Meteorbs

The ugly duckling of Masters of the Universe:

In 1986, Mattel surprised everyone with a curious new sub-line of toys within the Masters of the Universe franchise: the “Meteorbs“.

These unique toys not only expanded the Eternia universe, but also added new gameplay with their ability to transform between animal and egg forms.

Although, the fact that the scale and design of these toys was so different from the rest of the original MOTU vintage, didn’t convince a lot of people…

Origin of the Figures:

We are talking about the last years of the collection, the drop in sales is starting to be evident and other toy companies are having success with their transformable toy lines such as Transformers or Gobots.

Mattel reached an agreement with Bandai, to reuse a line of figures already existing in Japan called “Tamagoras”, and decides to add these transformable figures to its “Masters of the Universe” collection as a final attempt to revive the line.

These toys were designed with bright colors and a more mechanized style due to their transformative nature, and an attempt was made to integrate them with the overall “Masters of the Universe” aesthetic.

Fit within MOTU:

The history of the Meteorbs is explained in issue 2 of the “Masters of the Universe” comics published by Star Comics.

In the context of history, the Meteorbs were aliens who came to Eternia in the form of meteorites.

This narrative not only added a new element to the mythology of Eternia, but also offered children an innovative way to interact with their action figures.

Each Meteorb can transform between an animal shape and an egg-like sphere, and the line includes a diverse collection of animals.

A total of 10 Meteorbs were created, 5 for the side of the good guys, allies of He-man, and 5 for the side of the villains together with Skeletor. 

Reception and Popularity:

The reception of the Meteorbs It was mixed. While some fans appreciated the novelty and transformational capabilities, others felt that these toys deviated too much from the core “Masters of the Universe” theme.

This division, however, did not prevent the Meteorbs to win a special place in the hearts of many.

Today, the Meteorbs are considered rare collectibles and are highly sought after by collectors due to their uniqueness and limited production.

The Meteorbs demonstrated the “Masters of the Universe” franchise’s willingness to experiment with new concepts and diversify its product line.

Although they did not become main characters, they added another layer to the already complex Eternia universe.

List of Meteorbs Figures:

• Meteorbs
• Mattel – (1986)

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