Who Has the Power? He-Man's Disputed Origins

It'll take more than magic swords to win the battle of Toy Masters.

We know most origin stories by heart: Superman is the last son of Krypton; Batman's parents were killed by a petty criminal. He-Man, we thought, was a pastel-wearing prince given a magic sword of power. Or was he a barefoot barbarian living on a war-ravaged planet? What about Dolph Lundgren in the red cape and Speedo? The character's conflicting portrayals pale in comparison to the fight over He-Man's real-world beginnings, depicted in the new documentary Toy Masters.

Who created the be-muscled Eternian? Was it designer Roger Sweet, author of the poorly fact-checked book Mastering the Universe? He claims to have come up with the name. Sweet's colleague Mark Taylor says he developed the concept when he was 11 years old. Mattel Senior VP Paul Cleveland asserts he came up with the characters, but who'd ever take the word of a suit? Then there's Filmation's Lou Scheimer, whose cartoon created the catchphrase "By the power of Grayskull!" and key characters like Orko and the Sorceress. At least He-Man, Skeletor and King Hiss knew their roles. Good and evil in corporate toy culture is less easy to determine.

Toy Masters debuted its trailer at Comic-Con and is making waves elsewhere: according to a post on the official Facebook page, Roger Sweet has declined further participation. Meanwhile, the filmmakers are looking for the ultimate He-Man fan to be featured in the movie. Apply on the official site and no matter who wins the battle of the origins, you can have the power of collector cred.

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