Hordak
Encyclopedia
Hordak is a fictional character
in the Masters of the Universe
franchise, as a villain who opposes She-Ra
, He-Man
, and villain Skeletor
. In the She-Ra cartoon
, he is the leader of the segment of the fictional Evil Horde
on the planet Etheria
, an army of savage warriors, most of whom wear a red vampire bat
symbol on their chests to convey their allegiance. He is the former mentor
of Skeletor
, one of the franchise's main villains. According to most story media, Skeletor betrayed Hordak and trapped him in "another dimension" before beginning his own conquest of the planet Eternia
. Hordak then returned with a vengeance to take over Eternia for himself. This background is consistent across most story media.
Hordak is recognizable by his grotesque white (sometimes cream/bone coloured) face, with sharp red eyes, his flat snout-like nose, red vampire
-like fangs and pointed bat-like ears. He wears a collar of bones and black armor over his chest, emblazoned with the Horde bat symbol. His appearance resembles a vampire or bat-like creature, although in some media he appears more cyborg
-like. Whenever he talks, he pauses his talking by snorting between his statements. According to the toy line's creator Roger Sweet
, his face was modelled on an African witch doctor
's mask.
Hordak is the lead villain of the She-Ra: Princess of Power
cartoon
, in which he is the archnemesis of She-Ra
, He-Man
's twin sister.
In this series, he rules the planet of Etheria
with an army of Horde Troopers.
's Masters of the Universe
toy line in 1985, to inject new blood into the line by introducing a new army of villains, as adversaries to both He-Man
and Skeletor
. Hordak was introduced in the minicomic "Hordak: The Ruthless Leader's Revenge!", packaged with his action figure, in which he returns from the dimension in which he was imprisoned to wreak vengeance on Skeletor while making his own attempts to destroy He-Man and conquer Castle Grayskull
. His character is presented as a sorcerer
who has now turned his attention mainly to science, and uses a combination of magic and science, but mainly the latter, in his attempts on Eternia. He was apparently involved in events in Eternia's past such as the building of The Three Towers, which is alluded to in some of the mini-comics that came packaged with the action figures.
A second-version figure of the character, 1986's Hurricane Hordak, with vac-metallized gold armor and an arsenal of spinning propellor weapons, corresponds to the Flying Fists He-Man
and Terror Claws Skeletor
figures of the same year.
The Buzz Saw Hordak action figure first released by Mattel
in 1987 has become a very rare and sought-after collector's item. This toy's rare existence can be attributed to being released very late into the toy series original run. The mint condition
(known as MOC / Mint on Card) version of this figure can fetch high dollars on auction sites such as eBay
.
animated series, Hordak is returned to his mini-comic roots as a non-technological sorcerer warlord
from ancient Eternia
, who opposed Castle Grayskull's original ruler, King Grayskull
, with a massive army. The conflict ended when Hordak commanded his sorcerers to draw Castle Grayskull into the dimension of Despondos. The spell failed with King Grayskull's intervention, only destroying the area around the castle and drawing Hordak and his army into the dark dimension instead. However, Hordak's spirit that was ripped from his body managed to mortally wound Grayskull before being imprisoned. While trapped in Despondos, Hordak saved Keldor's life after he failed to assassinate the Eternian Elders, and had acid splashed in his face when it was deflected by Captain Randor
. Hordak saved Keldor by magically removing the damaged flesh and allowing his bare skull to exist in a magical floating state above his shoulders. Having saved his life on the promise of a later price to be paid, Hordak renamed Keldor as Skeletor. It can be noted that Hordak was an even bigger bully towards his men than Skeletor is. In the episode "The Power of Grayskull", Hordak completely destroys one of his generals simply for giving him good advice that he did not want to hear.
At a much later date, Hordak calls upon Skeletor to free him from Despondos, and Skeletor initially seems powerless to resist his mentor. However, Skeletor surprises the onlooking Evil-Lyn
and He-Man by defiantly destroying Hordak's temple, thus hoping to seal his former master away forever.
Soon after Evil-Lyn attempts to free Hordak through different means with the help of Count Marzo, but after He-Man destroys the Well of Darkness, Marzo absorbs the power of his amulet
and flees. It is also revealed that Hordak is responsible for creating this series' Dark Hemisphere on Eternia by performing the Spell of Separation.
Hordak was intended to be released in the new toy line, as well as being the main villain in the third season of the cartoon series. According to Ian Richter of Mattel, who initiated most of the storylines in the cartoon, Hordak was going to conquer Eternia in season three and serve as the main villain of the season before finally being overcome by Skeletor. However, the toy line and cartoon series were both canceled after the show's second season, so the third season was never produced.
and his attempts at conquering Eternia. The UK comics also state that there are two Fright Zones that he operates from, one on Etheria and one on Eternia, the latter resembling Mattel's Fright Zone playset. The UK comics state that he comes from the world of Academica, apparently a world dominated by science and industry.
series and later comics derived from its continuity, Horde Prime is the only being with authority over Hordak as well as his Horde inspectors, for he is the intergalactic ruler of the Horde Empire, with control over all Horde regimes. He apparently hails from a world known as Horde World although his exact background has never been revealed. All that has ever been seen of Horde Prime is a gigantic skeletal robotic arm, which suggests he may be some sort of cyborg
. He travels the universe in his spaceship, the Velvet Glove, keeping watch over the Horde's universal activities.
It has been speculated, but never confirmed, that Horde Prime may be Hordak's brother.
The main reason for this comes from the episode "The Peril of Whispering Woods", the first She-Ra episode to allude to Horde Prime. In this episode, we see Horde Prime's son, Prince Zed, who addresses Hordak as 'uncle'. This could suggest that Prime is Hordak's brother, but it is also possible that Zed only called him 'uncle' as a friendly term. How Prince Zed is Horde Prime's son still remains to be seen, but he may be adopted.
Two UK She-Ra annuals in the mid-1980s state that Hordak is Prime's brother, but these operate within a canon
independent of the cartoon and also altered Horde Prime's name, referring to him as 'Prime Horde'. The UK He-Man comics state explicitly in one issue that Horde Prime is not Hordak's brother, but again these operate within an independent canon, and Prime is depicted with a completely different appearance from the cartoon.
Hordak's MOTUC bio reveals his true name to be Hec-Tor Kur, second-born heir to the Horde Empire who came to Eternia while battling He-Ro. Hec-Tor adopted the name "Hordak" and eventually raised an army to battle against the Snake Men for rule over Eternia. Eventually, Hordak's army defeated the Snake Men, but it was then defeated by King Grayskull, who banished Hordak to the dimension of Despondos.
, who relies mostly on magic, the majority of Hordak's powers are seemingly the product of science. He is capable of transforming himself in a variety of ways. For example, he can turn his arm into an energy cannon, become a massive tank, and even transport himself over great distances by becoming a rocket. In the episode "The Stone in the Sword", Hordak even transforms his arm into a vacuum cleaner. Although mechanical in result, these transformations may have been magically instigated, as they occur instantaneously with an eerie glow and sound effect.
However, the minicomics and Marvel Star comic books depict Hordak as using magic to a greater extent, more so than science. He is shown to be a powerful dark mage of equal or greater power to Skeletor and most likely has far greater knowledge.
As was the case with Skeletor and He-Man, Hordak received later action-figure iterations that had new special features. As Hurricane Hordak, he has the power to discharge violent whirlwinds via mechanical rotor-blades that replace his right hand. As Buzz-Saw Hordak, he can launch a deadly spinning buzz-saw-like projectile from his chest. The accompanying minicomics explain the origins of both seemingly technological powers in clearly magical terms.
In the 2002 Mike Young Productions cartoon, Hordak briefly appears in flashbacks and in astral form
via "dimensional portals". He is depicted as a supremely powerful magic-user, seemingly of vastly greater power than Skeletor, and with no apparent reliance on technology whatsoever, other than his Horde Troopers, although it is unknown if these redesigned minions are still intended to be robots like the original versions.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Masters of the Universe
Masters of the Universe
Masters of the Universe is a media franchise created by Mattel....
franchise, as a villain who opposes She-Ra
She-Ra
She-Ra is a fictional character and the heroine in the Filmation cartoon and series of toys produced by Mattel called She-Ra: Princess of Power. She is the alter ego of Princess Adora and the twin sister of He-Man. She-Ra was intended to appeal to young girls in the same way that He-Man appealed to...
, He-Man
He-Man
He-Man is a fictional heroic character featured in the Masters of the Universe media franchise. In most variations, he is the alter ego of Prince Adam...
, and villain Skeletor
Skeletor
Skeletor is a featured villain in the Masters of the Universe franchise and the arch-enemy and main antagonist of He-Man. Depicted as a muscular blue humanoid with a purple hood over his yellowing bare-bone skull, Skeletor seeks to conquer Castle Grayskull so he can learn its ancient secrets,...
. In the She-Ra cartoon
She-Ra: Princess of Power
She-Ra: Princess of Power is an American animated television series produced in 1985 by Filmation. It is a spinoff of Filmation's highly successful He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series, aimed primarily at a young girls' audience to counter-balance the latter show's popularity with boys...
, he is the leader of the segment of the fictional Evil Horde
Evil Horde
The Evil Horde, more frequently referred to as the Horde, is a group of fictional characters featured in She-Ra: Princess of Power and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoons, comics and toys...
on the planet Etheria
Etheria
Etheria is a Filipino fantasy television series that was produced by GMA Network. The full title of the series is Etheria: Ang Ikalimang Kaharian ng Encantadia , referring to Encantadia, its predecessor series...
, an army of savage warriors, most of whom wear a red vampire bat
Vampire bat
Vampire bats are bats whose food source is blood, a dietary trait called hematophagy. There are three bat species that feed solely on blood: the Common Vampire Bat , the Hairy-legged Vampire Bat , and the White-winged Vampire Bat .All three species are native to the Americas, ranging from Mexico to...
symbol on their chests to convey their allegiance. He is the former mentor
Mentor
In Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
of Skeletor
Skeletor
Skeletor is a featured villain in the Masters of the Universe franchise and the arch-enemy and main antagonist of He-Man. Depicted as a muscular blue humanoid with a purple hood over his yellowing bare-bone skull, Skeletor seeks to conquer Castle Grayskull so he can learn its ancient secrets,...
, one of the franchise's main villains. According to most story media, Skeletor betrayed Hordak and trapped him in "another dimension" before beginning his own conquest of the planet Eternia
Eternia
Eternia is the name of the fictional planet that serves as a setting for the Masters of the Universe toy collection and animated series.-Origins:...
. Hordak then returned with a vengeance to take over Eternia for himself. This background is consistent across most story media.
Hordak is recognizable by his grotesque white (sometimes cream/bone coloured) face, with sharp red eyes, his flat snout-like nose, red vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
-like fangs and pointed bat-like ears. He wears a collar of bones and black armor over his chest, emblazoned with the Horde bat symbol. His appearance resembles a vampire or bat-like creature, although in some media he appears more cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
-like. Whenever he talks, he pauses his talking by snorting between his statements. According to the toy line's creator Roger Sweet
Roger Sweet
Roger Sweet is an American designer. He grew up in Akron, Ohio and graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and the Institute of Design in Chicago, Illinois. He served as a lead designer at Mattel throughout much of the 1970s and 1980s and worked extensively on the Masters of the...
, his face was modelled on an African witch doctor
Witch doctor
A witch doctor originally referred to a type of healer who treated ailments believed to be caused by witchcraft. It is currently used to refer to healers in some third world regions, who use traditional healing rather than contemporary medicine...
's mask.
Hordak is the lead villain of the She-Ra: Princess of Power
She-Ra: Princess of Power
She-Ra: Princess of Power is an American animated television series produced in 1985 by Filmation. It is a spinoff of Filmation's highly successful He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series, aimed primarily at a young girls' audience to counter-balance the latter show's popularity with boys...
cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
, in which he is the archnemesis of She-Ra
She-Ra
She-Ra is a fictional character and the heroine in the Filmation cartoon and series of toys produced by Mattel called She-Ra: Princess of Power. She is the alter ego of Princess Adora and the twin sister of He-Man. She-Ra was intended to appeal to young girls in the same way that He-Man appealed to...
, He-Man
He-Man
He-Man is a fictional heroic character featured in the Masters of the Universe media franchise. In most variations, he is the alter ego of Prince Adam...
's twin sister.
In this series, he rules the planet of Etheria
Etheria (She-Ra)
Etheria is a fictional planet introduced in the animated film The Secret of the Sword. It is the main setting of the She-Ra: Princess of Power animated series.-History:Etheria was founded by a group of beings known only as The First Ones...
with an army of Horde Troopers.
Hordak in the Masters of the Universe toy line
Hordak and his Evil Horde were introduced into MattelMattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
's Masters of the Universe
Masters of the Universe
Masters of the Universe is a media franchise created by Mattel....
toy line in 1985, to inject new blood into the line by introducing a new army of villains, as adversaries to both He-Man
He-Man
He-Man is a fictional heroic character featured in the Masters of the Universe media franchise. In most variations, he is the alter ego of Prince Adam...
and Skeletor
Skeletor
Skeletor is a featured villain in the Masters of the Universe franchise and the arch-enemy and main antagonist of He-Man. Depicted as a muscular blue humanoid with a purple hood over his yellowing bare-bone skull, Skeletor seeks to conquer Castle Grayskull so he can learn its ancient secrets,...
. Hordak was introduced in the minicomic "Hordak: The Ruthless Leader's Revenge!", packaged with his action figure, in which he returns from the dimension in which he was imprisoned to wreak vengeance on Skeletor while making his own attempts to destroy He-Man and conquer Castle Grayskull
Castle Grayskull
Castle Grayskull is a fortress located on the fictional planet Eternia. It forms a central location in the Masters of the Universe toy/comic/animation universe, and also appears in the 1987 live action adaptation....
. His character is presented as a sorcerer
Sorcerer
-Gaming:* Sorcerer , a 2002 tabletop role playing game made by Ron Edwards* Sorcerer , a 1984 interactive fiction computer game made by Infocom...
who has now turned his attention mainly to science, and uses a combination of magic and science, but mainly the latter, in his attempts on Eternia. He was apparently involved in events in Eternia's past such as the building of The Three Towers, which is alluded to in some of the mini-comics that came packaged with the action figures.
A second-version figure of the character, 1986's Hurricane Hordak, with vac-metallized gold armor and an arsenal of spinning propellor weapons, corresponds to the Flying Fists He-Man
He-Man
He-Man is a fictional heroic character featured in the Masters of the Universe media franchise. In most variations, he is the alter ego of Prince Adam...
and Terror Claws Skeletor
Skeletor
Skeletor is a featured villain in the Masters of the Universe franchise and the arch-enemy and main antagonist of He-Man. Depicted as a muscular blue humanoid with a purple hood over his yellowing bare-bone skull, Skeletor seeks to conquer Castle Grayskull so he can learn its ancient secrets,...
figures of the same year.
The Buzz Saw Hordak action figure first released by Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
in 1987 has become a very rare and sought-after collector's item. This toy's rare existence can be attributed to being released very late into the toy series original run. The mint condition
Mint condition
Mint condition is an expression used in the description of pre-owned goods. Originally, the phrase comes from the way collectors describe the condition of coins. As the name given to a coin factory is a "mint", then mint condition is the condition a coin is in as it leaves the mint...
(known as MOC / Mint on Card) version of this figure can fetch high dollars on auction sites such as eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2002)
In the new continuity of the 2002 Mike Young Productions He-Man and the Masters of the UniverseHe-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2002)
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American animated television series. Developed for television by Michael Halperin, who created the original series, it was animated by Mike Young Productions...
animated series, Hordak is returned to his mini-comic roots as a non-technological sorcerer warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
from ancient Eternia
Eternia
Eternia is the name of the fictional planet that serves as a setting for the Masters of the Universe toy collection and animated series.-Origins:...
, who opposed Castle Grayskull's original ruler, King Grayskull
King Grayskull
King Grayskull is a fictional character from the 2002 version of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. -Fictional character biography:...
, with a massive army. The conflict ended when Hordak commanded his sorcerers to draw Castle Grayskull into the dimension of Despondos. The spell failed with King Grayskull's intervention, only destroying the area around the castle and drawing Hordak and his army into the dark dimension instead. However, Hordak's spirit that was ripped from his body managed to mortally wound Grayskull before being imprisoned. While trapped in Despondos, Hordak saved Keldor's life after he failed to assassinate the Eternian Elders, and had acid splashed in his face when it was deflected by Captain Randor
King Randor
King Randor is a fictional character who appears in the popular 1980s Masters of the Universe franchise. In early material, the character is called King Miro, this was later given in the Filmation cartoon series as King Randor's long-lost father's name....
. Hordak saved Keldor by magically removing the damaged flesh and allowing his bare skull to exist in a magical floating state above his shoulders. Having saved his life on the promise of a later price to be paid, Hordak renamed Keldor as Skeletor. It can be noted that Hordak was an even bigger bully towards his men than Skeletor is. In the episode "The Power of Grayskull", Hordak completely destroys one of his generals simply for giving him good advice that he did not want to hear.
At a much later date, Hordak calls upon Skeletor to free him from Despondos, and Skeletor initially seems powerless to resist his mentor. However, Skeletor surprises the onlooking Evil-Lyn
Evil-Lyn
Evil-Lyn is a fictional character in the popular Masters of the Universe toy line and the accompanying cartoon series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe....
and He-Man by defiantly destroying Hordak's temple, thus hoping to seal his former master away forever.
Soon after Evil-Lyn attempts to free Hordak through different means with the help of Count Marzo, but after He-Man destroys the Well of Darkness, Marzo absorbs the power of his amulet
Amulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
and flees. It is also revealed that Hordak is responsible for creating this series' Dark Hemisphere on Eternia by performing the Spell of Separation.
Hordak was intended to be released in the new toy line, as well as being the main villain in the third season of the cartoon series. According to Ian Richter of Mattel, who initiated most of the storylines in the cartoon, Hordak was going to conquer Eternia in season three and serve as the main villain of the season before finally being overcome by Skeletor. However, the toy line and cartoon series were both canceled after the show's second season, so the third season was never produced.
Hordak in other media
While Hordak came to be generally recognized as She-Ra's main adversary, most story media outside of the cartoon focuses more on Hordak as one of He-Man's arch-enemies. He features predominantly in the Star and Marvel comic series in the US as an enemy of He-Man, and also in the London Editions comics in the UK. London Editions also published a short-lived She-Ra comic series, which also stars Hordak as the main villain, explaining that he divides his time between his rulership on EtheriaEtheria
Etheria is a Filipino fantasy television series that was produced by GMA Network. The full title of the series is Etheria: Ang Ikalimang Kaharian ng Encantadia , referring to Encantadia, its predecessor series...
and his attempts at conquering Eternia. The UK comics also state that there are two Fright Zones that he operates from, one on Etheria and one on Eternia, the latter resembling Mattel's Fright Zone playset. The UK comics state that he comes from the world of Academica, apparently a world dominated by science and industry.
The relationship between Horde Prime and Hordak
In the FilmationFilmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...
series and later comics derived from its continuity, Horde Prime is the only being with authority over Hordak as well as his Horde inspectors, for he is the intergalactic ruler of the Horde Empire, with control over all Horde regimes. He apparently hails from a world known as Horde World although his exact background has never been revealed. All that has ever been seen of Horde Prime is a gigantic skeletal robotic arm, which suggests he may be some sort of cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
. He travels the universe in his spaceship, the Velvet Glove, keeping watch over the Horde's universal activities.
It has been speculated, but never confirmed, that Horde Prime may be Hordak's brother.
The main reason for this comes from the episode "The Peril of Whispering Woods", the first She-Ra episode to allude to Horde Prime. In this episode, we see Horde Prime's son, Prince Zed, who addresses Hordak as 'uncle'. This could suggest that Prime is Hordak's brother, but it is also possible that Zed only called him 'uncle' as a friendly term. How Prince Zed is Horde Prime's son still remains to be seen, but he may be adopted.
Two UK She-Ra annuals in the mid-1980s state that Hordak is Prime's brother, but these operate within a canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
independent of the cartoon and also altered Horde Prime's name, referring to him as 'Prime Horde'. The UK He-Man comics state explicitly in one issue that Horde Prime is not Hordak's brother, but again these operate within an independent canon, and Prime is depicted with a completely different appearance from the cartoon.
Masters of the Universe Classics
In 2008, Mattel debuted the Masters of the Universe Classics (MOTUC) line of action figures. This line was to be sold exclusively on its collector-centered website, mattycollector.com. This line features classic MOTU characters sculpted in an updated style with added articulation by renowned toy sculptors The Four Horsemen. Currently, the MOTUC line has no comprehensive backstory, but the figures' packaging does include short character bios that merge elements from various incarnations of the franchise, as well as some newly-developed information to form a new, distinct MOTUC continuity.Hordak's MOTUC bio reveals his true name to be Hec-Tor Kur, second-born heir to the Horde Empire who came to Eternia while battling He-Ro. Hec-Tor adopted the name "Hordak" and eventually raised an army to battle against the Snake Men for rule over Eternia. Eventually, Hordak's army defeated the Snake Men, but it was then defeated by King Grayskull, who banished Hordak to the dimension of Despondos.
Powers and abilities
In the Filmation series, Hordak possesses an array of powers. Unlike his treacherous former pupil SkeletorSkeletor
Skeletor is a featured villain in the Masters of the Universe franchise and the arch-enemy and main antagonist of He-Man. Depicted as a muscular blue humanoid with a purple hood over his yellowing bare-bone skull, Skeletor seeks to conquer Castle Grayskull so he can learn its ancient secrets,...
, who relies mostly on magic, the majority of Hordak's powers are seemingly the product of science. He is capable of transforming himself in a variety of ways. For example, he can turn his arm into an energy cannon, become a massive tank, and even transport himself over great distances by becoming a rocket. In the episode "The Stone in the Sword", Hordak even transforms his arm into a vacuum cleaner. Although mechanical in result, these transformations may have been magically instigated, as they occur instantaneously with an eerie glow and sound effect.
However, the minicomics and Marvel Star comic books depict Hordak as using magic to a greater extent, more so than science. He is shown to be a powerful dark mage of equal or greater power to Skeletor and most likely has far greater knowledge.
As was the case with Skeletor and He-Man, Hordak received later action-figure iterations that had new special features. As Hurricane Hordak, he has the power to discharge violent whirlwinds via mechanical rotor-blades that replace his right hand. As Buzz-Saw Hordak, he can launch a deadly spinning buzz-saw-like projectile from his chest. The accompanying minicomics explain the origins of both seemingly technological powers in clearly magical terms.
In the 2002 Mike Young Productions cartoon, Hordak briefly appears in flashbacks and in astral form
Astral projection
Astral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
via "dimensional portals". He is depicted as a supremely powerful magic-user, seemingly of vastly greater power than Skeletor, and with no apparent reliance on technology whatsoever, other than his Horde Troopers, although it is unknown if these redesigned minions are still intended to be robots like the original versions.