WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Masters of the Universe: Revelation Part 2, now streaming on Netflix.
The original Masters of the Universe cartoon largely dispensed with backstory. Good and evil were well defined, and characters required no further motivation to support their respective sides. The stories were almost entirely plot-based, typically featuring Skeletor or one of his allies once more attempting to seize the power of Castle Grayskull or otherwise conquer the people of Eternia. He-Man and his friends thwarted them, and the cycle started all over again. The needs of children’s television in the 1980s didn’t require anything more, and the show’s young fans certainly didn’t complain.
Masters of the Universe: Revelation aims to update that, nodding to the nostalgia of adults who grew up watching the old show, while shading it with more mature narratives and character developments. Of all the figures present, Evil-Lyn benefits the most. Originally created as a one-note wicked witch in the vein of Maleficent, Revelation gives her secrets, regrets and ultimately, a very good reason for joining the forces of evil. In the process, it reveals a very dark bond at the heart of her relationship with Skeletor.
Revelation Part 2, Episode 3, “The Gutter Rat” covers how the two met and how Evil-Lyn owes her master. As a young girl, her starving parents attempted to kill and eat her, forcing her to flee. She hid in the sewers and grew into a thief and pickpocket. This was where Skeletor found her, on the cusp of being beaten by a pair of her would-be victims. He taught her to use her inherent sorceress power and gave her a place of importance in his order. That covered up an inherently abusive relationship, in which he exploited her gratitude for his own gain.
This backstory helps explain her second thoughts in Revelation Part 1, which ultimately boils over in “The Gutter Rat.” After killing the Sorceress, Skeletor appears to elevate Lyn to take her place, granting her the vast power of Castle Grayskull as a reward for her faithful service. As Duncan observes, however, her newfound position still serves Skeletor’s ends: he needs a Sorceress to channel the god-like power he now commands. Furthermore, despite his grand claims of rulership over all creation, the only thing he can contemplate using it for is killing He-Man.
Evil-Lyn rejects the dynamic in an empowering moment, resulting in her claiming Skeletor’s godhood and transforming into the primary antagonist in the last two episodes of the series. That goes back to her original incarnation in the '80s, who constantly plotted to usurp power from Skeletor once he triumphed. Tying the two together through the developed tragedy of her background turns her more than Machiavellian plotting into something properly character-driven. And just as he finally achieves his cherished dreams by claiming the power of Grayskull, so does Evil-Lyn achieve hers by taking it away from him.
That comes to full fruition in Revelation Part 2, Episode 4, “Hope, for a Destination” after Skeletor and Adam have joined forces to confront her. Evil-Lyn's verbal denuding is vicious. “There isn’t enough blood in your body to wash my hands of you,” she snarls as her magic holds him powerless. Beyond his abuse and exploitation of her abilities, she’s particularly incensed that he used her to hide after Eternia thought he was dead, only to step forward and claim the power of Grayskull without so much as a “thank you.” She holds him responsible for the nihilistic destruction she intends to unleash on the universe and makes sure he knows it.
Evil-Lyn’s journey forms a dark parallel to Teela’s. Both characters were relegated to sidekick status in their early days of the franchise, only to find themselves stepping into the spotlight in a big way here. And just as Revelation gives Teela plenty of dramatic backstory to support her, so does Evil-Lyn gain an apt explanation for why she was found at Skeletor’s side. It gives her actions weight and a suitably dark motivation to justify her nihilism. Of all the show’s figures, she benefited the most from the effort to flesh her out, and it shows.
The entire 10-episode first season of Masters of the Universe: Revelation is now available on Netflix.
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