She-Ra is... actually, not a comic book heroine, but she's a favourite of mine, so indulge me. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe were, as every child of the 80s knows, a great success - and to the surprise of all concerned, not just with boys. Girls were watching the show and buying the toys too (those whose parents weren't nutcase "Dolls only for girls!" types), and between toy manufacturer Hasbro and cartoon producer Filmation, the idea arose to create quite literally a sister series to Masters of the Universe, with female heroes to appeal directly to this as-yet untapped market. And so, when Masters of the Universe drew to a close, She-Ra: Princess of Power took its place on TV and in toy aisles.
Like He-Man, She-Ra is the magically enhanced persona taken by a regular human - in this case Princess Adora, Prince Adam (He-Man)'s twin sister, stolen as a child by the evil Hordak, who was then laying siege to Eternia with his Horde armies, and sorcerer lieutenant Skeletor. With his forces driven from Eternia and Skeletor gone rogue to pursue his own conquest of the planet, Hordak returned to his stronghold on Etheria, where the baby Adora was raised in the Fright Zone, kept under control by Hordak's new sorceress Shadow Weaver, and taught to be a Horde officer. Many years later, Castle Grayskull revealed a new magic sword, and with it He-Man located Adora, and helped her break free of Shadow Weaver's enchantments and see the evil Horde for what it truly was. Rather than returning to Eternia, Adora chose to stay on Etheria and lead the fledgling rebellion that had arisen there against Hordak's rule; when needed, her Sword of Protection can transform her into She-Ra, the most powerful woman in the universe.
Despite the show being intentionally 'made for girls', Filmation didn't take the stereotypical route of making it all about fashion and dating (sadly, Hasbro had less imagination, and produced a sub-par toyline that had more in common with Barbie than Masters of the Universe). She-Ra, like Masters of the Universe, was an action adventure TV show, and having had the learning experience of making Masters Filmation improved upon the original with better animation, more sophisticated storytelling, and more elaborate design. Although the episodes followed the same basic pattern as did He-Man's - the heroes always win, no-one really gets hurt (or if they are, they're swiftly healed by magic), the villains escape to try again another day, and so on - the cast of characters and setting for She-Ra was more complex and more compelling. In place of Skeletor's band of villains skulking in remote Snake Mountain, the Horde were masters of Etheria, with She-Ra and the rebels the ones operating from an isolated hideout, having to choose their battles wisely in order not to be crushed by superior numbers and firepower. Rather than Eternia's mix of sci-fi and magic on both sides, Etheria was clearly divided between the magical inhabitants of the planet and the Horde's high-tech invading armies. And with the strong support Masters had created, Filmation felt confident enough to develop more sophisticated concepts in the episodes, challenging She-Ra with problems other than simply feats of strength.
As the series progressed, She-Ra's supporting cast grew, and was explored in more depth. Her (and Adora's) immediate circle of friends were Glimmer, princess and heir to Brightmoon, the only remaining free kingdom on Etheria at the beginning of the show's run (admittedly a bit of a ditz), Bow, a roguish archer and adventurer with a crush on She-Ra, Madame Razz, a kindly old witch of the Twigget forest people (and her animate flying broomstick called, naturally enough, Broom), Kowl, a small koala/owl hybrid creature with a sarcastic manner who was Bow's best friend, and of course her horse Spirit, who like Cringer/Battle Cat transformed alongside his mistress, becoming the winged unicorn Swiftwind. As the series progressed more allies and friends were gained, including Light Hope, the magical guardian of the Crystal Castle (the equivalent to He-Man's Sorceress and Grayskull respectively), Frosta, a quick-witted and independent ice witch and ruler of the Kingdom of Snows, Sea Hawk, a brave and cunning pirate who forms a relationship with Adora, Mermista, a mermaid who skirts her people's policy of neutrality to help the rebellion, and Sweet Bea, a scout from a race of alien refugees searching for a new home. The rebellion was, of course, well-served for enemies too - in addition to Hordak and his endless (and generally useless) supply of robotic Horde Troopers, She-Ra often faced Catra, a spiteful Horde Force Captain with the ability to transform into a panther, her frequent lieutenant Grizzlor, a dim-witted but powerful animal man, and the evil sorceress Shadow Weaver, who by the standards of children's television was often genuinely malevolent.
She-Ra: Princess of Power isn't Lord of the Rings, or Xena (although she helped pave the way to an extent) - it's a children's cartoon, but it's a children's cartoon made well by people who loved their work, and believed it was worth making it as good as possible, and telling the best stories they could tell. Despite the simplicity (from an adult's point of view) of the stories, the imagination, the scope of the fantasy world, and the sincere desire the writers and producers had to create a show that was not just profitable but good shines through, and it's no surprise that many of the original fans remain so to this day. She-Ra is available in three DVD boxed sets, parts one and two of season one, and the half-length season two, as well as the Best of She-Ra two-disc set containing the five-episode 'Secret of the Sword' premiere, and five other favourite episodes handpicked by fans, and the He-Man and She-Ra Christmas Special.
