Wrapping Up 2021: Metallic Faker from Masters of the Universe: Revelation Eternia Minis by Mattel

 

   Mattel released quite a few Eternia Minis in 2021 including two series to coincide with the release of Masters of the Universe: Revelation. The second series only had three new characters in it and I'm going to be reviewing them over the next day or two. Let's kick things off with a quick look at the Metallic Faker figure. I guess the intention was for these metallic variants to be something of a chase variant. It kind of works for Faker, though, who looks much more like a traditional robot in Revelation than most of his toy incarnations ever have. Prepare to be faked out after the break...

Wrapping Up 2021: Zodac & Scubattack from Masters of the Universe by Mega Construx

 

   Mega Construx had a weaker year in 2021 than in 2020 but they still had a few nice sets and some solid minifigures released. One of the most unusual ideas for Mega Construx in 2021 was the introduction of the minisets packaged inside of a little Skeletor head. There were four of these; three released very early in 2021 and then a set with Zodac and the Scubattack mixed in to the assortment later in the year. I found mine back in October but with so much stuff coming out I'm just getting around to checking it out. Zodac was already released in 2020 in the Panthor at Point Dread set but the Scubattack hasn't been utilized in toy form since it's original 1987 release as part of the vintage Masters of the Universe line. One of the Power Pak sets (along with the Cliff Climber and Tower Tools) the Scubattack was one of the last accessory packs/ small vehicles released in the vintage line, so it's fun to see Mattel revisit it. Zodac is an odd choice for inclusion here but at least he's not a figure we've seen multiple times like He-Man or Skeletor. Clamp Champ was one of the figures wearing the armor on the vintage packaging so he would have been an excellent inclusion. Anyways, let's dive in and check out the Zodac & Scubattack set after the break...

Wrapping Up 2021: Skeletor from Flextreme!: Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 

   Since I reviewed the Flextreme! He-Man yesterday you just knew I was also going to review Skeletor before long, right? Like I said in that review, it's crazy how much Masters of the Universe product was put out last year by both Mattel and other companies. These Flextreme! figures are odd because they just started showing up at places like Ollie's and Big Lots already marked down. They're 7-inch tall solid rubber bendable figures. While they're bendable (kind of) they kind of remind me of the old solid rubber wrestlers from the 1980s. Skeletor definitely is a bit cooler than He-Man as he looks better in this style but as toys they're just not that great. Let's take a brief look at the Flextreme! Skeletor after the break...

Wrapping Up 2021: He-Man from Flextreme!: Masters of the Universe by Mattel

 

   2021 saw an absolute flood of Masters of the Universe toys. Seriously, I'm not sure if there's beena year since the 1980s where so MOTU product came out. Companies like Funko, Tweeterhead, Monogram International, Beeline Creative Inc. and Mondo, among others, all jumped in with product but Mattel was clearly the king this year From Mattel alone we had Masterverse, Origins, Eternia Minis, Mega Construx, He-man and the Masters of the Universe, Hot Wheels, Shogun Masters, Micro Collection, and now Flextreme!. Flextreme! didn't get a big release, though, and seemed to just show up at outlet stores like Big Lots and Ollie's (that's where mine were found) already on clearance. Maybe these were straight up intended as a bargain product for holiday shoppers looking for inexpensive gifts to fill stockings? So, what is a Flextreme!? They're 7 inch scaled hard rubber, bendable figures. Mattel has used the branding for a few other properties as well (DC Comcis, WWE) but they're nothing I've ever paid attention too. I was hoping they'd be a bit more like Stretch Armstrong or Goo Jit Zu, a toyline from Moose Toys that my daughter really likes which has some really fun designs and action features. They're not, though; they're just larger traditional bendy figures. Let's take a quick look at the Flextreme! He-Man after the break...

Wrapping Up 2021: Snake Eyes & Timber: Alpha Commandos from G.I. Joe Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   As far as I'm concerned this is the last 2021 G.I. Joe Classified Series review I'm doing. Yeah, some of the newer figures like the BAT and Alley Viper leaked out before the end of 2021 but since Hasbro Pulse just put those up this week I'm really considering them 2022 releases. I don't have them in hand yet, either, but I'll be reviewing them for sure. So for the final Classified Series review from 2021 get ready for Snake Eyes & Timber: Alpha Commandos! This 2-pack has slowly been making its way out and mine arrived from GameStop shortly before Christmas. This is the fourth Snake Eyes figure in the line so far but this time he's based on the original v1 figure from 1982, usually referred to as Commando Snake Eyes. Of course, Snakes is also joined by his pal, Timber, who came with the v2 Snake Eyes release that showed off more of Snake Eyes' ninja side. So whether you keep these two together or mix and match, this is still a pretty impressive set. Hasbro seems to really be focusing on the animals in this line as we have Timber, Spirit Iron-Knife's eagle, Freedom, and Croc Master's crocodile coming soon. Most folks really liked the Dungeons & Dragons Drizzt & Guenhwyvar set from last year and I'm curious if Hasbro will be able to reuse her body for any animal companion? Let's take a look at Snake Eyes and Timber after the break and see if these Alpha Commandos really are the top dogs...

Wrapping Up 2021: Snake Eyes from G.I. Joe Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   I've got two more G.I. Joe Classified Series figures to wrap up for 2022 and the first is Snake Eyes from the Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins movie released in 2021. I still haven't seen the movie yet as it just hasn't appealed to me that much. I largely ignored the Classified Series tie-in figures except for Baroness  but there was a sale in December at GameStop and I ended up finding Snake Eyes for a pretty good price. Shop around and you'll surely find this guy for as low as $10 or so. Since he's completely masked I figured I could still use him with the rest of the Classified Series figures. I do like the sleek costume as it gives a slightly different look to the character. While it seems that the film and product was a flop, Hasbro did put out some nice figures that mostly blend in well with the main Classified Series line. Let's check out Snake Eyes after the break and see if he's worth rolling the dice on....

Wrapping Up 2021: Master of Disguise Zartan from G.I. Joe Classified Series by Hasbro

 

   It's now officially time to start wrapping up my action figure reviews of stuff from 2021 and since November and December were filled with releases I'll be working overtime in January to catch up. I'm currently in a bit of a G.I. Joe Classified Series mini marathon and today I'm checking out Master of Disguise Zartan, the deluxe Hasbro Pulse Convention exclusive version of Zartan who went up for sale in late October. I received mine in mid December so I'm not too behind, I guess. Hasbro has been getting a lot of flack about their "deluxe" offerings of late, especially in Star Wars: The Black Series, but Zartan is absolutely what a deluxe offering should be. This guy has so many alternate heads and incredibly cool accessories that you'll definitely be quite pleased even with the higher than usual price. The standard Zartan figure released in early 2021 was pretty good but this version, while mostly a repaint, still manages to top it. Let's take a look at Master of Disguise Zartan after the break...