Last time, on Kollector’s Set…I lost my bloody mind. This time, I’m almost certain it’s not coming back.
An old adage says “Collect what you love, but also love what you collect.”
Were I to interpret this phrase I just made up, it’s a warning to not just mindlessly buy everything that comes out, but instead to consider, and question whether what you’re buying makes you happy or not, whether this latest thing fills a hole, be it in your collection or your heart. Our collections can be joys, but also burdens, and sometimes that completist mentality is a yoke around our neck, something we drag around wearing us down.
This all seems familiar.
Let’s get back to the list.
King Grayskull (Revelation Deluxe, 2022)
A shield, two swords, extra hands, swappable heads, faux fur and… holy $%&#… a wired cape. A sub-$50 figure with a wired cape? King Grayskull is kind of awesome. So why is he not further up the list? Maybe it’s his tiny head? Or his other tiny head? He has two tiny heads. Those first few waves of MOTU had a real tiny head problem. It’s part of why I didn’t buy most of them. But, you know, maybe some people just have tiny heads, and big muscly bodies…like King Grayskull.
Teela (Revelation, 2021)
This is maybe the most questionable placement on this whole list, but I truly think this is a great figure. I have next to no complaints about this Teela, except that the sword hilt stretches out her hands so she can’t grip the spear as well.
I really dig the outfit design, the hair and her multi-stage weapon. She’s almost more Star Wars than MOTU, but, hey, love both those properties so mash-em-up, baby!
But is she really “better” than, say, Pig Head or Slush Head? I mean, she doesn’t have as much variety or versatility as other MOTU figures further down the list, and she’s not nearly as flamboyant as almost any other of them, but that doesn’t matter. I just like her more. It’s my list, I can do what I want.
He-Man (40th Anniversary, 2022)
I’m not an in-box collector, but it’s been over a year and I’m still having difficulty He looks so awesome and I do want to play around with him, but I just can’t bring myself to slice that tape, crack that seal and open that figure up. .
It fuels such nostalgia. The colour sense, the weapons, the exploding red bricks… it’s almost like getting my first He-Man all over again, and I want to preserve this feeling as long as it’ll last.
I should have bought a second. I certainly could have, but I thought it excessive.
So he’s further down the list primarily because he’s not out of the box. But maybe he’s also further up the list primarily because he’s not out of the box.
Two Bad (Deluxe New Eternia, 2023)
A fantastic re-interpretation of Two-Bad. An awesome amount of weapons, removable armour, and an incredible sculpt. The only thing holding him (them) back from at least spot #12 is those freaking weak Masterverse ankles.
Oh, those ankles. [review]
Buzz-Off (New Eternia, 2023)
I didn’t think I was going to like this figure, but some good reviews pushed me to purchase, and I’m quite happy with him [review], except the continued annoyance of his wings falling off. To be fair it does take a little bit of jostling, but even just that little bit is enough to make them pop out of their sockets. They do continue the Masterverse streak of awesome, poseable wings though (it’s only a streak of 2, but the designers are really doing something different special with them both). He would be way higher up the list if those wings just stayed in their sockets.
Oh, and yeah, hinged claws do fill me with such joy. How much joy? You’ll see….
Tri-Klops (Revelation Deluxe, 2021)
Even with the tiny head, oversized hands, the armour that’s just a tad too big, I really, really dig this guy. Like, I think Tri-Klops might be my favourite MOTU character overall, maybe? Or not. Just for some reason, this particular Tri-Klops works for me even when it logically shouldn’t.
I’ve seen the promos for the new New Eternia Tri-Klops and I think I like the Revelation version better. But if Tri-Klops is my all-time favourite (I’m casting more and more doubt on that statement every passing second), then maybe I should I still get the New Eternia Tri-Klops? TK problems, amiright? (Heeyyyy…)
Tri-Klops does have a second look, as a Motherboard worshipper…but I used Savage He-Man (#33) to don that garb.
“Barbarian” Skeletor (New Eternia, 2022)
In this list, Skeletor did indeed defeat He-Man squeaking into the top 10 after a re-assessment of Tri-Klops’ top ten placement.
Often with the New Eternia line, they just do an amazing job with slightly updating the classic look of the MOTU figure, then they slap a little something extra or two on top of that which, with many many figures, seems utterly unnecessary.
With this Skeletor, unlike, say his line-mate Viking He-Man, he just looks even more awesome with all the extra stuff slapped on top of him.
He’s got a soft goods cape, which is like… did Skeletor need a cape? Heck yeah he did!
And a sword sheathed on his back? It looks stupid in his hands, but that hilt looks magnificent sticking out of his layered armour.
And that staff…it’s so big, and heavy he can’t really hold it properly one-handed. Kind of a problem, but also tremendously awesome.
Plus…a skull with a beard? Come on. He’s just one bad-ass Skeletor. Until you try to make him regular Skeletor. Then he’s just kinda regular Skeletor.
Scare Glow (Revelation, 2021)
Yes, like many other Revelation figures, his head is too small, but I think it’s the only instance where it doesn’t really matter all that much. The collar armour and cape sort of hide it a bit.
I already knew from the start this thing was going to be pretty high on the list. I’ve loved him from the day I opened him.
And I just learned (or had forgotten and re-learned) that his HEAD GLOWS IN THE DARK.
And also HE’S IMPRACTICALLY TRANSLUCENT. I mean to get the see through effect you need a light to shine through him. Dark coloured translucent plastic doesn’t quite work how I think they thought it would work.
The only thing that would have been better is the full glow in the dark SDCC version.
Vykron (New Eternia Matty Collector Exclusive, 2023)
As I was planning this countdown, I had a debate with Lady Kent about whether Vykron counted as 3 figures or 1. I guess she won that debate because I’m only counting him once. Maybe he should get even higher on the list because he’s three figures in one, but I think I’m dinging him a few notches for provoking fans into buying multiples.
My favourite version is the “Tank Top” persona in the eagle head armour. I downright love this look, and his battering ram accessory is just so unique.
“Space Ace” (see “Viking He-Man” at #22 for photo) is also really really rad (and would likely rank between Buzz-Off and Skeletor were he individually ranked). Actual Vykron in his faux-fur armor? Probably down between Slush-Head and Viking He-Man. I just don’t care at all for this look. I don’t need it on the shelf. It’s why I haven’t opened my second Vykron box. [review]
Ram Man (New Eternia Deluxe, 2023)
Hot off the truck we got Ram Man, one of my favourites as a kid. More than anything I wanted “Rammy” to be poseable like the other MOTU figures, and they finally delivered (ish) with the Origins figure, but here they deliver even more with a whole hot new look for the man known only for using his head to solve every problem.
I wasn’t sure whether I would like the blue steel armour look, both the overlay and the head with the “sunglasses”, but I very quickly was charmed by it all. There’s something Kirby-esque/New Godsy about this New Eternia look.
I do have a couple complaints though (which, if I’m following my own metrics, should thrust Rammy further down the list, but there’s the lustre of shiny newness that I haven’t gotten past yet):
His neck is cracking and I’m afraid it’s going to break as I’m swapping heads (he’s not the only Masterverse or Mattel figure to have this problem)
I’m not sure about the overlays on his legs used to give a seamless look (they look like those foam green garden twist ties). I’m worried about them cracking over time.
Great paint job on that armor!
Jitsu (New Eternia, 2022)
I was about ready to bail on the Masterverse line altogether when they solicited Jitsu. Leaning even further into the samurai inspiration than the original character did, he hooked me right back in. If this is what Masterverse had planned for the MOTU characters - somehow a mix of equal parts traditional and radical reinvention - then I wanted to see more.
He has the demon half-mask (oni mempo, if I got that right), a red-bladed kantana, and kusazari (again, hoping I got that right) for leg protection, and a kote arm guard. He also has an interpretation of his traditional MOTU armor and his deadly gold hand.
As much as I love all his kit…un-masked and bare chested, he looks the most impressive. This is the best MOTU face sculpt and print job.
I think maybe I really want a collection of samurai figures….
Man-At-Arm (Revelation, 2021)
The deepest-seeded Revelation figure, and with good reason…it’s mustachioed Duncan, the man-at-arms. Whatever interpretation we get of Man-At-Arms, it’s never not good. It’s just an evergreen appearance that can be modified and tweaked but seemingly never ruined. He’s otherwise pretty bare bones as a figure (wysiwyg, sans two other sets of swappable hands) but that don’t matter when he look so good.
Sun-Man (Rulers of the Sun, 2022)
One of my top 9 toys of 2022, and certainly my favourite Masterverse of last year. This year, even amidst a swath of amazing improvements on line overall and some pretty wild releases, he’s still holding strong in my overall Masterverse collection. Every time I pull him out to pose him around, I just get giddy. His wings are such a delight.
Webstor (New Eternia, 2023)
My top 3 Masterverse are all New Eternia figures released this year, starting with Webstor who is just so much fun. [review]
This figure is about the little touches…the poseable “waldos”, the translucent eyes, the modular weapon, and the stringy fun of it all. He’s just a blast to mess around with.
Faker (New Eternia, 2023)
I don’t know what it is about Faker that appeals to me so much. It’s probably a mix of colour sense and the fact that he’s a robot who thinks he’s the real deal. MOTUs full of big guys, but I think next to Two Bad, Faker is the biggest, or at least tallest in the line so far. It fits with the Frankenstein vibe I think they were going for with this. [review]
Clawful (New Eternia Deluxe, 2023)
When I started this, my first inclination was that Clawful was going to be #1, and here we are.
I mean, just look at this awesome beast. Picture is worth 1047 words (inflation you know), hard to argue.
I don’t think I said in my review of this that this was my new favourite figure, but, well, here we are. Even his weird bejewelled New Eternia armour has grown on me.
LIST MISSERS
There have been, by my count, 65 (give or take a few) Masterverse figures released at the time I did this list, so over 20 releases a year. I have a little over half in my collection, which seems almost reasonable.
There’s really only one figure that I genuinely regret not having for this list, and that’s the Target Exclusive Revelation Deluxe Man-At-Arms, who looks totally amazing. Like, probably top 5 amazing.
I’m also kind of sad I don’t have tiny headed Revelation Fisto, even though he probably wouldn’t crack the top 20. But if they come out with a New Eternia Fisto, I won’t be so sad. I also opted out of the Princess of Power line after Hordak, even though I was very sorely tempted by Catra, Frosta and Grizzlor.
MASTERVERSE IN REVIEW
And so, after having another look at every one of my Mattel Masters of the Universe Masterverse figures, how do I feel about them? As a whole? As individual lines?
Lest we forget, Masterverse won the 2022 “Toy of the Year” award in the “Action Figure” category (mainly for their initial 2021 lineup, which we can conclude in hindsight was pretty weak overall. Especially compared to what was to come.
Mattel started to take some bolder swings with Masterverse in 2022 with more soft goods work and accessorizing, and then leaning more heavily into “New Eternia” in 2023 was a real fan-pleasing decision, and we know there’s some wild things on the way.
One of the biggest, and best, features of Masterverse is the variety of options within the look of the figure, where even a basic figure has removeable armour and swappable hands, but the deluxe figures frequently offer at least two very distinct looks.
If I have my gripes, and I do, it’s that there are consistent problems across the figures, with problematic ankles, some issues of proportions (heads and hands) and issues with cracking at the neck.
Articulation is generally quite good, but I’d like to see some advancements in the standard buck. More ab crunch, butterfly joints, and more range of neck movement. I would also like to see more characters with wings!