Becuse we are nearing the end of the Classics line (sorta, there will be figures next year), it’s time to rush out those remaining figures.  This means He-Man and Skeletor, of course!  And one basic set of variants heretofore unreleased in MOTUC are Flying Fists He-man and Terror Claws Skeletor.  They were released together in October, their review only delayed because of Halloween.

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FLYING FISTS HE-MAN: HEROIC LEADER WITH THE ARM-SWINGING ACTION
REAL NAME: ADAM OF THE HOUSE OF RANDOR
After his trip to Preternia, He-Man returned to his own time period with the hidden knowledge of the Snakemen’s one true weakness. Together, with the new Sorceress and his twin sister, Adora, He-Man and the Renegade Masters of the Universe planned a final strike against all who opposed freedom. The heroes forged an uneasy alliance with Skeletor and his Evil Warriors, and clashed against the Snakemen and Horde warriors on the fields of Central Tower during the Second Ultimate Battleground. Powered by the Orb of Grayskull, Flying Fists He-Man repelled his serpentine villains with his fist-flinging power!
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This is kind of a lie, as you will see.  He-man’s “Flying Fists” aren’t exactly as advertised.  But to be honest, it sure is funny to see him use a propeller on a stick!

PACKAGING: ****

As samey as it may be, it is a good window box.

SCULPT: ***

First things first, this is basic He-Man.  He-Man is the most basic figure in the line, with the most parts that have since been shared out.  To that end, he’s pretty awesome.  Normal, but good.

His new armor is pretty basic, as it was on the old figure – unfortunately, this makes it blend in too well with previous variants.  It’s also a tiny bit thick and wide, unfortunately, though not nearly as bloated as some other figures.

Unfortunately, since Oo-Larr came with a bonus “upgraded” head, He-Man’s head just doesn’t look as good – see how much better the Oo-Larr head is on him?

PAINT: **1/2

He-Man’s paint job mostly represents the classic figure, albeit with silver paint instead of vac-metallization.  A lot of fans re disappointed at the armor choice, though it may be more durable this way.  Still, it does not match the vintage figure.

Moreso, every one of these figures I have seen has sloppy or scratched paint on the armor, which is well below the usual standards of this line.  It’s pretty visible, too, usually manifesting as splatters from the logo showing up elsewhere.

ARTICULATION: ****

He-Man has the most “ordinary” articulation of the line, which fits considering that the whole line comes from his basic body.  There really are no complaints about this.

As bulky as He-Man’s armor seems, it doesn’t get in the way of his arm movement – in fact, his weapons do a better job of that than anything else.  But he is comfortably poseable, which is a great mark in favor of this figure.

ACCESSORIES: ***

Firstly, He-Man comes with his Flying Fists!  Which is essentially a propeller on a stick.  Sort of.  The “fists” in question are big brass balls, and while I can see how they could do damage, I have no idea how He-Man wouldn’t drop it from the recoil.  The item does have some fun spinny articulation, though!  It’s just silly and ridiculous even for this toy line.

He-Man’s shield also has a spinning guard on the outside, ostensibly to deflect and parry attacks, and disar opponents.  Though depending on his enemy, it might just break his wrist instead!

And of course, He-Man also comes with his power sword, although he has no place to put it when decked out in his Flying Fists gear.  A holster somewhere would have been great.

VALUE: **1/2

Even with both figures together to pay for shipping, they end up evening out to about $30 a toy.

THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR:

Every one of these figures I have seen has sloppy or sratched paint on the armor, so buyer beware!

WHERE TO BUY:

This set is not currently available on Matty, but will likely pop up in the future.

OVERALL: **1/2

Well, this is certainly He-Man.  The thing is, even though he hasn’t had terribly many variants in the last couple of years, he has gotten a ton, and this one feels more like it could have been an accessories pack than a full figure.

It isn’t worthless by any means, but the figure has QC errors, a generally bland design, and some of the most illogical and demented weapons that He-Man has ever wielded.  Seriously, what was going through his mind on that day?  Did he look at Skeletor’s Terror Claws sports bra, and decide to be even more ridiculous?