Zodak
Encyclopedia
Zodac is a character in the Masters of the Universe
mythology. The spelling varies between Zodac and Zodak in different sources (until the two were later defined as separate characters). In a unique curiosity of the Masters of the Universe franchise, portrayals of Zodac vary considerably from medium to medium since the franchise began in the 1980s, leaving many confused over the character. The fact that in the original line and accompanying cartoon
's run, the character was very little used, added to the mystery surrounding him even further.
The general representation of Zodac is that he is a neutral character, a cosmic enforcer who participates little in conflict but can aid either the heroic or evil sides in their hour of need. However, the original box information on the character listed him as an Evil Warrior, and this representation filtered through to a few other versions of the franchise. The design and character of Zodac is heavily influenced by the New God, Metron
, created by Jack Kirby
for his Fourth World
comic series.
in the development of the Masters of the Universe toy line, in 1981. His real name is Argon of Zargoniatronix. His action figure is tagged as 'Evil Cosmic Enforcer' and his action figure, despite being seemingly of human origin, is given claw-like feet, a standard trait of the line's evil characters. However, he does not appear in any of the toys' accompanying minicomics, leaving many buyers unsure of the exact nature of his character or what role he plays in the story. The description on the back of his toy card read "Zodac attacks the Heroic Warriors with all the evil power at his command", an ambiguous description, which one can interpret as signifying either a generic Evil Warrior, or a universal enforcer of evil who somehow epitomized all evil power.
The mystery surrounding Zodac is heavily exacerbated by his use in the DC Comics
, which features him acting as a neutral character who seemingly oversees the whole conflict and serves to maintain balance between the two sides of good and evil, ensuring when he can, that both sides get their way, and helping either side when they need it. As a watcher of the universe, he naturally knows that Prince Adam is He-Man
. Although he does not appear in any of the regular minicomics, he appears in the book and record that comes with the Point Dread & Talon Fighter playset, which also presents him in such a neutral role. However, as this playset was less commonly owned than the standard figures, many fans never saw this appearance and thus were still confused.
It is often believed that this "neutral" role was Mattel's original concept behind Zodac, and the labelling of him as 'Evil' was done purely to even out the evil figures against the heroic, or that he was classed as an Evil Warrior simply because the 'Heroic' and 'Evil' groupings on the boxes did not have a 'Neutral' category, but Mattel has never confirmed this. Later on in the toy line's run, Zodac figures were packaged purely as 'Cosmic Enforcer', the 'Evil' tag dropped to avoid the confusion.
Also to note is the exact spelling - in the later Masters of the Universe Classics line, Zodac and Zodak would become two different characters, in the original line, both spelling was used for the same character. The front of box spelled the name 'Zodac', while back of box and mini-comics listings for the figure typically spelled it 'Zodak'.
by Filmation
, Zodac appears in three episodes of the show's first season: "Quest for He-Man", "The Search" and "Golden Disks of Knowledge". The show's portrayal of the character is generally in keeping with that of the DC Comics, although it is clear in the cartoon that he leans more towards the side of good and serves essentially to help maintain peace within the universe. As the cartoon never shows him acting on the side of evil, and he never shares any scenes with Skeletor
, many viewers of the show perceive him as one of the good guys, even though this is not entirely true. It is his portrayal on the cartoon that heightened the confusion over the character, as viewers of the show who saw him as a good guy were perplexed when they went out to buy his figure.
In the cartoon he is presented as an all-powerful character who sees and understands all. The most important of his three episodes is "The Search", in which he sends He-Man out on a quest to prevent Skeletor from reaching the Star Seed, a powerful object that will give him control over the whole universe. A twist ending reveals that Zodac set up the whole affair, telling Skeletor of the Star Seed and sending He-Man to defend it, in a test of He-Man's ability to resist the temptation of using the Star Seed's power for himself.
The episode "Golden Disks of Knowledge", meanwhile, reveals that Zodac is the last remaining member of the Council of the Wise, often referred to as "The Council of Elders", a universal council of knowledge and wisdom keepers. It is revealed that Skeletor achieved most of his power after he stole the Golden Disks from the Council of the Wise after corrupting another of its members, Zanthor, into selling them to him. The end of the episode features the reformed Zanthor donning a uniform like Zodac's and leaving for the stars together with him to watch over the universe.
The series bible delves more into the history of Zodac, telling us that not only was Zodac a member of the Council of Elders, he was also the leader, and the only member to retain his human form after the Council became the spirit of Grayskull. He then vowed to sail the universe, keeping watch over Eternia but not interfering in the natural course of events.
In the 1980s cartoon, Zodac hosted the closing moral/PSA segment for two of the episodes he appears in: "Quest for He-Man" and "The Search". Being a duty widely considered suitable only for the "good" characters, this reinforces the notion of Zodac's default alignment being benevolent.
, portray him as a wholly evil character in servitude to Skeletor. In this storybook series he is portrayed as just another of Skeletor's bumbling henchmen, the complete opposite of the noble deity
-like figure of the cartoon series.
Several other books and comic series portray him as a fully heroic character, while others are more in-keeping with the DC Comics and Filmation's portrayals.
As Ian Richter of Mattel worked on developments for the cartoon's storyline with Mike Young Productions
, it was decided to link Zodak to the planned story line for season 2, dealing with the resurrection of the Snake Men
. Although Zodak had no connection with the Snake Men in the old continuity, in the new series his whole role in the show revolves around them.
Zodak appears in the contemporary series as an all-powerful and immortal warrior from Ancient times, presumably the most powerful warrior on Eternia
in the present time. Having aided the Elders in the defeat of the Snake Men centuries ago, Zodak is called upon in the episode "Snake Pit" to help prevent the Snake Men from being released from their ancient prison. It is revealed in this episode that Zodak harbors a centuries-old grudge against the Snake Men after King Hiss ate his brother, Zeelahr. Presumably it was his brother's murder that convinced Zodak to give up his mortality.
Zodak resides in a small wooden temple in the Mystic Mountains, where he spends most of his time in deep meditation. He refuses to let his grudge against the Snake Men die and will do everything he can until King Hiss has perished. Although this inevitably involves him aiding He-Man and the Masters from time to time, he has pledged no alliance and refuses to officially side with anyone in the battle, abiding purely by his own sense of right and wrong with little consideration for others. In season 2 it is Zodak who allows the Snake Men to be freed, placing Eternia in danger, for the sake of achieving his own revenge, which leads to a conflict between him and He-Man in the "Rise of the Snake Men" 2-parter. Zodak returns in the final episode of the series, "Awaken the Serpent", in which he finally defeats King Hiss. The whole series ends with a shot of Zodak flying off into the sky in his chair, as He-Man thanks him for winning the conflict against the Snake Men.
The 2009 Zodak action figure establishes that his real name is Kar-Tor, and that he is the apprentice of the original Zodac.
Masters of the Universe
Masters of the Universe is a media franchise created by Mattel....
mythology. The spelling varies between Zodac and Zodak in different sources (until the two were later defined as separate characters). In a unique curiosity of the Masters of the Universe franchise, portrayals of Zodac vary considerably from medium to medium since the franchise began in the 1980s, leaving many confused over the character. The fact that in the original line and accompanying cartoon
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's successful toy line Masters of the Universe...
's run, the character was very little used, added to the mystery surrounding him even further.
The general representation of Zodac is that he is a neutral character, a cosmic enforcer who participates little in conflict but can aid either the heroic or evil sides in their hour of need. However, the original box information on the character listed him as an Evil Warrior, and this representation filtered through to a few other versions of the franchise. The design and character of Zodac is heavily influenced by the New God, Metron
Metron
Metron can refer to:* Metron , a genus of butterflies in the grass skipper family* Metron , a character created by Jack Kirby for his Fourth World series in DC Comics...
, created by Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
for his Fourth World
Fourth World
Fourth World refers to a sub-population subjected to social exclusion in global society, or stateless and notably impoverished or marginalized nations.Fourth World may also refer to:...
comic series.
Pre-cartoon era
Zodac was one of the first characters to be conceived by 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...
in the development of the Masters of the Universe toy line, in 1981. His real name is Argon of Zargoniatronix. His action figure is tagged as 'Evil Cosmic Enforcer' and his action figure, despite being seemingly of human origin, is given claw-like feet, a standard trait of the line's evil characters. However, he does not appear in any of the toys' accompanying minicomics, leaving many buyers unsure of the exact nature of his character or what role he plays in the story. The description on the back of his toy card read "Zodac attacks the Heroic Warriors with all the evil power at his command", an ambiguous description, which one can interpret as signifying either a generic Evil Warrior, or a universal enforcer of evil who somehow epitomized all evil power.
The mystery surrounding Zodac is heavily exacerbated by his use in the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, which features him acting as a neutral character who seemingly oversees the whole conflict and serves to maintain balance between the two sides of good and evil, ensuring when he can, that both sides get their way, and helping either side when they need it. As a watcher of the universe, he naturally knows that Prince Adam is 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...
. Although he does not appear in any of the regular minicomics, he appears in the book and record that comes with the Point Dread & Talon Fighter playset, which also presents him in such a neutral role. However, as this playset was less commonly owned than the standard figures, many fans never saw this appearance and thus were still confused.
It is often believed that this "neutral" role was Mattel's original concept behind Zodac, and the labelling of him as 'Evil' was done purely to even out the evil figures against the heroic, or that he was classed as an Evil Warrior simply because the 'Heroic' and 'Evil' groupings on the boxes did not have a 'Neutral' category, but Mattel has never confirmed this. Later on in the toy line's run, Zodac figures were packaged purely as 'Cosmic Enforcer', the 'Evil' tag dropped to avoid the confusion.
Also to note is the exact spelling - in the later Masters of the Universe Classics line, Zodac and Zodak would become two different characters, in the original line, both spelling was used for the same character. The front of box spelled the name 'Zodac', while back of box and mini-comics listings for the figure typically spelled it 'Zodak'.
Filmation era
In He-Man and the Masters of the UniverseHe-Man and the Masters of the Universe
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's successful toy line Masters of the Universe...
by Filmation
Filmation
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...
, Zodac appears in three episodes of the show's first season: "Quest for He-Man", "The Search" and "Golden Disks of Knowledge". The show's portrayal of the character is generally in keeping with that of the DC Comics, although it is clear in the cartoon that he leans more towards the side of good and serves essentially to help maintain peace within the universe. As the cartoon never shows him acting on the side of evil, and he never shares any scenes with 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,...
, many viewers of the show perceive him as one of the good guys, even though this is not entirely true. It is his portrayal on the cartoon that heightened the confusion over the character, as viewers of the show who saw him as a good guy were perplexed when they went out to buy his figure.
In the cartoon he is presented as an all-powerful character who sees and understands all. The most important of his three episodes is "The Search", in which he sends He-Man out on a quest to prevent Skeletor from reaching the Star Seed, a powerful object that will give him control over the whole universe. A twist ending reveals that Zodac set up the whole affair, telling Skeletor of the Star Seed and sending He-Man to defend it, in a test of He-Man's ability to resist the temptation of using the Star Seed's power for himself.
The episode "Golden Disks of Knowledge", meanwhile, reveals that Zodac is the last remaining member of the Council of the Wise, often referred to as "The Council of Elders", a universal council of knowledge and wisdom keepers. It is revealed that Skeletor achieved most of his power after he stole the Golden Disks from the Council of the Wise after corrupting another of its members, Zanthor, into selling them to him. The end of the episode features the reformed Zanthor donning a uniform like Zodac's and leaving for the stars together with him to watch over the universe.
The series bible delves more into the history of Zodac, telling us that not only was Zodac a member of the Council of Elders, he was also the leader, and the only member to retain his human form after the Council became the spirit of Grayskull. He then vowed to sail the universe, keeping watch over Eternia but not interfering in the natural course of events.
In the 1980s cartoon, Zodac hosted the closing moral/PSA segment for two of the episodes he appears in: "Quest for He-Man" and "The Search". Being a duty widely considered suitable only for the "good" characters, this reinforces the notion of Zodac's default alignment being benevolent.
Other media
Other media to produce Masters of the Universe stories throughout the 1980s took radically differing approaches to the character of Zodac. Some storybooks, most notably the UK Ladybird BooksLadybird Books
Ladybird Books is a London-based publishing company, trading as a stand-alone imprint within the Penguin Group of companies. The Ladybird imprint publishes mass-market children's books.-History:...
, portray him as a wholly evil character in servitude to Skeletor. In this storybook series he is portrayed as just another of Skeletor's bumbling henchmen, the complete opposite of the noble deity
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
-like figure of the cartoon series.
Several other books and comic series portray him as a fully heroic character, while others are more in-keeping with the DC Comics and Filmation's portrayals.
2002 series
When Zodak featured in the 2002 relaunch of the Masters of the Universe franchise, it was inevitable that complexities would arise in updating him for a modern audience. Indeed, toy sculptors the Four Horsemen originally planned a radical change for the character by making him a strange alien creature rather than a human, in an apparent effort to enhance the view of him as a universal watcher. However, when Mattel demanded racial diversity in the toy line, the Four Horsemen looked to change skin colours and, after firstly considering Stratos but deciding that Stratos' overall design did not go well with the racial change, Zodak was chosen. Just as in the original line, the Zodak figure appears as a brown or bronze-skinned character and slightly darker than the action figure; for the new toyline, tribal markings were added to his arms and forehead.As Ian Richter of Mattel worked on developments for the cartoon's storyline with Mike Young Productions
Mike Young Productions
Mike Young Productions LLC is an animation studio that produces children's TV series. It is named after co-founder and partner Mike Young, and is part of the Moonscoop Group...
, it was decided to link Zodak to the planned story line for season 2, dealing with the resurrection of the Snake Men
Snake Men
The Snake Men are a fictional race of evil humanoid snakes in Mattel's Masters of the Universe franchise.-History:Released later in the original franchise's run, there was considerable retconning to work the Snake Men into the existing Masters of the Universe mythos.In the distant past the Snake...
. Although Zodak had no connection with the Snake Men in the old continuity, in the new series his whole role in the show revolves around them.
Zodak appears in the contemporary series as an all-powerful and immortal warrior from Ancient times, presumably the most powerful warrior on 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:...
in the present time. Having aided the Elders in the defeat of the Snake Men centuries ago, Zodak is called upon in the episode "Snake Pit" to help prevent the Snake Men from being released from their ancient prison. It is revealed in this episode that Zodak harbors a centuries-old grudge against the Snake Men after King Hiss ate his brother, Zeelahr. Presumably it was his brother's murder that convinced Zodak to give up his mortality.
Zodak resides in a small wooden temple in the Mystic Mountains, where he spends most of his time in deep meditation. He refuses to let his grudge against the Snake Men die and will do everything he can until King Hiss has perished. Although this inevitably involves him aiding He-Man and the Masters from time to time, he has pledged no alliance and refuses to officially side with anyone in the battle, abiding purely by his own sense of right and wrong with little consideration for others. In season 2 it is Zodak who allows the Snake Men to be freed, placing Eternia in danger, for the sake of achieving his own revenge, which leads to a conflict between him and He-Man in the "Rise of the Snake Men" 2-parter. Zodak returns in the final episode of the series, "Awaken the Serpent", in which he finally defeats King Hiss. The whole series ends with a shot of Zodak flying off into the sky in his chair, as He-Man thanks him for winning the conflict against the Snake Men.
The 2009 Zodak action figure establishes that his real name is Kar-Tor, and that he is the apprentice of the original Zodac.