He-Man's Greatest Villain Was Created From A Real Corpse
Masters of the Universe (2026) has brought a whole new level of nostalgia to the iconic '80s characters, especially Skeletor, who has been living through memes for some time as is. Nevertheless, the new film has shown just how quirky the character is, as well as how creepy he can be.
When it comes to franchises like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983-1984), few people think about its journey to creation. That said, documentaries like Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2017), which is streaming on JustWatch TV for free right now, offer a lot of context. Even still, few know that Skeletor's inception came from a moment of pure terror.
Skeletor Was Inspired By A Real Dead Body
Most people know that Megatron, the Decepticon leader in The Transformers (1984-1987), was inspired by a Japanese toy line in which a gun turned into a robot. However, few know what Skeletor, another beloved villain, was inspired by. It would make sense for it to be the Grim Reaper, but in reality, Skeletor was the product of genuine childhood trauma.
It started in the Laff in the Dark funhouse when a young He-Man creator, Mark Taylor, ventured inside. When he came out, he was inconsolable after seeing the exhibit of a dead cowboy, stating, "All of a sudden I knew this was a real person, no question … This absolutely was a real person … and that's where Skeletor came from…"
While everyone told him the cowboy wasn't real, young Taylor was absolutely correct. The cowboy was the body of Elmer McCurdy, an outlaw who died after being shot by the police. With no one to claim the body, he was left alone to become a prop, only having the confirmation that it was a body when his hand came off just before it was supposed to appear in The Six Million Dollar Man (1973-1978).
Skeletor Evolved Into A Comedic Character Over Time
Skeletor was originally a more serious villain for He-Man to face, but as time progressed, it became evident that it was more fun to see him in a more comedic role. Still as evil as ever, Skeletor's nasally laugh only enhanced his performance as a villain surrounded by foolish cohorts that could never see his vision become a reality.
This played well into He-Man's more straight-laced performance and gave viewers something to lean on when watching a villain with a skull for a head. By any other account, Skeletor would be a recipe for nightmares not unlike Mark Taylor's, but by evolving him, the beloved foe turned into something even better.
There have been other iterations of the character that have made him more serious, and it was never a bad decision to do so. Oftentimes it worked in the context of whatever show he was in, but nothing beat the original '80s version. It's why Masters of the Universe leans so heavily into this notion, because nothing beats a funny Skeletor.
Skeletor Remains An Iconic Part Of '80s Pop Culture
Eighties pop culture can't be topped for many reasons, and that includes a lot of the cartoons. No matter the program, there was something awesome to watch and a toy line to go with it. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was just a taste of it, as there were also shows like G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1983-1986) that had its own beloved villain in Cobra Commander.
Skeletor is a character that has never left the hearts and minds of fans since that time. For a show not tied to a Hasbro toyline, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe stood out for its creative characters and simple story of good versus evil. But in Skeletor, there was a classic quality to him.
He may not have been a traditional mustache-twirling villain, but he was definitely menacing and relentless. He would often say outrageous things, get mad, and laugh maniacally, and it was hard not to enjoy watching it as it happened. In the end, great villains come in all shapes and sizes, but if it weren't for a brief moment of terror in one child's life, we might've never gotten the best villain of them all: Skeletor.
