Tag: He-Man

Revelation Horde Skeletor

Recommended music: Savatage – Gutter Ballet

Howdy MOTU fans! This #MastersMonday post, we’re taking a look at the Mattel Masters of the Universe Masterverse: Horde Skeletor!

During the eighth episode of the Netflix Masters of the Universe: Revelation animated series, “The Gutter Rat,” Skeletor has a slightly different look. This look is quite distinct from what was seen in animation for the previous 40 years. In a flashback scene, Evil-Lyn (the gutter rat) reminisces on a very different backstory. In Revelation canon, Evil-Lyn runs away from her starving parents as they are going to eat her and finds herself in a life of crime and magic on the streets. When her back is against the wall against a couple of tough characters, Skeletor saves the day by showing up via a magic portal and steering Evil-Lyn’s life down a very different path.

Fortunately, the Skeletor design seen in this scene was captured in this Masterverse figure. Mattel labeled this figure simply as ‘Skeletor,’ but the ‘Horde Skeletor’ nickname has stuck due to the Horde bat emblem on Skeletor’s belt. The expanded backstory of The Evil Horde was eventually revealed during the Masters of the Universe Revolution follow-up series on Netflix.

The fun thing about this design is that once you’ve removed the soft goods cape, it’s easy to see the black and red outfit is basically an update of the ‘200X’ Spin Blade Skeletor figure. Only this time, instead of a silly accessory on a repaint that practically spelled the end of the 2002 toyline, this figure includes a havoc staff with a semi-transparent ram head.

Not only does the weapon get an upgrade from the wave one Skeletor, but the paint applications on the face are also a big improvement. The figure comes with 30 points of articulation, an extra set of hands, and a much better soft goods cloak than what was included with the first release. The biggest downside to this figure is that the skin tone is slightly too purple compared with the traditional blue-skinned skeleton.

Thankfully, Mattel included this one last Revelation figure in Masterverse Wave 10 before moving on to Revolution and ‘New Eternia’ designs.

Masters of the Universe Revelation/Revolution turned four years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new figure from this series to share here for the rest of the year!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#MastersOfTheUniverse
#MOTU
#ToyPhotography

Revelation Clamp Champ

Recommended music: O Fresh – The Champ is Here (Remix)

Happy Monday, MOTU fans! This #MastersMonday post, we’re taking a look at the Mattel Masters of the Universe Masterverse: Clamp Champ!

Clamp Champ, also known as Raenius per his Masters of the Universe Classics bio, appeared in the very first episode of the Netflix Masters of the Universe: Revelation animated series. The character’s design is a very familiar look that we’ve seen since 1986, and it was great to finally see him in animated form.

Unfortunately, his vintage action figure came out a year after the Filmation He-Man animated series ended, so he was limited to comics and newspaper strips in the 1980s. According to the producer of the 2002 Mike Young Productions Masters of the Universe cartoon, he was the next vintage character planned to appear in that series before it was canceled. The character also did not make it into the accompanying ‘200X’ Mattel toy line but did get made in the NECA Toys “staction” line shortly afterward.

Mattel not only nailed the look of the Clamp Champ from the Netflix series for this figure but also provided a modern rendition of the character for fans who missed out on the MOTUC version. The well-painted sculpt contains 31 points of articulation, and Champ comes with an extra set of hands, as well as a redesigned spring-loaded techno clamp. This weapon gets a big upgrade and actually fits all around his hand.

Unfortunately for the character, after protecting the royal family a couple of times, he was basically killed off mid-way through Revelation, as his character became a skeletized minion along with Fisto. There was a chance the characters would have their souls reborn later in the season, but it didn’t happen. Thankfully, Mattel included the figure in Masterverse Wave 10 before moving on to Revolution designs, but I guess I’ll need a second one to make a custom of the skeletized minion. 😜

Masters of the Universe Revelation/Revolution turned four years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new figure from this series to share here for the rest of the year!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#MastersOfTheUniverse
#MOTU
#ToyPhotography

Revelation Prince Adam

Recommended music: Electric Light Orchestra – Livin’ Thing

Happy Monday, MOTU fans! For today’s #MastersMonday post, we’re taking a look at the Mattel Masters of the Universe Masterverse: Prince Adam!

In the Netflix Masters of the Universe: Revelation animated series, the character design for Prince Adam was a very recognizable and classic look for Adam. Unlike the Filmation He-Man animated series, which used the same character model for Adam and He-Man, and simply replaced hair and skin-tones post heroic transformation, this Adam is noticeably smaller. Also, his hair curls in more like a mop top than the flowing look used for the Revelation He-Man.

This was a very smart move for the show creators as Prince Adam can’t rely on glasses like Clark Kent hiding he’s Superman. While we don’t know how often Prince Adam had to run off screen to become He-Man prior to the first episode, it seems like the secret identity was only figured out by Queen Marlena in this canon.

Mattel really nailed the look of the Prince Adam figure for the Masterverse line. Not only does he have an accurate paint job and sculpt with over 30 points of articulation, but Adam also comes with a set of fist hands, an alternate smiling head, and two versions of the Power Sword. One sword is painted with an accurate metallic look, but we also get this speckled semi-transparent “powering up” version as well.

The biggest downside to this figure is his availability. Despite being a main character in the series, Adam was saved until the last wave of Revelation characters in the Masterverse line. It appears this wave was short-packed as the packaging quickly changed over for wave 11 and the debut of Masters of the Universe: Revolution figures. Unfortunately, I had to spend quite a bit over retail to pick him up, but I’m so glad to have this version of Adam of the House of Randor in the collection.

Masters of the Universe Revelation/Revolution turned four years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new figure from this series to share here for the rest of the year!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#MastersOfTheUniverse
#MOTU
#ToyPhotography

UNO Fandom She-Ra: Princess of Power Deck

Recommended music: Shuki Levy and Haim Saban – She-Ra: Princess of Power Opening Theme

Happy Monday, He-Fans and She-Ravers! I hope your weekend was as fun as mine was on the West Coast. On this #MastersMonday, we’re taking a look at the Mattel Creations UNO Fandom She-Ra: Princess of Power Deck!

You may be wondering why we’re taking a break from talking about Masters of the Universe Revelation this week. Well, tomorrow marks the 40th anniversary of the Filmation She-Ra: Princess of Power animated series. That’s right, on Monday, September 9th, 1985, the first of 93 She-Ra episodes aired in first-run syndication across the United States.

To celebrate 40 years of He-Man’s long-lost twin sister, Mattel has released a few exclusives, including this UNO deck. Now, I do already own a couple of versions of Masters of the Universe UNO, but this one is pretty unique. While Mattel states that this entire UNO deck is dedicated to the original animated series, that is not entirely accurate. The deck actually features artwork from the first minicomic, The Story of She-Ra. It also includes other mini-comic art from the Princess of Power action figure line.

In addition to the cool art throwback, the deck features an exclusive “Unite Etheria” card, which adds a special rule to the game. Additionally, the set includes a foil version of that card, which may remind you of Bubble Power She-Ra’s crown and other reflective surfaces from the original toy line.

Once again, if you’ve made it this far, I’ve included one last (not so) hidden Loo-Kee in today’s picture. Happy birthday, She-Ra!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#MastersOfTheUniverse
#PrincessOfPower
#SheRa40
#ToyPhotography

Revelation Mer-Man 2.0

Recommended music: ZZ Top – La Grange

Happy Monday, MOTU fans! I hope your day didn’t involve too much labor. For today’s #MastersMonday post, we’re taking a look at the Mattel Masters of the Universe Masterverse: Revelation Mer-Man 2.0!

In the Netflix Masters of the Universe: Revelation animated series, viewers got a new look at Mer-Man sans armor, which varied from his typical design seen for the past 40 years. Before Skeletor’s disappearance, Mer-Man was the Lord of Destruction’s reluctant ally. He commanded an army of Aquaticans, terrorized the Crystal Sea, and proved to be a valuable resource in the fight against He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. However, Mer-Man’s inability to see eye-to-eye with other Evil Warriors typically led to his downfall.

Though Mattel simply labeled this figure as “Mer-Man,” the unofficial fan name of “Mer-Man 2.0” is very accurate to the flashback scene in Revelation episode three. If you remember, Mattel released a Revelation version of Mer-Man back in Masterverse wave four that was missing his armor and signature “corn cob” sword. While it came with extra hands and weapons, the figure was given a battered and damaged look that really called for an additional upgrade like this one.

This version of Mer-Man has a really sharp paint job and is a great translation of the character from the animated series. In addition to extra hands for either an open web hand, gripping, and fist options, he sports his classic sword. The colors of the weapon, armor, and gloved hands all work well together. The traditional armor even has a transparent jewel added to the front, a feature I don’t think I’ve previously seen on a Mer-Man figure.

This is another character I’m glad Mattel went back to in order to give us a more definitive figure. Now I really wish Mattel made some Aquaticans, so Mer-Man could lead an army of fish people in my display. 😄

Masters of the Universe Revelation/Revolution turned four years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new figure from this series to share here for the rest of the year!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#MastersOfTheUniverse
#MOTU
#ToyPhotography

POP Arrow (Custom)

Recommended music: Zuriaake – Whispering Woods

Happy #WhateverWednesday, He-Fans and She-Ravers! Here’s one bit of Princess of Power from the archives. Today, we’re talking about Arrow!

This is a custom Arrow, the steed of Bow, based on his appearance from the Filmation She-Ra: Princess of Power animated series.

For the vintage POP toyline, Mattel turned Arrow from a normal horse into a transparent blue Pegasus for some reason. I wanted something to match up with how the character looked in the cartoon. This would go with my Masters of the Universe Classics Bow (which looks a bit cartoony).

After an official Arrow was made for that line, this custom (made from a Lord of the Rings Brego with a broken hoof) was paired up with this vintage Bow figure instead (I think it still works).

Once again, if you’ve made it this far, I’ve included one last (not so) hidden Loo-Kee in today’s picture.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#MastersOfTheUniverse
#PrincessOfPower
#ToyPhotography

Crystal Castle

Recommended music: Fridrik Karlsson – Crystal Healing

Happy Monday, He-Fans and She-Ravers! I hope your week is starting off light as this #MastersMonday, we’re still talking about the vintage Mattel Princess of Power toyline. Tonight, we’re taking a look at the Crystal Castle!

Similar to how Castle Grayskull was the only playset available for the first year of the vintage Masters of the Universe toy line, the “Shimmering Castle of Fantasy and Fun doe She-Ra and Her Friends” was the big playset for the Princess of Power line, and the only backdrop for your POP figures until the much smaller Crystal Falls playset was released with wave two in 1986.

The Crystal Castle was featured in books, comics, German audio plays, magazines, minicomics, and 10 episodes of the Filmation She-Ra: Princess of Power animated series. Although Castle Bright Moon was featured in more episodes, including the 1985 feature film He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword, which launched the series, the Crystal Castle was also an important location for She-Ra. It served as a refuge for She-Ra and the home base for the character Light Hope, who was basically the POP version of the Sorceress from MOTU. Though the character was never completely defined until he received an action figure in the Masters of the Universe Classics line, he served as a source of wisdom to She-Ra while being represented by bright, talking colors on the screen.

The castle was loaded with unique accessories, most of which I have been able to accumulate over the years, including: a bedspread, a canopy bed, a clothes stand, a fireplace, a flag, a pillow, a plush rug, a table and two chairs, a treasure chest and jewels, and a vanity mirror. While the playset serves as much more of a doll house than Castle Grayskull, and looks nothing like the Crystal Castle in the Filmation animated series, it was an entertaining and important part of the toy line.

I think that’s enough She-Ra talk for now. I’ll have some more next month for the 40th anniversary of the series, but otherwise, I will be covering a very different line from the franchise starting next Monday.

Once again, if you’ve made it this far, I’ve included one last (not so) hidden Loo-Kee in today’s picture.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#MastersOfTheUniverse
#PrincessOfPower
#SheRa40
#ToyPhotography

Clawdeen

Recommended music: Gary Numan – She’s Got Claws

Happy Monday, He-Fans and She-Ravers! Clearly, on this #MastersMonday, we should keep talking about the vintage Mattel Princess of Power toyline. Today, we’re taking a look at the “Glamorous Cat Carries Catra to Adventure,” it’s Clawdeen!

Just like how the majority of figures in the vintage POP line are members of the Great Rebellion, the creatures in the line overwhelmingly align with the good guys, too. Catra’s horse, Storm, was the only Evil Horde creature included in the first year of the line. Wave two brought just one Evil Horde creature with Catra’s lion, Clawdeen.

Clawdeen was featured in books, comics, minicomics, and magazines. She was even in the German Audio Plays. However, she actually had a very minor role in the Filmation She-Ra: Princess of Power animated series. That’s right, Clawdeen appeared just once, in episode 66, ‘One to Count On’, which kicked off the second season. In addition to the Clawdeen cameo, the episode is also the first appearance of Entrapta. It’s a pretty great story where the Great Rebellion has to learn to make responsible decisions in their fight against the Evil Horde without relying on She-Ra to bail them out all the time. If you haven’t seen it in a while, it’s a good episode. Though both the script and model sheets for the episode show Catra riding Clawdeen, this idea never made it into the finished episode.

The creature included familiar accessories with the standard brush and a comb, but also a harness, hair ribbons, and a saddle. I seem to have misplaced everything but the saddle, but neither Catra nor Clawdeen seems to mind.

Once again, if you’ve made it this far, I’ve included another (not so) hidden Loo-Kee in today’s picture.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#MastersOfTheUniverse
#PrincessOfPower
#SheRa40
#ToyPhotography

POP Scratchin’ Sound Catra

Recommended music: Ted Nugent – Cat Scratch Fever

Happy Monday, He-Fans and She-Ravers! On this #MastersMonday, let’s keep talking about the vintage Mattel Princess of Power toyline. Today, we’re taking a look at Scratchin’ Sound Catra!

The vintage POP line was filled with characters from the Great Rebellion. Catra and her horse, Storm, were the only members of the Evil Horde included in the first year of the line. I guess many Horde characters had already debuted in the concurrent Masters of the Universe line, and POP just needed to add in the missing female characters.

Besides Clawdeen and Entrapta being made into Evil Horde action figures in 1986, Mattel also made an updated version of the “Jealous Beauty” seen here. This new version of Catra not only features a new head, but she also has an action lever on her back that moves her arm and produces a “scratching” sound.

Catra had a pretty big role with the Evil Horde. The minion of Hordak appeared in 36 of the 93 episodes of the Filmation She-Ra: Princess of Power animated series. In the cartoon, Catra magically transforms into her cat form. I’m not really sure how that makes sense with this figure’s design. Releasing a new version of her each year was a great way for new viewers to jump into the line. Mattel did the same with a new version of Hordak in the MOTU toy line. This ensured there was always a main antagonist to She-Ra on the pegs at retail.

The figure included a new mini-comic, A Born Champion, that featured her and other wave two characters. For accessories, she also came with a repack of her wave one shield and a comb, now painted silver, which I seem to have misplaced. Fortunately, I do still have the new soft goods, including a fabric mask, skirt, and tail, which really help her stand out from the first release.

Once again, if you’ve made it this far, I’ve included another (not so) hidden Loo-Kee in today’s picture.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#MastersOfTheUniverse
#PrincessOfPower
#SheRa40
#ToyPhotography

POP Enchanta

Recommended music: Martin Denny – The Enchanted Sea

Happy #MastersMonday, He-Fans and She-Ravers! Let’s keep talking about the vintage Mattel Princess of Power toyline. Tonight, we’re taking a look at Enchanta.

The “Beautiful Swan [Who] Flies She-Ra and Her Friends on Amazing Adventures” was a steed for the Great Rebellion figure. I’ve seen Enchanta listed as both a wave one and a wave two vehicle for the Princess of Power toy line, so I’m still not 100% sure she was a 1985 release or not. Unlike the horses in the first wave that carry a single figure, and not quite as crazy as the Butterflyer, which holds eight figures, Enchanta can easily hold 2-3 figures on the silver cushioned saddle.

Enchanta had just one appearance in the Filmation She-Ra: Princess of Power animated series. During the second season episode “Sweet Bee’s Home,” not only does Sweet Bee make her debut, but Enchanta aids the Rebellion by hauling Mermista (who appears to be Enchanta’s neighbor or something), She-Ra, He-Man, and Frosta until a Horde freeze-ray slowly knocks her out of the sky. It’s a hilarious episode with Frosta swooning over He-Man while the most powerful man in the universe appears to be smitten with Sweet Bee. Check it out!

Besides the saddle, the giant talking swan comes with a bridle with reins, a prism skirt, and a removable tail and wings. She also came with a brush and comb to groom her stylish pink mane, but I seem to have misplaced those accessories. 😛

Once again, if you’ve made it this far, I’ve included another (not so) hidden Loo-Kee in today’s picture.

#ActionFigurePhotography
#MastersOfTheUniverse
#PrincessOfPower
#SheRa40
#ToyPhotography

From the Archives: Masters of the Universe M.U.S.C.L.E.

Recommended music: BODYWORX x MOTi – Hustle For That Muscle

On this #WhateverWednesday from the archives, we’ve got these Super7 Masters of the Universe M.U.S.C.L.E. mini-figures!

As thousands of pop culture fans are looking forward to descending on Southern California for San Diego Comic-Con later this month, I’ve got some of these convention exclusives to share from the collection.

Also known as M.O.T.U.S.C.L.E., the slime green variants of all these characters came as convention exclusives at Power-Con for a few years. They made for a great way to collect all the individual characters without worrying about blind boxes. Each of the four trash cans contained the full wave of character designs available.

#musclefigures
#SDCC
#PowerCon

POP Glimmer Custom

Recommended music: Earth, Wind & Fire – Shining Star

Happy #MastersMonday, He-Fans and She-Ravers! Let’s continue discussing the vintage Mattel Princess of Power toyline. Today, we’re talking about Glimmer!

“The guide who lights the way” was a Great Rebellion figure included in the first wave of nine figures for the Princess of Power toy line. The daughter of Angella and princess of Bright Moon, Glimmer had a pretty big role in the Filmation She-Ra: Princess of Power animated series. She was the original leader of the Great Rebellion until Adora came on board and appeared in 45 of the series’ 93 episodes, as well as the Christmas Special.

The vintage figure came with a collar, crown, comb, skirt, staff, and either the “Disappearing Treasures” or “Journey to Mizar” mini-comic. The figure features some shiny prismatic accessories, some glow-in-the-dark accessories, and a pink and silver color scheme. My loose Glimmer figure is missing most of that, as I intentionally changed her from the toy and storybook deco to match up with her appearance in the Filmation animated series. I wanted a Glimmer who looked more like the cartoon character I knew. So she gained a permanent crown, lost most of the figure’s curls from her long hair, and gained some jewels and other decor changes to set her apart from the original figure.

Thankfully, as an adult collector, the Masters of the Universe Classics version of the character looks straight out of the Filmation animated series and is a much more refined version than my custom Glimmer. Also, if you’ve made it this far, I’ve included another (not so) hidden Loo-Kee in today’s picture.

#MastersOfTheUniverse
#PrincessOfPower
#ToyPhotography

POP Frosta

Recommended music: Bob Dylan with Johnny Cash – Girl from the North Country

Happy #MastersMonday, He-Fans and She-Ravers! Let’s continue talking about the vintage Mattel Princess of Power toyline. Today, we’re talking about Frosta!

Frosta was included in the first wave of nine figures for the Princess of Power toy line. However, she was not included in the crossover animated film The Secret of the Sword, which was later split into the first five She-Ra: Princess of Power episodes. She did, however, appear immediately after in the series’ sixth episode, “Duel at Devlan.” She returned for another seven episodes throughout the series and had a bigger role in the He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special.

The vintage figure came with a cape, comb, skirt, staff, and the “The Hidden Symbols Mystery” mini-comic. While my loose figure is missing all of that, she still looks “cool,” even with her hair and paint needing some work.

Thankfully, as an adult collector, the Masters of the Universe Classics version of the character looks straight out of the Filmation animated series, and Mattel has already included Frosta in their new Cartoon Collection of 5.5″ figures. Also, if you’ve made it this far, I’ve included a (not so) hidden Loo-Kee in today’s picture, so that was fun.

#MastersOfTheUniverse
#PrincessOfPower
#ToyPhotography

POP Bow and custom Arrow

Recommended music: Eddie Rabbitt ~ I Love a Rainy Night (Live)

Happy #MastersMonday, He-Fans and She-Ravers! Since we’ve covered most releases through 1984 in the vintage Mattel Masters of the Universe toy line, let’s switch it up to Princess of Power. Tonight, we’re talking about Bow!

While the Filmation She-Ra: Princess of Power animated series was a direct spin-off of the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series, it never appealed to me in my youth the way the original series had. Though the She-Ra series was written with a young female audience in mind, I think there were several other factors for my passing on the show during childhood: I didn’t realize just how well the stories connected, incorporating He-Man and his backstory into many episodes. I didn’t know how much Hordak and other villains from the Masters of the Universe toy line were a major part of the series. The design of the POP toy line, with its soft-goods dolls, was not as appealing to me as the MOTU line. Finally, I’m not sure when it aired, and I know the syndication schedule was not as easy to find the show on TV as the earlier He-Man series.

In the She-Ra animated series, Bow was the only prominent male member of the Rebellion, and he shows up early in the first episode to bring the familiar Prince Adam to meet up with this new cast of main characters. For the toy line, Bow was the ONLY MALE character to get a figure in the entire line, which I guess is only fair, as the Masters of the Universe line only had three female figures out of around 70 figures in that line.

The vintage figure came with a cape, chest armor, a gold bow, a gold headband, and a mini-comic “The Hidden Symbols Mystery.” While my loose figure is missing all of that, he does retain the action feature of a button on his back that makes the red heart on his chest “beat” when pressed. One thing the figure was missing: his signature mustache from the Filmation series.

Thankfully, as an adult collector, the Masters of the Universe Classics version of the character did feature his mustache (see yesterday’s post for a picture of this head). Also, Bow’s horse “Arrow” was cast in solid blue plastic for the vintage toy line, so I had to make him a custom steed in colors more akin to the Filmation animated color scheme.

#MastersOfTheUniverse
#PrincessOfPower
#ToyPhotography

Snake Mountain

Recommended music: Colter Wall – Snake Mountain Blues

Happy Monday, MOTU fans! Slithering by on this #MastersMonday, we’ve covered every vehicle from 1984 in the vintage Mattel Masters of the Universe toy line, so tonight, we’re moving on to Snake Mountain!

Snake Mountain was a favorite playset of mine as a kid. The “Evil stronghold of Skeletor” likely held just as many battles in my childhood playroom, or possibly more than my Castle Grayskull playset. I think the exterior depiction of Skeletor’s lair seen on the Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series was not nearly as exciting as the exterior of this playset with little monsters carved into the stone.

This week, I continued using William George’s amazing packaging art as the base for my picture. I did have to leave in more than usual because I forgot to photograph the three characters and the bridge as seen on the box. 😜 I didn’t actually ever have the box as a kid, but I can remember my mother picking this complete playset up at a second-hand store, though I was still amazed by all the play features.

From the big movable snake, to the trap door with a net, to the shackle prison, to the incredible demon artwork inside, I was in love. My favorite feature was probably the included wolf’s head microphone, which would give you an echoing voice that, as a kid, you also imagined was booming and terrifying to your heroic warriors stepping onto Skeletor’s turf.

As an adult collector, I’ve modified a few of these playsets into a larger custom project, but ultimately passed on reincarnations of the playset from the Masters of the Universe Classics line and the Masters of the Universe Origins line, as they just didn’t live up to this original version.

#MastersOfTheUniverse
#ToyPhotography