How ‘Masters of the Universe’ emerged from the biggest IP blunder in movie history

I can recall feeling a little betrayed when I learned the backstory of my favorite cartoon. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe didn’t get its start as the brainchild of a television writer or a comic book artist. No, the muscle-bound toy came first—which meant my preferred entertainment was essentially a 30-minute commercial for action figures. (Battle Cat sold separately.) But even though He-Man’s origins seem crass and capitalistic, there’s real pop culture affection for him...