4. Prince Adam
The idea of ordinary people overcoming overwhelming odds, and finding inner strength in the face of overwhelming adversity is a classic story telling device. In the realm of fantasy and science fiction, that inner strength is often given its own identity. The formula is tried and true---how many of our favorite super heroes have alter egos that are ordinary humans? In adapting the Mattel toy line, Filmation brought with it the idea that a "normal" being would be endowed with the power and responsibility of the most powerful man in the universe through the auspices of a magical sword---thus, Prince Adam was born. In appearance, he looked exactly the same as He-Man aside from his outfit and his voice---something that the 2002 revival of the animated series was sure to fix. In character he was everything He-Man wasn't. He was lazy, irresponsible and although he wasn't a brat, he was certainly privileged and never had to fight for anything in his life. Adam is the last person anyone would expect to be He-Man---and so of course he was He-Man's alter ego.
Dolph Lundgren---known at the time for his role as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV---brought He-Man to life. He did not bring Prince Adam with him. In fact, the first live action adaptation of He-Man had no mention of King Randor, Queen Marlena or the royal family of which Adam was a part. This robbed fans of one of the greatest moments of the animated series and one that many were eager to see on screen---the transition of Adam to He-Man. Fans, including this writer, felt robbed at the omission of this element of the He-Man mythology. A successful He-Man reboot, cashing in on the nostalgia of the past absolutely must include the Prince Adam character and his transition to He-Man.