The Time Corridor

The Time Corridor is a first season episode of the animated television series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, produced in 1983. Written by Larry DiTillio, directed by Lou Zukor.

Synopsis[]

Adam, Cringer, Man-At-Arms and Orko are enjoying a picnic in the grounds outside the palace when Zoar summons them to Castle Grayskull. When they arrive, the Sorceress tells them that Skeletor has travelled into the past, and is working alongside the Ape Clan in a plot to destroy Castle Grayskull with an artifact called the Wheel of Infinity.

The heroes use the Window of Time to travel to Eternia's past, where they immediately meet and save Zilora, the leader of the Snake Clan, from a Dragosaur. With the gratitude of the Snake Clan, the heroes enlist their aid in storming Skeletor's fortress. The fighting is fierce, but during the battle Zilora is captured and taken to Dragosaur Isle. He-Man, Man-At-Arms, Orko and Battle Cat follow the captors to the island, and manage to save Zilora.

The Sorceress uses her powers to reach through time and appear to them in a vision; she urges them back to the fortress, where Skeletor starts the Wheel of Infinity spinning. He-Man grabs the wheel and spins it even faster, overloading the artifact. Fearing an imminent explosion. Skeletor makes his escape and He-Man hurls the Wheel into the reaches of space, where it explodes. After they have made their farewells to Zilora, the Sorceress summons He-Man and his friends back to the present, and thanks them for saving Castle Grayskull.

Moral[]

He-Man: As we've just seen, Skeletor went back into the past to make evil things happen. In reality, no one can go back into the past, that's only make-believe. But we can try to learn from the past, from things that have happened to us, and try to apply them toward being better people today. Remember, it's today that counts. So make it the best day possible. Until next time, this is He-Man wishing you good health, and good luck."

Heroic Warriors[]

Allies[]

Evil Warriors[]

Fang Man (only Filmation appearance)
Skeletor
Tri-Klops

Villains[]

Ollo
Darkspy

Locations[]

Eternia
- Castle Grayskull
- Dragosaur Isle
- Evergreen Forest
- Eternos
  - Royal Palace
- Snake Mountain

Artifacts[]

Wheel of Infinity
Window of Time
Havoc Staff
Sword of Power

Creatures[]

Dragosaur

Cast[]

John Erwin as He-Man/Prince Adam and Ollo
Alan Oppenheimer as Skeletor, Man-At-Arms and Battle Cat/Cringer
Linda Gary as Zilora and the Sorceress
Lou Scheimer (credited as Erik Gunden) as Orko, Tri-Klops, Fang Man and Darkspy

Behind the Scenes[]

Script was approved January 26, 1983 and final script revision took place July 14, 1983.
An earlier version of the story, titled 'The Time Machine' was outlined in the Masters of the Universe series guide produced to sell the series to potential broadcasters.^[1]
The events in this episode take place over 3000 years ago, before the first building of Castle Grayskull.
During the opening scene, a character who is heard but remains unnamed and unseen delivers the casket with the Wheel of Infinity to Skeletor. He was called 'Darkspy' in the script.^[2]
All during the introduction at Snake Mountain, up-tempo action music is heard which does not match the slow panning shots and subsequent footage of Skeletor drumming his fingers. Later, when the Heroic Warriors enter Castle Grayskull, the Snake Mountain theme plays in the background.
Man-At-Arms is seen carrying his mace in many scenes, but never uses it. This weapon came with the original action figure, and was drawn in his hand in his model sheet, which provided the poses copied by the animators in these scenes.^[3]
Zilora's character model was designed by Gerald Forton.

Continuity[]

The sequence of the Sorceress transforming into Zoar the falcon and flying over Orko's head, who makes himself disappear afterwards, was first used in Teela's Quest.
The animation sequence of He-Man's dodging and throwing Ollo was seen twice before with He-Man facing Mer-Man, in Diamond Ray of Disappearance and Evil-Lyn's Plot as well as when fighting a Gargon Warrior in A Tale of Two Cities.^[4]
When Orko and Man-At-Arms watch the Wheel of Infinity explode in the sky, there is an orange colored stripe down the middle of Man-At-Arms' helmet which should not be there.
Dragosaur Isle reappears as the mysterious floating island in Island of Fear and was also used as a background during the moral segment of Search for the VHO.
The backgrounds of Skeletor's fort interior were reused in Search for a Son.
A recolored Dragosaur is seen as the dragon that escapes from the Royal Zoo in The Defection.
Skeletor's fortress is seen again as Baron Grod's Castle in The Huntsman.
The background plate of Dragosaur Isle from the can be seen in the She-Ra Princess of Power episode Battle for Bright Moon when Skeletor, Hordak and the Evil Warrors are standing in front of the dimensional gate.

Errors[]

When Skeletor rises from his Bone Throne to receive the Wheel of Infinity from Darkspy, in the wide shot, Skeletor is considerably smaller in size than usual and is standing on the throne's seat instead of in front of it. The table that Tri-Klops and Fang Man sit at is also different and smaller than usual, and they are seated on two stone blocks that were never there before.^[5]
During Tri-Klop's close-up at the start in Snake Mountain, the green eyelash on the eye on the side of his head is colored white by mistake.
When Orko is first introduced at the heroes' picnic scene, he has a trim around his hat which is never seen before or after.
During the establishing shot of Castle Grayskull, the jaw bridge door is crookedly attached.
When the Sorceress shows the building of Skeletor's fortress in the past by way of the Window of Time, there is a Snake Clan member (in orange) standing on top of the tower and a Ape Clan member (in blue) on the Battlement. The Snake Clan member should not be there as only the Ape Clan is working for Skeletor.
Battle Cat is drawn too small in size in comparison to the other characters when the Heroic Warriors enter the time portal and arrive in the past.
Zilora and the Snake Clan introduced with her holding her staff/ax in her left hand and raises it as she speaks. The next time we seem them, the image is flopped and she is raising it with her right hand. After that, she goes back to holding it in her left.
During He-Man's fight against the Dragosaur, his sword changes from his Right hand to his left between shots and back again. When he tricks the Dragosaur into the pit, his scabbard is empty, but as he picks up a rock the sword is suddenly in it's scabbard on his back and immediately after that it's empty again.
When Skeletor is talking to Ollo of the Ape Clan at the Fortress in the past, the backgrounds are of Snake Mountain instead.
He-Man, Man-At-Arms and Battle Cat are seen travelling to Dragosaur Isle on a raft. Later, Orko is also with them on the island, even though he was not present on the raft.
When the heroes return to Skeletor's castle for the final confrontation, there is a Snake Clan Member (who are allies of He-Man) guarding a turret rather than one of the Ape Clan (who work for Skeletor).