While Masters of the Universe: Revelation part 2 may have He-Man duking it out with Skeletor, Teela embracing her destiny in her own way, and a mighty battle against the undead for the fate of the universe, make no mistake: this is Evil-Lyn’s story.
Back in part 1, Evil-Lyn found herself on the side of the angels. With Skeletor dead and the world dying from a lack of magic, she set out with Teela and her allies to save not only their world but the universe as well. Along the way, she was able to grow, come to terms with her toxic past, and even make an unlikely friend in Orko. She was finally who she wanted to be—just “Lyn” instead of “Evil-Lyn.” And then first part’s cliffhanger was revealed—Skeletor had been alive within her staff the whole time without her even knowing it.
Sekeletor makes it clear that he had been influencing her from within the staff—guiding her on the path to bring about his full resurrection. From her viewpoint, all the freedom and agency she thought she had gained were illusions. She had never escaped Skeletor and feels like she never could.
Thus, with Skeletor back, we see Evil-Lyn fall back into her old pattern as his lover, lacky, and punching bag. She is once again emotionally and physically abused—a victim who can’t seem to escape her toxic relationship. And like many abused, we see her continue the cycle. The one living person who genuinely cares for her, Beast Man, bears the brunt of it. Powerless in her own relationship, she treats him as Skeletor treats her—trying to take even the smallest amount of control over her life.
All this becomes even worse once she sees the truth of the universe: there is no greater order to things—no meaning of life. Everything will eventually turn to dust. In the face of nihilism laid bare, she starts to break down. All her suffering has been for nothing. It was all just the cruelty of mankind and the ego of one petty abuser. Worse still, Skeletor all but ignores the impact of her revelation, so obsessed is he with He-Man and his own self-importance. Abused, broken, devoid of all hope and support, she comes to a simple conclusion: if existence means nothing, then let it become nothing.
This is, ironically, the push she needs to break away from her abuser. For her newfound goal she strips him of both his power over her and the Power of He-Man as well. Then, she summons an army of the damned to protect her—souls that would rather the peace of non-existence to that of eternal torment—and sets about unmaking the universe.
In the end, it’s Teela, the woman who was once Evil-Lyn’s greatest rival, who is able to bring her back from the brink at the last moment. Alone facing the truth of the universe, Evil-Lyn was only able to see the darkness—conditioned by the hopelessness that had permeated her own life. So focused was she on the chaos, hurt, and death that she couldn’t see everything else: the beauty, the love, the life. She couldn’t see that the fact that anything exists in the first place is magic, pure and simple. Looking at everything as Teela does changes Evil-Lyn on a core level—and any desire to end the universe disappears from within her.
And as the dead are pulled back into the underworld, Orko included, it is not He-Man or Teela or anyone else who reaches out to stop his return: it is Evil-Lyn. She will not abandon her first true friend—not in the wake of her new revelation. Yet, in the days to come, she doesn’t stay with Orko or the rest of the heroes. Instead, she leaves on her own to parts unknown. With her newfound agency, she is finally able to walk away—to leave behind all that ties her to her past life with Skeletor—and begin her journey to discover herself and who she wants to be.
Top image copyright: ©Netflix, Mattel Television, Powerhouse Animation Studios.
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