MOTU Masterverse New Eternia Whiplash, Clawful, Beastman, Revelation Mer-Man

As stated in my previous posts, I've been collecting MOTU Masterverse figures in the corner for long enough that the stack needed to be addressed, or rather opened and enjoyed. You will be seeing these in batches here in future posts. I never collected the Masters of the Universe Classics from a decade ago, for which these are the "spiritual successor". 
 

This Mer-Man is the only Revelation figure in the bunch- there was another more stripped-down Revelation figure before this more classic Mer-man. This character was introduced to me back in 1982 as part of the original lineup.

                Below, Masterverse Revelation Mer-Man with my MOTU Origins Mer-Man...

Like Mer-Man, Beastman was one of the original MOTU figures I had as a kid in '82, so he's near and dear to me. The figure has two modes, one with the soft goods fur overlay/chest harness and headdress, the other his more familiar chest harness. The headdress doesn't really stay in place, but I will likely display him in his classic mode.

                 Below, Masterverse New Eternia Beastman with my MOTU Origins Beastman...

I didn't have Whiplash as a child, having left toys behind to study music before his 1984 release. This New Eternia Whiplash feels really deluxe with three armor pieces two weapons and a torch. I love his classic look, but the purple armor is impressive.

                  Below, Masterverse New Eternia Clawful with my MOTU Origins Whiplash...

Clawful has two modes as well: the crab shell armor and harness, a sort of carry-over from the Masters of the Universe Classics, does really change his appearance, especially with the gold shield. 

Below, Masterverse New Eternia Clawful with my MOTU Origins Clawful...

I'm really a fan of the Masterverse line, in spite of my initial resolve only to collect the MOTU Origins line- they just made some of these too good to ignore. Visit the Battle Ram Blog to read all about the original Masters of the Universe line from 1982 - '88! 

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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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MOTU Origins Beastman & Man-At-Arms

 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!

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