Masters-of-the-Universe-Piece Theatre: “The Prisoner of Castle Grayskull Revisited”

It’s time for another Masters-of-the-Universe-Piece Theatre photo story. The name “Masters-of-the-Universe-Piece Theatre” was coined by Kevin Beckett at the Whetstone Discord server.

Back in March, I posted a Masters-of-the-Universe-Piece Theatre toy photo story called “The Prisoner of Castle Grayskull”, set during the time in part 2 of Masters of the Universe: Revelation, when Duncan is imprisoned up in the dungeons beneath Castle Grayskull, after Skeletor took over the Castle, murdered the original Sorceress and turned Evil-Lyn into the new Sorceress, something Lyn isn’t particularly happy about. So Lyn eventually takes matters into her own hands, steals the Sword of Power from Skeletor and becomes the champion of Grayskull herself.

Mattel recently made a figure of the powered-up Lyn, called Dark-Lyn. She’s gorgeous, so I got her for my collection.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation never really goes into what happens to Duncan, after Lyn gets the Power. We only see him again, after he has escaped from the dungeon with the help of the tentacled creature known as the Orlax of Primeria and joins the battle outside Castle Grayskull.

But would Lyn really ignore her favourite prisoner? I don’t think so, so let’s see what happens when the powered up Lyn goes to see Duncan in the dungeon.

In the dungeons deep underneath Castle Grayskull:

“All right, Orlax, just give me some more of that disgusting but conductive slime, so I can get the hell out of here.”

EEEYUUUBBB!

“Orlax? What’s the matter? Footsteps. Seems someone’s coming to see me. But who? Lyn? Skeletor? Or dare I hope for rescue?”

“Sigh. It’s Lyn. And that frog critter.”

“Well, hello Duncan. Still hanging out, I see…”

“Hi, Lyn. Can’t say it’s a great pleasure to see you.”

“The prisoner is still secure, Mistress. I’m a good dungeon master, I am. I am very scrupulous about my duties. You will not be sorry that you appointed me.”

RIBBIT!

“I did not appoint you as dungeon master and neither did Skeletor. You appointed yourself, you slithering little salamander.”

“Frog. I’m a frog, Mistress. And I do good work, yes I do.”

RIBBIT!

“Well, whatever. Leave us alone now, Frog-Boy. Duncan and I have things to discuss.”

“It’s Frog-Monger, not Frog-Boy. But yes, I know when I’m not wanted. You want to sing the mating song with the prisoner again. Then go ahead. Sing mating songs and make little tadpoles. In the meantime, my friend and I will go hunting for tasty flies outside the Castle.”

RIBBIT!

“What did you do to the Orlax, Lyn? Did you hurt it again? Cause it screamed.”

“Why are you so concerned about the Orlax, Duncan? Shouldn’t you rather worry about yourself?”

“Because the Orlax is a living being and it’s hurting. Not that you’d understand.”

“Oh by the way, the Orlax is scared of her. Always has been. He says she’s the Destroyer of Worlds. But then, the Orlax has always been a little dramatic.”

RIBBIT!

“Ah, alone at last.”

“Whatever you have to say, Lyn, make it quick, cause I’m really not in the mood.”

“Why so grumpy, Duncan? Don’t you have anything to say about my new look?”

“Well, it seems Skeletor managed to make you wear even less clothing than the last time around, which is certainly a feat.”

“Not Skeletor. Skeletor is history. I took the Sword of Power from him and kicked him out of the Castle.”

“Good. Then could you maybe give the sword back to Adam, cause he needs it. And maybe you could let me out of here, too, while you’re at it.”

“Give up the sword? Not a chance. I am my own champion now. And it seems that revealing attire comes part and package with the Power of Grayskull. After all, how else to show off those impressive muscles?”

“The sword isn’t yours, Lyn. It was never meant for you – or Skeletor. It was always intended for Adam.”

“Well, if Little Prince Weakling wants it back, he can always come and get it. But I’m afraid that he is much too busy sticking his own very unimpressive sword into your daughter Teela…”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t pretend to be stupider than you are, Duncan. In this very moment, as we’re talking, Little Prince Weakling is making out with Teela – yes, with your precious daughter – in the Talon Fighter at Point Dread. Though he apparently has some problems figuring out which part goes where.”

“Why exactly are you telling me this, Lyn? Do you think I mind?”

“Well, given the tendency of the Eternian Kings to sow their wild oats and then not follow through on their promises, you certainly should. Just ask Keldor – if you can find him, that is.”

“Listen, Lyn, even if what you say is true…”

“Oh, it is. Or would I lie to you?”

“You’d lie to me without a second thought. Lying is your second nature. Always was, always will be.”

“Ouch. Low blow, Duncan. I should punish you for that. You’re lucky that I like you.”

“So even if Adam and Teela are sharing an intimate moment with each other, why would I mind? They love each other. Always have, always will. And Adam is one of the best and bravest men I know. Though I do hope they’re being careful…”

“Ha, so you are a worried father, after all. And anyway, why did you give the sword to Little Prince Weakling, when you could have taken the sword and the power for yourself, could have been the champion of Grayskull – and of your darling Sorceress – yourself?”

“Because that’s not how it works. Adam is the chosen one. He has been since the day he was born. My job… and my privilege was to watch over him, be there for him and make sure he was ready to take on the burden of the champion, when the day comes.”

“Oh please! I’m sick to death of chosen ones. Your little Prince Weakling, Randor, even Keldor for all his whining about how Daddy didn’t love him, they were all born to privilege. Whereas you and I had to fight for every little thing we have. So who’s the chosen one here? The little Prince born with a silver spoon in his mouth or people like you and me who clawed our way out of the gutter?”

“That’s not how it works, Lyn.”

“Of course it is. I chose myself. I raised the sword, said the magic words and now I have all the power in the universe at my fingertips. I could rip Randor’s soul out of his body, if I wanted, or Skeletor’s for that matter. I could hurl a lightning bolt from the sky and put the fear of Zoar into Little Prince Weakling and your precious daughter…”

“Leave them alone, Lyn.”

“Or what? You’ll stop me? You’re my prisoner, Duncan. And even if you were free, you couldn’t stop me, cause I have the Power now. I am the ruler of Eternia.”

“But a queen needs a king. So what do you say, Duncan? Will you be my king and rule Eternia by my side?”

“Eternia already has a king. And I swore an oath…”

“Spare me your misplaced loyalty. You’ve spent more than twenty years basically running the kingdom and commanding Eternia’s forces, while Randor set around on his throne in his gilded armour, looking regal. You’ve even raised Randor’s son for him, because Randor couldn’t be bothered. And then, the moment something goes wrong, Randor kicks you out of the palace and throws you away like a broken sword. So no, Randor, deserves none of your loyalty. He never did.”

“Randor is my king, Lyn. And my friend.”

“King before friend, always. And anyway, after everything you’ve done for Randor, for Marlena, for Adam, for Teela, for the Masters of the Universe, for all of them, where are they now? Cause I don’t see any of your friends coming to rescue you.”

“There are more important things than rescuing…”

“Oh, I’m sure there are. Like Little Prince Weakling and your precious daughter making out. Or Randor peering very intently at a bunch of maps, pretending that he’s actually fit to lead anybody. You know what, Duncan, you’re an idiot. Time and again placing your loyalty and your faith in people who won’t do the same for you. You’ve wasted years supporting Randor who’s always treated you like a lackey. And you’ve wasted years on a woman who would never commit to you, who’d never even acknowledge you and your daughter, but would rather devote her life to this crumbling castle….”

“If I wasted years of my life, then I at least wasted them on people who are worthy and causes that matter. Whereas you wasted years of your life on Skeletor.”

“Yes, but I got wise and kicked him out. He’s running for the Mystic Mountains now, crawling back to his brother. But that reunion won’t go the way Skeletors hopes and I for one just wish I could be there to see Randor kick his arse and throw him in the deepest darkest dungeon… But wait, I can. I have the Power now and I can see anything, go anywhere in the whole universe.”

“If you can go literally anywhere in the universe, then why are you down here in the dungeon with me?”

“Isn’t it obvious, Duncan? Because I like you. And because having all this power at my fingertips, seeing the entire universe, seeing how lonely and desolate and devoid of meaning it all is makes me want to find solace in the arms of another human being. Skeletor was right, you know, whenever he went on about the loneliness of good and evil. Your little Prince knows it, too. That’s why he’s hanging out with imbeciles like Orko or Cringer and seeking comfort in the arms of your precious daughter, provided he can finally figure what to do. Because it’s lonely being a god. And I don’t want to be lonely…”

“Lyn…”

“Hush, Duncan. You know loneliness, too, don’t you? All those years pining after a woman who didn’t want you, who would not commit to you and your daughter…”

“She had her duty…”

“Oh please! Teela-Na could’ve found a way to make it work, if she’d wanted to. But she didn’t. And deep down in your heart you know. You know that this crumbling pile of stones always meant more to her than you and even her own child. Just as this crumbling Castle and the power buried within it always meant more to Skeletor than I ever could. So yes, Duncan, we’re both lonely. So why shouldn’t we find comfort in each other’s arms?”

“Will… will you unchain me? Cause otherwise this might be difficult.”

“You don’t like a woman to take control, do you? But no, the chains stay on. Trust me, it’s more fun that way.”

“Will you at least power down? You’re not used to the power and don’t know your own strength yet.”

“Oh please! Do you think I’m stupid. That’s how I got Skeletor. I seduced him, persuaded him to power down and stole the sword from him. Do you honestly think I’d fall for the same trick?”

“It was worth a try.”

“You know what, Duncan? I’m sick of you, sick of Skeletor, sick of it all. You can stay here in the dungeon, pine for your dear departed Sorceress and rot for all I care. Me, I’ve got a whole universe, no, a whole multiverse to explore. And since this whole multiverse is lonely and desolate and uncaring, maybe it’s time someone put it out of its misery.”

“Lyn, wait….”

“Great, Duncan. You just blew another chance at finally getting out of here. And why? Because you couldn’t submit to Lyn? Couldn’t lay back and think of Eternia just once. Oh well, back to Plan A. Orlax, are you still there?”

Eeeeeyoooo!

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’. Can you give me some more of that disgusting but highly conductive slime.”

SCREECH.

“Sigh. What now? Lyn, is that you?”

“Oh. It’s you. What do you want? Gloat some more? Listen, if you want revenge for being imprisoned down here, you’ve got the wrong man. You’ve been here since before I ever set foot in this Castle.”

“I don’t want revenge. I just have some advice, from one prisoner to another. That one, the tall female, she be crazy.”

“Lyn? Yes, I know.”

“But you don’t know all of it. The Orlax, he’s scared of her. He says she’s the Destroyer of Worlds, the one he came to warn all of you humans about, except that you wouldn’t listen, that you never listen.”

“Listen how? No one can even figure out what the Orlax means to say.”

“Well, I’m telling you what the Orlax means to say. He says that one, the tall female, is the Destroyer of Worlds who brought death and destruction to the Orlax’s homeworld and laid waste to entire universes. Now I don’t know if the Orlax is right, but I know that the tall female is crazy. I also know that she likes you. So sing mating songs with her. Make little tadpoles. Anything to stop her from destroying the universe.”

RIBBIT!

“Why do you even care, Frog Monger?”

“Why I care? Because I live in this universe, too. It’s not always been kind to me, but I still live here. And besides, this universe also has nice things like big fat flies, cool ponds and shady swamps. I don’t want all that destroyed.”

RIBBIT!

“So you want me to do what exactly? Offer up my body, so that Lyn won’t destroy the universe?”

“Now you understand, human.”

RIBBIT!

***

In Masters of the Universe: Revelation, Lyn does suffer an existential crisis at the realisation that she lives in an uncaring universe where God is dead and everybody is alone. In many ways, she’s a Lovecraft protagonist faced with the horrors of the cosmos. But while Lovecraft protagonists curl up and go mad, Lyn decides to put the entire universe and everybody in it out of her misery and is only barely stopped by all the heroes and even Skeletor working together.

It is also notable that unlike almost everybody else who wields the Power of Grayskull, Adam does not go mad, does not rip out anybody’s soul nor does he try to destroy the universe because it’s cold and uncaring. However, unlike almost everybody else who wields the Power of Grayskull, Adam also has a strong support system of friends and loved ones.

As for Lyn and Duncan, both of whom are alive and single at the end of Masters of the Universe: Revelation, will they eventually get together? I guess we’ll find out in Masters of the Universe: Revolution next year.

That’s it for today, folks. I hope you enjoyed this Masters-of-the-Universe-Piece Theatre Photo Story, because there will be more.

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of these characters, I just bought some toys, took photos of them and wrote little scenes to go with those photos. All characters are copyright and trademark their respective owners.