"Buzz Saw" Hordak I saw what you did there! Masters of the Universe Origins Deluxe Action Figure Item No.: Asst. GVL75 No. GVY32 Manufacturer: Mattel Includes: Alternate head, white crossbow, Horde projectile, yellow saw, alternate hand, textless comic Action Feature: Swap heads, open chest and push cape to launch projectiles Retail: $21.99 (or $4.99 at Ross) Availability: ca. July 2021 Other: International packaging - comic has no text, found in US Ross in January 2024
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When picking up this line I didn't actually intend on picking up the Horde - but I got a Mantenna in an eBay lot, and "Buzz Saw" Hordak was at Ross for five bucks. And when it comes to a line with an action feature, I've always got five bucks.

At first glance he looks just like the regular Hordak, minus the red bat accessory. Mattel gave this one a bonus hand - so the left hand can grip, or just be open - as well as an alternate smiling head. The armor has a hint of red metallic paint in it, and the cape isn't removable as it's integrated as a switch for the projectile launcher. The Horde Crossbow snaps on his hand and doesn't do much else. I don't know that it's worth a premium over a basic figure, but the mechanism does make it more fun than a standard Origins toy.

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It's clear that Origins owes a great debt to Scott Neitlich of Masters of the Universe Classics fame, mostly in how tooling is shared. The arms have a removable Horde arm band so they can continue to reuse parts, and much of the figure's body is recycled from previous figures. You'll even see the smiling head in a pricey and sold out PowerCon Horde 4-pack. The sculpting, while good, isn't as crisp as most 1980s toys and you can see much of him is molded in color. The bony parts of his face look great, and it's augmented by painted shadows (or possibly bone scruff) as well as painted teeth and eyes. He's not identical to the original figure, but he'll do a great job looking close enough to make most people go "I think that's the one I saw as a kid!"

It's pretty easy to get him standing, and if you find he needs help you can just use his cape as a tripod. The colors match the old toys - but not the cartoon - and nicely deliver an update to a figure that may help those coming late to the line skip the original Hordak. I saw one in a collector shop for just under $50, and minus the little bat guy these figures are more or less the same thing. I'd rather pick up this one on sale and not have multiple Hordaks, but that's me. He looks good and fills the role nicely - but if the Filmation one ever gets made, or I get a cheap crack at the 4-pack, I'd probably pick that up as well.

This Origins Hordak I've bought so far and I think he gets the job done. Thanks to the infuriatingly neat alternate heads or accessories and gimmicks I don't think I'll be able to avoid getting more Skeletors, but Hordak? This is fine. The launcher shoots those little yellow things with quite a bit of force, and it's pretty impressive. I'm surprised they are big enough to not be a choke hazard. If you're a sucker for toys with real action features, make sure you buy this one if you see him on sale. Or at full price. But definitely on sale - fussing with Stinkor's stink, Mantenna's eyes, Ram-Man's revised head-butt attack, and Scare Glow's distinctive glowing ability, I've found these to be tons of fun and generally worth the price of admission.

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