He-Man Eternity War # 7

 By Mark Rodriguez

Hordak has become an all-powerful force that must be stopped. Skeletor saved She-Ra from getting killed after Hordak obtained the powers of Grayskull and wants her help in defeating him. Evil Lyn felt betrayed and took the Eyes of Chrono and Chaos with her, handing them over to Hordak. Meanwhile the Sorceress shows He-Man the price he would have to pay for stopping Hordak, a future 30 years later that showed that the same power that He-Man used to destroy Hordak would corrupt him and he would become a dictator himself, ending when She-Ra kills him in battle. Ready to pay the ultimate sacrifice to save Eternia, and snaps the Power Sword in half, turning back into Prince Adam. The Sorceress is happy about this but how will Adam help save the day?

Skeletor rushes with Beast Man, Trap Jaw and She-Ra as he says they have little time to stop Hordak since he already knows Evil Lyn will go to him. He says that Hordak linked the planet Etheria with Despodos and left his power source there, all the souls he has devoured for eons. She-Ra asks how they can get to Despodos and Skeletor says they can with the Well of Darkness. Skeletor says the well is actually a hole that links light with darkness. She-Ra asks how she knows it works, and he says he used it once before when he captured baby Adora to deliver over to Hordak back then.

Skeletor says he led a Horde force against Castle Brightmoon 7 years ago calling out for Queen Angella. The Queen is thrown to her knees and Skeletor makes her recognize Hordak as the new ruler of Etheria. Later on, Skeletor is with Shadow Weaver, who she owes his knowledge of dark magic. The souls of the captured Etherians will fuse with Hordak. Skeletor still wants to find the Crystal Castle since it's a beacon of hope for the people. Skeletor vows to destroy the castle for Shadow Weaver... not for Hordak. He says he knows her powers came at a price, Hordak took her soul as well as that of her child. He pledges his allegiance to her. However, as he leaves, Weaver's magic allowed Hordak to listen in on this conversation.

Skeletor talks to Hordak, and he has he has served him for 5 years. He has been given the blood of Randor and Keldor, but he will still need the blood of the heirs of Grayskull to have enough power to return and conquer Eternia. Skeletor says he can capture Adam, but Hordak mentions there is another, a twin sister named Adora.

Hordak gives Skeletor his infamous staff, the skull having belonged to a powerful demon. The staff will help him travel through time so he can find Adora. As Skeletor grabs the staff, the eyes on it start to glow red. Skeletor sees a vision of himself going to Eternia and kidnapping baby Adora and bringing her to Hordak. Skeletor and Weaver raised Adora as their own and eventually Skeletor rose to power. Skeletor would eventually attack Hordak and be killed.

Skeletor is confused by this and demands to know the truth. Hordak says this was not Skeletor's future, but his past. Hordak says that 18 years ago, a stranger came with a child saying that he sent him through time. Skeletor and Weaver raised Adora as their own, who is now fully grown as Despera. Hordak says he must now kill Skeletor like he killed him once before, and says the skull on the staff was actually his own. Skeletor's powers soon grew to be a threat for Hordak which is why he killed him before. He now wants Skeletor to go back in time and complete cycle  Skeletor is able to smack Hordak back and creates a portal to escape. He offers Shadow Weaver a chance to come with him, but she says she won't leave her daughter behind, not even for him. Skeletor leaves.

Hordak orders Weaver to erase Despera's memory of him but the witch is confused. Even without Skeletor going back in time now, Despera has not disappeared, nor has time changed for them. Hordak says that Skeletor has fractured time and changed his own destiny. He is now a master of death.

Back to modern day, She-Ra asks if all of this is true, to which Skeletor say it is. He uses the staff to open the way to Despodos. As they get ready to leave, Skeletor says Hordak never should have given him the key to his source of power.

The skull on the Havoc Staff was always Skeletor's from an alternate timeline..... whaaaaat???

My opinions- 

What in the hell? Now they had to throw time travel into this. I know, I know, comics, the realm of things like evil clones, time travel and alternate dimensions and whatnot... but did they really have to throw this bizzare Skeletor paradox into this?

So... Hordak summons Skeletor to go back in time and kidnap baby Adora.... which he already did since Despera was already grown up at this this time. He gets too greedy, grows ram horns onto his skull (????) and tries to kill Hordak. Hordak kills him, using HIS skull as the base of the Havoc Staff, and then now wants to send Skeletor back in time to capture baby Adora and start the cycle all over again. WHAT?

So... the last issue we see Skeletor is trying to run from his destiny. Upon traveling throughout dimensions, Skeletor saw other versions of himself, destined to lose since He-Man will always stop him. He wants to change his destiny and leave that kind of life behind, or so he says.... but now we have this time paradox thing where Skeletor is lied to and used by Hordak and eventually dies by his hand. What the hell?

I'm sorry but they could have just had Skeletor steal Adora and all that without this weird ass time travel stuff. Hordak can send people back in time now? And then Skeletor is so ageless that after being stuck in the past, he lived on through current day without looking a day older. Just how old is Skeletor then, and by extension King Randor since they're supposed be around the same age. With being stuck in the past and raising Adora until he caught up to present day, Skeletor basically lived two lifetimes.

Not sure what to think of Skeletor being in love with Shadow Weaver and vice versa. It's a weird cycle, Weaver was the one that taught Skeletor the ways of magic.... but then she got her powers from Hordak anyway. Also since becoming Shadow Weaver cost her the soul of her daughter, it seems she really did love Despera as her own daughter in her own way.

So I also guess that Skeletor really does care for She-Ra/Adora/Despera in one way or another, so it's unlikely he will betray her. It's bizzare. Skeletor is as evil as evil can be, but he always ends up showing some sort of redeeming quality in comparison to Hordak who is much more powerful and more stone-cold evil. Remember, Hordak had absolutely no qualms with running his sword through She-Ra and nearly killing her.

On other things, we do see Queen Angella make a brief cameo, though not exactly in the best way. Of course this comic is more focused on the He-Man side and Eternia, so it's cool seeing some of the She-Ra characters whenever they could fit them in. Unfortunately with Hordak taking all these souls.... it is kinda sad to think that Glimmer, Flutterina, Castaspella, Frosta and whoever else are now just captured souls trapped in Hordak's vault. Yikes. The concept of stealing a soul sure is something you would never ever hear in the 80's cartoons.

My God, does this comic go dark

Between She-Ra helping out Skeletor and He-Man deciding to save the world as plain ol' Prince Adam.... I'm very interesied in seeing how all this pans out.