MOTU Origins Moss Man

I'm pretty sure I found this Deluxe Origins Moss Man in '22, but decided to bust him out apropos of nothing- or maybe I felt inspired by my new Origins Castle Grayskull, which has been lots of fun to play with! Yes, this is basically a green Beastman, but he's flocked so we all paid significantly more. He came with two heads, two weapons, and yellow armor that's a direct homage to the MOTU weapons pack back in the '80s. A really nice figure!

   Below, Moss Man with my Origins Wave 1 Beastman and the Origins LOP Beastman ...

   

  

What if Moss Man and Beastman were evil partners trying 

to take over Castle Grayskull from He-Man ..?

...no, I think Buzz-Off would be a better partner for the benevolent Moss Man ...

Below, Moss Man in Castle Grayskull's throne room with Roboto, Stratos, Ram Man, Man-E-Faces, He-Man, the Eternian Goddess, the Sorceress, and Man-At-Arms...

More Later- Make It FUN!

MOTU Origins Sketchbook Series He-man

 

I was surprised by the sudden appearance of this Sketchbook Series He-Man at retail, mine ordered of Target's website with free shipping and 5% off using my Target debit card. I wasn't interested in the Sketchbook Series Spikor, even on clearance at $6.00 recently, but it was love at first sight for this He-Man. His arrival was also perfect timing after posting on the 2026 Vintage Castle Grayskull!

The battle axe doesn't exactly fit in the sheath on the back of He-Man's armor- they should have included a sword. I'm partial to the alternate head with blonde hair, but it's nice to have options!

I get the concept of pencil sketches on the inserts for these Sketchbook Series figures, but they aren't the original drawings. If you'd like to see more of that, head over to Battle Ram Blog, one of my favorite online resources for Masters of the Universe.

On the box art for the new Vintage Castle Grayskull, it appears that Faker wears the space suit included with the playset! Below, He-Man battles the disguised doppelganger and Skeletor in the throne room ...!

Sketchbook Series He-Man with MOTU Origins He-Man...

Sketchbook Series He-Man with MOTU Origins Stranger Things He-Man 

and Mattel 80th Anniversary Power Punch He-Man...

Hordak and Grizzlor are met by the mysterious space-suited warrior, Sy-Klone, 

and He-Man when attempting to storm Castle Grayskull ...!

He-Man and his trusty mount Battlecat with the Green Goddess at Castle Grayskull...

And finally, He-Man and Link visit the Sorceress and the Eternian Goddess in Castle Grayskull... 

What challenge could be so great that the two warriors must seek such powerful counsel??

More Later- Make It FUN!

MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull (2026 Vintage Edition)

 My initial disregard of this repaint of Castle Grayskull was soon reversed to must-have status for what reason I've yet to grasp, other than to relive the thrill of buying this wonderful playset. The steep 42% price hike from the original seemed like a cash grab, but it had dropped from its initial $124.00. Complaints aside, I loved this playset so much that I wanted another. The Mattel Origins Castle Grayskull is a direct line from the present to my childhood and all my adventures with my Masters of the Universe figures, playsets, and vehicles. I've said before, MOTU Origins has been my favorite toy line since 2020. 

The Stygian Moat mat included completely dominates my modest photo booth, but I like it well enough. Initial feedback from the community likened it to a cheap tablecloth, but it displays nicely one it all flattened out and in position. The printing isn't that crisp, but the fabric is actually okay.

In person, the playset exterior seems much lighter than my photos turned out. There are a few small, circular indents on the mold that I didn't remember on the first Origins Castle Grayskull, but they were indeed there when I checked. Overall, I am loving this color treatment- it will be fun having a different background to showcase MOTU Origins figures in future posts.

This playset included a figure like the first Origins Castle Grayskull, this time the mysterious Space Suit figure. His colors go well with the castle interior, where this uncanny figure has stood guard since the first Castle Grayskull in '82.

It appears the forearms and legs differ on this newer Space Suit figure, shown below,

 side by side with the one included with the Mysteries of Castle Grayskull Accessory Pack...

2026 Vintage Castle Grayskull next to the 2021 MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull...

Below, Mattel 80th Anniversary Power Punch He-Man, the Eternian Goddess, Sketchbook Series Sy-Klone, and the mysterious Space Suit figure defend Castle Grayskull from Mattel 80th Anniversary Power Punch Skeletor and his Lords of Power Beast Man and Mer-Man ...!

And just for fun, my recent acquisition, the 1982 Battle Ram, loaded by Wave 7 Mini Comic Stratos for the enigmatic astronaut! Can you imagine the battles they'd fight to defend that legendary Fortress of Mystery and Power?? I'm going to have fun using this new Vintage Castle Grayskull!

More Later- Make It FUN!

MOTU Battle Ram (1982)

I'd looked for a clean 1982 Battle Ram with all its missiles for some time now, never fully committing to purchase until quite recently, picking this super-clean sample for thirty bucks shipped. An excellent value I hadn't quite come close to until now. It came with all three missiles, which fire with great velocity from the launcher, as though it came out of the box yesterday. Sure, there aren't any stickers, but that doesn't bother me personally- you can find reproduction sheets on eBay, but I think I'll leave this one be.

The MOTU Origins Sky Sled is a little beefier than the one that pegs into the vintage Battle Ram. I loved the updated version but realized we probably would not get the back end with the rocket launcher when Mattel released it on a flight stand. Since then, I'd casually looked for a vintage Battle Ram.

Circle back and see my post on the Mattel 80th Anniversary Power Punch He-Man and Skeletor 2pk! It was great timing picking up this vintage Battle Ram just a month after finding this vintage figure set on sale at Target! So much fun!

Of course, this 1982 Battle Ram fits right in with newer MOTU Origins vehicles, like the Wind Raider! Below, Man-At-Arms, Roboto, and Stratos work in the garage while He-Man and King Randor look on...

I'm happy to have one of my favorite childhood action figure vehicles again, especially such a clean sample, but if Mattel wants to release a new Battle Ram in the Origins line, I'm into it. My advice would be to not stray far from the original design- it's perfect! Read more about the Battle Ram at the Battle Ram Blog online- a favorite resource of mine!

More Later- Make It FUN!