Powers of Grayskull - SHARELLA!

Mattel Creations Club Grayskull - MOTU Origins - Sharella - Mattel 2025

The origins of Sharella have always been a bit confusing to me. I was aware of the tiny anonymous female character sprinting in the background art on the 1987 Megator box, and that she was some unnamed warrior from the Powers of Grayskull pre-Eternian storyline. But at some point she was given the name Sharella and tied into the earliest Masters of the Universe lore. Currently Sharella is generally accepted to be the "human" form of the Pre-Eternian Snake Goddess (sometime errantly referred to as "Green Teela" or "Green Goddess").  When I think of Teela and her eventual transformation into the feathered Sorceress of Grayskull, I can grasp that Sharella is the warrior (or priestess) that eventually becomes the Pre-Eternian Goddess. This figure is the prefect type of release for the Mattel Creations Club Grayskull exclusives. Diehard fans (who would subscribe to the Club) would be the target audience for such an obscure character. It certainly made me happy. Let's check out Sharella below!

Fighting the Frozen - BATGIRL (and PLATINUM)!

DC Direct Page Punchers - Batman: Fighting the Frozen - Batgirl - McFarlane 2023

For the last year, the platinum chase version of this figure has been the bane of my existence. The standard edition was a scarce enough - I saw the other three figures in abundance, with Batgirl only showing up in the mix six months later and still seemingly only a single figure per Walmart. The chase version seemed like a pipe dream. She was selling for around $300 on eBay. But I honestly didn't even love the figure enough to pay more than retail (yet I thought the purple recolor was more desirable). I didn't know the context, and caveman-type variants don't really appeal to me. A couple weeks ago I noticed full cases of single characters were being restocked at Walmart (over a year since their original release). I saw a store with six Robins, then a store with six Mr. Freezes. Eventually I found a Batgirl store and finally found my Platinum edition at MSRP. I've since learned that these Page Punchers figures are an original creation from a McFarlane-commissioned comic (variant cover included with each figure).

Legends of Dragonore - YONDARA!

Legends of Dragonore - Series 1.5 - Prophecy Vision Yondara - Formo Toys 2024

I've always been a sucker for a translucent figure, especially when it's not just a plain crystal clear plastic. In the case of this Legends of Dragonore Wave 1.5 Yondara redeco in her "Prophecy Vision" translucent plastic, her main skin area is indeed a boring clear color, perhaps with a tint of yellow or pink (she looks different in various lighting setups). But to offset that, she is accented with translucent blue hair and accessories and opaque painted clothing in pink and blue. The overall effect is quite stunning, although she suffers from the common translucent toy problem in that her joints become overly pronounced (especially the neck peg which you can now see behind her face). A subtle airbrushing in white or light blue in these areas would go a long way (similar to the MOTUC Goddess figure). This Wave 1.5 set features fun redecos of all the Wave 1 characters. The Build-a-Figure for 1.5 has been replaced by a minicomic finally providing some worldbuilding beyond the cardback bios. Let's check out Yondara below!

Legends of Dragonore - YONDARA!

Legends of Dragonore - Series 1 - Yondara (Heroic Chieftan) - Formo Toys 2023

The Legends of Dragonore is the inaugural line of action figures from newcomer, Formo Toys. Modern action figures constructed in a vintage Masters of the Universe aesthetic is nothing new. Funko had a barrage of Savage World products five years ago, Super7 had a terrific MOTU Vintage line, and of course Mattel has been running with the concept for several years with MOTU, WWE, and now TMNT licenses.  But this Legends of Dragonore line seems different. You can tell they spawn from the art toy world and are passionate about the design aesthetic and production quality. Plus when you have a named talent like Emiliano Santalucia working Creative Design, you know the toys will be great. His passion for MOTU helped launch the modern revitalization of the brand. These figures are really fun and colorful and gave us a wholly original set of characters for our vintage collections. Formo has already showed off Wave 1.5 and  2 and I have a feeling we'll see a lot more in the future. Let's check out Yondara below!

LooseCollector - RED SONJA!

Red Sonja: She-Devil With a Sword - Executive Replicas LooseCollector 2023

Red Sonja is a classic character that has remained essentially unchanged since her debut in 1973. Since then she has been a regular staple in comics (with her license being bought and sold between different publishers). But she's also appeared in television, film, novels, and games. (She desperately needs an animated appearance to round out her media presence). Despite her popularity, she has been very infrequently merchandised. This figure from LooseCollector is the first true action figure that I'm aware of, and she's pretty spectacular. The design leans toward her modern appearances in Dynamite Comics. But thankfully, her costume has been consistent since the early 70s (after a brief period where she wore a chainmail shirt and red pants). LooseCollector is an impressive manufacturer of toys and statues in the Philippines (seemingly specializing in bikini-clad warriors). So far all my purchases have been amazing. Fingers crossed for an Aeon Flux! Let's check out Red Sonja below!

Arthur Adams Busts - RED SONJA!

Women of Dynamite - Red Sonja Resin Bust - Dynamite/Brewing Factory 2017

Red Sonja is an iconic character created in the late 70s in a burst of new Marvel solo titles helmed by female characters. Her first issue was actually dated the same month as Ms. Marvel #1 (January 1977) and followed shortly after by Spider-Woman #1. She was unique for being a lone female voice in the barbarian genre. She had a similar vibe to the various "jungle girl" characters which had been a comic staple for decades, but the swords and armor was a powerful distinction. She was based on the character Red Sonya from the 1934 story The Shadow of the Vulture, but took on a life of her own and exploded in popularity. She has had a consistent role in comics ever since her Marvel debut and even made TV, Film, and game appearances. Unfortunately she's been very sparsely merchandised. This bust based on the drawings of Arthur Adams is one of the first pieces produced. But it's a beauty. It took me forever to track her down at a decent price. Let's check out Red Sonja below!