So here it is: if you cannot find something you like in the Masters of the Universe Classics offerings happening in the next couple of months, I really don’t know how you consider yourself to be a MOTU fan. Just between December and March alone we are getting a Hordesman, a Rebel, a FilMation heavy-hitter, JITSU, Freakin’ Ram Man, and I-cannot-believe-they-are-actually-making-him — Granamyr. What else do you want in terms of diversity? Say what you will about the line itself, the communities, or Mattel in general, but that is solid gold in terms of character spread. So it might be easy for a relatively obscure mini-comic character to get lost in the fray of rapid-fire releases, but when you are the guy that holds the entire planet of Eternia together, you demand your props. Well, it also helps that Procrustus is the best giant figure released in the Classics line yet.
I think the most important thing you need to know about the Procrustus figure is that he is a marked improvement in execution over the giants that came before him. I have always liked Megator, and Tytus is good, but the roto-cast execution and the limited articulation precedent he set has kind of made him infamous in retrospect. While Procrustus still borrows a lot from these figures (and, more so, their construction philosophy), I think he is executed more keenly in just about every facet. Sure, he is not a giant Sentinel figure with tons of articulation, but he takes better advantage of the Classics giant parameter than the other two figures.
It all starts with his construction and articulation, and while he is similar to Tytus and Megator, he is most certainly a step up. He is roto-cast and, unless I am mistaken, he borrows Megator’s legs piece-for-piece, but his new pieces outshine the reuse. Procrustus is a giant, four-armed guy that seems to be made of the very earth he lives in, so when these qualities make up your rather thin characterization, it is best to take advantage of the cool design you have been afforded. So not only does Big P have four arms to hold the core of Eternia together (or fight off several bad guys), but they have the articulation points removed from the Tytus figure back in play. Yep, biceps swivel for all! Well, all arms, that is. If you collect action figures in any capacity, I do not need to tell you how important those points can be for overall play and poseablity, so rejoice, for they work well! I should note that his back arms come unassembled, so you will have to pop them on yourself. Right away you will notice they act more like pegged joints rather than balls, but they still function quite well.
Even though I am very happy about the increased articulation, I am more excited about Procrustus’ design. For being a guy that is, essentially, a monochrome mound of stone and dirt (in humanoid form), he is very striking. Obviously, you do not have anything on your shelf that resembles him, but all the lines and crags and uneven surfaces in his hair and skin come together to make for a cool-looking figure. In fact, I think the Four Horsemen have improved over the original comic design of the figure as I think that one has softer and more “standard” human qualities to him (like flowing hair). The stony locks and dour expression help convey that he is truly a “down to (in?) earth” guy with a lot of responsibility on his quartet of shoulders.
The paint also adds dimension to this, even though he is really only made up two different colors. He is cast in the “beige” color and painted with brown. This is applied traditionally in some places and as a wash in others. So you get highlighted detail, like in the rivets of his stony shorts, but you also get fill in all the crags and crevices in his hair to help add dimension. He does have whitish-grey eyes, but I think that is the only color that offsets the other two. Now, if not handled well, I can see how this formula would leave you with a big glob of nondescript browns, but the design team got him through production cleanly and he really is striking, even amongst the diverse MOTU crowd.
His only accessory might be lonely, but it is pretty important — the Star Seed. Procrustus’ bio tells how he was originally tasked with guarding the magic of the Seed, but after Hordak decided to be an epic jerk, he was forced to stay below the surface of Eternia and hold the very planet itself together. I actually really like that storyline and characterization, but man, does that suck for Procrustus. I mean, how does the dude do basic things like sleep and go to the bathroom? These are the questions we have to ask. The Star Seed is, in itself, just a giant marble (about three times the size of the Grayskull orb) and it is heavy! Like “I can see it going through some drywall if it is thrown too hard” type heavy. Luckily, he can hold the orb just fine. I do kind of wish that he had another accessory, like a weapon or an artifact as well, but the lack of an additional accessory does not detract from the one he does have, and getting a neat piece of Eternian history is cool.
The giants of MOTUC have never really been the standouts of the line, but they have certainly gotten better with each release. Procrustus is the best of them yet, and that is coming from both a design and construction aspect. Many fans will happy just to get the character, but the added articulation in his arms and unique look are likely to win over those that are not as familiar with the character. He is one of those guys that I never knew I really wanted him until he arrived, but he is by far my favorite of the giants. He goes on sale on Matty Collector in one week, so don’t be asleep at the wheel on the 17th!
*Thanks for reading and thanks to Toy Guru for sending him along for a First Look. We still have more MOTU and DC previews to bring you soon!
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