Some of the most celebrated Masters of the Universe art was created by Rudy Obrero. His illustrations were used on the boxes which contained vehicles, steeds and other items that were not sold on single cards.

While much of the MOTU artwork has a certain brightness to it, Obrero’s paintings are the opposite. They have a very obvious dark fantasy quality. The pictures are even more sinister than those in the Series One minicomics.

The examples below were scanned from a portfolio of Obrero’s Masters of the Universe work which was released by Super7 when they held the MOTU licence. These images are some of the most inspirational MOTU artwork.

The fiercest illustration of Battle Cat ever painted! This image is perhaps the finest example of the barbarian Masters of the Universe theme which rightly remains as popular as any subsequent incarnation.

A detailed picture that illustrates the component parts and different uses of the Battle Ram vehicle. Obrero added some similar enemy vehicles to the painting which were not produced as toys.

This Wind Raider painting is remarkable for the destruction scene. What inspired Obrero to destroy Castle Grayskull? It’s an example of how he embedded stories into his artwork.

An interesting Battle Cat illustration which shows Skeletor and Beast Man riding into the fray on similar beasts. Presumably this painting was produced before Panthor was released.

Another Wind Raider illustration which is classic Obrero because of the shadowy unidentifiable figures in the background and the mysterious new character (wearing the red armour) in the foreground.

A dark Castle Grayskull illustration which shows Skeletor inside the fortress. Is He-Man attempting to gain entry to evict the usurper? But why is Beast Man working alongside him? Another story wrapped up in a painting.