Tag: Masters of the Universe

Recommended music: Metallica – Whiplash [Yes, Devo’s Whip It would have been good here, but I feel like I used that one recently]

We’re up late this #MastersMonday, and we’ve got another worthy 1984 figure from the vintage Mattel Masters of the Universe toy line: it’s Whiplash!

While Whiplash did show up as a semi-competent henchman for Skeletor during the Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series, the character looked a bit different than the action figure outside of both having the large tail and a shade of green as their primary color.

This “Evil tail-thrashing warrior” really appealed to me during my peak childhood MOTU fandom, not just because Whiplash could go toe-to-toe with the heroes in the mini-comics and Golden Books, but partly because of his… gross-out factor.

His ugly face with oversized fangs, spikes on his head, bumpy textured skin, and especially the large rubbery tail that could really whip He-Man and his kin in battle was such a fun combination. He fit right in with similar gross toys of youth, like rubber snakes or Madballs. He included the spear from Castle Grayskull, cast in orange plastic, but seldom needed it, instead relying on the rubber tail in battle.

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Recommended music: Janet Jackson – Escapade

Well, it’s #MastersMonday, and we’ve got another 1984 figure from the vintage Mattel Masters of the Universe toy line: it’s Webstor!

Webstor was a character that showed up during the second season of the Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series, as well as a few episodes of She-Ra Princess of Power. The “Evil Master of Escape” played one of Skeletor’s more annoying minions, in my opinion, and just wasn’t as cool as other 1980s icons, Spider-Man, or the TV character Webster.

I do remember getting this figure for a birthday a few years into the line and being underwhelmed there as well. He is the only figure in the original MOTU toyline whose armor was off in the package, which was just wrapped up off to the side of the figure. Even with this more naked look on the card, he still didn’t look like a spider to me, and the black widow logo on his armor didn’t help to connect the dots.

While he came with an orange version of the Castle Grayskull rifle and a grappling hook repurposed from the Big Jim line, youthful me could never figure out how to make his backpack work, which contained a line that he was supposed to effortlessly climb up. I am glad I had the figure so He-Man could have another in-universe baddie to tussle with. However, Webstor will likely always rank towards the bottom of my list of favorite MOTU characters.

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Recommended music: Adam Ant – Goody Two Shoes

Powering up this #MastersMonday, we’ve got another familiar 1984 figure from the vintage Mattel Masters of the Universe toy line: it’s Prince Adam!

While Adam was a very familiar character to me as a child, playing a huge role as He-Man’s “heroic secret identity” daily on the Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series, the figure never really appealed to me as a kid. Why, oh why, did he have a maroon vest, lavender pants, and a pink sword? That doesn’t match Prince Adam or He-Man.

Perhaps this was due to the cartoon version undergoing somewhat of a color transformation when becoming He-Man, both in shades of clothing and skin tone, that made him seem like two separate characters. To youthful me, this figure was a weird white repaint, with a fabric tunic and belt that I would certainly lose or get dirty. After all, if I really needed Prince Adam for my toy adventures, I could achieve what I needed by simply removing He-Man’s armor (except Battle Armor He-Man, with his armored torso).

As an adult MOTU fan and collector, I have grown to appreciate the Prince Adam character much more, and I have since purchased not just this vintage version but many other variations over the years.😁👍

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Recommended music: Rick Wakeman – Jesters at Court

Happy Masters of the Universe Day! As decreed by Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley in 1987, April 28th is Masters of the Universe Day! The holiday was created in recognition of the MOTU Power Tour, which was visiting LA at the time, but I’m still celebrating the occasion 38 years later!

Flying by this #MastersMonday, we’ve got another 1984 figure from the vintage Mattel Masters of the Universe toy line: it’s Orko!

Orko was a very common sight during the MOTU adventures of my youth. With the magician character appearing in most episodes of the Filmation He-Man animated series, and not just within the main stories, but also the ad bumpers, and many of the closing lessons, I definitely liked to work this guy into my own stories. When most of my collection was sold off to move on to the next toyline, Orko was one of a handful of characters that stayed with me, even though heavy play had caused one of his arms to go completely missing.😄

Even though the figure’s likeness and color scheme vary a bit from his look in the cartoon or even mini-comics and other stories, he does come with some very unique play features. The action feature that likely got me hooked on the toy as a kid was the inclusion of a ripcord that would cause the figure to spin around in circles (or fly on his own if you’re using your imagination). The figure also included a “magic trick,” which was a set of plastic coins that were supposed to do something specific, which my preschool-age brain couldn’t really comprehend. 😛

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Recommended music: Busta Rhymes – Break Ya Neck

Happy Monday! Rising up this #MastersMonday, we’ve got another 1984 figure from the vintage Mattel Masters of the Universe toy line: it’s Mekaneck!

Mekaneck was certainly underutilized during my childhood MOTU adventures. While I was familiar with the character from mini-comics and the Filmation He-Man animated series, I never thought the figure’s gimmick was all that great. Conceived by Roger Sweet as “Spy Man,” a simple twist of the waist caused the Heroic Human Periscope’s neck to extend.

By the time the 2002 Mike Young Productions He-Man animated series arrived, even Teela was calling out Mekaneck’s abilities. She chided him for wanting better powers. The story idea returned for the episode “Mekaneck’s Lament,” where Mekaneck remained a hero, even if his power wasn’t on the same scale as the other heroic warriors.

In adulthood, as I accumulated a complete loose collection of the vintage line, Mekaneck always seemed to be a figure that was included in lots, so at one point I think I had an army of a dozen of the human periscopes. 😄 So, while there are some fun stories with the character over the past 40 years, I’m not sure he’ll ever be on my favorites list.😛

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