This Original He-Man Poster Art Reveals A Version Of The Hero Fans Rarely See

For many of us, He-Man was the first superhero that caught our attention. Whether it was thanks to the original cartoon or the massive line of action figures and playsets, he holds a special place in our hearts that was recently rekindled by this year’s Masters of the Universe movie. Apart from toys and TV,  one of the main reasons He-Man left such a lasting impression is because of his trademark features. His golden hair, muscular physique, ferocious Battle Cat, and strangely revealing attire are just some of his notable characteristics, but we all know what the most recognizable one is. 

“I have the Power!” Those words turned Prince Adam into the hulking hero, but only when he held up the mythical Sword of Power. It’s He-Man’s primary and most powerful weapon, and essentially the key to his powers. Eternia wouldn’t be nearly as safe without it, and Skeletor would probably be king. However, there was a time where our hero didn’t carry the sword at all. That’s right, there was a version of He-Man without the legendary Sword of Power, as you can see in this original artwork for the He-Man toy line poster.

Original Artwork Of He-Man Without His Sword Of Power Is Currently On Auction

This original artwork by Earl Norem depicts He-Man riding Battle Cat, with the towers of Eternia in the background. In his hand is not the Sword of Power, but a massive battle axe, with a shield in the other. The artwork was created for a pull-out poster in the Fall 1986 edition of the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Magazine. The art style really takes us back to the heydays of the hero in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.

So, why would he be strutting around without his most powerful weapon? And how did he even become the most powerful man in the universe without it? Well, earlier versions of He-Man depicted him as a barbarian-type hero from the Eternian tribe. Think Conan, but for kids. It was only in 1983’s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series that his origins were changed, giving Prince Adam He-Man’s powers whenever he lifted the Sword of Power and uttered (yelled) the famous words. Before that, he wielded a massive axe, which you may have seen in early toy lines.  

Currently sitting at a bid price of $5,375 at Heritage Auctions, this artwork is clearly coveted by old school fans of He-Man. It reminds us of the origins of the hero, who went from being a PG-13 version of Conan the Conqueror to the Prince of Eternia and the most powerful man in the universe.