The Masters of the Universe action figure deluge continues, this time with a pair of figures from the more traditional Collector’s Choice line. We’ve got a pair of bad guys this time, one of whom has a very interesting pedigree, the other being one of the most unique figures in the line.
With the vintage line “finished” (except for Meteorbs, something that must happen or vintage is never truly over) we’re digging into figures that have never, ever had representation. It is an exciting time. Anybody is fair game, whether it be concepts or media-only figures. That’s where today’s pair lands.
Let’s start with the unique first. Dylamug is one of those figures that you can look at and just know has to belong to the Masters of the Universe world. With a name that announces its action feature while winking so hard at the audience it sprains its wrist, this is quintessential MotU.
I remember seeing him in a couple episodes of the She-Ra cartoon way back when and wondering why there was no Dylamug action figure. Of course, that was right after I said to myself “did they just call him “dial-a-mug?” Just after that I put my hands on my hips and bellowed laughter heartily. If you’ve never heartily bellowed laughter before, be warned: it helps to stretch first.
Dylamug could easily have stood toe to toe with Mantenna and Leech in the toy aisle. But it was not to be. Until today. Today, we have the technology, and we can build him. And he will be a bitchin’ robot action figure that is—and I am saying this with a straight face—the absolute weirdest Masters of the Universe Classics figure that exists.
Dylamug is a face with arms and legs. He is very MODOKian in that respect, but the similarities begin and end there, because MODOK doesn’t have spinning drums that allow you to change his expression at a whim.
Advantage: Dylamug.
In a way, this is a design that I’m surprised works in toy form as well as it does. There are some articulation concessions to the overall design, but in essence the translation from screen to toy is impeccable. I know there are probably going to be complaints that he looks too simplistic, and in a ways it is almost like a fifth Filmation figure. But to complicate this design with excess bibbles and bobbles would take away from the central point of the figure, which is that giant freakish chest full of spinning face parts.
The articulation that is there is very nice. The elbows have a terrific range. There are no bicep swivels and no wrist articulation of any kind, so the arms are limited to movement at the shoulder and elbow. The legs can only move forward and backward—ok, I’ll admit that is the most frustrating loss—and the knees get a hampered range. The ankles have a good range, and he does manage to have thigh swivels in there, so that’s not bad at all. I’d be totally satisfied if he had some kind of ball-jointed hips just to allow him to get into a wider stance, but it is what it is.
The centerpiece of the figure is his center piece, which is the angriest soup can ever. Here’s where the weirdness is ramped up to eleven, and you discover an odd thing. His nose is the only constant piece. He has two drums for his eyes and mouth. His mouth has a downcast expression, a grin and a large smile. His eyes come in wide open “happy puppy dog,” angry and angrier. You can mix and match these expressions to come up with a surprising variety. It’s very interesting how a happy mouth can immediately look angry if you give it angry eyes. And the downcast mouth can look sad with the puppy dog eyes, but then switch to annoyed with the squintier eyes.
He comes with three swappable Horde symbols: one is the traditional toy one that resembles Hordak'[s head with bat wings, and one is the simpler Filmation styled symbol. The third symbol is a laser blast effect. Pew pew!
The top of his head shows that Dylamug is not solid state. He’s tube-based tech all the way, for that rich vintage overdrive sound.
Up next, we’ve got the lone holdout of those pesky Masters of the Universe movie villains, coming to us by way of a loophole.
I am a genuine, guilt-free proponent of the only live action Masters of the Universe movie we’ve been given thus far. I have watched it plenty of times, and it never fails to entertain me completely during it’s running time. I have nothing but unabashed love for it. But, I say that while simultaneously admitting that I would have loved seeing live action versions of Trap jaw and Tri-Klops. But instead, alongside Skeletor, Evil-Lyn and Beast Man, we got a brand new trio of villains: Blade, Saurod and Karg. Blade and Saurod managed to get action figures in the vintage line, and therefore were able to be made in Classics. Karg, however, never received a figure back then, so that terrible trio was forced to be a diabolical duo.
However, due to Karg’s appearances in Masters of the Universe comic strip, we are now able to finally add Karg to the group. Sure, the design isn’t quite the same, but everything that needs to be there is there. This is unmistakably Karg. You will not look at this figure and mistake him for anybody named “Larry.”
Funny, I say him, but for years I was half-convinced that Karg was some kind of Granny Goodness-esque woman. The hair, the stature…I even thought that chestplate looked like it was containing boobs.
Karg features the full range of articulation now standard on Super7’s MotUC figures. I had absolutely no quality control issues with either Karg or Dylamug.
The sculpting is top notch across the board. Between these two figures alone there is a ton of new tooling, and it all pays off. Karg features a metallic sheen to his blue that gaves him a maliciously regal bearing. And that face sculpt is pure personality, bringing in plenty of those cinematic touches. This is one ugly dude, but it’s a beautiful mess. The hair is quite large but you can still move the head a bit, although you won’t get far until the restrictions begin. You get a sculpted belt full of weapons, because Karg is a bastard.
It wouldn’t be Karg without a little pirate flair, and now Trap Jaw isn’t the only hook-handed underling. The hook can spin all the way around, so you can have Karg downward slash or swivel it up for easy grocery bag carrying.
He comes with a laser blaster and Crucia, the Dagger of Agony. That is a much more threatening name for your weapon than something like “steak knife of woe.”
Karg is a fun figure that rivals the best that MotUC has to offer despite the relative simplicity of the concept. There’s no real “gimmick” to him in either name or power set, but it still fits into the MotUC aesthetic without question. It’s great to finally have all the cinematic villains together.
Two strong figures, two great additions.