Beast Man [Masters of the Universe]

@robfromzonebase Beast Man (Masters of The Universe/Core Class) #zonebase #mastersoftheuniverse #toys #mattel #evilwarriors ♬ Ceremony - Holy Wars

I really liked the new Masters of the Universe movie and, of the many things I enjoyed about it, Beast Man was definitely one of them. Like much of the film, he stayed very true to his classic incarnation. He wasn't quite the buffoon he often became in the old cartoon (okay... maybe just a little), but he definitely felt like the genuine threat he was in those original mini-comics.

Like I've said before, Beast Man was actually one of my very first MOTU toys, even before I got He-Man and Skeletor, so I've always been a little attached to the character.

Once again, we're looking at one of the new Core Class figures and, just like the others, it's surprisingly impressive.

For what's essentially the budget line, Beast Man has a really solid amount of articulation. It's obviously not on the level of a more premium figure, but it's far better than you'd expect at this price point.

Part of me wonders if Mattel is sharing CAD work with some of their other lines to help keep costs down because Beast Man genuinely looks like he should cost more than he does.

His sculpt and paint applications are excellent.

Honestly...

He looks so good that I still have a hard time accepting he's a Core Class figure.

This is the sort of quality I'd have expected from one of the old McFarlane Spawn figures back in the early 2000s, only with much nicer plastic.

Of course, Beast Man comes with his traditional whip. Oddly enough, I appreciate that accessory much more as an adult than I ever did as a kid. Part of that is because the original toy's whip wasn't exactly the greatest, but it's also because I've come to appreciate how well it fits the character.

After all, Beast Man's real power is his ability to telepathically control animals. The whip almost feels less like a weapon and more like a tool for someone who regularly wrangles wild beasts... probably not very kindly.

This is one of those figures that completely surprises you with just how good it is. If the rest of the Core Class line continues at this level, I think Mattel has a real winner on their hands.

Skeletor [Mighty Masters]

Skeletor is a lot of things. Originally an evil demon before his origin was later rewritten into him being the former Keldor, who had been transformed into Skeletor, a skull-faced man. I've made countless jokes before about He-Man fighting an army of Halloween decorations, but the thing with Skeletor is... he was actually inspired by a haunted house prop.

Mark Davis has said that when he was designing Skeletor, he took inspiration from a neon-painted skeleton that scared the crap out of him as a kid in the Laugh in the Dark haunted house. Turns out, that skeleton was a little scarier than anyone knew. The same prop was later discovered not to be a dummy, but an actual corpse that had somehow found its way there. This was discovered when an episode of The Six Million Dollar Man was being filmed and the crew accidentally broke its arm off. Turns out, it was the body of Elmer McCurdy, a Wild West bandit whose corpse became a sideshow attraction that eventually found its way into that haunted house. Skeletor doesn’t just look spooky, he’s tied to a legitimately spooky true story.

This Mighty Masters figure of him is great and, just like the others, is a nice little replica of his original toy. He has the same swinging waist gimmick He-Man has and comes with his trademark Havok Staff to swing around while using it. It’s an extremely likable mini figure of Skeletor and... you know what? I always liked his demon origin better. You didn’t ask, and that was abrupt, but thug life.

I’ve always been a fan of Skeletor’s armor. Faker uses it in orange colors, and it looks fabulous. This is a great little figure to keep you company at your desk or even carry around in a cargo pocket. Just the right size and neatness.

Unfortunately, it’s also the last of the Mighty Masters for the time being. I really hope Mattel continues making these and that there are future series with more Heroic and Evil Warriors. I’ve heard talk of 3D prints of Castle Grayskull out there that are in scale with this... and honestly, that’s awesome.

Beast Man [Mighty Masters]

When I first learned about Mighty Masters, it was one of those moments where it feels like I slipped into a parallel universe and toy companies are suddenly dialed directly into my specific tastes.

That’s been happening a lot lately.

Mighty Masters is a new expression of Masters of the Universe, featuring small-scale, fairly faithful recreations of the classic characters. After taking a little too long to show up at my local Walmart, I managed to complete the first series—and we’re going to take a look at them over the next few weeks. 

Because they’re awesome.

I’m starting with Beast Man for a specific reason. He was one of my very first MOTU toys back when they originally came out, along with Man-At-Arms. So yeah, there’s a little bit of attachment here. 

This is a really solid recreation in miniature form. It’s small, but it captures the look of the original toy surprisingly well—with a few tweaks. The original had more human-like feet, while this version gives him clawed feet like he had in the mini-comics, which I actually like.

He’s got articulation in the arms, legs, head, and waist. No rubber bands (thankfully), and no spring-loaded waist either. His right arm features a line-wide gimmick where it can be raised and then brought down in a swinging motion—kind of like a Super Powers Collection figure. 

He also comes with a tiny version of his whip, which feels essential. You can’t have Beast Man without it—it’s how he keeps all those creatures in line. 

For five bucks, this is a great little toy. Honestly, it’s exactly the kind of thing I’ve been wanting—especially after the disappearance of the Mega Construx Masters of the Universe figures.

Like I said, I’ve got the full first series, and we’ll be taking a look at the rest over the next few weeks. Hopefully this line sticks around, because it’s hitting a really nice sweet spot.

Skeletor (Alcala Face) [Masters of the Universe]

I’ve been looking forward to this new “kids core” size class in Masters of the Universe—which, interestingly enough, is just labeled as standard MOTU without any extra branding like Origins or Masterverse.

These figures are slightly smaller than Origins. They’re still around 5.5 inches tall, but physically less bulky. It’s hard to describe exactly—they just feel closer to a more typical action figure in terms of mass. A big part of that comes down to the price. At $9.99, Skeletor is a welcome break from the higher costs of Origins and Masterverse/Chronicles figures. Despite the lower price, he’s not lacking. You still get around 14 points of articulation. There are fewer paint applications, but honestly, I didn’t really notice. He’s a good-looking figure—but we’ll get to that in a bit.

As for accessories, Skeletor comes with just his Havoc Staff. That might be the standard going forward at this scale. His armor is removable, and he includes a soft goods cape, which may be taking the place of extra accessories. There’s also likely some shared mold use here to keep costs down, similar to how the original MOTU line operated. Skeletor has the classic “bad guy” hands and feet, while the rest of the body appears to use more standard parts.

From what I’ve seen so far, a lot of this line is focused on movie versions of the characters, but this particular Skeletor pulls from classic MOTU. Specifically, this is a Walmart exclusive featuring a head sculpt inspired by the artwork of Alfred Alcala from the original mini-comics.

I’ve always preferred that earlier, more demonic take on Skeletor over the later Keldor-based version, so this really hits for me. He’s done in his traditional colors, but this exclusive version adds gold-painted accents and a gold skull. The packaging follows suit with a black-and-gold presentation, which looks really sharp.

For what is essentially a budget figure, this is a very nice release. The cape is pretty basic—doesn’t bother me at all, but I can see it being a sticking point for some. Mileage may vary there.

Overall, my first experience with this new MOTU format is a positive one. I’ll still be picking up Origins and Masterverse/Chronicles figures, but I can definitely see this line—and Mighty Masters—becoming my main focus going forward. The price is right, and the toys are fun. Not to mention… they feel just right for a Wednesday post here on the Base.

I’d end this by saying something like “they have the power”… but seriously.

Ninjor [Masterverse / New Eternia]

The demon king from the Dimension of Noir silently searched the scattered remains of New Eternia for the Power of Grayskull so he may become an immortal force of evil.

It’s been way too long since I’ve talked about Masters of the Universe here on the site, and like many of you, the upcoming movie has me pretty excited. So what better time to get back into the He-Man groove than now?

I received this Ninjor from my mother as a birthday gift, and I was immediately into it. The New Eternia figures in Masterverse have been a real sweet spot for me since they were introduced, and Ninjor—already a favorite—fits right in.

New Eternia takes a more fantastical approach to the MOTU characters, often pulling from concept art or expanding on ideas that were only lightly touched on before. Ninjor has always been a demon ninja, but here they really lean into that concept. He’s got additional armor, more dramatic claws, and an overall design that pushes him further into that supernatural space.

There are some really nice details throughout. The red eyes stand out immediately, and he comes with alternate face options. One of them is a snap-on face showing Ninjor without his zukin, revealing a mean expression with solid white eyes that really amps up his spookiness. He also includes an Oni mask, which I absolutely love. Between that, the claws, and the armor design, the Oni influence is very intentional. There are even small touches like an Oni face sculpted onto his nunchuck holster.

I say this a lot with recent MOTU releases, but this feels more like a designer toy. It’s just a really good-looking figure.

Ninjor comes with his traditional weapons—nunchucks, katana, and a bow and arrow—all styled to match his look with red flame effects and sculpted demon details. Everything about it feels cohesive and well thought out.

This feels like a high-end figure, and it’s easily my top-tier Ninjor now that I have one.

By the Power of Grayskull!

Terroar [Snake Men/Origins]

The Snake Men have always been an extra dangerous set of villains in Masters of the Universe. Hailing from earlier in history than the current problems with Skeletor, they are an ancient evil that pops up here and there. Origins is a really unique toy line. Full of homages to the past, but also with new characters that are made to fit in with classic MOTU lore. In recent months, Mattel has been creating new Snake Men much to fan and collector delight. They're really cool. We'll be looking at Terroar today as I love his freakishness. Mattel recognized MOTU fans tendency to make customized figures when developing Origins and engineered them with interchangeable joints from the start. Utilizing this, these new Snake Men figures are all made from existing parts with new colors. Repaints aren't new, but when done this way it's extra neat.

Terroar is made from the parts of Whiplash, Trap Jaw, Rattlor, and Mosquitor. Mostly Whiplash and Trap-Jaw which is more obvious, but the neck extension piece is from Rattlor and the boots are from Mosquitor. When parts from other figures are combined like this, it's often called 'Frankenstein-ing'. That term really fits Terroar as he looks like something from the Doctors lab. I like the idea of this weird reptilian warrior with cybernetic parts. He kinda of looks like a background character from a MOTU mini-comic. Just some freak soldier the artist got a little creative with, but he's got a bigger role in Lord Gr'Asp's (we'll get to him later) crew. The neck extension can be removed or added as you please for that striking snake look, and the weapons can be swapped out on his mechanical arm. I talk about monsters all year on this site (it's in the description), but this one seems perfect for Halloween. He's just so freaky and weird. It's great!

Mer-Man [Turtles of Grayskull]

The Ocean Warlord heeded Skeletor's beckoning from Snake Mountain at his own peril. The two always held an uneasy alliance, but Mer-Man did not suspect that he was walking into a trap. He was taken by an alien called Krang, covered in Mutagen, and awoke forever changed in both his mind and body.

I've been saying this entire time that Turtles of Grayskull feels like a designer toy line and nothing is a better example of it than Mer-Man. I am not a professional photographer, so hopefully the picks can come close to just how cool this toy is. Freaky sculpted detail and colors brings this classic character to life in an all new way. Mer-Man has been mutated and is even more monstrous now.

You can swap out his traditional legs for a fish tail for a more... mer-person... appearance. Just LOOK at this thing! A small detail that really blows my mind is the use of translucent plastic. It's not just really pretty, but makes Mer-Man look like he's from the deep dark ocean. Speaking of, they've given him a Angler Fish flavored mutation. Which just makes him look even scarier. In addition to the freaky looks, he's carrying a trident and a gnarly take on his classic sword for battle. Both weapons are super fitting. It's really hard not to be enamored with this toy. The Creature from the Black Lagoon is one of my all time favorite monsters, which makes me appreciate Mer-Man as is. However, the new mutated version of him is AWESOME. Dang, Angler Fish are scary.

Beast Man [Turtles of Grayskull]

Beast Man did not trust the alien outsiders. Rather than become Krang's next mutated experiment, Beast Man escaped to strike a bargain with He-Man. What he found instead left him shell-shocked.

Beast Man is one of the classic MOTU characters that no series feels complete without. So of course he makes a showing in Turtles of Grayskull, but a rather unique one. Beast Man, who isn't feeling like the Foot Clan and their Mutagen are the best idea, isn't mutated like the other Evil Warriors. However, Beast Man has taken up the ways of the Samurai as his cool new armor would imply. This figure is a straight forward reprint of the Origins Beast Man toy with the additional armor and weapon.

Every toy line has cost saving figures and this is one of them. Fortunately the Origins Beast Man is an all around solid toy and the new stuff included makes for a nice cherry on the top. Replacing his trademark bullwhip whip is a cool new razor chain whip. Clearly taming the animals under his control inst Beast Man's focal point at the moment. The Samurai armor fits neatly over the figure, though I found the helmet to be a little loose. Not a deal breaker, but I'd prefer a slightly better fit. Beast Man is also carrying a turtle shell shield which keeps him matching the other figures (Teela comes with a similar one) and the theme. I did notice some official stock photos displaying a different shield instead of the one that comes included. I don't know if that was a running change or a variant. Fans in MOTU groups haven't pointed it out to my knowledge, so it may be the former. This is a fun figure of a classic character. He has a more simple approach to the theme and that's ok, because it still works. The gold armor contrasts nicely with his oranges and reds. Frankly, I think the whole looks suits him really well.

Krang [Turtles of Grayskull]

A mad science experiment gone wrong, Krang has crossed the dimensions and found himself in Eternia in a faster, stronger Megatroid android body, seeking to obtain the Power of Grayskull!

It's time we look at the larger deluxe figures from Turtles of Grayskull and no better character to do so that Krang! That evil alien from Dimension X has invaded Eternia and has teamed up with Megator to serve as his robot body! This is a really cool and unique figure. I've been praising this line non-stop for it's creativity and Krang really is an example of why. TMNT characters in Turtles of Grayskull are given a nice MOTU flavoring, in Krang's case it's his android body. Megator, the Evil Warriors giant has been given cybernetic improvements turning him into Megatroid!

Megatroid serves both as a stand alone figure and a body for Krang. Taking advantage of MOTU Origin's use of modular joints, an extra mid-section can be added to Megatroid which houses Krang! This gives Krang's traditional android body a complete MOTU make over in a cool and imaginative way. Not just cosmetic, but fully combining him with another character! Megatroid comes with an axe and morning star weapons that replace his hands which further melds him with the android body visually. Like other MOTU Origins toys, this figure is VERY articulated. Origins figures are pretty solid, but this is one hefty figure. It's size and weight in hand is incredibly satisfying. I've been saying that these feel like designer toys and I mean it. Krang doesn't feel like a toy I bought at Walmart (and is exclusive to Walmart as I understand) and more like something I'd find in a fancy glass case for way more than his relatively low retail price ($24.86). This may be the most impressive Turtles of Grayskull figure yet!

The Shredder [Turtles of Grayskull]

Shredder wanted to eliminate the Turtles once and for all. Unfortunately, Krang's plan to harness the most powerful force in the universe backfired and flung them to Planet Eternia, where they encountered a new ally. 

The Foot Clan has arrived on Eternia and joined forces with The Evil Warriors, so of course that means The Shredder is around. If there's a TMNT character naturally fit for the MOTU treatment, it's Shredder. His classic blade covered armor looks perfect here on a MOTU Origins body. However he's not just a He-Man version of The Shredder, there's some great styling going on. His trademark armor has been given an Eternian look.

The bladed plates have a cool dragon scale texture that matches with his helmet. His vest has been replaced with a body garment similar to Skeletor, but with a Foot Clan insignia. He's got some cool weapons as well, an Evil Horde style crossbow (I love those) and a gnarly axe that also features a Foot symbol. Add in his cape (which is a solid vinyl or rubber material) and The Shredder looks more evil than ever. I've been saying all along that these Turtles of Grayskull figures feel like designer toys and I mean it. The Shredder on Eternia is something special.

The Beast Man of New Eternia

I've got a soft spot for Beast Man. He was one of the first MOTU figures I got as a child and still love him to this day. One of Skeletor's original gang of Evil Warriors and a classic member of the cast. This toy of Beast Man we're talking about today is a more recent figure of him from the Masterverse line. Specifically in the New Eternia setting, which is a more medieval fantasy take on the characters heavily based on the lines original concept art. He's also a larger figure than your standard Masterverse toy.... in case the picture doesn't show it well, he's freaking huge.

His New Eternia look is a fur made of the hide of some Eternian animal including its head as a crude hat. Beast Man is also sporting Lord of Power style leather straps and spikes type of armor mixed with his traditional garments. He really looks like a wild jungle warrior from some post apocalyptic war zone... which is exactly the original theme of Masters of the Universe. There's a spiked club as well as Beast Man's signature whip with multiple types of hands to swap out for holding the weapons. Masterverse toys are usually loaded with accessories, so there's also Beast Man's original outfit. Just in case you'd rather the figure represent it's classic roots.

Masterverse is a higher quality, more premium line. There's several points of articulation of a variety of poses. The figure is pretty large as I mentioned above... which feels right. He's a big brute. They toy isn't just big either, there's noticeable heft. The weight and size are pretty satisfactory. This is a nice toy. Beast Man feels like a much more premium toy than the premium toy he already is. The extra parts and accessories give you a range of options to display him in. Personally, I like this New Eternia theme. I've always been a big fan of the original direction of MOTU and like this focus on it. Beast Man was another Christmas gift from the Mrs and a really great one at that.

(Scare) Glowing with Evil

Scare Glow is one of those MOTU characters I just can't get enough of. Sure, I like scary things, but he's got a charm to him outside of that. In a line where the bad guys are usually pretty gnarly monsters... a freaking skeleton wearing a purple cape is just *chefs kiss*. If Skeletor wasn't already a grim reaper type. having an outright ghost in the Evil Warrirors is a great touch. Not to mention his awesome glow in the dark gimmick... I always fall for that. This Origins version of him was another of my Christmas gifts from the Mrs. She has a knack of getting the ones I can't normally find.

Scare Glow is your typical MOTU Origins figure, a complete update of a classic MOTUF figure with modern articulation and the interchangeable parts to allow for customizes easy access. He's compatible with vintage vehicles and newer ones. Origins is such a neat line. A key difference in other of his figures, Scare Glow has a plastic cape. The Original has cloth and the Masterverse has a mixture of plastic and cloth. I'm pointing this out mostly because it looks like cloth and feels like cloth... but is some sort of plastic/vinyl material. I do like it better than a cloth cape, but worry that it's additional weight will put too much strain on the string around the collar.

You guys know I'm hurting for it to be Halloween time (which it will firmly be in a few months, but still), so Scare Glow is just the toy for such a hankering. Just like the vintage toy, Origins Scare Glow is literally a Halloween decoration made into an action figure. I'm not being silly old me here, just look at this thing! Everything about just screams spooky season. He looks like something you'd pin to your hoodie in October (or December, yolo). While it may not reflect well in the picture, the Scythe of Doom's bright green is so bright, it might as well be the glow stick Scare Glow is carrying while trick or treating... aside from already glowing in the dark.

Jungle Warrior Man

When it comes to He-Man, we've all pretty much know what to expect. However, it wasn't always that way and was a more grim affair initially. He-Man himself was a barbarian from a jungle tribe off on adventure to fight evil when he ran across the Sorceress who gave him weapons to fight Skeletor (said evil). If you've ever wondered about the mix of mid-evil fantasy and sci fi in Masters of the universe, the original setting had Eternia left as sort of a wasteland and all the high tech stuff was leftovers from the previous more advanced society. He-Man's power weapons were some of these leftovers.

The Power Sword originally wasn't really that much of a big deal. It was literally half a sword. The full Power Sword had been split in half as it is the key to Castle Grayskull. Skeletor has the other half and really wants control of the magical castle. The armor provides He-Man with a protective force field. There's another identical set of armor that makes him stronger. I have no clue how he tells them apart. He-Man mainly used his battle axe, and shield as he was a barbarian. You know like that guy he totally isn't supposed to be. In the first mini comic appearance, He-Man has a knife stowed away in his boot. If you get his Micro Action figure, it comes with that little knife. Neat huh?

Just sitting here, thinking about Spikor

A couple of months ago, my mom called me. She was at Walmart picking up a few things. They had some MOTU toys and she asked me if I wanted Moss-Man or Spikor. "Spikor!" I said with excitement, I wasn't aware he was available. "But he's stupid looking?", she said. Clearly, Mom didn't appreciate the glory that is Spikor. Speaking of glorious, ever have a Kinder Bueno with a cup of coffee? Absolutely wonderful.

Spikor is a member of the Evil Warriors that as you can see, is covered in spikes (not sure if the name gave that away). He may look like a porcupine, but that's actually his armor. In newer fiction it was revealed that the armor is magically bonded to his body making him a walking wall of spikes. He may look silly, but you try punching that. Spikor also has that trident for a hand. It's obviously handy (lol) in combat and depending on who's writing, can shoot lasers. When used in tandem with his mace, Spikor's a pretty big threat. Fortunately in the cartoon, he's an idiot.

Of course all the Evil Warriors are idiots in the old cartoon. A running theory is that the producers of the show dumbed down things to make them not as scary for small children. I've talked about how He-Man and his gang were often in the cross-hairs of the Satanic Panic groups. It's not hard to see looking back where they were coming from, MOTU is pretty line crossing at times. Spikor is essentially a walking Iron Maiden that works for a skeleton faced demon. That's a little harsh for a 6 year old.

Outside of the cartoons, Spikor is portrayed as a master of combat and a blacksmith. In fact he created the Terror Claws for Skeletor. Part of me finds that really interesting. Ultimately Spikor is a background character that just pops up every now and again, but he still has a use other than just another soldier. That's neat. Spikor may be one of the more under the radar characters in Masters of the Universe, but sometimes, those are the more interesting ones.

Summoning Monstroid

 

Not too long ago I talked about the Monstroids here. It was always odd that there was a groups of 'evil transforming robots' in the cartoons, but in the toy line Monstroid was an individual robot monster who worked with the Evil Horde. If you've never seen him, Monstroid is a really large toy that looks like a crab. The top half spins around chaotically which make the body rock around. Said rocking makes Monstroid walk around on his long legs in whatever direction gravity takes him. Stick a figures arms or legs in those claws and watch them be flung around like rag dolls. It's pure insanity and maybe a broken lamp if the figure flies loose from the evil grip of MONSTROID.

The big guy didn't get much fiction time aside from random art appearances. However he did show up in a comic story in which The Evil Horde summons him from Sea of Rakash. Under Hordak's magic spell, Monstroid attacks He-Man and Skeletor. Orko and Extendar save the two and Multi-Bot is eaten in the process. It's nice that such a chaotic toy is just as out of control in his fictional debut. I like that without a doubt, Monstroid is a monster. He's aligned with The Evil Horde, but that's basically thanks to a spell. In any other situation, there's just a giant robot-crab thing that's going to kill everything in it's path. I also like the fact that a living robotic creature that lives in the sea without any explanation and we're just supposed to go with it. Pure chaos on every front.

Land Shark

 

Somewhere within Skeletor's forces of Evil Warriors they got something right. Someone created the Land Shark. In a world terrorized by living Halloween decorations, somebody made a shark tank. A shark tank with a giant mouth that opened and closed. In the original cartoon the Land Shark was seemingly alive. A primitive robotic shark creature that lived to ride around and eat what it couldn't shoot. Or eat what it did shoot. Basically a death machine.

Outside of the cartoon, the Land Shark was just a vehicle that Skeletor used often in the mini comics. In Revelation, the Evil Warriors had a fleet of them, which was just great. Despite being totally ridiculous, it's also completely bad ass. If I described it to you, you'd probably laugh. However, if you saw it coming after you, you'd run in terror. Such is the weird world of Masters of the Universe. It's absurd, but in the most awesome way.

There's a new Origins toy I must get. I do have an original and the Hot Wheels mini. Something about a little die cast version of this horror show is impossible to ignore. I love the colors too. The purples and dark blue contrast nicely on the awesome look of it all. Something about a robotic shark tank being driven by a buff living skeleton is just so hard to express fully how awesome it is. I'm just in awe of it all.

Phony Baloney

Faker is another MOTU character I wasn't concenred with as a kid. He was just this oddball evil blue He-Man clone that wasn't given much focus. Not to mention, he pretty much flew under the radar. Honestly, I don't remember ever seeing his toy at the store. As an adult toy collector, I'm aware he was just case filler and the most blatant repaint in the line. Also as an adult, I fully recognize just how awesome he actually is. 

Depending on the fiction Faker is a robot either created by science or magic. I like the magic origins because it makes him seem like some weird Eternian Golem. This new toy follows the Origins model perfectly in that it's literally a blue He-Man with red hair and an orange Skeletor outfit. Of course there's the requisite sticker of all his circuitry. How else would you know he's a robot? He has the 'vintage' He-Man head that comes with some figures on the standard He-Man Origins body. There's a ton of articulation included with that. Of course he's sporting his orange take on Skeletor's outfit with a fake orange version of the Power Sword. There's a Powercon Exclusive version of Fake with a slightly different deco and Dupli-Cat. Dupli-Cat is his evil robot clone of Battle Cat. The pun based names never end... thankfully. It's hard not to like Faker, he's a Halloween colored evil robot clone of He-Man that relishes in it's ridiculousness. In the included mini-comic of this wave, it's shown that Skeletor has an army of Faker clones. There's not one fiber of my being that doesn't love that.

Fish Lips

This past weekend the Mrs. picked up the Lords of Power version of Merman up for me. I've been trying to find these guys (damned elusive Beastman) and was very thankful for her efforts. If you didn't already know, Lords of Power was the original name for Masters of the Universe during it's development. These LOP versions are based on the mock-ups for the developing line. MOTU Origins is a very neat line like that, G1 He-Man stuff to the weirdest detail. However in the Masterverse line, they're doing the Barbarian He-Man. I honestly don't know what extent Mattel has in mind with all this. Either way it's super fun.

The most noticeable difference between this and the standard Merman is his head. The sculpt is more detailed and closer to his depiction in the original paintings. That old concept figure was mostly modeling clay meant to sell an idea. Details like the fishy bits stood out more as they were basically glued onto the base toy. Aside from that, Merman is the standard Origins figure with all the bells and whistles you'd expect. As an adult, I really appreciate the weirdness of classic MOTU. Merman is a good example of that.

Shut your Trap

The new He-Man and the Masters of the Universe toys have finally started showing up at my local stores and I was happy to see them. I loved the show and couldn't wait to get a few of the figures. Honestly this new He-Man renaissance is pretty great. There's so much new stuff available that it's a MOTU fans dream come true. It's been super fun in the MOTU groups talking the various different toys. I grabbed Trap Jaw this past weekend happily. He's my first figure from this new line and what a cool toy he is. These new figures serve as a core class for MOTU at $10 each and more basic articulation. It's not much of a concession as they look great and even have gimmicks. 

Trap Jaw is a departure from his classic look, while still looking familiar. He's a nice mix of cyberpunk and fantasy with that robot arm and goblin boots and stitched tights. The helmet is a play off the original design while being more scary. There's even a throw back to his classic zip line loop. Trap Jaws gimmick is that energy projectile can be shot. It's not on a spring, instead if you twist him at the arms and waist, he'll bend around as if putting some effort into the attract. Let go and the toy swings around flinging the blast out towards the Masters. Pretty neat.

Notice I said Masters? That's because in this new series there's no more Heroic and Evil Warriors. Instead we have the Masters fighting the Dark Masters. You can guess which side Trap Jaw is on. It's a reinvention of a classic story that still manages to homage the original. Obviously intended for smaller kids, but so far us adults seem to really like it. I've even been seeing adult fans praise it over Revelation. I'm sure that's pretty surprising to Mattel who you can bet are paying attention. I'm usually very G1 about MOTU, but am happily enjoying this new series a lot.