I've been pretty interested in the Vintage Collection offshoot of Mattel's Masterverse line since it began. Actually, back in 2022 when the 40th Anniversary He-Man figure was released was when I first saw the potential of a vintage toy aesthetic on a Masterverse buck. That He-Man wasn't officially part of the Vintage Collection, but I consider him the spiritual predecessor to this line that launched in 2025. I've been waiting patiently for the first female to be included. Predictably, Teela was that trailblazer. She isn't a perfect figure (although perhaps it is just my version what has paint issues), but there's something special about the vintage toy colors and the gold ram-horn chest deco that takes me right back to childhood. The Origins figure from 2020 in this deco was almost too similar to the 1982 figure, but seeing that 80's design on a larger-scale, highly-articulated body is very cool twist on our typical collector's nostalgia. I've excited to see the rumored Evil-Lyn to hit. Let's check out Teela below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Masterverse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Masterverse. Show all posts
Monday, March 23, 2026
Masterverse Vintage Collection - TEELA!
Saturday, March 21, 2026
New Eternia - TEELA!
This figure has had me on a rollercoaster of emotions for the last year. When first announced, I was excited to be getting another New Eternia lady. The 2024 Evil-Lyn was a favorite of mine. But soon leaked production pics started showing up... and they looked bizarre. Her head was tiny and her eyes had an elongated reptilian quality. But I convinced myself that you often see unimpressive prototypes that end up looking gorgeous in person (like the 1987 Movie Evil-Lyn). Then I got her in October 2025 and she looked just as bizarre and unfortunate as I had feared, at least in the packaging. I just opened her last week, and I can admit that (when she has her armor on), she is probably the nicest Teela figure I own. I realize the awkward head size is likely to accommodate for her headdress. And likewise, her weird eyes look fine when she's armored-up. The coppery color of her accessories is very eye-catching and the overall figure is stunning - something I'm still shocked by. Let's check out Teela below!
Thursday, February 5, 2026
New Etheria - DESPARA!
I wasn't expecting to like this figure nearly as much as I do. When the New Etheria Despara was revealed last year, I was lukewarm. I really enjoyed the idea of Despara (because I always thought it was lame that Force Captain Adora looked identical to Great Rebellion Adora). But I was very happy with the Classics and Origins figures we already had. The last thing I needed was a reinterpretation of a reinterpretation (especially when there are so many classic Etherian characters not represented in the line yet). But when I got this figure in-hand and saw and all its versatility, I fell in love. The funny thing is, my least favorite part of the figure is the actual Despara Hordak mask. It looks cheap and doesn't look like Hordak (despite technically being very similar). But on the bright side, there is a great Force Captain Adora look (at least that's how I'm referring to it) with a bat-winged headpiece, as well as a full Adora look. Her hair is a little flat, and her expression is a little vacant, but I'm still obsessed. Let's check her out!
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
New Etheria - SHE-RA!
Ever since the 1987 movie Evil-Lyn figure came out in 2023, I have had my fingers crossed for the William Stout cinematic concept art for She-Ra (who was unfortunately cut out of the script). I knew this was a pipe dream, but I would still be vocal about it everytime there was speculation about SDCC or NYTF reveals. However, that itch was kindof scratched when this New Etheria She-Ra was revealed a few months ago. The New Eternia (and now New Etheria) sub-line of MasterVerse featured more realistic fantasy-inspired designs. There is really no connection to the William Stout concepts and this figure, but this stylized cinematic-looking She-Ra is a great consolation. My only fear is that this and Hordak will be the only New Etherian characters. Teela in the New Eternia line is due this Summer (along with Kobra Khan), but there isn't much known beyond that. This She-Ra figure is really great in person and really shows off the potential of this line. Let's check her out below!
Monday, February 3, 2025
MOTU Revolution - SNAKE SORCERESS TEELA!
My favorite thing about Masters of the Universe Revelation and Revolution was the constant evolutions of the two main female characters, Evil-Lyn and Teela. The journey of these characters was organic and fit into the Masters mythos seamlessly. Evil-Lyn was on her unquenchable quest for power, and Teela was facing her mysterious origins and family legacy. And as toy hobbyists, we have thankfully been blessed with action figures of nearly every incarnation of these characters (at this point, I think we are only missing Teela's final two forms). At the penultimate battle in Revolution, Teela has to call upon the ancient magics and become the ancient Snake Goddess to save Preternia. The lore of the familiar staffs (The Staff of Zoar, the Staff of Ka, and the Havok Staff) each being linked to a different form of Sorceress is genius. Plus the tie-in to the old Preternian Goddess stories from the vintage mini-comics is some glorious fan service. And who doesn't love a cool reptilian action figure. Let's check out Teela below!
Saturday, February 1, 2025
New Eternia - EVIL-LYN!
As much as I've embraced each MasterVerse purchase I've made with enthusiasm, I can admit I've always been a little let down with some details. Namely the bland faces and the ugly articulation. But way back in 2022, a new sub-line named New Eternia was created within MasterVerse. I always took note of the reimagined aesthetics of these toys. They kind of had a Frazetta-like barbarian quality, while maintaining the color palettes and essence of the original characters. My first purchase was Mer-Man in 2024 and I was obsessed with his detail. I bought the first female in the line, Evil-Lyn, a few months later, and am incredibly impressed. Her face looks like a painting, her articulation cuts are discreet, and overall she perfectly embodies a reimagined (almost cinematic) Evil-Lyn. Now I'm excited to see how other female MOTU characters would look in this style: Teela, Sorceress, and She-Ra would all be amazing, although no upcoming females have been announced. Let's check out New Eternia Evil-Lyn below!
Monday, January 22, 2024
MOTU 1987 Movie - EVIL-LYN!
I think one of the first movies I was ever disappointed by was Masters of the Universe (1987). As an eighties kid, I was intimately familiar with the lore and universe of He-Man and Eternia. The show had technically ended two years earlier, but She-Ra was still airing and was typically paired with a syndicated episode of He-Man. The movie seemed like it would be a mature evolution of the show we had all been raised on. I, for one, was very excited. But the movie was vastly different from what I expected. It was chock full of new characters (most of which I found very annoying), it took place on Earth, and there was no transformation sequence. I was flummoxed. The bright spot for me was Evil-Lyn. Of all the characters, she seemed to stay the most true to her cartoon origins. She had a cinematic redesign and there were a lot of differences, but the essence of Evil-Lyn was still there. There have been a fair amount of action figures from the movie over the years, but Evil-Lyn was always a glaring omission.
Monday, January 1, 2024
MOTU Revolution - SORCERESS TEELA!
One of the most satisfying things in Masters of the Universe: Revelation was the long-awaited ascension of Teela to Sorceress of Grayskull. I had personally been wanting to see this since the original series in the 80s when her path was foretold. But if she had become Sorceress back then, I would wager she would have been designed exactly like her mother, Teela-Na or Kuduk Ungol. But thankfully Teela's story didn't unfold until now so she got the benefit of a unique design reflective of her personality and heritage. This design was only presented at the very end of Revelation back in 2021. But (judging from the trailers) we will be seeing a lot more of it in the follow-up series Revolution that debuts in a few weeks. I am also personally excited that Melissa Benoist (Supergirl) is providing Teela's voice. I like her a lot. Sarah Michelle Gellar was great as Teela in Revelation. But I won't lie and say I wasn't constantly pegging that unique SMG voice. Someone more non-specific will be nice. Let's check out Teela below!
Thursday, August 31, 2023
MOTU Revolution - MOTHERBOARD!
Few things are as gratifying to me as when old lore is expanded upon in a smart and creative way. Especially when it fills in some story gaps. Flashback to a young me in 80s expaining Zoar and Screeech to my younger brother. "Who's this?" "That's Zoar, a magical falcon that turns into this character, the Sorceress." "Cool. Who's this?" That's Screeech, the evil version of Zoar." "Cool. Who does Screeech turn into?" "No one. Screeech is a robot." "Oh." Flash forward to this Summer when that old dead-end storyline gets new life. Meet Motherboard, the female form of Screeech. As we saw in Revelation, Tri-Klops had formed the Cult of Motherboard, a group that worshiped technology with a religious fervor. Whiplash, Trap-Jaw, Blast-Attak, and a slew of Skelecons were in the cult as well. The upcoming second series of Netflix's MOTU series called Revolution will apparently show the cult successfully summoning Motherboard, a sort of techno-Sorceress. Information is scant so far, but I'm very excited to see her.
Thursday, May 18, 2023
MOTU Revelation - DARK-LYN!
Masters of the Universe: Revelation seemed to focus a lot on character growth and transformation. Because of the time-jump in the storyline and the un-doing of Eternian power balance as we have always known it, almost every character had multiple distinct looks. This was especially true of the two token females: Teela and Evil-Lyn. When all is said and done, each of these ladies will have had three very distinct Masterverse figures (even more if you count the alternate heads), and this was only from a single season. [Spoilers for the next few sentences] Dark-Lyn is the final form of Evil-Lyn when she steals the Power of Grayskull from Skeletor (then Skelegod). I will admit this is my least favorite design of all the female characters in Revelation. I don't hate it, but it pales in comparison to the Sorceress Evil-Lyn design and the final version of Teela. Where the Skelegod upgrade was cool and colorful with big horns and green power effects, the only visual upgrade here seems to be her height and musculature.
Sunday, May 7, 2023
MOTU Revelation - SORCERESS!
When Masters of the Universe: Revelation was announced I was really nervous that Sorceress would receive an unrecognizable makeover. I was never a fan of the 200x teal Egyptian look and the Netflix CGI show introduced a Sorceress that was essentially a completely reimagined character - that I liked, but not as much as I adored the original Teela-Na. Luckily the Revelation Sorceress was a faithful interpretation. Unfortunately she was not the spiritual focal point getting tons of screentime that I was expecting. And with her limited role, I truly did not expect her to get a figure in the Masterverse line. (And honestly making us wait until Wave 8 was a pretty sneaky move). But she is really a great figure - quite possibly the best Sorceress so far. The Masterverse line has honestly exceeded my expectations for character inclusion. The last female on my Revelation wishlist will apparently be in Wave 11. I won't mention names for spoiler's sake, but I'm stoked. Let's check out Sorceress below!
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Princess of Power Masterverse - SHADOW WEAVER!
Shadow Weaver may very well be my favorite thing to come out of the She-Ra the Princess of Power cartoon. Don't get me wrong, I loved almost everything about the show. But if I were forced to erase my memories of all characters but one, Shadow Weaver would be it. I love her wicked nature, her seemingly limitless power, and her simple iconic design. Then you add in her cool Light Spinner backstory and the revelation that she looks surprisingly like a sexy Orko, and I'm just obsessed. This Masterverse version of Shadow Weaver was unexpected but very welcome. Each of her figures manage to offer subtle improvements. For instance, this newest version has the best headsculpt and neck/cowl articulation. Her coloring is the most cartoon accurate as well. I was dreading the soft goods cloak, but I actually love it. It flows nicely and offers more posing options than the previous versions. The next few Masterverse waves seem devoid of females, so I'm glad she turned out so strong. Let's check out Shadow Weaver below!
Friday, January 13, 2023
MOTU Revelation - EVIL-LYN!
My favorite part about Masters of the Universe: Revelation was the character development. In the vintage show, most characters ended the series the exact same way they started. But Revelation took us on a journey - and not just and internal one. My two favorite characters in the series (Teela and Evil-Lyn) each had several significant design changes as the series progressed. And my absolute favorite was when Evil-Lyn temporarily became the Sorceress of Grayskull and (as opposed to Teela-Na being adorned in a wholesome falcon motif) she was suddenly wearing this diabolical bat outfit. It looks awesome. Of course, it also raises the question of whether or not she had a "Zoar" form. I don't remember a bat from the cartoon or comics, but I'm intrigued enough to investigate later tonight. When I watch the series on Netflix, this was instantly my most wanted design for the Masterverse line. I'm glad we got her so quickly and that she is so well executed. Let's check her out Sorceress Evil-Lyn below!
Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Princess of Power Masterverse - FROSTA!
The Masterverse line from Mattel continues to surprise me. One of the earliest obscure character leaks last year was Frosta. This figure was shown on secret product lists and was even accompanied by a super low-res photo. This was before Catra was mentioned and before She-Ra was anything more than a teaser about the "possibilities" of the Masterverse line. So seeing Frosta so early was both confusing and exciting. "Confusing" because she didn't seem like an obvious choice for the first Princess of Power release. But "exciting" for exactly the same reason... this line wouldn't be shying away from 2nd-tier characters. Of course, by the time she rolled out to stores, she would be the third POP character which makes a lot more sense. Frosta really stood out in the original she-Ra cartoon for her stark blue coloring and her memorable elemental powers. She was also known for aggressively hitting on He-Man, to much comic effect. It's hard to rank my favorite POP characters, but she's definitely up there for me.
Saturday, September 17, 2022
Princess of Power Masterverse - CATRA!
Who would have imagined that 37 years after their television debut, the characters introduced in She-Ra: the Princess of Power would see a retail release of toys in their animated Filmation designs. Sure, collectors are very aware of the subscription-based Masters of the Universe Classics line (which released just about every She-Ra character during it's 6 year run). But for the more casual toy collector, or even a random shopper with a nostalgic heart, seeing these characters in the toy aisles is an amazing thing. They teased a She-Ra figure when the Masterverse line was first announced back in 2021 (by showing packaging designs in a presentation that included the Princess of Power logo). And I would always expect the character She-Ra to make an appearance in a MOTU toyline. But what I didn't expect was supporting POP figures of Catra, Frosta, and Shadow Weaver to be included in such short succession. This Catra is the second release and she's gorgeous. Let's check her out below!
Monday, September 5, 2022
Princess of Power Masterverse - SHE-RA!
Sometime around late-Spring/early-Summer 2021 Mattel announced the Masterverse line. Most of the initial product was focused on the Revelation cartoon, but when showing packaging concepts, they showed and empty She-Ra box with the Princess of Power logo. I was stoked that the Etheria characters would be seeing a retail release. And honestly, the fact that we were shown Catra and Frosta before She-Ra only fueled my excitement. But I'm glad that She-Ra was the first one to be officially released. In many ways, she is the best She-Ra figure in my collection. But in other ways, the articulation and proportions seem rushed. The joints aren't disguised at all. And the elbows, knees, and shoulders remind me of old-school Marvel Legends (i.e. they offer the expected articulation, but have a gangly feel and are very difficult to pose in a natural look. But don't get me wrong, I'm still obsessed with this figure. In fact, I can't wait to get a second one so I can display all the alternate accessories. Let's check her out!
Tuesday, May 10, 2022
MOTU Revelation - TEELA (v2)!
The development of Teela's storyline in the Masters of the Universe Revelation series was nothing short of epic. For the majority of the show, she was a disillusioned marauder roaming the Eternian countryside with Andra and harassing random baddies like Stinkor. This marauder version was quite scandalous in the fanboy community (how dare she have covered legs and a militant haircut?!), but I loved it. That said, I was still very appreciative of the classic Teela look we got in the beginning of the story and flashbacks. But considering they released a toy of the marauder look first, I'm shocked they backtracked and gave us this classic version. She is a great figure and I really love seeing the details of the modernized outfit (it flashes by pretty quickly in the show). If you haven't seen the Revelation yet, she has a third major transformation that is awesome and better get a toy as well. (Also, a Revelation Sorceress in her classic orange plumage is definitely needed in this line). Let's check out Teela below!
Tuesday, February 15, 2022
MOTU Revelation - ANDRA!
Masters of the Universe Revelation was a fantastic shot of energy into the MOTU franchise. I wasn't the biggest fan of the 200x cartoon or Jetlag, so outside of comics (which have been really good since 2002), I was relying on the vintage animation for my He-Man lore. But Revelation provided long-awaited character development that I wasn't expecting (but really happy about). One of my favorite "new" characters, is Andra. In the 1986 MOTU series from Marvel's Star Comics imprint, Andra was a blonde caucasian lieutenant and friend of Teela. She appears in one main story, and had two small cameos after. I just read the issues and she maybe appears in a dozen panels and mostly acts as a well-meaning impediment to the heroes. In short, she was a prime candidate for a modern makeover. She was a pretty major character in the show, although not to the level that the rumormill predicted. (And the early announcement of this toy only fueled speculation). Let's check out this wonderful toy below!
Wednesday, December 8, 2021
MOTU Revelation - TEELA!
I'm partway through the second half of Masters of the Universe: Revelation on Netflix and I'm loving it. Teela has always been the most interesting character in the He-Man universe IMO (with Marlena being a close second). The original Masters of the Universe series was fantastic and iconic, but the stories just didn't have a lot of depth. Most characters were a name and a toy gimmick, and not much else (besides awesome). But the writers seemed to put extra effort into the characters that didn't have a punny name or action gimmick. And Teela (and Marlena) were the big recipients of that attention and got complex intriguing backstories. The fact that Revelation seems to focus on Teela is no surprise at all. She is essentially the only MOTU character with any kind of fated prophecy driving a story. Her transformation to a mercenary warrior is interesting and believable. And, honestly, the initial hate from the fanbase just makes me like this look even more. Let's check out warrior Teela below!
Saturday, July 10, 2021
MOTU Revelation - EVIL-LYN!
In the past couple days my anticipation for the Masters of the Universe: Revelation has skyrocketed. Trailers never do much for me. I generally find them very misleading so I don't pay them much mind. But on Wednesday I bought the first issue of the Revelation comic which serves as a prequel to the cartoon. The issue was so chock full of MOTU Easter eggs that it made me giddy. It touched on the origins of Castle Grayskull, the origins of the Power Sword, and the origins of the transformative properties of the sword among other nerdy tidbits. Plus it incorporated 200x characters and teased backstory on vintage characters that I previously knew nothing about. Then out of the blue that night I learned that my local Walmart had the figures in stock. I was there as the doors opened at 7am and was ecstatic to get my hands on Evil-Lyn. She looks amazing. From looking at the trailer, I'm guessing she is actually a good guy in this series - I imagine she'll be like Emma Frost in the X-Men. Either way I'm excited.
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