Masters of the WWE Rey Mysterio

I was really happy to find the Masters of the WWE Rey Mysterio at retail price on Walmart.com- many of this MOTU/WWE mashup series were hard to come by due to spotty distribution. I hate that the line came to an end recently as they complemented my MOTU Origins collection so well. I passed on the first blue/red/yellow version a couple years ago, but this second silver version is even better. I absolutely love this figure! The card was mangled due to it being shipped in a bag, but I don't care much about that.

While I know almost nothing about the WWE, I think tying this line in with the New MOTU figures and their interchangeable parts was a great move on Mattel's part- lots of fun! Rey was a mashup with Masters of the Universe Stratos, one of the original MOTU figures I had back in the '80s. I loved the updated MOTU Origins Stratos, which was nearly indistinguishable from the original to my memory.

Below, Rey Mysterio with MOTU Origins "Mini Comic" Stratos and Wave Four Stratos. 

See my post on the MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull!

The jet pack's design is different from the MOTU Origins Stratos, but this second verion of Rey Mysterio shares the same wings. The arm bands add flair, and the torso, pelvic, and thigh tampographs are fantastic- he looks great with or without the jet pack.

And finally, Rey Mysterio with the other Masters of the WWE figures in my collection: Ultimate Warrior, Mr. T, Roman Reigns, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Kane, and Jake the Snake!

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Mego 8in. Classic Superman

 

I somehow avoided this particular Mego Superman in spite of buying three others within the last six months, which paid off, eventually getting him for free using Amazon points. He is spectacularly colorful and evokes the same delight my childhood Mego did in the '70s. The major motion picture starring Christopher Reeve thrilled my young eyes in 1978, and Superman became the cornerstone of my love for superhero comics, as he did for a world of other six-year-olds.

Like the Megos of the '70s, the belt is a band of fabric- I always lamented we could not get a plastic belt on our Superman, but this works fine aesthetically. I like the notched boot tops on this figure, but he can be difficult to pose in them. The yellow S shield is on back of the cape as it should be, and Mego included a translucent green Kryptonian crystal. I like the spit-curl head sculpt, and I think Mego nailed the classic Superman colors- he's perfect. 

Visit the online Mego Museum to see all the news regarding Mego's triumphant return, 

and peruse the galleries to reminisce about the halcyon days of Mego in the '70s!

Below, 8" Classic Superman with my new Mego Justice League Superman. I was content with this movie version as my 8" Superman but could not resist picking up the classic version for free using Amazon points. I'd have a difficult time choosing between the two but was surprised at how enamored I was with the Justice League Superman.

An abbreviated 8" Mego Justice League is starting to take shape after adding Superman to my Robin, Batman, Green Lantern, and Flash. My preorders of the new Mego Green Arrow and Shazam will arrive in the next couple months!

Below, my very new 14" Mego Classic Superman- while very similar, the figures boots and head sculpts, and even skin tones, are very different from one another. As I child, I had both the 12" and 8" Superman figures, which were also different figures. Having new Mego DC figures in two different scales has been thrilling- I love it!

And finally, my new Mego 14" and 8" Classic Superman figure with DC Direct Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Superman and DC Direct Super Friends Superman on card, 7" DC Direct History of the DC Universe Superman, impossibly tiny 1" Heroics Superman, 6" DC Universe Classics Superman, and 13" DC Direct Deluxe Classic Superman.

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MOTU Origins Fisto & Stridor

Fisto is from Wave 5 of the MOTU Origins line, like the Faker and Evil-Lyn I posted on almost a year ago, but I'd been saving him for the Stridor I knew would be coming. I never had the original Fisto that Mattel produced in 1984, but was sure I wanted this burly hero in my modern MOTU collection. Like the other figures of this wave, Fisto came with the "Sucker Punch" mini comic- I'm fond of these and think it was a smart inclusion on Mattel's part. Adult nostalgia fulfilled while bringing the character's stories to kids playing with them.

Below Fisto duels with Wave 7 Jitsu... 

Stridor came with an extra, horned battle helmet, a corral base w/flight stand, and blast effects accessories. His bridle bit is held in place by the toy's spring-loaded jaw. As with Fisto, I had stopped collecting MOTU as a child when the original Stridor dropped in 1984, but this MOTU Origins update has it all over that one with superior articulation, accessories, and even a base. Visit the online Battle Ram Blog to read all about the original Masters of the Universe line I loved as a child in the '80s.

Stridor's corral base is yet another diorama piece to expand your Castle Grayskull playset, like the Battlefield Warriors Battle Armor He-Man/Battle Cat set, the Mysteries of Castle Grayskull accessories pack, and not pictured below, the Wind Raider Assault Lander. Mattel's inclusion of bases for the Origins vehicles & playsets with the same green stone as Castle Grayskull really brought a lot of play value to collecting this fantastic revival of the Masters of the Universe toy line- hands down my favorite of the last 2-3 years. Recommended! 

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MOTU Origins Terror Claws Skeletor

I was less interested in the action feature of 'Ol Swinger Skeletor here than I was his Terror Claws accessories. I never had the '86 original, but couldn't resist this wild version of the evil Lord of Destruction! The "beastly pincher" was less than effective, but Skeletor's swinging arm feature works with his Terror Claws...

Below, a video demonstration of Terror Claws Skeletor's "Swinging Action" and accessories:

Below, Terror Claws Skeletor with MOTU Origins Battle Armor Skeletor, Wave 1 Skeletor, and Rise of Evil 2-pk Skeletor. Terror Claws Skeletor shares the same closed-mouth head that Battle Armor Skeletor came with, and his purple cowl, boots and Havoc Staff are a lighter purple...

Below, Terror Claws Skeletor rides Panthor into Castle Grayskull, 

where the Eternian Guards greet them with steely poleaxes ...!

The Under Siege mini comic included tells a short story involving Flying Fists He-Man, the other deluxe MOTU Origins figure released in Wave 7. I wasn't interested in that figure for my own collection, but I did again enjoy the illustrations in these mini comics...

My Terror Claws Skeletor will likely remain in a vanilla pose showing off his deadly claws, pegged onto a Ringside Collectible figure base- they work great for MOTU Origins. His ratcheted shoulders limit the figure's range of motion, but his aesthetic flair more than makes up for it. Recommended! Be sure to check out the online Battle Ram Blog for an exhaustive look at Mattel's original Masters of the Universe line I loved as a kid in 1982!

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MOTU Origins LOP Mer-Man & Beast Man

Some of the Masters of the Universe fans who paid top dollar for the Power-Con Exclusive MOTU Origins "Lords of Power" set may feel slighted, but I was pretty happy to get the Mer-Man and Beast Man reissue in the Origins main line. The paint decos are different on theses single carded versions, leaving the exclusivity of that box set intact. Lords of Power was a working title for the original Masters of the Universe line back in the '80s, these character versions inspired by the prototypes for that. Mer-Man includes his signature "corncob" sword, but Beast Man includes no weapon- he may not have had his signature whip as a prototype, but they should have given him one for play value.
 

Below, MOTU Origins Mer-Man and Beast Man with their standard Origins counterparts, Wave 3 Mer-Man and Wave 1 Beast Man. These characters were a couple favorite villains in my small childhood MOTU collection, so I enjoy having variants like these. Why Mattel issued only these two Lords of Power versions is unclear to me, but I was pretty excited when they were solicited.

I'm glad they brought back the mini comics for this line- the original Alfredo Alcala mini comics included with the '80s MOTU line captured my imagination before the Filmation animated show took over so much of the lore of Eternia and all it's characters. I've found the art to be in the spirit of those original mini comics...

And finally, LOP Mer-Man and Beast Man battle my Masters of the WWE Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and Ultimate Warrior. I lament my inability to get more of the Masters of the WWE figure before they canceled the line. They fit in so well with my MOTU Origins figures and were just another reason why MOTU Origins has been one of my favorite action figure lines of the last three years. Recommended! 

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He-Man & the Masters of the Universe Power Attack Orko

While I've had little interest in the He-Man & the Masters of the Universe line running parallel with MOTU Origins, the Power Attack Orko reminded me of the robot in The Black Hole, V.I.N.CENT. I've seen very little of the new animated showed from which this is based, but have seen the Masters of the Universe: Revelation animated show, also on Netflix. Oddly, I don't collect the Revelation figures, due mainly to space and budget. But this Orko is roughly the same size as my Origins Orko, and I liked that this Orko is a robot.

His propulsion blast base rolls around on a steel ball bearing underneath, but he is sorely lacking in articulation. And the "power attack" spring doesn't have a very big wind-up range, but will throw his energy blast off his arm effectively if you are positioned carefully. Although the figure can do very little, the character design update is fantastic. See my video below for an action feature demonstration...

Below, Power Attack Orko with my MOTU Origins Orko. I've still not seen one of these Power Attack Orkos in the wild, nor did I see more than perhaps a couple Origins Orkos at retail. I'm unsure if this is because he is a fan favorite and gets snatched up quick, or just luck. I was ultimately disappointed by the lack of articulation, thought he will display nicely. 

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MOTU Origins Eternian Palace Guard

I haven't posted on anything MOTU this year but have been sitting on some figures and vehicles awhile, including these really fun Eternian Palace Guards. Mattel released a 2-pk of these in 2011 as part of their Masters of the Universe Classics line, so it was a welcome addition to the MOTU Origins line. This figure can be converted to a clean-shaven Man-At-Arms, sans mustache like the '80s figure, or simply serve as a variant among your army of these. I'll likely keep my two displayed masked with all their gear on, however. This deluxe figure has a lot going for it, the cons being the splayed left hand not gripping the shield securely, and some annoying armor migration on the figure's shoulder and forearm while posing. They do hold their pole axe accessory however, and I like the metallic plastic the accessories are molded in.

Below, my MOTU Origins Man-At-Arms guards the jawbridge of my MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull, flanked by the Eternian Guards. 2020 through 2021 was exciting times for this fantastic line and continues to be through this year. Word through the community is that 2023 has solid plans in the works, and past that who knows? 

Below, Man-At Arms and daughter Teela meet Prince Adam and the Sorceress at Castle Grayskull, guarded by the mysterious Ancient Cosmic Armor from the Power-Con Exclusive MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull accessories pack...

Man-At-Arms and the Eternian Guards give Mer-Man and Beast Man  the royal treatment...

And finally, the Eternian Guards on my MOTU Origins Sky Sleds- this vehicle was introduced into the line early on, and I was later able to get a second on sale. I have loved how Mattel has given flight stands to these updated vehicles, and the Eternian Guards look fantastic on them. Again, the MOTU Origins line has been my absolute favorite since they dropped in 2020- pretty much the only good thing about that year. Recommended! 

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