When the box containing Sir Laser-Lot and the subject of this article, Temple of Darkness Sorceress, arrived I promised myself that I would keep the focus on the figures themselves. Do you see where I am going with this? Well, at least this isn’t the first time I have broken a promise to myself. If you have been paying attention to the internets the past week or so, you have seen Toy Guru’s many comments and videos that address the current Club Eternia subscription situation. Well, right now, it doesn’t look good for 2013, and the fate of the entire line is currently in the balance. I will take this opportunity to suggest that if you love MOTUC and you want most/all of the characters in the mythos to be made into figures, you should subscribe. Like it or hate it, this is the strategy to keep the line going and it needs a baseline of subscribers in order to keep going. I know it is not for everyone, and the price took a sharp increase for this year, and I can understand that being a deal breaker for some. I will not try to goad anyone into signing up, but it is decision time.
The thing is, I am going through the same paces with Club Infinite Earths and my beloved DC characters. Gosh, if both of these fall through, I really won’t have a ton of things left to collect. That is very depressing to me indeed. But I am not here to cry in my beer because I am keeping hope alive. No indeed, thinking about the current state of things, I am reminded of what is possible in this line with subscription and ToD Sorceress is a prime example.
I really believe that without the subscription, figures like this just would not be possible. The popularity of the line is–seemingly–so strong that Mattel can offer obscure characters and variants as convention exclusives. See, if we were only getting a handful of figures a year (like what we might be facing) you cannot think for one second that a figure like ToD Sorceress, or next year’s Strobo, would have a chance of being made. If convention figures were the only way to get key characters due to limited release slots, you better bet we would be seeing guys like Scareglow or Mossman in these slots instead. Because of the subscription’s release pattern, A-, B-, C-, and D-list characters fit comfortably in monthly slots. This leaves room for ToD Sorceress to finally get a figure by being an exclusive. The sheer breadth of characters in the line is something that I find very valuable, and as the collection grows, filling up all of the corners becomes very important too. I am beyond just getting all of the guys that had vintage figures; I want the mini comic and FILMation characters and variants I have never had the chance to own before. I hope I still have a chance and that is why the subscription is so important. Without it, the odds of us even having a chance at a First Look at a figure like this would be slim to none. Again, if MOTUC is your bag, now is the time to consider.
Yep, I am very happy to be getting this figure as she has been a sought-after variant amongst discriminating fans for a long time. Seeing the Sorceress in all white in the mini comics was like nothing done before. Heck, I want the pink color scheme too (with a Teela to match), but let’s take care of 2013 first. Essentially, you are getting the same basic figure you got in January in the standard Sorceress release. The obvious difference is the color scheme, but the differences go deeper than that–she also has different boots and a brand new accessory that has quickly become an essential display piece.
I think that Teela Na here wears her white costume very well. I am first and foremost a fan of her standard togs, but this one is a lot less garish and might fit in better with those fans whose hearts lie with the comics. She is not stark white, but she is bright enough to stand out in your display. There is some airbrushing to add depth to the solid colors, and I actually like the soft lavender that is used in the eyes of her headdress. I think they were going for the same paint scheme in the face, but I think this figure actually turned out better than the original. I am not sure what it is exactly, but you can look at the pictures and judge for yourself.
More so than any of that, though, is that I REALLY love the clear wings. I don’t know why exactly, but there is just something more mystical about them to me. I know the thought of clear wings is kind of strange in concept, but they are executed very nicely. However, if you have issues with the way the original Sorceress’s wings worked, you are getting the same thing here as she is constructed the same from head to knee. Where Mattel Design was able to make a change is in giving her the accurate Teela boots instead of the feathered version. I think they work well for this figure and a little variety is always nice.
She does have her Staff of Zoar just like the previous release, but this version comes with a stand that can hold the Orb of Power that has been rolling round your shelves since the release of King Grayskull. If I remember correctly, this was originally shown off at SDCC last year, so fans have been clamoring for it for a long time now. The Orb fits perfectly, and I like the design of the stand and how it incorporates symbols down the base, most notably the symbol of He-Ro. The stand is cast in a blue translucent plastic and the color is revealed as you move down the stand into the surrounding and attached rocks. If you are familiar with the MYP cartoon, you know this is taken from the designs of the caverns below Castle Grayskull where the secret powers are kept. I know it is easy for this to be the main reason that many fans will be picking this figure up, and it is a great accessory that fills a dire need, but don’t sell the Sorceress figure short, she has really grown on me since she arrived the other day. Oh, and if you plan on picking up the Great Unrest Weapons Pak in October, a white falcon will be included to go right along with this figure.
In fact, I like her so much that in my canon (that is that phrase again) I am making her a different and unique character altogether. ToD Sorceress will be the keeper of Grayskull during Vikor’s time for me. Her white scheme fits with his “He-Man of the North” characterization, and, if you have the Grayskull Tower from the vintage Eternia play set, she looks fantastic standing in the turret. I love the idea of having a Sorceress for each He-Man, and, going back to my concern and the importance of the subscription, I hope I will have a chance to own the elusive Oo-Larr and perhaps a Kuduk Ungol figure to be his Sorceress. I hope.
Simply put: this figure just would not be possible without the deep character release pattern that is made possible by the subscription program. Yes, I want my never-before-had characters like Strong Arm, Icer, Shokoti, General Sunder, and Sea Hawk, but having them in the sub makes characters like Strobo and variants like this one possible. If you want to go deeper into the mythos than ever before with figures like this, the 2013 Club has to happen. In case you didn’t know, you will be able to pick up this figure if you are going to Power Con or New York Comic Con, but left over stock will be available at the end of the year on Matty Collector (if there is any). Now is the time. This figure represents what is still possible with this line and I want a chance to own more obscure characters so that they can finally take their deserved place with the big guns. We can still get great and viable variants like this–there is still hope. Time to make a decision. There are more like Temple of Darkness Sorceress waiting to be made.
*Thanks for reading (and hearing my plea), and thanks to Toy Guru for sending ToD Sorceress to us for a First Look. We will be back soon with more goodies, and maybe even a case of Club Infinite Earths.
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