Mattel is further extending its Masters of the Universe toy lines by adding more characters from fellow ’80s franchise Sun-Man and the Rulers of the Sun. Sun-Man himself was made available as part of the Masters of the Universe Origins line through Mattel Creations last year and instantly sold out. That was a modernized take on the character, but upcoming Mattel releases will more closely resemble the original ’80s action figures.
The Sun-Man toy was first created by Yla Eason in 1985 after her young son Menelik, who was three at the time, became upset that he didn’t think he could ever be a superhero like He-Man because he was Black.
After she was unable to find a black superhero toy for Menelik, a problem she discovered that other Black parents faced, Eason, who worked in marketing, founded her own toy company, Olmec. Their first products were Sun-Man and his monstrous foe Pig-Head.
According to Sun-Man’s vintage packaging: “His magical melanin skin gave him unequaled, unlimited, and special super strength. Sun-Man’s skin could not be cut, burned, bruised, broken, pierced, stabbed, ripped, or removed, so Pig-Head the evil wart was plotting to smoke-out Sun-Man. He wanted to see if he could weaken Sun-Man’s powerful skin through the smoke from the drugs Pig-Head had just cooked up. But Sun-Man flies free, protecting the right for the Galaxy-Trefixa to exist in peace. His rap is clear: ‘Pig-Head listen, you’re bad luck. You won’t win, so just give up. Sun-Man is on the scene to stay. My good powers shall rule all the way! The Battle has just begun…’”
Olmec would go on to produce mostly Black variations of toys like G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and a fashion doll a la Barbie. Some of these lines, including Sun-Man, also introduced characters that were Asian, Latinx, and Native American to help fill those voids in the toy market. Olmec also released officially licensed toys of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X with the permission of their estates. Just as Masters of the Universe spawned a female companion line, She-Ra: Princess of Power, Olmec created its own female action line, Butterfly Woman.
While Sun-Man and the Rulers of the Sun was seen by many as a “knock-off” of Masters of the Universe, which is valid considering their similar squat muscular body styles and fantasy themes, there are plenty of ’80s kids that lovingly remember these figures and even consider them a fine companion to MotU, as many fans have made custom Sun-Man figures using MotU parts.
The rapid sell-out of Sun-Man on Mattel Creations proves that the MotU fandom is more than ready to embrace Olmec’s creations and now the partnership between the two companies will deliver even more.
As mentioned, Mattel will be issuing a common figure of Sun-Man, which more closely resembles the original toy as part of Masters of the Universe Origins. This figure has already been revealed and is available for preorder from some online retailers.
Fans of the original Sun-Man line may remember that the figure originally had a more natural rounded hairstyle, but in the latter part of the decade, he was produced with a then-popular flat top fade. You can see that Mattel plans to issue that version as well in the picture at the top of this page. (Although, it’s also possible that Mattel will just include two heads with the basic Sun-Man figure, as they have done with other MotU Origins figures.)
There is no individual photo, but Mattel will also add Space Sumo to the line. This is a Chinese telekinetic ninja. He can be seen wearing a black ninja mask at the top of the page. This mask was removable on the original action figure, so hopefully, Mattel will offer two heads for this figure too.
Digitino is a Latino cyborg with a half-computer brain and high-tech weaponry provided by the Mesoamerican god Quetzalcoatl who explained to him:
“Take this key staff and breastplate. For you now have the power to key into the history of life. Our computer brain’s knowledge will enable you to quickly solve any problem that confronts you. When held upwards, the key staff will recharge your digital breastplate. This will allow you to intercept any data you desire. You are tuned into the year 2017. It is the dimension that I come from. It is where your source of strength lies. The vast knowledge of the galaxy is now yours.”
I really hope they keep the fact that he draws his knowledge from the far, far future of 2017!
While Sun-Man, Space Sumo, and Digitino will make excellent additions in the battle against Skeletor and the Evil Horde, the Rulers of the Sun have their own notorious opponent which Mattel will also be adding to the mix, Pig-Head.
Pig-Head is an evil prince from the House of Sadus, who “spread despair among his workers,” “used his wealth to build torturous chambers in which to punish those who did not obey him,” and lived “with one burning desire—to bring dishonor and shame to all those who live among him.”
In the ’80s, Olmec released this promotional image of “upcoming” releases, however, my understanding is that the company didn’t wind up making them all. It would be a dream come true for fans if Mattel would actually make all of them. Bolt Man (a Native American character), should Mattel make him, would be the first character of that ethnicity in any Masters of the Universe line.
The figures shown will be released as part of Masters of the Universe Origins. However, Mattel has also announced plans to introduce Sun-Man and possibly his supporting characters in the more detailed, adult-skewing Masterverse line, which has so far focused on the Netflix series Masters of the Universe: Revelation, but will soon spread to characters, beasts, and vehicles from other aspects of the MotU mythology.
Once again, the Sun-Man MotU Origins figure is available for preorder from various online retailers. The other characters from the Rulers of the Sun subset are expected to be released in the spring.
Considering that the Origins line has made so many of the original MotU figures and there are so few that haven’t been produced, this infusion could be just what the collection needs to last just a bit longer.
Do you remember Sun-Man and the Rulers of the Sun? Are you excited to get updated versions of these figures? Or were you completely unaware of the original toys? Are these brand new creations to you?
