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King Hiss (also known as King Hssss[1]) is a character in the Masters of the Universe franchise. He was the villainous leader of the Snake Men and one of He-Man's more powerful enemies. King Hiss did not appear in the original animated series by Filmation, which had ceased production by the time the figure was released, however, his Snake Men did, now incorporated into the Evil Horde.

Character history[]

Minicomics[]

Hissmini

King Hiss in the Minicomics, at the height of his power.

King Hiss was the ruler of a race of interstellar conquerors, though he actually served a mysterious figure known as the Unnamed One. Although his people were a race of humanoid snakes, Hiss had a human appearance; a notional disguise to hide his true form, an upper body comprised of five intertwined serpents. After forming an empire that spanned across the stars, Hiss and his armies arrived on Eternia, where they constructed Snake Mountain[2].

Hiss and his Snake Men fought a protracted war of conquest across the planet, when they were eventually overcome by the combined magic powers of the planet's Elders, He-Ro and his mentor, Eldor[3], whose magic flung King Hiss and his army into a limbo-like dimension.

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King Hiss in his Snake Form.

After centuries of imprisonment, King Hiss was freed by Skeletor, who desired to learn the secrets of the Snake Men. The two villains formed an uneasy alliance to conquer Eternia and destroy its champion, He-Man, but both planned to eliminate the other once their mutual enemy was destroyed. King Hiss tried to bring back the full might of his army from the dimensional prison in which he had been trapped, but only succeeded in summoning a small number of his forces. He was furious that some of them had served his old enemy, Hordak, during his banishment[4].

King Hiss would later combine his powers with Skeletor's and the duo raised the legendary Three Towers of Eternia, allowing Hiss to reclaim Viper Tower[5]. Hiss used the power of Viper Tower to summon more Snake Men back from the void to serve him. His snake form possessed a powerful hypnotic ability that was capable of putting even He-Man into a stupor.

Marvel/Star Comics[]

HissStarComics

King Hiss in the Star Comics.

King Hiss and his Snake Men were imprisoned by the Elders in a black box deep beneath Snake Mountain. Kobra Khan, seeking to free himself from Skeletor's control, revealed its existence to Skeletor and coaxed him into releasing King Hiss, Rattlor and Tung Lashor. Skeletor immediately began ordering the newly released Snake Men around, infuriating King Hiss. Despite his distaste for the situation, Hiss was fearful of Skeletor's power, and decided to bide his time and play along with Skeletor's demands that the Snake Men destroy He-Man for him.

Hiss and his minions captured Cringer in an attempt to lure He-Man into a trap at Snake Mountain. A battle broke out in which Hiss revealed his true form, and easily overcame Rio Blast, however, Skeletor continued to act as though he were Hiss's master. After being defeated by He-Man, Hiss called a retreat, and quickly terminated his alliance with Skeletor[6].

UK London Editions Comics[]

Kinghissukcomics

King Hiss allies with Skeletor in the UK Comics.

King Hiss once ruled an empire which spanned across several planets, which he dubbed "the clan of the Viper". Hiss and his armies invaded Eternia, where they constructed Snake Mountain. Hiss's armies spread across Eternia until they eventually came face to face with the Elders, who hurled them into another dimension, where they were imprisoned for thousands of years.

Eventually, Skeletor, the new lord of Snake Mountain, released King Hiss from his banishment using the Pool of Power. Mistaking Hiss for a heroic warrior due to his handsome appearance, Skeletor used a spell to summon a warrior powerful enough to defeat him. Unfortunately for Skeletor, the spell summoned He-Man, revealing Hiss as evil. Hiss used his hypnotic powers to subdue He-Man, and set about releasing the rest of his armies from the timeless dimension in which they were still held. With his true nature revealed, Hiss joined forces with Skeletor, though planned to destroy him as soon as they conquered Eternia.

Over time, Hiss freed more of his warriors from the timeless dimension, and seized Viper Tower as his base of operations, greatly increasing his powers. He was eventually driven from the tower by He-Man and the heroic warriors.

Newspaper Strips[]

King Hiss was imprisoned eons ago beneath Snake Mountain, his tomb guarded by a stone Falcon in the image of Zoar. Eventually, Hiss was able to telepathically summon the Snake Men; Tung Lashor, Rattlor and Kobra Khan, to free him. Though he had initially tried to stop the Snake Men's attempts to free Hiss, Skeletor quickly realised that the new arrival might be useful to him, and feigned loyalty, helping Hiss to free Snake Face and Sssqueeze from the Swamp of Smokes.

Kinghissnewspaper

King Hiss in the Newspaper Comic Strips.

While Hiss wished to attack the Royal Palace, Skeletor convinced him to turn his attention to Castle Grayskull. Angered by the mention of a "falcon headed woman", Hiss agreed, leaving Kobra Khan to assault the palace with an army of reptiles.

Though King Hiss, joining his powers with Skeletor's, managed to lower the Jawbridge of Castel Grayskull, they were foiled by He-Man. Refusing to be defeated, Hiss summoned the great serpent, Sacredon.

He-Man managed to defeat Sacredon by showing the great serpent its own reflection, but in the confusion, Hiss and Skeletor had already managed to break into Grayskull, and now held the Sorceress hostage. After a final climactic battle, King Hiss was once again defeated by the power of the Falcon and placed back in another tomb, buried within the Carminarvo Caverns.

200x[]

DC Comics (2013)[]

Netflix[]

Appearances[]

Minicomics[]

Marvel/Star Comics[]

References[]

  1. The spelling of the character's name was changed to King Hssss in the 2002 relaunch of the Action Figure franchise, but still King Hiss in the 2002 show
  2. King of the Snake Men
  3. The Powers of Grayskull: The Legend Begins!
  4. Snake Attack!
  5. The Ultimate Battleground!
  6. Snakes Alive!
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