Scare Glow

Scare Glow is a fictional character in the popular toy line Masters of the Universe by Mattel.

He is a skeletal ghost warrior, who seems to have a solid but translucent body, and whose bones emit a strong glow which can intimidate even the bravest opponents. He wears a long purple cape, and there is a small crack on the forehead of his cranium. He carries a scythe, which is often called the 'Scythe of Doom'.

Character history
Scare Glow was introduced into the toy line in 1987. His action figure is notable for its 'glow-in-the-dark' special feature, the 'bones' glowing when positioned in a dark space.

Labeled as the 'Evil Ghost of Skeletor', he refers to himself as the Ghost of Skeletor in the mini comic, Scare Glow was packaged with the mini-comic "The Search for Keldor". In this comic he is summoned to Eternia by Skeletor using a magic spell to call forth the most evil beings of space and time, although it is never stated which time period or dimension Scare Glow originates from. He is sent out with Ninjor on a mission to attack the Heroic Warriors with the power of his glow. He uses the glow to overpower Prince Adam, evoking in him so much fear that he is even too scared to change into He-Man. However, he is ousted from Adam's path by Clamp Champ, giving Adam the time to change into He-Man and subsequently defeat him.

Figure rarity
Due to the fact that Scare Glow was never featured in the original Filmation cartoon, the action figure was released in the last series of the original toy line in 1987. As a result, due in part to the figures mysterious origin, it has become one of the most sought after and hardest to find figures by fans. Scare Glow was one of the last figures released. As fewer figures were selling by this late stage, less were produced, making it rarer as a result. On auction sites such as eBay, loose figures have been sold for as much as $100 and the mint condition never opened package (also known as Mint On Card or MOC) Scare Glow has been sold as high as $1,200 USD. The last version issued with the glow in the dark Halberd accessory (versus the more common Halberd made of non-glowing green plastic) is the rarest and hardest to find version of this figure.

Because he is one of the last figures to be released in Mattel's toy line, Scare Glow never appeared in the accompanying cartoon series, which had been discontinued by this time, and his appearances throughout all media are minimal. Another story that majorly features him is "Enter the Ninjor" in issue #11 of the UK Adventure Magazine, which gives him an origin as a being of pure light energy, created by Skeletor in his own image. Invisible in the light, but not in the dark, he is sent out with Ninjor to mount a series of silent, unseen attacks on He-Man and Fisto as they explore Viper Tower. His origin as a magical creation of Skeletor is taken from a promotional card provided by Mattel to the publishers of various story media. A similar story of Scare Glow coming from another dimension summoned by Skeletor is told in an issue of Marvel's Star Comics, Masters of the Universe series.

Although he is not featured in the 2002 relaunch of the Masters of the Universe franchise, Scare Glow is used in the comic series from MV Creations. He is featured in a special Halloween comic "The Power of Fear" that was given away free at the 2003 Children Affected by AIDS Foundation (CAAF) fundraiser, and sold in comic shops to raise additional donations to the CAAF. The story features Scare Glow as a character from another dimension who is summoned by Skeletor to use his powers against the Masters.

Masters of the Universe Classics
A line of toys that were debuted in 2008 to be sold exclusively on Mattel's collector website (www.mattycollector.com). Sculpted by the 4 Horsemen these toys are updated versions.. On November 16th 2009, Scareglow (now one word) was released as Matty Collector's figure for the month. He is an updated version of his '80's counterpart with a plastic cape (versus the original cloth) and his "Scythe of Doom" (now with glow in the dark blade but painted shaft, a combination of both original versions) included. He also has a long container with a chain and shackle attached. One end, adorned with a miniature Castle Grayskull on top, opens to reveal a small skeleton key. This is called "Cursed Grayskull Reliquary".

Origin
In an interview with the website He-Man.org, Steven Grant, the writer of "The Search for Keldor", said the following regarding Scare Glow's backstory:

Mattel came up with these characters when they wanted to put out new toys ... Mattel wasn't very concerned with the backstories, except on the main characters. These lesser characters were thrown in there and often not expected to be seen again.

Live action
The character was featured as part of the Masters Of the Universe' Tour.