Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Action Figure Review: Hordak from Masterverse: Princess of Power by Mattel



   My Masterverse miniseries continues with my first look at a figure from the Princess of Power subset in Masterverse: Hordak! While Mattel did release a rather small line of 12 inch dolls/ figures for Netflix's She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and a few one-off convention exclusives, it really hasn't been since the Masters of the Universe Classics era that She-Ra: Princess of Power got much attention. Yeah, Hordak and the Horde almost always make it into MOTU lines, but so far the Princess of Power subset for Princess of Power has She-Ra, Hordak, and Catra available with Frosta and Shadow Weaver coming. That's a decent start towards a respectable PoP line and I'm hoping it carries on. This Hordak, clearly inspired by a few different media sources, is packed with accessories, thus he's sold at a deluxe price. Is he worth picking up? Let's find out after the break...

 




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: Energy blast, claw hand, 4 swappable hands, 2 standard arms, 2 wrist cuffs, blaster arm, collar, cape, armor, shield, and crossbow. 

Non-Scalper Price: $33 dollars







The Positives:

* The Masterverse figures are very "toyetic," so they have brighter, bolder colors and rather clean looking designs.  This version of Hordak is based on the Filmation version of the character with some elements from the vintage toy and perhaps a bit of the sleek style of the Netflix series. While didn't see Hordak fully in MOTU Revelations, I wouldn't be shocked if he looked something like this. His armor and blue skin definitely bring to mind the Filmation Hordak while the longer cape and loincloth are evocative of the vintage toy and the 200x/ MOTUC incarnations of the character. The armor, collar, and cape are all separate pieces which can easily be removed if you feel the need. 


* I like the head. It's a bit Filmation with a touch of the Netflix SatPoP style. It's not my favorite Hordak headsculpt of all time, but I like it, especially being representative of the more technologically fixated Hordak rather than the evil sorcerer of the vintage line and 200x. There's a lot of subtle detail on his white head and the red and blue details really pop out.



* Hordak's arms not only have a Horde bicep band on them but he also has removable wrist cuffs. Oh, and check out the ribs on his armor? There are actually gaps in there like on the cartoon. That's a detail on this guy that I just really like. 



* Hordak's cape is soft goods and flows pretty nicely. It's not overly elaborate or ritzy or anything but it's not bad and is much better than thin vinyl or inflexible plastic. It actually fits onto three pegs that on top of the armor, covered by the collar. You can still have Hordak with the collar and no cape if you want a more traditional Filmation look. There's a lot of versatility here. 




* Here's a look at Hordak's very cool boots. They're very robotic looking, sporting the latest in fashion and design trends from the Fright Zone. They're a rage all across the Horde Empire.






* Just like in the cartoon, the Masterverse Hordak can change his arm into a cannon. Well, OK, it doesn't actually shapeshift. Instead, Hordak comes with a separate arm that can swap into either socket. Yes, both arms are removable and the cannon arm is designed so it can function as either the left arm or the right arm. It's articulated about the same as the standard arm, just without a wrist. 

* Hordak'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. The joints aren't as smooth as you'd find on, say, a newer Marvel Legends figure, but overall it's quite good. Things are definitely a bit stuff at first, but the figure is sturdy so you just need to work with it a bit. Hordak's removable arms are kind of finicky, but I'll get to that in a moment. 








* Hordak comes with four swappable hands: A pointing/ loose grip right hand, a pair of fists, and a standard grip left hand. 




* He also has a claw for his cannon arm. It plugs right into the barrel. The grips aren't articulated but it does look pretty cool. 


* Even cooler is this blast effect for his cannon arm. It also plugs right into the barrel and offers up a pretty impressive looking energy blast. It's kind of heavy but, with a little finagling, you can definitely get Hordak into some cool poses utilizing it. 


* Hordak also comes with white monster headed crossbow. This one's a little different from the crossbows of his predecessors as it makes the string and the projectile look like they're composed of energy rather than using metal bolts. It's designed to fit over Hordak's wrist cuffs or even on his cannon arm. I like it better than the vintage style crossbows but not as much as the Staction/ MOTUC redesigned crossbows. 



* Lastly, Hordak comes with a shield. It's a very traditional yet really nicely sculpted Horde logo. Giant batwings, a Hordak face, and some nifty dents and scratches make this a pretty cool accessory and the pliable straps on the back make it easy for the figure to use. It's a big upgrade from the vintage shield/ creature. 

The Negatives:


* My only real complaint with Hordak is that since both of his arms are removable to allow for the cannon arm to fit either of them, they tend to pop off too easily when you're posing him. They're not going to just pop off at the drop of a hat or anything but they do come out when you're trying to move the shoulders vertically up and down. 

   While he has quite a few accessories, definitely one or two more than a standard figure, Hordak lacks the alternate portraits that so many of the deluxe Masterverse figures have come with. He's still a really well done figure and I'd definitely give him a Great rating. I love how bold and colorful he looks, nicely differentiating himself from so many other Hordak figures that have been released. The accessories are really cool, especially the shield and the laser blast effect, and the ability to position his cannon arm on either side is welcome. Are you excited that Mattel really seems to be giving Princess of Power some attention? If so, just wait until the next review in this Masterverse marathon...


   If you're a fan of Hordak then check out my reviews of the vintage Buzz-Saw Hordak, the Masters of the Universe Classics Hordak"Buzz Saw" Hordak, and the Spirit of Hordak, NECA's Hordak staction and Hordak Mini Bust, the MOTU Origins Hordak"Buzz Saw" Hordak, and the Filmation inspired Hordak from PowerCon 2021's The Evil Horde set, Mondo's exclusive Hordak, the ReAction Hordak and Hordak (Grey), the Tweeterhead exclusive Masters of the Universe Legends Hordak maquette, the Super7 neo-vintage Hordak, Monogram International's Hordak bag clip, the Sonic kids meal Hordak, the Mega Construx She-Ra vs. Hordak & Monstroid set, and the M.U.S.C.L.E. slime Hordak

For more Masterverse reviews check out the following:




4 comments:

  1. I had Hordak on preorder through BBTS but got a notice that my order may not get filled and that Mattel was trying to gauge a second run or something. Glad I stumbled upon him in the wild. I wonder what happened with him? Did they just not make enough?

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  2. I bet those Gundam markers everyone talks about would work nicely here.

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