One of very few figures in the Masters of the Universe Classics to not have a bio is Lord Masque - but his Matty Collector page identifies him as "Kelson Van, Masque, Rakka" and identifies his favorite movie as The Man in the Iron Mask. Charming. I don't know if jokey is really the style for marketing the final(ish) figures of a long-running line not known for its sense of humor, but hey, what do I know? Lord Masque is a long-requested figure dating back over 30 years, which is sort of bewildering. This is someone I saw on a cartoon when I was maybe four or five, in a line that has probably passed its expiration date slightly and somehow, mystifyingly, has a new action figure from one of the biggest toy companies in the world. Miracles do happen... or perhaps management just ignores things and greatness happens by accident.
With a design that couldn't be more true to the cartoon, Masque has tiny underpants, big muscles, gloves, and a mask - because of course he does. The hood on the back of his head hides his identity or species, so all we really know is that he's a ripped fantasy figure with a cartoonish face covering that somehow looks even more animated than the actual animation design. That takes some doing - the straps and boots and pretty close. I don't think his boots were pointy, but other than that the crew at Mattel and the Four Horsemen got it.
Articulation is consistent with the line so far, offering nothing really new. This means that he's no better and no worse than the rest of the line, and since he doesn't have any accessories of his own - more on that in a minute - it's perfectly fine. On the cartoon he used magic and picked up his opponents. He also shot laser beams out of his eyes, which is a great budget-saving move on animation. So whose weapons are these?
They belong to the New Adventures version of Thunder Punch He-Man - note the shield is green, as is the sword. The H/M letter is a little... strange, and doesn't fit with the aesthetic of Filmation's general look and feel. If you plopped these on your New Adventures He-Man figure [FOTD #736]. He'd need new armor, but it looks like Mattel may be on track to letting you convert New Adventures He-Man into another flavor. That ain't a bad idea, especially as Masque does look more than a little silly holding this gear. I do appreciate, though, how Mattel spreads its tooling budget out to give the collecting-them-all crowd a shot at cool accessories and upgrades for sticking the line out for the long haul.
Much like Shipoopi a few years ago, this was along-awaited, fan-demanded, and arguably recognizable face from the old cartoon. It would have been awesome to have it a few years sooner, mostly because as we get older it's a little tougher to lavish the kind of affection and attention on a single toy that we would have when we had a) less stuff and b) more time. This is a fabulous figure, and a few years ago when I was watching more cartoons and generally whipping out figures to futz with on the couch, this would be my favorite thing (of the month). Now? Well, I love it, but it's going to go on a shelf and collect dust after I publish this, and that's just depressing. I totally dig this figure as it was done well and Mattel did a good job making the most of the release. If you're not overwhelmed with toys, this is a slam-dunk. Get it if you can!
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