Look, I won’t pretend that these are necessarily the five variants you, or even most collectors, would like to see in MOTUC. They’re my five top picks, and if you disagree, then feel free to show me the error of my ways in the comments.
To clarify, by “variants” I mean alternate versions of characters, not factory errors. I’m also excluding figures that are somewhat different characters, like Prince Adam and Keldor–we all want those.
While I almost always prefer to own just the one, iconic version of a character, Masters of the Universe has an unusual preponderance of pretty cool variants alongside the really bad ones.
Here are my five top picks for variants I think would make good MOTUC bonus figures.
5. Laser Power He-Man
I’ll be honest, I had a hard time finding five variants I’d actually consider buying if they were made into MOTUC bonus figs. I had my top three in mind from the start, but picking #4 and #5 was harder.
I finally went with Laser Power He-Man because he represents a nice bridge between the sword-and-sorcery look of the original figure and the science fiction style of the New Adventures He-Man. So far, the Horsemen haven’t been able to play up the science fiction aspects of MOTU the way they did with the 2002 line, and I think LP He-Man would be a relatively easy way to do so without having to tool too many new parts.
How to make it in MOTUC: New armor, new sword, new right arm armor. Boots and belt can be re-used from He-Ro; left silver glove can be re-used from Hordak.
4. Battle Sound Skeletor
One of the first variants out of the 2002 MOTU revamp, Battle Sound Skeletor featured Skullhead in his Sunday best. Slightly redolent of the fabulous gold-armored Langellator from the end of the 1987 live-action movie, BS Skeletor would make for an imposing Classics figure. With the regal red chrome and imposing spikes, this was one of the most badass Skeletor figures ever made.
How to make it in MOTUC: New head and armor; some new paint apps on gauntlets and greaves.
3. Snake Armor He-Man
As the 2002 line progressed, Mattel moved away from Skeletor and his minions and made the Snake Men the #1 threat in Eternia. They also introduced the idea that He-Man’s armor changes to match the threat he’s facing, and so Snake Armor He-Man was born.
Unfortunately, the figure was introduced as the 2002 line was failing, and it ended up only being released overseas. But it’s one of the most intriguing redesigns of He-Man, and many fans would love to get their hands on one.
The only drawback to this variant is that it might require so much new tooling, it would have to be an SDCC exclusive.
How to make it in MOTUC: Mattel and the Four Horsemen might be able to get away with using the standard torso and making the “sash” a removable piece of armor. The head, shoulders, biceps, hands, left arm and thighs could be re-used, but most everything else would have to be new tooling.
2. Green Trap-Jaw
This one is definitely a personal favorite. In his first mini-comic appearance, “The Menace of Trap Jaw,” Trap-Jaw is depicted not only as light green-skinned, but his weaponry is silver and he has bare legs like the rest of MOTU.
The 2002 line had a green-skinned Trap-Jaw with silver and gold highlights I was really fond of–I liked that the green of the face matched the rest of him. It was just a repaint, with the same armored legs as the standard figure. However, for a potential MOTUC bonus figure, I’d like to see it based solely on his mini-comic appearance–bare legs and all.
How to make it in MOTUC: Swap the armored legs with standard He-Man legs, mold the belt and robotic arm in silver plastic, and give him light green skin. Done!
1. Ice Armor He-Man
Ice Armor He-Man is the most barbaric-looking He-Man to date (or was until King Grayskull, at least). While I make a lot of fun of variants like “Arctic Batman,” I do have a certain fondness for ice-themed figures, and IA He-Man was one of the best. The outfit makes him look a lot more badass than he usually does.
How to make it in MOTUC: Possibly easier than it looks. Most of the standard He-Man can simply be repainted, and they could retool King Grayskull’s cape and shoulder piece just a bit, adding some ice chunks.
The really cool thing here would the ice-themed accessories. Rather than the translucent blue weapons shown here, I recommend a completely clear Power Sword and axe, with perhaps some white frosting to represent the ice aspect. In any event, an ice axe is a must.