16bit.com Figure of the Day Review: Mattel He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection He-Man Action Figure

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Mattel He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection He-Man Action Figure Mattel, 2023

Day #2,701: April 18, 2024

He-Man Most Powerful Man in the Universe - '80s Adventures! He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection Basic Figure Item No.: Asst. GNN84 No. HTG91 Manufacturer: Mattel Includes: Sword of Power, Sword of the Ancients, Mask of the Magi mini-comic Action Feature: n/a Retail: $19.99 Availability: December 2023 Other: A Variant? Mine isn't rubbery in the armory.
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If you collect He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection you'll find He-Man to be essential. As I backfill this line, one of the characters I hadn't got yet was a plain He-Man - the deluxe ones on clearance, I got. Anti-Eternia, Mutagen-infused, and other versions wound up in cases or eBay lots I bought, but not a standard Origins He-Man. They're around town all over the place but have weird paint blemishes - so I wait. This Filmation-inspired figure is the first "standard" He-Man I got, and he might be enough for me. He stands a bit taller than standard figures of this line due to his pose and the new body so he's a little on the tall side. But he fits in the Wind Raider and Sky Sled, so I may just be fine with this one.

The figure seems to have mostly new parts, if not completely new parts, but some look really close to other releases like his wig and armor resemble the 40th anniversary 4-pack figure. But I don't have that one, because it's over $150 for four figures, and that's a head-scratcher.

I should also note, I did watch a couple of reviews and heard some fans note that the armor was rubbery and peeled off easily - I did not find this to be the case on mine, which was stiff and it wouldn't unbuckle despite my pulling on it. As such, you may want to keep an eye open for notes of variations or even buy a loose one so you can test the tensile strength of the material.

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If your parents didn't buy you every toy under the Sun as a kid in the 1980s, this is probably how you pictured He-Man. You didn't have comics or mini-comics, or action figures - you saw the free cartoon on TV. That version of He-Man was voiced by the incredibly talented John Erwin, also of Morris the Cat and numerous other characters on the He-Man toon. He had a haircut more like Prince Valiant, slightly bluer armor, flat wrist armor, and boots that were admittedly much less detailed than the ones on this figure. By and large this figure does capture the feel of the cartoon character, if a little more swole. The face and arched eyebrows are here, as is the bulky musculature. He looks kind of ridiculous and if you were the kind of person to get body issues, this would give them to you. While not a 1:1 replica of the cartoon, he does a good job stuffing the Cartoon look into an Origins figure.

Mattel and Super7 did Filmation-specific figures previously, with the Classics-scale one nailing the look best. That one was even more tan than this release, and I have to say in terms of color I prefer the Origins-scaled one.

The range of motion is pretty good, but not great. If you thought you could get He-Man to hold a sword with both hands, that isn't going to happen. The legs can stand up straight, but you can't swing the legs forward fully. You should be able to get him to ride Battle Cat or fit in the Wind Raider or Talon Fighter without a fight, but I would have preferred the furry shorts be cut to let the legs swing forward a bit more.

Compared to the trove of goodies with Skeletor, He-Man's armaments are pretty light. You get a Sword of Power, which is an incredibly tight fit in his removable sheath. He can hold it just fine, but if you cram it in the pocket I found it to be gripped way too tightly. The sheath comes off so you can put it in a drawer if you don't like it, which is a nice option to have. It also includes the Sword of the Ancients from the "Masks of Power" episode and a few mini-comics, complete with a nice creepy monster face on the blade just above the hilt. I would have liked a shield or axe, but that's how they get you to buy the toy version, I suppose. New accessories are always welcome, mostly because by now you probably have some snake men or other characters that were a little short on weaponry.

I know some long-term fans with better collections of Eternians than I have look at this and bemoan more He-Man, but this is the kind of figure that flies off the shelves for the normies. Or it would be, if Walmart or Target had bothered to stock what should be an easy pitch to dads everywhere. I like this figure a ton and it's more or less what I want out of a He-Man action figure, because this is the He-Man I knew from the cartoons I saw when I was basically still a toddler. I'd recommend it if you just want a toy He-Man figure. While I assume we'll see more revisions of the character as toys in the future, it might be a few years before we get another major revision - so if the price is right, go ahead and get this one. Especially if you've been buying the vehicles and creatures for this line, as second-hand shops have had boxed ones somewhat cheaply lately.

--Adam Pawlus

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