Why doesn’t She-Ra fly independently of Swiftwind?

[Robin Hood]

In the Filmation episode “Gateway to Trouble” She-Ra turns her sword into handcuffs which fly under its own power and restrains Skeletor. Her sword therefore flies magically when required.

Handcuffs.jpgSkeletor Handcuffed.jpg

This in turn suggests She-Ra can fly when she possesses her power sword. So is there a reason why she is never shown flying solo under her own power?

[Eternian-King Paul]

She does in my storyboards, but levitation or trans-conetic magic is the hardest kind of magic on Eternia, mostly fire and ice is easy, for magic users, natural blood magic users that is, or mind powers, mind control and visions are easier.

On Trola things are different, very different. Everybody floats, all the time. Nobody passes the salt.

[Grimbot]

Perhaps it's not comfortable being dragged around by a sword? Besides, she'd have no one to talk to.

[Angel-T]

In the mini comic Journey to Mizar She-Ra shows some anti gravity / levatation ability while holding her sword as she falls from agreat hight. She also uses the power of flight and teleportation on one of the UK She-Ra comics. An ability given to her by the Starburst cape and the mask of the whisps, which also allows her to breath in outer space!

[Akai]

Sword to Jetpack! Sword to Chopper!

Those would have looked really silly as She-ra was meant to be graceful hence why she has Swifty.

[Stinkor]

You can't fly without wings.

[TrapJaw]

You can't fly without wings.

trapjaw15.jpg

[Stinkor]

trapjaw15.jpg

OK, you can't fly without wings or jet propulsion.

[Red Trinity]

He-Man can walk and run without Battle Cat.

[deltadod]

Yes, But they gotta sell swiftwind toys don't they?

[Grimbot]

So can She-Ra.

[Cosmic Falcon]

She does fly of sort when she propels herself into a somersault or something

[Robin Hood]

I think we had some great answers so far.

My personal explanation is that She-Ra is deliberately keeping her ability to fly solo a secret so that at a later date she can surprise the Horde with her new found ability to escape capture, carry out aerial attack, travel large distances quickly without the assistance of Swiftwind, etc.

And here’s the image of She-Ra from the mini comic "Journey to Mizar" using her sword as an anti-gravity / levitation device to slow her descent from great height (thanks to Angel-T for pointing this out ).
journeytomizar-05_full.jpg

[ZacMasters]

In the Filmation episode “Gateway to Trouble” She-Ra turns her sword into handcuffs which fly under its own power and restrains Skeletor. Her sword therefore flies magically when required.

Handcuffs.jpgSkeletor Handcuffed.jpg

This in turn suggests She-Ra can fly when she possesses her power sword. So is there a reason why she is never shown flying solo under her own power?

This is kind of off-topic, but doesn't it seem like She-Ra was sort of liberal about tossing her sword around. I mean, by using them as bodycuffs on Skeletor, she's basically giving the enemy her power sword. It seems like He-Man held onto his sword more often when battling Skeletor (of course, his didn't turn into other objects that I can remember).

[Robin Hood]

This is kind of off-topic, but doesn't it seem like She-Ra was sort of liberal about tossing her sword around. I mean, by using them as bodycuffs on Skeletor, she's basically giving the enemy her power sword. It seems like He-Man held onto his sword more often when battling Skeletor (of course, his didn't turn into other objects that I can remember).

I think She-Ra was quite safe here as the bodycuffs (called handcuffs in the episode) successfully held Skeletor while He-Man with his power sword was at hand should things have gotten out of hand. I take the point though. Would you risk your most powerful weapon in your battle to free the people of Etheria by using it to immobilize a single powerful enemy? I presume She-Ra used her wisdom, assessed Skeletors capabilities and calculated he posed no significant risk to her power sword. She also wanted to find out what he was up to on Etheria and one way to do this was to interrogate him while he’s held captive.

I’ve looked at the scene again and it’s a little odd as She-Ra clearly throws her sword and it converts mid-air into the bodycuffs, but then we have a scene where the cuffs are in place around Skeletor and She-Ra is still holding her sword?

The Twins and Skeletor.jpg

And once He-Man and She-Ra agree to Skeletor’s proposal to join forces and find Modulok the bodycuff vanishes!

Is this poor animation, a poor script or is it a demonstration of an unknown power of She-Ra (e.g. willpower-based construct)? I can’t answer though the cuff disappearing makes it seem deliberate to me. Maybe someone else can explain. If it is indeed a willpower based construct then she never gave the sword to Skeletor in the first place and it was safe in her hands all the time.

[Blue]

Call me a Filmation purist, but She-Ra doesn't fly without Swift Wind because flight isn't one of her powers. It's really that simple.

Not every hero can fly: He-Man, Wolverine, Iceman, Spider-Man, Psylocke, Black Canary just to name a few. To me, She-Ra can't fly just like she can't teleport like Nightcrawler, cast spells like the Sorceress, or phase through walls like Kitty Pryde.

Swift Wind allows her flight, and I believe the sword is special all on its own, so those times it seems to levitate don't really count as an ability of She-Ra's but rather an ability of the Sword of Protection.

Just my opinion.

I always liked that her sword could change into simple objects like rope or a shield, but I hated the more outlandish stuff like "Sword to Ice Maker."

[Eternian-King Paul]

..'Sword to Cheese Grater!'

I think it would be hard to define magic in Masters, and it is very important to have serious and silly things at the right times.

[DisneyBoy]

Would you risk your most powerful weapon in your battle to free the people of Etheria by using it to immobilize a single powerful enemy?

Yes, this thought crossed my mind too. By throwing her sword around, she stands to lose it. But then again, there were plenty of times during the show when logic seemed to bend in favor of the sword. How many times was it taken away from Adora only to make it back to her? How about the extreme fascination Shadow Weaver showed it in the pilot, only to then never recognize it again?

As for She-Ra flying, I'm glad she couldn't. As it was, she and Wonder Woman have a lot in common - I like there to be some limits on what the heroes can and cannot do. The fact that She-Ra couldn't breathe in space (for the most part) made sense, as did her inability to fly. After all, He-Man couldn't!

Anyone else remember the time that She-Ra turned her sword into a shield, and then used it to "glide" around in a battle with some Horde Troopers? I always thought that looked too much like flying.

[Bowhead Whale]

If she always used her sword to fly, with what would she fight? This is why she needs Swift Wind.

[Eternian-King Paul]

Here's an entirely different question.

What if She-Ra had a magic pearl, like Evil Lyn or the havoc staff.

..and what if that was just about amplifying your own natural magic.

..and therefore she could fly.

[Angel-T]

The Starburst cape and masks of the wisps does allow She-Ra to breath in space and teleport. All of her powers come from the sword or the other armour bits she is granted by the power of grayskull or the wisps. She has shown Anti gravity, flight in space. teleportation, resistance to heat and being supernaturally clean, telepathy, magical healing abilities and her super strength, not to mention the ability to break the space time barrier and the abilityto act as a lightning rod for all magical power on etheria, something castaspella or Shadow Weaver have never been able to do. Weither these abillities come from the sword, are innate within her or are from other armour they have all been shown to be part of her skill set at some point or another.

As to the question above, She-Ra's bubble armour greatly enhances her strength and stamina even more than we have seen and allows her to funnle great flumes of energy through the bubble wond. So she dosen't really need a pearl or gem, the different armours she is known to posess give her all of the abilities we have discussed. He shild even acted as a dimensional gateway that allowed the sorceress to come to etheria on the first She-Ra mini comic. So teleportation could easily be achieved outside of her use of the starburst cape.

[Eternian-King Paul]

..supernaturaly clean..
haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa haaa

- - - Updated - - -

she-ra pic 37.png

Here's a picture of the pearls I was talking about.
..(a bit David Bowie esc as in Labyrinth)

[LadyAngora]

she did have a jewel in her sword, so maybe some of her extra powers come from that? her armor certainly had special properties.

[rhea]

The Starburst cape and masks of the wisps does allow She-Ra to breath in space and teleport. All of her powers come from the sword or the other armour bits she is granted by the power of grayskull or the wisps. She has shown Anti gravity, flight in space. teleportation, resistance to heat and being supernaturally clean, telepathy, magical healing abilities and her super strength, not to mention the ability to break the space time barrier and the abilityto act as a lightning rod for all magical power on etheria, something castaspella or Shadow Weaver have never been able to do. Weither these abillities come from the sword, are innate within her or are from other armour they have all been shown to be part of her skill set at some point or another.

As to the question above, She-Ra's bubble armour greatly enhances her strength and stamina even more than we have seen and allows her to funnle great flumes of energy through the bubble wond. So she dosen't really need a pearl or gem, the different armours she is known to posess give her all of the abilities we have discussed. He shild even acted as a dimensional gateway that allowed the sorceress to come to etheria on the first She-Ra mini comic. So teleportation could easily be achieved outside of her use of the starburst cape.

Funny that you say that. When I had Starburst She-Ra, in the 80's, I used her extended cape as a method of flying or gliding. Also, each fantastic fashion was created by one of the first ones and she searched them out to gain new powers (I still use that when 'playing' with my POP collection! )

[Sky Breaker]

The answer is simple, it is because a flying unicorn companion is visually more exciting, offers up more varied story options. From a story telling perspective, it fits the established universe as He-Man also has a companion. From a financial view point, it means more toys to sell.

Also, a flying She-Ra (in my opinion) would look utterly ridiculous. May as well call her Wundar Woo-Man and give her American flag granny panties.