We Have the Power!
Copyright© 2026 by Carlos Santiago
Chapter 15: Hero to Hero
“ ... being brave doesn’t mean you go looking for trouble.”
— Mufasa (as portrayed by James Earl Jones), The Lion King. Directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. Screenplay by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. Story by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, Linda Woolverton, Burny Mattinson, Barry Johnson, Lorna Cook, and Tom Sito. U.S. theatrical release: June 24, 1994. Produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. Copyright © 1994 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.
The broken drawbridge stretched endlessly beneath a sky of twilight; though, if this were the breaking of dawn or the setting of dusk, no one could be certain.
There was no wind or sound other than the movement of Adam or this supposed-King Grayskull.
Adam slowly pushed himself upright.
His wounds were gone.
“ ... Where am I?”
“Like I said, this veil between life and death can be thin,” Grayskull said. “As your injury was severe enough, and your mind is slowly fading. Unless you get the Sword of Power back into your hands, you will likely die, Prince Adam.”
The voice carried the calm certainty of an ancient king, so in that way, Adam had no problem believing he was who he said he was.
Adam turned to face King Grayskull.
“Then it’s all over for me,” Adam said, almost letting out a sigh of relief
“Not quite,” the ruler contradicted. “I have been waiting for you, Adam. Though you wandered far closer to that gate than you should have, you are not dead yet.”
Adam looked at the hulking frame of a man and lowered his head.
“I’m sorry, Grayskull.”
“For what?” the ruler wondered, curiously.
“For ... not being worthy of your power or the station to be Eternia’s champion.”
Grayskull’s smile disappeared.
“Who ever said you were not worthy?”
“No one ... everyone ... everything?” Adam answered, struggling. “Ever since I took the Sword, I feel like all I done is make the wrong choices, and then ... I met Marzo, and I saw...”
He hesitated, looking away from the progenitor of the line of heroes that defended Eternia.
“I saw other versions of myself. They were greater heroes. They inspired people. They lived better lives. I was only chosen because every other version of me was chosen. I don’t deserve the gift to become He-Man.”
Grayskull regarded him for several quiet moments.
“Really now?” Grayskull asked, imploring.
“Well, yeah. I couldn’t even stop Skeletor.”
“No. You couldn’t. Had you transformed though, you would have repelled him.”
“But isn’t that just relying on the power to transform? I did that before when I spent weeks in the Dark Hemisphere, rounding up Skeletor’s goons.”
“True, and maybe you should not have engaged in espionage, but I don’t know,” the hero said. “I don’t know, Adam. Nobody, no matter how wise or intelligent, has all the answers. For every decision we make, there are consequences. You saw a problem, and you tried to fix it. I don’t know about you or the judgment you have, but when and where I come from, that is the mark of a hero.”
Adam looked up to him. He was unsure whether or not to accept the praise.
“Adam, you were chosen because of who you are. Had blood alone determined worthiness, your father or your grandfather could have borne the Sword, but they didn’t because the Council of Elders chose neither.”
Grayskull shook his head.
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