Masters of the Universe evolution: TRI-KLOPS!

[enyawd72]

TRI-KLOPS
Evil and Sees Everything!

From left to right...figures from 1982, 2002, 2010
I'm going to post each character as I collect them...I absolutely love these figures.

[Hedji]

Love it! How complete is your loose vintage collection?

[PNGwynne]

Very cool, my favorite henchman.

[enyawd72]

Love it! How complete is your loose vintage collection?

Not very...I only have four figures. I'm just getting started.

[Hedji]

That's when collecting is the most fun.

[Werewolf]

The original MOTU is still the best of the He-Man lines in my opinion. Great toys. Cannot go wrong with those. Often imitated but never equaled. The Anniversary reproductions are very nice, well painted and you don't have too worry so much with rubber bands breaking on those. The only downside is Trapjaw's missing hook and He-Man's head sculpt is a bit off.

The 2002 line I have mixed feelings on.

The 4 Horsemen sculpted them way too Spawn toys influenced with their one big boots, hunched over twisted spines and tiny heads. Most of the villains still looked pretty good. Skeletor is probably the best except for his really tiny head. He-Man and the painfully obviously Luke Skywalker in Bespin fatigues Prince Adam are probably the worst redesigns followed closely by the Sorceress. Not even going to touch on all the bizarre repaints and Smash Blade disaster. I do appreciate they were meant to be toys first and collectibles second and included many action features. The Castle Grayskull playset is terrific and the way it can identify and interact with the early chipped figures is very cool.

[enyawd72]

^I went all the way around with the 2002 line. When it first came out I was ecstatic, and tried in vain to collect them all, then as time went on I kinda gave up because they were so hard to find. I remember once making a 200 mile round trip looking for Mer-Man. At one point I even felt the redesigns were too extreme, but I've since changed my mind. Taking another look at them, each figure really does retain all the elements of the original that inspired it, only with more individuality and tech influence to the sculpts.
They also addressed issues that bothered me even as a kid, like why Man-at Arms had green skin everywhere but his head. They made the green an armored bodysuit, etc.
I feel the new classics line is perfect, blending aspects of all the previous eras into one definitive look.

[Werewolf]

The giant shoulder armor really bothered me on the 2002 Man at Arms. It was just so ridiculously oversized. There's no way he'd be able to stand with that. Another cringe worthy Spawn influence. It's a pretty decent update otherwise. That was kind of the whole problem with the 2002 line as a whole. They had designs that were almost there. Had they shown a little more restraint on the Image Comics 90s extreme influences it would have been just about a perfect update.

[PNGwynne]

I enjoyed the 2002 line for what it was at the time. I was friends with a British collector and was lucky enough to get the later waves from him on Euro close-out. There were many characters, though, that should have seen mass release instead of He-Man & Skeletor variants.

I love the Classics line, but I couldn't subscribe at the start and knew I'd never catch up. They're nearly perfect IMO.

I'd always hoped for the 2002 re-launch, Mattel might've done some 12" versions using their Max Steel body.

[Werewolf]

I was friends with a British collector and was lucky enough to get the later waves from him on Euro close-out.

That reminds me, I had a heck of time tracking down Snake Armor He-Man from that last wave. Much better head sculpt than the first 2002 He-Man. But, that armor, what an eyesore.

[Starroid Raiders Dagon]

I always loved the MOTU. I have most of the original series boxed up at mom'. I would have loved to have been in a great financial state in 2002 to get the new series as I thought they looked fantastic and the new cartoon was very good. Much like everyone else, I only remember seeing various versions of He-Man in stores. Great to see all three versions together. Good luck with the collecting, enyawd72!

[GreenLantern9999]

I love MOTU, I have a pretty good size collection on the vintage guys I only thing I'm missing 4 or 5 guys from the regular figures, I don't really count the many he man and skeletor variations though. I had almost all the 200X guys, I was just missing the Faker and Moss Man exclusives. I sold them all about a year ago and I have been selling off bits on my MOUTC set. Now I am more focused on getting the vintage guys and then just getting the best version on the core guys for the Classics line. I am subbing for the new Filmation set from Mattel.

[hedrap]

MOTUC is to me the best toy line being made. I buy the ones my kids want, I can get them for a reasonable price and so far, about 25 figures in, they've turned out to be the most sturdy/playable figures I've bought them. The DCD and Marvel legends are consistent, but Classics has been amazingly durable. I've had a few DCD figures break at the joints.

They really have made me flinch at ReMego lines since it's in the same price range but can be a quality gamble.

Also ironic these are the same people who made Batman '66, and while those can take a beating, their overall construction is about two grades down from MOTUC.

The Mineternia figures are real tempting to me. I have an Alcala Skeletor, but haven't bit on O-Lar. Just saw they're doing a Red Beast Man, which is something my kid self always wanted. Frazetta He-Man is still amazing to me.

[ScottA]

I look forward to seeing more pics.

[acrovader]

These Four Horsemen MOTU Classics just rock. Problem is that they are too expensive. Usually have to go through ebay. I had a bunch of the original MOTU figures back in the day, while I liked them and played with them, they are no way my favorite of the era- probably not in even in my top 5 or top ten. But the MOTU Classics did it right. While they are true to the original versions, the articulation and detail just takes it to another level. In fact, I think I like the MOTU Classics better than I did for the original toys. I'm really happy with these and I hope the Four Horsemen take on Blackstar. And I'm looking forward to the Thundercats (a toyline I never collected as a kid).