He-Man and Vecna Upside Down Eternia! Masters of the Universe x Stranger Things Target Exclusive Item No.: Asst. HVV72 No. HVV74 Manufacturer: Mattel Includes: Power Sword, Axe, Hellfire Shield, Clock Tower Staff Action Feature: n/a Retail: $34.99 Availability: ca. January 2025 Other: Vecna wasn't expecting the axe
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If you've got a license to do a crossover and a slot at Target, Masters of the Universe x Stranger Things He-Man and Vecna makes a lot of sense. The monsters from Stranger Things work well in this format, and He-Man is probably the most sensible guy to pair up with the next release. I can't say Vecna's my favorite monster on TV, but he's probably the only one to make sense in this particular figure format who isn't a kid's drawing.

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He-Man is a variation on the existing 2020 figure, using the second "toy" head and replacing the default shield with a Hellfire Club head. Vecna is more or less Turtles of Grayskull Moss Man with new armor, a new head, and a new staff. It's all pretty efficient stuff and in line with how Mattel handles denizens of Eternia. It might not be the product fans of either franchise would ask for, but if you're a designer and need to pitch a product it's probably the best thing to do that isn't the kids' D&D characters. And I'd buy a Will the Wise.

As the new character in the set, Vecna is a pretty great choice and Mattel really was smart about sharing parts with its other crossover line. Moss Man's tentacles, chest armor, and shoulder armor are augmented by a new chest piece and of course new colors. Vecna's body is pretty much Beast Man/Moss Man, with a regular right hand and the bigger clawed mutant left hand plus Buzz-Off's feet. The head is completely new, more or less bald with tentacles coming down the sides looking like the last vestiges of the Crypt Keeper's hair. He has a painted-on mask, a toothy grin, and a lot of sculpted detail. The bony skull is one of the best in the entire line - it doesn't look smooth or clean, it seems more like something somebody battered around and sculpted by hand. It gives it a lot more personality, and it's dang ugly too. The body isn't a precise match to the TV show, but that's more or less expected. Articulation is standard for the line, meaning you've got a good, weird figure that exceeds expectations for a "basic" release.

His accessory is a little silly - the clock from the show, with clear flames and elements from the house, on a stick. I guess they had to give him something, but given his powers Mattel could have just as easily given us the figure with no handheld gear and it would be fine. The staff is molded in two kinds of orange plastic with a couple of yellow painted highlights. Again, not necessary, but it does bring up the detail fairly well and it a bit better than a 1980s accessory.

Mattel did a good job with the figure. Gold bracelets look fine, the belt matches nicely. Purple briefs are fine, and the different purple skin tone looks excellent and dirty. They did a good job converting this guy to this format. If you like either is another matter entirely.

He-Man is a lot like Skeletor from the previous set - desaturated, with a toy head. The sculpting is a lot softer than the original toy, but you get a lot of articulation and the slightly ashier look of the Upside-Down is carried over here. He has a full Power Sword and a fairly nice silvery axe, plus the Hellfire Shield. Skeletor didn't come with any new gear, and seeing something vaguely RPG-themed that matches the show makes a lot of sense as a tie-in to season 4 of the show. Or at least, it adheres to a style guide. I don't feel it clips on his hand and arm so well, but it's close enough that it doesn't fall off.

He-Man has no problems standing, and both hands can hold accessories. This is great - you can store the sword on his back if you like, too. What's particularly interesting about the shield is the face is molded in red, and the rest is molded in silver. There are painted highlights too, which makes for a pretty good piece of gear. You probably don't need a new He-Man at this point, but any new fan who sees and buys this set might find it a good place to start and it was the easiest way to get a basic, plain He-Man in early 2025. It's almost a shame this isn't going to be on shelves for the movie when a lot of people will probably want a very basic He-Man figure.

I picked this set when it came out and on the first sighting, it was half price. I assume Target's systems goofed and I happily picked it up. If this were a Mattel Creations or convention item you'd probably get just Vecna and he'd be $30 or more. I assume a lot of fans are not up for crossovers, nor do they want another He-Man... but if you don't have a He-Man this was a really nice set. It did get marked down often, so you can probably pick one up at or under retail on eBay. The value is there, even if the concept is a little silly. I guess all that's left is to make a He-Man in classic toy colors, not quite this desaturated, but not quite as colorful as Origins.

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