Nostalgia has been a big part of my toy-collecting habits as of late. Predator, Rambo, Dragonball Z, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (my biggest toy-love), and Masters of the Universe all take my money from me at every turn. While I'm a big fan of the Masters of the Universe mythos, the "New Adventures" era was never a part I was too keen on. Now, Mattel and the Four Horsemen have brought a Galactic Protector variant of He-man into the line. Who cares, right? Wrong. I'm a sucker for He-Man's many versions, and this pony-tailed, space-barbarian is no different!

The packaging for this figure is EXACTLY the same damn thing we've seen before. So, pretend I'm describing it for the umpteenth time while you read the bio from the back:

Following the Second Ultimate Battleground, a victorious Skeletor abandoned Eternia after learning of the might of the Horde Empire. Eager to stop his old nemesis, He-Man quickly joined forces with the Galactic Protectors who had arrived through a Laser Gate to seek his aid. Combining his power with that of the Starship Eternia, Adam forsook his alternate identity, becoming He-Man permanently. With the triple strength of the Power of the Universe, the Elder's Wisdom to tap into hidden magic and now the Energy of Starship Eternia, the Most Powerful Man in the Universe is ready to travel through space to capture Skeletor and bring him to justice.

He-Man's sculpt has a fair amount of reuse from previous figures (Bow), but has more than enough new additions to stand on his own. My favorite piece, while trivial, is the belt buckle. The combination of the H & M into one letter saves both time and space! No, not THAT time and space, just the space on the buckle.

The paintwork on my figure is very cleanly applied. The metallics used on the bracers and boots are a nice addition, and the overall color scheme is pleasing to my peepers. My only complaint is that the blue of the crotchpiece is far glossier than than the pant legs. I'm assuming this is due in part to the different materials used for each... but maybe He-Man just needs his junk accentuated. Surely that would distract Evil Space Mutants during a fight...

When it comes to articulation, most of the figure features the exact same model I've pointed out a million times in the past. However, this He-Man includes one point of articulation that Adam has needed since the beginning: Hinged wrists! Yes, this is the FIRST He-Man figure ever to grace the Masters of the Universe Classics line that can hoist his (laser) sword above his head! While to the uninitiated, that might seem like a trivial thing, it is NOT! I would gladly repurchase my other He-man variants if they were to be re-released with these wrists. Well, not "gladly", but I'd damn-well do it!

Galactic Protector He-Man comes packed with a few different accessories, that help transform into both versions of the New Adventures figures that were originally released. You see, when the NA line first hit shelves, He-Man looked like a glitzed out, tiny, Ken doll. Later, in a bid to bring back fans, Mattel released a bulked up version -- but it was far too late. The fact that the Four Horsemen managed to make both versions cool is a testament to their magical sculpting powers! Two heads (helmeted and pony-tailed), a chest harness, full chest armor, a laser-fied version of the Power Sword, and a translucent shield.

Overall, this figure almost, ALMOST, makes me want to open that "New Adventures of He-Man" DVD I picked up for 5 bucks at Walgreens last year.

For more on Mattel's Masters of the Universe Classics line of figures, along with Ghostbusters, DC Universe, and all their other collector-driven lines, be sure to check out the Matty Collector website!

*How does that laser-blade not cut through the harness? Eternian magic, fools!