Well, the votes are in and the results are tallied and the voting was hot and heavy. Clearly the Filmation cartoon remains popular and a heavy influence on Masters of the Universe fans with a wide number of characters leaving a distinct impression. There were actually 75 total characters to receive votes in Filmation top 5 polling, with 52 of those characters receiving multiple votes and 15 different characters receiving at least 10 votes each. Even more evidence for the enduring popularity of the Filmation cartoon’s contribution to MOTU is the fact that there were quite a number of Filmation-specific votes cast in MOTUC Top 10 poll as well. It’s clear people want their Filmation characters in MOTUC and it appears there may be sufficient demand for enough of these Filmation-only characters that a full 12-figure Filmation subscription could indeed work in 2014.
Honorable Mentions:
At the tail end of the voting period for this poll, Mattel announced their SDCC exclusive for 2013 to be a 2-pack of Rokkon and Stonedar. Granita finished in 10th place in the Filmation vote — but more than 2/3 of the votes were cast before Rokkon and Stonedar were revealed. It would be interesting to see if she might have garnered more attention in the early voting if the Comet Warriors 2-pack release was announced before the vote.
In a tie for sixth place, just missing out on the Top 5, are two characters that represent opposite extremes of what a Filmation Subscription could offer. One is the dashing buccaneer and PoP cartoon mainstay Sea Hawk. I suspect his vote count suffered because many voters assume he’s essentially already been announced with the accessory reveal. Most would consider Sea Hawk a must have, but it’s likely many voters didn’t include his name because they “know” he’s already coming. The other is a quite memorable one-shot character, the evil pink bunny known as Plundor the Spoiler. Plundor has a polarizing effect on the fandom with some avidly clamoring for the fellow and others feeling it is the height of silliness and would be an embarrassing addition. While Plundor is personally my most-wanted character from Filmation at this point, not quite enough people agreed with me to push him into the top 5.
But, as they say, the cream of the crop rise to the top, and without further ado — your Filmation Top 5:
#5. LIZARD MAN
Gekos-Wer of the Reptons´s Agamida clan is a lizard man. He is shorter than most of his battle comrades, with speed and agility as his main attributes. He faces prejudice because of the genetic connections between Reptons and Snake-Men.
Often referred to affectionately as “Lizzy” by the main cast, Lizard Man is about the only character from the Filmation show that could comfortably be called a member of the Heroic Warriors not to have a figure in the toy line. He is also one of the few show-originating characters that had more than one appearance in the He-Man show. The multiple-episode appearance alone pushes him high on the list of characters that deserve to be made as figures and help create the fan base broad enough to vault him into the top five. While execution could be a challenge given his smaller stature and slimmer build, we can trust that the 4 Horsemen will find a way to make it work. Lizard Man deserves to join the ranks of the Heroic Warriors in our MOTUC collections.
#4. HUNTARA
Huntara is a female warrior from the planet Silax, whose natives are the greatest hunters, trappers, and warriors in the universe. They are also dedicated to battling evil. Hordak summons Huntara to Etheria and deceives her into believing the Great Rebellion’s members are evil. She captures Glimmer and uses her as bait to draw out She-Ra, but later discovers Hordak’s deception. Huntara leaves Etheria soon after, but vows that the next time she and She-Ra meet, it will be as friends.
Matthew K made his own appeal as to why Huntara is deserving of a figure in the MOTUC line, but it mostly boils down to the fact that she looks really cool. The lavender skin, the white mohawk, and the dual lightsaber motif. Add to that her free-agent status. She can fight with the Horde, consistent with her cartoon episode, or she can team up with the Great Rebellion. Heck, she can even leave Etheria and join up with the Galactic Protectors since goodness knows they could use the help. But one thing is clear, as toyetic characters from the Filmation cartoons go — it’s hard to beat Huntara.
#3. STRONG ARM
Strongarm is a cyborg with a long metal arm with strength that can rival He-Man’s. He is a member of Skeletor’s Evil warriors, though he only appeared in a single episode: “She Demon of Phantos,” But sometimes that single episode is all that’s needed to make a lasting impression. Clearly Strongarm’s unique look with the robotic head, saw blade mohawk, sharp metal teeth, and giant metal arm would translate into a very cool toy. The orange and blue color scheme of his costume would likewise stand out when displayed amongst the Evil Warriors on the shelf. The very toyetic design and the affiliation with Skeletor’s faction are enough to make Strong Arm a worthy candidate for figure-hood, and that is shown by his strong performance in the poll voting.
#2. MADAME RAZZ(w/Broom?)
Madame Razz is one of the oldest living residents of Etheria and is the requisite bumbling magic-wielder in the Great Rebellion — the PoP analog for Orko. Though often forgetful, Razz is nonetheless a highly valued member of the Great Rebellion and friend to She-Ra. Madame Razz is also one of only three entities that know the secret that Adora is also the heroic She-Ra. Though a central part of the Princess of Power cast, Madame Razz is rarely seen without her trusted sidekick and ride — Broom. The identity of these two as a pair is firmly entrenched such that fully 1/4 of the votes cast for Madame Razz included Broom as well. A few others felt Broom was so important they cast separate votes for him as a character. Obviously, if and when she is made in the MOTUC line, Madame Razz will have to be packed with a sculpted Broom — ideally with some articulated arms. Because of her somewhat unique build and costume she might be difficult to tool into a standard figure slot, and might be better suited to a higher cost fully-tooled slot ala Ram Man or as an SDCC exclusive. Regardless, there is simply no mistaking the fact that MOTUC fans consider Madame Razz (and Broom) a must-have character in any Filmation line.
#1. SCORPIA
Easily the most anticipated and most desired Filmation-only character left to be delivered in the MOTUC line, Scorpia was included on more than half the Filmation ballots submitted, and she was popular enough to receive a handful of votes in the main MOTUC poll as well.
Scorpia is one of a few female Horde warriors featured in the She Ra cartoon and is the ruler of the Crimson Waste. Certainly no one-episode-wonder, she was a mainstay of the Horde, battling She-Ra and Bow on numerous occasions. Scorpia was no mere lackey either, as she was portrayed as having her own castle in the Crimson Waste, complete with throne and slaves. She even had her own special Horde military vehicle equipped with a sleep ray. With female Horde members in short supply in the original PoP toy line, fans have been clamoring for the inclusion of Octavia and Scorpia in MOTUC since the line’s inception. And talk about toyetic — while she can certainly use much of the standard MOTUC female body, it’s all about that killer tail and those nasty pincers. The green eyeshadow helps too.
With an Octavia figure already on the way, there is no Filmation character more clamored for than good old Scorpia. So popular is the arachnid warrior that she actually received significantly more votes than the winner of the main MOTUC poll. Now, let’s go, Matty. Reveal her already.