Recommended music: Carl Orff – Carmina Burana: O Fortuna
Happy Monday, MOTU fans! I hope you had a great weekend. For this #MastersMonday, let’s take a look at another 1985 release from the vintage Mattel Masters of the Universe line. Today, we’re focusing on Hordak!
The “Ruthless Leader of the Evil Horde” was one of my favorite villain action figures when I was a kid. Because he was created after the original Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon, I first learned about Hordak and the other Horde members through books and mini-comics released with the fourth wave of MOTU figures.
Luckily, Hordak became the main villain in the She-Ra: Princess of Power cartoon, showing up in over 70 episodes, the Secret of the Sword movie, and the He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special. He also returned in the 2003 Mike Young Productions He-Man series, the 2018 Netflix She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, and in flashbacks in the Revelation comic book before returning in Masters of the Universe: Revolution.
Hordak was first sold on a standard-sized card in 1985. The cardback provides a brief backstory of how Hordak was trapped in another world by his apprentice, Skeletor, and introduces the first wave of The Evil Horde figures, along with the Fright Zone playset. I’m not sure why the artwork shows Hordak with Skeletor’s staff. You could also find him in gift sets with Grizzlor and in a Canada-only “5th Anniversary” 3-pack with Roboto and Sy-Klone. The next year, Hordak was repackaged in a gift set with his steed, Mantisaur.
The figure’s design features a strong “bat” theme on his chest armor, boots, arm band, and his big bat shield. He came with the familiar Horde Crossbow, made from white plastic, and was the first in the line to have a vinyl cape. This made him stand out as the leader of the Horde, and the vinyl cape returned two years later for Buzz-Saw Hordak. Early versions of the figure had extra red paint on the armor, but this was dropped in later releases. Hordak was a standout figure for me as a kid, and he became an even more memorable character after watching the She-Ra animated series as an adult.
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