I’ve been reviewing Super7 ‘s line of 5.5 inch figures, based upon the original masters of the universe (MOTU) but remade to more closely resemble their Filmation cartoon design- of which the design change could be quite drastic. And, for the most part, I’ve been impressed with how a 2-D face can be so well translated to a 3-D sculpt, making me put money down on characters I passed on back when the original MOTU toys were on the shelves. And that’s who I’m reviewing here, a character who I never gave much thought to as a kid (maybe because he looked like one of the evil monkeys from The Wizard of Oz). And frankly, I can’t blame 5 year old me for avoiding his toy, he’s a liability, a risk to his fellow wingman. Every time he gets into the sky he’s dangerous. Well let’s hope his toy is good because there’s no place (on my toy shelf) for second best.
As observed in previous reviews, when it comes down to these figures based upon the original 5.5 inch MOTU toys from Mattel, redesigned to resemble the more simplistic design of the filmation cartoon show it’s all about the headsculpt. The standard (and boy is it standard) motu body is the same as it ever was. The head is certainly a match for the cartoon Stratos with the simian features all present and correct. The Jack Kirby-esque helmet and goggles really capture the simple , 50s pulp adventure stylings I’m guessing might have inspired the design. The gladiator-like helmet and angled shades are spot on- especially as the lenses are painted in a shiny gloss black to give the face some character beyond the mellow chimpanzee that makes the face. The body is- as one would expect- has less detail than the one mattel produced. All that hair would’ve cost extra to animated, so instead of looking like a massive, grey chimp, Stratos more looks like he’s wearing a shiny grey bodysuit- another departure from other releases which have come in decos with a flat finish. They grey is certainly a match for the cartoon model, as are the blue and red on his helmet, belt, loincloth, and boots. The paint is solid and clean but I have noticed a sizable scratch on the sole of the boot, so watch it with rough surfaces. Seemingly fixed permanently is the rocket pack. All moulded in royal blue plastic with simple, yet effective lines. Like something you’d see in a 50s comic book or cinema serial, because you could imagine seeing Stratos in the old Buster Crabbe Flash Gordon, couldn’t you?
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| Size comparison with Super7 Filmation He-Man |
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| With MOTU Mini Stratos |
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| With vintage style Filmation Man-At-Arms |
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| With vintage Ram Man |
The articulation is typical of the vintage MOTU body, the head turns a complete 360 degrees; both arms rotate completely at the shoulder; the waist turns almost 189 degrees as part of the “power punch" action, just like the original toy, and both legs rotate and pivot at the hip. There was no usual loudness or stuck joint at the hips with this Stratos, so I got lucky this time not having to deal with a figure that wont stand on his own.
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| "Alright mate!" |
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| "Peg it lads!" |
You get a good selection of accessories. Firstly are the trademark Icarus wings that Stratos always wears along his arms. They’re molded in a bright red, with some simple but effective feather details, and it attaches to each arm with two clips, one at the wrist and at the upper bicep. It looks great but on one of the wings the clips don’t fasten around the arm very much and is prone to falling off with even light handling. So doing the power punch is not recommended as you end up losing the piece as it’s flung across your room.
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| Notice how little purchas the clip has on the wrist |
Instead of weapons- because he doesn’t normally come with any- you get both the Filmation and the mini-comic versions of the staff of Avion. The Filmation version of this magic staff of flight is your typical Filmation , simplistic, bar a little skull motif, and symmetrical so it saves on animation. Resembling a novelty tuning fork, is molded in a flat, pale yellow mini-comic staff is certainly a match for its one episode appearance, as does the mini-comic staff, looking like a hat stand from a 50s sci-fi movie. The Filmation staff comes in a more vibrant bright green with yellow accents. It’s always good to have the option with accessories but best of all is they’re molded in a solid plastic, so you wont get your staffs warping into a permanent droop while it’s in the packaging. Now that’s progress!
Also included is the standard art card with the always excellent depiction of the character you bought on one side, and a visual history, with some added text, showing the change in design from the Mattel toy to the Filmation character model. The card isn’t essential but it’s cool to get them nonetheless, if only because it looks like there’s a mini-comic behind the figure if you’re a mint on the card collector.
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| "Tower, this ghost rider requesting a flyby" |
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| "Negative, ghost rider. The pattern is full" |
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| "Goddam, son of a..." |
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| *Top Gun anthem plays* |
I picked Stratos up on an impulse (at £24.99 that was just about possible) under the weird notion that he looked like he was wearing a flight suit instead of being a naked chimp guy, and those goggles were straight up giving me Top Gun vibes. For the price asked, you get that nostalgia itch scratched, before the reality of MOTU figures ability to stand (or lack thereof) to stand brings you back to the present day. You may need a figure stand (often seen on ebay) or if you plan to buy more of these figures, get a battlebones because nothing says “I like Masters of the Universe" than buying a 30+ year old dinosaur that holds MOTU figures in its ribs. So, all on all, this is a pretty decent figure considering I had no interest in pre-ordering it. The only thing is those wings. Mine has one that will fall off if so much as a cloud passes overhead, so if you are gonna let your kids handle it then the wings are likely to end up missing. Stratos isn’t a standout figure in the line compared to Man-At-Arms or Mer-Man but decent in it’s own right, and less fuss than Teela in the standing department. Definitely one to pad out your Masters forces with.
Company: Super7
Price paid: £24.95
Bought from: Forbidden Planet
Age:15+
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