions are very ancient.

In the 2002 cartoon series, the planet is seen to have two very distinctive regions—the Dark Hemisphere and the Light Hemisphere (something that was mentioned in some earlier incarnations but seldom played upon). In the episode Separation the Sorceress tells He-Man that long ago Hordak and his minions used the Triad of Discidium to create the Dark Hemisphere in an effort to give his army a place to grow and thrive. Unfortunately, the magic he unleashed was beyond his ability to control, and the spell nearly destroyed all of Eternia. In more recent times, the dark half of the planet has served as Skeletor's domain, and a place to be avoided at all costs.

Notable locations

Some of Eternia's features include:

Buildings of significance

• The Royal Palace of Eternia - Home to King Randor, Queen Marlena, Prince Adam, Man-At-Arms, Orko, Cringer, Teela, and numerous others.
• Castle Grayskull - The most mysterious and powerful location in all of Eternia. The castle is the prime source of the magical power that is so prevalent in Eternia.^[6] It is surrounded by a bottomless abyss. The fortress resembles an ancient, primitive castle, with a huge skull carved in front of it. Despite the name, it is often portrayed as green, rather than gray. In the 2002 series, it is presumed the castle is named after King Grayskull.
• Snake Mountain - Snake Mountain was originally home to the Snake Men, before being taken over by the forces of Skeletor. The mountain is a large, steep, rock spire with a massive, stone snake twisted around it. In the 1980s series Snake Mountain was also a Horde citadel. The 2002 series revealed that the giant snake encircling it was actually the entombed body of Serpos the Snake Men's god.
• The Widget Fortress - Home of the Widgets.
• Temple of Shokoti - Formerly hidden ancient temple, home to the evil goddess Shokoti.
• Temple of the Sun - An ancient temple in the Sands of Time, which houses many ancient treasures and secrets. Surrounded by continuity discrepancies, as its purpose and design has varied between its episode appearances.
• Temple of the Cats - An ancient, Egyptian-like temple that is home to a race of Cat People, thought to be extinct until recently.
• Castle Star - An apparently ancient castle, for a while owned by the alien, Lord Todd, who turns the castle into a complex of life-size games.
• Eternian Weather Station - A weather station in Eternia's northernmost regions owned by King Randor and run by his guardsmen. It monitors weather as well as allowing control over weather conditions on Eternia.
• Station Sata - A scientific research center.

Cities and other settlements

• Eternos City - The ruling capital of Eternia and location of the Royal Palace, and the place where most of He-Man's adventures begin. Home to many of Eternia's richer citizens. It was never named in the 2002 TV series.
• Avion - An airborne kingdom located in the highest peaks of the Mystic Mountains. Home of Stratos and the Avions.
• Andreenos - A settlement in the lower regions of the Mystic Mountains, home to Buzz-Off and the Andreenids.
• Drisdos - A city that is one of the major cities within Randor's kingdom.
• Abherron - A jungle city that is home to the Princess Raya.
• Aquatica - An undersea kingdom inhabited by a race of sea-dwelling people.
• Arcadia - A secret city ruled by Queen Sumana. Formerly rife with slavery, dominated by female warriors who forced men to work in the underground mines before the gender inequality is put right by Prince Adam and Teela.
• Cathenay - A small village, which hails He-Man as a hero after he saves its people from giant Sand Crawlers.
• Malarkah - An area that is the home to a race of insect-like creatures.
• Morainia - An ice kingdom ruled by King Moraius who is a close friend of King Randor.
• Morragor - A dark desolate kingdom ruled by the Monster of Morragor, a demon in thrall to Skeletor, who is noble and dignified despite his appearance. After being kissed by Teela, Skeletor's spell is broken and he is restored to his original form: a handsome prince, and his kingdom returns to its original beautiful state.
• Shandor - A small village once attacked by the Gryphon.
• Stone City - An ancient city in the depths of the Vine Jungle, filled with statues, which are revealed to really be ancient warriors who encased themselves in stone, thus freezing themselves in time to re-emerge when Eternia next needed them.
• Targa - A jungle city neighboring Abherron. Formerly rife with slavery and at war with Abherron when ruled by the evil Queen Valena. But after Valena's defeat, the arena gladiator Garn is crowned King. Targa is home to many great fighters.
• Tauren - An elegant city, ruled over by Prime Minister Pangus, which formerly lived with the terrible threat of being destroyed by the sleeping beast Yog, who dwelt beneath the city, until he is defeated by He-Man with the help of Pangus' daughter, the singer Celice.
• Ruckstown - A small snow village within an icy mountainous region. Its residents are friendly and well-meaning but notoriously superstitious.
• Zak - A small peasant village briefly enslaved by Skeletor.

Regions and landmarks

• The Evergreen Forest - A large forest that is the planet's main source of oxygen.
• The Sands of Time - The largest expanse of sand on Eternia.
• Anwat Gar - A deserted island formerly inhabited by a culture similar to the ancient Japanese-type people which excelled in samurai skills. Believed by many fans to be the former home of Sy-Klone's race called the Gar. This area only appeared in the 2002 series.
• Subternia - The collective name for the underground caverns of the planet.
• Isles of Darksmoke - The mountainous islands that is home of Granamyr and the more advanced races of dragons on Eternia. The Isles of Darksmoke is also inhabited by Ice Trolls.
• The Tar Swamp - The location of numerous battles and adventures throughout both cartoon series. Also notable for being the place where Orko arrived on Eternia.
• The Vine Jungle - Another major source of oxygen on the planet. In some media, it is the home of Beast Man.
• The Mystic Mountains - The mountain range where the Sea of Eternity is located, as well as the home to a tribe of intelligent, slightly humanoid insects. It is also home to the Bird Avions of Avion and the Bee People of Andreenos.
• The Ice Mountains - A cold and icy mountain range.
• Zagraz Mountain - This mountain is the home of Zagraz the Comet Keeper who possesses magical power over comets.
• The Slime Swamp -
• Stardica -
• The Banshee Jungle - A treacherous overgrowth that is home to vicious wolf-bats.
• Mount Kro'na - The largest active volcano on Eternia.
• Mount V'ranthrum - A large multi-vent volcano in the Dark Hemisphere, which Skeletor once used to block sunlight from reaching Eternia's surface.
• Stone Mountain - The home of Malik, a young but immensely powerful wizard who once possessed an insane lust for Teela.
• Darklands - A dark region home to the powerful wizard Kor.
• Isle of Tears - An isle that is ruled by King Danton, who is briefly ousted from his position by the monstrous Gorgon.
• This Forest - An amusingly named forest on the edge of the city of Drisdos. So named as an inside joke by the animation artists at Filmation.
• The Province of Bracilia -
• Selkie Island - A small, uninhabited island full of many ancient ruins and historic monuments, having once been home to a great civilization in Eternia's ancient past. Nowadays inhabited only by various species of wild animals.
• The Valley of Power - A magical valley which consists of streams that mystical waters with great power.
• Ancient Ruins - A region of ancient historical ruins guarded by the Zaktons, a race of centuries-old robots.
• Mount Eternia - Eternia's largest mountain within which the Elders imprisoned the Energy Beast, a demonic entity which once ruled over Eternia. Surrounded by continuity discrepancies as it appeared in two episodes and is in a different place in both of them.
• Demon Zone - A dark, dangerous underworld that is home to Whiplash and many species of evil demons. Ruled by Kraal, its demonic overlord.
• Caves of the Singing Crystal - A complex of caves filled with the singing crystal, a substance which emits a beautiful 'singing' sound whenever anyone touches it.
• Rose Mountain - A large mountain on which grows The Bitter Rose, a flower formed from the tears of a grieving goddess.
• Mount Fear - A large, dark mountain overlooking the village of Ruckstown. Home to a giant named Herman, who was formerly known as 'The Tingler', mistakenly believed to be a monster by the superstitious people of Ruckstown.
• Avathar - A lost island continent full of many ancient ruins and historical relics. Formerly home to a great civilization which ruled over all Eternia before collapsing centuries ago.
• The Repton Kingdom - A dark, underground kingdom located beneath a stone pyramid. Home of the Reptons.
• The Plains of Perpitua - A dark, dangerous rocky plain full of many traps and evil species. The Labyrinth of Perpitua was built centuries ago to imprison the most dangerous monsters of Eternia below ground.
• Mount Titan - In the 2002 series, it is the largest mountain in ancient Eternia.
• Point Dread - Point Dread is an extinct volcano which rises up from the Eternian Ocean. Beneath the volcano is a hidden ruined city. Point Dread is the storage place of all of Skeletor's treasure.

Oceans and seas

• The Sea of Eternity - A large sea atop the Mystic Mountains that provides water to the Vine Jungle and the Evergreen Forest.
• The Sea of Rakash -
• Ocean of Gnarl -
• The Crystal Sea - A sea flanked by large growths of crystal that is referred to by Skeletor as Merman's home territory. It is also home to a large monster known as The Bakull.
• Harmony Sea -

Races

• Eternians - A name given to the humans that live on Eternia.
• Andreenids - A race of bee-like people. Buzz-Off is an Andreenid. In the 80's series, they are called Bee People.
• Avionians - A race of people with bird-like features. Stratos is an Avionian. In the 80's series, they are called Bird People.
• Caligars - Exclusive to the 2002 series, the Caligars are race of reptile men with club-tipped tails that reside in Subternia. Although they have battled alongside the Speleans against an unknown threat, they soon ended up in a war against them until the threat of the Snake Men came into view. Also in the 2002 series, Whiplash is a Caligar. The Caligars are ruled by Ceratus and consider Whiplash a traitor when he sided with Skeletor.
• Elves -
• Fish Men - A race of humanoid fish that live in the oceans. Mer-Man is a Fish Man.
• Gars - The name given to a race of people that inhabited Anwat Gar.
• Giants - A race of large humanoid golems.
• Ice Trolls - A race of arctic trolls that live on the Isles of Darksmoke. They are allies of Granamyr.
• Insect People - A race of bug life humanoids.
• Karikoni - Exclusive to the 2002 series, the Karikoni are a race of crab people. In the same series, Clawful is a Karikoni.
• Kulataks - Exclusive to the 2002 series, the Kulataks are a race of white-furred humanoid snow monsters that live in the Ice Mountain.
• Mintaurans - Exclusive to the 2002 series, the Mintaurans are a race of Eternian Minotaurs. They are ruled by King Taurius.
• Orcs - A race of powerfully-built humanoid creatures.
• Pelleezeans - Exclusive to the 2002 series, the Pelleezeans are a race of rodent-like people. Also in the 2002 series, Stinkor is a Pelleezean.
• Reptile Men - A race of cold-blooded scaled humanoids.
• Reptons - A peaceful race of snake-like people from which Kobra Khan hails (now regarded as a traitor since joining the ranks of Skeletor). The Repton Kingdom also contains a large furnace that warms the entire Repton Kingdom. The Repton Kingdom is ruled by King Pythos. Many fans believe the Reptons are descendants of the Snake Men.
• Speleans - Exclusive to the 2002 series, the Speleans are a race of bat people that reside in Subternia. Although they have battled alongside the Caligars against an unknown threat, they soon ended up in a war against them until the threat of the Snake Men came into view. The Speleans are ruled by Lord Dactys.
• Qadians - Exclusive to the 2002 series, the Qadians are a race of cat-like people that reside in the village of Felis Qadi. They are led by Chief Carnivus.
• Widgets - A race of dwarf-like people who mine Corodite (the most powerful mineral in Eternia).

Creatures

• Abyss Spider - A giant spider that lurks in the abyss near Castle Grayskull as seen in "The Problem with Power."
• Arachna - A giant spider that appears in "Fisto's Forest."
• Basilisks - The Basilisks were seen in the 2002 series where they appeared in the episode "Turnabout."
• Chimparillas - A race of gray monkeys that appeared in "To Save the Creatures."
• Crawlers - A race of snake-like creatures that appear in "To Save the Creatures."
• Dragons - A race of powerful archaic creatures unrivaled by any other.
• Elodons - A race of mammoths with twisted tusks that appear in "To Save the Creatures."
• Furlongs - A race of one-horned panthers that appear in "To Save the Creatures."
• Garcs - A race of crocodile-like creatures that appear in "To Save the Creatures."
• Griffins - In the 1980s series, the Griffin has the head of a lion and the body of a dragon. In the 2002 series, the Griffins look like their mythological counterparts with four eyes and are large enough to serve as a mode of transportation for the Evil Warriors.
• Kulatuk Creatures - The Kulatuk Creatures appear in the 2002 series as the transportation creatures of the Kulatuks.
• Manticores -
• Netherbats -
• Night Spiders -
• Qadian Creatures - The Qadian Creatures appear in the 2002 series as the transportation creatures for the Qadians.
• Serpintaurs - Exclusive to the 2002 series, the Serpintaurs are winged serpents that are enemies of the dragons.
• Shadow Beasts - The Shadow Beasts are ape-like creatures that live in darkness and hate any forms of bright light. According to the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline, the Shadow Beasts were created by Count Marzo.
• Unicorns -
• Unilopes - The Unilopes are large herd creatures that are exclusive to the 2002 series.
• Wolf Bats - A race of wolf-headed bats that live in the Banshee Jungle.
• Wyverns - The Wyverns make their home in the Vale of Caldor. They are often seen in the services of Skeletor.

References