Tag Archives: Four Horsemen Studios

Skeletor’s Throne

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Skeletor’s throne…

I remember watching the Filmation show as a kid, and wondering why we didn’t get this throne with Snake Mountain. It was clearly awesome, and Grayskull came with a chair. What was the deal? I didn’t ponder too much, though. I was just a kid!

As an adult fan, who was watching the 200x Mike Young production show, I noticed Skeletor’s throne was massive. Ridiculous, actually. Such were the times of the early 2000’s, when Dragon Ball Z and similar were the flavor.

With Masters of the Universe Classics, people were making custom bone-thrones for their figures to sit on. These looked so cool, but the ones for sale required a wait time, and you talk about something pricey too.

And then…and OFFICIAL Classics throne for Skeletor came with the Super7 Snake Mountain. The very final MOTUC product. And at that price tag ($700?) no way did it feel the SpartanNerd was ever going to have this thing. And people weren’t selling the pieces off of the gigantic Super7 thing.

BUT…a little tease. The MEGA Snake Mountain came with one! (Sigh)

So to actually have this MASTERVERSE Skeletor with a throne is pretty incredible. Watch the video below to see my unboxing and packaging commentary.

UNBOXING (Also includes Movie Beast Man, review soon)

I took the box cutter to that top box and got the art pieces off to take pictures. This is great stuff!

REVIEW OF SKELETOR

Here is everything you get in the box

  • Skeletor figure
  • Alternate hands…one punching the other open.
  • The Havoc Staff
  • Armor with cape attachment
  • Removable hood

Maybe this next photo will explain this a little more

Skeletor getting ready for…church…

This is exactly the same figure we got with New Eternia Skeletor (Viking). It just has different, arguably better paint. But this head is different. And as far as I know, this is the first non-hooded, bare-boned Skeletor head. The New Adventures design had techno parts. There is also an articulated jaw.

I hear a prominent fan criticizing this head sculpt as appearing to be a chimpanzee skull. And then taking a hair dryer to it. DON’T DO IT! This is by design. Go back and read some of those early Alcala mini comics. I always felt that some of those Skeletor designs of his had that protruding top mouth part, and it looks very chimp-y. But that was how he drew it.

The only criticism I have here then is the one I have gradually gotten from the other New Eternia Skeletor. His left leg is loose at the boot cut and thigh cut. And they didn’t fix it for this offering…his is already loose and he has some trouble standing on two feet.

INTERLUDE

Mattel seemed to celebrate this product just a little bit. Check out the covers of this month’s comic!

So I decided to make a photo of the green cover using the figure. I had the SpartanWife paint his nails. I am not showing this, but when I removed his battle harness, there was purple “bleed” left on his back. It was faint, but it looks like I am seeing some of these kinds of issues recently.

The photo turned out pretty good. I took off the armor and hood, laid the figure on some “green glass”. And placed a green gel in front. I shone a flashlight on it and the surprise imperfections in the gel plastic film made the image extra good.

REVIEW OF SKELETOR’S THRONE.

It didn’t take long for me to assemble it. The diorama card was the hardest part…I had to cut some of the tabs off of the bottom. They come with a design that isn’t supposed to disassemble once put together. But that didn’t suit my storage needs.

But as I stepped back and took a look at it…Then back at the instructions and some promo images…The skull head on top is TOO TALL. We are led to believe the back wall is taller than the chair. NOPE.

So you can see, I had to put some black cardstock from other packaging up behind the head to get proper photos.

You can see the furry seat cushion, and this is a solution to a problem. If you have been following the SpartanNerd blog, then you know that King Conan’s throne can’t be properly sat in by MASTERVERSE figures, making me worry about this. That seat cushion disguises the awkwardness of their butt not being perpendicular to the chair. Cool solution, Mattel! There are also foot pegs on the platform under the chair, so you can peg him in for even more stability.

Here is some more description. Look near He-Man’s feet. Two alien insect skulls with antennae. There are these mandibular halves with teeth coming up beside the throne…this must be the jawbones of wyvyrns. And no way around it…that is a demon skull on top.

…Let’s be real for a minute. Why did Bob Jones University types protest He-Man and the Masters of the Universe as being demonic back in the 1980’s?…

On the back side of the throne there are two stands made of cobra snakes where you can place the Havoc Staff and the Staff of Ka. These are rubbery, and press down and spring back to shape when you load the weapons for display.

Skeletor SHOULD HAVE come with a Staff of Zoar. That has to be what Mattel was going for with the lighting effect. Orange for Zoar, green for Ka, and blue for Havoc. Each a type of magic presented on the Revolution cartoon. But you can give him the Sorceress’s staff. It is too small, but it works.

I swapped the head for this New Eternia (Viking) alternate head. This has been my main Skeletor head, until now…

At first I thought the lighting effect was broken on mine. I put some batteries from the junk drawer in, so I swapped them with new ones from the store, and it still wasn’t working right. I would hit the switch, and it would turn on orange. But it wouldn’t change colors. I walked away for a day to think about it.

I recently had a QC issue with Mattel regarding Sy-Klone. (Review yet to come!) Essentially, they listened to my complaint and offered me a Mekanek to replace him (complimentary) or my money back. I didn’t want to go through this again with the much larger and more expensive Havoc Throne. I didn’t want them to say I was defrauding them or something. I thought…”I can fix this. And if I can’t, I’ll call them then.” So I got to work. I removed the bottom screws, and that was it…it worked! I put them back in loosely and haven’t had any trouble since. Evidently the screws were too tight or something. If you have trouble with yours, try my fix.

You can watch the lighting effect by clicking this link

LINK TO VIDEO OF LIGHTING EFFECT.

You can see I went ahead and cut up the box so I could make a larger display. Evil Lyn, Beast Man, Mer-Man, Panthor, and Screech look on as Skeletor charges his Havoc magic.
Here is Mythic Legions (NOT!) Demistros sitting on the bone throne, energizing the Staff of Ka. His giant devil head looks like it might be a brother to the one on the top of the chair.
And here’s Black Falcon, holding the Staff of Zoar which would surely be his weapon of choice.

SPARTANNERD RATING OF NEW ETERNIA SKELETOR AND HAVOC THRONE

I have to take this objectively. Subjectively, I am really, really happy to have this thing. I have basically all of the bad guys now, and this throne pulls them together on display. (I don’t have Screech or Panthor. My Whiplash is a compromise. Review coming soon!)

Anyway. Objectively.

Skeletor’s new head with an articulated jaw and removable hood is excellent. His new purple and gold paint details are also very good on the battle harness and cape armor. This is also metallic purple paint on the Havoc Staff that matches his armor. This figure didn’t come with any other new accessories, and is in fact exactly like the New Eternia (Viking) Skeletor that we already had, take away the Viking skull and classic head. The packaging is nice, and is slightly different than what is on the cover box, featuring the battle harness instead of the cape armor (I didn’t point that out in the video.)

I gave the original New Eternia Skeletor a 4/5, taking off a point for loose leg joints. It is the same here with this “new” New Eternia Skeletor. 4/5. He has the same leg problems. The new paint and the head with removable hood are very good upgrades, however.

Objectively, about the Havoc Throne. I have to set aside my love for this item and instead point out the strengths and weaknesses.

It is very well done. Easy to assemble. Nice packaging that falls short in the tallness category (see what I did there!) But the artwork on it is wonderful. The furry seat cushion is a novel design that solves the problem of figures sitting awkward, and really any 6-inch figure sits nice on it. Super7 Ultimates!. Mythic Legions. Very nice! The Staff of Ka is a little bit thick, and we are used to seeing it smaller, say for instance in Teela’s hand.

If I am messing with this, I never leave the LED fire lights off. I mean, clear fire is fine. But the colors add much depth, and if you turn off the lights, a real evil atmosphere can be created.

I am giving this throne a 5/5. Sure, I did have to take a screwdriver to it, but I can’t say if that will be everyone’s experience. Maybe mine was an exception. I DO wish the diorama was taller than the skull head. But the packaging is so nice otherwise that it kind of cancels that out. The throne can be stored in that box, or you can use it to display the throne with Skeletor kind of as a statue.

So 4/5 for Skeletor and 5/5 for the throne. What do you think, Hub City Geeks? Am I justified in this rating? Let me know in the comments!

MASTERVERSE Revelation Sorceress- SpartanNerd Review.

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I’ve been putting this review off for a while now…which isn’t good news. Keep reading for details.

The blue stuff in there with her is the lighting in the room playing tricks. Sorry!

I don’t like giving bad reviews….I had never seen the Sorceress in a store, and on places like Big Bad Toy Store, she was sold out. The “Teela” version is out there still. I suppose it is the rarity of this figure that warrants $30 for a price tag.

Before I go any further, let me qualify a few things. I really like the Sorceress as a character. AND I don’t feel like she has ever had a great action figure. I have only seen the vintage version as an adult…I never saw it on a shelf and never knew anyone to own her. It looks like her wings are static…if it is an action feature I don’t know how it works. I didn’t feel like the 200x version was a great representation of the character. On the show, she was cold…no motherly warmth. I thought the “Egyptian” flavor to her redesign was cool, however. I’m pretty sure she only received a “staction” figure.

Then there was huge controversy about the MOTUC version. It was decided that to make her wings look right from the front end, they would install “drums” on the back of her shoulders and the wings can fan out. But this messed up the back of the figure, and I have seen the regular and the “Temple of Darkness” variants, and both look stupid from behind, and people had a right to complain…especially considering the fine work the Four Horsemen do. (I think they said it was Mattel’s decision and design, not theirs. )

I mean…do I need to say more. The pictures tell the story. This soft-goods treatment of the wings is poor, poor execution.

I kept being tempted to get the totally cute “bat sorceress” Evil-lyn variant. But I am glad I didn’t.

There are two loops for each arm…one for the wrist and one for the elbow. No matter how you pose her, the “feathers,” which are actually jagged cloth, look floppy and wrong.

Image of Flimation Sorceress from Wiki Grayskull.

So there are some differences in portrayal. This figure has blue wings on the inside, and a long skirt. Yes, we are reflecting the Revelation cartoon appearance…but guess what? That version had blue outer feathers and orange inner feathers. It even shows her this way on the package art! (Beautiful illustration!)

PICTURED: MASTERVERSE Revelation Sorceress and Evil-lyn. Also, Evil-lyn has half of the power-sword that came with King Grayskull. .

ACCESSORIES: She came with some other hands, and also the “Staff of Ka.”

CUSTOMIZING

I saw out there where there are customizers “correcting” the skirt with a hobby knife. I just don’t feel up to it. I’d hate to make it look bad. It doesn’t look bad as it is…only I like the short skirt better and really most people do. But the long dress thing is OK. BUT…it will make it harder to sit on a possible future throne set.

Let me show you how to use this body for customization. Swap the head to Teela’s “hair down” head. Put Tri-klops’ robe on over most of the body. Put Evil-lyn’s pocketbook on there. Prop a spear up next to her. BAM. Eternian winch. (I would have used a broom or rake if I had one.)

THE FUTURE OF THE SORCERESS.

Mattel gotta do better by this character. And the future is bright if they put care into it. More and more this seems to be the case. I’m not ordering it, but Snout Spout is pretty sweet! I ordered it today!

We have a few sorceress figures to go. Maybe they’ll make a box set or something.

  • “Teela” Sorceress (of Zoar) is already out there. But she looks too much like this and has the cloth wings.
  • Sorceress of Ka- “The Green Goddess” version. The Revolution version looks to have a tail.
  • Sorceress of Havoc- We only saw her for like, ten seconds in Revolution. But she was AWESOME! Barbarian fur. Ram hor ns. Gothic make-up. BOOM! PLEASE!
  • Sorceress of Eternia- This would be the “queen Sorceress,” or “Tri-Sorceress” who no doubt we will eventually have paired with a He-Man super-powered up by her, probably as a two-pack.

Really, all of these would be beautiful figures. But they have to have more vision than this floppy cloth for wings. And already, Motherboard’s wings are hard plastic and look better. (That’s on sale… Maybe I should consider it?)

I can’t rate MASTERVERSE Revelation Sorceress highly at all. Something about the head is out of proportion. The paint is flat and drab. The long skirt restricts articulation. The wings are a floppy mess of cloth. She only has one true accessory. FAIL. That’s what grade it gets. 1/5. Please feel free to agree with me, Hub City Geeks, in the comments!

MASTERVERSE New Eternia Thunder Punch He-Man- SpartanNerd Unboxing and Review

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There was a bevy of announcements back in April, 2024 for MASTERVERSE and also Origins. Maybe these were a leak, and then Mattel just went ahead and made official announcements? Among this news, I ordered New Eternia Thunder Punch He-Man. (I also ordered New Eternia Skeletor with throne!) And I was surprised to see it ship in May. What are the SpartanNerd’s thoughts on this interpretation of the classic He-Man variant? Keep reading!

PACKAGING

Watch the SpartanNerd’s commentary on the packaging HERE.

I really did enjoy looking at the box for awhile. What I didn’t mention was it looked like He-Man was “sticking out his gut.” And indeed, when I took him out of the box, I was dumbfounded that his torso WOULD NOT MOVE. I got a little bit of bowing back even further…and this exposed a definite “daylight” in the ab crunch. I was so upset about this, I left it on the kitchen table and would mess with it every few hours. Then finally, I broke out the hairdryer. IT DIDN”T WORK! So I looked this issue up, and apparently on Reddit some people have had trouble with Tri-Klops. The solution was to just run hot water over the figure while holding it upside down. The water will penetrate the joint and allow things to loosen up. And am I glad this worked! It was bothering me seriously. Like, I was ready to categorize this figure with Marvel Legends Thor. He-Man can’t have issues like that! But with the ab crunch corrected, I decide to get in more photographs.

CONTENTS

Here’s what comes in the package:

  • Thunder Punch He-Man with backpack
  • New “power-up” bracers
  • gold Power Sword
  • classic Thunder Punch style shield
  • 2 fake caps, one gold and the other red
  • yellow fireball punch effects
  • alternate hands (2 punching, 2 gripping)

Lots of accessories, but, with some extra functionality.

PLAYING WITH THE FIGURE

Let’s look at the back of this figure first. The backpack is what Thunder Punch He-Man is all about actually anyway.

What you do is you open the backpack and place one of the caps in. I prefer the gold one in the backpack because it adds a little pop of color. This serves no function except for nostalgia. There is a small window where you can see the caps in there, but you can only barely see them and then only when viewed from the top angle.

With the backpack closed, you can see this knob. And this is also a throwback to the 1980s. This knob has a satisfying ratchet sound effect and feel when you turn it. There is a hole in the middle of the knob which serves an additional purpose.

You can put either of the caps in the shield for storage and aesthetics, and also the sword which I definitely remember from the vintage days. But the ability to store all of this on his back is new, as is a welcome improved detail which should have been a no brainer. I suppose you could look at this differently though. Unless another figure comes with a peg hole in its arms or back, this shield can only be used for Thunder Punch He-Man.

As usual, you can see where the armor straps are coming loose with really minimal play. (All I did was open it and put a cap in.). Not horrible, but this is a consistent struggle really with all Masters of the Universe action figures.

Here is He-Man “armed to the teeth.” The only accessories not here are the extra fists. I would like to note that the fireball effects fit on either kinds of hands, but fit best on the punching fist hands. When armed this way, if He-Man punches with his left, the shield becomes a “buster shield” as seen in Gundam.

Notice that the shield pegs in to the bracers, not the arms.

If you want more of a vintage look, then the bracers remove easily. (This photo was an attempt at the “Iron Man” pose…).

THOUGHTS ON THE PAINT

Now for my first real complaint. you can’t have that vintage look with this figure. For you see, the colors are very muted. I remember the original figure having candy-apple red armor and vac-metal parts. For instance the center of the armor and the shield. These should be vac-metal. I don’t understand what it takes to do vac-metal on a toy. But this was a place they shouldn’t have skimped on it.

I have other complaints about the paint. His skin tone is “orange.” Because I teach middle school chorus, to largely female students, I know this “spray-tan” look well. Not flattering for the most powerful man in the universe.

I have heard people rave about this head sculpt. It is supposedly the same head that Faker came with. (I ordered Faker but he got lost in the mail 😦 ). But as in any sculpt only as good as the paint job. His eyes appear to have eyeliner. This time he has blue eyes also, and his eyebrows aren’t as engaged.

PICTURED: MASTERVERSE 40th Anniversary He-Man and MASTERVERSE New Eternia Thunder Punch He-Man.

Don’t know if the skin tone is coming through in this photo, but trust me. It is there. My complaint about 40th Anniversary He-Man’s head sculpt is that he looks indecisive and lacking in confidence. But I have to prefer it to Thunder Punch’s softer features. On the upside, these are brown boots with white fur on top, and a brown loin cloth. 40th Anniversary boots can only really go for another He-Man or barbarian super hero, while you could use Thunder Punch’s body almost anywhere a fury loincloth can work.

PICTURED: Clawful and Thunder Punch He-Man. Both are MASTERVERSE New Eternia figures. You can really tell the difference in the reds…He-Man has a more muted, less striking red. Not quite pink but approaching. Also notice that the SpartanNerd painted that boring shield that came with Clawful.
PICTURED: MASTERVERSE New Eternia Thuunder Punch He-Man and Masters of the Universe Classics Battle Cat.

In the above two pictures, you can see where the red on New Eternia Thunder Punch He-Man doesn’t stack up to other reds where he should drop right in with. Clawful has beautiful dark-red paint as well as glossy details. He-Man from the same line has minimal paint. Things are “molded” in their color, without hardly even a wash. And the choice to tone down his coloring is baffling and disappointing. As for MOTUC Battle Cat, we all know that is a whole different level of sculpting and paint (and money!) But, this is what the true A-Lister of Thunder Punch He-Man deserves. Somehow on the deco it seems they cut the corners.

SPARTANNERD’S RATING OF MASTERVERSE NEW ETERNIA THUNDER PUNCH HE-MAN

It seems I wrote alot of complaints about the paint. But this is a really good figure! Very posable, even if none of the MASTERVERSE figures so far can really do the “Iron Man” pose. I don’t have a picture yet, but Thunder Punch He-Man sits on Battle Cat beautifully. His loin cloth is softer, and allows for better sitting poses…a plus if the upcoming Skeletor with throne does the same. He also came with terrific accessories and good play value.

I mentioned this before, but as an adult I am not spending much time playing so much as displaying any of my toys. And this is where sculpting and paint takes a higher priority in my ratings system. A kid or other person who plays heavily with the toys will get very much out of Thunder Punch He-Man. But for me, it is the nostalgia, and that paint misses it for me.

My other complaint about the ab crunch doesn’t get dinged in the ratings. The hot water really did cure it, and because I pre-ordered my figure, perhaps mine has “early production” issues. If I was a Mint-On-Card collector this would have been sent back, the way he was contorted in the box. But I’m not, and this might not be an across-the-board problem…maybe even only my figure.

The SpartanNerd’s rating of MASTERVERSE New Eternia Thunder Punch He-Man is 4/5. Do you agree or disagree, Hub-City Geeks? Let me know in the comments!

Super7 Ultimates! King Conan- A review 18 months in the making.

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Why do I like Conan the Barbarian so much? Basically he is the “anti-SpartanNerd.” Whatever I would do, Conan would do the opposite. For instance, if he gets mad…chop! Accompanied with “splish!” and then “Thud, thud, thump” head rolling down the steps. If I get mad, I might look at you funny…

I have anticipated this product for a LONG TIME. So long, in fact that I am not pre-ordering these Ultimates anymore. Yes…they cost more on the shelf. But I haven’t seen many rare ones. I have seen some Conan the Barbarian Ultimates! on the shelf at different stores, ranging in price from $55 (asking price) to $100 (Collectors market price). And for massive fans of the 1982 movie, this is great. I am a more casual fan of barbarians in general. But at this point I have seen the movie three times over the past 18 months, counting just last night so I could catch up for accuracy as I blog. I give the movie a solid B-Minus, that is if The Empire Strikes Back gets an A+ for reference. (Mattel wasn’t exaggerating when they passed on making Conan the Barbarian toys on account of a movie with gratuitous sex and violence…but the movie DOES capture what the comics and literature are about far better than its sequel, Conan the Destroyer). But I have a MASSIVE collection of Conan the Barbarian comics. I especially enjoyed the Dark Horse books. What they are doing now is OK, and they are going to drop a “Howardverse” on us all in the fall time. I don’t know if I will be all into that, but it might be cool! (Robert E. Howard, for anyone who doesn’t know. He is perhaps the inventor of “sword and sorcery” literature, and Conan’s creator).

Click the link here for a review of the packaging.

KING CONAN PACKAGING VIDEO LINK.

Let me go ahead and say some things for the haters:

  • I have been doing the SpartanNerd blog for years now. I have rarely done a video! Camera shy. I cringe as I hem and haw. But I am honest.
  • The lighting in the room isn’t great, and my glasses weren’t helping me read off of the package. I assure you…I CAN READ. My synopsis of the movie was purposely not detailed. I wasn’t even trying to do a movie synopsis!
  • A couple of errors. After watching the movie last night another time, I realize the villain was Thulsa Doom, not Thoth-Amon. This is really unforgivable. Sorry! I guess my nerves got the best of me. And then the other is that it wasn’t the Sword of Aquilonia that was broken in half…it was his father’s sword that we saw forged at the beginning of the movie.

REVIEW OF THE KING CONAN.

He is just SO EPIC!

Now this is just me geeking out. Some reference…my worst action figure is Marvel Legends Thor (classic comics appearance). I say this is the worst because he is not very posable. He has kneepads that break off and have to be glued. He doesn’t stand well with the heavy plastic cape. He came with Mjonir, that doesn’t fit in his hand well. That hand is a weapon holding hand where the thumb is attached to the fingers (creating a circle,) so that the weapon has to be slid in from the top. More like “forced” in. He came with a plastic rock to stand on, and I have gotten more use out of that rock than Thor!

Why this commercial about a different toy? King Conan soundly defeats that and is in the same collectors category, that’s why. We have multiple, swappable hands to be sure he can hold his weapons. (Just that sentence has TWO strictly better cards.). He has an alternate head. (It’s not THAT different). He is super articulated, and stands very sturdy. The sculpt is brilliant, and some of this toy WAS sculpted by the Four Horsemen…there are reused parts from Masters of the Universe Classics Vikor. (Vikor has so far been my favorite action figure, along with Battleground Teela. I kept them after selling off most of my MOTUC collection).

Pictured: Masters of the Universe Classics Vikor and Super7 Ultimates! King Conan. Both are flexing for the camera. Vikor has been my favorite action figure. Pretty much hands down. And if you read the SpartanNerd Blog enough, you know I have lots of pictures of him.

It is apparent when you look at that ab-crunch joint. And I haven’t tried to take off the belt (probably shouldn’t) but you can also see the belly button. Super7 solved one problem with that wrestler-style belt in that twisting his waist doesn’t give us that awkward “table shelf” apparent on the MOTUC figure. You can see from this shirtless flex that Vikor has unsightly pins in his elbow and knee joints. You can’t see a single joint on King Conan except for the torso. All of the cuts in the arms are very well concealed by the sculpt, and the knees and ankles have armor pieces that cover the joints.

Pictured: Masters of the Universe Classics Vikor and Super7 Ultimates! King Conan, with head swaps. It works very well…another clue that this is part re-use. Also, the figure on the left is holding the flail from Four Horsemen Studios Demistros.

Let’s talk about the “portrait.” He does look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, and this is what is important, isn’t it! I was tempted on the last time I went to Wal-Mart to pick up a NECA Terminator 2 action figure of The Govenator…just to compare. (I’m also a fan of that movie, of course. Almost anything Arnold. Even Mr. Freeze). No need for all of that. My only issue is that one of the head sculpts doesn’t have pupils. This is kind of un-nerving to me. There is alot of “fog” in the cinematography, and they didn’t record in high-definition either, but you can still see the pupils anyway. If anything, his eyes are darker. Just white spheres doesn’t do it for me. Now my child can probably remedy this with painting skills…I know I can’t do it!

Pictured: Super7 Ultimates King Conan and The Worst Black Falcon.

The accessories that came with King Conan are the Sword of Aquilonia and another short sword pictured above. (It is good that it comes with a scabbard). I am uncertain where the design of this sword came from. Is it something extra that Super7 came up with, or is it a part of the costume that we can’t really see in the image from the movie? (Like…is it from production notes or something?) Someone out there knows this answer!

The Sword of Aquilonia…it does have a drab paint-job. But after watching the movie last night, I realize that this is accurate to what came with the toy. King Conan isn’t specifically pictured with it in the movie, so this can actually be considered an extra piece. Unfortunately, I have to report that the brown paint on the handle has flaked off. It’s no wonder, Conan’s gripping hands are so tight you can’t arm him with weapons without using a hair dryer.

Pictured: I call this one The Coup D’etat-Back to the Wheel of Pain. Super7 Ultimates! King Conan is being led away a prisoner by Masters of the Universe Classics Vikor and MASTERVERSE 40th Anniversary He-Man. Notice the handle on the Sword of Aquilonia (Vikor has it.)

The other accessories are things that go with the clothes…this is a chest harness with built-in paldrons, a mink stole sculpted from plastic, and a soft-goods cape.

Pictured: MASTERVERSE 40th Anniversary He-Man wearing Super7 Ultimates! King Conan Armor and cape. He is armed with the jeweled sword from Animal Warriors of the Kingdom Gold Loot Box, and is holding Mythic Legions Sir Godfrey’s helmet. Also standing on King Conan’s rug.

You can see in the above picture that the armor and cape work pretty good even for a figure that is an inch taller.

Pictured: I call this one Revenge- After the Wheel of Pain. This is MASTERVERSE He-Man’s body armed with Super7 Ultimates! King Conan’s cape and armor, and King Conan’s head swapped in. He is holding the golden axe from The Animal Warriors of the Kingdom Gold Loot Box, and Mythic Legions Xylernian Guard’s shield. Also standing on King Conan’s rug. And this is about the most awesome-non photoshop picture of a barbarian action figure you can get at this price point.

THE THRONE OF AQUILONIA

Somewhere up above in this same review blog entry I mentioned Marvel Select’s Thor coming with a plastic rock for him to stand on. King Conan’s throne is just another way that Super7’s offering is so much more. But to be fair, you had to pay for it separate. I personally think they should have made this all one box. You don’t get one without the other kind of thing. I don’t own it, but maybe I will…The Figura Obscura Headless Horseman comes with a horse. This is inseparable from the character. It should have been the same here. Who is displaying a King Conan without the throne? Now early on when I was deciding whether or not to purchase King Conan, I watched video commentary about the reveals, and people were torn on if this was worth $45 or not. They have released a couple of other thrones, and they are all a similar price. (Mon-Star from SilverHawks is one I can think of). I am happy with King Conan’s throne, but it could have been a smidge cheaper on shipping, etc if it was bundled together. Or maybe they didn’t think they could sell it at a higher price. I don’t know…I just collect.

As I mentioned in the video, I felt a little burned about the rug not being removable. (Actually I kind of down-played my feelings as “an observation”). Somehow, for 18 months, I thought this would be a cloth rug. Is this communication on their part or me just being a dum-dum? It is well painted. Beautifully painted actually. But we have soft goods for the cape. Something different could have been done here.

So with the throne, you get a plastic base sculpted to be concrete, with a rug sculpted on and painted, the throne itself which is more like a bench and less like a chair, and this ornamental spear. I mentioned in the video that I was glad it wasn’t a scepter. King Conan is an unhappy king in the comics. Sitting around ruling everyone is boring for the guy. He would rather be out there busting snake cult people. That it is a spear was a way that the movie writers could express this to us without giving us a story. It is said that Netflix is wanting to make some media for King Conan, and Arnold Schwarzenegger is very much behind the project.

Pictured: Super7 Ultimates! King Conan Throne of Aquilonia, which is occupied by MASTERVERSE Revelation King Grayskull.

The above photo tackles one of the questions I had. Does it look good with other characters. I find that King Grayskull doesn’t sit so well, which has me concerned because I have ordered MASTERVERSE Skeletor with throne.

Pictured: Super7 Ultimates! King Conan Throne of Aquilonia, which is occupied by GI Joe Classified Cobra Commander.

The throne works very well for Cobra Commander.

One thing…the box that King Conan came with has a terrific diorama featuring a nice shadow behind the throne and two torch-sconces. This is just too terrific. It adds a whole lot to the whole set. The floor I used for these photos is from MASTERVERSE packaging.

How else can you use such an item?

Pictured: I call this one Over the Top Icons. Masters of the Universe Classics Vikor, MASTERVERSE Evil Lyn from the 1987 Masters of the Universe movie, and SUPER7 Ultimates King Conan and Throne of Aquilonia. Anyone out there get what I meant by Over the Top?

A very out-of-character photo. But you can see the other hands well.

Pictured: Super7 Ultimates King Conan and Throne of Aquilonia, who is defending his throne from Four Horsemen Studios Demistros. Demistros is armed with McFarlane’s Redeemer sword. The concrete slab almost disappears in this lighting and filter.

After watching the movie last night, I notice a large disparity in the throne we are given and what was in the film. The concrete slab was three times as large! We only have a straight-ahead shot, but it is clear that the rug is sitting on concrete that is symmetrical on both sides. Super7 could have given us this…it would have been two more pieces of plastic, and then no one would have anything to say about the price point of the throne. Now that this is the SpartanNerd’s summer vacation, I have time to customize this.

SPARTANNERD’S RATING OF SUPER7 ULTIMATES! KING CONAN AND THE THRONE OF AQUILONIA

I’ve had this for about two-weeks now, and have had a couple of photo sessions with it. It delivers for the price you paid for it if you collect action figures or if you are a fan of the movie. Movie fans might be casual like me or serious. Probably a serious movie fan would go for something by Hot Toys or Sideshow or someone, where you pay more like $200. But as what is basically a Masters of the Universe Classics 5.0 figure…(Original wave 1.0, Subscription 2.0, Filmation 3.0, Ultimates! releases 4.0, and now non-MOTU is 5.0 by my counting)…$55 for the king and $45 for the throne isn’t too bad considering the current economy. Considering that this was done at what is on Mythic Legions, non-retail price scale. This is my interest. I am certainly glad I ordered the Battle of the Mounds figures that will be coming maybe in July. It checks all the boxes with little complaint. I am going to list things down below and offer two ratings…one for the king and the other for the throne.

  • King Conan PROS- Outstanding sculpt. Looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Comes with two weapons and removable armor. Excellent paint details. Plenty of hands to swap and also an alternate head with different hair.
  • King Conan CONS- Pupils on one of the head sculpts not there. Gripping hands are so tight they have to be heated up to work. Paint on Sword of Aquilonia is flaking off with very minimal use.
  • Throne of Aquilonia PROS- Great sculpt. Terrific Vac Metal paint job. Spear accessory makes all of the other accessories with the figure look sad. The platform has pegs for helping stand action figures that have holes in their feet.
  • Throne of Aquilonia CONS- The “concrete” slab isn’t the correct size to depict the movie scene accurately. The “rug” is a sculpted and painted detail…not a separate piece.

All of the excellent things I list add lots to the product, and has been more fun for me with time. The pupils issue and the paint flaking are both QC issues that Super7 should address, but they don’t take away from the toys much. I haven’t been displaying the head that doesn’t have pupils…I almost forget that I have it, and the two sculpts are so similar. Look at all that the Throne of Aquilonia has added to King Grayskull, Cobra Commander, and really almost anyone else who might fancy themselves to sit on a throne. Look at how useful that platform is…it has pegs that fit Mythic Legions feet, MASTERVERSE feet, and Ultimates! feet. AND a bonus…the diorama that came as part of King Conan’s package looks too great with all of these fantasy figures to throw away. I can only give a 5/5 when I take everything into account. Maybe not a perfect 5/5, but fairly close.

Pictured: Super7 Ultimates! King Conan and Ultimates! GI Joe Cobra B.A.T. The platform has pegs that made the balance required for this action possible.

Like I said…if you are a different kind of collector, you might disagree. Out there is a larger scale figure, perhaps in 1:6 scale, that you can dress in all manner of looks. Out there is a hyper-detailed statue to sit on a shelf. A large full-scale statue for your yard. That’s not what this product is meant for. It’s meant for the plastic adult collector semi-play with action figure market. The 1:12 MOTUC scale collector. And it does that terrifically.

Will he supplant Vikor? It seems like maybe Battle of the Mounds Conan might be able to when he arrives. Having this makes me wish I had the “iconic pose” version. Watching the movie last night also makes me want the camouflage version. I feel like this figure adds much to all of the barbarian things I have already. We’ll have to see if over time King Conan moves into that favorite slot!

Do you agree or disagree, Hub City Geeks. Let me know in the comments!

Also, Super7. I did what you said. I made a video. I posted to Instagram. Both things I never do. I also answered your summons to apply for the affiliate links program…and WAS DENIED. I am not Pixel Dan or Action Figure BBQ or Dorklair. Don’t claim to be. (I am very inspired by all three, and also by Poe Ghostal …great news I just found out he’s back!)

I am a real consumer who runs this blog as a hobby. It is Summer vacation. I will work on it. But Super7, you guys should reconsider! I give honest opinions and reviews. Readers, send me some advice in the comments!

Two Generic Dudes- Demistros and Black Falcon SpartanNerd Action Figure Showdown!

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I mean…I keep waiting on some Conan the Barbarian Ultimates! figures to show up, and they keep getting pushed back. So now I am expecting Battle at the Mounds figures in June and King Conan in July…I ordered both going on a year and a half ago! In the meantime, I have been building a MASTERVERSE collection, with a minor emphasis on skeletons. I already think Masters of the Universe Classics Vikor looks great fighting skeleton warriors, and that will be the perfect thing for Conan figures to fight. I am also on the lookout for a giant snake…

The Four Horsemen had a special sale, where I picked up Demistros. And because Super7 pushed King Conan back another two months, they gave me a 15% discount on my next order…which is why I picked up Black Falcon.

Both are great skeleton warriors, but I would like to do a little throwdown here. Both are kind of generic…I mean they have names but who knows who they are? Not me! Who will win? Let’s start with Demistros.

DEMISTROS

Demistros came in a plain box in the mail…it was small enough to fit in my grandma’s mailbox! (long story). But it was the perfect size. I don’t usually care, but it was nice to have a little less trash. Demistros’ package was no bigger or different than other Mythic Legions figures….But wait. Here’s a point. Demistros isn’t a Mythic Legions figure! They actually made him to be one of the generic baddies you might have encountered in 1980’s cartoons. They say so on the side back!

So back in the 1980’s, you would have Masters of the Universe to purchase, but sometimes you might go to the store and they only had figures you already owned. What to do? Get a KO. A knock-off. And there were plenty. Sometimes they would be named “Galaxy Warriors” or other nonsense. But I had a little collection of guys who could hold Masters weapons and ride their vehicles and really just blended right in. And this went along with the M.O. of the Filmation show also, didn’t it? There were Count Marzo, Lizard Man, and Strongarm just to name a few. Also, WWF/WCW wrestlers were big, and their toys also sometimes went right along with MOTU. So Demistros here kind of fits that bill. And how did I come across purchasing it? A random side impulse. “Store Horsemen In Stock Sale!”

The package has a nice illustration, and I prefer the blue/purple background to the red/yellow on the back of Mythic Legions. So let’s open this collector friendly Mythic Legions style box.

Oops…the cat’s out of the bag. (This little piece of paper!)

Here is everything you get in the package. The Demistros figure, who has all of the articulation and swapability of a Mythic Legions figure, a giant sword, a lance/spear thing, and a morning star weapon. Also, the cape is soft goods and separate, the pauldons are removable, and necessary to hold the cape on.

So here are some things. That head sculpt…when I ordered it, I didn’t realize how much of a BUTT CHIN it would have. I mean…severe BUTT CHIN. I mean, giant spikes coming from the chin! It is a very nice sculpt, and that is just a wacky detail. Green evil eyes. Kind of a repugnant smile. I think it was the horns that sold me. I am very partial to horned helmets. I did remove the horns with some force, and I am uncertain if they were meant to be removed, unlike most Mythic Legions parts. They snapped right back in, but caution, everyone! After I ordered this, I saw what must be the exact sculpt but red at the Toy Federation store in Greer, SC. With red, it looks like Satan. no other way to say it! It is amazing how much the paint changes the character.

Now I am of the mindset that Demistros is supposed to be a KO Skeletor. Skeletor is often depicted in modern media as having horns like this. From DC and Dark Horse comics to Skele-God in Masters of the Universe Revelation. It’s just that the Four Horsemen did it first in figure form, and they couldn’t call him Skeletor. Here is Skeletor’s head on the figure with proper weapons. I mean really, it is terrific! But as before, the head doesn’t fit the neck joint, so it is actually just sitting there. But in this case, there is a big “collar” that goes around the neck so that it isn’t obvious at all.

Pictured: Demistros body with MASTERVERSE New Eternia “Viking” Skeletor alternate head, MOTUC Havoc Staff from The Faceless One, and purple Power Sword from MASTERVERSE King Grayskull.
Pictured: MASTERVERSE New Eternia “Viking” Skeletor body with Demistros head and spear.

The cape…I really would like to put it on someone else. But after attaching it, using the hair dryer, etc. Way too much effort to be worth the fun. The trouble I had with it…That is probably never coming back off. It’s a shame, really. This is easily the best soft-goods cape on an action figure I own at this point.It really took me a lot of effort. The problem is that the peg doesn’t want to fit in the hole snuggly with the fabric of the cape in the way. (There are holes cut in the fabric that line up with the holes in his back.)

Articulation is just like Mythic Legions. All easy to move joints and modular parts. Only the head has trouble moving because of that glorious BUTT CHIN.

I think the whole sculpting on the figure is insanely good. And this is what the Four Horsemen do. No one is better at it in the business.

The weapons are a nice little variety. The sword is of the anime style…ridiculously huge. There are green “runes” sculpted on there. This is sculpting with paint details, and the figure appears to be powering up this sword. The morning star is cool. It has a real metal chain. My problem with this weapon is…how do you display it?

It just hangs. You can’t pose it swinging or anything. The spear/lance is the same weapon we already have gotten with other skeleton warriors, but this time we get a little bit of oxidized copper finish. It kind of reminds you of those bronze or brass grave markers. (Here is an example.)

So not many accessories. I believe the sword to be the best, but there is potential with the morning star…maybe I can figure out how to rig a wire through that chain so that I can pose it.

Black Falcon

Black Falcon came in just the opposite. A large piece of trash box labeled Super7. Which just meant that a FedEx man had to set it down outside my grandma’s door.

Inside that box was Black Falcon in a “The Worst” mailer.

And so let’s talk about The Worst. Who really cares about them? Who are they? No clue. I remember when The Worst was first released as ReAction figures. They were the first to use the Masters of the Universe Reaction molds for Battle Cat, which I thought looked ridiculous anyway. I couldn’t get behind the big hole in the back where you had to put the poorly articulated three inch figure. I have seen Masters ReAction figures on pegs, and I just think they are dumb, which is why I don’t own any. I prefer Dollar Tree minis, or Eternia Minis, or really almost anything to those figures that aren’t quite as good as GI Joes. (I don’t mind ReAction figures of stuff where there will be no other action figures, for instance, Parks and Recreation.)

But I have to admit, I thought Black Falcon was the coolest one of the bunch. And in Ultimates! form, his design is the best when compared to Captain Deadstar or Batula (which were in the same wave). Not that I am against either of those, but the horned helmet skeleton wins the $50.

Here is what was in the mailer.

This box cover. Now I don’t even like this illustration. And what is he holding? A brick? The problem is I think this is a good illustration for the ReAction figure, but the Ultimates! figure deserved better. This is a shiny cover…but what to do with it? I have the Cobra B.A.T. still in his covered box. And I think it fits so well. I considered keeping Metalhead’s, but it came damaged. This one isn’t damaged, but why would I keep it?

Finally, what does the box look like?

You get this shiny foil background and this coffin shaped window. You can see the contents very well! And like the Cobra B.A.T. there is a double blister inside. Here’s the back for more of a description of who Black Falcon is supposed to be.

So after taking the figure out, I just tossed the box. I don’t have room to keep every box. Still…it is a very good box, and on par with the other Ultimates! boxes I have. I think I may keep the Conan boxes when they arrive, so I need to eke out room.

So what do we get?

Oh Boy! A long list. First of all, three heads. (standard, smiley with a cracked skull, and fiery orange). a removable, posable soft-goods cape. It appears that I received an extra gripping hand…(this was floating around in with the figure in the box. Hope I don’t have someone else’s). So I got nine hands in total. (two fists, three gripping, two open claws, two fiery gripping, and one “circle game”). I got a falcon boomerang, a necklace with an X on it, a bident spear, a sword with horns, a falcon shield, a bagged lunch, and a coffee or soup canister with a removable cup/lid.

I don’t believe I have ever opened an action figure with so many accessories!

All these accessories will make for tons of fun, but lets just talk about the figure first.

In the box he has the cape and necklace on. The cape is terrific, and like Demistros it has rips and holes. But this one has a wire that is posable (or posable some other way I don’t know how it works). But it has this gold snap in the front that is just too conspicuous. But it is much easier to remove than Demistros cape, and could easily go on another figure if I wanted.

While you keep looking at that circle…(other The Worst figures have middle fingers, so…) notice the paint. For a guy named “Black Falcon,” the only black apparent on the figure is in the eyes of the skulls. He is generally gray and copper colored with some splashes of gold. The paint is very nice. The sculpt is also very good, but of course not as great as a Four Horsemen sculpt. However, his sculpt is more detailed than the Cobra B.A.T., more detailed than Metalhead, and it fits in well with MOTUC Vikor. Important, because the original Ultimates! figures were Masters of the Universe Classics. All of this is an evolution of that line of toys.

Pictured: Black Falcon with sword, shield, and cracked face. Vikor with Mythic Legions battle axe.

The helmets on these three head sculpts remind me of old football helmets. The only thing that bothers me about Black Falcon’s sculpt is the falcon on his right arm is non-removable. Why? This is a missed opportunity, especially since Captain Deadstar seems to come with two parrots. (I only know about him from pictures).

Back to accessories. Notice that the shield doesn’t have straps, but has one of those dumb handles. I am pretty sure I’m not wrong in thinking shields are never wielded this way, but rather worn as a type of armor. Still, plenty of action figures have shields like this. The sword is very detailed and also painted with pride, which is more than I can say for at least the morning star weapon Demistros has. (I believe that is a green “wash” on the spear…should I consider that paint?). Most MASTERVERSE weapons don’t have this level of paint work.

I was baffled to hear another reviewer not seem to understand the purpose of the translucent-ish orange face and hands. Seriously…that guy needs to read some Ghost Rider comics and play some DOOM. Flaming skulls all over the place. And maybe I am the first to point this out…remember in the 1987 Masters of the Universe movie, where Skeletor unlocked the power of Grayskull and transformed Into a god? One of the featured colors in that transformation was THIS EXACT SHADE. (Super7, please send me a reward for pointing this out). I do wish there was more paint on the eyes and in the mouth on this head sculpt. OK. Why the bag lunch and the coffee. These are hilarious! And that the top comes off to become the cup, like most real coffee thermoses, is just an added design detail that makes this even more fun. Here I imagine that coffee was really hot! Then his face caught fire. Remember that the front illustration featured Black Falcon holding a box. Nope. It was the bag lunch. (Another reason that illustration isn’t so great.)

Here is another one I haven’t seen anyone point out. (Brian Flynn…are you reading?). The falcon-a-rang weapon fits in the crack on the alternate head sculpt. This would be a Batman reference…there is a villain, “Bat-a-rang Face.”

THE SHOWDOWN. WHO WILL WIN?

Well there’s no question that I was able to write a lot more about Black Falcon than Demistros, mostly on account of all the many accessories. And all around, Black Falcon is more fun. So Black Falcon gives the first punch, right to the spiky BUTT CHIN face of Demistros.

On the other hand, in the sculpting department, with the work of the masterful Four Horsemen Studios, Demistros is eating Black Falcon’s lunch.

Demistros looks great with other Mythic Legions skeletons. I have Maximillius on order to be the boss of my skeletons, but Demistros is a terrific boss. He can do what bosses do best…stand in the back and send the underlings forward, and looks great doing that.

Pictured: Mythic Legions skeleton “legion builders” armed with MASTERVERSE New Eternia “Viking Skeletor” scimitar and MASTERVERSE Revelation Teela’s shield, McFarlane Toys Raven Spawn scythe, Masters of the Universe Classics Vykron barbarian axe and armor, Masters of the Universe Classics Vikor shield, and Demistros commanding them to battle.

But Black Falcon is more fun in a mix of characters.

Pictured: Black Falcon surrendering to MASTERVERSE New Eternia “Viking” Skeletor, who is armed with the MOTUC Faceless One Havoc Staff and Black Falcon’s cape, and also surrendering to Demistros. Notice that Black Falcon is holding MASTERVERSE Revelation Mer-Man bident and his own bident. You can clearly see the Super7 spear is more detailed by far.

I mean…it could be a tie…

For me…I don’t “play” with my figures as much as I pose them and take pictures. So to me I value sculpting and paint higher up. Putting Demistros in the lead. I can’t wait to have Demistros sit on King Conan’s Throne of Aquilonia.

On the other hand, the many, many accessories that Black Falcon brings to the whole activity actually enhances the fun of other figures a good bit. A great bit actually. I can’t wait to have Conan Ultimates! figures fight against this guy.

I have to reluctantly say Black Falcon is the winner! Both are generic jerks. They are bad to the bones. They are evil inside and out. They are twisted with their circle game and BUTT CHIN humor.

So Hub City Geeks, do you agree with me?

Do you think I should do more Action Figure show-downs? This was my first time of trying that and I really enjoyed it. Let me know in the comments!