The Mystery of Savage He-Man…Solved?

Posted on July 25, 2025July 27, 2025 by Adam McCombs

Guest article by Val Staples

This is an updated article from The Toys of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe from Dark Horse Books.

If there is one figure that has long puzzled He-Man fans, it is Savage He-Man (AKA Wonder Bread He-Man). And for over two decades, fans pondered the history of this toy.

This figure is regarded as one of the gems of any He-Man collection. But the figure had a problem in that is no one knew exactly where it originated. Theories of its genesis range from it being a mail-in figure, to a store give-away, to promotional offers. Many of those who had this figure from a young age often have a different account of how it came to be in their collection.

The whole thing kicked off in the early days of the internet thanks to Alex Bickmore’s Super Toy Archive (toyarchive.com). Part of the collection of one David Schickedan, this figure was depicted with brown hair, brown trunks, black boots, and a black belt. It was also shown wearing black Zodac armor and brandishing a maroon Castle Grayskull mace. It was stated this was part of a mail-in Wonder Bread promotion. Once Lee’s Action Figure News & Toy Review magazine, a popular action figure magazine at the time, printed information about this figure then the legend of Wonder Bread He-Man took off!

*An example of a loose Savage He-Man figure*

In the early days of the internet, many fans had not even seen the later USA releases of the toy line. And the exact number of gift sets was still unknown. So, this figure being an unknown mail-away seemed plausible. In addition, many fans were unfamiliar with the maroon weapon shown on Super Toy Archive.

In the following couple of years, fans realized the black Zodac armor came from Mattel’s vintage accessory pack. And then a packaged promotional version of Man-E-Faces surfaced (now referred to as “Man-E-Weapons”) that contained five of the Castle Grayskull weapons that were cast in a maroon color, including the mace seen on Super Toy Archive.

When 2000 rolled around, two prominent collectors, Darren Fowler and David Fowler, purchased on eBay the only known packaged sample of this mystery figure. It came with no armor, a maroon sword, and maroon axe, all of which differed from the image on Toy Archive. In addition, it included a Mattel Buy-3-Get-1-Free coupon that was supposed to be how the figure was offered. But it was odd that it came packaged with the very coupon that would have been mailed to claim the figure. The bag it came in was also questionable, as it was not the typical sealed polybag one would expect from a factory (more on this later). As a result, the mystery only deepened.

Soon after in 2001, Mattel started to produce a Commemorative line that re-released some of the vintage Masters of the Universe figures. Working with He-Man.Org, Mattel polled fans about their favorite figures, cartoon episodes, and more. During this polling, Mattel shared with He-Man.Org that they planned to release a Commemorative Wonder Bread He-Man due to the hype and mystique surrounding the figure. But Mattel cancelled plans for the release because they could find no prior deal with Wonder Bread in their archives for a mail-in promotional figure. It turned out the Wonder Bread promotion previously attached to the figure was instead a 1985 / 1986 mail-in for a trading card set which was a far cry from being an action figure.

Realizing the figure never came from Wonder Bread, and all the accessories were now accounted for from other sources, fans were left with an armorless, weaponless figure of unknown origin. In order to disassociate from the Wonder Bread promotion, fans went on to call the figure “Savage He-Man” because of his resemblance to the armorless, weaponless He-Man depicted in the very first minicomic where the story was more “savage” and preceded the Filmation cartoon.

One thing for certain is that the brown-haired figure is legitimate. It was produced with the same materials and methods of vintage He-Man figures that could have only come from a factory. Customizers of that time did not have the ability to replicate a figure to match the 80s releases from Mattel. And as the years have passed, multiple legitimate samples of the figure have surfaced on the aftermarket and in private collections.

In a 2007 / 2008 attempt to cast a net for information, Mattel, ToyFare magazine, and He-Man.Org all teamed up to try and resolve the mystery once and for all. All three put a call out to the public for any information on the figure that may help to discover its roots. Unfortunately, nothing surfaced.

Mattel went on to pay homage to the figure in 2010 with the release of the Masters of the Universe Classics Wun-Dar figure, which played off the original Wonder Bread origin rumors even though those rumors had been debunked by that time.

Trying again in 2019, Val Staples, He-Man historian and owner of Power-Con, spoke to Mark Ellis, the former Director of Marketing for Male Action Toys who oversaw Masters of the Universe, and showed Mark all the current evidence. Mark revealed the original test sample of He-Man from the factory had brown hair. But that test sample would have had an earlier torso sculpt that ended up being corrected for figures released later in 1982. The mysterious brown-haired figure has the corrected torso. With the test sample theory dead, fans were still left wondering how this figure came to be.

But then in 2020, former MOTU brand manager Scott Neitlich discovered a customer letter at Mattel which discussed a mail-away offer. It was a 1983 Buy-3-Get-1-Free offer that appeared to be tied to Meijer Thrifty Acres (now known just as Meijer). The letter had been sent by an unhappy customer. The customer, a mother whose son was a fan of He-Man, wrote to Mattel about receiving an oddly colored He-Man with no armor or accessories. Both her and her son were displeased with this bland “special edition” figure. Mattel noted in a response that the offer did not specify what would be sent nor that it would be a “special edition” item. In regards to the mail-in, Meijer Thrifty Acres had a string of stores in Michigan in 1983 and had just entered the Ohio marketplace. If Mattel coordinated with Thrifty Acres to offer a special mail-in incentive, it seemed quite possible that a test-run that resulted in a brown-haired He-Man may have been used to satisfy the promotional needs of this smaller, regional account. However it turns out the promotion ran in other stories, including Zayre, Kohls, Evans, Wieboldt’s, and Thornbury’s Toys.

*A Michigan Meijer ad with the buy 3 get one free promotion. March 28, 1983*

Finally, in 2024, the mystery was put to rest. A gentleman named Rick Hale, who had been a MOTU fan as a child, had convinced his mother to move from Michigan to Kentucky so they could live in close proximity. According to Rick, “I wanted her to be closer to us. She’s getting older now, and while she’s always been very independent, I want to be there for her when she needs me. She also has an almost 4-year-old granddaughter and I want them to be able to spend some time together.” And this is what led to a discovery.

“While packing up the garage,” said Rick, “my mom opened the drawer of an old wooden desk. Among other items was an unopened brown mailer. It was from California and the postage indicated it was from July, 1983. When she opened the mailer, she recognized the contents as a He-Man toy.”

Not knowing what she had found, Rick noted, “She doesn’t remember how the mailer ended up in the drawer, or why she never gave it to me.” Ultimately, the mailer was forgotten and eventually lost amid all the things one tends to gather through forty years of living.

Rick’s mother worked long hours through the week, so she always wanted to show her son how much he meant to her. Almost every weekend they would visit the Meijer store in Canton, Michigan where she would purchase her son a new He-Man action figure – a small, but heartfelt symbol of her love. Rick talked to his mother to find out more about where she got this figure. Rick reported, “She was a thrifty shopper, always on the lookout for a deal. So when the Meijer sales paper arrived one week boasting a “Buy 3, Get 1 Free” offer on He-Man figures, it was exactly the sort of thing she’d jump at.”

Still not knowing what this He-Man figure was, Rick asked his friend Benton Edwards if he had an idea what it could be. To Rick’s surprise, Benton knew exactly what Rick possessed. And furthermore, Benton also happened to have spent many a night in Kentucky hanging out with Val Staples. Benton encouraged Rick to speak to Val about his discovery. Soon after, Benton put Rick directly in contact with Val through Robert Sutton, a mutual friend of Val’s and Benton’s.

Val went on to speak with Rick at length, and then with Rick’s mother. Thereafter, Val verified the validity of the mailer and the figure. Sure enough, the find was 100% authentic and legitimate. This was the first known example of Savage He-Man in its original mailer. The figure did come in a taped bag like what the Fowler brothers bought on eBay all the way back in 2000 but without a coupon. Rick’s figure also came with a maroon shield. So it is still unknown if the mail-away Savage He-Man figures came with the shield as well, if they came with random maroon weapons, or if some came with no accessories at all. Beyond that, it was packaged in a simple, brown, paper mailer shipped direct from an address in City of Industry, California. That location used to boast a Mattel Toy Store and currently houses Mattel’s Adjustment Center for replacements and refunds.

Savage He-Man Gallery:

The actual Savage He-Man toy is one of the most coveted vintage Masters of the Universe offerings. Often sold as customs or bootlegs, finding legitimate versions is proving harder as time passes as the ones that have been discovered have often ended up in the collections of fans. So, if you can find one that is real, you will have a special item for your collection!

And now’s your chance to own the only known example of of Savage He-Man in his original mailer. The figure has been examined and graded by AFA. And is now up for proxy bid at Heritage Auctions. Live bidding begins on August 17th, 2025. Don’t miss out on what might be the only example to ever surface of Savage He-Man in his original mailer:

Reviews

Hammer of the Gods: The Bearer and the Burden

Posted on February 20, 2017September 11, 2024 by Adam McCombs

Reviewed by Adam McCombs

Masters of the Universe was a unique blend of classic barbarian sword and sorcery high adventure crossed with the high-tech drama of Flash Gordon and Star Wars, with a splash of color and gimmickry to make it irresistible to six-year-olds. So what happens if you take Masters of the Universe and peel away the science fiction elements while keeping the colorful characters? You get something very much like The Bearer and the Burden, a new He-Man inspired minicomic from Hammer of the Gods.

The world of Hammer of the Gods is not simply Masters of the Universe minus the techno-gadgetry, however. He-Man bears the unmistakable influence of Conan the Barbarian, but He-Man’s morals were totally different. He-Man was always a selfless protector, even from his earliest “savage” minicomic days. Conan, driven mostly by id, was ever looking out for number one, even if he grudgingly got pulled into solving other people’s problems.

Punch-Out, the protagonist of Hammer of the Gods, splits the difference between the He-Man and Conan – that is to say, he is a tireless protector of the innocent, but he is frequently driven by ego.

In that way, Punch-Out is also a little like Dagar the Invincible. He-Man is perhaps a bit closer to Larn from Fire and Ice.

The Bearer and the Burden was written by Hammer of the Gods creator Walter Harris, and illustrated by Daniele Danbrenus Spezzani. Harris is best known for his custom HOTG and Thundarr the Barbarian action figures. Danbrenus is known for his original minicomic illustrations done in the style of the legendary comic book artist, Alfredo Alcala. (Alcala actually worked on both He-Man and Conan, among other properties.) Danbrenus, like Alcala, works in inks and water colors rather than digital media, and the extra effort toward greater authenticity really pays off here.

*From Danbrenus’ The Triumph of Skeletor*

The Bearer and the Burden is formatted like the original “adventure books” (illustrated by Alfredo Alcala) that came packaged with the first wave of He-Man figures. Each page has a single illustration and about 75 words of text at the bottom. Unlike conventional comic books, there are no word balloons.

We begin with Punch-Out, whose real name is Cestus, a gladiator fighting to win his freedom. Already we see a tonal shift away from the kid-friendly He-Man comics, as Cestus is pictured holding the severed head of one of his opponents.

In his post-gladiatorial life, Cestus relentlessly seeks purpose by throwing himself into danger, in a sequence with some amusing nods to Tarzan and Indiana Jones. The comic doesn’t take itself too seriously, but the humor is subtle enough that it doesn’t take the reader out of the story or erase the stakes in our hero’s journey.

When I say hero’s journey, I mean that quite literally. The Bearer is a pretty textbook example of Joseph Campbell’s monomyth in action, which is why I think it works so well.

Meanwhile, a dark threat surrounding rumors of a demonic sorcerer (Wrath Azuhl, the Skeletor to Punch-Out’s He-Man) and his cultic followers begins to grow. The Monks of Axis Mundi, who guard a legendary weapon forged by the gods, identify Cestus as the champion worthy to wield the Hammer of the Gods.

Through an intensely painful process, Cestus is fused with the Hammer, which is a metal gauntlet and sleeve imbued with divine magic. Now endowed with power from the gods, Punch-Out, as he is now called by the monks, goes to train with his new weapon. Of course, it doesn’t take long before the inevitable conflict with Wrath Azuhl and his colorful minions.

Incidentally, if there is something familiar about Punch-Out, it’s because the action figure he’s based on is made up of parts from an Apollo Creed figure, as well as bits from Man-At-Arms, Fisto, Trap-Jaw and Roboto.

I don’t want to spoil the climax or the ending, as the comic just went on sale. I will say that I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading The Bearer and the Burden, but I was pulled into the story from the first couple of pages onward. It’s a well-balanced blend of classic sword and sorcery story-telling with just enough pulpiness and humor to keep things fun. Harris’ skillful narration combined with Danbrenus’ charming Alcala-esque illustrations make for a very enjoyable read. Fans of Masters of the Universe will get what this is about instantly, and those familiar with the vintage minicomics will be delighted with the little Easter eggs that Danbrenus has left for them.

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Playsets

Castle Grayskull Instructions

Posted on February 18, 2017May 4, 2025 by Adam McCombs

Written by Adam McCombs

Here are the original assembly instructions for Castle Grayskull. I’m presenting these without much in the way of commentary. I’ll just note a couple of items of interest. First, the illustration of He-Man on the front page is an edited version of the original, which featured a boot knife (the original version appears in advertising copy). This spear-holding He-Man hearkens back to the character’s more savage origins. I’ll also note that the picture on the last page is traced from a photo that first appeared in Mattel’s 1982 Toy Fair dealer catalog, based on some early and late stage prototype figures.

I believe I was five or six when I got my original Castle Grayskull. Getting it as a Christmas present was probably the most exciting thing that had happened to little me. I remember shaking with excitement just a little as I popped the little gray weapons out of their frames. My dad helped me put it together, but he left me to put the labels on myself, and of course they ended up a bit crooked. Isn’t that always the way with stickers?

Features and accessories for the castle include:

Working elevator
Trap door activated by moving chair
Locking jaw bridge
Spinning combat trainer
Articulated laser turret
Scaling ladder
Flag and banner
Weapons rack with nine weapons
Dungeon grate sticker
Cardboard computer console, astronaut and weapons triangular weapons rack

Without further ado, here’s He-Man to guide you through assembling your Castle Grayskull:

All scans by Battle Ram Blog.

Update: as a bonus, here is the modified version of the instructions that came with 1983 and later Castles. These feature the clip on the turret that hold the laser canon (scans via He-Man.org):

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Heroic Warriors

Savage He-Man: Most mysterious man in the universe! (1983)

Posted on February 13, 2017July 26, 2025 by Adam McCombs

Written by Adam McCombs

Name: Special Edition He-Man
Faction: Heroic Warriors
Approximate US release date: Summer, 1983

Note: This article has been updated multiple times as new information has come to light. Be sure to read to the end to get the full story! Also note that according to internal Mattel documentation, this figure was originally known as “Special Edition He-Man.”

Anyone who has been collecting Masters of the Universe long enough has heard about the mysterious brown-haired He-Man figure that goes for so much money on eBay. He is often (and erroneously) called Wonder Bread He-Man, based on a long-running fan theory that he was sold as part of a promotion that Wonder Bread was running with Mattel. The promotion was actually for a series of He-Man trading cards featuring artwork by Errol McCarthy.

The figure itself is a He-Man figure with brown hair, a brown loin cloth, a black belt and black boots. He seems to have come with a random assortment of one or two of the maroon weapons that came with the special edition of Man-E-Faces (which in turn were refreshes of the accessories for Castle Grayskull). Sometimes he is sold with a black version of Zodac’s armor that was released in the 1984 Weapons Pak, however the Zodac armor doesn’t seem to have originally shipped out with this figure.

The most intriguing find so far comes from David and Darren Fowler, who first bought the figure about 17 years ago. Theirs is the only example known to date to come bagged with weapons and a buy three, get one free offer from Mattel. According to the offer, the purchases had to have been made between January 2, 1982 and June 30, 1983, and submitted proofs of purchase postmarked by July 15 1983. In the terms set out in the coupon, Mattel would send one random toy from the selected category (Barbie, Dazzle, Monchhichi, or Masters of the Universe). Those dates, plus the inclusion of the maroon Man-E-Weapons, makes me think this figure might have been released in 1983, even if it was actually manufactured earlier (it has a date stamp of 1981, like other first wave figures released in 1982).

The figure also has two manufacturing details that seem characteristic of figures that came out either late in 1982 or early in 1983. The first is his belly button, which is perfectly formed. Early 1982 He-Man figures had irregular-looking belly buttons, and starting sometime in 1983 they started doing away with the belly button altogether, so this version looks like those He-Man figures released in the middle, where the belly button was normalized. He-Man figures from that era also started having boots that look “dipped” in paint rather than sprayed (probably this is just an improvement made to the paint masking technique), so the paint comes up all the way to the top of his boots, with no overspray. Savage He-Man has the “dipped” boots. For further reading on that topic, see this article.

To me this seems like the most plausible source for the mysterious Savage He-Man (update: this is confirmed in information added later to this article, toward the end). However, the offer doesn’t specify what figure will be given, and there is no known packaging associated with it (update: it now appears this was mailed direct from Mattel in a brown mailer envelope, with the figure itself in a clear plastic bag – see the end of the article for more on that).

Other possible theories as to how it was sold include a Nestle Quick/Masters of the Universe promotion, a Jell-O/Masters of the Universe Promotion, and a promotion at the Children’s Palace. However this promo does not appear related to this figure..

Perhaps a more interesting question is why the figure was produced in the first place. Why would Mattel have produced a brown-haired He-Man with darker-colored boots and loin cloth? As you can imagine there are many theories. The most popular and persistent theory to date has probably been the notion that He-Man was originally Conan the Barbarian, and he was given a different paint job at the last minute so Mattel could reuse him for He-Man. And indeed, Conan Properties International (CPI) thought the same thing, and sued Mattel over it in 1984. CPI lost that case, partly because they were laying claim to some generic attributes that could also apply to a dozen different heroes in the sword and sorcery genre.

But more than that, the timeline just doesn’t support the notion that He-Man was a repainted Conan figure. On April 24, 1981, there was an internal memo within Mattel urging negotiation for the Conan license. By May 5 a draft licensing agreement was secured, and by July 21 the agreement was finalized. From July 23 to September 21, 1981, Tony Guerrero worked on sculpting toys for the CPI license. However, in January of 1982, Mattel, realizing that the movie was going to the opposite of kid-friendly, requested the termination of the CPI license agreement, and by April 14, 1982 the termination was finalized.

Long before Conan was even a twinkle in Mattel’s eye, work was underway on the He-Man project. Ultimately He-Man originated decades earlier in Mark Taylor‘s childhood drawings, but the character started to see serious development at Mattel by late November of 1980. Furthermore, almost every single character for the first wave of Masters of the Universe had been designed before Mattel entered into its agreement with CPI. (Of course, He-Man was certainly influenced by Conan – there is no question about that.)

*Mark Taylor’s He-Man B-sheet design, dated April 6, 1982. Published by Super7 and The Power and the Honor Foundation.*

However, that alone does not rule out the possibility that Savage He-Man was an attempt to reuse the original He-Man mold to make Conan toys. Mattel would reuse tooling whenever possible to save on costs (as they did when they reused previous Big Jim and Tarzan molds to make Battle Cat, Panthor, Zoar and Screeech). And, as Savage He-Man’s colors do seem to roughly match Conan’s, this seems like a fairly plausible theory on the surface.

However, court filings indicate that Mattel’s actual plan was to sculpt a new head and reuse the taller Big Jim bodies for the Conan line (thanks to jzguitars for the tip):

CPI and Mattel consummated their deal on July 31. In the meantime, Mattel’s employees had continued work on a Conan doll. Mattel’s marketing department decided early in June that Mattel should attach the Conan heads to the torsos of Mattel’s “Big Jim,” a doll with less exaggerated muscles, and a body closer to that of the average weightlifter (though not, apparently, to that of Arnold Schwarzenegger, see Affidavit of Mimi Shapiro ¶¶ 7-9 (May 19, 1988)). Memorandum from Joe Morrison to Mark Ellis (June 3, 1981). Guerrero then worked on the Conan doll from July 23, 1981, to September 21.
Conan Properties, Inc. v. Mattel, Inc., 712 F. Supp. 353 | Casetext Search + Citator

Some people are of the opinion that the figure itself is a hoax. I don’t think that’s plausible. While fakes do exist, authentic versions of this figure have the look of a mass-produced toy. The loin cloth is molded (not painted) in a shade of brown plastic that doesn’t exist in any other Masters of the Universe figure. Most of them seem to have some fairly unique mold artifacts in that area as well (shared by some versions of Prince Adam). And finally, the figure has shown up in large figure lots where the seller doesn’t seem to be aware that the figure has any special value.

Skepticism is understandable. After all, Mattel has not found any records of this figure or its promotion, and no former employees to date seem to remember it (including Martin Arriola). Still, the physical evidence alone strongly suggests this is an authentic Mattel figure.

Authentic Savage He-Man figures seem to generally have the following characteristics in common (images courtesy of Arkangel):

Another theory is that Savage He-Man was just a way of getting rid of some extra test run He-Man figures that were produced in alternate colors.. And to be sure, there is a test shot example out there that is reminiscent of the Savage He-Man, although his loin cloth is molded in black rather than brown. However, test shot examples from the factory are generally produced in very small numbers, certainly not enough to account for the number of Savage He-Man figures we find in the vintage toy market. Also as mentioned previously, Savage He-Man’s mold and paint attributes are not consistent with first-run He-Man figures, but rather figures produced a bit later.

A similar theory holds that this was perhaps an alternate color scheme for He-Man that Mattel was toying with but ultimately rejected. That’s certainly possible, although that color scheme doesn’t match either of the B-sheet designs that were done for He-Man, and it doesn’t match the colors on any of the known prototypes, or at least not the prototypes that would have been anywhere close to toy production.

*Image source: The Power and the Honor Foundation*

Early He-Man sculpture by Tony Guerrero. Image source: The Power and the Honor Foundation

Yet another theory is that Savage He-Man may have something to do with Buzz-Off. As I’ve discussed in an earlier article, Buzz-Off’s prototype actually had a brown-haired He-Man head, with a bee mask that would go over it. Of course the mock-up also had Zodac arms and legs, so this is by no means a slam dunk. For more on that, see this video by Alternative Mindz.

*Image Source: The Power and the Honor Foundation Catalog*

One of my favorite theories, advanced by mozartpc27, is that Savage He-Man was actually an early version of Prince Adam, made before Filmation finalized the purple, white and pink look. Despite being released in 1984, the trademark claim for Prince Adam was filed May 23, 1983, earlier than any other third wave figure. In fact, the claim was filed the same month as Faker.

Perhaps Adam was meant to be a late 1983 figure with brown hair, but development on the look of Prince Adam for the Filmation cartoon caused Mattel to scrap their plans, leaving them with a number of brown-haired Prince Adams to deal with. There are even early versions of Prince Adam with the same mold artifacts as Savage He-Man (hat tip to Tokyonever):

However, it should be noted that the earliest pre-Filmation comic book depiction of Prince Adam gives him brownish-tan boots (subsequent versions had blue and yellow boots or red boots), and blond hair. So if this was Prince Adam, it was a somewhat novel color scheme.

At the end of the day, we really don’t know which of these theories is right, or even if any of them are right. And, frustratingly, we may never know the truth.

If you’re interested in reading more about the topic, there is an epic, 2600-post thread spanning 14 years on the He-Man.org forums. Give it a read if you’ve got ten hours to spare.

Update: An intriguing video recently surfaced, shared by Hong Kong Kilnt. It’s a claymation sequence from a movie featuring Masters of the Universe characters, including what appears to be Savage He-Man.

You can watch the full movie here (thanks to Dušan Mitrović for the link).

Update: I also thought I should share some childhood photos by Chris Douglas that show Savage He-Man sitting in Night Stalker:

Update 2: Manic Man (from the comments below) mentions that in the Japanese versions of Mattel’s Dino-Riders toyline, blue-eyed and blond-haired figures were often repainted with darker hair and eyes. So it’s also possible that Savage He-Man was recolored for the Asian market. Perhaps Mattel did a test run of He-Man in these alternate colors before abandoning the idea. It seems as reasonable a theory as any.

Further reading: http://blog.timlybarger.com/2012/11/wonder-bread-he-man-savage.html

Update 3 (11/11/2020):

Former Masters of the Universe Classics brand manager Scott Neitlich adds some additional evidence from Mattel archives, indicating that Savage He-Man (or Special Edition He-Man, as it’s described in letters) did indeed come out in 1983, was offered through a buy-3-get-one-free offer, and that the coloring was intended to make the figure special, so kids didn’t get an exact duplicate of a figure they already had. In retrospect this seems like the simplest possible explanation.

The letters referenced in Scott’s video (copied from the video):

Some additional buy 3 get one free offer advertisements from Dinosaur Dracula:

And here is an advertisement for the actual Meijer Thrifty Acres promotion referenced in the correspondence about Savage He-Man/Special Edition He-Man. Special thanks to Tallstar for finding this.

Interestingly, the buy three get one free promo was mentioned in this Masters of the Universe ad aimed at retail buyers. It seems to date to either late 1982 or early 1983, based on what’s on the back of the page.

Update 4 (11/25/2023): After a careful search, I would also like to note that 03/28/1983 is the date of the first “Buy 3 Get 1 Free” offer newspaper ad. Interestingly, the first Faker newspaper ad came out 04/17/1983, meaning that Faker and Savage He-Man were being advertised at about the same time.

Update 6 (4/25/2025): an apparent test shot for this figure has turned up at Heritage Auctions.

The auction (which hasn’t open for bids yet) calls it a “Wonder Bread” He-Man first shot. However, it doesn’t quite match up with the so-called “Wonder Bread” He-Man or Special Edition He-Man. Both the hair color and the trunks color are a darker brown than the production Special Edition He-Man figure. This test shot doesn’t have the mold artifact on the trunks where it’s missing detail right under the belt, which you find on Special Edition He-Man figures. This test shot also has the mold problem around the belly button that was present in the earliest Taiwan He-Man figures, which the actual “Wun-Dar” figure doesn’t have.

So, what do we make of this? This was actually owned by Mark Taylor, the designer of He-Man. We know that Mattel was already planning on making He-Man blond before he went into production, based on pre-production prototype images that we have. However we also know that even before the line started, Mattel was planning on doing a 9th mail-away figure. Perhaps this was an early color test for that idea, but it didn’t go into production until later, after some of the early mold artifact issues had been corrected (the belly button issue) and new ones (the missing detail under the belt) started cropping up.

In any case, this is another fascinating piece of history!

Update 7/26/2025:

Val Staples, renowned He-Man historian and owner of Power-Con, goes over the history of “Savage He-Man” and tells the story behind Rick Hale’s sealed Savage He-Man Figure with the original mailer. Check out the full story in Val’s guest article on the Battle Ram Blog.

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