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Captain Toy/Michael's Review of the Week

Review of Scareglow action figure
Masters of the Universe Classics

Mattel
Date Published: 2009-11-23
Written By: Michael Crawford
Overall Average Rating: 3.5 out of 4

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Masters of the Universe Classics Scareglow action figure by Mattel

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Introduction

Those of us with the Masters of the Universe 2009 subscription got a special surprise for November. Normally the new figure (this month it was Scareglow) goes on sale on the 15th. However, when that's a weekend or holiday, they move it to the next closest day. Because the 15th of November is the opening day of deer season in Michigan (or maybe because it was a Sunday), the ordering day was moved to Monday the 16th. Ah, but those of us on the 'plan' got charged on Sunday anyway, and the figure shipped first thing Monday! Now that's service.

As I mentioned, the November regular figure was Scareglow. You could also order the normal He-man figure again, giving folks who'd missed out on the most important character a chance to get on board. I suspect that won't be the last time we see He-man up for purchase either, since they sold out in just a couple days.

It took Scareglow a little longer to sell out, but not much. The line appears to continue its strong sales, a good sign for fans.

During the original heyday of MOTU, I was far too interested in the opposite sex to pay attention to action figures, but as I understand it, Scareglow was what we now call a 'tail ender'. No, that doesn't mean that displaying a Scare Glow action figure on your shelf is the end of your chasing tail, although it's a distinct possibility.

What it does mean is that he was one of the very last figures released in the overall series. That generally means a much lower production run and a much harder to find figure decades later.

Because he came in so late in the action figure series, he was never in the original cartoon. In fact, he's been in the various shows and books very little, and his biggest claim to fame is the rarity of that original figure - it drove a lot of fan interest over the years.

He's the usual $20 plus shipping, but Matty Collector is already sold out. Ebay is probably your best bet, and you should be able to get him for a reasonable price.

Masters of the Universe Classics Scareglow action figure by Mattel

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Packaging - ***1/2
The excellent retro style packaging continues of course, but the logo does tend to hide the face a bit. I also wish this was collector friendly packaging, because I'd love to save the packaging, but alas, it's not to be.

Masters of the Universe Classics Scareglow action figure by Mattel

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Sculpting - ****
Wow. This is a figure that's largely re-used parts, but he looks fantastic. The head sculpt is new of course, and he's sporting a demonic, evil skull. It looks great, although the paint doesn't do enough to show off the detail.

There's not really much else here that's unique, but this figure proves you don't really need a whole lot new in this category when you know how to best use the parts you have.

The hands hold the accessories perfectly, and he stands about 7", same as the rest of the series.

Masters of the Universe Classics Scareglow action figure by Mattel

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Paint - ***
The paint on the body is quite good, with some very well done black paint work done to create a skeletal appearance. The white is all Glow In The Dark plastic, and it takes and holds a charge extremely well, as you can see in the very first photo.

Sadly, the work on the face isn't quite up to the level I'd hoped for. The teeth are very inconsistent and sloppy, and the eyes are cheesy at best. There's a few sloppy spots here and there on the body too, but the crack in the skull looks great, and the overall effect is better than these small issues might indicate.

Masters of the Universe Classics Scareglow action figure by Mattel

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Articulation - ***1/2
The articulation is consistent with the rest of the series, with the ball jointed neck, shoulders and hips (with swivel bicep and thigh), pin elbows, knees and ankles, cut calf, wrist and waist, and even a pin ab crunch.

The joints are tight, with very thick, high quality pins. Kids could play with these with abandon with little chance of breakage.

I do wish the neck worked a little better, but at least it has more mobility than the DCUC heads.

Accessories - ****
I'm counting the cape as an accessory this time around, since it's so easy to remove, and isn't really necessary for his basic appearance. It fits on over the head, although popping off the head would make it even easier to remove.

The cape has a great sculpt too, with wear and damage even included at the bottom edge. It doesn't topple him over in standard poses, and only effects the general posability slightly.

He also comes with a terrific new staff, called his Scythe of Doom. The sculpt is a combination of a couple different versions that the character has sported in the past. It fits great in his hands, and looks extremely threatening.

Next, he has the 'Cursed Grayskull Reliquary", something brand new. It has a wrist band that pops on and off either wrist easily, and connects with a real metal chain. Open the end of the tube and inside you'll find a key - I assume to the front door of Castle Grayskull. 

All these accessories are new, and the creative, imaginative nature adds a ton to the value and 'cool' factor of this figure.

Masters of the Universe Classics Scareglow action figure by Mattel

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Fun Factor - ****
The line is my favorite toy action figure series on the market right now, beating out even DCUC. And I couldn't possibly care less about the license - that says a tremendous amount about how great a job Mattel is doing with this series.

If you know a kid who has become a fan of the cartoons through the wonders of DVD, then this series would be perfect for them.

Value - **1/2
I'm actually giving him an average value here (up from my usual two stars) due to the new cape, new staff, new 'reliquary', and key. The terrific accessories really add to the basic value here, even at $20.

Masters of the Universe Classics Scareglow action figure by Mattel

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Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing!

Overall - ***1/2
If you get lucky and get a better paint job on the teeth, you'll have a four star figure in your hands. 

I don't know Scareglow from Bubba, but I still love this figure. From the sculpt to the accessories to the Glow in the Dark feature - it's all perfect. This was a figure I had almost zero interest in from early press photos, but now that I have him...he could be the best of the bunch. I suspect he's an acquired taste though, and if I were a bigger fan of the original show, I might find him less appealing.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ***
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - ****
Fun Factor - ****
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Masters of the Universe Classics Scareglow action figure by Mattel

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Where to Buy 
Your best bet was to pick him up last Monday at noon EST. Since time travel is probably not a cost effective answer, your next best bet is ebay.

Related Links -
I've covered most of the MOTUC series:

- it seems like Teela just got here...oh, she did!

- before that there was Webstor, perhaps my favorite, and Tri-klops, another one of my favs.

- prior to that was Man-at-armsHordak, ZodacFaker, Mer-man and Stratos, starting out with He-man, Skeletor and Beastman together in one review.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

Discussion:
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Masters of the Universe Classics Scareglow action figure by Mattel

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This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.

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