16bit.com Figure of the Day Review: Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins Snake Face Action Figure

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Mattel Masters of the Universe Origins Snake Face Action Figure Mattel, 2023

Day #2,691: March 14, 2024

Snake Face Most Gruesome of the Snake Men Warriors! Masters of the Universe Origins Deluxe Action Figure Item No.: Asst. GVL75 No. HKM87 Manufacturer: Mattel Includes: Alternate head, shield, staff Action Feature: Swap heads for snakey face, fold-down panels reveal the snakes within Retail: $21.99 Availability: Spring 2023 Other: Not much "action" but still neat
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When I made a decision to pick up some Masters of the Universe Origins figures, Snake Face was one of the figures I decided to not buy, because I wasn't crazy about the Snake Men, but then he shows up at a store on a rough package for five bucks. So I bought it. Given Battle Armor Skeletor had the action dentable-armor, I said "well, at least this time he'll have a fun mechanism, unlike swappable bits on Classics Snake Face [FOTD #942] - that might be fun!" He doesn't have a mechanism - but you can swap heads to simulate it. You can also fold down chest panels so snakes jump out of it - it's a sensible and efficient way of doing things, but it's not quite the kind of "fright feature" I hoped to see.

Part of the joy in coming late to a figure line is that there are already people who are over it - so somewhere, someone is going to sell you a figure for less than retail price. It's what got me in to Beast Wars, in a "the first taste is free" style of marketing. Snake Face does a fantastic job looking like a mint version of the original figure, but with more articulation, and less fun play features. In a fun bit of new continuity, his mini-comic features a new-to-this-era character - Lady Slither, which is sort of a Queen of the Snake Men and also the name of someone whose dating profile would be an immediate swipe right. She's also an exclusive, and off the market, so I guess I won't be meeting her for dinner, which I assume is a still-living rat.

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Snake Face goes back to the original toy drawing board with snakes wrapped around his arms, webbed feet, and a unique chest sculpt. (Heck that's probably where the deluxe comes from - new parts galore here.) The wrists look a little big compared to his hands, but the snakes distract from this - there's paint, but not too much paint. It's a lot like the old one too, with solid red eyes in either "mode." The painted fangs look good, and while I think the paint looked a bit richer in Classics, this is pretty close to the mark. In terms of construction it isn't that different from the $27 2013 Classics Snake Face, except it was a mass-market toy for close to $20 in 2023. Given inflation, and things like a separately molded face so it's molded in color, that's pretty impresive. There are a lot of places Mattel could have taken a short cut, but instead we get molded red snakes, a separately molded helmet, bend-and-swivel wrists, boots that swivel, and the usual articulation. All of that is truly great - but I'd be lying if I didn't say I'd happily trade much of the articulation away for "slide lever for snakes to pop out of face." And I'd also be lying if I said this wasn't a well-constructed action figure that can be popped apart so fans can make customs. It's like the promise of Glyos got picked up by the big guys.

It is genuinely fascinating to see Mattel of today riff on the Snake Men with a fan-voted Mattel Creations Snake Men lair on the way (I assumed they'd just move back in to Snake Mountain), plus the recent Diabolical Snake Invasion set, plus new figures like Fang-Or and Snake Troopers and just so dang much stuff - it's a whole collection unto itself. Mattel seems to have a decent formula for action figure success in Origins and Jurassic with a kid line that appeals to collectors, and to kids, and to dads (and moms) who want to buy their old toys for their kids without resorting to eBay, and adjusted for inflation the original would be about $12 in 2024 dollars. But it also didn't have rocker ankles, and was made from fewer tools. I assume most adult fans will not lament the lack of toy features, so they should be happy that the sculpting is good, the articulation is as it should be, and he fits in with the other guys nicely.

--Adam Pawlus

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