Having seen it twice, I can safely say that the 2026 version of Masters of the Universe is more than worth a watch. Even if you aren’t a He-Man fan, Travis Knight has packed this adaptation full of the swords, sorcery, and sci-fi that fueled the original version of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. That’s not even mentioning the great message it carries about masculinity. With a big budget movie of a beloved property comes a universe of media tie-ins, and that’s where Masters of the Universe: The Wings of Fate #1 comes in.
The Wings of Fate #1 is set some time before the events of the movie; to be precise, it’s right as He-Man’s soon-to-be foe Skeletor launches his invasion of Eternia. The Sorceress of Greyskull, after sending a young Prince Adam to Earth with the Sword of Power, has taken her avian form and flown away, leading Skeletor to send Evil-Lyn off on a quest to find her. Very soon, the Sorceress finds refuge in the last place she’d expect: with the Trollan sorcerer Orko!
Anyone who’s watched the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, or any other He-Man media, knows that Orko is one of He-Man’s longtime allies and a source of comic relief due to the fact that his spells tend to malfunction at the worst. The Wings of Fate #1 keeps both of these elements intact, but there’s an added bit of tragedy as Orko and his parents are refugees from Trolla who have to scrape by to make a living. Yet Orko still has a heart of gold, as he’s not only willing to help the Sorceress hide from Skeletor but embarks on the journey with her, despite plenty of danger.
It helps that The Wings of Fate #1 is penned by Tim Sheridan, who has plenty of experience with the Masters of the Universe franchise. Sheridan worked on Masters of the Universe: Revelation, specifically the episode “Land of the Dead” which gave Orko his moment to shine. Thus, he has a great handle on Orko’s voice, and makes him a character worth rooting for. On the villains’ side, Sheridan makes sure to highlight how witty, yet threatening Skeletor is. On the one hand, you want to laugh at some of the stuff coming out of his face. On the other hand, said face is skeletal and menacing and not to be laughed at.
The Wings of Fate #1 also boasts some great artwork courtesy of Will Sliney, who’s no stranger to working on movie franchises thanks to his work on Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren. Sliney is able to replicate the movie’s design work, down to Evil-Lyn looking like a dead ringer for Alison Brie, while also bringing his own flair to the Trollans, who sport the same red robes, hats, and Jawa-style faces as Orko. Israel Silva’s colors help bring Eternia to life, while Andworld Design’s letters give each character a distinct voice – especially Skeletor, whose words are twisted and garbled.
Masters of the Universe: The Wings of Fate #1 serves as a solid prequel to the new Masters of the Universe movie, thanks to character-driven scripting and stellar art. If you loved the movie or want that MOTU fix, pick this comic up.
