 Mekaneck and Ground Ripper
Speed Mekaneck into Combat!
Masters of the Universe Origins Vehicle with Figure
Item No.: No. HKM62
Manufacturer: Mattel
Includes: Ground Ripper, Mekaneck figure, , neck extender, alternate Ground Ripper hood ornament, yellow club/telescope
Action Feature: Pop Mekaneck head off and swap in a neck extender. Swap green hood ornaments. Push it along, push it along, push it along, yeah, push it along.
Retail: $32.99
Availability: ca. October 2022
Other: No ripcord, otherwise nice
|
| PREVIOUS |
 RSS |
NEXT |
A remake of the old Road Ripper, this Masters of the Universe Origins Mekaneck and Ground Ripper gives you a figure and a vehicle. Why this pairing? I have no idea, but it put stuff I wanted in the same box - so that's good.
Click here to check availability at eBay.
Click here to check availability at Amazon.
This item was released for $33 in 2022, and I believe figures were typically still $15 at the time. The set's price is flat - often lower than issue price - so go get one with confidence. Mattel hasn't made a single-carded "toy" Mekaneck nor a Filmation version, so this is your current best bet.
The figure is bog standard Origins, with some new and old parts. The chest armor is similar to Stinkor's. The head and neck extension are new, and the telescope-club looks pretty good. There's no lens or cap on the end, so it looks sort of like one of those things you see people walking around with in Vegas. Articulation and construction are all pretty great with removable arms, removable head, and a waist you can pop apart. The 5 1/2-inch figure stands well and fits in well with, well, everything else. I just wish they found a way to keep the old mechanism for his neck, instead of ripping his head off. What can I say, I like toys.
The Ground Ripper vehicle looks like a brighter, more saturated version of the Road Ripper. It feels light, and lacks the rip-cord mechanism - but it has wheels, and you can push it along. It keeps the seat belt, and the head/hood ornament can pop off. You can swap the bird-like head for the lizard-like head, which I am told is based on concept art. Neat!
It feels chunky and sturdy, rolling along without much fuss. The figure easily sits in the seat and can't really hold on to controls or anything. It's just like the original except that it is designed with display as a priority. I really appreciate that Mattel pre-applied the labels at the factory, and kept the look shiny and clean. It feels like an old toy, and it's priced low. Some companies might add lights or added blast effects or other things to make a more expensive product, and Mattel just made a cheap tricycle and passed the savings along to us. I would like more companies to do that. I don't need to pay $60-$100 for the best vehicle, when something that looks and feels good enough gets the job done.
The set remains affordable at $30-$35ish on eBay. Given it's a roughly $20 figure and a vehicle I'd peg at another $20, that seems acceptable. It doesn't have a cool mechanism or any cool rotating blades, but it can roll around on a flat surface and sometimes that's all you need. I don't think I'd have wanted to pay more for a motorized version, and I'm not particular about carded figures these days. Get this one if you can find it, for a while I was finding them kind of cheaply at second-hand and collector stores. You might luck out, so get looking.
--Adam Pawlus
Additional Images
Click here to see more Mattel figures in Figure of the Day.
Click here to see more Masters of the Universe figures in Figure of the Day.
