Wave 5 MOTU Origins 200x Cartoon Collection In-Hand Review

I’ve always been a big fan of the 2002 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon. The series gave us a fresh take on Eternia, with updated character designs that still felt like Masters of the Universe. More than two decades later, I still love seeing those designs make their way into the Origins lineup.

Wave 5 of the MOTU Origins 200x Cartoon Collection brings us Buzz-Off, Keldor, Webstor, and a deluxe Whiplash. This assortment shows just how different some of those 200x redesigns were, from Buzz-Off’s insect-inspired appearance to Webstor’s spider-like transformation. And then there’s Whiplash, whose much larger proportions make him quite different from the vintage figure.

Thanks to Big Bad Toy Store for sending all four figures over for review. You can find the Wave 5 MOTU Origins 200x Cartoon Collection at Big Bad Toy Store. Let’s take a closer look at how Mattel translated these designs into the Origins format.

MOTU Origins 200x Cartoon Collection Wave 5

Here’s the entire Wave 5 assortment together, and Whiplash certainly stands out among the four figures. He’s freakin ginormous and considerably larger than Keldor, Buzz-Off, and Webstor, a welcome change from the more uniform proportions of vintage MOTU figures. Buzz-Off’s wings and Webstor’s spider legs coming out of his back also give this wave some variety when displayed together.

Buzz-Off

Buzz-Off comes on the standard 200x Cartoon Collection card, with artwork on the back inspired by the episode “Buzz-Off’s Pride.” In the episode, Buzz-Off takes on three giants threatening the village of Viridas, only to be defeated when his pride gets the better of him. He eventually returns to recover the stolen Crystal of Prasinus, making this a fitting episode to feature on his packaging.

The 200x cartoon gave Buzz-Off a much more insect-like appearance, and Mattel has carried that design over to Origins. The brown and yellow armor, large blue eyes, and antennae are all here, along with the translucent wings attached to his back. It’s a very different look from the vintage Buzz-Off, which is great as I was not impressed with Matte’s first go around at the 200x line with simply doing repaints.

From the side, you can get a better look at Buzz-Off’s pointed chin, curved shoulder appendages, and clawed feet. The wings have sculpted vein details and extend behind his arms. I like that Mattel retained these insect-inspired details rather than simplifying the design too much for Origins.

Buzz-Off comes with his long-handled axe, featuring a broad blade and circular detail near the top of the shaft. The turquoise paint application on his belt is another small detail worth pointing out. Between the weapon, wings, and head sculpt, Mattel captured quite a bit of what made the 200x version unique.

Keldor

Keldor comes on the standard 200x Cartoon Collection card, with both swords displayed alongside the figure. The back features an illustration inspired by “The Beginning,” which explores Keldor’s history before becoming Skeletor. During a confrontation with Captain Randor, Keldor attempts to attack him with a vial of acid, only for it to splash back onto his own face, which eventually leads to his transformation into Skeletor.

Keldor is one of the more interesting characters to come out of the 200x cartoon, particularly because the series explored his history before becoming Skeletor. The figure captures his blue-gray skin, black hair with white streaks, and purple shoulder armor. His sculpted black cape extends nearly to his feet.

The side views show Keldor’s layered shoulder armor and the pointed panels hanging from his belt. His cape has sculpted folds running down the back, while the white streaks in his hair remain visible from both sides. There’s quite a bit of detail here, especially compared to the simpler designs we typically associate with Origins.

Keldor includes two swords, one orange and one purple, each with its own blade and hilt design. Having both weapons is an important part of recreating his 200x appearance, and they give collectors several display options.

Webstor

Webstor comes on the standard 200x Cartoon Collection card, with an illustration on the back inspired by “Web of Evil.” In the episode, Webstor steals ambrosia from the Andreenids, using it to increase his strength and transform into a much larger spider-like creature. He also gains the ability to produce hundreds of spider offspring, which he unleashes against He-Man and the heroic warriors.

Webstor received one of the more drastic redesigns in the 200x cartoon, moving well beyond the relatively simple blue-skinned figure from the vintage line. The four additional spider legs extend from the large shell on his back, with segmented sections and hooked tips. They give him a much wider appearance, exactly what you’d want from this version of the character.

Mattel didn’t hold back on Webstor’s head sculpt. He has multiple red eyes, pointed teeth, and large white fangs, making him almost unrecognizable compared to the original figure. The red and yellow chest emblem and matching red guards add some color to the purple body. From behind, you can see how the additional spider legs connect to the shell on his back.

Whiplash

Whiplash comes in a larger window box, with an illustration on the back inspired by “Underworld.” The episode reveals that Whiplash belongs to the Caligars, a reptilian race living beneath Eternia in Subternia. His people consider him a traitor for joining Skeletor, who attempts to launch an attack on Castle Grayskull from below.

The side panels feature two illustrations of Whiplash, including a close-up of his face and a full-body view with his tail raised overhead. I always appreciate seeing these 200x character designs on the packaging, especially since the cartoon took such a different approach to their proportions and facial features.

Whiplash also includes a collector card featuring an illustration of the character with his tail raised. The reverse has a Castle Grayskull design and a short biography covering his connection to Subternia.

The 200x version of Whiplash was considerably bulkier than his vintage counterpart, and Mattel has carried those proportions over to this deluxe figure. The broad chest, large shoulders, and spikes give him a substantial appearance, while the blue wrist guards, shin guards, and loincloth break up the olive-green body. His long tail ends in the familiar spiked club.

Whiplash’s side profiles show how much larger this version is compared to the standard Origins body. His pointed ears, protruding fangs, and spikes along the shoulders and arms are all distinctive parts of the 200x design. The long tail extends well behind him, so he’ll need a little extra room on the shelf.