Monday, January 27, 2020

Wrapping Up 2019: Triple H from Masters of the WWE Universe by Mattel

    It's been a few weeks since I reviewed a figure from Mattel's Masters of the WWE Universe series but today I'm checking out the third of the four single packed figures in series one: Triple H. This is the second Triple H in the line, as the first was released in the Grayskull Mania set along with John Cena. These are Walmart exclusives and the first series of carded figures have been slowly trickling out over the past few weeks. It's interesting that of all of the WWE Superstars out there, Mattel doubled down on Triple H so early on. Maybe it's because he's a big fan of the barbarian fantasy aesthetic, or maybe it's because he's a bigwig over at WWE. Anyways, this Triple H is actually a very cool inclusion in the line as he seems like a true fantasy villain and should mesh well in the upcoming MOTU Origins line. Let's check out Triple H after the break...



 The Facts:

Height: 5 3/4ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, calve swivels, swivel/hinge knees, balljointed hips, waist swivel, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, and a double balljointed head.

Accessories: Two elbow pads, armor, helmet, and sledgehammer.

Non-Scalper Price: $15 dollars

 Comparison:

* On the left is the single packed Triple H while the Triple H from the Grayskull Mania set is on the right. These guys are actually the exact same figure, just with different paint applications and different accessories. The single packed Triple H has really cool armor while the Grayskull Mania Triple H has Skeletor's Terror Claws with him.
 The Positives:

* Like with the Grayskull Mania version of Triple H, you're getting a pretty strong wrestling figure if you take off the armor. Of course, the removable armor is what really makes this feel more like a MOTU figure. It's very cool and while MOTU fans will automatically equate the iron cross emblem with He-Man, the crowned skulls and spikes makes this seem like something that a villain would wear. Or, heck, maybe even King Grayskull. I could see this working for a Lodar custom, too.

 * This Triple H has the same headsculpt as the previous release. Interestingly, it's not a more recent Triple H likeness but one from a few years back when he was still wearing some fairly long hair. He definitely has a very "barbarian-esque" look to him, though, so I could see him fitting into a line like Masters of the Universe Origins just fine.

* Triple H's helmet is awesome. I seriously think a lot of folks who plan to make MOTU customs with these figures once MOTU Origins comes out will love this armored crown and mask. It's very cool and would make an excellent piece for Skeletor. Heck, I could see this as being the basis for some really cool troops for Skeletor, too. I love the purple eyes on this!




* Triple H's armor actually has a soft good cape on the back which looks very cool. It's made from a fairly sturdy material and looks all tattered at the base. I'm actually excited to see if Mattel handles Hordak's cape like this in MOTUO as well. I can't wait!

*  These guys are built on the body Mattel is using for Masters of the Universe Origins, which works really well. The articulation is identical to the Triple H from the Grayskull Mania set which means he has great articulation. These are very fun figures and each one gets me more and more excited for the release of the main MOTU line.

* Triple H is infamous for his sledgehammer so Mattel has given him a weapon that seems like a cross between a sledgehammer and a more fantasy based war-hammer. It's a pretty large weapon with some nice sculpted details, including a skull on the side of the hammer. I imagine this thing just so happens to be sitting under the apron of the Grayskull Ring whenever Triple H fights. Imagine that!



*  Packed in with each standard MOTWWEU release is a minicomic of sorts. It's only 4 pages (cover, bio, comic, and back page with cross sell art) but it looks cool and does offer some cool information on the role of the characters in WWEternia.
 The Negatives:

*  Like with Sting, I ordered this figure through Walmart.com's Masters of the WWE Universe store and ended up getting multilingual cards. That's OK, except that the minicomic is the multilingual version, which means it has no word bubbles in the comic and no bio for Triple H. Instead, his name is written in a bunch of languages. It's not the multilingual aspect that bothers me, but the fact that all of the fun details are gone.
   You know what? Initially this was probably the figure I was least interested in since it's just another Triple H but having him in hand, he's easily one of the best. I love the armor, the Skull King helmet, and the war-hammer. Oh, and the cape as well. This guy definitely feels like a MOTU figure and I think it's going to be really fun to mix these up with the Origins line when they arrive. Triple H is a Great and a 1/2 figure. For $15 bucks you're getting a sturdy, well articulated toy with some great accessories. It seems these figures have been rather divisive in the MOTU collecting community, but Triple H might just be deserving of your time.



 If you're looking for more of Triple H, I've reviewed Triple H from the Grayskull Mania set, the Series 35 Elite Triple H and the WWE Zombies Triple H.

For more Masters of the WWE Universe figures, check out the following:
Finn Balor
Grayskull Mania

2 comments:

  1. Cool figure, but, they're skating on copyright infringement thin ice in my opinion, as he looks an awful lot like Mortal Kombat's Shao Kahn!

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    Replies
    1. Ehh, I doubt it. I do see the resemblance, but it's pretty tough to do copyright infringement, especially with a character design that's so archetypal. Of course, Mortal Kombat has lots of characters that are clearly meant to be other people, too (Kano is the Terminator, Raiden is one of the furies from Big Trouble in Little China, and Shang Tsung is Lo Pan from BTILC), so I doubt they'd do anything.

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