Mistress of the Universe: Heroism Goes Female Article by L.S.

Move over, He-Man. Enter She-Ra, sister of the Master of the Universe, the Princess of Power, protector of the land of Etheria and among the first fashion/action dolls to have a world of characters to call her own.

By now, no doubt, many US households with girls from 4 to 10 years old are playing host to She-Ra, along with arch-rival Catra, winged horses, a unicorn and comic books--to name some of the She-Ra paraphernalia offered by Mattel Toys. There will also be a Group W animated TV series five days a week, premiering in late September.

She-Ra (whose other identity is Princess Adora) was engendered for a number of reasons--some psychological, some stemming from hard, cold facts.

Janice Varney, Mattel's director of marketing, explains that girls playing with Barbie dolls (being observed through a two-way mirror) began "to act out action, adventure, different types of fantasies." But Barbie (also a Mattel doll) "really didn't lend herself to that type of adventure play."

To further the argument for a female action-and-adventure series, Mattel observed that over one-third of the "Masters of the Universe" TV series's viewers were female. The percentage of action toys and collectibles bought by little girls has risen from about 4 percent of $290 million, the total retail purchases in 1980, to 10 percent of the $500 million plus spent in 1983. (Moreover, the girls were predominantly buying female figures and collectibles.)

Based on watching boys' and girls' play patterns and on psychologists' input, the Mattel people found that the way to exemplify power for little boys is with "physical stamina and strength and muscles." But for girls, "it means a lot of things that are not physical," says Varney. It means being beautiful and having a strong body, but also having "the power that's within to guide your own destiny. It's magical powers," which all Princess of Power personae have.

The line feature characters with combable hair and changeable clothes and offers a world in which girls can act out their fantasies. It combines the realm of glamour and fashion--two aspects inherent in girl's dolls--with action, adventure and magic.

Mattel, too, is banking on a little magic for the collection. The firm, based in Hawthorne, California, projects that between $75 and $100 million in sales will be generated by the girls' fashion/action category in 1985. The Princess of Power line, according to Mattel's research, will dominate that market.

Pretty powerful stuff.

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