NECA Monsterizer & Retro-Card Universal Monsters

I've had most of these NECA Retro-Card Universal Monsters on ice for a while now, the Monsterizer and Bela Lugosi Dracula arriving from preorder just this March. As a child, I had the Remco 3.75" Universal Monsters, two or three of their clothed 9" counterparts, and a dungeon playset/carry case for the smaller figures, but no Monsterizer. So, getting this NECA version was really a thrill! Check out the video:

The only sounds the Monsterizer makes is the clickety-clackity of the laboratory table when winded in and out. The light options are more diverse, culminating in a flashing of the four conductors. The sculpt and drybrushed/washed patina on this toy is really great and will pair nicely with your more realistically painted NECA Ultimate Universal Monsters figures. I was impressed with its quality. That said, this isn't a toy for rough play- it has fragile parts that could be vulnerable.

It was only a little sad cracking into these beautiful retro card backs, but mostly fun! There's none of the extra hands, heads or accessories the Ultimate versions enjoy, but their glow-in-the-dark faces pay homage to the Remco 3.75" figures of the early '80s, making these attractive to kids my age, particularly the Dracula with that vinyl cape. My NECA Ultimate Series Creature from the Black Lagoon also makes an appearance in the video above!

Below, my childhood Universal Monsters lunchbox!

I could only be happier with this if it made electrical sounds when engaging/lighting the conductors, but this updated Monsterizer is a terrific accessory for the NECA 7" Universal Monster figures- particularly the glow-in-the-dark retro card back versions. You might even be able to put your 8" Mego figures in this, I'll have to try that. Recommended!

Happy Halloween! Make It FUN!

MOTU Origins Talon Fighter & Point Dread, King Randor, Whiplash

I'm pretty sure I was still into Masters of the Universe in 1983 but did not have the Talon Fighter & Point Dread- not sure I remember being aware of it really, but there was no getting away from Mattel's advertising on TV. Though a fan favorite, I contemplated taking a pass on this, but I've really enjoyed the vehicles/accessories in the Origins line that are extensions of my Castle Grayskull. 

The base separates in the middle to allow the lower half to function as a gun/tech bunker. Two figures can fit into the Talon Fighter cockpit. Below Prince Adam in the Talon Fighter and Zodac at the gun bunker...

I doubt I will utilize the handle to fly my Talon Fighter around the room, but you can still perch him atop Point Dread with it inserted in the craft's underside. Below, the Talon Fighter/Point Dread atop my Castle Grayskull...

 I've had these King Randor and Whiplash figures on ice for over a year (I'm a busy guy), so I thought it was time to crack 'em open and get a good look. They are spectacular and did not disappoint...

This is the second time I got an Origins mini comic without any dialogue- not sure why international cards/packaging leave out the words, but it's mildly disappointing for me. I loved the mini comics I got with my original Masters of the Universe figures as a kid that were made before the Filmation cartoon, with a more fluid lore/backstory- they left a lot to the imagination, but Alfred Alcala's art is seared in my memories of 1982-83!

Is it just me or does King Randor look like the Burger King? I love how simple the crown is. His chest armor is from Jitsu, and the cape from Keldor in the Rise of Evil 2-pk. Never had the original King Randor, far past action figures as a young teen in 1987.

Below, Prince Adam meet with King Randor at Castle Grayskull with Man-At-Arms 

and Teela, while Eternian Palace Guards watch from the towers above...

Like King Randor, Whiplash was not part of my childhood MOTU lineup, released after my interest in toys dissolved in 1984. Reminds me a lot of Spider-Man's nemesis The Lizard.

Below, Whiplash atop Snake Mountain with some other villains in my MOTU Origins collection: Tri-Klops, Webstor, Trap Jaw, Scare Glow, Clawful, and my new Snake Teela...

STILL having fun with my MOTU Origins figures three years after the line debut! It has really brought back the joy of one of my favorite childhood toy lines, and I've collected farther into the Origins line than I did the '80s. Visit the Battle Ram Blog to reminisce about the early years of the Masters of the Universe line! 

Follow the Super-DuperToyBox on Instagram!

More Later- Make It FUN!

MOTU Origins Snake Mountain Playset

 The anticipation for this Motu Origins Snake Mountain playset wasn't as crushing as for my Origins Castle Grayskull in 2021, but its initial dismissal as a piece unnecessary to my collection, never having it as a child in the '80s, soon dissolved. My childhood MOTU window was but a couple years long, and I have collected this new Origins line well past those first characters/playsets already. Life is short, buy the playset! My box got a little crunched, but I was able to use some Amazon Visa points to get mine shipped free for around $68.00. A fantastic value! Check out the video:

Snake Mountain is taller than the MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull, but it's "play area" is more split between the front and back of the playset. It is INSANE having these two big playsets for sale at retail today, Friends! Fun!

Also seen in the video above are these MOTU Origins Snake Men Series figures I've had on ice for a while now, awaiting the arrival of Snake Mountain! The mini comic version of Roboto was in one of these Snake Men waves, which was a must-have for me!

Shouldn't Teela be the Queen of Snake Mountain with that motif running through her story? The snake staff and armor? I bought the first Origins Teela, the Eternian Goddess (from the original mini comics), and now this outright Snake Teela! I want the Teela packed with the new Zoar bird, too!

The first MOTU Origins Roboto (2021) with my new mini comic variant...

And finally, the three mini comics included with these figures, featuring the classic cross-sell page on back showing all the figures in the other waves. I may have a couple or more of the other figures among the three waves represented, and they don't even cover all the Snake Men figures released in the Origins line.

Follow the Super-DuperToyBox on Instagram!

More Later- Make It FUN!

MOTU Origins Wind Raider Assault Lander

I'd held out preordering the MOTU Origins Wind Raider in hopes of scoring one at Target and enjoy my 5% card discount, and that day came recently, my local store showing stock on their website. Though it hadn't been put out on the sales floor, a friendly associate retrieved one from the stock room. I had the 1982 Mattel Wind Raider as a child, and could not escape the nostalgia of owing the updated Origins model. Check out the video:
 

Two fantastic additions to the MOTU Origins Wind Raider are the launching grapple and flight base diorama. Play and display options are elevated by Mattel's new flight bases for Origins flying vehicles like the Sky Sled in my last post. Visit the Battle Ram Blog for more about the original Masters of the Universe toy line from the '80s! Below, He-Man and Mat-At-Arms prepare the Wind Raider for flight within the safety of Castle Grayskull!

This Wind Raider further solidifies my high opinion of the MOTU Origins line, which I will continue to collect. Mattel's future plans with this line continue to be a subject of speculation within the collector community, due to their limited time in possession of licensing Masters of the Universe. I'm confounded by this as Mattel created He-Man, but the short of the long is that Mattel sold off the rights some years ago, the loophole allowing them to still use the copyright ending in 2023. I can only hope they will be able to push out a few more vehicles, figures, and playsets before then. Recommended! 

Follow the Super-DuperToyBox on Instagram!

More Later- Make It FUN!

MOTU Origins Prince Adam Sky Sled ...Again!

I bought this MOTU Origins Prince Adam Sky Sled set this past January, but when I saw then go on sale at a local Target for fifteen bucks, I couldn't pass on pick up a second to pair up for battle! Circle back and check out video in that post! While I liked getting Prince Adam with a Sky Sled, it seems like Mattel should release the Sky Sled alone in a smaller package at a more attractive price. MATTEL: Collectors Want More of These Vehicles.

A running change on this newer sample feature a smaller Power Sword handle that Prince Adam 

can grip better. While I didn't need the second figure, this update was a welcome surprise!

 Below, Trap Jaw and Skeletor attack on the Sky Sleds, customized with the interchangeable kick panels and head/hood ornaments. I loved this MOTU Origins vehicle, and hope Mattel will produce the Battle Ram Mobile Launcher that bolted onto our Sky Sled of 1982! I loved that piece as a kid, and I'm sure other MOTU Origins collectors would get behind these as well. This very well may be how we see the Sky Sled be re-released, only time will tell.

Follow the Super-DuperToyBox on Instagram!

More Later- Make It FUN!

MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull (2021)

My October 2020 preorder of the MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull finally arrived this past weekend after a month-long delay, and it was worth the wait. This is the crown jewel of the Origins line, and wonderful reboot of the 1982 fortress of mystery and power that captured my imagination as a child! Check out the video:

It's almost unbelievable to have this show up on my doorstep 39 years later, and while there have been a few cosmetic changes, the Origins Castle Grayskull hits all the same notes as the 1982 original. The Origins Series packaging art has been fantastic, on full display with this huge 26 x 18 x 6" box, which has a fantastic cross-sell scene on the verso.

Gone from the interior are the old carboard inserts, replaced by tougher plastic computer modules, while a lot of the other features remain similar to the original playset- the elevator and trapdoor/throne are virtually the same. There is some added sculptural detail in the castle floors, and a little more room at the third level. The stickers are certainly in the spirit of the original, at first glance nearly identical. I'd have preferred more weapons for the armory rack as opposed to the additional, smaller rack included, but am hoping for an accessory pack will be offered later.

Not to be undervalued is the special edition Temple of Darkness Sorceress included with this playset- I'm certain we will be offered a colored single-carded version of the Sorceress in the future, but this adds a lot of value to an already great package. It's also nice having another female in the MOTU Origins lineup.

A lot of collectors are showing side-by-side comparisons of the new Grayskull with the original 1982 version, but I only have the Funko Primal Age Batcave to measure it against. I got a great deal on this MOTU-inspired playset last year, in anticipation of the forthcoming MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull- while enamored with the new Grayskull, no love was lost on this fantastic playset. Any MOTU fan would enjoy having this Batcave, which makes a great lair for Skeletor and his evil minions, in lieu of Snake Mountain.

See the 1982 Castle Grayskull and more of the original He-Man and 

the Masters of the Universe line at the Battle Ram Blog!

Follow the Super-DuperToyBox on Instagram!

More Later- Make It FUN!

MOTU Origins Prince Adam Sky Sled

Mattel's Masters of the Universe Origins line has mercifully been released from it's 2020 Walmart exclusivity, and has started showing up for preorder on several online retailer sites, and on Target shelves as well. I've seen only a few of this Prince Adam Sky Sled at Target on my weekend hunt, enjoying an addition 5% off using my Target store card. I've waited a long time to get this set, and wasn't disappointed- check out the video:

As a kid in the '80s, I had the Battle Ram/Sky Sled toy, and hope Mattel will produce a Battel Ram attachment to peg onto the back of this new Sky Sled! A must for siege on the forthcoming MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull! Though I never had a Prince Adam figure in my youth, this set definitely evoked a sense of nostalgia within me. I love the interchangeable kick plates and turret ornament, but the flight stand might be my favorite accessory in this set- great for display! The turret moves left to right and includes the nifty blast effect pictured below...

Below, Prince Adam with my Origins Series Man-At-Arms and daughter Teela; I dove headlong into this revived line by Mattel, which has been so much fun. Now that Mattel can distribute these among a wider array of retailers, I look forward to seeing how far they'll take the line. Recommended!

Follow the Super-DuperToyBox on Instagram!

More Later- Make It FUN!