This is the final post about these two. And it’s about time.
Both of these figures are 5/5. So which is better? After thinking about it and posting a video review, the way I can do this is just exactly the way I did Mythic Legions Demistros vs. Super7 Ultimates! Black Falcon. Compare specs to specs.
FIRST OF ALL, A WORD ON THE RATING SYSTEM
I award up to five points. These are based on qualities of the product.
Sculpt
Paint
Articulation (noting “stupid problems”)
Accessories (quality and quantity)
And something intangible. “What does this add to the collection” is a common question. Another, “What does this figure represent?”
Each of the above figures is a 5/5. (Note: I retro-actively upgraded 40th Anniversary He-Man to 5/5. I’m allowed!). Each has a great sculpt, good paint, articulation without stupid problems, a good amount of accessories that are also excellent in sculpt, paint, etc, and finally they each represent something intangibly awesome. Rev. SpartanNerd might even say “spiritual.”
He-Man is the OG He-Man, made into MASTERVERSE scale. Like I said, I upgraded him eventually, realizing that he was the best He-Man we would be getting in MASTERVERSE and is the ceiling of “epic” for that line. Trap Jaw is the greatest Trap Jaw figure ever made. Mekaneck represented the addition of new and indispensable heroic characters, and look at how great they made him (I have added five neck joints). And Snout Spout always seems to be some kind of “wimp” to make fun of, but they made him an awesome firefighter who is fighting Snake Men on the package. Plus, he’s huge!
Same here. Each of the above is a 5/5. They hit all of those boxes. PLUS Sir Godfrey is fully chrome (I have swapped Father Christmas alternate head). Demistros is a Skeletor homage, but more of the horned head comic version, and SSKUR’GE is a Whiplash homage.
Once again, but from different lines. These guys are 5/5. In this case they both have so many awesome accessories.
SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN WHEN PITTING TWO 5/5 AGAINST ONE ANOTHER
PICTURED: MASTERVERSE News Eternia Battle Armor Skeletor. The SpartanNerd took this photo with the head from the Skeletor that came with the Bone Throne. The helmet fits just as well.PICTURED: Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell. This head is the SpartanNerd’s favorite skull head now.
Back to what I said. Lining up the two side by side and measuring the qualities. Mythic Legions sculpt is already better than MASTERVERSE, but there is a price difference.
Vikenfell’s paint is intricate and masterful, while Battle Armor Skeletor’s is basic and lacking on the body of the figure. (The armor is well done.) But then there is that price difference.
Both have great articulation., with Undead of Vikenfell being slightly better, but Mythic Legions are more expensive and just have a different M.O. with the parts swappability.
Accessories…Vikenfell has more. Skeletor wins the axe battle because of the size, but only barely because Vikenfell’s axe is so much more detailed. Vikenfell’s scimitar is better. He has a shield, three different heads, two hands, and a cape. Hello! This is the winner.
But in the abstract fifth category, they both tie. Battle Armor Skeletor’s needed to be released for MASTERVERSE…and you could say it was inevitable. But who saw Mattel doing as awesome a job as they did? Undead of Vikenfell is just one of many Mythic Legions skeleton warriors, BUT he is so unique.
I believe the clear winner this time is Undead of Vikenfell. More and better accessories including alternate AWESOME heads. Just a better product all around.
Do you agree or disagree, Hub City Geeks? Let me know in the comments! Don’t forget to like and subscribe, and also to subscribe to my YouTube channel, where this review exists in a different form as well as many other reviews including the stats-trouncing Con-exclusive Loyal Subjects CheeBee Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collection!
This flu sickness just keeps on. I went back to work for two days, but now I am sitting here just shivering. And today is the warmest it’s been in weeks. I got Battle Armor Skeletor’s blog review up, and now and getting up this Undead of Vikenfell. You can see the YouTube version of the unboxing here. And I want to do one more post of which figure is greater. It’s kind of philosophical. So many of the toys I review I give high marks to…but does that mean anything? On the other hand, this project is getting long in the tooth, and I want to get to other reviews soon.
Well let’s get into what Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell is actually about, then we can theorize later.
PACKAGING
The box is your typical Mythic Legions box. It has a large window bubble on the front, and a cardboard back, making it collector friendly packaging. (Little tabs let you remove and replace the cardboard.
There is a little blurb on the side about what this character is…essentially a skeleton Viking. A strong warrior in life, the character has found this undeath to be what passes for Valhalla because of the intervention of “Skalla of Necronominus”. (I know I messed that all up). But THEY messed something up also…the word “unsatiable” should be “insatiable”)
The back features the image that goes with this wave that is impossible to pronounce.
These figures on the side…I believe I saw the blue-skinned lady. The others I have never seen as they are a part of the upcoming wave. The thing on the bottom is a skeleton beast. Third from the top in Maxillius, who should be shipping soon. But I have been saying that for three months, so…
FIGURE REVIEW
What do you get in the package…
Undead of Vikenfell Figure
Two alternate heads (I have my favorite on for this photo)
A shield
A sophisticated curved sword
A Viking axe
A cloth-goods cape
Alternate “open” hands
Shoulder pauldrons
Weapon strap
This is a lot of stuff, even for Mythic Legions. This figure feels like a Legion Builder, but has so many more pieces. I am told that it is a “retailer exclusive,” meaning the Four Horsemen Studios made this specifically to draw people to toy stores. Giving the figure so many accessories and deluxe paint apps helps with that.
Yes. I regard this as deluxe paint. When I made my video, I didn’t even realize…this is the same body as the one that came with Father Christmas! The paint here is so pronounced it felt totally different, and we are talking about something I was messing with everyday. (Back in December…)
PICTURED: Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell and Figura Obscura Father Christmas. This is a “kitbash” with MASTERVERSE Revelation Evil-Lyn’s alternate heads and other Mythic Legions weapons.PICTURED: Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell and Legion Builder Skeleton. Legion Builder is wearing Masters of the Universe Classic Vikor’s plastic molded cape, and it just “feels right.” He is a chunky figure in scale with those. The new Undead of Vikenfell has a lighter and daintier feel.
This body, which I understand is actually an elf knight’s body, has a smaller frame to it than the other skeleton warriors I have from Mythic Legions. In both cases, the joints feel very loose. I don’t know how I feel about that with the new figure. At least the older one has an excuse.
But all of these Mythic Legions are modular and designed to come apart. So it should turn out OK. I didn’t have any trouble getting them to stand for photography late at night on a Saturday, so that’s good.
PICTURED: Super7 Ultimates! Valeria (Spirit) and Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell. They fight over who has the best wings on their helmet.
The winged helmet is the signature piece of this figure, though it isn’t my favorite head. These wings, which are removable and feel like they need a bird-body, are painted with awesome action. And there is a tassel that attaches to the back of the helmet. That makes him feel a little bit like “The Predator.”
I don’t believe these wings will be a liability (unless I somehow lose one!) BUT I have a Marvel Legends Thor figure that I keep around in my classroom, and the tip ends of the wings on his helmet are cracking off. Yes…that is one of the worst figures I have ever bought. Just the same, it is something I will always be thinking about when I have characters with tall horns or something.
PICTURED: Mythic Legions Demistros, Masters of the Universe Classics Vikor, Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell, and Super7 Ultimates! Valeria (Spirit). These guys are arguing about who’s property is who’s property. Undead of Vikenfell’s cape looks great on Vikor.
ACCESSORIES
The cape. It is big…maybe a little bit too big for the Undead of Vikenfell. It goes very nice on Vikor. (this Vikor is a kitbash of Super7 Ultimates! Conan the Barbarian Battle of the Mounds neutral head and MOTUC Vikor). I have put the necklace that came with GI Joe Classified Gnawgahyde on him. You can see the comparison of the capes below.
Below you can see a comparison of Undead of Vikenfell’s cape and Demistros’ cape. Demistros cape is more premium, BUT the trade off is that it is so difficult to get on and off of the character.
Undead of Vikenfell’s cape is asymmetrical, and I don’t know if it was on purpose or not, but when I first used it I noticed one side was stitched together with a single small thread. I looped it around an arm and got the head on (you need to remove the head and place the hole over the peg). But after just a couple of reconfigurations, that little thread broke. I actually don’t even know if that was done on purpose or not. It just made it look bunchy up around his neck, and I don’t count this as a malfunction.
The sword is quite savage. This is a cross between a broadsword, a scimitar, and a saw. Gruesome! The axe is one of the few Mythic Legions battle axes (the only?) that is not modular. This is all one sculpted piece with marvelous wood grain in the handle and designs on the axe head. The shield is gold with silver paint apps, and is honestly one of the prettiest shields I have for an action figure now.
SPARTANNERD RATING OF MYTHIC LEGIONS UNDEAD OF VIKENFELL
Five points- One point for each metric
Sculpt is very good…the bones in the feet and hands feel so human. Each head has nice character, and I especially like the etched skull and wooden axe handle. So here is a point!
The paint is very good. Every inch of this figure has paint apps. Maybe the sword could have some more paint, but honestly it doesn’t need it. I like how savage and rustic it is.
Articulation…don’t all Mythic Legions excel in this area? Having entirely modular parts makes for unlimited possibilities.
Accessories- Almost like, what didn’t we get? This skeleton has everything you would want in an undead Viking. Except for the boat.
Meaningfulness- I didn’t have a skeleton of this type of elf knight build. The shoulder pauldrons are something that will add to future smaller figures…I tried the larger more traditional one on Father Christmas, and they didn’t really work so well. But these are perfect for that. And this is another “generic” skeleton. I do like barbarians fighting skeletons. And Skeletor needs minions.
So of course I rate this at a 5/5. I don’t have a single complaint.
So now I have to decide between MASTERVERSE New Eternia Battle Armor Skeletor and Mythic Legions Undead of Vikenfell…which of them is the top figure. Stay tuned to the SpartanNerd blog for the verdict!
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.
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!
I was shopping after Christmas, and saw this GI Joe Classified…the coolest one I’ve ever seen!
Before this I had two GI Joe Classified figures. One Cobra Commander, and the other Sgt. Slaughter. Both of those are characters I have a connection with. But Gnawgahyde as a specific character I do not. But you knew immediately what he was about. A Dreadnok.
On the old cartoon, Dreadnoks were a group of criminals operating for Cobra under Zartan. I thought they were cool as a child…every one of them had the air of Crocodile Dundee. And they lived in the Everglades or somewhere similar. None seemed as smart as other Cobra characters, but now as an old teacher, I believe their smarts were just from a different place. Cobra troops for instance blindly follow orders. These guys were apt do do whatever they wanted in spite of orders. I didn’t get it as a kid, but as an adult they I understand them to be a group of mercenaries.
So why did I think this was the coolest GI Joe Classified I have ever seen? Keep reading!
PACKAGING
You can see clearly in the box what is here, and now you know why it caught my eye!
In most of these, you see the figure first…it is usually the most central idea…but in this product a warthog takes that real estate. The SpartanNerd has TWO pet pigs. (There’s a photo of one on this blog entry.)
Here’s a little “stream of thought”
My eye saw the pig, then I looked clockwise as one does, and saw the monkey, then the bow…my eyes jerked over and saw the man.
This window box shows everything you need to see. I guess they used more blister bubble packaging because of what they saved back when they tried the windowless packaging. This box is all black. All business.
The back gives us a photoshop of the figures and some details. Gnawgahyde stands in the rain with his pets. (I wonder if his mother took this photo)? Details pointed out are the snake tattoo on the side of his head, the nose ring on Porkbelly, and Gnawgahyde’s vest and two necklaces. Also his stats are over on the left side. (Those red triangle things). We aren’t given any other bio, however. No traditional “file card”
The side features the same stats images.
The other side gives us a nice image of all three characters. That number 125 is the character number in this series. Gnawgahyde probably won’t get one, but someone like Snake Eyes likely has five versions. Each version will have the same number.
So there is a QR code. My thought was…this will lead me to some content, probably the file card or at least some bio information. NOPE…It was a dead page.
Behind the figure is Cobra graphics, that make a nice backdrop.
FIGURE REVIEW
I used the backdrop that came with this set, and also Cobra Commander’s as the floor.
What do you get in the package?
Gnawgahyde figure
Porkbelly figure
Yobbo figure
Compound Bow
Quiver with one removable arrow
Hat
Sniper Rifle with case
Pair of daggers
Wearable machete
So this GI Joe classified comes with a TON of stuff!
As mentioned, the vest is removable, and he also has a removable animal tooth necklace and some dog tags.
Gnawgahyde is a tall boy compared to Cobra Commander. But…I mentioned before that maybe Cobra Commander has a Napoleon complex. (Joepedia says that Gnawgahyde is Cobra Commander’s most trusted Dreadnok).
PICTURED GI Joe Classified Series Cobra Commander and Gnawgahyde.
So much to talk about.
Gnawgahyde has a few tattoos. The aforementioned snake on the side of his head is joined by the obligatory “anarchy” symbol on one shoulder, and on the other a skull with a snake and a knife. (I like to joke with my chorus students I am going to put this image on our t-shirt. And then I saw this)! If you don’t have Gnawgahyde’s hat on his head, and you don’t look closely to know better, you might think he has scraggly remnants of hair combed over all pathetically. (I say this in jest…I am voluntarily bald because I hate my bald spot).
The two necklaces. One is something like Kraven the Hunter might wear, and could honestly go on any barbarian figure. The dog tags don’t have any paint.
The arm machete. What an impractical weapon. I guess it is more believable than the “chain sword” that Buzzer traditionally sports. (The only other Dreadnok name I can recall). If you use this to chop trees, it is just going to flop around and be less effective than a traditional machete.
PICTURED: GI Joe Classified Series Sgt. Slaughter and Gnawgahyde.
The daggers can be stored in his belt sheath behind him or on the one in his boot.
The bow is surprisingly rubbery, and joins the hosts of bows I have that can’t have a knocked arrow. It’s too floppy. This one has a plastic string molded, necessary for it to appear correctly. But pretty much Gnawgahyde has to be posed with it before or after a shot. The bow and removable arrow do have some paint. There is a removable “ballast” on the bow. ( I looked this up and still don’t know the real word. Stabilizer? Rod damper?)
The quiver is a backpack with a peg. It is molded with a curve to fit his back. It has an oversized clip to store the bow or gun case. The little loop is for that “ballast.”
The big surprise for the SpartanNerd was the details of the sniper rifle. It came with a case that has molded spots for the weapon. And the gun has four parts…the main gun, the bipod, the scope, and the noise suppressor. And each part has a spot in the case.
I don’t personally have a lot of knowledge about guns, especially of this type. But my son certainly does, and when he saw this he was completely shocked. His words…”I didn’t know they were making GI Joes now with real weapons!” He told me that this was the general sniper rifle used in the army. And immediately we found the model: Remington M2010 ESR (Enhanced Sniper Rifle).
This inspired him to go out and buy some GI Joe Classified figures of his own, and you can see those in the video I posted.
THE PETS
Are they pets? Do you really think Gnawgahyde puts out a food bowl for these guys?
Porkbelly is very nice, and is fully articulated. He is in fact more articulated than Super7 Ultmates! Snake Eye’s “Timber” wolf. (A figure that costs a lot more). Porkbelly has a torso bend on a ball joint, legs that splay out, joints on each knee and ankle, and articulated tail, two joints on his neck, and a jaw that can open!
PICTURED: Super7 Ultimates! Snake Eyes pet wolf Timber, and GI Joe Classified Series Gnawgahyde’s pet Porkbelly.
Yobbo is the exact opposite, but nicely painted anyway. He is the kind of toy you might get out of a teacher’s prize bucket. But his tail is very rubbery and can be posed any way you want just be careful not to stress it. He can sit nicely on top of Gnawgahyde’s hat or on Porkbelly’s back.
SPARTANNERD’S RATING OF GI JOE CLASSIFIED SERIES GNAWGAHYDE, PORKBELLY, AND YOBBO
Is there really a question? 5/5.
Great sculpt in line with other GI Joe Classified figures, and also great paint with what are probably tempo graphic tattoos.
A great set of accessories, including two animal companions.
No stupid problems. Great articulation. Looks great to pose and photograph.
The package is ok if a little bland. But you can see everything in it. It isn’t the product’s fault that the QR code didn’t work.
He adds a lot to the SpartanNerd’s collection. Especially with Porkbelly and Yobbo. They can go anywhere, with any other figure I have. It might be a little odd to have a warthog with a nose ring in the wild or a monkey with an eyepatch. But why not?
Do you agree or disagree, Hub City Geeks? Do you have any GI Joe classified series? Should I review more? I have to say the allure of them as compared to Super7 Ultimates, for instance is pretty strong. They are easier to get and you get more value for your money.
I didn’t have Fisto as a kid. BUT, the character has always resonated with me. A guy with a huge prosthetic fist. That is a cool power! And that it is a metal tank of a weapon.
Back to the FOMO. When they released the Masters of the Universe Classics version, he was one of the first that you had to order online only, and like no one got him. Matty Collector crashed, and just like that. Bots or something snatched them all up when the site came back online, and just like that, all of them were sold.
The MOTUC version was REALLY COOL. He looked awesome, with some 200x flare, which was unusual for the time in the life of the MOTUC line, and also he came with this huge Final Fantasy VII kind of sword….Just an extra incredible detail. And I think that sword was designed for 200x but didn’t ship or something?
And so after-market MOTUC Fisto is a very high priced toy. Then they came out with a kind of lame version for Masterverse Revelation. What a letdown.
When they showed off this new Fisto, I was shocked and completely knew I would be getting it. No regrets this time.
Or are there? Keep reading, Hub City Geeks!
PACKAGING
Fisto comes in this awesome package, this time showing off some cartoon baddies not often seen. These are the orcs from the mini comic “Masks of Power,” where these little monster guys put on the masks and turn into big monsters. This mini comic was the pack-in with Fisto, and so it is a nice homage on the box. It would be TOTALLY AWESOME if they gave us these orcs sometime in the future. And why not? They are doing Skelcons.
The sides also show some of this action, with one panel featuring He-Man throwing one of the bad guys. There are also some notable flying enemies.
The back of course features a photoshop of the toy.
It is a cool addition to the story that he has bonded with the “mystical Iron Fist” in his bio. The three images on the cross sell art…I am passing on Flying Fists He-Man. Never been a fan. And this is the same bad face treatment as Thunder Punch He-Man had. Big Bad Toy Store has charged me for Evil-Lyn, but she hasn’t shipped yet. I expect she might be here before the end of the week. (What is it with me and Evil-Lyn? This will be number 3.)
One more thing. Inside the package is a little bag for his accessories, and I think this is the first time we have this specific style of baggie.
It features the modern font for Masters of the Universe in black over blue.
FISTO FIGURE REVIEW
Here’s what you get in the box
Fisto figure
Alternate vintage-style head
Alternate left hand (fist)
Curved sword (cutless?)
Battle hammer
The head that comes on him out of the box is an older, more wizened portrait with gray details on his beard, especially coming down from the “soul patch” to the goatee. There is also a mask that reminds me of something from She-Ra. That mask is not removable. He also has a top-knot ponytail.
The second head is the classic Fisto portrait. Younger and what you expect.
PICTURED: MASTERVERSE Revelation Sorceress, New Eternia Fisto, and their daughter Teela (this is a mash-up Teela) I am following the 200x story here, where Fisto and Sorceress are deadbeat parents and Man-At-Arms has to raise her.PICTURED: MASTERVERSE New Eternia Fisto rides on Mythic Legions Boreus. It just seems right to have Fisto ride on a horse. This is because he is often pictured riding Stridor, who we don’t have a proper MASTERVERSE version of yet.
This arm is also what is different. Fisto not only has a metal fist, but now for New Eternia has a whole robotic arm. This reminds me of the whole “techno-virus” story angle from the pre-ternia mini comics and more recently from the Revolution cartoon. In other words, watch out. Perhaps Fisto can be easily controlled by the likes of Motherboard and Skeletek.
ACCESSORIES
This is a character where the accessories and the figure kind of run together. The battle hammer has modular business ends. That spike looks like it could do some damage, or at least bust up some ice. The other “dome” end is similar to Man-At-Arms weapon. Now these two pieces can be swapped out. You could just have half a hammer, or you could remove Fisto’s metal fist and swap it with one of the hammer heads.
The other accessory is the purple “cutless.” Not a giant buster sword. BOO! This was a missed opportunity, Mattel! As a weapon on its own without that context, it is just fine. I think it might be a copy of the one that comes with New Eternia Jitsu, (which I don’t have…Maybe I should get?)
SPARTANNERD’S RATING OF NEW ETERNIA FISTO
The sculpt looks good. The paint looks great, with two heads for different looks taking that piece beyond the expected. I DO think the fist might be just a little bit too small (Beast Man, Snout Spout, and Ram Man have similar sized hands.) The accessories are fine even though I wish it came with an anime sword…but this can’t figure in to the rating. It is novel that you can swap the hammer heads with the fist, and as a bonus, Trap Jaw’s parts (and Roboto’s?) can also go with Fisto. And already the pirate hook looks cool, if just a little bit rustier of a finish.
PICTURED: MASTERVERSE New Eternia Fisto and Trap Jaw
And also importantly, he represents another good guy to go with the inferior force that the SpartanNerd has. (Still missing, Stratos, Buzz-Off, Extendar, Rio Blast, Roboto, Moss Man, Prince Adam, King Randor, and Queen Marlena. Yes, some of these exist but not in a proper form. OK, Zoar also.) As a contrast, I have every important bad guy represented except for Modulok and Cobra Kahn. OK, Screech. The Snake Men should be coming out soon in MASTERVERSE, at least there have been hints.
So with great sculpt, paint, accessories, no problems along the QC area or with articulation, and that he represents something special to the SpartanNerd, he gets a 5/5. We start the new year off with a bang of a punch.
After taking off the red and white costume, and putting it in the terrific packaging for storage until Thanksgiving or Christmas In July…(or maybe some other reason, who knows?) you have a generic elf knight body that you can continue to use all year. YAY!
This thing is just great! Amazing sculpt and green paint. He fits the MOTU need for Whiplash very well. It is just too bad that neither head that he came with really looks like Whiplash. I can find a customized version out there, or maybe eventually something will come out that will work.
I could have put any of my Conan action figures here. I chose the king because he is really different…one of the most “clothed” versions of the character. I could have thrown Thulsa Doom in here easily, though. I have him holding the axe (in the video) from the Battle of the Mounds Conan, just because I like my Conan figures to hold an axe 75% of the time!
I almost passed on this. He was available for so long, and I kept waffling. Then I finally pulled the trigger on the Mattel Creations purchase and I am glad I did. He is HUGE. And that sculpt doesn’t look anything like a “sad Dumbo.” I had the chance over the weekend to pick up the 200x Staction version, but this version is better simply because it is an action figure. It’s true the Four Horsemen sculpt is better, but this MASTERVERSE version takes design cues from that and is superior in articulation and accessories.
You can see that my Mekaneck has more neck than he came with stock. I’ll get to the reason why later…
Mekaneck is just great. That we got all of those neck joints…great! His paint is flashy and his armor is just right. And how they are presenting him story wise is also different, with him now taking on underwater responsibilities, getting him away from just “reconnaissance,” as if that wasn’t important. (reconnaissance is VERY IMPORTANT, Hub City Geeks). And that he fills the essential role of Mekaneck in the lineup of heroes is also very nice.
Cosmic Legions Wal-Torr the Mad and T.U.5.C.C. Pilot (review link)
Hey. My list and my rules. I am including Carolina and Clemson on this one! Both have terrific sculpt, paint, and accessories. AND if I was rich I might army build these guys.
MASTERVERSE New Eternia Skeletor’s Throne (review link)
I could have considered Conan’s throne or Boreus (the horse at the top with Santa) as Diorama pieces, but Skeletor’s Throne is the best. It generally sits in the middle of the bad guys, and any of the many versions of Skeletor that I have can fit well on it.
WHO ELSE SHOULD I HAVE INCLUDED IN MY VIDEO? Probably Snake Sorceress Teela, (who I call the Green Goddess.) (review link)
Remember when I had more necks for Mekaneck? That’s because Mattel Q.C. Sent me another copy of him to atone for the missing mask on Sy-Clone. Mattel didn’t bring us a product that matched past versions…no lenticular sticker on the chest like the vintage one, no ring on his back like the 200x and Classics version. What was supposed to be new and different was that mask. They included these fire effects that can fit on the shield or on his wrists, and they are cool, but they should be IN ADDITION not in place of. He just feels uninspired to me, and with the missing mask, I feel this figure is one of the lowest of the year.
He looks like the salesman for beef jerky or the Geico caveman. He doesn’t look like the movie representation. They should have gone with rooted hair and more of a Grizzlor approach to have done him right. Now we probably won’t get another version of this in the next 15 or 20 years. And that makes this an extra bummer. The design choices of making those hair-mats out of plastic armor pieces…I hope we don’t see those again. And that armor is kind of crappy. And the face sculpt is off. I hate to be negative, but WHY? Probably has to do with rights, etc.
SO DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE, HUB CITY GEEKS? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS! Also, please support the new YouTube video formats coming for 2025.
spartannerd 