What's an A-List character?
A-List characters are the most desirable characters, the cream of the crop, right? The best of the best...
WHO ARE THE A-List characters in MOTUC?
THIS is a tricky question... It varies from fan to fan... Vintage Purists will claim that Ninjor, a vintage D-List character is a B-List vs Queen Angella, a Princess of Power higher tier of B-List to Low tier A-List Character. Others (who I won't mention by name... ♠) would claim that NEPTHU is B-List... When in Reality he's closer to Low Tier Z-List. Some fans look at ALL the toylines that MOTUC is drawing influences from and determine their A-Lists from EACH Faction. There are some folks that look at the rating as "A-List of whatever is left to do". Which seems to be closer to what Mattel is doing...
I know I KINDA Ranted about this before. And my stance is the same... Mattel, STUPIDLY spent their cache of A-List and B-List Vintage MOTU Characters TOO FAST!
I get that 2008-2009 was predominantly "Vintage" to test the waters.
but let's look at the FIRST Wave of the THREE Main Toylines (Original MOTU, POP and NA)
MOTU Wave 1:
He-Man Classicized in 2008
Skeletor Classicized in 2009
Beastman Classicized in 2008
Man-at-Arms Classicized in 2009
Zodac Classicized in 2009
Stratos Classicized in 2009
Merman Classicized in 2009
Teela Classicized in 2009
POP Wave 1:
She-Ra Classicized in 2010
Catra Classicized in 2011
Angella
Bow Classicized in 2010
Castaspella Classicized in 2013
Glimmer WILL BE Classicized in 2014 if you buy the sub!
Double Trouble
Frosta Classicized in 2012
Kowl Classicized in 2013
New Adventures of He-Man Wave 1:
He-Man Classicized in 2013
Skeletor
Flogg
Slushhead Classicized in 2012
Hydron WILL BE Classicized in 2014 if you buy the sub!
Flipshot Classicized in 2011
MOTU Wave 2:
Evil Lyn Classicized in 2010
Faker Classicized in 2009
Man-e-Faces Classicized in 2011
Trap Jaw Classicized in 2010
Ram Man Classicized in 2013
Tri-Klops Classicized in 2009
POP Wave 2:
Entrapta
Flutterina
Mermista
Peekablue
Perfuma
Scratching Sound Catra
Starburst She-Ra
Sweet Bee
New Adventures of He-Man Wave 2:
Battle Punch He-Man
Discs of Doom Skeletor
Hoove
Karatti Classicized in 2013
Kayo
Lizzorr
Nocturna
Optikk Classicized in 2010
Vizar
See a pattern emerging? Not yet? Well, let's see if this can help:
Characters that appeared in past Cartoons that had toys in the past (80s-90s)
MOTU:
He-Man Classicized in 2008
Skeletor Classicized in 2009
Beastman Classicized in 2008
Man-at-Arms Classicized in 2009
Zodac Classicized in 2009
Stratos Classicized in 2009
Merman Classicized in 2009
Teela Classicized in 2009
Evil Lyn Classicized in 2010
Faker* Classicized in 2009
Man-e-Faces Classicized in 2011
Trap Jaw Classicized in 2010
Ram Man Classicized in 2013
Tri-Klops Classicized in 2009
*Faker had an episode in Filmation, but looked exactly like He-Man. He had a cameo in the 2002 reboot.
Princess of Power:
Princess of Power:
She-Ra Classicized in 2010
Catra Classicized in 2011
Angella
Bow Classicized in 2010
Castaspella Classicized in 2013
Glimmer WILL BE Classicized in 2014 if you buy the sub!
Frosta Classicized in 2012
Kowl Classicized in 2013
Catra Classicized in 2011
Angella
Bow Classicized in 2010
Castaspella Classicized in 2013
Glimmer WILL BE Classicized in 2014 if you buy the sub!
Frosta Classicized in 2012
Kowl Classicized in 2013
Entrapta
Flutterina
Mermista
Peekablue
Perfuma
Sweet Bee
New Adventures of He-Man:
Flutterina
Mermista
Peekablue
Perfuma
Sweet Bee
New Adventures of He-Man:
He-Man Classicized in 2013
Skeletor
Flogg
Slushhead Classicized in 2012
Hydron WILL BE Classicized in 2014 if you buy the sub!
Flipshot Classicized in 2011
Discs of Doom Skeletor
Hoove
Karatti Classicized in 2013
Kayo
Lizzorr
Nocturna
Optikk Classicized in 2010
Vizar
See a pattern now? Whether you're a toy fan or cartoon fan, you can only assemble the CORE MOTU Rosters with the MOTUC Toys. Hell, we LITERALLY HAVE ZERO FIGURES from POP's second wave!! To this date we're still missing SKELETOR AND FLOGG from NA... The faction leaders of the Mutants are MIA and the line is in danger...
OK, so those 14 figures on the MOTU Lists are among the most important characters... Add a Sorceress, Prince Adam, Battle Cat, Orko, Fisto, Jitsu, Roboto, Mekaneck and Two-Bad to the mix
and you get almost all the A-List and B-List for the Original MOTU.
What about Hordak and the Evil Horde?
Ah the Horde... The faction with cross appeal for POP fans and MOTU Fans...
Hordak, Mantenna, Leech, Grizzlor, Modulok and Horde Troopers are the ones that have crossover appeal due to Filmation.
Out of those the only one we lack is MODULOK since he depends on the 2014 Subscription.
The other Hordesmen were spaced out a bit evenly:
Hordak Classicized in 2009
Leech Classicized in 2011
Grizzlor Classicized in 2010
Mantenna Classicized in 2013
Horde Troopers Classicized in 2013 (MOTU Wave 5)
Most of the Horde is Wave 4... Along with Dragon Blaster Skeletor, Spikor, Roboto, Sy-Klone, Mossman, Thunderpunch He-Man, Stinkor and Two-Bad complete it... Out of the Vintage Wave 4 we're missing Modulok and Two Bad... and these two depend on the 2014 sub to go through.
If you're wondering about Wave 3 in MOTU, guess what? We also have that wave completed!!
Battle Armor He-Man
Battle Armor Skeletor
Buzz-Off
Clawful
Fisto
Jitsu
Kobra Khan
Mekaneck
Orko
Prince Adam
Webstor
Whiplash
All these guys are in Classics... Pretty much the entire waves 1-3 are done and wave 4 is a Two Bad and a Modulok short of being completed... waves 5 and 6 have a few Gaps... Now what does this have to do with A-Lists and such?
Simple: Mattel blew through most of the first 4 waves of MOTU, while dragging their feet with POP and NA. Now I'm NOT SAYING that we should have had 4 MOTU, 4 POP and 4 NA per year... Far from it. I'm saying that while MOTU's roster had larger numbers than POP and NA Mattel used the wrong approach.
Instead of completing each core team and then expand towards the lesser tiers, they just fulfilled most of vintage MOTU while randomly selecting figures from POP, NA and other sources. Not to mention choosing T.U.R.D.S instead of important characters. Seriously, WHO picks Shokoti for the Filmation Sub, but doesn't have a spot for her slave!? What in the world was ♠ thinking!?
The line may end in 2013 if the sub doesn't make it... It's OK I am getting Plundor! Even though Flogg, Glimmer, or NA Skeletor could have used that spot. Same thing with the Filmation sub. Perfect spot do drop Scorpia, but it's OK... Who needs Scorpia when we're getting Nepthu!!
So, The A-List characters have been long gone... MOTUV lost most of them between 2008-2010
POP and NA still have a few left, but for the Vintage Purist this matters none. Now all we have is an "All-Star" year... which isn't really an All-Star year if you're a vintage purist... again, the Vintage MOTU All-Stars are just a Two-Bad and a Modulok short of completion. If you are a fan of ALL Eras, THEN it's an All-Star year... To be Honest it's more of a "Let's complete as many teams as we can" kind of year.
Two-Bad completes the Core Evil Warriors. Glimmer, well she's a core Rebellion Member (The TRUE Leader) and MY Favorite Character... so I'm a bit biased towards her. Hydron Completes the Heroes from the First New Adventures wave (and it's THE CORE Galactic Protector... Him + Flipshot and you have The NA Dynamic Duo) Blade enhances Skeletor's evil Warriors and begins the 87 Movie Faction. Scorpia and Modulok complete the Core Filmation Horde. Huntara, is the winner of the "SDCC 2013 Fan Poll" Goatman... He's a bit obscure, but he's a traveling convention item and not part of the subscription...
As we've seen this year with Clamp Champ and Fang Man (Soon with Sea Hawk as well); Mattel is going to have some figures without Day of Sale Stock... Now, I'm afraid that Mattel will ensure they have no DOS stock on various figures... Perhaps more than on 2013... If you want to fill in those rosters with the remaining Core characters, then you should get the sub. (If you can afford the sub)
Gaps on the teams? That's something that will be remedied with 2014... by getting the core characters on the sub... We are also getting a MOTU Mystery solved: The Physical Identity of the Un-Named One...
Again, "A-List" beyond the main character and his/her archenemy is not clear cut... but the important thing is that this year we'll fill the holes with KEY CHARACTERS for every Faction. I'd love for this line to last for a long time, but for that we need to go one year at a time. IF the line has to end, let's try and get this year so we can fill in as many core spots as possible...
You wouldn't buy the Fantastic Two... or a Robin without a Batman... Leonardo and Donatello without Raphael or Michelangelo... A set of X-Men's first class without Iceman or Cyclops... The Sinister Six without Doc Ock or Electro... OK you get the idea.
Skeletor
Flogg
Slushhead Classicized in 2012
Hydron WILL BE Classicized in 2014 if you buy the sub!
Flipshot Classicized in 2011
Discs of Doom Skeletor
Hoove
Karatti Classicized in 2013
Kayo
Lizzorr
Nocturna
Optikk Classicized in 2010
Vizar
OK, so those 14 figures on the MOTU Lists are among the most important characters... Add a Sorceress, Prince Adam, Battle Cat, Orko, Fisto, Jitsu, Roboto, Mekaneck and Two-Bad to the mix
and you get almost all the A-List and B-List for the Original MOTU.
What about Hordak and the Evil Horde?
Ah the Horde... The faction with cross appeal for POP fans and MOTU Fans...
Hordak, Mantenna, Leech, Grizzlor, Modulok and Horde Troopers are the ones that have crossover appeal due to Filmation.
Out of those the only one we lack is MODULOK since he depends on the 2014 Subscription.
The other Hordesmen were spaced out a bit evenly:
Hordak Classicized in 2009
Leech Classicized in 2011
Grizzlor Classicized in 2010
Mantenna Classicized in 2013
Horde Troopers Classicized in 2013 (MOTU Wave 5)
Most of the Horde is Wave 4... Along with Dragon Blaster Skeletor, Spikor, Roboto, Sy-Klone, Mossman, Thunderpunch He-Man, Stinkor and Two-Bad complete it... Out of the Vintage Wave 4 we're missing Modulok and Two Bad... and these two depend on the 2014 sub to go through.
If you're wondering about Wave 3 in MOTU, guess what? We also have that wave completed!!
Battle Armor He-Man
Battle Armor Skeletor
Buzz-Off
Clawful
Fisto
Jitsu
Kobra Khan
Mekaneck
Orko
Prince Adam
Webstor
Whiplash
All these guys are in Classics... Pretty much the entire waves 1-3 are done and wave 4 is a Two Bad and a Modulok short of being completed... waves 5 and 6 have a few Gaps... Now what does this have to do with A-Lists and such?
Simple: Mattel blew through most of the first 4 waves of MOTU, while dragging their feet with POP and NA. Now I'm NOT SAYING that we should have had 4 MOTU, 4 POP and 4 NA per year... Far from it. I'm saying that while MOTU's roster had larger numbers than POP and NA Mattel used the wrong approach.
Instead of completing each core team and then expand towards the lesser tiers, they just fulfilled most of vintage MOTU while randomly selecting figures from POP, NA and other sources. Not to mention choosing T.U.R.D.S instead of important characters. Seriously, WHO picks Shokoti for the Filmation Sub, but doesn't have a spot for her slave!? What in the world was ♠ thinking!?
The line may end in 2013 if the sub doesn't make it... It's OK I am getting Plundor! Even though Flogg, Glimmer, or NA Skeletor could have used that spot. Same thing with the Filmation sub. Perfect spot do drop Scorpia, but it's OK... Who needs Scorpia when we're getting Nepthu!!
So, The A-List characters have been long gone... MOTUV lost most of them between 2008-2010
POP and NA still have a few left, but for the Vintage Purist this matters none. Now all we have is an "All-Star" year... which isn't really an All-Star year if you're a vintage purist... again, the Vintage MOTU All-Stars are just a Two-Bad and a Modulok short of completion. If you are a fan of ALL Eras, THEN it's an All-Star year... To be Honest it's more of a "Let's complete as many teams as we can" kind of year.
Two-Bad completes the Core Evil Warriors. Glimmer, well she's a core Rebellion Member (The TRUE Leader) and MY Favorite Character... so I'm a bit biased towards her. Hydron Completes the Heroes from the First New Adventures wave (and it's THE CORE Galactic Protector... Him + Flipshot and you have The NA Dynamic Duo) Blade enhances Skeletor's evil Warriors and begins the 87 Movie Faction. Scorpia and Modulok complete the Core Filmation Horde. Huntara, is the winner of the "SDCC 2013 Fan Poll" Goatman... He's a bit obscure, but he's a traveling convention item and not part of the subscription...
As we've seen this year with Clamp Champ and Fang Man (Soon with Sea Hawk as well); Mattel is going to have some figures without Day of Sale Stock... Now, I'm afraid that Mattel will ensure they have no DOS stock on various figures... Perhaps more than on 2013... If you want to fill in those rosters with the remaining Core characters, then you should get the sub. (If you can afford the sub)
Gaps on the teams? That's something that will be remedied with 2014... by getting the core characters on the sub... We are also getting a MOTU Mystery solved: The Physical Identity of the Un-Named One...
 |
| Un-Named One is form the 80s Mini Comics! |
Again, "A-List" beyond the main character and his/her archenemy is not clear cut... but the important thing is that this year we'll fill the holes with KEY CHARACTERS for every Faction. I'd love for this line to last for a long time, but for that we need to go one year at a time. IF the line has to end, let's try and get this year so we can fill in as many core spots as possible...
You wouldn't buy the Fantastic Two... or a Robin without a Batman... Leonardo and Donatello without Raphael or Michelangelo... A set of X-Men's first class without Iceman or Cyclops... The Sinister Six without Doc Ock or Electro... OK you get the idea.
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