Review > Webstor (Masters of the Universe Classics)

webstor_80sSome people in Eternia don’t seem to trust their own abilities. Stratos has wings, but wears a jetpack anyway. Webstor, ostensibly a spider-man, carries a grappling hook, a backpack pulley system and fifteen feet of uncoiled rope.

As I’ve said elsewhere, I never owned Webstor as a kid– in fact, I don’t think I even knew anyone who did. So it’s fair to say I don’t really have any attachment to the character, which also means this is one of the first MOTUC figures I’m not reviewing through the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia.

webstor_bio

Packaging: It’s the same cool retro packaging we’ve seen on this line throughout. It’s worth noting that inside the white mailer box, the card was absolutely pristine–hopefully a sign that Mattel has informed the factory about this issue.

Design & Sculpt: While at first glance I thought of Webstor as a relatively simple, straightforward figure, I realize now he’s actually one of the more complicated characters in the line. The body sculpt itself is very simple–it’s just the basic Skeletor body, really, with a new head.

But the armor and backpack are interesting. The armor is made from rubber and goes on over the arms, then the backpack attaches to the back. There’s no actual pulley in the backpack itself, unlike the original figure; it’s just a rope that runs through the backpack. The grappling hook can be clipped onto the back of the backpack.

It’s neat the Horsemen kept so much of the original figure’s design intact, but I do wish they’d offered some way to store the rope when not in use. Maybe I missed something, but it looks to me like it just has to hang all over the floor whether the grappling hook is in his hand or attached to the backpack.

Finally, there are the extra spider legs. They’re easily my favorite touch, giving Webstor the extra boost he needed to from being a bit too pedestrian.

Plastic & Paint: The figure is molded mostly in dark blue. There’s really not a lot of paint work, aside from the head. While I like the choice of red for the eyes, the actual application isn’t quite as sharp as I’d like.

Articulation: Webstor has the standard MOTUC articulation, plus a few extra joints for the spider legs:

  • Ball joint head
  • Ball and hinge shoulders
  • Ball and hinge hips, w/ thigh swivel
  • Hinged elbows, knees, ankles, and abdomen
  • Swivel biceps, wrists, and waist
  • “Rocker” motion on ankles
  • Ball and hinge on spider legs

Accessories: I’m counting the armor and backpack as part of the figure’s design, so the “accessories” are the gun and the grappling hook.

The simplicity of the guns that came with Zodac and Man-At-Arms didn’t bother me very much; somehow, both weapons managed to have an Art Deco sort of look that made them work in 2009. Webstor’s gun, though, just looks too much like its 1980s counterpart. It would look better if it were a bit more detailed and streamlined.

Quality Control: Because of the way he was packaged, Webstor’s left hand was pressing on the barrel of the gun, thereby bending the barrel. A little heating and bending can fix it.

Overall: Don’t hold it against Webstor if this review isn’t as enthusiastic as some of my other reviews have been; I was just never psyched for Webstor in the first place. But he’s a fine addition to the MOTUC ranks, and I’m sure there a lot of fans who will be pleased to finally get an updated version.

(Of course, Webstor’s staction was one of the most radical re-designs of MOTU 200X, and the fact that we never got an action figure of that is a crime.)

[raven 3.5]

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10 Comments

  1. Mark

    Glad I stopped collecting the line.
    MOTUC is a disgusting rip off and I am not lining Mattels pockets anymore.
    Mattel has got to be the worst toy company…any good line they kill with not shipping figures out etc etc….then they do make a good line of figures and they are only available online at near £30…no thanks.
    If Mattel bring backa MOTU line availabe at a decent price in the shops, I’ll get back on board but as is I am pretty much done….in fact I am going to be selling off the few I have.
    I hope that Hasro or any other company gets the rights to make Thundercats, and I hope that DC end their deal with Mattel soon and let DC Direct, Habro or Jakks make DC figures.
    DCUC are crap comared to Marvel Legends.
    I think WWE will regret their deal with Mattel.

  2. RocketPunch

    @Emerald: It was actually Eric Treadaway of the Four Horsemen who said that.

  3. Chris F

    Hi, i had signe dup for the 2009 subscription service through Matty and still have not received confirmation that Webstor has shipped. I called the Customer Service and they advised the order was in “Submitted” mode but I have not received anything yet. Any ideas on how I should proceed next?

  4. dayraven

    i was really disappointed in the jello-like consistancy of the plastic used for the grappling hook shaft (the actual hooks are made of the plastic that SHOULD have been used all the way around) and the gun. none of the previous motuc accessories have had this issue and i hpe this doesn’t become a trend.

    also, the lack of pulley feature for the climb pack hurts at this price point. really hurts…

    but i think the dumbest thing of all is… don’t you usually see spiders hanging upside down? shouldn’t the hook be aligned coming out of the bottom of the pack, rather than the top?

  5. Emerald

    Like Flash III, Webstor was my favorite Heman figure under MossMan. Cornboy posted an interesting comment about being more enthused making this character than most of the other MOTU and I can totally understand where he’s coming from. Never realized he was collector of the original line… Thought he was older than that…

  6. Great review! I’m really looking forward to getting this guy! I always loved Webstor!!

  7. RageTreb

    Oh god, I love those shelves, and thanks for the link! I'm always searching for something to make a stair system for my toys, and I've been running out of my normal standby, VHS tapes. I know you posted it for another guy, but thanks anyway, Ghostal!

  8. Thomas B

    my 2 webstors came in the mail today. LOVE him!!!

    i actually like that the backpack is removable. i can use it as a spider drone.

  9. Poe

    @jestergoblin: Yeah–I hang out with PrfktTear (and Sped) once a month or so. You're welcome to join us for our Toy Geek Meet-ups…same goes for Paddy Fitz and anyone else in the Boston/Mass. area…

  10. Paddy Fitz

    @jestergoblin, the Container Store has something similar: <a href="http://www.containerstore.com/search/result.htm?query=acrylic+riser&x=0&y=0&quot; rel="nofollow">

    I know they have a store in Chestnut Hill, too. I've been looking for something like this for my new Detolf, but I haven't found anything at any B&M stores.

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