Mattel Claims MOTU Origins Line Is Complete but Falls Short

Mattel has announced that the vintage Masters of the Universe Origins line is complete, sharing six checklist images celebrating the figures released since the line began in 2020. In an Instagram post, Mattel declared, “By the Power of Grayskull… the Vintage Line is complete.” While there’s certainly a lot to celebrate, I’m extremely disappointed that Mattel is calling the vintage line complete when there are still several figures missing from the original toy line, not to mention the Meteorbs.

Just last month, we published an article looking at the remaining vintage figures still missing from MOTU Origins. Based on Mattel’s previous comments about completing the original lineup, we thought we’d at least see Rotar and Twistoid, especially since Twistoid had already appeared in the Eternia packaging artwork. And then there are the giants, Tytus and Megator. We even ran a fan survey that received 824 responses, with an overwhelming 92.2% saying they wanted both figures released in Origins. That’s a pretty clear indication of how much interest there is among the collectors who participated.

Despite my disappointment, I don’t want to overlook everything Mattel has accomplished with Origins. We’ve gotten some incredible figures over the past six years, including many of my childhood favorites. Mattel asked collectors to share their favorites from the line, so I thought I’d look back at some of mine using the six checklists they shared.

Looking Back at My Favorite MOTU Origins Figures

Checklist 1: Beast Man and Man-at-Arms

Beast Man was one of my favorite figures growing up, so naturally, I was excited to see him return in Origins. And I loved that Mattel gave Man-at-Arms his mustache. Because really, who doesn’t love a good stache?

Checklist 2: Modulok, Blast-Attak, Laser Light Skeletor, and Laser Power He-Man

Modulok is another favorite of mine, especially with all those interchangeable parts. He’s also a classic member of the Evil Horde, so it was great to see him included in Origins. Blast-Attak is just a cool-looking figure, and sometimes that’s reason enough to love a character.

I was also really happy to see Laser Light Skeletor and Laser Power He-Man make it into the line. Both figures have become incredibly expensive on the vintage secondary market, so getting modern versions of them was a big deal, especially for collectors who never had the originals.

Checklist 3: Two-Bad and Rattlor

Two-Bad is one of the most classic and fun MOTU figures, and collectors had been wondering when Mattel would finally release him. Luckily, we just got him last month! He’s one of those characters that really needed to be part of Origins.

Rattlor is another favorite because of his classic rattling gimmick. I love that Mattel kept the action feature because there’s something fun about shaking the figure and actually hearing it rattle. It’s little things like that which made the vintage toys so memorable.

Checklist 4: Roboto and Sy-Klone

Roboto was another one of my childhood favorites, so I was happy to see him return in Origins. I also really liked what Mattel did with Sy-Klone. Rather than giving us a basic release, they made him a deluxe figure with effects and his classic spinning action feature. That’s the kind of treatment I love seeing with these vintage characters.

Checklist 5: Trap Jaw and Snake Face

Trap Jaw was one of my favorite vintage figures as a kid, although I still can’t stand the face sculpt Mattel gave him in Origins. It’s one of those design choices I wish they had handled differently, especially considering how much I loved the original.

Snake Face, on the other hand, is my favorite of the Snake Men. He basically looks like a male Medusa, which is a big part of why I’ve always liked his design. He’s just a great-looking character.

Checklist 6: Mekaneck

Mekaneck was my all-time favorite MOTU figure growing up, so I was especially happy when Mattel finally brought him into Origins. I wasn’t thrilled that they packaged him with a vehicle rather than offering him as a standalone figure, but at least we got him!

So Why Is Mattel Calling the Vintage Line Complete?

As much as I’ve enjoyed collecting Origins, this is where Mattel’s announcement becomes frustrating. There are still several figures from the original Masters of the Universe line that haven’t received Origins releases, including Blade, Saurod, Gwildor, Rotar, Twistoid and the Giants Megator and Tytus.

And then there are the Meteorbs. This is an entire assortment of transforming creatures from the vintage line that Mattel never brought into Origins. I would have loved to see these return, and their absence is another reason I can’t consider the vintage lineup complete.

There are also the vintage giants and other vehicles and creatures that collectors have been waiting for. Mattel has done an impressive job bringing back so much of the original toy line, but there’s still enough missing that declaring it complete feels premature.

What’s particularly disappointing is how close Mattel came. We’ve received characters from across the vintage line, including later releases like Laser Light Skeletor and Laser Power He-Man, but other figures from that same era never made it into Origins.

Collectors Are Questioning Mattel’s Announcement

I’m certainly not alone in feeling this way. Looking through the comments on Mattel’s Instagram announcement, several collectors were quick to point out the missing characters.

One fan mentioned Blade, Saurod, and Gwildor, while another pointed to Rotar, Twistoid, the movie figures, the giants, and the Meteorbs as examples of what’s still missing.

Other collectors expressed interest in seeing more Princess of Power and New Adventures characters, while some questioned why Mattel continued releasing crossover figures when there were still vintage characters left to produce.

Of course, there were also collectors celebrating the announcement and thanking Mattel for everything Origins has delivered. And I can understand that perspective. We’ve received an incredible number of figures, many of which I never thought we’d see again in this format.

But for collectors who started Origins hoping to eventually recreate the original vintage lineup, it’s disappointing to see Mattel declare the job finished while leaving recognizable gaps in the collection.

An Incredible Run, but Not a Complete One

I don’t want my disappointment to overshadow what Mattel has accomplished with MOTU Origins. Over the past six years, we’ve gotten an incredible assortment of figures, including many of my childhood favorites. Seeing characters like Mekaneck, Beast Man, Roboto, Modulok, and Two-Bad return has been a lot of fun.

But that’s also what makes this announcement so disappointing. Mattel came incredibly close to recreating the vintage lineup, and I wish they had taken the opportunity to finish what they started. Maybe some of the missing characters will eventually find their way into future Origins releases. I’d certainly welcome Blade, Saurod, Rotar, Twistoid, and the Meteorbs if Mattel decides to revisit them. But right now, there’s no indication in this announcement that those figures are coming. For me, Origins has been an incredible line, and I’m grateful for everything Mattel has given collectors. I just can’t agree that the vintage line is complete when there are still figures missing.