Opening on the Mutant Mothership again, there is a brief recap of the previous episodes events as Flogg blames Skeletor for their recent defeats. Skeletor isn’t about take a lecture from Flogg though, and reminds Flogg that his plans will make Flogg King of Primus, making Flogg calm down slightly. Skeletor returns to his usual pleasant self, in an amusing scene where he calls Flogg ‘Flush’ by accident and informs him these recent battles were a warm up for his ‘ultimate plan’. Its one of my favourite comedy moments in the series, and Floggs reaction to being called Flush is hilarious. Skeletor looks a lot better here than in the last episode, there’s something about his facial expressions that make him seem a lot more sinister.
Above Primus, Hydron and Flipshot are sealing the holes in the shield thanks to a new invention by the Scientists. On Primus, Adam and Drissi are discussing the new war with the Mutants. I like this scene, its fairly simple but gives Adam some good dialogue, telling Drissi they will become stronger without having to rely on science, they will now rely on themselves. I also like how Adam almost forgets the fact he is supposed to come from Levitan, and nearly lets slip he doesn’t come from Primus, it’s a nice touch, and shows he hasn’t forgotten about his home planet. There discussion is interrupted by the sound of Skeletors voice calling He-Man, and in a stunning image, a giant hologram of Skeletor appears in the sky. Quite how Skeletor can do this I don’t know, but it looks very impressive, not too different from the opening of the Movie. I like the added detail of having the hologram fluctuate with static every so often, and Skeletor tilting his head back to egg He-Man on. Skeletor challenges him to an ‘ultimate challenge’ on the Cameroon Asteroid, then disappears.
Adam rushes off to see Master Sebrian, and the two of them agree it is clearly a trap. But if it ends his battle with Skeletor and saves Primus, Adam is willing to accept the challenge. The whole scene has a very ominous feel to it, and when Adam transforms to He-Man, the look on Sebrians face is very telling, he’s very worried about whats going to happen, but knows He-Man has to go. In contrast to the concern between He-Man and Sebrian, we have Flogg worrying about He-Man not showing up. Skeletor assures Flogg that he will, because he knows him ‘so well’. One thing I think series does better than the classic is the relationship between He-Man and Skeletor, they are clearly arch enemies, who have known each other for years, and its telling that Skeletor can predict He-Mans actions, it makes him that much better a villain. There battles in the New Adventures just seem much more personal than ever before.
Hydron and Flipshot tells He-Man they will protect the planet while he is gone. We’re reminded He-Man hasn’t been in the future for very long when Hydron questions whether He-Man is ready to fly the Bolajet, of course, we all know He-Man can do pretty much anything, but Hydrons comment makes the whole journey into the future seem more real. He-Man then takes off, with Hydron and Flipshot wishing him a safe journey. In the next scene, we cut to the Scientists, once again bickering and arguing about their latest invention, but I think its their best scene from the initial five part story. It helps that its very impressively animated, with Krex using a robotic chair to swerve around the room and elevate himself into the air. The machine they are using here is the same one that will detect the cracks in the shield(we first heard about this in the previous episode, but it was never seen)and ultimately the strain they put on it trying to achieve their own personal objectives causes it to overload.
The Scientists tell Sebrian, who worries that with He-Man gone they will be an easy target for the Mutants. He tells Hydron, and we cut to Levitan where the Galactic Guardians are rushing to their ships. I really like this scene, and its one of the few times we see Kayo, Nocturna and Vizar, the most underused of the Guardians, though Kayo would be given a bigger role towards the end of the series. The image of the Guardians each jumping into their Bolajets and Hydron leading the team out to protect the planet is one I always remember.
Skeletor and Flogg spot He-Man in his Bolajet on his way, and Flogg admits Skeletor was right, as they go the landing bay. The following scene between Skeletor and Flogg is one of my favourite moments from the whole series, the music is particularly impressive and adds to the ominous feel of the whole episode. I just love the image of Skeletor and Flogg marching down the landing dock, with the Mutant troopers standing to attention as they go past surrounded by tons of Shuttlepods ready for action. And Skeletors gets in another great one liner before he leaves, telling Flogg ‘This is where we part company Flogg, I to do battle with He-Man, you to invade a planet. It’s a day to circle on the calendar don’t you think?’ before jumping into a shuttlepod. Flogg assures him that when he returns, he will be King of Primus, but as the shuttlepod door closes, Skeletor says to himself that when he returns, ‘You will be mine. Primus will be mine. The Whole Tri Solar Galaxy will be mine!’ Its one of two times we see Skeletor actually planning on getting Flogg under his control, and Campbell Lane impressively can go from hilarious to evil and sinister in a few lines. Skeletor then takes off, laughing as he races off to do battle with He-Man.
In his ship, He-Man is suddenly contacted by the Sorceress, who assures him he is doing the right thing. The Sorceress assures He-Man she is always close by, it keeps with her caring nature that she assists He-Man even when he is so far away from her. She would sometimes take a very active role in the series, though not physically, but I am glad she is still here, though her echoing voice at the end of this scene is somewhat clichéd. The Sorceress tells He-Man to see with his heart, and remember the most incredible force comes from inside.
Meanwhile, Flogg and Slush Head are happy that the moment they have been waiting for has come, an all out attack on Primus, and the attack begins. The Mutant Shuttlepods blast everything in sight, but there is strategy to their attack, and Hoove reports to Flogg he has taken out Primuses main radar station. Flogg remarks ‘That’s my Hoove’ grinning. Just as Flogg muses about encountering no resistance, the Guardians enter the battle and open fire on his Shuttlepod. Meanwhile, Gleep reports the attack to Master Sebrian, who realises there only hope is to get He-Man back quickly, trouble is, no ship is fast enough except the Eternia, and only Caz knows how to fly it(from Quest for The Crystals), Sebrian decides it is the only way, and Mara and Caz leave as the Mutants storm into Sebrians house. The battle scenes are very impressively animated, and a lot smoother than some of the later Primus attack scenes in the final episode. As I have mentioned, the whole episode has a very foreboding ominous feel to it, and the Mutants are clearly winning here, as Crita, Lizzor and Karatti capture Sebrian and Drissi. The whole plot of the episode reinforces how important He-Man is to Primus, they really do need him and his power.
He-Man arrives on the asteroid, where Skeletor is waiting. This is the only time in the series that we actually see He-Man use the golden shield which came with his action figure, and I like him having the added accessory, it’s a shame he never uses it again. Just as the battle begins, Caz and Mara arrive, and Skeletor flees as they tell He-Man about the trap Skeletor set and the current invasion. Mara is very concerned they will hit He-Man when Caz is firing at Skeletor and the asteroids, and its interesting to see how much she changes over the course of the series, becoming far more daring and independent in the later episodes. Skeletor has only teleported himself a short distance however, and activates a device which attracts the asteroids in the asteroid field to He-Mans location. Skeletor gets his own little rhyme/song here as he chuckles ‘Watch out He-Man, your in for pain, thanks to Skeletors asteroid rain!’ It’s a nice little personality trait for Skeletor in the series, and he often gets his own little amusing rhyme in later episodes.
The asteroids begin to swarm in on He-Man, and he tells Mara and Caz to get back to the ship, just as his shield is sent flying from his hand by a large piece of rock, shortly followed by him losing his sword. Mara and Caz tearfully take their leave as He-Man hears the Sorceress voice again, and stands tall as the asteroids rain down upon him. Its one of the few times when the odds are completely against He-Man, he cant leave the asteroid, because he will put Mara and Caz in danger, so he must stay. Gary Chalks voice work is impressive here too, and really conveys the bravery and noble nature of He-Man. The last shot of He-Man glowing in the storm seems to indicate all is lost.
Back on Primus, The Mutant attack is over, and Mutant Troopers are marching hundreds of prisoners aboard ships. Its quite reminiscent of She-Ra, and the Hordes occupation of Etheria, and really shows the Mutants as a powerful force. The Starship Eternia returns, and is also captured, surrounded by Mutant Fighters and made to land. Mara and Caz tell Sebrian what has happened, who tells them to have faith, just as Hoove grabs Sebrian and shoves him towards the prisoners. The way Hoove just grabs Sebrian, and pushes him at the waiting troopers, is particularly harsh, and Hooves voice sounds very evil.
Sebrian is taken to Levitan, where Skeletor and Flogg are waiting. Hydron is not a prisoner yet, and is speaking to Sebrian via a communicator, Sebrian tells him a complete surrender is all that will spare there peoples lives. The scenery is very impressive and well designed here too, as we see the Fountain of Freedom in Levitan, complete with fully animated flowing water. Skeletor is overjoyed, believing he has finally destroyed He-Man, and telling Flogg ‘This is our day’. Flogg has Sebrian sign a treaty that will make the planet his, Sebrian protests that they have done this in front of the Fountain of Freedom, Skeletor mocks Sebrian and happily destroys the entire fountain with a blast from his staff.
But just as the Fountain explodes, blue energy crackles and explodes out from the top, and suddenly He-Man rises from out of the energy. He-Man rising from the remains of the fountain is quite an iconic image from the series in my opinion, and even the little touch where he swings back his hair is impressive. He-Man uses his sword to gather the debris from the exploded fountain, and sends it all flying back at the Mutants, who begins to panic and run back to their ships. Flogg shouts for his troopers to stay and fight, but finds himself fleeing soon enough, leaving only Skeletor behind. Skeletor, being rained upon by the debris of the fountain, finally decides to take his leave, stating that ‘No one can ever say Skeletor overstays his welcome! Ta Ta!’ and teleporting away. Considering all he has lost this episode, Skeletor takes the defeat quite well, though we will see next episode he doesn’t quite take it as well as we thought here. Hydron and the Guardians return in their Bolajets and drive Flogg and the Mutants away, as Flogg cries out for a retreat. The whole return of He-Man is very impressive, and one of my favourite moments in the series, after the rest of the episode seemed to point towards the Mutants ultimate take over of Primus and Skeletors victory, the tables are ultimately turned on them in a spectacular fashion. As he emerges from the fountain, we also see He-Man tie his hair into a pony tail, while it isn’t very long at the moment, we would see it grow as the series went on, and its very good continuity.
After the battle, The prisoners are all set free, and He-Man tells them that his heart would not let his body be defeated. Quite how he reappeared in the fountain is not explained, but it doesn’t need to be, we know how He-Man survived, and it was also thanks to the Sorceress advice earlier in the episode. The final scene in the sunset where He-Man promises he will always be there to defend the people of Primus is similar to the ending of the first episode, and nicely brings the first five part story to a close as celebratory music plays in the background.
All in all, The Ultimate Challenge is an excellent episode of the New Adventures of He-Man, with He-Man and Skeletor at their best, an epic conclusion to the opening five part story and plenty of characters featured. The sense of foreboding throughout the episode is done excellently, and the music is superb, it has been said that the music is not as good as in the classic series, but I think its just as memorable, especially in this episode. Skeletors facial expressions and animated movements make him seem very dangerous, and Gary Chalks He-Man finally comes into his own. It’s a brilliant episode, that I cant find fault with. And the trend would be continued in the next episode, which serves as a sort of epilogue to the events here.
