Action Figure Review: Wun-Dar from Masters of the Universe Origins by Mattel

 

  Wonder Bread He-Man. Wun-Dar. Savage He-Man. No matter what you call him, the brown haired He-Man has long been one of the most mysterious figures in the history of toy and action figure collecting. Long believed to be a mail-away promotional item from Wonder Bread (he wasn't), an early prototype for a Conan based toyline (nope), an early version of Prince Adam, a recolored figure for Asian markets, or just a flat out hoax, back in 2020 the mystery was seemingly solved when former brand manager Scott "Toy Guru" Neitlich found a series of correspondences that seem to definitively identify this figure as "Special Edition He-Man." According to the letter addressed to from an upset mother, Barb Hackenburg, the figure was received by her son and nephew as part of a "buy 3, get 1 free" Mattel promotion but disappointed then because it was a figure they didn't recognize who came with no weapons or armor. From follow up letters from Mattel President Ray Wagner and Mark Ellis, Vice President of Marketing, it does seem the idea was to create a unique figure that kids wouldn't already have when they ordered for this promotion. It may have just been a cheaper was to make a new character that kids presumably could outfit with extra accessories they had. I mean, the 1982 G.I. Joe toyline shared headsculpts between multiple characters (Short-Fuze, Flash, Hawk, and Steeler; etc.) so maybe Mattel just thought this was an easy way of making a new, more generic figure and offering up something new?
   While the mystery has seemingly been solved, fans still have a passion for the incredibly rare figure. Named Wun-Dar in Masters of the Universe Classics (due to early speculation about his connection with a Wonder Bread promotion), Wun-Dar, the Savage He-Man, has become a character with his own story who even appears in Masters of the Universe: Revelation. This Masters of the Universe Origins version was sold as a Mattel Creations exclusive. It was kind of a disaster, though, as many of the figures seemed to leak out well before the figure was even announced (presumably they "fell off" the truck) and then on the day of sale he sold out in less than 2 minutes. Maybe even less than 1. According to the Origins team, they claim they didn't realize how popular he'd be. I'm not sure whether or not I believe that but it's possible those figures that seemed to show up early maybe have really depleted the supply for sale. I got an order in on a second batch but it was cancelled shortly afterwards. I finally managed to get one, though, so let's take a look at Wun-Dar, the Savage He-Man, after the break...

Action Figure: Mer-Man from Masterverse/ Masters of the Universe: Revelation by Mattel

 

   With Masters of the Universe: Revolution coming in the future, it still seems timely for Mattel to continue to release figures based on Revelation. I've been itching to watch Revelation again now that I've had some more time to process it (I like it quite a bit even if it wasn't necessarily the story I would have told), and perhaps some of that desire is driven by getting some new action figures. Mer-Man is part of the most recently released series, though he has been available from some retailers since early Spring. My case of Masterverse figures arrived near the end of June, though, and I'm slowly making my way through them. Mer-Man is branded under the Masters of the Universe: Revelation banner and is based on Mer-Man's "modern" look in the story (after the death of He-Man and Skeletor). Mer-Man didn't play a major part in MOTU Revelation, he did show Teela, Evil-Lyn, and Man-At-Arms the way to Subternia. I liked the character in the show but it was weird to hear Kevin Conroy voicing Mer-Man. Conroy's voice just isn't how I've ever imagined Mer-Man voice. Still, I like the ragged and weathered Mer-Man we've got here. Let's take a look at Mer-Man after the break...

Action Figure Review: A.C.R.M. Razor from Final Faction by Greenbrier International

 

   Today I'm reviewing the final accessory set from the newest series of Final Faction releases. It's also the last item currently available as we haven't seen anything else revealed yet, so I guess we're all waiting to see what happens with the line. Let's check out the A.C.R.M. Razor, an accessory pack to add more aerial prowess to the A.C.R.M. Let's take a look at the Razor set after the break...

Action Figure Review: Ragnarok from Marvel Legends Series: Ragnarok from Marvel Legends Series: Thor by Hasbro

 

   Hasbro did release a few comic based figures outside of the Thor: Love and Thunder movie based series and one of them is Ragnarok, a clone of Thor who, ironically, did not appear in the film Thor: Ragnarok. I'm passingly familiar with the comic Civil War but I wasn't aware of Rangarok's presence in the story. Built by Tony Stark, Reed Richards, and a Skrull disguised as Hank Pym from a lock of Thor's hair that Tony's been holding onto for years, Ragnarok looks like Thor but is wildly unpredictable. He seems to go on killing sprees often before getting defeated by Hercules and then Thor himself. Ragnarok is a Target exclusive and comes in an oversized box since he's a fairly hefty figure with a really cool accessory: A swinging Mjolnir effect. Ragnarok was cool on his own but if it weren't for this Mjolnir effect I probably wouldn't have picked him up. Accessories matter, people! Let's take a look at Ragnarok after the break and see how he fares. 

Action Figure Review: Ruck Rampage from Final Faction by Greenbrier International

Ruck is a lucky guy, isn't he? This is his second accessory pack in the line and they're both pretty good. This one is called the Ruck Rampage and it's a heavy armor set for Ruck. Parts of Ruck's armor remind me of Jake Rockwell's gear from Centurions, particularly the Wild Weasel due to the funky helmet. This one's a solid set so let's check it out after the break...

Action Figure Review: Talon Fighter from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 

 

   Maybe I just forgot I saw it somewhere before but I was pretty surprised to walk into a Walmart a couple weeks ago and discover a Talon Fighter on the shelf. Based on the new Netflix CG animated He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series, this is a slightly more futuristic take on the Talon Fighter that really does have some of the characteristic of the vintage vehicle. It's a sleek, single pilot flying vehicle that is bright, colorful, and perfect for swooshing around the house. I'm pretty sure I've talked about swooshability before, right? That's the satisfactoriness level of a toy based on something that flies. You know, how fun is it to take it in one hand and make it "swoosh" around the house or yard. I was never a big Captain Planet fan but as a kid I had the Geo Cruiser from Tiger Toy's Captain Planet toyline and, man, that thing had some major swooshability. I used to pick that thing and up and rollerblade around my cul-de-sac with it, pretending like I was flying it. I was definitely influenced by Star Fox. When I discovered Star Wars I was definitely met with no end of swooshable vehicles but, being a bit older and starting to consider myself a collector, my swooshing was mostly reserved for inside the house. That little trip down memory lane is simply to say that while this is meant for kids and completely different than the excellent MOTUC Talon Fighter from 2015, this is a very swooshable toy. is it worth picking up? Let's take a look at it after the break...

Action Figure Review: Steel Dragonfly from Final Faction by Greenbrier International

 

  

   Only three more accessory packs left to review in this most recent series of Final Faction toys and today I'm checking out the Steel Dragonfly, an armored flight suit for Steel. For this most recent series of accessory packs Greenbrier International really increased the quality of the designs and included some really impressive and complex upgrades for the Alpha Team 1 heroes from the first series. They also changed the plastic, making things a bit rubberier and more flexible. That actually has worked well for the sets I've reviewed so far but it causes some real problems for today's set as it makes the connections between the wings and the pack far too flimsy. This one is a bit of a disappointment, especially for how cool the design is. Let's take a look at the Steel Dragonfly set after the break...

Accessory Review: Munitions Pack by McFarlane Toys

 

   

  A few months ago Shartimus Prime released a lengthy interview with Todd McFarlane of McFarlane Toys that mostly covered the DC Multiverse line. I don't collect the DC Multiverse line but I'm always interested to hear some behind the scenes stuff on the action figure industry from an insider and the Toddfather definitely shares some interesting stuff. One of the most fascinating topics of conversation that popped up in the interview was the issue of Warner Bros blocking most merchandise based on their properties from coming with firearms as accessories. It's not something that McFarlane can do much about as a licensee but it definitely effects the products he and other makers of product based on Warner Bros owned properties produce. Characters like Red Hood, Arkham Knight, Two-Face, Hush, Joker, and the cast of Suicide Squad are known for toting around guns but all toy manufacturers can put in the package with them are melee weapons and different hands. For their Golden Age Two-Face Mezco got around this by releasing a separate, unbranded kit of  weapons called the Double Trouble Weapons Expansion Pack that went on sale the same time as Two-Face. In the referenced interview, McFarlane mentioned that he might make a weapons pack of various firearms that could be used with Spawn and other toylines, subtly referencing that you could always let these weapons migrate over into the hands of your DC Multiverse figures. A couple months later McFarlane Toys put up a preorder for this exclusive Munitions Pack of 17 firearms and just within the last week or so it's been shipping out. Want to check this out and see if your figures could benefit from some extra firepower? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Steadfast Cyborg from Final Faction by Greenbrier International

 

   The newest series of Final Faction accessory packs is all about providing extra gear to the original Series 1 members of Alpha Team 1 and today I'm checking up the Cyborg set, an equipment pack for giving more armor and firepower to Steadfast. Steadfast already has a cybernetic arm and a robotic eye but the Cyborg set gives him some more armor, some extra cannons, leg attachments, and some upgrades for his arm. He's the leader of the team so he has to be prepared for anything the Kharn toss his way and this set definitely gives him the edge. Let's check out the Steadfast Cyborg kit after the break...

Action Figure Review: Croc Master & Fiona from G.I. Joe Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   Wow! It's been over 5 months since I last reviewed a G.I. Joe Classified Series figure. There are some great figures showing up right now like Spirit, Storm Shadow, and some folks internationally are even finding Tomax, Xamot, and Stalker, but I haven't found any of those yet. I did just get Croc Master in, however. Well, Croc Master and Fiona, to be precise. Yes, Hasbro has named the crocodile and made her so large and well articulated that she counts as a second figure. Seriously, she's a very cool figure. G.I. Joe has almost always had weird elements in it that went behind just normal military action stuff but the 1987 line really delivered some unusual characters with figures like Raptor, Cobra-La, Crystal Ball, and Croc Master. Bizarre concepts for sure but Larry Hama's characterization of some of these characters still helped to place (most of them) firmly within the G.I. Joe universe. I actually had the chance to meet Mr. Hama a couple weeks ago at HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC, and I did my best to deliver a heartfelt thanks for creating the personalities and world that was a huge part of my childhood. I guess my whole life, really, as I'm a 38 year old guy writing about Croc Master. I like the way that Hasbro is embracing these more unusual figures in the Classified Series and while Croc Master is very much a 6-inch update of the vintage toy, he fits nicely within the line and doesn't feel too out there. The blend of the tactical, the futuristic, and the bizarre in this line reminds me of the Metal Gear Solid Series, which kind of blended those elements together as well. Let's take a look at the Croc Master, a former gator wrestler and burglar alarm salesman who lives every week like its Shark Week, but with alligators and crocodiles instead of sharks....

Action Figure Review: Shift Blades from Final Faction by Greenbrier International

 

     

   Today seems like as good of a time as any to check out another of the new Final Faction accessory kits. This time it's the Shift Blades set, an accessory pack consisting of four weapons for Shift and a backpack to carry them all in. Shift is one of the first series figures from the end of 2020 (but I only reviewed her back in April), so it's nice to finally have an accessory pack devoted to her. I've always used a few of the Covert Ops pack accessories with her but these here are all much more fitting. Ready to help Shift gear up for some CQB? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Stratos from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 

   Back in March I reviewed the 8 1/2 inch Stratos figure from Mattel's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe line but now there's a standard version in the 5 1/2 inch line, too. Stratos played a major role in season 2 of the show, sometimes as an antagonist to the Masters, sometimes as an ally, and sometimes he was just doing his own thing. The original concept for Stratos in the vintage line was intended to be a villain (he even appears that way in the minicomic "He-Man and the Power Sword"), so maybe that was a source of inspiration for having Stratos start off in conflict with the heroes? Stratos is one of the designs in this new series that is the most unrecognizable from his vintage design as his color scheme is completely different. I do like the character, though, and he looked like he would make a fun action figure. How did he turn out? Let's check him out after the break...

Action Figure Review: Raven Spawn (Small Hook) from Spawn by McFarlane Toys

 

   Let's take a look at another Spawn figure, but one who isn't Al Simmons. This time it's Raven Spawn, AKA Kray-Von Gore. Kray-Von Gore is one of Malebolgia's Death Knights and an adversary for Al Simmons who is still around in the comics. Raven Spawn first appeared a little over 20 ago in Hellspawn #7 and had a figure shortly after as part of Spawn series 21: Alternate Realities. This is actually the second Raven Spawn figure in the modern Spawn line as Raven Spawn was released last year (2021) as part of the first series of standard releases. I never picked that one up but I ended up grabbing this one. This one is officially called Raven Spawn (Small Hook) and the weapons do seem to be the only legitimate differences between the figures. That's kind of weird, right? He sure is a creepy looking figure, though, so let's take a look at him after the break...

Action Figure Review: Captain America from Marvel Legends: 20th Anniversary Series by Hasbro

 

      Toy Biz went all out with the heavy hitters in the original first series of Marvel Legends from 2002: Captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk, and ...well... Toad. Mostly heavy hitters, though. For the 20th anniversary of Marvel Legends Hasbro has released modern versions of three of those figures (Iron Man, Hulk, and Cap) with Toad on the way later this year. I never owned the original series 1 Captain America (my first Marvel Legends Cap was from the Hasbro 2 pack of Ultimate Nick Fury and Ultimate Captain America) but I've bought a few Captain America figures since. While I love the Mezco One:12 Collective Captain America, I've been using the Marvel Legends Retro Collection version in my main Avengers grouping of my Marvel Legends display. That's probably going to change, with this new version being a rather impressive improvement over the previous Legends releases. Cap seems to be the star of this series and I'm still thrilled I picked him up from that crazy 40% off sale Hasbro Pulse held last month. Let's take a look at the 20th Anniversary Captain America after the break...

Action Figure Review: Mo-Squit'ra from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 

   I love Mosquitor but there's always been a problem with the character: Only female mosquitos bite. OK, yeah, Mosquitor isn't really a mosquito. Not an Earth mosquito, anyways. He's a Kribleen insectoid vampire, so who knows what his deal is. In the Netflix He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series there have been some major changes to characters and (presumably) in place of Mosquitor, we now have Mo-Squit'ra. Mo-Squit'ra first appeared in the second season as a villain but ended up kind of reluctantly working with Stratos to defend Avion. Along with Ram Ma'am, Mo-Squit'ra is the second character in this show to kind of get gender-swapped, though both of these characters are really unique and so different than their predecessors that I kind of have a hard time of seeing them as just a gender-swap. Krass/ Ram Ma'am is one of my favorites in the new show and since Mosquitor has rarely appeared in any MOTU media, Mo-Squit'ra is far more developed than he's ever been. Let's take a look at Mo-Squit'ra after the break...

Toy Review: She-Ra Vs. Hordak & Monstroid from Masters of the Universe by Mega Construx

 

   It's been a bit since I reviewed a Masters of the Universe Mega Construx set but now that I've received and built the new She-Ra Vs. Hordak & Monstroid set it's time to check out another great build. Well, the build is just OK on this one but the minifigures are fantastic, particularly She-Ra and Hordak. They're the true stars of this set although the biggest part of it is Monstoid, a robotic beast based on a 1986 toy released in the vintage Masters of the Universe line. Monstroid is fairly uncommon and I've never owned one. I've only even seen him on a handful of occasions, so it's kind of cool to have him released again in some form. Ready to check out this set of characters and a giant beast? Then join me after the break...

Action Figure Review: Tri-Klops from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 

   Mattel has put out a new series of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe figures based on the Netflix CGI animated series and I've managed to pick up the full set: Tri-Klops, Mo-Squit'ra, and Stratos. Let's check out Tri-Klops first as he's a pretty interesting figure, especially considering that in the show he's a floating drone (built by Kronis/ Trap Jaw) who attaches over the heads of his victims in order to control their bodies. Wild stuff. It's a very different take on Tri-Klops and I was really curious how Mattel would translate the character to actin figure form. What the ended up doing was giving us a version of Tri-Klops who has seemingly taken over what appears to be a Palace Guard. In the second season of the show Tri-Klops did take over King Randor and one of the Hand Witches but here it seems to be just a standard Eternian Palace Guard. Let's take a look at this new incarnation of Tri-Klops after the break...

Toy Review: Snout Spout from Vinyl SODA by Funko

 

 

   Snout Spout is a fairly recent standard release from Funko's Vinyl SODA line that's been shipping from e-tailers recently. Mine arrived from Big Bad Toy Store a couple weeks back and while I didn't get the variant (he's more metallic looking and holding the Jaws of Life from the 200x Staction) I'm still glad to add another Snout Spout to the collection. Snout Spout has a deluxe Masters of the Universe Origins figure coming out soon, too, but he's rarely a character that gets a lot of merchandise. He's definitely a very gimmicky character from late in the vintage line but there's still something charming about him. I'm pretty sure I got the vintage toy as a Christmas gift as a kid, maybe in 1986 or 1987. I like this heroic firefighting elephant even though he seems like something more fitting of a TMNT concept than MOTU. Still cool, though. Let's check out his Vinyl SODA after the break...

Action Figure Review: He-Man from Masterverse/ Masters of the Universe: New Eternia by Mattel

 

   

   Ready for another review from Mattel's Masterverse: New Eternia subset? I just reviewed the New Eternia Beast Man and now it's time for the New Eternia He-Man. The idea behind the New Eternia line seems to be taking the vintage concept designs, so far all from Mark Taylor, and changing them up a bit with new story elements. It's a cool idea that pays tribute to the history of the brand while also exploring some new territory. The packaging for New Eternia He-Man paints He-Man as an explorer of Eternia, a world on the edge of destruction, who must stop Skeletor from forging the Scimitar of Chaos. It's an interesting, seemingly darker take that would be really intriguing if explored as a comic series or something. Of course, Masters of the Universe has always been about the toys first and foremost and that's what we've got here. This take on He-Man looks to be based on Mark Taylor's concept art (which evolved from his creation, Torak) with the Viking-like helmet, the classic axe, and the boot dagger. Masters of the Universe Classics found great success with adding concept art based characters to the line and it's nice to see the trend now continue with Masterverse. Let's take a look at New Eternia He-Man after the break...

(I want to add a special thank you to the Battle Ram Blog. They are probably the best resource on the internet for Masters of the Universe information about the vintage toyline and have a wealth of knowledge. Check them out as I refer to them frequently for their fantastic art collection and image galleries.)

Action Figure Review: Beast Man from Masterverse: Masters of the Universe: New Eternia by Mattel

 

   Around a year ago Mattel's Masterverse line started showing up in stores and quickly delivered us a fairly nice roster of characters from Masters of the Universe: Revelation. While the figures were clearly based on that show, most of the figures were also quite true to their classic/vintage designs. Ever since the Masterverse line hit, though, Mattel has assured us that it wasn't just going to deliver figures based on Revelation; Masterverse was always intended to be an umbrella line for multiple area of Masters of the Universe.  Figures from the second sub-line from Masterverse, New Eternia, have been showing up lately and I'm kicking things off with a figure that surprised me when I stumbled upon him on a Target shelf: Beast Man. The New Eternia Beast Man is a rather impressive figure who just oozes personality and that classic MOTU feel. So classic, in fact, that he's based on some of Mark Taylor's legendary concept art, especially drawing elements from the Ursis Prime concept (it was deemed to be too similar to Chewbacca and thus continued to evolve). I love MOTU more than about any other property and getting a line that both draws from the concept art and does something new with it is a dream. Let's take a look at the New Eternia Beast Man after the break...