The Energon Pub

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Wed Feb 17, 2021 2:27 pm

She looks good.

I always like to complete lines and sets. Although I know NA Classics will never be completed. The aim is to complete the available collection of the Space Mutants. I have three more en route (Flogg, Slush Head and Karatti) and then I'll look towards Crita, Hoove, Optikk and Quakke. Which I think should finish the set?

News Credits: 19 · by **blackeyedprime** » Wed Feb 17, 2021 3:24 pm

My knowledge of NA is minimal, I'd almost grown up back then (RE was watching TMHT, Ring Raiders and probably countless other toons), okay so I almost grew up another five years after that -before giving up on growing up.

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Wed Feb 17, 2021 3:33 pm

My exposure to MOTU is very much the same as Transformers. My jump on point was essentially after the original series. For Transformers, it was The Movie and beyond. He-Man was mostly NA onwards. I've barely seen any of the Filmation Series and didn't really care for what I was looking at, when I did.

NA was much more appealing to me as it leant a lot heavier into Flash Gordon type Sci-fi. Campbell Lane was also amazing as Skeletor

News Credits: 19 · by **blackeyedprime** » Thu Feb 18, 2021 11:38 am

I have memory's of using a giant Teddy bear as battle cat (I must have been 4ish), heman jelly sweets that smelled like mmmmmm and must have caught it first airing on TV though I remember years later watching the reruns more.
My first figure must have been Zodac and I guess having a giod/bad guy in one meant I never got another figure for him to fight

Though I did get some years (mainly when my younger brother was older both of us would get one to fight each other, instead of physically fighting each other). I later remember playing with a friends when I was nine during reruns and he had grayskull and loads of figures).

I remember Shera being good too (still is going back to it too for me) but that's mainly because of writers like straczynski. Weird thing is new adventures looks like it is something that would have been written by him (kinda captain powerish Sci fi) even tho it wasnt. Not sure how original Shera supposedly had a gay following or got deheterosexualised by netflix when in the original a dragon repeatedly uses a discriminatory hand gesture when bow finds himself in women's clothes but hey ho o.O times change.

I'll give new adventures a try as it does kind of have a flash Gordon look to it.

News Credits: 19 · by **blackeyedprime** » Fri Feb 19, 2021 11:00 am

Smyths have origins triklops, stratos, ninjor and hordak instock for home delivery. Skipping on the hordak and stratos with having the toon color retros even if they are shrimps next to them (I'll end up getting a deluxe weapon version of hordak like hurricane hordak at some point)

News Credits: 19 · by **blackeyedprime** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 8:51 am

Enjoying origins figures ability to store a sword on their back rather than having to improvise. Ninjors nunchuck also has a single storage hole too. His bow not so much though.

Triklops green chest harness has a bit of orange paint rub blemish some how but he's still cool.

The mini comic featured all characters in the wave (heman, skeletor, Hordak, Triklops, Stratos, ninjor) which was thought out and a nice touch. There is also a little piece of paper pointing out the swappable parts of the figure (Arms, hands etc).

News Credits: 19 · by **blackeyedprime** » Wed Feb 24, 2021 3:01 pm

Mattel posted pics of new master verse 7 inch line... And They are almost 200X good with joints.
Knee joints look fifty times better than origins figures and the figures have the details the classics versions of 200x were lacking. Skeletor straight hannds option looks pretty bad though, not Kingdom Dinobot bad, but not far of.

I'll still be picking up some classics when budget allows but master verse looks to have outdone them. Origins will still be a go to for my retro fix and gimmick versions of characters.

Plus on the brightside the Netflix show has nothing to do with Kevin Smith wooop (whether or not netflix will change genders or sexuality aside, still a big wooop). Kinda looks weird animation. Though and if it gets toys, they woukd be heavily stylised. Still a battlecat/zoid hybrid looks kinda cool.

https://news.toyark.com/2021/02/24/matt ... res-418886

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Sun Feb 28, 2021 9:37 am

I watched a recent Pixel Dan video talking about the new show[s] and toylines. That Masterverse Skeletor hand is so weird. I hope MOTU Revelation has the context for it.

MOTU: Revelation is being helmed by Kevin Smith though. From what was said, it is supposed to be a continuation of the Filmation series. That got my back up instantly. Because New Adventures was the continuation of the Filmation series. But we'll see how that pans out.

Meanwhile, the other show - He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - doesn't have Kevin Smith attached. It also seems to be more stylised in aesthetic and aimed potentially at a new, younger audience.

Elsewhere, ironically as we were talking about vehicles for the Collectors lines. A pre-order has dropped for Super7's ThunderTank...

£649.99 Is a BIG NUMBER :shock:

News Credits: 19 · by **blackeyedprime** » Sun Feb 28, 2021 1:27 pm

when a toy car costs more than ya can buy a working second hand real car I'm out, was the same for s7s grayskull -just weay too pricey for what they are. Mostexpensive vehicles I've ever bought were star wars and even then at a fraction of the price (excluding the lego ult falcon but even that was cheaper).

Origins deluxe ramman and clampchamp supposedly due soon on amazon but water bill to take care of first.

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Sun Feb 28, 2021 1:33 pm

The concerning part is that the Thundertank comes with nothing. It is just the vehicle, no extras. Thundercats also has playsets, on par in size and scale with MOTU. If this thing sells, it sets a dangerous precedent for NECA, Storm Collectibles and the rest.

Masterpiece BW Megatron is the most I've spent on any toy. I could never justify spending more than that on any collectible ever again.

News Credits: 19 · by **blackeyedprime** » Sun Feb 28, 2021 2:38 pm

It doesnt even have a seat for Snarf

I would have been more than happy with the unreleased prototype add on for the thundercats remake toon (it was basically the tanks living quarters that added on to the tank).

I think I'd stretch for original MOTU eternia but in this age where toys can be reproduced I'd be wary to. My lego falcon must have been 400ish at the time and I know the lego ghostbusters firestation was pricey (especially when the KO looks decent). The BW Megatron KOsvanished before I could get one and i had to choose between the official version or master made fort max and some other stuff. Max won out (their Devy is going to cost me more than my NBK and Tak legends Devy combined

).

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Sun Feb 28, 2021 2:45 pm

I had Mumm-Ra's Tomb as a kid. I might have looked at a Collectors version previously. I dread to think what a modern one would cost now, in light of the Tank price.

I saw Classics Castle Greyskull and Snake Mountain... Even if I were wealthy, I wouldn't even consider either. To me, they are up there with HasLab Unicron IE Too overpriced for what they are, regardless of engineering.

My niece is into Lego. I am really fortunate that she isn't into the branded sets.

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Tue Mar 02, 2021 1:13 pm

Brakk Attack!! :-D

Number 2 of 4, from my first wave of NA Classics. Ironically enough, the second in command to Skeletor and technically Commander of the Space Mutants - Flogg!

This is one that has nostalgia to it. As I have the original. He is literally an improvement in every way, bar one. His helmet seems stuck on his head, whereas the original figure had a removeable one. Not a deal breaker or anything. Just a minor quibble.

Slush Head or Karatti next...

Oh and he comes with a funny little sword

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 1:45 pm

The Next Day...

They arrived together!

So with Karatti and Slush Head, I'm now halfway through the MOTU Classics Space Mutants.

Optikk, Hoove, Crita and Quakke, remain. Then I'm done and have another complete set for display.

News Credits: 19 · by **blackeyedprime** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 2:38 pm

Nice, I'm liking how there is only a few characters to complete them and that it might be a while/for ever before mattel revisit them so they are making it further up in my to buy list.

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 2:58 pm

I think the worst part, is that (aside from Skeletor 2.0) only two Space Mutants are missing from the Classics line...

Butt Head (shortened to 'BH' in the show)

Staghorn

There are other soldiers and army builders that could have existed as well. But these were the last two named antagonists of the show.

News Credits: 19 · by **blackeyedprime** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 3:08 pm

Butt Head looks like a custom could be made for him and easier than for Staghorn.

Defenders of the earth up for preorder at indemand. its buy four figures get one less pricing though at £100 for the three. I think £30 per figure is my limit on them, was kind of hoping for £25. Strange there is no stand out defenders of the earth logos on the packaging.

https://www.indemandtoys.co.uk/product/ ... Kp8CycgHao

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 3:34 pm

blackeyedprime wrote:Butt Head looks like a custom could be made for him and easier than for Staghorn.

New Adventures had some really interesting designs. Variations on established themes. Butt Head as a parallel to Mekaneck, for example.

They did leave some of the weirder ones off the Classics list though. Staghorn's opposite, Sagitar, for example...

blackeyedprime wrote:Defenders of the earth up for preorder at indemand. its buy four figures get one less pricing though at £100 for the three. I think £30 per figure is my limit on them, was kind of hoping for £25. Strange there is no stand out defenders of the earth logos on the packaging.

https://www.indemandtoys.co.uk/product/ ... Kp8CycgHao

Well spotted! I can only assume that isn't final packaging?

Pre-ordered. Technically, I only want Ming and Flash. So far.
Well they did say these would be at a slightly higher price point than normal Neca. We'll see how worth it they are really.

News Credits: 19 · by **blackeyedprime** » Wed Mar 03, 2021 4:10 pm

Looks like I know where Huaman Centipede got inspiration from... o.O between Modulok and Sagitar that is the stuff of nightmares.

It seems to be final packaging but not sure why they can't use the name if they have the licence. I only ever had the original Mandrake with his 'Crap! omethings chasing me' action feature so I'm looking forward to all the defenders but doubt they will do the kids.
Hopefully some one does a Billy Zane version of Phantom but that will likely be Medicom or Hottoys and £££ i'm liking Necas more than Boss Studios at the mo but I'd be tempted to get a horse that would fit the NECA figures (maybe Mythic Legions) but only after I've got all the MOTU mythic legions (their hordak/Shera figures are my only must have figures over everything else at the mo and likely only a few places that would even stock them here).

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Mon Mar 08, 2021 9:27 am

I did ask Boss Fight via Social Media, how wide is their scope with the Flash and Phantom licenses. I was a big fan of Phantom 2040 as a kid and would love to see some acknowledgement of that series. At the time, they only had plans for the figures they are doing right now.

Meanwhile, I had a quick look on eBay for the remaining four Space Mutants. Three out of four of them don't look like they will be difficult to source. However, I always take it as a worrying sign when a figure doesn't appear on any secondary market search at all. In this instance, that is Hoove. I am undeterred though.

News Credits: 19 · by **blackeyedprime** » Tue Mar 09, 2021 11:24 am

MOTU advent calendar for 2021 looks awesome

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Masters-Univer ... 7CUfAldGys

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Fri Mar 19, 2021 3:02 pm

Facepalm moment

So as I continued to search for MOTU Classics Hoove. I ultimately realised there was a reason no one had him for sale. He doesn't exist. As near as I can determine, he was a one off custom piece made in 2017. Not an official release. So I'm discounting him completely now. Which means I'm now down to three, easy to source, Space Mutants until I've finished the set.

News Credits: 19 · by **blackeyedprime** » Mon Mar 22, 2021 3:38 pm

Kapows got Origins Grayskull at £73 (Smyths is £80).

Got Zodak, Roboto and She-ra on their way (super 7's tv she-ra was one of the worst figures I've bought in a looong time maybe even over TR stripes). still not keen on the female figures knee joints but Origins she-ra might be able to be used for a version netflix with some customising. I'm happy with TV Merman so I'm passing on the Origins version.

Once I have a stinky Stinkor figure I might get rid of my Funkos. Looking forwrd to seeing the next wave (Mosquitor!!!) and more of the masterverse stuff.