I finally ran into more Mattel MOTU Origins at Walmart recently! If you are having a hard time finding these, fear not: according to the talking heads, Mattel will dump these into the rest of retail in 2021. There is a local Walmart tucked in a small neighborhood nearby that seems to get more of these than the other six or seven throughout the county, so I've taken to stopping in once in awhile to see what's new. Beastman and Man-At-Arms were two figures I had back in the early '80s, so I had to pick them up.
Mattel hasn't strayed far from the source material on these revitalized MOTU Origins- this newer Beastman has clenched teeth as opposed to his original open mouthed roar, but the rest is so close to the original in both sculpt detail and paint apps that it's identical at first glance. He even has the whip with it's oversized handle, a repurposed accessory from the 12" Jungle Jim figure line Mattel included with the first '82 Beastman.
I absolutely love that Mattel had the foresight to make all the MOTU Origins modular, allowing one to swap the interchangeable parts across the line AND the Masters of the WWE figures! Below, Beastman wears the gauntlet and bottom half of my Masters of the WWE Roman Reigns...
Like Beastman, very little changed on the Origins Man-At-Arms Origins figure. Due to his newly articulated arms, the lower part of his armor on the left arm is now a separate piece, and cued by the famous Filmation animated show, Duncan now sports a mustache. Man-At-Arms was a childhood favorite, and holding him in my hands again is a nostalgia trip.
The added hinged articulation on these figures are a welcome addition, notably the rocker joint ankles that plant the feet flat on the ground. Hinged wrists and swivels at the boot tops also make these so much more fun.
Below, Man-At-Arms and Beastman join Skeletor, He-Man, and Battle Cat in my fledgling MOTU Origins collection. There's a lot more to come from Mattel in the MOTU Origins, including a Castle Grayskull reissue I've heard! I may be able to squeeze that onto a shelf! I have so far loved this MOTU Origins line even more than I thought I would, and can't wait to see a few more. Recommended! Visit the Battle Ram Blog for a more in depth look at the vintage 1982-1988 Mattel Masters of the Universe line. Great memories!
More Later- Make It FUN!
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