Imp as he appears in the Marvel/Star comics
Imp is a fictional character in the animated television series She-Ra Princess of Power.
Character information
Imp is a shapeshifting spy who helps out Hordak. Imp more often than not tries to stay on the right side of Hordak to avoid incurring his wrath. He is seen as Hordak’s “pet” and/or sidekick (if not so). He points out to Hordak when other members of the Evil Horde fail in their different missions, and encourages Hordak to vent his anger on them. Because of this nature Imp is hated by most other members of The Horde. It is not just The Horde who have a dislike for Imp, but also members of The Great Rebellion. In one episode Imp attempts to set up Kowl as a Horde spy, by planting Horde coins in his bed. Some of The Rebellion thought that Kowl may have been a traitor, but Adora believed he was innocent. Later on in the episode it is revealed that Imp was the one responsible for the coins and that Kowl is innocent. The Rebels apologize to Kowl for not trusting him.[1] Imp's main task is due to his shape-shifintg abilities. He is tasked to spy on members of The Rebellion, and report back to Hordak, which has been shown on several occasions, such as informing Hordak of the Red Knight,[2] and the birth of Swift Wind's baby on Unicorn Island.[3] It seems that without Hordak, Imp has little influences within The Horde, being more like a lapdog.[4] Imp is actually rather distinctive amongst the Horde, as he is one of their few members with the ability to fly. This is odd given the fact that it is stated numerous times in the series that Horde Prime has a hatred of flying creatures. Due to the lack of any noticeable mechanical augmentation, it can only be surmised that Imp's transformative abilities are magical in nature, making it interesting that Hordak seems to prefer him so much, given the Horde General's distrust of magic. Of course, with the mythology surrounding imps in general as being friendship-hungry heralds of other more powerful evils, one could argue that Imp's presence is more a status symbol for Hordak than anything else. As such, Hordak seems to treat him more as a pet.
Powers and abilities
Imp's power is the ability to shape shift into numerous different forms. There appears to be no limit to the variety of forms Imp can assume. Most times when Imp assumes a different shape he will retain his natural blue coloring. Only on two occasions has he shown the ability to assume different coloring when in another form. It should be noted that Imp also seems to possess the ability to take on the characteristics of whatever form he takes. This is seen best in one episode in which he transformed into a flamethrower and began a fire that nearly burned Whispering Woods down. Since he was not seen having to reabsorb any of the flame, and he lacks any visible cybernetic enhancement, the source of the fuel used to generate the fire is open to speculation. Other examples include his ability to fire laser bolts while in the form of a blaster, the lit flame sitting on top of him as a candle, and his faster than normal flight capabilities seen when he is a rocket. This last is particularly interesting as, were the change what is normally seen, Imp would have to take on some form of rocket fuel to gain propulsion. Since typical shapeshifting tends to be of a more superficial nature, the fact that Imp appears to actually become whatever he wants calls into question the actual limitations of his powers. One such limitation seen in the show, albeit indirectly, appears to be that which ever form he attempts to become must be a close match in mass for his own normal form. While he seems free to rearrange said mass however he needs to, there is no evidence of Imp actually becoming bigger or smaller than his normal size in terms of mass. This may be more a result of his use by the writers as something of a plot device. As he is primarily a spy for the Horde, he is unlikely to find the need to take on a larger form. Since he is also a coward, at least when Hordak is not around, it is unlikely he would feel comfortable shrinking himself to a more vulnerable form. Still, with his ability to seemingly generate energy on his own, there are few things still he could not become.
Masters of the Universe Classics
Imp received an official "Masters Mondays" bio in Masters of the Universe Classics. His characterization is consistent with that of the Filmation series, though elements of the 2012 DC Masters of the Universe comics are also included.
According to his MOTU Classics bio, Imp was diminutive being with bat-like wings and Hordak’s most devoted servant. He could take on any form proportionate to, or smaller than, his body mass and used this ability to spy on Rebels and fellow Horde members alike, regularly reporting their goings-on to his master. This fact landed every prominent member of the Etherian Horde in trouble at one time or another. For this reason, Imp was greatly loathed by his comrades. To make matters worse, Hordak was genuinely fond of the creature, and even named Imp Lord of Eternos when the Horde overthrew Eternia. After Hordak’s death, a grief-stricken Imp was hunted by spiteful Horde members. To escape them, he disguised himself as a bushtail and hid in the Evergreen Forest. Later, Imp hatched an insidious plot to infiltrate Central Tower, where he opened a time portal to bring Hordak from the past into the present. He nearly succeeded, but was stopped by Orko and an enraged Kowl. Though Imp was imprisoned for his crimes, his failure inspired him to devise an even more horrific plan.
Filmation Appearances
- She-Ra Unchained
- The Red Knight
- The Laughing Dragon
- A Loss for Words
- The Crown of Knowledge
- The Mines of Mondor
- Friends Are Where You Find Them
- Treasure of the First Ones
- Glimmer's Story
- Welcome Back, Kowl
- The Rock People
- Huntara
- Micah of Bright Moon
- My Friend, My Enemy
- The Light of the Crystal
- Loo-Kee Lends a Hand
- Of Shadows and Skulls
- Jungle Fever
- Black Snow
- Darksmoke and Fire
- He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special (cameo)
- The Time Transformer
- Brigis
- When Whispering Woods Last Bloomed
- Romeo and Glimmer
- The Locket
- Shera Makes a Promise
- Glimmer Come Home
- Swifty's Baby