Masters of the Universe Classics - WHIPLASH

[JeffSaylor]

Are two heads better than one?

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Another month has come, another Masters of the Universe Classics figure gets its release on Mattycollector.com. August's big release, if you were lucky enough to get through their servers, was Whiplash. The evil tail-thrashing warrior, while no major MOTU goon, is definitely not one to pass up either. Even if Whiplash wasn't your favorite growing up, Mattel sweetened the deal by throwing in an extra head to swap-out from the 200X series, also causing many toy fans to get into fisticuffs over which head is superior. I'll explain my stance later on.

As usual, each MOTUC figure sells for $20 and Whiplash has long been sold out but if you're patient, he will most likely get a re-release in 2011 (unconfirmed). Until then, the secondary market is the place to go.

All MOTUC figures come on the classic style card and bubble and also include a white shipper box for extra protection. Everything is clearly visible in the bubble, which is a good thing. The back of the card shows other MOTUC figures that aren’t for sale and also a bio. I had no idea his real name was Torrant Krazut, did you? Interesting stuff!

The Four Horsemen, master sculptors in their own right, have treated us to another figure using the same basic design principle of the past but with a heightened level of detail. And like all MOTUC figures, Whiplash is built up of found parts but he's mostly new - with added bits of scales and fins on his arms, legs, and upper torso (that will most likely reappear with Buzz-Off). This is the first appearance of the Whiplash four-directional feet, as well.

His most distinct feature, is of course, his tail, which is an added appendage that snaps onto two posts on his back. Mine fits great but the one drawback is that it doesn't look like it's part of his body.

Then we have the two head sculpts, one based on the vintage classic head and one more closely tied to the more recent 2002 animated series. Looking at the original vintage toy, the Four Horsemen really did a great job in making Whiplash look from REALLY ugly to just plain ugly. I didn't think it was possible to make the vintage version cooler but they managed. Too bad I was never a fan of the original sculpt and because of that, Whiplash fell to the bottom of my ranks. Then came the 200X cartoon and I fell in love with that updated design. The"modern" head unfortunately is far too big on this body, but I don't care, this is the head I prefer. I only wish that they went with the modern look with the rest of the body too... more on that later.

The hands are both sculpted to hold his weapons. The classic accessory fits on his right hand, the modern accessory fits on the left.

In the paint department, Whiplash is painfully dull. He's either dark green or neon green and his fuzzy Speedos and booties are blue. Come to think of it, his feet look really out of place in that color and it begs the question: Are those boots or his actual feet? Here's a body that would have benefited with a light wash to bring out the details. There's some shading on his shoulders and upper neck but it's not enough. The paint on the head sculpts are decent, but they've done a better job on the classic head than modern, at least when it comes to the tusks. Classic head has some detail and color on them while the modern tusks are just like white erasers sticking out of his mouth. If there wer ever a MOTUC figure I wanted to customize more, it's this one.

Articulation for Whiplash is slightly improved over the other figures because of his mighty tail. The tail has one cut joint that allows for some minor thrashing. The rest of his joints are all you've come to expect from the previous toys: neck, torso, double shoulders, elbow, wrist, waist, double hips, knees, calf, and heels. You can pose Whippy here in all sorts of cool stances and with his unique feet structure and tail, much easier to balance as well. One last thing to note is that there is no action gimmick here. No turning of the waist to thrash his tail. That feature is gone, thankfully.

And there are accessories for Whiplash. I suppose his tail is removable so it somewhat counts. If you're going with Vintage, he comes with his classic spear. Then there's the bonus "modern" head and the "modern" accessory that resembles a Swiss Army Knife.

In closing, I realized that a lot of the "woulda, coulda, shoulda" came about only because the modern head was included. I think Mattel was great to have included a bonus head, but the act itself is half-hearted. It generates a feeling of "what if." As a modern update to the vintage toy, Whiplash is awesome. It's everything that it deserves to be and more. But when you include the "modern" head, you begin to see just how much more work is needed. This isn't a simple head swap like Mer-Man. This is a serious redesign. Why couldn't a modern Whiplash be released as a bonus figure down the road? It worked for Zodac and Zodak and it worked for Keldor as well.

Whiplash... I'm torn. I love the modern head so that's how mine is going to be displayed. But I would have been happier if that option wasn't even there. If you missed out, get one. Heck, get two.

Review and Photography by David Yeh

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[S'laargorath]

I did get 2. But I welcome Mattel's announcement that from now on they will no longer be including 2002 heads, but instead will be developing full 2002-design figures. Bravo to them for realizing that there are people out here who love these great newer designs just as much as (and in some cases even more than) the originals!