Inconsistent, experimental, downright ridiculous…”Masters of the universe” has a selection of heroes and villains like no other in science fiction or fantasy.
Thanks to the franchises unique origin storyThe hit 80s cartoon series was effectively a commercial for Mattel’s extremely lucrative toy range. Subsequently, the show’s writers went to great lengths to accommodate the strange whims of action figure designers looking for more and more playable designs. What other mythology would even attempt to accommodate elongated necks, jets of water, and intentionally unpleasant aromas?
So, as the new He-Man movie prepares to transport us back to Eternia, we take a look at 12 of the strangest characters from the “Masters of the Universe” back catalogue.
1. Mekaneck
A great guy to have on your team, but only if you need someone to look over a reasonably high fence. Mekaneck is Inspector Gadget of the He-Man gang, capable of making periscopes with his mechanical neck to incredible lengths and, there, not much more.
Later versions of “Masters of the Universe” saw him contemplating the futility of his powers, but he was still considered worthy of a place in the new movie.
2. Buzz
Have you ever wondered what you would get if you fused the DNA of a flying insect with that of a human male?
“Masters of the Universe’s” answer to the question was quite different from David Cronenberg’s in “The Fly,” as Buzz-Off, who pulled off the double whammy of being both a heroic warrior. and one instruction: He was a muscular bee guy with wings, a striped sweater, and a buzz-like speech impediment.
3. Claw
Mattel’s toy designers have always loved puns, but this one may be the cheekiest of all. The human lobster Clawful was nominative determinism in action, while also being a horrible guy (he was one of Skeletor’s hired thugs). and the owner of a giant claw.
In the Filmation cartoon, which gave the character a more reptilian appearance, he imagined his chances of getting his dirty claws on Skeletor’s throne.
4. Whiplash
Most of the heroes and villains in ‘Masters of the Universe’ were unique, but some were extremely derivative from other franchises.
The reptilian Whiplash (whose name comes from his ability to hit things with his tail) was essentially an Eternian version of Spider-Man’s veteran adversary, the Lizard. Meanwhile, his colleague Webstor took great advantage of the Wallcrawler’s abilities.
5. Moss Man
Probably the only “Masters of the Universe” action figures that you can use as air fresheners in your car, the Moss Man toys came with a pleasant pine scent.
In the original cartoon, this eco-friendly hero was a master of disguise and a cunning spy who used being a walking plant to blend into the background. He could also control foliage, making him Eternia’s answer to Swamp Thing.
6. Two bad guys
Are two heads really better than one? You’d really have to ask Two-Bad, although it’s unlikely both of your heads would agree on the answer.
This member of Skeletor’s entourage was effectively “The Odd Couple” merged into a single body, as his constant bickering with himself ensured that he rarely lived up to his boss’s minimal expectations.
7. Sy Klone
The most surprising thing about Sy-Klone, aside from that bold blue and yellow color scheme, was how much it copied He-Man’s style.
However, instead of being the long-lost brother of the most powerful guy in the universe, this one-man ode to terrible spelling was actually a cyborg who could spin his body very, very fast to create powerful winds.
8. stinky
This guy literally stinks up the place. Stinkor, a human-skunk hybrid, could compete with Mekanek in pointless power stakes, though at least his awful stench (so bad even Hey had to wear a protective mask) worked over slightly longer distances.
The toy was famous for his pong (intentional), but Filmation vetoed his appearance in the cartoon after the show’s writers found it impossible to take him seriously. Stinkor, however, found his way into later shows, including Kevin Smith’s 2021 follow-up, “Revelation,” where he was voiced by Silent Bob’s sidekick Jay (Jason Mewes).
9. Beak of the snout
The incarnation of Mattel “First the toy, then worry about the backstory.“, Snout Spout (aka Hose Nose), used his robotic elephant head to throw water.
Although created for the “Masters of the Universe” toy line, Eternia’s chief firefighter arrived too late in the original Filmation cartoon, so he made his cartoon debut in the spin-off show “She-Ra: Princess of Power.”
10. Clamp Champion
It’s unclear what governing body granted this He-Man disciple the status of Clamp Champion, but the “Heroic Master of Capture”‘s pincer action, at least in toy form, put Clawful’s to shame.
When the action figure was released in 1986, he was, surprisingly, the first black character in the MOTU line. He had to wait until “Revelation” for his television debut.
11. The rock people
In the mid-80s, “MOTU’s” only real rival for the title of “world’s most popular toy line” was “Transformers.”
The Rock People was a weak attempt to cash in on the shapeshifting craze, as Stonedar, Rokkon, and Granita (the latter never immortalized as an action figure) could turn into… er, meteorites. Like Snout Spout, the residents of Geolon were created too late for the original He-Man cartoon, but crossed paths with She-Ra.
12. King whistle
Beneath his human exterior, King Hiss (later King Hssss) was an ophidiophobe’s worst nightmare. Because, beneath that carefully crafted mask, this reptilian ruler was actually a bunch of writhing snakes that inexplicably worked together as one.
How anyone at Mattel could think that ’80s kids could enjoy a few snakes emerging from a pair of human legs remains a mystery. They tried anyway.
The new movie ‘Masters of the Universe’ will be in theaters starting June 5, 2026. You can watch the original “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” on Amazon Prime Video.
