Photo Reproduction/NBCUniversal Television Distribution/Filmation Mattel
HeMan became one of the most successful characters of the 80’s and 90’s. He was created by mattel for the “Masters of the Universe” toy line.
The character has appeared in comics, animated series, and liveaction films. In the story, Adam uses his powers to defend the kingdom of Eternia and Castle Grayskull from the fearsome Skeletor.
After Ray Wagner, CEO of Mattel, refused to contract to manufacture toys based on “Star Wars,” the film became a success and the company released several toys that captured children’s imaginations. After creating several sketches inspired by Vikings and CroMagnon fossils, they finally arrived at the design everyone knows today.
An oddity is that although HeMan is depicted as a warrior, he never harmed anyone during the drawing. He used his sword to deflect laser beams and remove objects from his path, but never to actually harm anyone during the story. When physical altercations ensued, Adam simply threw his enemies into a mud puddle or barrel.
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Artist Hidreley Diao created a realistic version of the character, mostly inspired by the doll’s physical features. With the help of Photoshop and artificial intelligence, he achieved an incredible result that draws attention to the details.