 Reptilax
Mercenary Brute of the Snake Men!
Masters of the Universe Origins Fan Channel Exclusive Basic Figure
Item No.: Asst. HYD16 No. HYD38
Manufacturer: Mattel
Includes: Tail, axe, shield, sword, mini-comic
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: May 2024
Other: Fang Man head with other parts
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An old concept for the design that would become Masters of the Universe Origins Reptilax came from one Alex Gimemez, based on a background mini-comics Snake Man. This figure is pretty close to his concept - a modified Fang Man head with some green accessories. Mattel ultimately wound up using existing tooling, as the axe was used a few times, and the shield was King Hiss', and there's a Tri-Klops sword. The head is unique - Fang Man has ears on the cartoon, but this figure does not. (Subsequently, neither does the 2025 Fang Man figure since it uses the same part.)
It's still pretty cool. It's a 1980s concept, made of mostly recycled parts, making it both new and old. If nothing else, it's something you may not have had and that makes it particularly interesting for those who want to build out this particular faction.
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I got this guy in 2024 and because there was a massive amount of catching-up on this line, a lot of things were in boxes for a long time. My eyes played tricks on me, because the concept art and figure photos looked flesh colored - but it turns out his body is actually yellow. The arms are reused, the legs are on various reptile figures, and the feet you'll recognize from Whiplash and others. I think the tail is unique, and the retooled furry shorts have a hole for them. It's an awkward fit.
Gladiator armor looks pretty great, with gold highlights and the ubiquitous faction symbol. Everything more or less hangs together nicely, even if the tail's texture and spines don't really mesh with the standard figure buck. It stabilizes him well, so you can enjoy some action poses without him falling over.
I appreciate Mattel didn't waste plastic on the weird snake staff, and instead gave him an axe, a sword, and a shield. Sure they're recolors - but they're cool. You can give Filmation Tri-Klops his sword if you want. The axe looks pretty great. The shield... well, it's fine. It's what 1980s Mattel would have likely done as reusing parts was a huge part of what made the line profitable.
Figures like this are cool and annoying - depending on your completeness disorders, you might need it as a new character based on a 1980s comic panel. You might not need it, because it wasn't in the cartoons or original toy line. I'm dialing stuff back to "does it look awesome?" or "was it on the cartoon?" and this guy made the cut - a weird gladiator was worthwhile. While not as cool as Vypor [FOTD #2,764] it is still a nice original design that adds to the reptilian horde, not to be confused with the Horde. If you can stumble on him cheap, get one. It's not like he's going to show up in the movie or on a new cartoon, so this is probably the only toy we'll ever get of him. (Maybe Masterverse? Well, who knows.) It's a way to keep the never-ending 1980s toy gang war going.
--Adam Pawlus
Additional Images
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