The following contains spoilers for Masters of the Universe: Masterverse #1, on sale now from Dark Horse Comics.
In the He-Man mythos, one of the most interesting components has been the idea of power. Prince Adam of Eternia's been wrestling with it, transformed from a teen into the champion that the Sorceress thinks can protect the planet. Luckily, he's proven to be a smart pick for the Chosen One; always selfless, whether it be as himself or He-Man.
This Faustian pact is brought under question, though, in Masters of the Universe: Masterverse. During "Curse of Castle Grayskull" in Masters of the Universe: Masterverse #1 (by Tim Seeley, Kelley Jones, Brenan Wagner, and Deion Bennett), the Sorceress has to deal with Zodac, a watcher of the cosmos who thinks that Adam's not fit to be this conduit. It leads to them viewing various He-Men across the Multiverse, giving fans insight into the scariest version yet.
Masterverse Reveals a Warped He-Man
One reality is stepped in horror, where Hordak's "Spell of Separation" has plunged half the planet into darkness permanently. Adam's magic has been corrupted, so he's afraid of harnessing his power as he doesn't like the creature he becomes. It results in him fleeing Skeletor's forces, and entering the cursed Grayskull where he has to fend off monsters like Webstor. It's a ghoulish story, playing on the macabre supernatural energy of Eternia.
Adam ends up calling down the "horror of Grayskull," using the sword to fight off Scareglow. He's left with no choice as he has to save Orko, transforming into a mutated monster. This He-Man has the castle for a face, giant fangs, and a body that looks like its part concrete, part reptilian scales. Luckily, this twisted He-Man defeats Scareglow, but he's left broken. More so, the castle has come to life, feeding off him, and leaving Adam worried and depressed. It's a horrific story, on a mental level, as well as a physical one, clearly damaging Adam.
Masterverse Plays On an Important He-Man Theme
Now, the idea of power hurting Adam has been explored before. Skeletor made an evil He-Man in Faker, but as for Adam himself, the Anti-Eternia He-Man was a demented version of the iconic hero from a dark universe. In addition, the two recent Netflix animated series dissected him being hopped up on power. Masters of the Universe: Revelation had a Savage He-Man, who lost control like Marvel's Hulk, while He-Man and the Masters of the Universe had Adam becoming narcissistic and a threat unto himself. Granted, these 'dark' He-Men never hit the heights of this horror version.
That said, the beast ties into Zodac's concerns about this responsibility being too much for a frail teen who spent years shouldering the burden. Here, Adam has grown into a man, but he's spent so much time in fear of the power within, his mind is poisoned to think it's a curse and that Grayskull is a blight upon the land. Ultimately, it's due to Hordak cursing the planet but again, it speaks to what could happen if Adam can't handle the pressure or the power. For He-Man enthusiasts, it's intriguing watching this Adam become a monster who just wants to be free, but it's still so cruel because he's clearly left suffering knowing the rage of the beast he has within.