Category Archives: Skeletor

MASTERVERSE New Eternia Teela- SpartanNerd Unboxing and Review

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See the video review of this figure HERE.

I ordered MASTERVERSE New Eternia Teela from BigBadToyStore when she was first released, and this time I did something different…I ordered three other things that I sent to the “Pile of Loot.” So lots of reviews coming soon! (New Etheria Hordak, New Eternia Cobra Kahn, and Mythic Legions Belualyth…I will update links as I review them)

And why did I order this Teela, when I already had three other modern Teela figures? Keep reading!

PACKAGING

In this box you can see her very well. And she is looking upwards.

Teela came in the typical “Transformers” style packaging. (I use that term in reference to the way Hasbro has been doing TF toys for awhile…it increases the artwork and minimizes the blister plastic). We have a good image of her on the front holding the Staff of Ka…but you could mistake her for rowing a boat! After all, there is a Merfolk warrior looking on. (Aquaticans, I believe in Motu lore). As the image wraps around you can see her golden horse that was depicted in the early mini comics. (OK, so if Mattel doesn’t give us such a horse, this is the Four Horsemen’s chance to capitalize on what people surely will want!) Also in that wraparound image, we have an image of Castle Grayskull, but in 200x style! And we all know, Mattel and Mondo are both going to be issuing some 200x style toys. (This is a whole blog entry itself when more details get revealed).

The other side has the library image for people who store their action figures in the box, with her having windblown hair and wearing the “warrior goddess” snake headdress. And so we have homage to four different iterations of Masters of the Universe…200x with the castle, mini comics with the golden horse, filmation with the main presentation, and vintage toy with the hooded look.

The back has kind of generic photoshop of the figure, and just like the Green Goddess and Evil-Lyn, they have “airbrushed” off the seam at the thigh cut. We all know it’s there. Come on Mattel, why lie to us? Teela has a bio indicating that she has embraced her destiny as “the avatar” of “The Goddess of New Eternia.” Underneath this bio there are three cross-sell images that in addition to this figure includes Hordak and Kobra Kahn. I suppose the other figure in this was is New Eternia Moss Man, but he was offered only through Mattel Creations, mostly to Club Grayskull members at that. (The cross-sell functions for retail store shelves).

WHAT DO WE GET IN THE BOX

I told you there were seems in the thighs!
  • New Eternia Teela figure
  • Snake headdress
  • shield
  • Staff of Ka
  • Warrior Spear
  • a pair of punching fists

We have the accessories here for two different looks: “Captain of the Guard” and “Warrior Goddess.” And this starts to get into the weeds of who even is this character. Most people will remember Teela from the Filmation Cartoon and other iterations (200x) as the Captain of the Guard. And the presentation here is clearly homage to the vintage action figure, being a repaint of MASTERVERSE New Eternia Evil-Lyn with a different head. (In the vintage line, it was the other way around!) The whole Warrior Goddess thing comes from the early mini comics, which is basically an entirely different story from the Filmation show. When I was a kid I was confused by this, but you know…pretty much since I was in high school and began to get back into Masters of the Universe that there were different forces writing different stories has been clear. As Warrior Goddess, in the first issue she was green. (This is why I tend to call MASTERVERSE Revolution Sorceress Teela “The Green Goddess.” This is a fan nickname, like Baby Yoda for instance). In subsequent issues she was colored caucasian, and sometimes blonde instead of ginger. There is this whole story about Skeletor cloning her to be his bride also, and so that is why there is a Sorceress and more of a princess Teela. (It feels so weird typing all that. The mini comics were indeed different!)

Yep. This actually happened in the mini comics story “The Tale of Teela.” Funny how Skeletor says his plan is “simple.” I didn’t imagine all of that about Dolly the Sheep in the 1990’s did I? Also, this is a creeptastic plan. And this story was meant for CHILDREN TO READ. This story kind of explains why Teela has blonde hair and the goddess has red hair and wears that headdress. I’m pretty sure after this story, they began to use the word Sorceress to soften the religious connotations.

The vintage action figure came with this hood and snake staff, as well as a sword I believe. I never had a female action figure until I was 12 years old and got Evil-Lyn for Christmas, so I only know what I have seen in vintage toy stores. But I can see how all of this can be confusing for who this character actually is. But it is just fine to think of her as “He-Man’s girlfriend”.

(In the newest Netflix cartoon, Revolution, Teela and He-Man are practically married by the power of Grayskull at the end! If they make figures of this, I am the first in line! The designs were so pretty!)

FIGURE REVIEW

Well, I am at the point of wondering what the greatest action figure of the year is, and I was starting to think they couldn’t be better than MASTERVERSE New Eternia Evil-Lyn, but Teela has proven me wrong!

Teela jumped right into the den of zombies and skeletons! Notice Skeletor’s Staff of Ka being very large and unpainted BOO!

She has the same body as Evil-Lyn, only painted with lighter colors as Teela. The same boots, arm bracers, everything. She has a different skirt piece, and this is a point to bring up because in my figure, this was flattened down far too much, and also askew from the position it should be in. I was able to fix it, but if you are a mint in box collector, look out!

So this sculpt and paint are brilliant. Maybe the best part is that she looks like a real woman with maybe legs that are only slightly too long…(Mattel Barbie dolls famously have this too, so…) In other words, no hyper-sexualized design like something from Street Fighter. The upper body is tastefully presented, and that is kind of refreshing.

Her face sculpt and paint. The image on the back makes her look like the face is more round than it is. She has her hair pulled back in a ponytail, which I guess gives her a high forehead look. But her eyes…They are done very pretty. But I asked the SpartanWife if she thought the same thing as I do. I think she is looking upwards? So for Force Captain, this looks kind of strange if she is just standing there, but not if she is stabbing something with that spear. For the hooded goddess look, this looking up looks more spiritually powered up and otherworldly appropriate.

ACCESSORIES

This Teela proves that Evil-Lyn didn’t come with enough stuff. Sure, you could argue that cape was something, but really it was inexcusable. Teela’s accessory count is very welcome in the MASTERVERSE line. They are bronzy-gold in the same color as the highlights painted on the main figure. BUT…this means the Green Goddess’ Staff of Ka remains the best of the three we have been given. (Skeletor’s throne came with one also)

The Green Goddess’ Staff of Ka is still the best one we’ve been given in MASTERVERSE.

This shield looks very royal and feminine at the same time, and has that barbarian spike in the middle. The spear as well looks like it belongs in the throne room. The only paint of the accessories that I see is the spot of green on the eyes of the snake mask and a brighter colored ring around the “neck” on the Staff of Ka.

The headdress fits loosely to her face, and yet feels snug. How did they do that? I managed to get the Masters of the Unvierse Classics Weapons Pack snake armor on the earlier MASTERVERSE Revelation Teela figure only with a hairdryer. (Granted, it was for a different line…) Teela’s tiara is hidden perfectly by the mask when she has it on, and it really kind of is that she is presented as a different character. A person could be justified in having two of these! (I won’t. I’ll wait on Sorceress of Havoc to come out…that will be AWESOME if they do that!)

Four Teela figures. From top left clockwise. MASTERVERSE New Eternia Teela, MASTERVERSE Revolution Sorceress Teela, Masters of the Universe Classics Battleground Teela (with Revelation alternate head), and MASTERVERSE Revelation Teela kitbash, with Classics weapons and Super7 Ultimates! Conan the Barbarian ceremonial snake dagger.

In the above picture I have kitbashed some MOTUC with MASTERVERSE. Ultimately, the earlier MASTERVERSE Teela seems a lot more “babyish.” You can also see the improvements they have made in the knee joints so they look less lumpy. I heard another reviewer complain about having single jointed elbows, but I think that is the best choice…the arms just look better this way.

SPARTANNERD RATING OF MASTERVERSE NEW ETERNIA TEELA

I can’t say enough good stuff about the sculpt. (1 point). The paint is very good even if the choice to have her looking upwards is questionable…but she isn’t derp. (1 point). Very good articulation and she stands very well with no stupid problems. (1 point). Her accessory count is very good also. (1 point).

And OK. This is my new “go-to” Teela. I am retiring the kitbash that I have used forever. I’ll keep using MOTUC Battleground Teela for that even more barbarian “skimpy” look, but this figure is downright beautiful, and fun to play with to boot. So with the “feels point” I award MASTERVERSE New Eternia Teela a 5/5. Do you agree or disagree, Hub City Geeks? Let me know in the comments!

Super7 Ultimates! Conan Battle of the Mounds Valeria (Spirit) and MASTERVERSE New Eternia Teela. Valeria is a spiritual descendant of the Masters of the Universe Classics.

The Warrior Beasts Head Hunter

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(NOTE: Some photos were taken from the YouTube review).

I think a big part of me hanging on to Masters of the Universe so long as a child was the figures were cheaper, and we were able to amass a sizable collection among me and my two younger brothers. When Mattel came out with Snake Men and the Evil Horde, this was like treasure. The SpartanBrothers could each have and collect and play a different team. (We kind of put the Snake Men in with Skeletor).

I bring this history lesson to come to another idea. What if…you have all of the figures available at the store. What if you see something else that looks cool. It always bothered me that GI Joes were smaller than He-Man. Eventually the ninja turtles were close, but didn’t quite fit. But wrestlers? These guys usually went right with He-Man. And then there were the KOs. The bootlegs. The knockoffs. The cash-grabs. You could typically get one of these “generic” figures somewhere like Dollar Tree or some other discount mart for even less than a Mattel MOTU figure. (See the review of Demistros and Black Falcon)

Which brings us to Warrior Beasts Head Hunter. Who is this guy, and why should we care? Well as soon as I saw him during the Four Horsemen’s special Spring sale, I knew I would need to get him. I’ve been collecting skeletons. He would probably sell out immediately. (Nope. He’s still available). So this was kind of a knee-jerk buy. Was he worth my $40? Keep reading!

(Extra detail- I believe this to be the among the first of “Infinite Legions”… IP licensed to the Four Horsemen to make Mythic Legions/Cosmic Legions style toys).

PACKAGING

This packaging isn’t anything great. But it is exactly what it calls out to. Head Hunter was a KO Scareglo or Skeletor variant. The Warrior Beasts line was evidently the enemies of the Remco “Lost World of the Warlord” line of toys. (A quick question of Siri tells me that Remco Toys was purchased by Jakk’s Pacific when Remco went bankrupt in 1997). Both toylines, (it’s easy to look them up on the internet) were meant to be playable alongside He-Man and Skeletor. So this packaging, it looks like the original packaging. And I can’t fault that. Otherwise, it is the same style as other Mythic Legions, with a collector friendly card back and re-usable blister. The front has an orange sign of The Warrior Beasts, just like the originals had, and then there is some “spray” colors behind the figure. The back has a photoshop of the character in action, showing an articulated jaw. One of the sides has a bio that says something like, “The Head Hunter waits around in the swamp to collect your head!”

FIGURE REVIEW

Here’s what you get in the package

  • Head Hunter figure
  • Alternate head with articulated jaw
  • Halberd weapon (this is in two pieces, the pole and the axe head)
  • Two alternate, more open hands
  • A wired cape.
Doesn’t he say “Scare Glow” to you?

This is it. A Scareglo knockoff with a big axe and swappable heads and hands. Those heads are identical, by the way. AND, we have both heads for other figures. AND, those are the same legs…maybe the same lower body…as the Headless Horseman. The top is the Mythic Legions barbarian. So what we have is a 100% re-used parts figure with a different paint job. And that is SO in the spirit of Masters of the Universe and knockoff versions, isn’t it!

As such, we know what we have. He stands well, very stable. He is as posable as a Masters of the Universe Classics or MASTERVERSE figure. His sculpting is the work of the best in the toy business, the Four Horsemen Studios.

His (I should say “it’s” to go with the bio) entire paint is white over a black body. I mean…the plastic is molded in shadow black. And then the white bones are painted on. The only other pop of color on the figure is the green eyes. So very effective paint, and it’s what caught my attention. That said, the way Scareglo is presented nowadays is reversed from the 1980’s.

ACTION…

The Halberd…we already have it in Chrome. It came with Mythic Legions Dark Knight Templar. But this is a different color. Be careful not to scratch the paint off of it getting it in Head Hunter’s hand. I haven’t had this accident, but it seems like it could happen.

Does he glow….NO. (Sadness)

That said, the white coloration really takes to colored lights. He looks best under pinkish, purple-ish light.

COMPARISON

First, let’s put him with Scare Glow. MASTERVERSE Scare Glow does glow in the dark. It is also more reactive to the blue light…that light energizes the glow in the dark paint on his ribs. But we could say that Headhunter is stronger as a figure as his whole body reflects that light, it just isn’t a phosphorescent effect. (Good job SpartanNerd. “Phosphoresent…”). And just like Scare Glow, I don’t see how people can confuse him and Skeletor. I get it…some kids only had “generic” or “off-brand” Skeletor. This is what they had to get because they couldn’t get the real thing. But other than a skull head, they don’t look alike.

PICTURED: MASTERVERSE New Eternia Bone Throne, MASTERVERSE New Eternia Battle Armor Skeletor, Four Horsemen Studios Warrior Beasts Head Hunter, and MASTERVERSE Revelation Scare Glow.

What about other Grim Reapers?

He has an alternate head that goes perfectly with Mythic Legions, so try putting that other head on Maxillius the Harvester…but set Maxillius to classic mode by removing the awesome blood wings, and check out how you have kitbashed a “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey” Grim Reaper!

Heh Heh. Black Falcon lost his lunch again!

Here he is with most of my other skeleton figures

Funko Magic the Gathering Liliana commands her undead army. PICTURED: Demistros, MASTERVERSE New Eternia Skeletor, MASTERVERSE Revelation Scare Glow, Mythic Legions Skeleton Legion Builder, Mythic Legions Skeleton Legion Builder II, Death (From Marvel Legends Thanos), Mythic Legions Maxillius the Harvester, Four Horsemen Studios Warrior Beasts Head Hunter, Super7 Ultimates Black Falcon. You can find reviews for all of these at SpartanNerd.com, except for Liliana.

As with all good action figures, you can do some cool stuff with Photoshop. This took like, no effort, but terrific effect! I used ToyPixx’s recent “graveyard” backdrop, and green screened Head Hunter, layered him on the graveyard and made him a little bit transparent.

I just moved into a new house, and I kind of walk around in my yard in this same way.

SPARTANNERD’S RATING OF FOUR HORSEMEN STUDIOS WARRIOR BEASTS HEAD HUNTER

At the beginning of my review, I asked the question, was this worth my $40? Kind of yes. But also…kind of no.

He’s cool and scratches a kind of nostalgic itch even for a guy who never owned this as a kid. A color variant of Scare Glow is a nice thing to have. And if you go back and look at old pictures of the original, the Four Horsemen have updated him perfectly. “The feels”… he gets this point because I felt like I saw something I just knew I needed when I saw it.

I’m not a “parts collector,” but someone who is might be upset that there is nothing new here. On the other hand, maybe someone wants those white boots and that white cape could definitely be used on other figures. The accessory count here is just sad. I’m always joking about Super Seven Ultimates! Black Falcon, but that figure came with more accessories than any other just about, and he hit that same generic “feels.”

Lost your lunch? Let’s eat the SpartanNerd’s food. PICTURED: Super7 Ultimates! Black Falcon and Four Horsemen Studios Warrior Beasts Head Hunter. Also Mythic Legions Evil Magic Effects on the halberd. And a frozen turkey sausage English muffin.

I am awarding Four Horsemen Studios Warrior Beasts Head Hunter a 4/5. He is a nice update on a generic figure from the 1980’s, but he needs more accessories. It is a great thing to add another skeleton to my collection, even if he has that “Karate Kid” skeleton costume vibe. Sculpting, paint, articulation, all this is good. But he just needs more accessories, and this is where he loses a point.

Do you agree or disagree, Hub City Geeks? Let me know in the comments! Did you own this as a kid? Let me and the world that reads the SpartanNerd blog know!

Maxillius the Harvester

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See the video unboxing and initial review on my YouTube Channel

I ordered this guy so long ago. February 2024? Something crazy like that. This was really when I was starting to get into Mythic Legions more heavily, and they announced the Necronominus wave, and I didn’t place any orders…I missed it. But then Big Bad Toy Store had it for pre-order so I got it there, not realizing that Store Horsemen purchasers get theirs first, and also cheaper. But it was a learning experience.

I wanted him because … I mean he’s the grim reaper, right!

PACKAGING

Maxillius comes in the regular collector friendly blister. As you look at it, you might think he has huge hands sticking up beside his hood. Nope. This is a halo. (Yes. A halo of DEATH). My specific example also features the rope around his waist coming down onto the Mythic Legions logo. you can see some stuff behind him, the hard edge of a ziplock bag, and something else that isn’t clear.

On the back you see the Necronominus wave boss, Necronominus himself. (I know I am likely not spelling this correctly, and I also can’t pronounce it. Listen to me stammer on YouTube!).

The figures on the cross sell…I don’t know any of these, but I think I might have seen the blue girl or someone like her in a store. The creature on the bottom is akin to Modulok. It is an alien beast skeleton that you can swap the parts around, and I probably will eventually get that because I like stuff like that. I watched a Dork Lair review of it, which is why I know so much about it.

And the sides…one side gives us the bio from the vague Mythic Legions story. Basically, Maxillius comes before the big boss who is the gaudy skeleton thing featured in the art on the back of the box. (That is Necro-unpronouncable himself). And the other side has a spider which is probably the faction symbol.

WHAT DO YOU GET IN THE BOX

Here he is, taken directly out. No posing or anything. he stands just fine

Here’s what you get.

  • Maxillius the Harvester action figure
  • Removable robe with rope belt
  • Removable halo
  • Front armor (this was what the mysterious thing in the box was…it was upside down)
  • Scythe weapon. Or should it be labeled a “tool.”
  • Hourglass
  • Pair of pointing hands
  • Alternate head that is a traditional human skull.

And just so you know, this is what he looks like if you remove the halo and the robe. (I also put the other head on)

“Specimen Room” PICTURED: Cosmic Legions Wal-Torr the Mad with Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell etched skull, and Maxillius the Harvester hanging on display using Cosmic Legions figure stand.

One of the selling points of this figure was that it is a bare skeleton, and as far as I know the first one in Mythic Legions. They have since come out with a few others, and I am definitely tempted to get those…one is a box of four glow-in-the-dark Halloween skeletons. “Graveyard Skeletons” or something.

And then the next selling point was you have a three-in-one figure. You can go with bare skeleton, traditional Grim Reaper, or Mythic Legions mini-boss. (Who am I kidding. This guy is a main boss, even if captain gaudy unpronounceable skeleton god is his boss.)

FIGURE REVIEW

This. Sculpt. Is. Amazing. WOW!

I have been seeing the Four Horsemen talk about the dragon kickstarter at recent conventions on YouTube, and one thing to point out…Eric Treadway doesn’t make symmetrical sides. The right and left dragon legs have varying details. Well, this is true here on some of the Maxillius figure. For instance, that halo is made of an upturned ribcage. Each rib has a different treatment.

Speaking of the halo. DUDE. It has MEAT! There are some bloody details around the spotwelds. And then…MEAT FEATHERS. Yep. This is a thing. Coming out the back of the halo are small angel wings made of MEAT FEATHERS.

A glimpse into the increasingly inadequate Nerd Closet. This halo…wow! What a piece. MEAT FEATHERS are a thing. They remind me of the gills on a fish kind of. And those ribs…butcher shop. This was a detail of strength I wasn’t aware of.

While he is wearing the robe, this halo makes it apparent that this grim reaper is a Mythic Legions. It isn’t your average Halloween prop. A casual observer might think “Oh. A doll of the death angel.” But the halo and the armor piece that hangs down front give it intense flare.

And sticking out of the robe are perfectly sculpted feet and hands. This robe has wires in the sleeves…you don’t realize how necessary this is until you think about how important it is for his bony hands to point at stuff. (Especially people that he is reaping).

Surely, you know this image Hub City Geeks…(Google Image Search)

You have two head sculpt options. I thought I would prefer the classic human head, but the more alien head is growing on me. And you can pose the hood over his eyes better with the alien head. But with the human head, it looks more Halloween classic. Now that head is the same head that some other skeletons in Mythic Legions have, but it has less paint…and it could definitely use some black eyes. But also, the alien head’s eyes need some paint. As it is, they are bulbous protrusions with the same bone color as the rest of the skull.

PICTURED: MASTERVERSE New Eternia Fisto and Ram Man vs. Mythic Legions Maxillius the Harvester and Skeleton Legion Builder Reinforcement. They fight MASTERVERSE New Eternia Ram Man and Fisto. Maxillius is armed with Masters of the Universe Classics Despara sword and MASTERVERSE New Eternia Skelcon shield, while Skeleton Reinforcement is armed with Super7 Ultimates Battle of the Mounds bloody weapons short sword. I understand that in D&D, to beat skeletons you should use hammers and blunt weapons. So metal fist and rammy head…

But taking the robe off. WHOO HOO. What’s underneath!

This skeleton sculpt looks less Lego-ish than I had criticized it as being when I first ordered it. Of course, we are looking at prototypes then, so I am glad to report that the final product doesn’t feel so Ninjago-ish. True, the calves might be more thick than true human bone, but if it was thinner it wouldn’t support the figure’s weight. So we kind of have a tibia and fibula kind of sculpted together, with a patella also glued on. (SpartanNerd dropping the big words today!)

So this skeleton is so accurate! Every vertebrate is a sculpted detail. This is a new neck piece that doesn’t seem to be removable…but why would you? It feels kind of delicate, though. The spine goes down the back of the ribcage, and then the lower spine connects to a ball joint in the upper torso so that we have an “ab crunch” (without the abs.). And I almost didn’t notice at first, but the upper torso has LUNGS sculpted in, perhaps rotten, but this justifies there being some meat for the ball joint to attach.

The ribs are not removable…but they might be for a customizer. It seems like they are glued on the front.

And in this naked form, you have what must be the most articulated Mythic Legions action figure. And I haven’t disassembled him, but you could take him apart and strow bones around everywhere.

The paint on the skeleton…the bone color is a pretty close match to Skeletor’s throne. Reinforcement Skeleton is darker.

“Am I Evil”. PICTURED: Mythic Legions Maxillius the Harvester on MASTERVERSE New Eternia Skeletor’s throne. (Also called bone throne, and Havoc throne.)

ACCESSORIES

“I was hardly using it anyway”. PICTURED: Mythic Legions Maxxilius the Harvester and MASTERVERSE New Eternia Evil-Lyn. Her soul is a ghostly skull effect from a Mythic Legions Magic effect pack, and they are at Skeletor’s throne with green fire.

Pointing fingers are a necessity for the Grim Reaper. But they gave us this hourglass to capture people’s souls. So cool. I never would have thought of this, but it is a crazy fantasy idea. And here’s one for the nerds. Master Tonberry in Final Fantasy wears a robe, has an instant death knife, and what? An hourglass. So maybe the Horsemen were thinking about this?

The Scythe. (See the picture above). This is huge and all one piece. It is beautifully painted, and has battle scar marks. The stick end is slender and sharp, but this was made for adult collectors, right…(I poked myself with it accidentally and it really hurt 😦

SPARTANNERD RATING OF MYTHIC LEGIONS MAXILLIUS THE HARVERSTER

“Maestro Maxillius”. PICTURED: Mythic Legions figures Maxillius the Harvester, Undead of Vikenfell, Skeleton Legion Builder, Demistros, and MASTERVERSE New Eternia Skelcon, and Revelation Scareglo (Comic Con exclusive). The diorama is Skeletor’s bone throne.

Well it was worth the wait!

Maxillius delivers everything I would have wanted, and also MEAT FEATHERS, that I didn’t know I wanted until I had them.

Sculpt- Great. Paint- Great. Accessories- Great. Articulation- Great with no stupid problems.

And what does he add? He adds a bare skeleton, a classic Grim Reaper, and a Mythic Legions Skeleton boss.

Maxillius is a solid 5/5. And I suppose you have to agree with me, Hub City Geeks. What argument is there against this figure being a 5/5? No one ever comments, so LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and COMMENT! Let me know your opinion of Maxillius the Harvester!7

MASTERVERSE Battle Armor Skeletor

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Watch the YouTube video HERE

The SpartanNerd has been SO SICK. The Type A Flu has done a number on me and the SpartanFamily. So I have been home on these cold, cold days, with no motivation to do anything but sleep. Not much eating. Some TV watching. But the idea of taking action figures down and getting photos of them…as non-intense as that is. The motivation just hasn’t been there. And it is a shame because I have so many nice reviews waiting to happen.

I’ve had Battle Armor Skeletor for awhile. After Christmas break, you know, back to work. And then the flu. I filmed the video unboxing of Skeletor and also The Undead of Vikenfell before Christmas break was over. I can’t say my greatest video. (You can watch that video HERE). But today, January 21, I am determined not to lay around anymore. I’m GOING to do this. And get the review of the Undead of Vikenfell up, and New Eternia Evil-Lyn, and then four other Mythic Legions should be arriving today.

PACKAGING

Once again, the MASTERVERSE packaging is really good. On the front you can see Skeletor very well. Notable that Skeletor’s helmet is kind of loose in my example. A MOC collector might look out for one that is fit on the figure better.

There are illustrations of Skeletor fighting Snake Men along with New Eternia Evil-Lyn, and as you turn the box around you can see an image of King Hiss. Severe hinting that by the end of the year we will have some Snake Men. We already had hints about this with Snout Spout’s diorama…that is kind of a non-sensical thing to include with a firefighter.

The other side has an illustration of Skeletor without the helmet at the top, and standing there holding the battleaxe looking…Reverend SpartanNerd will say BadAss. How else can you put it? Mattel propping up the more barbarian side of Masters of the Universe is terrific, but with Skeletor they could have gone full-on mage. Instead we get the surprising champion, conquerer, victorious, “I dare you to mess with me” version of Skeletor. And I can’t get over all of the completely Death Metal spikes they put on the helmet and the armor. What a terrific redesign!

As usual, I do not like what they are doing with the backs of the new packages. They are showing us a photoshopped picture of the toy, and they have done things like airbrushed out the seams on the thigh-cuts, etc. Little windows on the side show the features of the figure, and this figure is in berserk mode swinging the axe and the sword. There is cross-sell on the bottom, this time featuring Man-O-War, Sorceress Teela, New Eternia Mer-Man, and the Battle Armor Skeletor that you already have. I own all of these now except for Man-O-War, and just don’t care for him much.

FIGURE REVIEW

Here’s what you get in the package

  • Skeletor figure
  • Removable horned (and spiked!) helmet
  • Battle Axe
  • Scimitar
  • Alternate battle-damaged armor plate.

Skeletor has the three-toed monster feet with boot cuts. Think about that for a minute…this means that these shoes were tailored specifically for his specialized feet. Depending on your view, this is awesome or ridiculous. (I’m leaning towards awesome)

There is a chain mail loin cloth that looks like soft goods, but it is sculpted plastic. He didn’t come with any alternate hands, but now I have five Skeletor figures PLUS King Keldor, so if I need an alternate hands I have them. Both hands are gripping hands that rotate and have hinges, and probably he is usually going to be holding weapons..

PICTURED: MASTERVERSE Revolution King Keldor opens a portal to his home dimension, summoning his people through the portal. (This is a remix of the old miniternia story). The two Skeletor figures in the portal are both New Eternia Skeletor figures. (Viking and Throne)

His head sculpt is just a little bit too jolly for my taste. It looks good, and the chain mail skullcap is a very nice touch. The jolly-ness comes from the smile along with the pointed chin and pointed cheek bones. Definitely more of a smile than a grimace. This is an articulated jaw, but it has limited mobility and opening the mouth doesn’t help much. As it is, I prefer the Alcala inspired head that came with the Havoc Throne. (There is some opinion that that head looks too much like a chimp skull. I say those people need to go back and look at the source material.)

PICTURED: New Eternia Battle Armor Skeletor with New Eternia Skeletor (Havoc Throne) hoodless head, wearing the helmet.

The shoulder pauldrons might be removable. I can’t tell and am not willing to force it. A customizer can probably do a lot with this. I love how there are these spikes on the shoulder. Blood Bowl anyone?

You don’t have to remove the armor to swap the scratch plate. It easily pops out and then you can easily replace it by slotting it in behind that little skull emblem on his chest. I did eventually remove the armor out of curiosity, and the whole thing structure reminds you of the armor power up you can get in a game of DOOM. There is also a girdle of armor protecting his hips. And this is also removable.

I believe they learned from their mistakes with the two Battle Armor He-Man figures we have been given, and perfectly addressed concerns with those.

PICTURED: MASTERVERSE Revolution Battle Armor He-Man battles MASTERVERSE New Eternia Battle Armor Skeletor.

ACCESSORIES

MASTERVERSE New Eternia Fisto
Mythic Legions Legion Builder Skeleton
MASTERVERSE New Eternia Man-At-Arms

The helmet is really one of the things that was the biggest draw for getting this figure. It is what caught my eye first. I was a big fan of that helmet that came with MOTUC Panthor, but there were a lot of critics of that. I say “WHY?” Horned helmets are awesome, and Battle Cat has a helmet…Panthor should too. In Skeletor’s case here, he is given something the character has never had before in his normal context. He always has a hood. He might be bare-skull occasionally. There is Skele-God from the Revelation cartoon, and the golden god Skeletor from the movie (more of a spiky headdress), but these don’t look so metal. I say this because this helmet adds a lot to Battle Armor Skeletor as a character. Anyone remember “Molar?” This was the Eternian Dentist from the Robot Chicken skit. Mattel gave us a figure of Molar with an accompanying Skeletor, and that figure was missing a tooth. It took no time for people to put that head on MOTUC Battle Armor Skeletor and add some effects to create an awesome kitbash.

This is what I am talking about. OAFE.Net

This horned helmet does something similar to the character of Battle Armor Skeletor. It doesn’t “snap” on…it fits loosely. But you can put it on many other figure’s heads because of this loose nature. It has curled horns that would belong on Panthor or on the Havoc Staff, and spikes up the middle for even better effect. Skeletor wears this way better than Super7 Ultimates! Black Falcon. (His non-removable helmet has spikes up the middle and Viking horns.)

The Battle Axe is one of the best battle axes. I like how it is large and epic. It has that asymmetrical nature like Snout Spouts that we can tell where the main business end is. It has wraps around the handle also, and is well painted, and once again LARGE. It’s true that Revolution Battle Armor He-Man’s axe is spectacular chrome paint, but it is smaller and doesn’t bring that well-used patina. And yes, I am being picky.

This is some of my battle axes. Lines represented: MASTERVERSE, Super7 Ultimates!, Animal Warriors of the Kingdom, and Mythic Legions.

The Scimitar is different than other curved swords we have in MASTERVERSE. It feels like more basic of a weapon than the battle axe, but has a deadly and savage feel, as opposed to say what we got with Fisto. (This is the same scimitar that came with the first New Eternia Skeletor (Viking) but in a black and silver color scheme.)

PICUTURED: Curved sword collection. Bottom to top: Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell (review coming soon), MASTERVERSE Revelation King Grayskull, MASTERVERSE Revelation Merman, MASTERVERSE New Eternia Skeletor (Viking and Battle Armor)

SPARTANNERD RATING OF MASTERVERSE NEW ETERNIA BATTLE ARMOR SKELETOR

Not only does Skeletor excel in all 5 areas I check for, (sculpt, paint, articulation, accessories, and significance), Mattel has built on knowledge of making two less-successful Battle Armor He-Man figures. He has all of their strengths, but none of their weaknesses.

So he gets a 5/5. Do I have any complaints? Skeletor feels like he needs to have the Havoc Staff. You might argue that the helmet IS the Havoc Staff, and with recent comic book stories it seems like his skull gets melded with it or something. So perhaps that’s what is happening here? And then that face sculpt is just a little bit too happy for me. But that is offset by the sheer Slayer-ness of the rest of the presentation, plus it is backed by a chain mail skullcap. I can’t mark off for that.

So the SpartanNerd’s rating of MASTERVERSE New Eternia Battle Armor Skeletor is 5/5. AND, if you watched the video, you know I have to declare a winner between this figure and The Undead of Vikenfell. Stay tuned!

Action Figure Showdown- SpartanNerd Review of Wal-Torr the Mad and Cosmic Legion T.U.5.C.C Pilot

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It’s Rivalry Week, and in South Carolina, this means CAROLINA vs clemson (not a typo). The Gamecocks are poised to take out the Tigers this year, by a great margin. And oh satisfying will that be! But this blog is a review of toys, so…

I picked up Wal-Torr the Mad on a special sale (the same sale I got the Ogre Scale Accessory Pack). This was an item I had my eye on but waffled…There is a traditional fantasy Mythic Legions version, and then there is this Cosmic Legions space version. So space toy vs. fantasy toy.

Ultimately, after looking at the photos awhile on the internet, I decided the space version was the best, even if it was hideous orange.

But the presentation was adorable…the skull headed spaceman looking at a flower in a setting reminiscent of Mars. It looked like some kind of familiar scene somehow.

And I already have some of the parts in the Mythic Legions version, while the only Cosmic Legion I have is the SSKUR’GE ogre scale figure. So I jumped in…and glad I did.

BUT…that isn’t all of this story, is it? I went to the Toy Federation in Greer, SC one day just for some spontaneous shopping. And behold…they had a copy of this same figure but in a glorious Garnet color scheme. The T.U.5.C.C. Pilot (that is an annoying name to type) is the same basic idea, but instead of being a named character he is an army builder. Army builders are a tad cheaper than “legendary” creatures, so I paid the same price for both of these figures (just from different sources.)

Let’s examine the packages first.

PACKAGING FACE-OFF

Both packages have a nice window box. Wal-Torr’s is more orange nebula, and Pilot’s is more space purple. (So unfortunate colors to have together.)

Both have faction symbols in the top corner, but I don’t know anything about what they mean. You can see the alternate headsculpts easily. One of the big mysteries for me when I first got Wal-Torr was…what really is going on? He has this helmeted alien head, but then he has this human skull. So many questions! But those questions were answered when I saw the alternate head sculpt of the Pilot. Wal-Torr is supposed to be an homage to a real human, and the other is what kind of alien he is. I get it (I guess). I don’t know much about it, but perhaps Walter Hagen is big into skeletons…seems like an awesome guy then! (Walter Hagen is the leader of the Mythic Legions Cabal fan group.)

Wal-Torr’s box features a nice illustration of”hologram” on the bottom. Important that it shows the collar option.
The back of Wal-Tor’s package. Perhaps this is the planet he is on or from.

The back of both boxes feature cross-sell images from the rest of their respective Cosmic Legions wave.

Both have nice art on the side, both with a bit of a Bio.

Wal-Torr’s bio
I really like this graphic.
Can anyone decipher this?
The front of T.U.5.C.C. Pilot’s package. His hologram importantly shows the hoses.
I don’t know what kind of ship he pilots. Is this it in the corner right of the package back?

T.U.5.C.C. Pilot Bio
Outpost Zaxxius information

I actually appreciate some of the vagueness of the bios and packaging. Maybe that’s Wal-Torr’s home planet? Maybe this is the T.U.5.C.C. Pilot’s ship? Who knows. Maybe this is all artistic technobabble. I’m good with that.

There is one new backdrop. Wal-Torr comes with a background that I haven’t had, while T.U.5.C.C. Pilot comes with a smaller version of what SSKUR’GE came with.

This is the backdrop. A space scene. I am showing you a photoshop work screen. It is stretched and there is some “spot healing.” I’ll make it super-usable yet.

One more thing about the packaging. Both contained this message, and also a little tray of pegs. At first I thought “What is this? Ammo?” They CAN stand in for ammo. But the intention is that they be mounting pegs. That they are translucent is a nice bonus…translucent works great in science fiction, right?

Somehow I didn’t get a photo of T.U.S.C.C. Pilot in his blister. But I assure you readers, it was comparable to Wal-Torr’s.

WHAT DO YOU GET IN THE PACKAGING?

Let’s start with Wal-Torr

  • Wal-Torr figure in terrible urrnje coloring.
  • Two options for a head (alien helmet and skull)
  • Astronaut Space-Suit helmet, which is a collar and bubble
  • Backpack
  • Sci-Fi rifle
  • Sci-Fi pistol
  • Another piece of gear (can be a couple of different things)
  • Map hologram
  • Translucent pegs (that can be ammo)
  • Back adapters
  • Shield
  • Hose
  • Seven (!) pairs of hands. Notably human hands…

So much here, it takes a few photos to capture it all.

This shield comes apart…you could trade pieces if you had more than one.

What about the T.U.5.C.C. Pilot? (GO GAMECOCKS!)

You get…

  • T.U.S.C.C. Pilot figure in glorious Garnet.
  • Two head sculpt options, both aliens, one helmeted and the other weird and blue unhelmeted.
  • Space collar
  • Armor pieces
  • Backpack parts (you can see that I assembled these together.
  • Sci-Fi Rifle
  • Sci-Fi Pistol
  • Multi-purpose weapons part
  • Map hologram
  • Translucent pegs (that can be ammo)
  • pair of alternate hands, (notably three fingered alien hands)
  • Two hoses

As above, it takes more photos to show it all off.

You can remove the bubble from the helmet to get a better look at the “face” on both figures.

There are a lot of similarities here. They have the same exact guns. Wal-Torr wins the accessory battle because he comes with a shield and all those hands. WOW. I figure that they included all of these because they won’t ever issue them in this color again probably. While the pilot’s hands could go on anyone (being black gloved alien fingers).

BUT…You get a lot of options with T.U.5.C.C. Pilot also. Perhaps making the shoulder wings into a backpack was an unintended use…but it’s my toys…I get to play with them! (Thank you, Rob Base!)

Both have the same sculpt in some ways, but different in others. Pilot has sculpted slacks and upper sleeves, while Wal-Torr’s body is fully armored. Both have the same torso with a fan sculpted on the chest. Pilot’s cover’s his up when wearing that collar. Wal-Torr’s backpack was actually one of the intriguing sculpted elements that caught my attention in pictures. I didn’t realize it was a backpack until I had the figure in hand, however.

The hose with Wal-Torr creates questions. Where is it supposed to go? The two hoses with Pilot seem very purposeful. In the photo above, I only realized right before taking it that there were holes in the collar for it.

Their guns are the same with different colors. And there is that other little piece. Is it a scope sight? Is it a laser for the wrists? Is it a magazine or power supply? I guess it’s up to your imaginination…it can be all of those things.

The hologram is the same for both figures, only Wal-Torr’s is a more pleasing blue shade and Pilot’s is grayish. (If you read enough, you know this must be the five rings of the cosmerium or something like that.)

A big problem with the Wal-Torr figure…that space helmet doesn’t snap on. The collar sits loosely. The bubble snaps on to the collar just fine, but the collar is the problem.

The space helmet fits on Man-At-Arms exactly as good as it does on Wal-Torr. Not great. It looks good on him, though.

BUT…that skull head is a great thing. It is missing a tooth, providing options for me to display other skeleton warriors. And it has an articulated jaw.

This is what the New Eternia Skeletor looks like with the skull swapped out. I prefer Skeletor to have some color in his face, rather than being a boring normal skull. Notice that this head is loose on the MASTERVERSE peg.
Perhaps Black Falcon is telling his carrier pigeon to go poop on Demistros‘ limo!

SHOWDOWN…WHO WILL WIN?!

First of all, you all know I am going to be unbiased…(totally)

T.U.5.C.C. Pilot drops in, ready to spray down Wal-Tor with his awesome garnet ammunition. Wal-Torr makes good use of his shield but can’t rightly aim with his pistol in the face of heavy fire.
Quickly thinking about his high school varsity level sled training, Wal-Torr bucks up with that shield and knocks T.U.5.C.C. Pilot LaNorris Sellers back.
Far outclassing his opponent in physicality and skill, our glorious garnet Gamecock is able to chin-kick the hideously colored Clemson opponent.
The Tigers are done for as Wal-Torr is unable to recover from his nimble opponent’s reverse!

Yep. I say I believe the Cosmic Legions T.U.5.C.C. Pilot is the winner here based on his paint job. Now…It is true I don’t like that Clemson orange, but the details on the Pilot really pop with shiny metallic details. I believe mostly Wal-Torr is molded in orange plastic and then washed with a darker shade, while the Pilot has attention to detail that out does him. Now I believe Wal-Torr has better accessories and more adaptability with that skull head. But the amount of variation you can get from T.U.5.C.C. Pilot is greater. The skull head is kind of puzzling, but the blue alien head is a new sculpt that resolves some of the mystery about who these aliens are. And besides. GO GAMECOCKS.

SPARTANNERD RATING OF COSMIC LEGIONS WAL-TORR THE MAD AND T.U.5.C.C. PILOT

I give both figures a 5/5. Great fun! Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments!

NOTE: On November 30, 2024, the South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the Clemson Tigers 17-14. My prediction came true!

MASTERVERSE Revolution Sorceress Teela…SpartanNerd Unboxing and Review

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Looks like the SpartanNerd is playing with his dolls again…

At this point I have several female action figures. I really value my girls. But I was on the fence about this one because of the preview photos, but also…I mean you can see what threw me off of getting her. She is beautifully painted and sculpted, but that upper thigh cut and the execution of the leg joints makes her look awkward right away. And not just me…I asked a few others and they felt the same way.

I get that MASTERVERSE figures have advanced articulation, but Mattel…KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS. Who are we? Middle-aged adults who are more into displaying or photographing our figures. To that end, anything that makes the figure look worse…at least give it second thoughts. This has been a thing since the MOTUC She-Ra had the hole in her head…since the MOTUC Sorceress had big drums on her back to execute wing articulation.

Now depending on your feelings…maybe you LIKE the way this looks. It doesn’t work for me, and is why I almost punted on this purchase.

PACKAGING

You can see the window box at the top of the post how she looks on the shelf. It is a big MASTERVERSE-style window box, showing a great illustration of the character surrounded by magical snakes. I am going to say that it is notable that she is called “Sorceress Teela.” This is one of the Revolution designs from the Netflix show. In the past she has been known as “The Goddess” or sometimes “The Green Goddess” and also “The Sorceress of Serpos.” But they are going to stick with “Sorceress Teela” which is fine. I kind of like the idea of her being a different character, and maybe someday there will be a “New Eternia” release, maybe even with translucent plastic like they did with MOTUC. (I’ve only seen that one in box…it has notorious crumbly plastic). Readers should know…there is ANOTHER figure out there with the same name, with a more traditional “sorceress of Zoar” design. Maybe I’ll pick it up one day, but I am salty still about the MASTERVERSE Revelation Sorcerss’ problems.

They absolutely cheated on the back of this box…that is a picture of the toy…notice that they photoshopped out that seam at the upper thigh articulation. The cross-sell on the bottom features Man-Of-War, Sorceress Teela, New Eternia Mer-Man, and New Eternia Battle Armor Skeletor. I really want Battle Armor Skeletor, but it looks like I might have missed it.

I generally like what is on the back and sides. One of the sides shows Sorceress Teela holding the Staff of Ka and the other shows all three staves (Havoc Staff, Staff of Ka in a neutral pose, and Staff of Zoar). In the cartoon, she had to master all three kinds of magic to become the “Tri-Sorceress.”

Just a side note…I’m completely into the design of husband-and-wife He-Man and Teela the Tri-Sorceress at the end of the show. AND I think they could sell those two as a set and I would totally buy it. In fact…don’t tell anyone…I would buy this as a BARBIE set! (Also…when will we get the completely awesome Sorceress of Havoc?!)

WHAT DO YOU GET IN THE BOX

Contents:

  • Sorceress Teela figure
  • Staff of Ka
  • Snake magic effect
  • Alternate hands (she has gripping and open hands)

Not many accessories…

FIGURE REVIEW

PICTURED: Sorceress Teela using the Snake Men backdrop that came with New Eternia Snout Spout. This photo makes her look a bit like an Egyptian goddess. Egyptian has already proven to be OK for the Sorceress back in the 200x days.

As a figure, the paint is really good. This is green plastic all over, but such a pleasing shade! They painted the toenails black and the fingernails red. The armor is non-removable (painted on). That she has long sleeves painted on and naked legs makes her more reptilian. They also gave her painted anklets.

I don’t know if it is the bare feet or not, but I have had a hard time getting her to stand.

PICTURED: Sorceress Teela with Savage He-Man. Savage has 40th anniversary He-Man’s head, and she is presenting him with the armor and weapons similar to the first “mini-comic.”

You can see in the storybook homage photo above that Savage He-Man doesn’t have trouble with his bare feet. But he has big boats while she has dainty green princess feet, and maybe it’s the giant hood that causes the balance issues.

PICTURED: MASTERSE Force Captain Teela and Sorceress Teela, both with their heads swapped. Notice Force Captain’s headdress is the MOTUC weapons pack version, as well as the Staff of Ka. I only did this head swap for the review…why would you ever do this for a main display?

Speaking of the hood, I wish you could remove it from her head. That this is glued on takes away from what could have been an amazing feature of the toy.

The tail is soft goods…effectively making this a “dress.” I know you are wondering out there, so here you go…(pictured below)

PICTURED: Sorcerss Teela and Conan Battle of the Mounds Valeria (Spirit)

If you have Sorceress Teela “half-cheek” it you get an unsightly view of those upper leg joints. Similar to Super7 Ultimates! Conan Battle of the Mounds Valeria. And if you zoom in you will see that the black stripe visible in this picture is a shadow, not paint. (That’s how bad it is…Cringy)

Ultimately, though, the tail isn’t meant to do this…it is meant to always cover her backside. And it doesn’t look bad. I wish it had print on both sides of the dress, but one sided works just fine.

ACCESSORIES

PICTURED: MASTERVERSE New Eternia Skeletor Throne and MASTERVERSE Revolution Sorceress Teela. She is showing off the Staff of Ka that she came with, as well as the one that came with the throne.

The Staff of Ka is really what pushed me over the edge to go ahead and purchase this. This is the best painted snake staff we have had in Mattel Masters of the Universe ever. You can see how lacking the Skeletor one is by comparison in the picture above. In fact, I plan on painting Skeletor’s now (maybe one day when it snows).

PICTURED: Sorceress Teela with Mythic Legions magic effects.

The snake magic effect is cool…I just wish there were more of it. BUT…you can use Mythic Legions Magic Effects with her just great!

SPARTANNERD’S RATING OF MASTERVERSE REVOLUTION SORCERESS TEELA.

Why does The Sorceress always get messed up in action figure form? Below is a picture of four versions of Teela and Sorceress Mattel has given us.

Each of these have had some kind of issue except for MASTERVERSE Force Captain Teela. MASTERVERSE Revelation Sorceress (Teela-Na) has those stupid soft-goods wings. Masters of the Universe Classics Battleground Teela has the strange “table” effect on the waist when you turn the body. And now the Green Goddess has the strange thigh-cuts that make her pelvic region awkward for Reverend SpartanNerd to talk about. And notice I “kit-bashed” Battleground Teela and Force Captain Teela. I still think the legs on the MOTUC version are the better female legs. That double jointed knee looks like cellulite. And the MOTUC version also just didn’t have a thigh-cut. It wasn’t needed and the Four Horsemen knew it.

As it is, Force Captain Teela with the MOTUC gear is still the best. But as much griping as I have done about Snake Sorceress (Green Goddess and Snake Sorceress are the names I usually use), as an action figure she is great. She really “feels” like a different character, actually in the show as well. And she is very enjoyable to play with…not displeasing to the eye. I think the thigh cut problem looks its worse while the figure is standing in the box, which is too bad for MOC collectors. As you are posing her around, you can minimize her un-sexiness actually much better than you can Super7 Valeria (Spirit).

So positives…Terrific paint, on both the figure and also the Staff of Ka. She is very articulated and is currently the most “free” to pose female figure because her armor is painted on. Negatives…the articulation seams are unsightly visible and especially distracting from what would be a great female body sculpt. She didn’t come with many accessories, and that the hood is non-removable is a missed opportunity.

I am going to rate this figure a 2/5. She’s a lot of fun but has her problems…problems that are poor design choices that could have been handled differently. Do you agree or disagree, Hub City Geeks? Let me know in the comments!