Action Figure Review: Zodac from Masterverse/ Masters of the Universe: New Eternia by Mattel

   There have been quite a few new Masterverse releases lately and I've been loving the Masters of the Universe New Eternia branded figures. They're similar in construction to the other Masterverse brands (MOTU: Revelation, Princess of Power) but they have a great design aesthetic that takes the classic looks of the characters and augments them just enough breathe some new life into the classic designs. Since so many of the new design elements are removable on most New Eternia figures, you usually can make an almost straight up vintage version of the figure, too. Today I'm checking out Zodac, the Cosmic Enforcer. Due to originally being a neutral Cosmic Enforcer, Zodac was always kind of an enigma in the vintage line. What is a Cosmic Enforcer and what do they do? It seems like Mark taylor's original role for Zodac, the last series one figure developed, was the technological, futuristic ally of He-Man. He-Man was strong and primitive, Man-At-Arms was armored, Teela was magical, and Zodac used technology.  Eventually he was marketed as a bounty hunter (probably due to how popular bounty hunters were in Star Wars), and then as more of a Metron-like observer. In MOTUC the Cosmic Enforcers became more like the Green lantern Corps, with Zodac (and Zodak) both part of the team. In New Eternia, Zodac seems to once again return to the role of a neutral observer who balances the forces of good and evil in the multiverse. He's depicted as being incredibly powerful and even omnipotent, so I think it's fair to say that Zodac has gotten quite a power upgrade. Let's take a look at the New Eternia Zodac after the break and see what he brings new to the table. 

The Facts:

Height: 7 inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, boot swivels, double hinged knees, thigh swivels, balljointed hips, swivel waist, balljointed mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: 4 interchangeable hands, pistol, 2-piece staff, armor, 2 shoulder pads, and holster.

Non-Scalper Price: $20-$23 dollars

 

The Positives:

* With his armor and holster attached Zodac isn't too far off from his classic look like he sported in the vintage line, MOTU Classics, or Origins. He's a somewhat regular looking guy though he does have finned arms and three toed feet, so he's clearly not your average human. While he's still sporting furry trunks, he's wearing a red and grey loincloth over them. It's not removable (it's part of the same mold as the trunks) but it does make him look a bit more dressed up while still keeping most of the vintage outfit. The armor is the same though now he's sporting a removable holster that attaches to the belt and around his right thigh. 

* Another option for making Zodac look a bit professional is the addition of some shoulder pads. These are easily removable and they pop into to clips on the back of the armor. I like the look of the figure with them as they really blend in with the armor. 

* Zodac's boots are fantastic. The sculpt is really detailed on the armored calves and the feet look pretty unearthly. 

* There's a lot of detail on the headsculpt although it's still just a faithful recreation of the vintage toy's look. The vintage Zodac didn't really differ all that much from Mark Taylor's concept work so this one didn't have much to draw on for a newer appearance in this line. Maybe the eyes could have been closer together/ more visor like or the grey protrusions at the top of the helmet could have been more flared. The paint work is neat and clean and everything looks fantastic here. 

* Zodac's articulation isn't really any different from most other Masterverse figures. Double hinged elbows and knees, a decent range of motion in most places, and overall sturdy construction. Things aren't as smooth as you'd find on, say, a newer Marvel Legends figure, but overall it's quite good. Masterverse has really been a step up from most other Mattel lines that aren't WWE. The strap connecting the holster to the belt of Zodac's armor does impede the articulation a bit, but it's not necessary. At times I've taken the holster strap look off the belt and just tucked it under the belt. 

* New Eternia Zodac has a set of four interchangeable hands. There is a pair of standard  fists, a right handed pistol grip, and a left handed standard grip. They swap easily and I didn't have any trouble with them. 

* Zodac's retro-futuristic laser pistol is really cool here and this might be the best version of it released in any line. I do with Mattel had put a trigger on it this time but it's very faithful to what's come before with more paint applications and some more pronounced details. 

* There's also a holster for it this time, too. The pistol fits right in and is held in the slot by simple friction. The vintage Zodac seemed like he had some sort of shells on his belt that the weapon used but perhaps this holster can charge the weapon when it's not in use. 

* The 200x Zodak (not Zodac) figure came with a staff which had the ends of Zodac's pistols as the tips. That's kind of been Zodak's signature weapon but Zodac has the staff here, too. It's a slim sleek weapon with a cool surprise...

* The staff can split apart, becoming two clubs. Perfect for close quarters combat. Or drumming. Imagine Zodac cutting loose on some drums as part of an Eternian progressive rock band. yeah, that's the ticket. 

* If you remove the shoulder pads from Zodac's armor he can now store both halves of his staff on his back. That's a cool little design element that pleasantly surprised me. 

The Negatives:

* My only negative with the figure is that the barbell styled joint on Zodac's neck just wants to point more downward than I'd like. It's not horrible at rest but if you push Zodac's head back, his neck will spring forward a bit. 

   Zodac is a really cool figure and a nice addition to Masterverse. Want a fairly classic looking Zodac? Just ditch the shoulderpads, the staff, and the holster. Want something a bit different? Add those extras on. Zodac's final design in the vintage line didn't differ much from Mark Taylor's concept art so Mattel's current design team definitely just added on some little extra details. He's a very strong figure, however, and warrant a Great and a 1/2 rating. I wonder if we'll ever get other cosmic enforcers like Zodak and Strobo in Masterverse? Only time will tell.

 

 

 

    If you're a fan of Zodac I've also reviewed the Super7 M.U.S.C.L.E. Zodac, the Colorforms Deluxe Play Set, The Loyal Subjects Zodac Action Vinyl, the MOTU Origins Zodac, the Mega Construx Panthor at Point Dread set which includes a Zodak minifigure and the Zodac &Scubattack, the POP! Zodac #94, and the Eternia Minis Zodac and Horde Zombie Zodac from the Slime Pit Multipack.

For more Materverse reviews check out the following:

Masters of the Universe: Revelation

Andra

Battle Cat

Beast Man 

Evil-Lyn

Faker

Fisto

He-Man

King Grayskull

Man-At-Arms
Mer-Man

Moss Man

Savage He-Man

Scare Glow

Scareglow (Mattel Creations) 

Skelegod  

Skeletor

Spikor

Stinkor 

Teela (Modern)
Teela (Classic)

Trap Jaw

Tri-Klops
Masters of the Universe: New Eternia
Beast Man
He-Man
Skeletor