Mattel Masters of the Universe x Stranger Things Skeletor and Demogorgon Action Figures Mattel, 2024
Day #2,712: May 28, 2024
Skeletor and Demogorgon Upside Down Eternia!
Masters of the Universe x Stranger Things Target Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. HVV72 No. HVV73 Manufacturer:Mattel Includes:Power Sword, Havoc Staff, Hellfire Staff, 2 energy effects Action Feature:n/a Retail:$34.99 Availability:ca. May 5, 2024 Other: Less Ape, More Flight?
When you heard they were doing a new Demo-Man, the Masters of the Universe x Stranger ThingsSkeletor and Demogorgonprobably wasn't what you had in mind. For fans of either franchise, such a crossover makes about zero sense - but for fans of 1980s-derived pop culture, this is an item that's probably going to make a really good Father's Day present. If you're a dad right now, you might have a kid wondering what to get you, and Skeletor might not be too out of line, nor might something from Stranger Things. That's just my hunch of why this exists - it also looks pretty cool, and "guest stars" are kind of exciting. In an era of $19.99 basic figures, $34.99 for two guys - admittedly, nobody probably needs another Skeletor - is a good buy.
Skeletor is a variation on the existing 2020 figure. The Demogorgon adds new parts to an existing Beast Man body. And together, this is probably a pretty good gateway to collecting these guys.
The Demogorgon is the reason I bought the set. It's a mix of new and old parts, as the body is mostly old Beast Man elements (hairy chest and limbs) with a few new pieces like the head, as well as hands and feet that are reused with other figures from Turtles of Grayskull like Walmart's exclusive Mer-Man and Moss Man figures. A big, beefy, armored gladiator of a Demogorgon runs counter to the skinny, yet strong plant-based creature. But if you're on Toy Instagram, you've no doubt seen customizers (or bootleggers) making small-run character mash-ups, be they Star Wars wrestlers or Adventure People-flavored Star Wars characters or... other Star Wars things. Putting the Demogorgon in Beast Man's undies and armor is a heck of an interesting choice, giving it more of a toy-like vibe and cashing in on the success of both brands before they burn out in the next year or three.
This time, the figure has a vaguely bronze tint to his armor, with a pale ashen purple skin. There's a black paint wash on it, which brings out some of the detail in a fairly subtle way. His hands do a great job gripping the accessories, although the double-D20 with energy blast effects weighs a lot and will bring the shoulders down. Articulation is more or less par for the course, but the foot construction is new. The new plant feet don't have rocker ankles, but they do bend and swivel. Based on the construction I assume he'll sag and flop over in warm months, so you might want him to lean against something to avoid jumping off your shelves.
The figure's head sculpt really looks nice, with lots of detail in the teeth and on the skin. The paint is mostly good, but the white of the teeth isn't exactly perfectly cleanly applied. You may want to examine them up-close before making a purchase. My sample is pretty good, but it's got more slop than I expect from this line or from any figure in 2024. It's good enough, though.
I was surprised that they gave him a new accessory, especially given how on Stranger Things we actually saw people fighting Demogorgons with conventional weapons. Mattel decided to take a cue from its origins with a staff capped with D20s, with clip-on energy effects. I'd say it's overkill from a functional perspective, as this is one of the heaviest accessories in the Origins ecosystem and results in the arm slowly drooping. Having said that, it's really cool and the kind of thing I'd buy as a fan-made accessory. I wish it didn't sag, but it's a heck of a cool display piece.
Skeletor is a grab bag of parts from the two releases of the 2020 figure, with new deco. It uses the 2020 head with the reissue sword (not a connectable one), desaturates the colors, adds a metallic tint to the plastic, and covers the thing with a light black wash. You can see some black paint rubbed in his boots. His right hand can grip either accessory nicely, and I love how well they painted the head. If you need a Skeletor (or another one), I bet you'll like it as it looks just a bit better than the other releases.
If you have an appetite for the goofy, this is it. It makes good sense, and seeing modern sci-fi and horror characters dressed up in Masters of the Universe colors. It's a well-crafted set, and as long as you don't object to a non-Eternian in the line I can see this as a great gateway product that might send you out buying older toys. Turtles of Grayskull serves a similar purpose - it casts a wider net and may excite an entirely new fan base. Long-time Origins collectors will probably shrug, but I found the set exciting enough to run around and chase down - and I was not disappointed.
16bit.com is best not viewed in Apple's Safari browser, we don't know why. All material on this site copyright their respective copyright holders. All materials appear hear for informative and entertainment purposes. 16bit.com is not to be held responsible for anything, ever. Photos taken by the 16bit.com staff. Site design, graphics, writing, and whatnot credited on the credits page. Be cool-- don't steal. We know where you live and we'll break your friggin' legs.
RSS 
