Category Archives: G1 Transformers

GI Joe Classified Series Night Force Shooter and Tunnel Rat- SpartanNerd Review

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I picked up Shooter and Tunnel Rat from Walmart.com, fairly cheaply.  I was worried…a few times I have ordered from Walmart and had some trouble.  But no issues this time, and they came the next day.  What got me started was reading GI Joe #12 from the Energon Universe, where Shooter was the main character.  When I found her (I looked everywhere else first,) she was readily available and only $10, so I looked for someone else to also buy.  They are on the same “Night Force” team, and so this is how I came to get Tunnel Rat.

How did they turn out?  Keep reading!  You can find a video version of this review on YouTube HERE.

Because I am doing two figures in one review, I am trying to concisely write…my headings are a little different than usual.  I usually do Packaging, Figure, Accessories, Review.  I am lumping it together kind of this time.

Shooter

I mostly collected Cobra as a kid…they had the most awesome designs, AND I had the ultimate aircraft gifted to me, the “Cobra Night Raven.” So it surprised even me when Shooter stood out. The reason? The Energon Universe comics.

If you haven’t read them:

  • Void Rivals = space opera that features Transformers and Cobra-La
  • Transformers = classic alien war story between Autobots and Decepticons
  • G.I. Joe = fallout from the alien war to the humans.  
  • Recently M.A.S.K. has been included.
PICTURED: The issue of GI Joe that got me into Shooter. This is the Energon Universe Transformers Vol. 3 graphic novel. And don’t let the frumpy art on the cover of Void Rivals #1 throw you off…it is a great story.

It is a Hasbro remix that feels like the Ultimate Marvel Universe or the DC Comics Flashpoint.

But Shooter?  I never heard of this character before until reading this comic.

A three-time gold medalists marksman who never misses.  There are characters like that…Hawkeye, Green Arrow, etc.  But she is different because she carries her father’s medal for balance, who hears his voice guiding her — This is a detail the SpartanNerd just couldn’t put down…I even read the comic twice in an hour.

Packaging, Accessories

The front packaging. I don’t even want to show you more of this package. The only artwork on the whole thing is this image on the left of the box. It is bigger on the side, and there is a black and white version inside the box. The back shows the package contents.

Shooter and Tunnel Rat arrived in the stupid windowless box, part of Hasbro’s “plastic-free era.” Long-time readers know I’m not a fan of this packaging. No file card, no real bio, just a QR code that dumps you at Hasbro’s shop. The side artwork is decent but doesn’t make up for the downgrade.  (Go back and see my blog entry about Sgt. Slaughter.). The upside is that this packaging strategy didn’t sell figures well, and now figures with this style of packaging they are sold at steep discounts.  Hard to argue with that. She was very likely a shelf warmer (female action figures often are even if they’re Scarlet, Baroness, or some other headliner).

Inside the Package

She is tied down in this shoebox with plastic things…I thought the point of this dumb packaging was to not use plastic? It is also stupid that she is in the box with the gas mask on default.

When you open her package.. (Tunnel Rat’s is the same)…The figure is tied in with plastic ties to a shoebox kind of situation with the same artwork from the front but in black and white.

She comes with a cardboard “footlocker” setup similar to Sgt. Slaughter. Accessories include:

  • A pistol
  • A knife with quick-access sheath. (I didn’t realize it when I made the video, but this is a throwing knife, making use of her terrific shooting skills in a different terrifying way)
  • A sniper rifle (rubbery and slightly sagging)
  • Two hair pieces (braids & mask-compatible style)
  • Gas mask / night vision
  • Back mount for her rifle

I don’t like that she has the mask on as a default look…but since this is a windowless box I don’t guess that really actually matters.  It took me a little bit to find the nerve to remove the mask…But it came off without too much trouble.

FIGURE REVIEW

PICTURED: MASTERVERSE New Eternia Teela and Super7 Ultimates! Valeria Spirit, with GI Joe Classified Series Night Force Jodie “Shooter” Craig. Shooter appears to be a middle schooler next to these ladies.
PICTURED: My favorite GI Joe Classified so far has been Gnawgahyde. Do you see how they both have a sniper rifle, but Gnawgahyde’s is far better. He has a case, a tripod, as well as a scope, a silencer, etc. True, he is a poacher, not a sniper. But there is clear disparity here in what could have been done with Shooter.

She looks great overall, but:

  • Her shoes have no laces — they look more middle school trendy than military.
  • The sniper rifle is too rubbery and droops at the barrel.
  • The gas mask/night vision is removable, but requires some force.

Her hair attaches via slotted pegs — bald-head customs aren’t happening here for anyone who might have wanted to do that.  The gas mask/night vision is attached to a hairpiece.  Her face sculpt is pretty and the paint on the actual figure is good with a night-mission feel.  But I feel like there could have been a lot more paint on the accessories.

Tunnel Rat

Tunnel Rat came in the same windowless packaging, but at a slightly higher price and with way more gear — as he should. He’s nostalgic from the G.I. Joe animated movie, where he trained under Beach Head and pulled that “sewer tunnel shortcut” stunt.  (To the SpartanNerd, this was the precursor scene to the iconic Beach Head-cussing-at-Jinx scene, one of the reasons to watch the movie when I was ten years old!.)

Inside the Package

Tunnel Rat’s footlocker contains:

  • Backpack 
  • Attachable Flashlights
  • Dagger / combat knife
  • Heavy machine gun with stabilizers
  • Ammo bandolier
  • A magazine clip
  • Night-vision goggles

Sculpt and Notable Details

  • This version lacks the classic Tunnel Rat face paint.
  • The sculpt is based on Larry Hama (which I didn’t know until I checked Wikipedia).  Larry Hama has written GI Joe comics and stories for 30 years, and was a minor cast member of MASH!
  • Also from Joe-pedia, Tunnel Rat is Trinidadian-Chinese with a Boston accent — a wonderfully unique character background.

The tripod attachment on his heavy machine gun is far inferior to Gnawgahyde’s.  It looks like leftover sprue plastic from a Gundam model kit — Hasbro can do far better.

On the bright side, he stands up extremely well next to other Classified figures and outclasses the Super7 Ultimates! line in detail and at a lower price.  (I am not getting any more GI Joes from Super7.)

Ratings – Shooter & Tunnel Rat

PICTURED: GI Joe Classified Tunnel Rat and Jodie “Shooter” Craig, infiltrating Cybertron. They both definitely look like they are on the same Night Force team.

Shooter is up first.

Pros:

  • Great sculpt
  • Strong character representation
  • Two interchangeable hairstyles
  • Solid articulation
  • Fantastic value at $10

Cons:

  • Weapons lack paint
  • Sniper rifle boring gray and lacking in things like a case.

What does she add? This character resonated strongly enough with me on a personal level on the singular exposure in the Energon Universe comic book that I read. I ordered this out of pure emotion, and am glad to add her to my collection. She gets the feels point, but loses a point for the lack of detail on the accessories and that she was shortchanged in the sniper rifle department.

Shooter — 4 out of 5

Tunnel Rat is next.

Pros:

  • Loaded with gear
  • Great sculpt and colors
  • Strong nostalgia factor

Cons:

  • Tripod is cheap-looking
  • Missing the classic face paint
  • No ammo box to feed the bandolier

Getting Tunnel Rat was kind of a knee-jerk buy on account of Shooter being so inexpensive. Just the same, he gets the feels point on account of I watched him for hours as a kid on a Beta tape that included the GI Joe movie, recorded from what was apparently the only time it ever aired on TV.

Tunnel Rat — 5 out of 5

Do you have Shooter or Tunnel Rat? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Do you agree or disagree with my ratings? I am really actually just getting into GI Joe Classified. It has been slow for me, but the Cold Slither pushed me over!


And as always — thanks for reading, listening, and watching!


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Super7 Ultimates! Snake Eyes (Cartoon Appearance)

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NOTE: Before reading this, you should read this….

SpartanNerd review of GI Joe Classified Cobra Commander and Sgt. Slaughter.

OK….the problem with getting so much stuff at once….

I lost my photos of Super7 Snake Eyes packaging! ARGGHH!

And just yesterday (October 20) I threw away the box, thinking I wouldn’t need it. (Yes..the most first-world of problems. Don’t be a hater.)

So I’m telling no lie. I purchased Snake Eyes in Columbia SC for $40 at the end of July. Here was my go-around with this figure…I had seen it at Walmart marked $25. When I took it to the cashier, it rang up $55 (the normal price for an Ultimates! Figure,) but I didn’t want it that bad. Then I saw it for $40 and was like “why not?” And that is the true story.

A $25 Snake Eyes isn’t that far fetched…after all a bevy of Super7 Ultimates! Were put on sale for $25 during Cyber Week last year. Some of them, like the TMNT Slash were an unbelievable deal for that price. (I didn’t buy that, but I admired from a distance…)

So this time, no package photos. You could go back and look at my review of the Cobra B.A.T. and see what the packaging was like, however. Mine didn’t come with a sleeve, and maybe that’s why it was marked down. Snake Eyes had green metallic box on theme with GI Joe instead of Cobra, with some images from the A Real American Hero show, and some information that mostly didn’t tell us anything. Otherwise it was the same. It also had a double blister to display the contents, however if I remember correctly the back blister was smaller.

WHAT DO YOU GET?

Here’s what you get.

  • Snake Eyes figure
  • Timber figure (that’s the wolf.)
  • Jetpack
  • Laser Rifle
  • Laser pistol
  • Walkie Talkie
  • “Radioactive canister”
  • Fist hands, trigger hands, gripping hands, and open palm hands.

At first, I thought the Jetpack was a scuba tank! I used to watch GI Joe as a kid, but I have to admit I don’t remember many of the episodes. I did watch the movie many times on BETA Max…it was a blurry thing we recorded from the TV. But I loved it! I remember the “we combed the tombs…etc” and Cobra making Serpentor. And I remember an episode where there was a gigantic amoeba. That’s about it.

We had a small army of GI Joes and the generic “C.O.R.P.S.” Figures and vehicles. Because GI Joe was more expensive than He-Man or Ninja Turtles…

I suppose that was a tangent. My point is, the jetpack and the “radioactive canister” mean a little more to people who remember the episodes. That canister can’t be comfortably held by Snake Eyes, and it doesn’t attach to Timber in any way.

I think it is funny that he has a Walkie Talkie. Snake Eyes never spoke in the show!

Timber was a big draw for me in getting this figure. All of those hands…I wish there was a gloved option. But I went back and saw some YouTube clips of the old show, and Snake Eyes never wore gloves back then. So that explains it. But I suppose we live in a post 1989 Batman world, where awesome gloves help make the look complete.

ARTICULATION

Well here I have two figures to discuss. First of all, Snake Eyes moves all the ways you would expect a Super7 Ultimates figure to move. Supposedly there is a famous scene where Snake Eyes break dances. So here’s my take on that. (I looked it up. It’s cool, but short.)

Maybe someone should tell him….

You can see, there is no hindrance to the figure’s articulation.

Now Timber on the other hand. (Face palm)

PICTURED: Super7 Ultimates Snake Eyes with Timber and GI Joe Classified Sgt Slaughter. These guys are exactly the same size. Yes…the sarge depicts his real human self. But in scale, they are the same.

Timber can move his head side to side. But it breaks up the sculpt and the paint badly. His forelegs can splay out and his feet are on ball joints, but this articulation is limited. His back legs have no spread, so they are always too close together in my opinion.

SUPER7 VS HASBRO

So which is better?

Timber is about to change the odds….He better watch out though, Cobra Commander is known to kick puppies. PICTURED: Super7 Ultimates! Snake Eyes with Timber and GI Joe Classified Cobra Commander.

I don’t know if you can tell from the photos, but Snake Eyes is exactly the same size as GI Joe Classified Cobra Commander. He seems a little chunkier, and yes he represents his cartoon appearance. But Cobra Commander has so much more detail. And the articulation is EXACTLY THE SAME. But one big difference…Cobra Commander was less than $25 if I remember correctly.

PICTURED: Super7 Ultimates! Snake Eyes and Timber vs. Super7 Ultimates! Cobra B.A.T. And this is a real Karate move…I witnessed my brother’s black belt test for Shotokahn style. The instructor taught him how to take out a guy with a gun, and this was the move. This lesson came with a heavy dose of “It probably isn’t worth it.”

You can see that he is a little smaller than the Cobra B.A.T. And if you read my review from way back when I did it, I am of the opinion that the Battle Android Trooper is a big boy compared to your average guy. Maybe Cobra Commander has a Napoleon complex. But when I put Snake Eyes with Sgt. Slaughter, they are the same size.

My point is, I don’t think I will get any more Super7 Ultimates! GI Joes. The Hasbro GI Joe Classified series is cheaper, features the same articulation, practically the same accessories, better details and sculpts. Just better value.

SPARTANNERD’S RATING OF SUPER7 ULTIMATES! SNAKE EYES (AND TIMBER)

The paint and sculpt are good, depicting the way they look on the cartoon.

The accessories would be kind of bland if it wasn’t for Timber. It is a bummer than no one can hold the canister.

The package was pretty, and if you wanted to keep them in box it is collector friendly.

The value is here…there is just better value in Hasbro’s offerings. Yes…this is a Masters of the Universe Classics Snake Eyes figure….like a distant cousin to MOTUC at this point. He feels chunky in your hand. Timber on the other hand seems like he could be a cheap dollar store toy.

Right now I have Snake Eyes stored with the Cobra B.A.T., and Timber, being a generic wolf is on display with my barbarians. So he adds a lot to other property.

So I rate Super7 Ultimates! Snake Eyes 4/5. He’s OK. Not bad. But there could be some improvement.

TRANSFORMERS #10 FEATURES A LETTER BY THE SPARTANNERD!

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Below is what I sent in to “The Matrix of Lettership” in reference to Transformers #8 after I was moved by the character development. This was an issue about grief. This letter was printed in issue #10.

Dear Matrix of Lettership,

I have been reading comics for years and years.  I barely remember not reading comics (I am 45.). But I’ve never written in.  This is my first time.

When I saw advertisements for the Energon Universe reboot…I was very excited.  But Transformers now stands a head taller than all other comics in recent memory.  I mean…since Flashpoint and The New 52.  Since McFarlane’s Spider-Man and Spawn 1-100.  And it works better than the comic book versions before it for some good reasons…you are bringing real life to these characters.  Every one introduced so far has some reason for you to care about what happens to them.  From Megatron in the hands of Cobra Commander to Soundwave taking revenge against Starscream for kicking Ravage.

But issue #8 is plumbing some even deeper depths.  There is real grief from Carly and Spike.  And it all weighs so heavy on Optimus.  I wonder if personal experiences from the writers are going into this character development?  I know it spoke to me because I have had some intense grief in the past few years.  But one panel in particular stuck out.  I felt like this small panel should have been a cover.  (Can it be?  Is there a way?)  Optimus sits beside Jetfire, who is barely alive and evidently on his way out.  He says “I cannot see the stars anymore.” And “Don’t leave!  It’s so dark.  Please…”. 

Yes.  We all read it.  But for me, it struck a nerve.  I have sat beside too many dying saints who just needed or would have wanted someone to be there.  You mentioned the issue was very hard to write and you didn’t know why.  I think I know.  There was so much conscience in this work.  From this touching panel to SkyWarp changing his mind to Thundercracker wishing to spare the humans.

I think the last book that got to me like this was Action Comics #13 WAY BACK in the New 52 (The Krypton issue.)  The moment between Optimus and Jetfire also reminded me of “I don’t feel so good Mr. Stark!”  And we all sit there feeling so many emotions as Tom Holland/Peter Parker fades away.  It weighed that much.  And full disclosure, I never have been that big of a fan of Jetfire.  (Loved the Revenge of the Fallen version). You made me care.  Mission accomplished!

Here is the printed response I received from The Matrix of Lettership

Thanks so much for recognizing myself in the pages, [SpartanNerd], and for recognizing the struggle! By no means do I try to put my actual feelings into TF, but we all have things we go through that influence how we feel about the world, and it’s my personal opinion that storytelling is very bland and one note without this individual human perspective. I’m hoping that TRANSFORMERS is a little like a reader taking some “DWJ goggles” and seeing what the filter does to the world around them. I’m trying my best to put myself in the worlds’ shoes, and what better way to do that than with Optimus friggin Prime? Maybe that’s embarrassing to say out loud. OH WELL.

NOTES AND THOUGHTS (for the benefit of friends who don’t regularly read SpartanNerd.Com)

What happened?

Comic books traditionally have a “letters page” at the end, where readers can write the creators and provide feedback and ask questions. Transformers has named their letters page “The Matrix of Lettership” which is a riff on the “Matrix of Leadership” item that Optimus Prime has installed in his chest. (Also, in case you don’t know…this item is a symbolic totem offering the wisdom of the past to the chosen leader who has it…It is a great honor to have it then!) Usually the feedback offered by fans is positive, but sometimes constructive criticism is offered. I have no idea how many letters were sent in to Transformers, but I bet they get a ton. (Letters nowadays means e-mails). But I CAN say that it seems like every issue of Transformers on this Image/Skybound run has gone to reprints. I’ll be getting every variant cover I can now of issue #10 since I am published out there to readers of Transformers comics.

I am very blessed to have my letter printed. The topic of grief is one that I am soon to be leading church devotions in. I read this issue right as I was being called to do that, so it hit the right notes for me.

What am I talking about in my letter? What does the response mean?

On announcing to Facebook and to others about my letter being published, I was unaware that people outside of comics wouldn’t know exactly what I was talking about, pretty much at all. For instance a librarian that I know didn’t realize it. My wife’s aunt didn’t. So here is some explanation.

Transformers- This was a toyline by Hasbro in the 1980’s of vehicles that transformed into robots. There were two teams…The Autobots and the Decepticons. The battle between the two sides was on a syndicated cartoon show modeled after what Mattel did with He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Optimus Prime was the Autobot leader and is the enduring symbol of the franchise. Other notable transformers are Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave, Bumblebee, and for purposes of this letter, Jetfire. (Transformers is the American adaptation of the Japanese “Giant Robot” genre. So they are an offshoot of Gundam.)

The SpartanNerd can list on one hand how many of these toys he owned as a kid. They were so expensive I didn’t have many. He-Man figures were $5, while Transformers were usually more like $20, except for the mini-cars. Mini-cars were the same size as Hot Wheels and featured simple transformations. These were about $5 each, but a Hot Wheels was less than a dollar, so…The point is, I didn’t have many, and most of the ones I had were Decepticons. These were Schrapnel (Insecticon), Weird Wolf (Headmaster), Scattershot (a part of Computron), and Shockwave. Eventually one of my brothers got Powermaster Optimus Prime for Christmas. It seems like one of us might have had Ratchet.

There was an iconic and tragic Transformers movie where Optimus Prime was killed and the show “jumped the shark” in my opinion then and now. Transformers regained popularity in the 2000’s when Micheal Bay began to make live-action movies using CGI. Modern Transformers toys aren’t as solid as the classics from the 1980’s, but they seem to be more categorically affordable. (I don’t have any of these, but my children did. Modern collectors versions are BONKERS AWESOME.)

The Letters.

Flashpoint and New 52 were DC Comics “reboots” within the past 15 years. Flashpoint truly re-mixed the classic characters like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman. The New 52 is basically where the story continued after “The Flashpoint.” (It’s kind of the same story they have going on now.)

In my letter I referenced the New 52 Action Comics #13 and made a typo…that should have been the “Krypto” issue, not “Krypton.” Cut me some slack…it was 11:30 PM! This is the issue that Krypto gets locked in the phantom zone while the planet explodes. But he is like an angel watching Clark Kent grow up. Until eventually they learn to use the Phantom Zone (this story was maybe ten years ago…I don’t remember the details,) but Krypto jumps out ready to play. The way the story was written was very emotional, and unexpected. It was a fresh take on what was sometimes a corny character.

Spawn issues 1-100…this was Todd McFarlane’s comic book character after he left Marvel. The first 100 issues are what most Spawn fans consider the best story. This still is an ongoing story, but most fans believe the best days are behind it way back in those issues. I have read these 100 issues many times. I also like an offshoot book, Spawn: The Dark Ages. All around, Spawn is kind of a combination of Batman, Ghost Rider, Hobgoblin, Spider-Man. This was a comic written for an adult audience…it left the trappings and restraints of usual super-hero comics behind in favor of “extreme” art, violence, and language. It also handled religious and social issues as “comedy” in the sense of Dante’s Inferno.

Jetfire– I remember watching the Transformers cartoon as a kid and realizing that Jetfire was a Decepticon who turned Autobot. I felt it was some kind of brainwashing or something. I mean…I was young, so this was how I understood it. the Transformers movie sequel Revenge of the Fallen portrayed him in a military museum disguised as a plane, dormant from lack of energon. He scans a more modern Blackbird to transform into when Sam activates him with his shard of the Allspark. My father thought this was hilarious on account of the writers made Jetfire into an old senile man with gas. (We watched this movie together in the theater, a rare treat as an adult and a good memory of my dad laughing). Upon hearing the state of the war, he switches sides from Decepticon to Autobot right there in front of us. But Jetfire eventually saves the day, sacrificing his spark and parts to revive Optimus Prime, making the two of them combiners at least temporarily.

In the Energon Universe, which is essentially what we used to call Transformers vs. GI JOE, Jetfire is the first Transformer we saw in Void Rivals #1. And then he re-appears in Transformers #8 depleted of energon and essentially dying. And this is the component of the story I was addressing when I wrote in. There is grief and introspection from most of the characters in this issue, not just about Jetfire, but the human characters Carly and Spike have also lost loved ones, and Spike is in a wheelchair for getting involved in the Autobot/Decepticon affairs.

DWJ goggles…this is Daniel Warren Johnson, the writer of the current Image “Skybound” Transformers comic. He is saying he hopes to portray the fantasy world of Transformers to the real modern world in a way that he sees it. He said something else in this letters column (not in response to me), that has me worried. He said “Why am I working so hard on licensed characters.” He also responded to someone else’s letter that there wouldn’t be any spinoff series while he was the writer. I certainly hope he doesn’t go anywhere! He is doing a great job of bringing alot of soul to this book! (Image has a history of taking pride in original characters. They are a mainstream “indy” publisher if such a thing can exist.)

Complaint

I have had this one for a few issues. They have printed the letters in light pink on white paper. My failing eyes gave me a lot of trouble reading this. It seems like some other Energon Universe letters had yellow on white. Come on guys!

Final Thoughts

I truly find it an honor to have my letter published. This book has been great, and the Energon Universe is new and exciting. I like how it was put in a recent GI Joe comic’s letter section…the Energon Universe is comparable to Marvel’s Ultimate comics of the early 2000’s. It is a re-thinking of Transformers and GI Joe. Void Rivals is space opera, that is beginning to trickle down into Transformers, which is a contextual story, and GI Joe is effected by it on a human military level. If you like Transformers and GI Joe, you should jump into this new universe. There is an ongoing GI Joe story not in the Energon universe…don’t get confused! The Energon Universe GI Joe books have been named after main characters so far. Duke, Cobra Commander, Scarlett, and Destro. I recommend all of these as a great place to jump in to what I hope is a universe that lasts a LONG TIME.

MASTERVERSE Vykron- SpartanNerd Unboxing and Review

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For unboxing and initial review of the packaging for Vykron and Snout Spout, click here.

INITIAL THOUGHTS ON VYKRON

Vykron is a character that Mattel wants to keep shoving at us. I mean…who ever asked for Vykron in the first place? That he is a prototype He-Man concept is cool to a point, but the main idea for Mattel should be “keep it interesting for most people.” Offering someone like Vykron out there really appeals to maybe especially Classics fans. A certain crowd of people like the SpartanNerd. Middle aged Filmation, minicomics, vintage line types.

What I am saying, they would pull more mass appeal with a proper Moss Man, or Rio Blast, or Mosquitor, or … really…just about any A-list character. (Are Rio Blast and Mosquitor A-listers? Maybe B-listers). My point- everyone wants a proper Faker with orange armor. Everyone wants vintage style Roboto. Everyone wants King Randor, or the Sorceress to be done right. But they throw Vykron out there, and he is someone that most people won’t recognize, and now a product that I have seen on toy store shelves in boxes for $75 is being placed on sale at MattelCreations for $15. YEP. $15. This couldn’t be good for the brand OR MASTERVERSE. (This price was low enough for me to finally make the purchase.)

Then there is the whole Mark Taylor/Roger Sweet controversy. In my heart, I believe who is now called Vykor was the first He-Man. This was based on the barbarian concept by Mark Taylor. Roger Sweet INDEED contributed alot to He-Man and to his identity. But the very beginning has to be Mark Taylor. You can read about this if you haven’t heard of it you can read an article on Vykron at the Battleram Blog.

So all of this rant…what do I actually think about the MASTERVERSE figure?

MORE ON THE PACKAGING

When you open the box, you are greeted with some more artwork. This piece of cardboard is double-sided. The art you see depicts Vykron fighting skeleton warriors (Yes!), while the back of that is a mini diorama of Eternia, featuring the alien landscape with Eternos Palace in the distance, and a planetary backdrop.

You could hang the poster side of the battle, and photograph the Diorama (I will be doing that here!)

When you remove the art, Vykron is revealed dressed in his barbarian look. You can also see the helmet and gun from the military look, the jetpack from the spaceman look, and the battle axe. There is notably no blister bubble in this box. Oddly, I appreciate that. The box is such a display delight that we don’t have to see the figure on display. Someone who wants to collect everything with blister bubbles will be disapointed. But here, they didn’t even use bread ties, opting for those “paper” ties. (Is that stuff called “Jute?”

The figure stand opens up like the GI Joe Classified toys, revealing other parts..

I didn’t photograph it, but you can totally use the backdrop, stand Vykron on the stand in a pose, and keep him on display as a “staction” figure. This is a bonus 200x kind of idea that Mattel is tapping…much appreciated!

Overall, this package is very nice and I am reluctant to discard it. I will eventually, but nobody out there who makes toys needs to neglect how important the boxes are for “the feels.” This box won’t be valuable ever probably, but if you look at vintage toys, the packaging is unbelievably in demand. (Vinatage GI Joe and Transformers boxes especially). But I saw a complete vintage He-Man loose for $25, sitting in front of a MOC He-Man for $250 at a toy store (with yellowed bubble no less!). That is what nostalgia has done to people. Amping up the packaging of modern toys can at least let everyone today share the experience.

WHAT DO YOU GET IN THE BOX

Oh Boy! What a list!

  • Vykron figure- wearing gear (listed below)
    • Brown battle harness featuring blue Iron Cross
    • Soft-goods feathery cape
    • Shin guards featuring Iron Crosses
    • Wrist bracers
    • I armed him with the battle axe for the pic.
    • The helmet is NOT removable!
  • Space Armor Items
    • Space battle harness with ..
      • space helmeted head. This has a hose that can disconnect to use somewhere else.
    • Orange Lazer gun
    • White bracers
    • Backpack with removable wings.
  • Military Armor Items
    • Military battle harness with removable pauldrons
    • Army tank helmet
    • Green armor bracers
    • Green shin armor
    • Very large gun. (Is this a rocket launcher?)

Also included…a pair of fist hands.

Notably, you can use the space backpack with the military armor.

FIGURE REVIEW

I guess we will start with the barbarian

…less work, right? I say this because I can see the hair dryer being needed a mile away! The straps on the back of the shins look to require some dexterity.

I get to do a little bit of “comparison time” first. I actually picked up the Vykron barbarian armor from Masters of the Universe Classics at the Greenville Retro Toy con a few years back for something like $10. Then I modded Battleground Teela so she could wear the helmet. So here is the first big difference. MOTUC Vykron (which I never owned) had a slot on his head so you could change helmets. This helmet would slide right on, apparently. I realize that Vykron is made of earlier MASTERVERSE parts, but in the past year they released New Eternia Man-At-Arms, who features a removable helmet. I’m just saying…it could have been done.

The MOTUC axe is better than the MASTERVERSE axe. I’ve always felt that it was a little bit skinny, but look how nice a female character can hold it! These harnesses are almost identical, but the MOTUC one was designed for chunkier torsos. (Yes. I went there. Would you have for YOUR toy review?). Do I prefer the sculpted cape to the soft-goods cape? On one hand, the sculpted cape does look good. On the other, the soft-goods cape is adaptable to fit on the shoulders however you like. You can see that the MOTUC shin guards clip on the boots and are held on by tension, while the modern MASTERVERSE ones have armor straps.

So there is some improvement, but some steps back.

Vykron looks awesome, but did you notice that this is the only He-Man figure maybe ever that didn’t COME WITH A SWORD! (I thought I had a picture, but I guess not. There IS a loop under the soft goods to hold a sword. The axe fits fine in there, but you have to bunch the cape.)

Military Vykron

Apparently, he can be called “Tank Top.”

I had to get the hair dryer as predicted to get the shin guards off. These go on easier, with a “button strap” instead of belts. You have to remove the hands and bracers to put on the green bracers. The helmet has a large hole underneath the chin so you can just pop it over Vykron’s barbarian head. And here is a missed opportunity. We could have gotten a bald head, or a crew-cut head, or some other military look of a head sculpt. Making the helmet removable from barbarian Vykron’s head would have worked nicely. The guns on the side of the helmet move up and down like the sides of the Attak Trak. This gun seems to be a missile launcher, but it doesn’t have a removable rocket.

You can mount the space jetpack on the back of the harness to add something else of interest. The mystery is…what are those slots on the back of the helmet meant to be? None of these accessories go with that, including the “wings” that slot on the jetpack.

This helmet has it’s own positive qualities, though.

It could totally be a vehicle for a World’s Smallest micro He-Man, or go well with GI Joe Classified Seargeant Slaughter’s included micro-fig. Viewed in this way as a vehicle, it is reminiscent of “The Collector” that Skeletor used in FILMATION. (There is an Origins Collector vehicle for sale out there. So tempting. But I don’t collect Origins.). It kind of has the look of the beak on the Talon Fighter, the guns of the Attack Track, the rear-end of the Road Ripper, the mouth of Land Shark. Clearly the design department was going for all of this when they decided to make something that didn’t look so much like an American military tank.

These micro-figures are so small, once again they are a hazzard. I literally lost the shield breaking He-Man back out of the box. I found it after I packed everything up. Go figure.

Space Armor

Apparently this version of Vykron can be called “Space Ace.” I wonder if they bounced that one off of KISS, or at least Ace Frehley.

Maybe you can tell, but I find this version of Vykron to be the least interesting. He reminds me of Zodac somewhat. Why aren’t there any shin guards to cover up those Roman Soldier/ Arctic boots? This is meant to be a helmet, but they just made it an alternate head sculpt. It is said that this resembles the space suit that was cardboard in the vintage Castle Grayskull. Roger Sweet’s design was just Boba Fett armor applied to either Big Jim or GI Joe.

You can un-attach the hose and use the helmet somewhere else. I don’t know where, but you could… The hose is not removable from the helmet, however. The wings on the jetpack are removable, and you can see that pictured on the Military version’s back if you want.

WHAT IS THE REAL VALUE OF VYKRON

Well…check out the pics below.

Pictured: Clockwise from the left- MASTERVERSE Revelation King Grayskull, Masters of the Universe Classics Vikor, Super7 Ultimates! King Conan, MASTERVERSE Revelation Savage He-Man, Mythic Legions Balthor the Tower Ogre, Masters of the Universe Classics Battleground Teela (with Revelation Teela head), Mattel Creations MASTERVERSE Vykron, and MASTERVERSE 40th Anniversary He-Man. There is all kinds of weapons and accessories pictured…can you identify them?

Vykron is just another barbarian for my growing collection. That by itself would have been worth $15.

PICTURED:- MASTERVERSE Revelation Tri-Klops wearing Tank Top armor and MASTERVERSE New Eternia Man-At-Arms wearing Space Ace armor.

But, here is Man-At-Arms and Tri-Klops. The space armor really works well with Man-At-Arms, and seems like something he would use if anyone would. And that helmet fits better on Tri-Klops than it does on Vykron by a long way, plus with that round eye selected, it is like you are staring down the throat of a monster. This is how I plan on using the accessories…Vykron can remain a barbarian. This stuff is a nice arsenal.

SPARTANNERD’S RATING OF MATTEL CREATIONS MASTERVERSE VYKRON

At $75 (Toy Collector store price), no way. NEVER. Not even at $65 (the price of Motherboard at Mattel Creations right now) or $33 (the price of Snout Spout. Review coming soon) Give me a Mythic Legions for that price.

But having gotten this on what is apparently clearance on Mattel Creations for $15, it is a no brainer 5/5. Philosophically I might have a little bit of a problem with Mattel pushing Vykron out there. But as a figure, especially at that low, low price…especially with all of the accessories and a nice diorama. No question.

SpartanNerd…Catching Up…

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Has it really been three years since I posted anything?

This means that throughout Corona…throughout the last several MTG releases…Throughout the ending of MOTUC and the new Masters of the Universe lines that have come out. I have written zilch.

Well, it isn’t because I stopped being nerdy. Believe it or not, online teaching and also attending classes took all of my energy out for this project.

So here’s a few new things that have happened.

Masters of the Universe.– As the Classics line ended, I began to realize I just didn’t have enough space anymore. MOTUC items are pretty large. And I got lots of joy especially from my He-Man and Battlecat and also Skeletor and Panthor. But also the Griffin was one of my favorites. Vikor. But some of the others…I decided I could part with them. And then I decided when I saw the price I could fetch to go ahead and sell my core items. All I have left is Vikor and my custom Battleground Teela. I sold it all in May 2020. For $600. I use that money to re-invest in MOTU Mega Construx. I have the Castle Grayskull and basically every item they have released in that line. A downsize in square footage, it is easier to get these just by walking into a store. There are other advantages.

Sorry about the backdrop-less pic. This is a very large item. Kitchen table will have to do.

I decided early on that the MOTU Origins figures look too crappy…I don’t like the colors. And the Masterverse figures on first reveal, I thought “That He-Man looks “gutsy.” Meaning, the way the belt is that pale color yellow, it blends in too well with He-Man’s skin color on his belly. It looks like he has a gut. The other figures, the one that came out with the new CGI Anime line, do not appeal to me at all. I hear fans (Scott Neitlich) accepting what is going on apologetically, that this line is meant to appeal to the kids. But kids just don’t watch the cartoons anymore. Trust me. I know. Middle school teacher. So they are messing around with beloved source material and creating something “corrupt.”

I have picked up some of the MOTU Minis, and the Hot Wheels.

Magic the Gathering- For something that took up so much of my life and my children’s time, this has become a much rarer treat. Since the COVID-19 lockdowns, there haven’t been as many tournaments. We pretty much decided that SpellTable pretty much stinks. Arena isn’t a strong alternative. Now some tournaments have returned, but we have to drive a long way to get to them. Mostly these are Commander League events. And we haven’t really paid into the leagues on account we can’t reliably attend. Just the same, we have played EDH some. But the thrill of the old Modern tournaments is gone. I have done a few drafts and sealed. But it is doubtful that we will go and draft Double Masters II this weekend. That is $50 or more. To play maybe three rounds. Which I will have to drive a distance to get to … meaning I can’t stay out late in my old age driving home sleepy.

Oh yes…Secret Lair. At first I bought it all. I bought the super bundle…the one with the cats and the goblins. The Walking Dead. After awhile, I realized that this isn’t sustainable for me. They have churned out so many Secret Lairs, each with an enticing value usually, but then if you start adding all that up, you better be rich if you are a completist. I figure the Wizards/Hasbro weren’t achieving their bread and butter anymore on packs because people stopped playing. And Commander is so popular, but you can play virtually any cards you can find competitively even, that they had to capitalize on that crowd the best they could by dangling lots of shiny, pretty, artsy, and seemingly charitable carrots in front of them. So I certainly had to start pacing myself on this one. The last one I got was the Dracula one. I got my kid the pixel art lands. These things…they take forever to arrive. All the shipping delays and production delays that have plagued the past couple of years…Which brings me to the next big one.

Playstation 5. I got the money together for this…in fact some of the money from my MOTUC collection, plus some gifts, etc. I had the funds in hand right before Christmas 2020. And went to buy it, only to find…THERE WERE NONE. ANYWHERE. When did I finally get mine? OCTOBER 2021. Used! I am grateful…it has performed like a champ! You wouldn’t know. It didn’t come with a proper stand, so I had to get a third party one, which was supposed to charge the controllers and add extra fan-power. But none of that seems to be working. Still, it stands very well. The best two games for me have been Horizon: Zero Dawn, Horizon: Forbidden West, and Gran Tourismo. But I have lots more games. Spider-Man, Terraria, Mortal Kombat. I paid for the streaming services, but haven’t hardly used them…which brings me to

DISNEY+. Since this launched, I bundled with HULU (Which I already watched) and this has been what I have watched on TV. I have hung on to NetFlix for Stranger Things and Masters of the Universe: Revelation. (More on that on a different day.). The Mandalorian has been a terrific show! Obi Wan was pretty good. The Book of Boba Fett might as well have been season 3 of the Mandalorian. I haven’t watched anything else much on the service, though.

Comics- I have moved back into collecting these. I picked up IDW’s “Best of” TMNT books. I am looking to get a frame to display them in.

I have been collecting all of the IDW Transformers books…this was actually how I got back into collecting comics. IDW decided to reboot the franchise, and I felt it was a good “jumping in” place. Highlights of this have been “Shattered Glass” and “King Grimlock.” The main story kind of meandered a little bit. I was introduced to a bunch of characters I didn’t know or had forgotten. I also got into “Beast Wars”… which was admittedly NOT MY CARTOON. Unfortunately, IDW passed on the license, and all of these stories have come to a wrap up, which has seemed very rushed. But my love of getting the covers and important/valuable books has become rooted again. I collected up all of the “Batman/Catwoman” story, got back into Spider-Man and Ghost Rider. But I have dropped DC for the most part. In fact, almost everything they have been publishing in any form is tripe that panders to anyone except the classic fan. I thought “The Batman” was a much slower slog than it needed to be. My next problem is the amount of room this hobby is taking up…

Gundam- I built my first Master Grade…EW EPYON. I am still applying decals. But this has been a terrific project! I eill post pictures when I finish.

It is good to be coming back to the blogosphere…an I hope to have a review tomorrow!