Lovely Ladies, Come Along and Join Us!!!
If you are a fan of Mattel’s considerably awesome Masters of the Universe Classics line, then you know how abundant the female offerings have been over the last year. It has been something to celebrate, in my opinion. As a life-long fan of MOTU, and of ALL its wonderful sub-categories, I have always enjoyed the diversity presented by the property’s roster of characters. MOTU has always been a fantastically colorful grab-bag of differences. So the past year has certainly made me smile.
However, as we move forward into 2015, and into a 2016 currently being promised by Mattel (dependent on sales of course), I see quite a bit of campaigning for some female characters who have fallen to the wayside. I think campaigning for what we want is important. It gave us Castle Grayskull, combined shipping for Subs and Add-Ons, better quality control, Club Etheria, and Filmation characters. Consider the following characters when campaigning for what you want to see!
1) Granita
Granita was introduced, along with Rokkon and Stonedar, in “The Rock People” (Episode 44 of the “She-Ra, Princess of Power” series). She appeared later, with Stonedar, in “The Light of the Crystal” (Episode 54). When it was announced that The Rock People were to be sold as the 2013 SDCC Exclusive, there was a moment where many across the fandom believed she might be included, especially because her name had been trademarked a few months prior. Hopes were dashed, however, when the set was revealed with only Rokkon and Stonedar. The price surely would have been steep had all three figures been included, but many fans were disappointed that their dreams of owning a Granita figure, after so many years, were not to come true. She remains high atop all “Most-Wanted” lists, and fan-site polls. She’d be a welcome addition to the line. I would suggest a deluxe price point, so that her transformative gimmick could be created without budgetary limitations… and maybe, just maybe, a Meteorb could be thrown in… you know, just for fun?
2) Crita
Currently perhaps one of the most highly demanded figures, and certainly the most desired New Adventures character, Crita was first introduced during the run of “The New Adventures of He-Man” cartoon series. She was heavily featured throughout the series, especially during Season 2, when she became both the leader of an alien race called the Gleanons, and a fierce rival of the character Mara. She has become the Shadow Weaver of the NA series, in that she’s visually interesting, evil, and popular among the fandom, but has never been produced in action figure form. Mattel gained the rights to produce figures from the New Advetures cartoon (folks such as Crita, Sebrian, Drissi, etc. on the NA cartoon), when they arranged for the same rights to the Filmation characters. During an episode of the popular Roast Gooble Dinner Podcast, Scott Neitlich, the former brand manager of the Classics line, said that after Hydron and Flogg, both Mara and Crita were the next most important NA characters yet to be produced. Many fans were excited when the 2013 NYCC Fan Vote, which assured Mara’s place in the line, included not only Mara, but Tuskador, and Darius as candidates. Many believed that the lack of Crita meant she was already set for inclusion in the A-List Wrap Up during 2014 and 2015. We shall see… All in all, Crita is a must.
3) Hawke (and Delora… Filmation Delora, that is)
This one is a “twofer,” or, possibly, a “threefer,” if you are a detail-oriented fan. Hawke, is the sister of Stratos, the Lord of Avion, as presented in The Mike Young Productions “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” cartoon series, as well as in the MVC “Masters of the Universe” comic book. She was heavily featured in an MVC one-shot featuring the origin of Stratos. Fans have expressed a desire for her figure to be designed with an eye toward her Filmation design, so that she might be included with a second head… in order to create a Delora figure. Delora was the sister of Stratos in the Filmation series, while Hawke was an antagonistic traitor, and the two had similar looks. To further confuse things, the name Delora was used in the MOTU mini-comics for the humanoid wife of Stratos. Clear as mud? In any case, this would be a wonderful idea for a figure. I’d go a step further and make her feathered wings removable, so that a red pair and a blue pair could be included to further differentiate between Hawke and Delora. I think this would allow for Mattel to sell twice as many Hawke figures!! Coins in the bank?? It’s a win for Mattel, and a win for us! Incidentally, if Mattel made her body furry, like her brother’s, the buck could be used for the next two characters… See? Fans aren’t always lacking in the business smarts! (Thanks to theFwoosh member Aidan Cross for pointing out my error in describing Hawke / Delora – it has been corrected!)
4) Kittrina
The beautiful, agile agent of King Paw, leader of the Eternian Cat Folk, Kittrina appeared in “The Cat and the Spider,” Episode 66 of the Filmation “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” Series. She was presented as a wily, highly capable combatant, who teamed up with the heroes of Eternos to retrieve an ancient relic stolen by Webstor in the name of Skeletor (it’s more complicated than that, so go watch the episode – it’s a good one!). This is another Filmation character whose name has been thrown about for years as a potential candidate for plastic immortalization. I’d love to see what the 4H could do with her, especially any accessories they might give her. Within the Classics canon, Kittrina could easily be made part of the kingdom that Chief Carnivus leads.
5) Hunga the Harpy
“ANGELLLAAAAAAAAA!!!!” Yes, the screeching, caterwauling villainous Queen of Talon Mountain, Hunga the Harpy first appeared in “The Secret of the Sword,” as the jailer of Queen Angella, as an apparent free agent for the Horde. This character SCREAMS for action figure status… Imagine what the 4H could do: hideously demonic wings… double jointed ankles… that wicked magic wand… and maybe even an extra generic harpy head… That’s right, ANOTHER chance for multiple sales, Mattel! Build yourself an army of Harpies!!
6) Lady Slither
Ok… she’s brand new, and has been on the scene for all of five or ten minutes, when it comes to the legacy of MOTU, but she’s a glorious female… and a SNAKE MAN… err.. WOMAN!! We’ve been clamoring for a female Snake character for years, and Scott Neitlich made a good move in creating this character for the new mini-comics. I assume that, like King Hiss, Lady Slither would incorporate a transformative feature: Legs to Tail. Heck, they have some of the tooling done in the buck for Mermista… they have the cape (it’s basically a reuse of Shokoti’s)… and the boots are Teela’s. So, there isn’t too much in the way of new tooling, aside from that scaly tail. She’d be a striking action figure.
And as a bonus…
7) Starburst She-Ra
Perhaps, as fans have suggested, we could receive this figure in a two pack with Catra in her vintage toy costume. If not, perhaps Starburst She-Ra could be released as the penultimate form of the Princess of Power… Her most powerful form: the result of conquering her inner demon: Despara. Goodbye, Despara… hello, Starburst She-Ra! If not, there are other interesting origins for the costume, such as one from the vintage UK Comics, which explained the costume as an upgrade that allowed She-Ra to aid an alien race in space (hmm… that could have worked as a costume for an NA She-Ra too, but we have an entirely new, and excellent version to fit that bill). I feel as though this remaining She-Ra variant would shine brightly in the hands of the 4H and the new blood at Mattel Design.
Here’s hoping the former brand manager didn’t leave all the ladies in the lurch for 2016, or that those at Mattel who are currently in charge might realize just how popular some of the remaining maidens of might are!