Masters of the Universe Wave 3 – 1984
The third wave of Masters of the Universe, contained 12 brand new figures in 1984, along with re-issued “original” versions of He-Man and Skeletor for a total of 14 figures. In addition to the figures, we also got 3 more vehicles, and a new robotic battle horse, Stridor. Mattel also released a headquarters for the bad guys called Snake Mountain, along with a new weapons accessory pack.
For more information about Mattel’s Masters of the Universe line from 1984, see bottom of the page for a complete summary.
Masters of the Universe – Wave 3 (1984): Figures
The third wave of figures for the Masters of the Universe line contained a series high 12 brand new figures, along with re-issues of the original He-Man and Skeletor, bringing the total to 14 in all.
Battle Armor He-Man
Market Value:
Carded $300 – $400
Loose $60 – $90
Battle Armor He-Man: Heroic Warriors
Accessories: Power Sword, Battle Ax, Battle Armor, Mini-Comic
Years Released: 1984, 1985
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on secondary market
Notes: With He-Man being the most popular character in the MOTU line, it’s natural to have multiple versions of him at some point. This version featured He-Man in Battle Armor that would change to show 3 different types of damage when struck by an object; No Damage, 1 Slash, or 2 Slashes.
Battle Armor Skeletor
Market Value:
Carded $300 – $400
Loose $60 – $90
Battle Armor Skeletor: Evil Warriors
Accessories: Sword, Ram Staff, Battle Armor, Mini-Comic
Years Released: 1984, 1985
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on secondary market
Notes: With Skeletor being one of the most popular characters in the MOTU line, it’s natural to have multiple versions of him at some point. This version featured Skeletor in Battle Armor that would change to show 3 different types of damage when struck by an object; No Damage, 1 Slash, or 2 Slashes.
Buzz-Off
Market Value:
Carded $175 – $250
Loose $40 – $65
Buzz-Off: Heroic Warriors
Accessories: Wings, Helmet, Ax, Mini-Comic
Years Released: 1984, 1985
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: Buzz-Off was one of He-Man’s trusted allies in the fight against the Evil Warriors. Buzz-Off had the special feature that allowed his wings to move or flap when his waist is twisted.
Clawful
Market Value:
Carded $200 – $275
Loose $40 – $65
Clawful: Evil Warriors
Accessories: Mace, Spring Action Claw, Mini-Comic
Years Released: 1984, 1985
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: What’s more freighting than a giant lobster swinging a mace! Skeletor gets another member of his team with Clawful. He has a special spring action, pinching claw feature. Note: There are actually two different versions of Clawful’s legs.
Fisto
Market Value:
Carded $175 – $250
Loose $35 – $55
Fisto: Heroic Warriors
Accessories: Sword, Chest Armor, Mini-Comic
Years Released: 1984, 1985
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: Fisto was one of He-Man’s allies in the fight against Skeletor and his evil forces. Fisto has a special feature that allowed you to twist his waist and watch him throw a Power Punch with his spring loaded silver fist.
Jitsu
Market Value:
Carded $150 – $225
Loose $35 – $55
Jitsu: Evil Warriors
Accessories: Samurai Sword, Chest Armor, Mini-Comic
Years Released: 1984, 1985
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: Jitsu was another of Skeletor’s soldiers but a unique martial arts background to fight the Heroic Warriors. Jitsu has a special feature that allowed you to twist his waist and watch him use his spring loaded karate chop move.
Kobra Khan
Market Value:
Carded $150 – $225
Loose $35 – $55
Kobra Khan: Evil Warriors
Accessories: Laser Pistol, Removable Head, Mini-Comic
Years Released: 1984, 1985
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: Kobra Khan was another of Skeletor’s soldiers in his army against the Heroic Warriors. Kobra Khan had a special feature that allowed him to squirt water when his head was pushed down.
Mekaneck
Market Value:
Carded $200 – $275
Loose $40 – $65
Mekaneck: Heroic Warriors
Accessories: Club, Pop-Up Head, Mini-Comic
Years Released: 1984, 1985
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: Mekaneck was one of the more interesting characters in the MOTU line due to his completely unusual look. Mekaneck had a special feature that allowed you to twist his waist and watch his head pop-up and extend.
Orko
Market Value:
Carded $250 – $350
Loose $40 – $65
Orko: Heroic Warriors
Accessories: Hat, Ripcord, Magic Trick, Magic Instructions, Mini-Comic
Years Released: 1984, 1985
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: How could you have a MOTU line of toys without an Orko figure? The answer is you can’t. Orko’s special feature was that when you inserted the ripcord and pulled it out quickly, Orko would make use of his small wheels and just take off.
Prince Adam
Market Value:
Carded $350 – $500
Loose $60 – $90
Prince Adam: Heroic Warriors
Accessories: Power Sword, Vest, Belt, Mini-Comic
Years Released: 1984, 1985
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: Prince Adam was the alter ego of the MOTU hero, He-Man. Prince Adam was typically seen cowering away from danger so nobody would ever suspect that he was actually the mighty He-Man in disguise. Despite that, Prince Adam had the same Power Punch feature as other figures.
Webstor
Market Value:
Carded $175 – $250
Loose $40 – $65
Webstor: Evil Warriors
Accessories: Backpack, Grappling Hook, Laser Rifle, Armor, Mini-Comic
Years Released: 1984, 1985
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: Webstor was another member of Skeletor’s Evil Warrior team to fight He-Man and friends. Webstor also crossed over into the Princess of Power series. Webstor had a special feature that allowed you to twist his waist and watch him throw a Power Punch.
Whiplash
Market Value:
Carded $175 – $250
Loose $35 – $55
Whiplash: Evil Warriors
Accessories: Spear, Mini-Comic
Years Released: 1984, 1985
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: Yet another member of Team Skeletor, Whiplash was among the more powerful baddies. Whiplash had a special feature that allowed you to twist his waist and watch his lethal tail whip around.
He-Man: The Original
Market Value:
Carded $900 – $1,200
Loose $100 – $150
He-Man: The Original
Accessories: Power Sword, Battle Ax, Shield, Harness, Mini-Comic
Years Released: 1984
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: The “Original” He-Man was basically a re-issued version, almost identical to the original released in 1982. The word “original” was added to the card to avoid confusion with the new Battle Armor version of He-Man, also issued in this wave. He-Man still had a special feature that allowed you to twist his waist and watch him throw a Power Punch.
Skeletor: The Original
Market Value:
Carded $800 – $1,100
Loose $100 – $150
Skeletor: The Original
Accessories: Havok Staff, Power Sword, Harness, Belt, Mini-Comic
Years Released: 1984
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: The “Original” Skeletor was basically a re-issued version, almost identical to the original released in 1982. The word “original” was added to the card to avoid confusion with the new Battle Armor version of Skeletor, also issued in this wave. Skeletor still had a special feature that allowed you to twist his waist and watch him throw a Power Punch.
Masters of the Universe – Wave 3 (1984): Exclusive Figures
There were no exclusive figures released for the 3rd wave in 1984.
Masters of the Universe – Wave 3 (1984): Accessories
Mattel released a new Weapons Pack for the third wave of the MOTU line.
Weapons Pak
Market Value:
Carded $50 – $75
Loose $15 – $25
Weapons Pak
Accessories: Various Swords, Weapons, Armor Pieces and Accessories
Years Released: 1984, 1985
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: This pack contained a lot of various cool looking accessories for MOTU collectors, including many accessories belonging to He-Man, Beast Man, Zodac and Man-E-Faces. Some pieces were re-issues and others were re-paints of existing items with new colors.
Masters of the Universe – Wave 3 (1984): Creatures
After releasing multiple creature figures in previous lines, Only Stridor was released for the 1984 wave.
Stridor
Market Value:
Boxed $100 – $150
Loose $30 – $45
Stridor: Heroic Warriors
Accessories: Helmet, Laser Guns, Turret
Years Released: 1984, 1985
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but getting tougher each year
Notes: Stridor was basically a robotic horse that could carry our Heroic Warriors during their adventures. The turret for the laser gun can actually move around. Stridor’s origin story changed a bit when he was introduced into the animated series, but he remained an important part of the MOTU world.
Masters of the Universe – Wave 3 (1984): Playsets
Mattel finally gave us a base for the bad guys in Snake Mountain. This was Mattel’s second large scale playset after Castle Grayskull.
Snake Mountain
Market Value:
Boxed $350 – $450
Loose $90 – $140
Snake Mountain: Evil Warriors
Accessories: Echo Microphone, Trap Door, Gate, Bridge, Snake Head, Mini-Comic
Years Released: 1984, 1985
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but getting tougher each year
Notes: Skeletor and his crew finally get a place to hang-out with the introduction of Snake Mountain. This playset was basically a demon looking face on the side of a large purple mountain. It’s actually much cooler that it sounds. The neatest thing about Snake Mountain was the snake head microphone that you could talk into and it would disguise your voice as “frightening and evil”. This was a worthy addition to the MOTU world and a lot of fun for kids re-creating their favorite adventures.
Masters of the Universe – Wave 3 (1984): Vehicles
Mattel gave us three new vehicles as part of their third wave in 1984, including the first ever vehicle for the bad guys.
Dragon Walker
Market Value:
Boxed $80 – $130
Loose $25 – $40
Dragon Walker: Heroic Warriors
Accessories: Seat Belt, Dragon Head, Sliding Track
Years Released: 1984, 1985
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but getting tougher each year
Notes: The Dragon Walker had an awesome motorized feature that allowed it to walk along the floor while a figure sits on top of it, plus it had a great looking dragon head at the front of it. Yet another awesome vehicle for the good guys.
Road Ripper
Market Value:
Boxed $80 – $130
Loose $25 – $40
Road Ripper: Heroic Warriors
Accessories: Ripcord, Base, Wheels
Years Released: 1984, 1985
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but getting tougher each year
Notes: The Road Ripper was a self-propelled vehicle that took off when you pulled the ripcord through it. One thing that I found out as a kid though, is that the Road Ripper doesn’t zoom along so well on carpet, I’m just saying.
Roton
Market Value:
Boxed $80 – $130
Loose $25 – $40
Roton: Evil Warriors
Accessories: Laser Cannons x 2, Saw Blade, Base
Years Released: 1984, 1985
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but getting tougher each year
Notes: This was a pretty interesting looking vehicle, especially since it had two big red eyes on the front of it. Roton was the first ever vehicle made for Skeletor’s Evil Warriors. The Roton vehicle had a saw blade all around it that spins around when the vehicle is pushed forward or backwards.
By the year 1984, The Masters of the Universe line was really cranking on all cylinders. It had a hugely successful animated series and the merchandising side of the line was growing by the minute. He-Man and Skeletor, along with the rest of the gang could be found on everything from lunchboxes and school supplies to clothing and Halloween costumes. The toy line was reaping the most benefits, and was even challenging Star Wars and GI Joe as one of the top selling toy lines of the year. The animated Filmation series was also hitting its stride, with the show keeping kids and adults alike invested in the stories of their favorite characters from the line. The Masters of the Universe franchise was truly thriving in an unprecedented wave of popularity for He-Man, Skeletor and friends.
The third wave of the MOTU line, gave us a new high of 12 brand new figures in 1984, along with re-issued “original” versions of He-Man and Skeletor for a total of 14 figures. The Heroic Warriors got six additions with Buzz-Off, Fisto, Mekaneck, Orko, Prince Adam and a new Battle Armor version of He-Man. Not to be outdone, the Evil Warriors also got six new figures with Clawful, Jitsu, Kobra Khan, Webstor, Whiplash and a new Battle Armor version of Skeletor. In addition to some great new figures, we also got 3 more vehicles, with the Dragon Walker, Road Ripper and Roton to go along with a new robotic battle horse, Stridor. Mattel also finally released a base for the bad guys to hang out in with Snake Mountain. This was a perfect compliment to Castle Grayskull with a ton of playability.
Once again, the packaging for the newest wave of the Masters of the Universe line remained virtually identical to the previous waves of the years before. The Masters of the Universe logo sat at the top of the card, just above a red rock explosion that seemed to jump out at you, along with the name of the character above the bubble. Overall, the MOTU packaging was attractive, which helped make the line even more iconic.
Wave 2 Card Back
Mini Comic Book
Mini Comic Book
Wave 3 Card Back
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