It’s February and the Masters of the Universe Classics Stratos figure is shipping from Mattel. Read on for pics and a short review!
Stratos is one of the MOTU figures I never got as a child, but always wanted. I used to covet my friend’s Stratos, so it’s especially nice for me to get an updated one in MOTUC. Stratos shares a base body with Beastman with a unique harness, wings, headsculpt and feet.
The base body worked well with Beastman, but I think it actually works a little better here. With Beastman, he really needs to be crouched to look right, but Stratos can stand up straight and generally is more poseable.
The headsculpt is a dead on match for the original figure, though the proportions are altered a bit. I like the change and I think it makes the MOTUC Stratos a bit less simian looking.
The Harness is sculpted to match the 8 back card art more than the vintage figures’ harness. It’s a much more polished look for sure.
The wings are attached to Stratos’ wrist bands and the wrist bands are in a fixed position. I’m not sure if my Stratos was assembled incorrectly or they made a change, but the wings are positioned differently on mine than they were on the prototype. I like the wings as they are, but I would prefer it if the wings were articulated. If they could swivel along the wrist, that would be great.
Fortunately, you can get Stratos in some pretty cool flying poses.
Unfortuneately, these huge circles on the inside of the wings show in most of the poses.
The paint on Stratos is pretty simple, but effective. He is cast in a nice flat gray plastic with some dark airbrushing to bring out the detail. The wings are cast in a dark red and have a lighter red drybrush. His goggles also have a nice glossy black paintjob.
Overall, I’m pleased with the final figure. Three months in, I’m also really liking the monthly release schedule. It’s like methadone maintenance for action figure junkies. Next month’s figure is Faker, who I am less excited about, but after Faker every figure looks amazing far. April is Mer-Man, May is Zodak, June is Hordak, and July is Man at arms. That’s a lot to look forward to.
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