Masters of the Universe Classics ORKO

[JeffSaylor]

"Includes fully articulated Prince Adam!"

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When it comes to Masters of the Universe collecting, the more random the character it is, the more likely I’'l want it. And while Orko or Prince Adam are anything but, deciding between a variant version at Comic-Con or the solid colored version via Mattycollector.com was a random crap shoot. For those who went to SDCC, the color-change Orko was the only version you could purchase; and because of the mass hysteria surrounding anything sold on Matty's site, color-change Orko sold very well. Regular solid-colored Orko was up for grabs by anyone with internet shortly after Comic-Con and it too sold out.

Both Orko's were $25 and the Prince Adam accessory/figure included in each are exactly the same. It is a bit odd to see such a small figure priced at $25, but that's because it's backwards. A normal figure like Prince Adam would normally be priced at $20 so throwing in an extra Orko figure for $5 is a pretty "solid" deal. And if you are a Masters of the Universe Classics collector, there is no reason you passed on this set. It is essential.

In the packaging department, Orko comes on a slightly larger card blister in the familiar white shipper box. Looking at the packaged figure, this is essentially an Orko figure. There is no "Orko and Prince Adam". It's just plain Orko: the heroic court magician. Prince Adam is reduced to hiding on the bottom of the bubble where there is a starburst saying "Includes fully articulated Prince Adam!" At least there's that.

The back of the card offers the usual bio and selection of characters no longer available to purchase. What would have been great is to have two bios: one for Orko and one for Prince Adam. We all know that he's He-Man but it would have been nice.

Sculpting has never been a weak point for MOTUC and this pair is another example of great work by the Four Horsemen. Orko, a behemoth in the vintage line, is finally treated to a scaled down, pint size Trollan that he is. His ears are the same piece as his hat which unfortunately means that there will be no removable hat on this toy, but his head and mask can be popped off easy enough.

Orko's hands are sculpted with a bit of his personality. His right hand, able to hold his wand and left hand is sculpted as a gesture, not really capable of holding his book of spells. Underneath Orko is a socket for the included stand, keeping him at the proper height in relation to the other characters.

Prince Adam uses the same old body molds as other MOTUC figures but with a new plastic vest, a great thing too because the old vintage toy's fabric vest had trouble keeping together. The vintage figure also used the same head mold as He-Man, making his disguise even more embarrassing.

For this update, Prince Adam comes with He-Man grimacing head but also a brand new sculpted "smirking" head for Prince Adam. What's even more fantastic is that you can swap these heads with He-Man if you wish.

In regards to paint, overall it's passable but there's one thing that really grinds my gears: bloody ears. It's harder to tell when just looking at the toy in person but when you take close-up macro shots, the paint from the hat going on the ears becomes that much more apparent. Orko's eyes are also a bit wonky but I think mine are pretty good. Paint on Prince Adam is all clean. His vest isn't the cartoon pink but based on vintage colors.

Prince Adam sports the usual articulated joints found on MOTUC figures (over 20) while Orko doesn't do all that bad either with eleven points of articulation. He has ball jointed shoulders and elbows, with additional joints in his wrists and neck. And because his head is on a ball, you can adjust his face a bit above his mask if you so desire.

Accessories are pretty impressive for Orko as he comes with magic wand, magic book, display stand... and Prince Adam! Prince Adam himself sports a pretty decent amount of articulation too with Purple Power Sword, half purple Power Sword, and a second head. This doesn't really get any better than that.

These figures cost $25 a piece on mattycollector.com with tax and shipping thrown on for that, easily sending this toy into the $30 range. But it's all worth it. Not just for Orko, but Prince Adam, which is a great figure as well. And for those who were still stuck with the original He-Man release and sunburnt cheeks, the extra head with Prince Adam can easily be given to He-Man or anyone else.

Buy this figure set however you can. It's worth every penny.


Photography and Review by David Yeh

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