WARNING: The following includes major spoilers for Masters of the Universe: Revelation, now streaming on Netflix.

Netflix's marketing for Masters of the Universe: Revelation didn't bother to hide that the Sword of Power, the means by which Prince Adam transforms into He-Man, is split in two. Nevertheless, when the moment arrives late in the premiere, it's genuinely jarring, as it sets into motion the plot for the first half of the season, and reveals the iconic weapon's true purpose -- and its origin, as not one sword but as two.

Executive producer Kevin Smith's direct sequel to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe opens with only the latest in a long line of assaults on Castle Grayskull by Skeletor (Mark Hamill). However, this time is somehow different. Learning from his many mistakes, the self-proclaimed Lord of Destruction has realized the ultimate prize isn't Grayskull, but instead what lies beneath: the Hall of Wisdom, the storehouse of all knowledge in the universe, and the location of a magic orb, into which the ancient Council of Elders (introduced in the 2002 remake) concentrated their powers.

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Adam and Skeletor struggle with the two halves of the Power Sword in Masters of the Universe: Revelation

The orb is simultaneously too tempting for Skeletor to ignore, and too powerful for him to possess. But first he needs the key to the Hall of Wisdom, which He-Man (Chris Wood) unwittingly provides. During the premiere episode's big battle, Skeletor is run through with the Power Sword, which conveniently enters a lock behind him. "You finally used that sword the way it was meant to be used, boy," gloats a grievously wounded Skeletor, "as the key to the Hall of Wisdom."

With the doors open, Skeletor cracks the orb, and unleashes enough magical energy to destroy not only Eternia, but the entire universe. It's only through the quick thinking of the Sorceress (Susan Eisenberg) that He-Man is given just enough time to use the sword as a conduit for the orb's energy. The action splits the Sword of Power in two, second before it's destroyed in an explosion -- alongside He-Man and Skeletor.

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Sorceress and Evil-Lyn in Masters of the Universe: Revelation

The fallout is immediate and far-reaching, as grief and resentment fracture the heroes of Eternia, even as the planet's magic dwindles. It's only through the scheming of Evil-Lyn (Lena Headey), and the plea of a weakened Sorceress, that Teela (Sarah Michelle Gellar) agrees to lead a ragtag team to find the two halves of the Sword of Power, which weren't destroyed but instead returned to the realms in which they were forged: Subternia, which is reimagined as the land of the dead; and Preternia, now a sort of Valhalla for the fallen Champions of Eternia. It's in Preternia that we learn the Sword of Power was forged thousands of years ago by Trollan mage-smiths (Orko is a member of that other-dimensional race), although it's not explained why one half was made in Eternia's heaven, and the other in its hell. What is known is that only a reforged Sword of Power can return magic.

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The idea that the Sword of Power was made of two blades predates the classic He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon, to a 1982 minicomic included with Mattel's He-Man action figure. In "He-Man and the Power Sword," Eternia's champion is a barbaric figure recruited to prevent Skeletor from obtaining the two halves of the mystical Power Sword, with which he intended to conquer his home dimension. In the minicomic, He-Man was armed only with a battleax and shield; it wasn't until the 1983 animated series that he wielded the Power Sword, given to him by the Sorceress as a means for him to transform from Prince Adam.

After the defeat of Skeletor in "He-Man and the Power Sword," the Sorceress pledged that, from then on, only the two halves of the weapon, inserted into an enchanted lock, would open Castle Grayskull's Jaw-Bridge. It's a concept strikingly similar to the Sword of Power's stated purpose in Masters of the Universe: Revelation.

Executive produced by Kevin Smith, the first five episodes of Masters of the Universe: Revelation are available on Netflix.

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