Sorceress of Castle Grayskull
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The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull is a fictional character from the toy line and Filmation cartoon series Masters of the Universe.
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[edit] Early minicomics/DC comics
In the first minicomics, the character who later would be the Sorceress was known as "The Goddess", and looked like Teela wearing snake armor. As in later depictions, she was the one who gave He-Man his amazing powers. The minicomic The Tale of Teela shows Teela as the clone/daughter of the Goddess, created by Skeletor (explaining why both characters were originally represented by the same toy).
[edit] Later depictions
The Sorceress is the mistress and guardian of the secrets of Castle Grayskull, the source of He-Man's great power.
In the Filmation series, the Sorceress demonstrates many saint-like qualities inspiring other characters, most notably Adora (She-Ra), to take action against evil. Although she is considered one of the most powerful beings on Eternia, the Sorceress exemplifies humility and a truly unselfish nature never seeking credit for her efforts or aid. She dwells alone within Grayskull keeping watch over Eternia and practicing magic. It is said that the role of the Sorceress is to "fight the constant war against evil and comfort those in need."--'Origin of the Sorceress.'
She is also the mother of Teela, childhood friend of Prince Adam and Captain of the Royal Guard, whose aggressive, gung ho temperament was a far cry from her soft spoken mother's. When Teela was an infant, the Sorceress gave her to Duncan, to raise as his own, because the Sorceress felt that Castle Grayskull was too dangerous a place for her daughter to be raised. At one point, Teela set out to discover the truth of her mother from The Oracle of the Crystal Sea and succeeded, but the Sorceress erased the revelation from Teela's memory for her own good, even though she desperately wished she could tell Teela the truth. However, Teela did briefly assume the role of the Sorceress in the episode Teela's Triumph.
The current Sorceress's real name is Teela'Na. Her history was revealed in the episode The Origin of the Sorceress. In this episode, Morgoth (an old nemesis of the Sorceress) returns and attacks Eternia. On a journey, the Sorceress tells He-Man of how she became the Sorceress.
She is generally considered to be one of the most powerful practitioners of magic on Eternia. However, since her powers are tied to Castle Grayskull, the magnitude of her powers decrease if she leaves the castle. Indeed, she seldom leaves the castle; but if she has to, she must transform into her falcon-form, known as Zoar.
On many occasions she has used her powers to increase those of He-Man, once giving him the power not only to lift Castle Grayskull, but also hurl it into a dimensional portal.
No one knows the true age of the Sorceress, but it is clear that she is not immortal, as the previous Sorceress before her had grown fairly old, suggesting that she and the other Sorceresses do age. With a vast knowledge of magic and history, she is among the wisest beings on Eternia. He-Man often seeks her counsel especially when situations are at their worst. The Sorceress sometimes appears to characters who are in need of guidance.
[edit] The New Adventures of He-Man (minicomics and TV series)
In The New Adventure, the first TNA minicomic, the Sorceress, appearing in her classic falcon-like form, warned to Prince Adam that the Galactic Guardians, tricked by Skeletor, were siphoning the Power of Grayskull. She later appeared, with a totally different chrome armor (evoking the futuristic feeling of the new series), saying that He-Man would not become Prince Adam again, and that He-Man now had to say the name of the Starship Eternia in order to transform.
In the TNA animated series she wore a sort of amalgam of her classic falcon suit and the chrome armor. She often appeared in He-Man's mind, giving advice to him.
[edit] 2002 Series
In the 2002 series, the attire of the Sorceress was redesigned to evoke an Egyptian goddess rather than a mere falcon. This is confusing because the creators claimed they wanted to avoid any references or ties to Earth. She is still Teela's mother, of which fact Teela is still unaware, despite the internal pain it causes the Sorceress. An episode briefly reveals a part of the Sorceress's past and how Teela was conceived after the Sorceress married an unnamed soldier who supposedly died in battle (it is believed that perhaps Man-At-Arms or Fisto are truly Teela's father, though the Sorceress has not revealed this). When not in formal attire, The Sorceress looks strikingly like Teela, only taller. Had the series continued, it was intended in the third season that Teela would discover that the Sorceress was her mother, but would not have lost the memory as she had in the original series.
It is also revealed that the Sorceress bestowed the power of He-Man upon Adam, and informed him of his destiny and the prophecy that foretold his coming.
She has also been shown as a capable fighter and on two occasions has shown her abilities: in one episode titled "Out of the Past," she saves a village from a band of marauders and in another, "Rise of the Snakemen Part II," she fights against King Hiss by unleashing an atomic-like blast against the evil snakemen, though she was still defeated by him.
[edit] Synopsis of the Sorceress' origin
Morgoth, an evil sorceror, betrayed the Sorceress' village to the Evil Horde. She traveled to Castle Grayskull to get help to stand against the forces of evil. She enters the castle and the guardian of Castle Grayskull (Kodak Ungar) reveals that she needs a successor, and Teela'Na becomes the Sorceress.
[edit] Powers and abilities
The Sorceress possesses a vast array of magical and spellcasting abilities. Some spells she performs on a regular basis, including transforming into her alternate form known as Zoar the falcon.
She is perhaps most noted for projecting her telepathic image to others, especially He-Man. Her telepathy is very powerful as she can contact He-Man across great distances as well as sense the thoughts, emotions, and motives of others.
According to the episode Teela's Triumph, the Sorceress can look into both the past and the future. She frequently uses a mystic mirror within Grayskull to keep watch over current events on Eternia.
The Sorceress can also teleport herself and others across vast distances, and in the episode The Cosmic Comet she temporarily grants He-Man the ability to fly.
Other times she exhibits telekinesis, the ability to project images, as well as create fire, bolts (or spheres) of energy, and produce magical shields.
In the 2002 series, the powers of the Sorceress are altered slightly. The three principle differences include:
- The power to fly in human form
- The tendency to focus her spells through a mystic staff
- When using magic, her eyes often emit a golden light
[edit] Portrayal
In the 1980s series, the Sorceress was voiced by Linda Gary (who also voiced Teela, Evil-Lyn, and Queen Marlena among others). In the 1987 film she is played by Christina Pickles. In the 2002 series, she was voiced by Nicole Oliver.
[edit] Trivia
- It is a closely guarded secret that the Sorceress transforms into Zoar the falcon.
- In early mini-comic appearances, she was called The Goddess, and appeared to be wearing Teela's cobra armour, with olive skin.
- Despite being a main character, she only performed in one of the original series moral/closing sequences in the episode The Starchild.
- She would often serve as a Deus Ex Machina, either by teleporting characters who were in dire straits or using her powers to augment those of He-Man, thus saving the day.
- In the original animated series, there are few moments when the Sorceress exists outside of Grayskull as her human form. In the episode Return of Evil, she transforms into a humanoid while in the Tar Swamp then back to Zoar before returning to Castle Grayskull. Also in Origin of the Sorceress, she used a magical crystal to maintain her human form and use her magic outside of Grayskull to battle the sorcerer, Morgoth. In the movie-length episode The Secret of the Sword the Sorceress is also shown battling Hordak outside Snake Mountain in her human form alongside Man-At-Arms.
- The episode "The Taking of Grayskull" is the only episode to feature the Sorceress running.
