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So I just finished watching the 1987 He-man masters of the universe movie. I can't help but think GW got their idea for the Dark Eldar from this movie. The forces of skeletor kind of resemble the DE. They arrive via webway portals and ambush in a venom. Then skeletor shows up in a Ravager/Dais of destruction, complete with identical side guns. At the end, skeletor even looks like an older model with huge spiky helmet. Oh and an agonizer even makes an appearance.

Has anyone else ever noticed this?

No, but you just gave me a reason to watch it on Netflix. I was only slightly tempted to do so, now I'm a tad more tempted.

Oh and I even forgot to mention the hellions as well.

reevesshady wrote:
So I just finished watching the 1987 He-man masters of the universe movie. I can't help but think GW got their idea for the Dark Eldar from this movie. The forces of skeletor kind of resemble the DE. They arrive via webway portals and ambush in a venom. Then skeletor shows up in a Ravager/Dais of destruction, complete with identical side guns. At the end, skeletor even looks like an older model with huge spiky helmet. Oh and an agonizer even makes an appearance.

Has anyone else ever noticed this?

It's possible, GW pulled their entire Fantasy Dark Elf thing straight from Marvel (including "Malekith")

Or they could have based their Dark Elves from Norse mythology.

 Ghaz wrote:
Or they could have based their Dark Elves from Norse mythology.

Right, but they lifted Marvel's interpretation pretty much exactly.

reevesshady wrote:
So I just finished watching the 1987 He-man masters of the universe movie. I can't help but think GW got their idea for the Dark Eldar from this movie. The forces of skeletor kind of resemble the DE. They arrive via webway portals and ambush in a venom. Then skeletor shows up in a Ravager/Dais of destruction, complete with identical side guns. At the end, skeletor even looks like an older model with huge spiky helmet. Oh and an agonizer even makes an appearance.

Has anyone else ever noticed this?

As i havent seen it i cant say, but i wouldnt be surprised.

If it's true, it's a pity they didn't lift Skeletor himself. None of the DE characters really match his charm, grace, and dignity.

 Vaktathi wrote:

 Ghaz wrote:
Or they could have based their Dark Elves from Norse mythology.

Right, but they lifted Marvel's interpretation pretty much exactly.

WHFB dates to 1983. Malekith the Accursed made his debut in mid 1984 in Thor #344. While GW may have lifted the name and a few basic ideas, most of it would have had to be GW's work.

 Ghaz wrote:

 Vaktathi wrote:

 Ghaz wrote:
Or they could have based their Dark Elves from Norse mythology.

Right, but they lifted Marvel's interpretation pretty much exactly.

WHFB dates to 1983. Malekith the Accursed made his debut in mid 1984 in Thor #344. While GW may have lifted the name and a few basic ideas, most of it would have had to be GW's work.

I'm not saying they didn't put a lot of their own work into it, but they very much did lift a lot of the initial imagery and names from there, just like they did with Moorecock's Star of Chaos and probably a dozen other things

I thought the use of an eight tined star to represent chaotic supernatural forces predated Moorecock.

*thinks back*

Evil Dark Elves, if junior-high-school-era memory serves, became popular with TSR's release of the Underdark dungeon modules in the very early 1980s.

(Man, looking back at them, some of those adventures were so silly.)

 Ghaz wrote:

 Vaktathi wrote:

 Ghaz wrote:
Or they could have based their Dark Elves from Norse mythology.

Right, but they lifted Marvel's interpretation pretty much exactly.

WHFB dates to 1983. Malekith the Accursed made his debut in mid 1984 in Thor #344. While GW may have lifted the name and a few basic ideas, most of it would have had to be GW's work.

Warhammer as a game might date to 1983, but most of the setting doesn't. That would be the 3rd edition (1987) and speaking of Malekith, I think he didn't turn up until Bill King fleshed out the High Elf background in 4th edition (1992).

DE were based on Dark Elves from Warhammer fantasy which were based on Dark Elves from many generic fantasy settings which were based on Dark Elves from Norse Mythology

I don't know if GW know this, but Marvel also have a trademarked use of "Angron" from Captain America, also.

The only CA comic I've actually read - early 80s. Featured a "team up" with Falcon. Mostly the reason I knew the character in Winter Soldier.

reevesshady wrote:
So I just finished watching the 1987 He-man masters of the universe movie. I can't help but think GW got their idea for the Dark Eldar from this movie. The forces of skeletor kind of resemble the DE. They arrive via webway portals and ambush in a venom. Then skeletor shows up in a Ravager/Dais of destruction, complete with identical side guns. At the end, skeletor even looks like an older model with huge spiky helmet. Oh and an agonizer even makes an appearance.

Has anyone else ever noticed this?

You might call this movie cheesy and corny, but its the right kind of cheesy imo.

It does something wonderfull, making the He-Man and Masters of the Univers something enjoyable.

And the acting of Frank Langella is just top notch and outstanding, this is a real villain with an ambition, like a perfect mix Between Dark Vador and the Emperor with a bit of Necromancer/Sorceror-vibe throwed in it.

 Vaktathi wrote:

 Ghaz wrote:
Or they could have based their Dark Elves from Norse mythology.

Right, but they lifted Marvel's interpretation pretty much exactly.

Actually, if anything, the Dark Elves were lifted from Michael Moorcock, particularly the Melniboneans (of Elric fame), particularly when you look at their older models, they strongly resemble the written description as well as some obscure early artwork based on Moorcocks writings that I've seen floating around. Malekith though, yeah pretty sure they lifted that name from Marvel. There was probably also some influence from the D&D Drow trope as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_elves_in_fiction

For Malekith:
http://movies.stackexchange.com/questions/15278/what-are-the-origins-of-the-name-malekith