Early in the Masters of the Universe Classics line when the figures were $20 and production overseas was cheaper, it was not uncommon for toys to include alternate heads - usually one was based on the original 1980s toy, and the other was based on a 2002 toy or animation model. So you'd get Mer-Man or Stinkor or others with option parts, as long as the budget allowed. Fans were asking for a head pack for a while, and Scott "ToyGuru" managed to put in some stupendous stuff before moving to Jakks Pacific. The Heads of Eternia pack not only addresses the heads with more than I'd have assumed given the price, but it gives us a make-good on one which some fans had an issue with this. I don't say this blithely, because my original head for Snout Spout is still fine. Granted, I've been super-careful with it, but I've heard the complaints - this is an improvement. The eyes are now just yellow and the head is much darker, also a tad smaller. The trunk is no longer flexible, and the ears are no longer articulated. He has little red dots where tusks would go, and a lot of painted bolts. The tip of the trunk looks like it could grip something, which, of course, it can't.
It takes a little bit of an adjustment to get used to it, but the smaller, 2K-based head is actually a lot nicer overall. There's not much grey on the figure to match other than a few pouches, so the extra panel detailing and various metal plates look great. If your Snout Spout broke, this is a pretty neat replacement - even though it's not the same exact head, it's neat. I'll probably switch my display to the new head now. This head, separated from the set, seems to be selling for about $20 alone. I'd say it's probably worth it.
Next up is Sy-Klone, a head which I thought was pretty much fine. To be honest, I still think I prefer the original - the new one has a similar face with slightly darker blue skin. The helmet is painted yellow rather than molded in yellow, plus it's a bit smaller. The red ring and crest on his head are darker than the other red on the figure, so it sort of sticks out. It's a decent update of the figure from just over 10 years ago, but given the light paint on the dark plastic I hesitate to call it an improvement. It's different. It's nice. But I wouldn't pay a premium for it.
A figure with a pretty radical departure from the original is Roboto. The update from the last decade had huge boots, a visor, and a lot more blue on his head - the color scheme and torso say "Roboto" but the head is wildly different. This new one has an articulated red jaw and, unsurprisingly, is a darker silver color than the original. The paint is spot-on and for some reason the red plastic jaw has red painted rivets on it. It's so subtle I assume most people won't even notice unless they squint. The upper jaw near the "ears" shares the paint, and the same commentary - why? When trying to cut corners, some of the paint applications add little other than cost. It's not like any of the heads really need more paint, but it would have been nice to see Sy-Klone's helmet get a slightly better grade of yellow paint instead. While a very nice head with great detailing around the mouth, I think I'll be trading it back for the very good original.
As a character with a wildly different body, I was surprised that Clawful was considered for this collection. In many respects, he looks very similar to the original head - the sneet, the teeth, and the general expression are all very similar. He does seem meaner, with more sybtle eyebrows and a more fearsome expression. His red skin is darker than the original head and body, so it's not quite as good of a match as the other heads. The sculpted crest on his head is actually less detailed than the original, but it follows the same shell pattern with a very similar skin texture. Since the head matches the chest armor and the shell on his back more now, I could see switching to this head permanently - but the Muppet-like original is quite compelling. I think this one adds to the personality of the figure better and generally adheres to the Masters of the Universe Classics line look better than the original, so let's say it's a good and worthwhile upgrade. This one's a keeper.
As a figure with a fine head and a mask, a replacement for Buzz-Off was surprising. The original Classics figure head seemed just fine, if a little round. The new one follows the more streamlined, angular look of the 2002 version complete with giant antennae. It's an improvement - the big nose and goofy brown fangs looked weird on the original, but here we've got slightly more reserved white fangs plus really nice yellow paint for his face. The brown part of his head matches the body nicely, and the metallic green seems even shinier and better than the original. I'd say this is another keeper - it makes a good figure better, so I've got no reason to complain. Solid work.
Finishing out the collection is one I didn't think I'd need, but it turns out Grizzlor worked out great. The original head was fine, but this one is a little more refined. There's a yellow border around his face, along with a new batch of hair that seems to match the original body just fine. The original release of this figure came with a 2K-era belt and loincloth, so you were pretty much primed to upgrade this one from day one. The teeth and eyes, now smaller, give the figure a slightly more imposing look with the added illusion of size. His new face lacks a little bit of the red of the original, and the glossy, moist interior to his mouth is no longer visible. On a technical level, the original head is easily more impressive. As a cohesive whole, though, the new head really does make a good figure better - I think I'm going to stick with the new head, at least for now.
This is a worthwhile set. I've heard making new heads for figures is quite expensive, but significantly cheaper than making a whole new figure. For that reason, I think it worked out pretty nicely. Under $5 a head isn't exactly a bargain, but to fix up Snout Spout it's not bad. If you look back to 2008 and 2009, now 6 of those first 18 characters have alternate heads - I suppose more may be coming. They may have shot themselves in the foot for new, bigger figures of Clawful or Roboto but odds are we wouldn't be getting those anyway. It's a nice little set and a decent make-good for frustrated collectors, and by no means essential. I hope to see more of these in the future if it makes sense, and given the longevity of the line it may not. And while this set may not be cheap, it's probably better than dealing with third-party upgrades. It's a shame you can't just up and buy it, though.
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