Masters of the Universe MUSCLE: Series 2

About a year after debuting the first series of Masters of the Universe MUSCLE ("MOTUSCLE") figures, Super7 unleashed Series 2 earlier this summer at San Diego Comic Con. The second set consists of 12 new sculpts, joining the 12 from Series 1 for a total of 24 different figures so far. The new batch includes some essential characters that were absent from the first series as well as a couple surprises. The lineup is:

- Stratos                            - Fisto
- Evil-Lyn                           - Battle Cat
- Orko                               - Stinkor
- Sorceress                       - Spikor
- Kobra Khan                     - Castle Grayskull
- He-Man (new sculpt)        - Skeletor (new sculpt)

At the time of writing this, Series 2 has been released only in exclusive colors, including yellow and green from SDCC and lavender from Nerd Block (Series 1 has also been released in all 3 of these colors). A non-exclusive release in the standard MUSCLE flesh/pink color is expected as well, but so far no release date has been given. 

The yellow and green SDCC sets came in long, flat boxes along with the 12 figures from Series 1, as a nod to the classic Kinnikuman MUSCLE 28-packs from the '80s. A very cool and nostalgic presentation!

Sculpt-wise, it's obvious the Series 2 figures were designed by a different person than whoever sculpted Series 1. Overall, the style of the designs is much more cartoonish than Series 1, with larger heads, hands, etc. This is especially noticeable when you compare Series 2 He-Man and Skeletor with Series 1 He-Man and Skeletor, which have much more realistic detail. It results in a bit of an inconsistent feel when you look at the two series side-by-side, but overall it's not that big of a deal with the majority of the sculpts. Both series are very well done, even if stylistically different. You've got to love a Grayskull mini, and the fact that He-Man 2 was sculpted to be able to ride Battle Cat!

A mix of Series 1 & Series 2 MOTUSCLE

I'm really happy with the characters chosen for Series 2. We got some major characters that were missing from the first series, like Stratos and Evil-Lyn, and other significant yet more unique-looking figures like Orko, Battle Cat and Castle Grayskull. I was pleasantly surprised to also see some characters I didn't think would make it until later series (assuming there will be), like Sorceress and Kobra Khan. Some might be disappointed to see alternate versions of He-Man and Skeletor already, but I can understand why it's important to keep including the main good guy and main bad guy in different sets -- plus, Kinnikuman-based MUSCLEs did feature multiple versions of Kinnikuman and his nemesis Buffaloman.

Series 2 debuted at the same time Super7 re-released Series 1 in multi-color 12-pack cans, which contain figures in blue, magenta, neon green, neon orange, and glow-in-the-dark white. Like the 24-pack boxes, the cans are also based on the old MUSCLE 10-pack cans for the '80s, and are awesome. I'm not sure whether the Series 2 figures will also be released this way.

I can't think of much that could be cooler than MOTU-themed MUSCLE figures, and I really hope Super7 milks this line for all it's worth and releases many more series. There are certainly enough characters in the MOTU universe to sustain MOTUSCLE for quite a while.

What about you? Have you picked up any of these new MUSCLE toys? What other denizens of Eternia would you like to see show up in future series?

MOTUSCLE: New Masters of the Universe mini figures

Probably the biggest news so far this year for collectors of "little rubber guys" is that an official, large scale release of Masters of the Universe mini figures is finally here! Aside from a couple limited foreign sets and some capsule machine knockoffs, we had surprisingly never seen monochromatic minis tied to this iconic '80s franchise. That's no longer the case, thanks to a new toy line from Super7.

The line is called MOTUSCLE, since these figures are meant to be an official continuation of Mattel's MUSCLE figures from the '80s. Super7--the company behind collector-focused toys like the ReAction line of vintage-styled action figures--actually secured both the MUSCLE and Masters of the Universe licenses from Mattel and worked with them to bring these figures to life. MOTU is the first of multiple properties that are planned to take mini figure form under the MUSCLE name--Alien and Robotech figures are already in the works.

The news of MOTUSCLE came on suddenly, shortly before San Diego Comic-Con 2015, where they debuted earlier this month. At the convention, Super7 offered these figures for the first time in a few different ways: three-packs in a classic, MUSCLE-inspired flesh color, three-packs in black, and the Skeletor figure in purple as a giveaway (both the black figures and the purple Skeletor were SDCC exclusives).

Let's run through a few MOTUSCLE basics:

• Series 1 consists of 12 different figures--six "Heroic Warriors" and six "Evil Warriors" from Eternia. The figures come in three-pack assortments as listed below. The package artwork is very much reminiscent of vintage MUSCLE packaging, which definitely amps up the nostalgia factor.



MOTUSCLE package back

• Assortment 1:  He-Man, Teela, Man-at-Arms
• Assortment 2:  Man-E-Faces, Ram Man, Buzz Off
• Assortment 3:  Skeletor, Trap Jaw, Beastman
• Assortment 4:  Whiplash, Mer-Man, Tri Klops

• The figures measure between 1.5 and 2 inches tall, comparable to vintage MUSCLE and Monster in My Pocket.

• Even though these are supposed to be new MUSCLEs, the material of the figures is noticeably different. MOTUSCLE are softer and more rubbery than the firmer plastic of vintage MUSCLE figures. They fall somewhere between MUSCLE plastic and Garbage Pail Kids Minikins soft rubber, leaning more toward the latter. I can see why some collectors might be disappointed that they're not an exact match to vintage MUSCLE plastic, but I personally really like the rubbery feel they have.

Purple MOTUSCLE Skeletor with some vintage purple MUSCLE

• The flesh color is not an exact match to vintage MUSCLE pink/flesh. It's a bit lighter, but in the same vein. The color of the purple SDCC Skeletor is a close match to vintage MUSCLE purple. The black of the SDCC exclusives is a new MUSCLE color, never found in the vintage releases. The back of the packages says "Available in 3-pack assortments in a variety of colors," but specific additional colors haven't been announced yet. I'm hoping for some neon colors (pink, green, orange, etc.--bring 'em on!).

• So far, MOTUSCLE have only been sold at SDCC, but an upcoming full/online release is planned for a still-to-be-determined date.

And now for a close-up look at the figures:

The six HEROIC WARRIORS offer up a nice selection of characters, with some MOTU mainstays you'd expect to see in first series of any MOTU line (He-Man, Teela, Man-at-Arms). The stocky Ram Man and bulky, winged Buzz Off provide some nice size variation to the slimness of the other characters. All the sculpts are well done and nicely detailed. He-Man himself probably leaves the most to be desired, but is still decent.

Villains almost always have the most fun sculpts, and the EVIL WARRIORS of MOTUSCLE are no exception. The main baddie himself, Skeletor, looks great (especially in purple). The other highlights from the evil guys are Whiplash (awesome texture on this one), Mer-Man (look at that gnarly face sculpt!) and Beastman (nice proportions and again, really cool work on the face). The only negative I can point out with is that Trap Jaw's robotic arm looks kind of puny--he'd look better and more imposing if that arm were beefed up a bit. Very little to gripe about, though!

I'm very pleased with these figures, and couldn't be happier that MUSCLE are back after all these years in this new form! Series 2 of the MOTU-themed line is already planned, and I can't wait to find out which characters are included.

What about you? What do you think of MOTUSCLE, and which other franchises would you like to see get mini figure treatment from Super7?