I know Gwildor, but Geldor was hitherto unknown to me. While there are people who have a deep knowledge of the Masters mythos, most of what I know comes from cartoons and the commercials I saw on TV. I know all about Landsharks and Dragon Walkers, this is a new figure as I didn't have access to the minicomics as a kid. Geldor, whose description on the packaging feels a smidgen wordy, beat out several other characters to win this year's Fan's Choice contest. Losers include Illumina, a blue-skinned character whose fame frankly eludes me. (She was in a pin-up drawing in an issue of a comic nobody read? No, thank you.)
At this point in the line's run it is difficult if not impossible to pleasantly surprise the collector. Without even opening the packaging, I can write about half of this review - I know it's going to have about 21 points of articulation, that about 70% of the body will come from previous figures, and that we will probably see any new parts reused in the future. Each new figure has a new head, new armor, a new weapon, and maybe a few other bits - this one managed to sneak in new-to-me boots, and I wasn't expecting to see a glass that could hold liquid of eternal life, either.
At about 7-inches tall, Geldor constructed as well as any figure in the line with a face oozing with personality. The smile and eyes shine brightly, with the eyes in particular having a little glint of madness that shows up really well in person. There's a little gloss on his teeth too, which add to realism in this usually less-than-lifelike line of plastic toys. I was taken with the hairstyle too - other than his eyebrows, all of his hair is connected. The grey/white color matches the minicomics nicely, and this figure arguably has more personality in his face than the vast majority of this line. It's superb.
Paint quality is likely to raise some debate - is Geldor black, or white? From the art I saw, I assumed he was white. The hair reminds me a bit of Mr. T meets Lemmy, and I don't know exactly who Mattel and their artists were trying to mimic. Mr. T would make the most sense, and this figure is a darker skinned fellow but arguably ethnically ambiguous. After the pale Thunder Punch He-Man, it's hard to tell what's a factory error, a narrative choice, or just the best option that Mattel had on the table. Since I have no real stake in this character's history, all I can say tis that the figure's face is so lively that I'm satisfied with the figure I got in the mail, simply because I have limited point of reference.
The figure continues to shine with the quality of deco. Rivets are painted, some armor shows a little dirt or black markings, and his underwear doesn't match the loincloth. The unique axe is more squarish than most, and looks like it could also be used to take a pizza out of the oven. I appreciate that it has some deco on it, and Geldor has no problem carrying it around. Getting the glass into the right hand was easy, but the left was less interested in carrying the drink. I'm placing bets that the cup will be one of the most frequently lost accessories in the entire line - I don't think I want it on display, and if I don't store it carefully I may never see it again.
I would say Geldor is a better-than-average effort from Mattel and benefits from being an unused design from the 1980s. I mean, just look at this thing - if looks like it should have been on the shelves at Lionel PlayWorld around 1985. While the nitpicker in me would have loved a larger axe, or an axe-swinging action, the figure standing on my desk as I type this is really good. I hesitate to shower it in too much praise due to obscurity, as I likely would not have purchased it outside of a subscription. But hey - it's a high-quality figure, I can't ask for much more than that.
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