I know today is May 5, but if you would, please take a step back and pretend with me that we are all the way back in March of this year. Are you there now? Good, because we now have brand new look at the latest Masters of the Universe Classics Collector’s Choice figure, the evil Vultak.
So yeah, I am positive that you are aware that, while Vultak was scheduled as the March 2016 figure, his arrival to your toy shelf had been delayed, up until now. Subscription figures are starting to arrive now, so while I know the wait has been especially difficult for this figure, considering his high-demand status, he is here now, and I am happy to say he was worth the wait. I know, I should probably be a bit more agitated over the delay, but I have been at this action figure collecting thing long enough to know that “these things happen,” and when everything works out in the end, I am usually just fine.
That is not to say that I am not relieved to finally have Vultak, because I am and my Horde shelf is pretty much officially out of space, so I was going to ask Hordak to not accept any more members until we can build an addition, then I remembered Despara and the Horde Wraiths are coming later this year. Lack of action figure space is a hell of thing, but I guess it is a good problem to have. The good thing about Vultak is that he is pretty much the Horde’s exclusive air support denizen, and I never pass up the change to hang a flying character from the ceiling.
In the pantheon of Filmation-originating characters, Vultak really stood out on the Princess of Power show. Having the pleasure of actually appearing in more than one episode, no Horde guys were always rad (to me, at least), and he has a memorable design. His Classics figure tags him as an Evil Zookeeper, and while that is technically true (poor Kowl), as a tag line, it kind of sells him short for what he brings to the Horde. Sure, he can be their resident zookeeper, as I suppose an empire as big as the Horde needs all of those mundane positions, but as it stands, he also represents the whole of the plastic Horde Air Force, so that opens up a lot of new possibilities.
The figure itself is given good service by the design, as we would certainly expect that from the Four Horsemen, but the final construction of the figure was actually improved from when we first saw the prototype. At the behest and exuberant suggestion of the fan community, the reused parts that make up Vultak were actually improved during the production process. Where before he had the standard bracer forearms, those were changed for the pieces used for Icer, as what appears to be fur on one figure, can come to look like feather on another. This helps with the cartoon accuracy, so I am really pleased that the Mattel design team was able to run with the suggested change as it does really make a difference.
While he is made up of several existing pieces, Vultak does get his fair share of new parts to help create his look. He has brand new removable Horde armor that accommodates the wing rig (those are the same as Angella’s), as well as new “boots” and feet that match his bird leg design. These new pieces look really cool and I love the leathery texture used to sell the bird-foot look. His head sculpt is pretty dead-on in terms of likeness, and I enjoy the menacing sneer. It definitely has the vulture feel to it, but his head could also work for a gargoyle as well. Like the Trap Jaw figure released in April, the little black pupils in his eyes could be a concern from figure to figure in terms of placement; mine came out just fine (thankfully), but I was worried about some possible “derp,” so be on the lookout when you get your figure as it could be a possible concern.
Vultak’s wings probably ate a lot of the plastic budget for this figure, but he does get two accessories/weapons as well, and both of them are new to boot. To keep up with his day job, we get the leash he used on Kowl in the cartoon, when he was filling out his zoo. The sculpt is good, and the ring fits right around Kowl, but it is made of a fairly stiff plastic, so be careful when using it. He also gets a standard-issue Horde crossbow with a feathered-theme to match Vultak’s design. I have said before that I am a mark for the crossbows, so I really dig this and red works well with the Horde theme, while not clashing with the blue and grey unique to this character.
Finally, since I got a good set of eyes with this figure, everything from a projection standpoint is strong with Vultak. The construction is strong, the joints are tight and the plastic is not floppy at any turn. There is not a lot of paint to speak of with this figure, but what is there is good, and the variance from the shiny to matte qualities adds variety at that level. Again, I think the eyes could be an issue, but this particular figure is just fine.
Vultak is HERE, finally. The wait was tough, but after being eight years into the Classics line, a couple extra months did not seem too bad. Vultak was certainly on the top of the hill of still-needed Horde characters when he was announced last year, so now that he is in the can, I really hope Mattel will set their sights on Dylamug as, to me, he is now the most outstanding character from the Horde. I know the subscription figures are shipping now, and day-of sales should be heading out soon, so keep and eye out — Vultak is a great addition to the collection!
