Posted in: Comics, Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Image, Marvel Comics, Vintage Paper | Tagged: he-man, kevin smith, marvel, masters of the universe

Marvel's Masters Of The Universe Comic CGC 9.8 Is Up For Auction

As part of this weekend's Comic Books Select Auction #122132 at Heritage Auctions, they have a copy of Marvel Comics' first Masters Of The Universe comic book. Part of Marvel's Star Comics line, it was aimed at younger readers, all of which have grown up into people telling Kevin Smith how awful his Masters Of The Universe Netflix series is on social media, for pretty much accurately recreating the vibe of the original series, with a couple of twists and turns along the way. Currently with bids of $360,

But He-Man has always had comic books in the heart of what it was doing, launching comics with the original toys and the movie based on Jack Kirby's Fourth World. Those original minicomics came with Masters Of The Universe action figures in 1981 if you can call them that. Written by Don Glut and drawn by Alfredo P. Alcala, with one image per page with text underneath, in a completely separate continuity that would come with the cartoon, a post-apocalyptic world dubbed "Savage Eternia." The second wave of mini-comics with the toys were instead produced by DC Comics, written by Cary Cohn and drawn by Mark Texeira, dropped the "Savage" and had He-Man as part of the Royal Palace with rewritten relationships closer to what the cartoon would bring. The series then crossed over with the DC Universe, meeting Superman in DC Comics Presents issue #47 with a Masters of the Universe insert preview in several DC Comics, before launching a Masters of the Universe mini-series by Paul Kupperberg and George Tuska, which lasted for three issues.

But it would take until Marvel grabbed the license for their kids Star Comics line in 1986 that the cartoon continuity would be closer represented, with a 13-issue series by Mike Carlin and Ron Wilson, extended for the UK market using material created for Germany, with a comic series running until 1991. It would be over ten years later that Image Comics would revive the series in a spate of nostalgia-driven comics, introducing characters to comics that never made it in after the 39 episodes of the television series. Another ten years and Dark Horse Comics and DC Comics would create mini-comics for Mattel, for their Masters of the Universe Classics toy line, with Tim Seeley and Wellington Alves continuing the original mini-comics continuity. And another decade, DC Comics would return to publishing He-Man comics crossing over with the DC Universe, and one more decade until Dark Horse Comics would get the rights to comics based on the current Netflix revival. Give it another decade, and maybe it will be back at Marvel Comics again? That does seem to be the pattern…

Masters of the Universe #1 (Marvel, 1986) CGC NM/MT 9.8 White pages. Ron Wilson art. Overstreet 2021 NM- 9.2 value = $45. CGC census 7/21: 376 in 9.8, none higher.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!