My top ten toys of 2025

Posted on December 11, 2025December 11, 2025 by Adam McCombs

Written by Adam McCombs

Every once in a while I like to set the research projects aside and just geek out about figures I like. Since 2025 is rapidly coming to close, I thought I would share my top 10 figures that I got in the last year. Crucially, this is NOT a list of newly released figures, just figures that I happened to buy this year that I really hit me where I live. A few of them are new for 2025, but most are older. I’ll do the traditional reverse countdown, but putting these in any kind of order is pretty hard, and somewhat arbitrary at the end of the day.

#10: NECA 200x Mantenna (2006)

I managed to pick up the 200x NECA Mantenna figure this year. I’ve long admired the 200x NECA mini statues or “stactions” (a portmanteau of statue and action figure) as the best things that came out in that era. Sculpted by the Four Horsemen, they represent what the original 200x line could have looked like had the line not been compromised by action features, cost savings, and strange last-minute color changes on the Mattel side.

The first one I picked up was Leech, a few years back at Power-Con, and I’ve long thought that the 200x version of Leech is by far the best look for the character. When I was a kid I got Leech and Mantenna for Christmas, so I’ve always thought of them as a team who would do the dark work of the Evil Horde together. It was only a matter of time before I picked up Leech’s partner in crime.

Like Leech, Mantenna is truly a masterpiece. He was the first rendition of the character to have four separate legs, as originally intended. He is thin and insect-like, with highly textured and shaded skin, and intense, bulbous eyes. This teeth and mandibles are given appropriate aging and weathering. Unlike other versions of the character, this one has bare feet, and he was also given dark webbing between his fingers and toes. Mantenna is NOT a character you want to meet in a dark alley!

#9: Draego-Man

In celebration of the 30th Anniversary of MOTU, Mattel commissioned about a half dozen new characters to be created for a mini anniversary line released in 2012. This one was designed by the Four Horsemen, the team that sculpted all of the figures in this line. Brimming with details and new sculpt work (and cleverly reused existing parts), he was one of the most detailed figures in the line. His face in particular brings to mind the look of some the dragons that appeared in the Filmation series. He came with a flaming sword, but additional accessories, including a flaming shield, unlit sword, and flaming whip were released separately in weapons packs. These accessories were originally intended to ship with Draego-Man but were cut due to cost.

I actually bought him a while back, but had to sell him to raise some money, so I was grateful to be able to get him again this year, and with all of his accessories. It’s kind of a shame the Four Horsemen weren’t given more new character slots to create for that line – I’m sure they would have been more well received than, for instance, Sir Laser-Lot or Mighty Spector.

#8 Sskur’ge Cosmic Legions

I remember seeing this figure a few years back at Power-Con. I instantly locked on to him. I wasn’t a collector of Cosmic Legions, but a big scaly monster with Whiplash’s color scheme and a highly detailed sculpt? What’s not to love there? I am quite limited on the number of brands/lines I collect, but this guy is so cool I finally gave in and picked him up. I had kind of thought he might work in the MOTU Classics line as an extra beast for Skeletor (maybe Whiplash’s giant cousin), but he’s kind of too detailed to fit in with that line. Still, he’s a magnificent beast and I’m happy to having him gracing my shelves. It’s also nice to be able to buy something from the current Four Horsemen ouvre. Their excellent sculpt work is sorely missed in the modern MOTU lines.

#7 Mondo Skeletor

I was able to get Mondo’s 1/6 scale Skeletor figure because a friend of mine (shout out to Shawn!) had an extra and was willing to let it go on very reasonable terms. All the Mondo figures are exquisitely detailed works of art, but I think their Skeletor is definitely among their best, with an excellent sense of the history of the character. I’ve set mine up to resemble his appearance in the first mini comics. Vivid colors, perfect paint work, tons of display options – what’s not to love? I also got He-Man, but it’s Skeletor who really speaks to me. It’s kind of funny, in almost every modern line Skeletor is the better looking figure over He-Man (that’s true of 200x, MOTU Classics, Mondo, and Masterverse). He-Man might be the hardest figure to really capture of any vintage toy.

#6 Vintage Mosquitor

This is not my first vintage Mosquitor of course – I’ve owned others in the past. You know how it goes – sometimes for financial reasons you have to let a figure go. I grabbed him again this year and was reminded what a cool figure this is. I don’t know of any other figure in the vintage line that is so bizarre, so outlandish, so atypical, and yet fits so perfectly into the universe of He-Man. The combination of the gruesome and fun blood-pumping action feature, the very stylized and oversized head, the angular boots, and the strange colors really work, somehow. Sometimes in my head I have internal debates over what might be the coolest figure of the final US MOTU wave. Often Scare Glow wins that contest, but honestly Mosquitor is more creative and probably the cooler design overall.

#5 Snobro Guerrero He-Man

I recently reviewed this custom replica of the original He-Man prototype sculpted by Tony Guerrero. Sculpted and sold in very limited quantities by Snobro, it’s a very faithful replica of that 1981 prototype, even down to the partially rendered fingers and toes. There are a handful of top collectors who own the few original copies that exist. Thanks to Snobro I was able to get the next best thing. One of my regrets is that I was never able to interview Tony Guerrero – he passed away several years before I started this website. It is nice to have such a carefully crafted tribute to his work, though.

#4 Icon Collectibles The Norseman by Frazetta Girls

My favorite non-MOTU line by far is the Frazetta Girls Icon Collectibles line, showcasing 1/12 scale action figures based on Frank Frazetta’s artwork. The Norseman was my favorite of the bunch when it came out. I’ve only shown one of his looks here, but he has the ability change his loincloth and swap his helmet for hair, allowing for two seperate Frazetta characters in one figure. With multiple swords and a fur cape, he’s a striking looking figure that can work as an extra in any fierce display shelf battle.

#3 Mondo Goddess

I don’t own more than a few Mondo figures, so take this with a grain of salt, but I do believe that their Goddess figure is the best of the bunch so far. Jukka and I recently wrote about the character, and I included a review of the figure in that article as well. Although she’s not an exact replica of the original green Sorceress character from He-Man and the Power Sword, she is exceptional nevertheless. The paint and shading on her skin otherworldly, and she’s got a very striking, if slightly evil-looking face. Mondo figures are typically outside of my budget, but I made an exception for this one. I’ve always felt that the green Sorceress (also known as the Green Goddess) has been criminally underrated and underutilized, so it’s nice to see her get her due in the 1/6 scale Mondo line.

#2 Mondo Sky Sled

This website is called Battle Ram: A He-Man Blog. So of course when the Mondo Sky Sled was announced, my ears immediately pricked up. This one would have been tough for me to get on my own, so many thanks to Mondo (facilitated by Oz and Tommy) for sending me a review sample. This is a lovingly and painstakingly designed and crafted tribute to the front half of the Battle Ram, with influences from original concept art by Ted Mayer, the original prototype, the vintage toy, and the Filmation cartoon. Aside from the intricate paint details and weathering, it also features an articulated cannon and articulated controls. I think this is the only possible version of the Sky Sled that could ever top the one that was offered in the MOTU Classics line! It’s a dream come true to own this, truly.

#1 Icon Collectibles Conan (Asian Exclusive) by Frazetta Girls

The man, the myth, the legend! When I heard that we were finally getting an Icon Collectibles Conan Figure, I pretty much jumped for joy. Of any modern 1/12 scale action figure line, I think Icon Collectibles is doing the best job in terms anatomy, proportions, sculpted detail, painted detail, and well thought out articulation. Zoom in any any part of the figure or accessories and you’ll find weathering, scars, veins and other great details.

In my opinion Conan represents the pinnacle of the line so far. Compared to previous figures in the line, he has a much more muscled upper body, which makes me wish the design team (Eamon O’Donoghue on design, Aaron Doyle on sculpting duties, paint masters by Mat O’Toole) were working on Masters of the Universe as well. Can you imagine a He-Man figure with this kind of anatomy and attention to detail? Personally I think this Conan is a work of art. In fact I like him so much I got this exclusive version as well as the regular version with the curved sword and flat top helmet, so I could display him both with and without a choice of either helmet.

This new Conan figure has double-jointed knees, unlike previous figures in the line. Conan’s elbows are single-jointed, which is as it should be for a guy with arms of this size. The great thing about this line is that it features modern articulation that is well-hidden. I really can’t stand articulation that interferes with a beautiful sculpt, and the Icon Collectibles team has struck the right balance of lots of articulation that is so well-hidden you can’t even see most of the joints.

While He-Man is not a mere Conan clone, the one influence that the Mattel team were really wearing on their sleeve during the development of Masters of the Universe was Frazetta. This was so pervasive that Rudy Obrero was hired to do the box art precisely because he could do it in the smoky, moody style of Frank Frazetta. I really think of these Icon Collectibles as a sister line to my Masters of the Universe figures. It’s the one line outside of MOTU where I am absolutely all in.

All right, I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at my top ten favorite figures that have joined my toy room this year! I expect I will probably have to cut way down on my purchases next year, But I do feel grateful to have been able to add these great figures to my collection! Thank you for indulging this foray into my top ten for the year!

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wolfliche

Reviews

PX Previews Exclusive Darkwolf by Frazetta Icon Collectibles

Posted on November 9, 2024November 13, 2024 by Adam McCombs

Written by Adam McCombs

Ninety-nine point nine percent of the stuff I collect is Masters of the Universe-related (most often from the vintage or the MOTU Classics lines, and occasionally MOTU Origins). Very rarely something outside of that narrow window breaks through into my consciousness, and most recently that’s the Frazetta Icon Collectibles line by Frazetta Girls.

I first encountered their original Darkwolf prototype when it was shown off by designer Eamon O’Donoghue at Power-Con 2023. I first became a fan of Eamon’s from the old He-Man.org Roast Gooble Dinner podcast, which was a part of my education and reintroduction to Masters of the Universe back in 2012 or so. Eamon is also a commercial illustrator who has worked on many Masters of the Universe properties, most recently packaging art for the Masterverse line.

The standard version of the Frazetta Icon Collectibles Darkwolf figure was shipped out by Frazetta Girls at the beginning of this year, which already seems like a long time ago. So how does this PX Previews Exclusive version stack up? Let’s find out!

Packaging

The packaging for the exclusive version of Darkwolf is slightly different from the previous release. Both the original Darkwolf and the recent Teegra figures featured Frazetta artwork on the front, originating from the Fire and Ice movie poster:

*The back of the packaging for the original Darkwolf and Teegra Figures*

For the PX Previews Exclusive version (produced in a small quantity of 1,000 figures), we are treated to a different Frazetta painting on the front of the packaging:

As with the other figures in this line, the front cover of the packaging opens to reveal a window box that shows the figure inside, with all his accessories:

Figure

The PX Exclusive Darkwolf is similar to the original release. While the original was based closely on Frazetta’s Darkwolf as he appeared in the movie poster, this version is inspired by the character’s look in Ralph Bakshi’s Fire and Ice animated film. What’s the difference between the two looks? In the film, Darkwolf has wolf paw bracers and a differently-shaped axe. He’s also darker in color.

Other than the differences outlined above, Darkwolf comes with the same assortment accessories as the main release. He has three different facial expressions that can be plugged into his head. He comes with his animated-style axe (which looks a bit meaner than the axe that came with the original release), a bow and three arrows, and nine different hands, including one that is designed to help him hold an arrow.

*PX Exclusive Darkwolf with all accessories*

*PX Exclusive Darkwolf with axe, featuring his closed mouth face*

*PX Exclusive Darkwolf with bow and arrow, featuring “gritted teeth” face*

*Darkwolf vs MOTU Classics Demo-Man. Darkwolf features the “yelling” face here*

Darkwolf’s eyes in the animated Fire and Ice movie read as pale green to me, and I’m a little disappointed that yellow was used for the eyes of this figure, just like the first release. Still, he’s beautifully sculpted, with highly detailed fur and intricately detailed muscles and veins. Some dark gray dry brushing brings out the relief on his fur costume. There’s some nice brown wash on his bone necklace to give it some realism. The metallic elements on his axe and his belt are particularly nice, with very naturalistic weathering. The attention to sound anatomical details and proportions is appreciated.

For comparison with previous releases in this line, below are a couple side-by side shots of both versions of Darkwolf, as well as a group shot with Teegra:

*Original release (left) vs PX Exclusive Darkwolf (right)*

*PX Exclusive Darkwolf (left) vs original release*

From left to right: *original release* *Darkwolf*, *Teegra, and the PX Exclusive Darkwolf*

And here’s both versions of Darkwolf on a turntable:

Articulation

I have always disliked articulation that breaks up the sculpt of a figure too much (especially for figures showing a lot of exposed flesh), so I’ve really enjoyed the design philosophy of the Frazetta Icon Collectibles line. The elbows and knees are single-jointed, just like real human elbows and knees, so they look naturalistic when posed. Both can bend slightly more than 90 degrees. The knees and elbows include hidden swivel joints, which eliminate the need for a boot cut. In the shoulder joints are a cleverly hidden extra ball joint that allows the shoulders to pivot forward and backward, eliminating the need for a bicep cut.

In place of a waist swivel, the torso articulation allows the figure to twist and rock in any direction. The ball joints at the wrist and ankles allow for dynamic posing. The ball-jointed hips also include hidden swivels. All of the costume elements of the figure (minus the cowl) are removable, although heat is advised when taking apart the torso or removing the feet.

Many action figure collectors do look for double-jointed knees and elbows, prioritizing articulation over the integrity of the sculpture. In nature, our single-jointed elbows and knees allow us to bend our joints much further than 90 degrees, because we are of course made of flesh, not unyielding plastic. Double-jointed knees and elbows provide a more realistic range of motion, but sacrifice the sculpt and the anatomy.

I understand that the upcoming Frazetta Icon Collectibles Conan figure may have double-jointed knees, based on fan feedback. In my view double-jointed knees look fine until you actually bend them, at which point they make the figure look like it’s had a tragic skiing accident! But honestly as far as knees go I probably won’t be too bothered either way, as I tend to keep my figures standing fairly straight.

For more about articulation and removable parts for Darkwolf, see Eamon’s video below:

A Bit of History

I am by no means an expert on Frazetta, but I thought I would pass on some interesting early Darkwolf sketches that were shared by Frazetta Girls and artist Steven E. Gordon on Facebook. Apparently early on in the design for the character, Darkwolf was going to have most of his face exposed, rather than the Batman-esque furry cowl look he eventually got. The sketches that Steven E. Gordon did have been recolored in red to differentiate them from Frazetta’s work:

Final Thoughts

I’ve gone back and forth trying to figure out which version of Darkwolf I prefer. There are things I like about both versions, and I find myself unable to choose. I’d say you really can’t go wrong with either one. The PX version was done in limited quantities and is therefore more expensive at $100 (currently still available at Big Bad Toy Store). The original release is $70. It’s sold out, although there is a waitlist for more at the Frazetta Girls website.

I look forward to future releases from Frazetta Icon Collectibles, in particular the Norseman figure, set for a December release date, and their Conan figure, coming sometime next year.

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Reviews

MOTU Vintage Toys Reference Guide by Zack Papadelias

Posted on January 30, 2022September 13, 2024 by Adam McCombs

Review by Adam McCombs

Zack Papadelias was kind enough to send me a copy of his new unofficial Masters of the Universe Vintage Toys Reference Guide to review. Having worked on a small part of a large toy book myself (The Toys of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe) I have a notion of how much work must have gone into this book – especially since he did most of the work himself! James Eatock contributes some very nice illustrations, and Cristina DiGiacomo assisted with layout and editing, while Jake Cascarelli helped with the cover art.

In my own blog I haven’t gotten in too deep into variants. My one major effort was in covering “first release” variants from the initial 1982 release of MOTU. But that’s really just scratching the surface, and I wouldn’t consider myself an expert on international variants by any means. Zach dives in much deeper to give a comprehensive overview of the many international variant releases in the original vintage line, in addition of course to the “standard” figures widely available in the US in the 1980s. Included below are a few sample pages from the book:

The listing and description of variants provides just enough detail without getting so bogged down that it becomes hard to follow. I should note that there are a few missing variants, which shouldn’t be surprising given a book of this length and complexity. But the vast majority of notable variants are represented in this book, and the book also contains a broad summary of all of the major foreign MOTU manufacturers.

The book also includes a guide to the vintage minicomics, including foreign print comics. Also covered are gift sets and related modern lines, including the 2000 Commemorative line and the MOTU Giants line. There is also a collection of illustrations that appeared in Mattel copyright filings for the original MOTU line.

While there is a lot of online discussion of variants in forums across MOTU fandom, there really isn’t much in print about the topic, so it’s very nice to finally have something physical to refer to.

The book is available for purchase at Lulu Books, as well as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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Reviews

Custom MOTU Origins Heads by Lee’s Customs

Posted on February 27, 2021September 10, 2024 by Adam McCombs

MOTU Origins is a fun line that I’ve enjoyed collecting, but there are a few aspects of the the line that are less well liked by fans. Probably the two biggest gripes (in terms of the figures themselves) are the default He-Man head and pretty much every retail Skeletor head to date). Lots of fans are looking for more vintage-accurate heads for the two main characters in the line. Mattel has released a good (although not 100% spot-on) vintage style He-Man head that comes with Battle Armor He-Man (as well as the convention exclusives), but they really haven’t captured the original Skeletor head in any version so far. Nature abhors a vacuum, so various customizers from the fan community have stepped up to fill that need.

I recently purchased a few custom heads from Lee’s Customs (you can reach him on Twitter, Facebook or eBay). I actually am less interested in nailing the vintage figures (I already have those) than I am in variants based on vintage artwork. Thankfully we have gotten several comic book variants in the line (such as the SDCC and Power-Con sets), and it looks like we’re going to get even more this year (Green Goddess and some kind of repaint or reissue of Lords of Power Mer-Man and Beast Man).

But I would also love to see some variants based on the vintage cross sell artwork. That was the source material for quite a few Masters of the Universe Classics figures, and I think that style would be great to see for at least the “8-back” characters in Origins.

To that end, I bought Lee’s custom Skeletor, He-Man and Lords of Power Mer-Man heads to try my hand at approximating at least some of those looks. (Lee also sells casts of the other Lords of Power characters, a custom Eternian Guard head, and various He-Man heads to help you create Faker, Slime Pit He-Man, Anti-Eternia He-Man or Savage He-Man.) The He-Man and Skeletor heads are cast from the 1982 figures, but altered to be able to fit on a MOTU Origins figure. They’re sturdy and good quality casts that closely match the Origins colors. Some Blu-Tack may be required to help the heads fit snugly on the pegs.

You can buy the heads fully-painted or cast in a base color. I opted for the latter. Here’s what I was able to come up with so far (I haven’t started painting He-Man’s head yet):

For Skeletor, rather than using the bold color lines of the vintage figure, I opted for a more subtle, cross-sell art inspired face coloring. I also painted his feet blue to replicate the bare feet of the artwork. Of course the sculpt of his shins and forearms don’t follow the cross sell art designs. I tried my hand at resculpting those parts on a spare Skeletor, but my skills aren’t quite up to the task, I fear.

For comparison, below is the stock MOTU Origins Skeletor. For the record, I think the stock head sculpt is pretty good, but the paint work doesn’t do it any favors. It’s a nice “alternative” head but not the one I’d have chosen for the standard Skeletor head.

Getting a cross sell-inspired Mer-Man of course required the custom head from Lee. But I also was able to get some hands, armor and a sword from the MOTU Classics Mer-Man (I found these for sale individually as parts on eBay). This allowed me to get the correct four fingers and ornate armor. Again, the shins and forearms aren’t accurate to the source material in terms of sculpt, but everything else is pretty close. (Mer-Man appears blueish in pictures, but in person he’s more green than blue.)

For reference, here is the stock MOTU Origins Mer-Man, which is based on the vintage figure, albeit with some changes to the specific color shades used and to the straps on the armor. In hand it’s a pretty good-looking figure, but I prefer the cross sell art look.

I’m glad there are fans in the community like Lee offering custom heads like this. It really shows the potential of what can be done with the MOTU Origins line beyond just highly articulated versions of vintage 1980s figures.

Post script: I contributed to the upcoming Dark Horse book, The Toys of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. It’s available to pre-order now!

Buying the exclusive combo pack (which includes a supplemental Character Guide) supports me and all the other contributors to these books: http://toyguide.thepower-con.com. Alternatively, the combo is now also available through Big Bad Toy Store.

You can also purchase the individual toy guide at Amazon or through Big Bad Toy Store. Thank you!

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