#central tower

[vox-anglosphere]

Westminster Abbey's central tower from below.

[catulhu333]

SPOP Hordak's inspiration from Filmation Hordak

A sequel to my post 200x Hordak and SPOP Hordak, but mentioning similarities between SPOP and Filmation versions of him:

Both have blue skin (though SPOP Hordak's skin is kinda more blue-gray, possibly as a reference to other versions and depictions of Hordak often having gray skin, including most modern ones till recently). Hordak's blue hair also is meant to intentionally parallel his Filmation counterpart's blue fin. Both Hordaks also have similar cut outs at sides of their outfits with similar fastening (SPOP Hordak's original armor was more similar in this regard). Both also have red teeth.

Both Hordak's also use arm canons:

From personality, both have more redeemable elements - Hordak being implied to had been once not-evil in the Filmation She-Ra episode My Friend, My Enemy, and suggested to be possibly redeemable in Into the Dark Dimension, as well him having a sense of honor.

In concept, both Hordaks are connected to technology, and are experts in it, and both are cyborgs - Filmation Hordak appears to be a magitech cyborg/technomancer though, while SPOP Hordak is more biomechanical than a classic cyborg (if still having purely artificial parts/cybernetic implants), with a body designed genetically to interface with technology it seems.

To be clear, these aspects were present in other incarnations of Hordak through the 80s, inspired by the Filmation take on him. Many comics and books outright adopted the Filmation design of Hordak.

Latter Minicomics as mentioned by @lemaistrechat, continue more the Filmation version of Masters of the Universe, even if Hordak has a design closer to his toy.

There the "post Filmation" Hordak also shows emotional vulnerability hating being seen as weak, akin to his latter SPOP counterpart.

Bruce Timm's (yes, that Bruce Timm's) rendition of Hordak having a more slim and long face as well as normal boots (and possibly feet) possibly also influenced SPOP Hordak sharing these traits.

It also further expands that he was once at least non-Evil, helping to build the Central Tower representing balance between good and evil.

In general, it's interesting SPOP Hordak takes clear (and fairly deep) inspiration from his past incarnations, while adding on to that new elements and new twists on olds ones.

[spockvarietyhour]

rapid repair, “The Return Pt 2″

[emperorsfoot]

Classics-Line Mini-Comics, a Summary and Explanation: Issue # 2: "He-Ro Unleashed" 

The follow-up to "the Legend Begins". Unlike "the Legend Begins" this one is not a remake of a Vintage comic because no Vintage follow up to the 1987 "the Legend Begins" was ever made. This is all new content with a never-before-seen story! ...that picks up where the before-seen story leaves off.

Adam is still in the past and still in disguise as "the Stranger", and he's still going around doing good deeds and helping people until he finds what he came to the past to fine.

Here he is protecting a Gar settlement from a villain from the Preternia Era:

Note the Gar warriors are all dressed as Sy-Klone, cementing Sy-Klone as a Gar, not a human in this continuity.

Another important character in this continuity is Gar, so the mention of the Gar people (and their suffering) was not just some casual random encounter they threw in the demonstrate Adam's nobility (although it does also serve that purpose). The decision to include the Gar in the second issue of this run of the comics was planned.

Adam saving the Gar is the noble act that proves the good of his character and, after having been watching Adam from concealment for some time, Ro Littlegray (henceforth referred to as "He-Ro") reveals himself to Adam.

And the first thing He-Ro does is bring Adam to meet King Grayskull and the rest of the Masters of the Universe of their time.

Adam joins the Masters in their battles on two fronts against the Snakemen and the Horde. (And Skeletor is also there.)

During the battle, Hordak proudly brandishes the tablet containing the Spell of Separation.

It is not explicitly explained in the comic, this is one of the things the audience just has to know, but the Spell of Separation is the thing that broke up the Preternia Continent and divided the planet into the Light Hemisphere and the Dark Hemisphere.

Upon seeing the tablet of Separation, Adam decides that's the thing he came to the past to find. The Spell of Separation is the key to defeating the Snakemen in his present.

Then a bunch of climactic things happen in quick succession.

Adam sees Skeletor among the battle and charges off to grapple with his arch nemesis.

Hordak kills He-Ro; and Grayskull and He-Ro have a very tender and heartfelt "goodbye" scene as He-Ro laying dying in Grayskull's arms.

Grayskull uses He-Ro's power sword and goes berserk on Hordak and chops off Hordak's arm

Eldor begins to sink the Three Towers.

Hordak retreats, maimed and defeated.

After He-Ro's funeral, Teela uses the power of Central Tower that once again stands in her and Adam's present to open a time portal for Adam to return to her, now that he knows what they need to defeat the Snakemen (and their other enemies, although no one actually made mention of them).

Also, this frame will be explained later:

Explanation:

Since this is a follow-up to the previous issue, hopefully it needs less of an explanation. I feel most of the things that need explaining are details that will be explained as the comics progress. But, the Classics-Line comics can also feel more like an "abridged" version of a much larger series.

According to a comic from the Vintage line, Hordak actually built Central Tower. Because of this, he claims ownership of it. Viper Tower is attached to Snake Mountain and under the control of the Snakemen. Grayskull Tower is next to Castle Grayskull and under the protection of the Green Goddess and King Grayskull. The Three Towers are supposed to balance all the positive and negative magic on Eternia. With Grayskull Tower being the pole for all the positive energies, Viper Tower the pole for all the negative energies, and Central Tower is the fulcrum between.

The Three Towers were sunk when Eldor decided that the pursuit of power was the source of all the wars on Eternia. This comic is the first time that event is actually depicted.

You can read "He-Ro Unleashed" here:

Masters of the Universe issue #2 Classics mini-comics, 2011

Masters of the Universe issue #2 Classics mini-comics, 2011

[annyllel]

You never know where a shooting star will fall... Good thing I took care of the guardian here, or this would have been a bit more ticklish. Or, if the guardian had been there, I could have just decimated it and then picked up the star fragment. Oh well...

[brickd]

Tenshu by Pascal

[rabbitcruiser]

Buildings Ornamentations (No. 149)

Phelan Building, San Francisco

former Union Trust Bank Building, San Francisco

Humboldt Savings Bank Building, San Francisco (six pics)

Pacific Building, San Francisco (two pics)

[emperorsfoot]

Uhm. Hi. Does anyone wanna talk about this detail of MotU lore?

That Hordak helped build Central Tower!