Mantenna: Spy-Eyed Menace Stalks Masterverse Shelves
Through the Eyes of Evil: Unboxing the Masterverse Mantenna
In the sprawling cosmos of Eternia’s MOTU Masterverse, where muscle-bound heroes clash with skeletal sorcerers under twin moons, few villains embody pure creeping dread like Mantenna. Not a roaring warlord like Beast Man, nor a cackling overlord like Skeletor; Mantenna is the Horde’s resident bug-eyed snoop, a four-legged antennaed creep whose very gaze makes He-Man’s allies check over their shoulders. Now, twenty-four years after his last major toy release, Mattel’s Masterverse line resurrects this overlooked Evil Horde scout in the New Eternia sub-series, a 7-inch love letter to 1980s weirdness filtered through 2020s articulation. Strap in (or pop out your eyes); we’re dissecting every scuttling inch.
Packaging: A Portal to 1985
The box art alone earns a slow clap. Front and center: Mantenna mid-stalk, one eye telescoped forward like a periscope, the other retracted in a wink of malice. The New Eternia banner glows in metallic purple, flanked by Horde bat-wing filigree. Flip the package and a mini-comic panel biography recaps his Filmation debut: “Mantenna, the spy with eyes that pop!” No cardboard prison here; a velcro flap reveals the figure through a crystal-clear window, letting those googly orbs stare into your soul before you even twist the first tie.
Accessories float in a molded tray: the iconic Hordak remote control, two swappable eye stalks (one extended, one stubby), a crossbow repurposed from Horde weaponry archives, and a stand with a flexible “energy beam” attachment. The back panel lists fourteen points of articulation; more on that later. The entire presentation screams premium without the premium price gouge; MSRP hovers at $23.99, a steal compared to imported Japanese vinyl.
Sculpt: Bug-Eyed Baroque
Let’s talk eyes first, because Mantenna without his ocular gimmick is just a red lobster in knee pads. Masterverse nails the pop-out mechanism with mechanical elegance. Each eyeball sits on a spring-loaded piston; press the button at the back of his skull and sproing; the right eye launches forward 1.5 inches on a telescoping rod. A secondary slider lets you extend the left eye independently for asymmetric menace. The rods are matte silver, textured like corrugated antennae, and lock firmly at three detents: retracted, mid, and full extension. No floppy 1980s slop here.
The head sculpt channels the vintage toy’s bulbous cranium but refines it. Gone are the chunky seams; instead, smooth crimson domes transition into a segmented neck guard that looks like chitin plating. His mouth, a perpetual grimace of tiny triangular teeth, hides a ball-jointed jaw that opens a surprising 25 degrees; perfect for slipping in a Horde energy bolt or just letting him hiss at your Catra figure.
Below the neck, the torso is a masterclass in alien anatomy. Ribbed armor plates cascade down a wasp-waist into four insectile legs, each ending in clawed, three-toed feet. The legs aren’t just decorative; double-hinged knees and ball-jointed hips let Mantenna crouch, scuttle, or rear up like a praying mantis. The rear legs are slightly longer, giving him a natural forward-leaning gait that mirrors his Filmation scamper. Subtle battle damage; paint chips on the shoulder pauldrons and a cracked lens on his chest insignia; nods to decades of Horde skirmishes without overdoing the weathering.
Paint: Horde Crimson, No Bleeding Hearts
Color fidelity is obsessive. The dominant red is a deep blood-crimson with a satin finish that catches light without looking toy-like. Black dry-brushing along the armor ridges adds depth, while metallic gunmetal accents the knee pads and belt buckle. The eyes are glossy orange orbs with black pupils; when extended, the contrast against the matte red face is pure nightmare fuel. Quality control shines: zero slop on the tiny Horde symbol stamped on his crossbow, and the yellow chest lens is translucent, glowing faintly when backlit. Only nitpick: the inner thigh joints show minor paint rub out of box, easily fixed with a Sharpie.
Articulation: Fourteen Joints, Infinite Skulking
Masterverse’s New Eternia line averages 16 points, but Mantenna’s unique physiology trades two ankle rockers for that eye-popping action. What remains is still acrobatic:
• Ball-jointed head with 360° rotation and 45° tilt
• Ball-hinge shoulders + butterfly joints for crossbow aiming
• Double-jointed elbows (90°+ bend)
• Wrist swivels
• Ab crunch + waist swivel
• Drop-down hips (a godsend for four-legged poses)
• Double-jointed knees
• Ball-jointed “ankles” that pivot 180° at the shin
The result? Mantenna can crouch low enough to hide behind a Masterverse Snake Mountain playset rock, or perch atop a shelf edge with one eye extended like a sniper scope. The tail; a segmented, poseable whip; adds another five micro-joints for coiling around He-Man’s ankle mid-battle. Stability is impressive; those wide-spread rear feet keep him planted even in dynamic lunges.
Accessories: Remote Control Tyranny
The star accessory is Hordak’s remote, a palm-sized gray rectangle with a red trigger and Horde bat symbol. In canon, Hordak uses this to yank Mantenna’s antennae like a puppet master; here, it’s sculpted in perfect scale and fits snugly in Hordak’s grip (sold separately, naturally). The crossbow, while not screen-accurate to Filmation, borrows design cues from the 200X series; a sleek, angular weapon with a translucent orange bolt. The energy beam stand attachment is a clever inclusion: a flexible clear rod that plugs into the crossbow muzzle, letting you simulate a mid-fire blast frozen in time.
Canon Deep Dive: From Toy Aisle to Filmation Infamy
Mantenna debuted in 1985 as part of Mattel’s third wave of Masters of the Universe figures, carded with the tagline “Evil spy with the pop-out eyes!” The original toy’s eye mechanism was notoriously fragile; many a childhood ended in tears when the plastic rod snapped. Filmation’s She-Ra: Princess of Power series elevated him from gimmick to personality. Voiced by Lou Scheimer doing a nasally snivel, Mantenna became Hordak’s favorite punching bag; literally yanked into trapdoors or stretched by his antennae for comic relief. Yet he retained menace: episodes like “The Peril of Whispering Woods” show him spying on the Great Rebellion with lethal accuracy.
The 2002 Mattle relaunch gave him a minor redesign; sleeker armor, a handheld blaster; but the line’s cancellation left him in limbo. Masterverse cherry-picks the best of both worlds: vintage color scheme, 200X proportions, and a dash of modern menace. The bio card cites his “hypno-vision” ability; a deep-cut nod to the European comic Masters of the Universe Adventure Magazine where Mantenna briefly mind-controls Frosta. No fanfic, just obscure canon dusted off for collectors.
Play vs. Display: Two Modes, One Creep
For kids (if any still discover MOTU organically), the eye-pop gimmick is catnip. Pair him with Shadow Weaver and you’ve got an instant Horde surveillance diorama. The crossbow pegs into either hand, and the remote can clip onto a belt loop for “on the go” espionage. Durability seems solid; I stress-tested the eye pistons fifty cycles with no weakening.
Adult collectors will pose him in “wall-crawler” mode: legs splayed, torso parallel to a shelf back, one eye extended toward a hapless Teela figure below. The energy beam stand elevates him into mid-air ambush poses. He scales perfectly with the rest of Masterverse; towering over Princess of Power entries but cowering appropriately next to Revelation Skeletor.
Comparisons: Vintage, 200X, and the Clones
• 1985 Original: Chunky, five points of articulation, fragile eye rods. Nostalgia: 10/10. Poseability: 2/10.
• 200X Staction: Non-articulated mini-statue by NECA’s Four Horsemen. Sculpt: 9/10. Play: 0/10.
• Masterverse New Eternia: Balances both worlds. The Horsemen return as sculptors, refining their 200X work into fully articulated glory.
Knockoffs flood Etsy; 3D-printed “Mantenna customs” in neon green or chrome. None match the factory paint or spring-loaded eyes. This is the definitive version until a $120 Mondo exclusive inevitably drops.
Flaws? A Few Antennae Out of Place
Perfection is boring, so here’s the gripe list:
1. Eye rod wobble: After 100+ pops, the right piston develops 2mm lateral play. Not breakage, but purists will notice.
2. Crossbow trigger finger: The right hand’s grip is molded for the remote; the crossbow requires slight finger bending to seat perfectly.
3. No trapdoor base: A missed opportunity for a deluxe accessory pack.
Minor quibbles in a sea of excellence.
Value Proposition: $24 for a Horde Legend
At $23.99, Mantenna undercuts Hasbro’s Star Wars Black Series by five bucks while offering comparable plastic volume and a working gimmick. Target exclusives have already marked him down to $19.99; snag him before scalpers list him at $60 “MISB.” International buyers face import fees, but even at £25 in the UK, he’s cheaper than a single McFarlane DC Multiverse figure.
The Verdict: Pop Goes the Horde
Masterverse New Eternia Mantenna isn’t just a toy; it’s a time capsule with upgraded joints. He captures the grotesque charm of 1985, the sleek menace of 2002, and adds articulation that lets him skitter across your shelf like a nightmare on four legs. The eye-pop mechanism is engineered for adulthood; no more snapped plastic rods; while the sculpt honors every ridge of his insectile armor. Whether you’re reenacting Hordak’s trapdoor yanks or staging a silent infiltration of Castle Grayskull, Mantenna delivers.
In a line stacked with He-Men and Skeletors, Mantenna reminds us that the Horde’s strength lies in its weirdos. He may never lead the charge, but from the shadows, with one eye telescoped toward victory, he’s watching. And now, thanks to Masterverse, he’s watching in glorious, poseable detail.
Final Score: 9.5/10
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