The New Adventures of He-Man (Wave 1) – 1989

---

The New Adventures of He-Man toy line began in 1989 as a futuristic reboot of the classic Masters of the Universe franchise. Seeking to refresh the brand and appeal to a new generation, Mattel reimagined He-Man in a sci-fi setting, moving the action from Eternia to the planet Primus. The first wave of figures moved away from the previous blocky designs and moved towards more articulation. He-Man now donned space armor and faced off against a cyber-enhanced Skeletor. This initial wave included several key characters, blending Galactic Guardian and Evil Mutant factions in a battle of good vs. evil in a high-tech future.

For more information about Mattel’s New Adventures of He-Man line from 1989, see bottom of the page for a complete summary.

Market Value:
Carded $45 – $65
Loose $15 – $25

Flipshot: Galactic Guardians
Accessories: Helmet, Jet Backpack, Wrist Rockets
Years Released: 1989
Difficulty to Find: Common – Easily found on the secondary market
Notes: Flipshot, also known as Icarius in some regions, is a pilot from the planet Primus. He is a master of aerial combat and a key ally to He-Man in the battle against the Evil Mutants. His figure has a unique “spinning jet pack” action feature—when a button on his back is pressed, his wings rotate to simulate flight. He comes equipped with a removable flight helmet, jet backpack and wrist rockets.

---

Flogg

Market Value:
Carded $45 – $65
Loose $20 – $30

Flogg: Evil Mutants
Accessories: Helmet, Shoulder Armor, Energy Whip
Years Released: 1989
Difficulty to Find: Less Common – Appears often but some hunting needed
Notes: Flogg (Brakk) is the evil leader of the Mutants and Skeletor’s top commander in the battle against the Galactic Guardians. He commands the Mutant forces from the planet Denebria and is loyal to Skeletor. When you turn his waist to the right, his left arm raises to block a battle blow. Turn the waist back and he cracks his energy whip. Flogg also comes with his helmet and shoulder armor.

---

He-Man

Market Value:
Standard Version: Carded $120 – $150
Cassette Version: Carded $325 – $400
Loose $50 – $75

He-Man: Galactic Guardians
Accessories: Power Sword, Energy Shield, Removable Helmet, Body Armor
Years Released: 1989
Difficulty to Find: Moderate Difficulty – Takes patience and appears less often
Notes: He-Man was reintroduced in a futuristic form with the launch of the New Adventures of He-Man toy line, bringing the iconic hero from the fantasy world of Eternia to the high-tech planet of Primus. This version of He-Man maintains his legendary strength and heroism but now battles Skeletor and the Evil Mutants in a sci-fi setting. When you twist his waist to the right, He-Man’s left arm blocks blows using his shield. Twist to the left and his right arm slashes down with his power sword. It should be noted that another version of He-Man was released that included a cassette that told an introduction story.

---

Hydron

Market Value:
Carded $50 – $75
Loose $20 – $30

Hydron: Galactic Guardians
Accessories: Helmet, Backpack, Triton Spear Gun
Years Released: 1982-1983
Difficulty to Find: Common – Easily found on the secondary market
Notes: Hydron is the underwater commander of the Galactic Guardians. He comes equipped with a futuristic diving suit, including a removable helmet, backpack and a trident spear gun. Twist his waist back to make his arm swing into battle action.

---

Kalamarr (Slush Head)

Market Value:
Carded $85 – $115
Loose $35 – $55

Kalamarr (Slush Head): Evil Mutants
Accessories: Helmet, Two Tentacle Pieces, Trident Laser Axe
Years Released: 1989
Difficulty to Find: Less Common – Appears often but some hunting needed
Notes: Kalamarr, better known as Slush Head, is a mutant henchman of Skeletor from the New Adventures of He-Man. Hailing from the swampy world of Denebria, Slush Head is a dim-witted but loyal warrior known for his brute strength and amphibious nature. He captures his enemies with his high-tech tentacles. Raise his right arm and let go to make his trident laser axe chop downward.

---

Skeletor

Market Value:
Carded $120 – $150
Loose $45 – $65

Skeletor: Evil Mutants
Accessories: Helmet, Havoc Staff, Cloth Cape
Years Released: 1989
Difficulty to Find: Less Common – Appears often but some hunting needed
Notes: Skeletor returns in a bold new form in the New Adventures of He-Man toy line, reimagined as a high-tech villain leading the Evil Mutants in their conquest of the planet Primus. Leaving behind the mystic lands of Eternia, this version of Skeletor is more cybernetic, with updated armor and a sleeker, more futuristic design. His action figure was activated by twisting his waist from side to side to make him block and battle using his Havoc Staff. Skeletor also comes with a removable helmet and cloth cape.

The New Adventures of He-Man – Wave 1 (1989): Accessories

Mattel released the Electronic Power Sword as a roleplay accessory for the premier wave of new He-Man toys in 1989.

Electronic Power Sword

Market Value:
Boxed $90 – $120
Loose $45 – $65

Electronic Power Sword
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1989
Difficulty to Find: Hard to Find – Occasionally listed, and usually sells quickly
Notes: The Electronic Power Sword was released as a role-play accessory designed to complement the futuristic theme of the series. Unlike the classic, fantasy-style Power Sword from the original Masters of the Universe line, this version had a more high-tech, sci-fi appearance. The toy featured electronic light and sound effects, activated by a button on the hilt.

The New Adventures of He-Man – Wave 1 (1989): Playsets

Mattel gave us some incredible playsets for the MOTU line during its run, and that tradition continued with the large scaled Starship Eternia Playset.

Starship Eternia

Market Value:
Boxed $500 – $650
Loose $200 – $300

Starship Eternia: Galactic Guardians
Accessories: Separate Command Ship, Opening Cockpit, Ramps, Boosters, Elevator, Console, Wing Gun, Cannon
Years Released: 1989
Difficulty to Find: Moderate Difficulty – Takes patience and appears less often
Notes: The Starship Eternia was the flagship vehicle and main playset of the New Adventures of He-Man toy line. Designed as a massive, futuristic spacecraft, it served as the mobile base of operations for He-Man and the Galactic Guardians as they defended the planet Primus from Skeletor and the Evil Mutants. It could transform a whopping 12 different ways between two main modes: a starship for space travel and a battle station/playset for ground missions. Starship Eternia came with multiple interactive features, including firing missiles, opening cockpits, a working elevator, computer console, storage areas for weapons, cannons, lasers, and a command ship that could separate from the main vehicle.

The New Adventures of He-Man – Wave 1 (1989): Vehicles

Mattel released four new vehicles as part of their first wave of the New Adventures of He-Man toys in 1989, with the Astrosub, Bolajet, Shuttle Pod and Terroclaw.

Astrosub

Market Value:
Boxed $120 – $150
Loose $40 – $60

Astrosub: Galactic Guardians
Accessories: Bomb Rack, Opening Cockpit, Fold-up Wings, Twin Guns, Periscope, Viewer
Years Released: 1989
Difficulty to Find: Uncommon – Appears often but some hunting needed
Notes: The Astrosub was among the first vehicles released for the New Adventures of He-Man toy line. It featured two different fighting modes (Jet mode & Astrosub mode), as well as several action features. Included was a working bomb rack, bomb release trigger, periscope sight, opening cockpit, fold-up wings for submarine mode and a viewer that slid up and down for different modes.

---

Bolajet

Market Value:
Boxed $50 – $75
Loose $25 – $40

Bolajet: Galactic Guardians
Accessories: Red Bola Ball Set, Jet Ports, Target Sight
Years Released: 1989
Difficulty to Find: Common – Easily found on the secondary market
Notes: The Bolajet was designed as a small scale flying assault vehicle, and serves as a mode of transportation for He-Man and the Galactic Guardians. It includes a set of red bola balls that can be loaded into the twin turbo jet ports. When the red plunger is pulled out and locked, they can be launched when the trigger is pressed.

---

Shuttle Pod

Market Value:
Boxed $45 – $65
Loose $25 – $40

Shuttle Pod: Evil Mutants
Accessories: Opening Canopy, Docking Port, Twin Guns, Weapon Storage Compartment
Years Released: 1989
Difficulty to Find: Common – Easily found on the secondary market
Notes: The Shuttle Pod was used by Skeletor and the Evil Mutants in battle against the Galactic Guardians. In addition to being a transport pod, it can also transform into Skeletor’s battle throne. Its wings pivot to transform it into a maneuverable hover craft, and it can dock on top of Terroclaw to become a rotating observation tower and throne when the canopy is opened.

---

Terroclaw

Market Value:
Boxed $100 – $130
Loose $40 – $60

Terroclaw: Evil Mutants
Accessories: Menacing Claw, Opening Rear Hatch, Rotating Wheels, Battle Station
Years Released: 1989
Difficulty to Find: Uncommon – Appears often but some hunting needed
Notes: Terroclaw was among the first vehicles released Skeletor’s group of Evil Mutants. It’s described as a “Battle Destroyer and Transport Tank”. It featured three different attack modes featuring Crusher Claw: Low riding roller tank; Tread foot tank; and Upright robotic shield. Several action features were Included, such as working snake arms controlled by a handle, treaded feet, rotating wheels w/ ratchet sounds, opening rear hatch, docking ports and a menacing claw.

The New Adventures of He-Man toy line began in 1989 as a futuristic reboot of the classic Masters of the Universe franchise. Seeking to refresh the brand and appeal to a new generation, Mattel reimagined He-Man in a sci-fi setting, moving the action from Eternia to the planet Primus. The first wave of figures moved away from the previous blocky designs and moved towards more articulation. He-Man now donned space armor and faced off against a cyber-enhanced Skeletor. This initial wave included several key characters, blending Galactic Guardian and Evil Mutant factions in a battle of good vs. evil in a high-tech future.

Mattel gave us six initial core characters in 1989, which would all come to play hugely important roles in the shaping of this new Masters of the Universe world. He-Man and Skeletor were, of course, the stars of the line but we also got Flipshot and Hydron to join He-Man and the Galactic Guardians. For the Evil Warriors, we had Kalamarr/Slush Head and Flogg to join Skeletor and the Evil Mutants. In addition to the figures, we also got one large scale playset with Starship Eternia, which gave the good guys a place to call home. In addition, Mattel gave us an Electronic Power Sword for roleplaying and four new vehicles, Astrosub, Bolojet, Shuttle Pod and Terroclaw.

The packaging for the New Adventures of He-Man line was certainly bright with the dark blue theme, but was kind of generic looking. The new “He-Man” logo sat at the top center of the blister pack card. The figure itself was positioned to the right of the card, while its accessories were to the left side. The name of each character was positioned just above the figure bubble in white letters. As far as the card backs go, each was unique to the character, with a short bio on the character, along with nicely illustrated breakdowns of each action feature. The packaging certainly could have helped the line a bit by leaning into what had already worked in the past, but Mattel was looking to blaze a new trail with this toy line.